THE CANARY. 
13 
THE CANARY. 
The canary-bird is a well-known captive songster. It is a native of the 
Canary Islands, and in the wild state its prevailing color is brown, mingled, 
however, with other colors, but never equalling the beautiful yellow exhib¬ 
ited by the captive bird. Dr. Heincken, who describes its character and 
habits in Madeira, where these birds abound, says it builds its nest in thick 
bushy, high shrubs and trees, with roots, moss, feathers, hair, &c. It pairs 
in February, lays from four to six pale blue eggs, and hatches five, and often 
six times in the season. 
In pairing the birds, two birds should be matched which aro strong and 
vigorous; this should be done about the middle of April. The cock and 
hen may at first be put together in a small cage, to pair them; after which 
they may be turned out into the proper breeding-cage. After the hen has 
laid, and while she is sitting, both birds may be fed with groundsel, having 
seed on it, and afterward chickweed with seed on it. When the young are 
hatched, let the old birds have plenty of soft as well as other food. 
The time of sitting is thirteen days, during which the hen is waited on by 
her mate with the greatest care and attention. After the eggs have been 
sat upon for seven or eight days, it may be as well to examine them. Take 
them gently between your finger and thumb, and hold them before the 
flame of a candle. If they appear quite clear you may as well throw them 
away, as they will never come to any thing. If the egg be filled with a sort 
of network of fine red threads, you may rest satisfied that a bird will be 
hatched from it. Hen canaries will frequently eat their eggs. The only 
way to prevent this is to replenish the food-box over night, as the first 
thing the hen does after laying an egg is to see about her breakfast. If she 
does not find it she may get into a rage, and destroy all the eggs she has 
