canary-bird. 
109 
When they are about to build, you mu ft 
furnifh them with lint, the hair of oxen or 
flags, "which has not been employed in other 
ufes, with mofs, and very final 1 and dry ftraw. 
Gold-Finches and Silkins, if put with hen Ca- 
nary-Birds when mule birds are wanted, prefer 
fmall ftraw and mofs, but the Canary-Birds like 
better to ufe the hair and lint : thefe muft be 
cut very fmall, for fear the threads fhould en- 
tangle the feet of the hen, and caufe her to 
pull the eggs from the neft as {lie rifes from it. 
In feeding them, you muft place in the room 
a hopper pierced all round, fo as to admit their 
head, filled with a portion of the following 
compofition : three quarts of rape-feed, two of 
oats, two of millet and of hemp-feed : every 
twelve or thirteen days the hopper is to be fill- 
ed, taking care that thefe feeds are clean and 
well winnowed. This food is proper as long a's 
they have only eggs 5 but the evening before 
the young are to he excluded, they muft have a 
dry cake kneaded without fait, which may be 
left till it is eaten up, and then you may eivc 
them eggs boiled hard ; a Angle hard egg if 
there are but two cocks and two hens, two ears 
if there are four cocks and eight hens, and fo 
in proportion. They muft have no green thiim 
vrn le they are breeding, which would weaken 
the young too much ; but in order to vary their 
foou a little, and cheer them with a new mefs, 
K 
