34 
THE CA NARY BIRD. 
When the birds are gooa breeders, it is needless to attempt 
to assist nature by artificial means; and it is best to leave the 
them entirely to themselves. In other cases, it is customary to 
remove the first egg and replace it by an ivory one, placing it 
in a box filled with clean, dry sand, and so taking away all 
the eggs till the last one is laid; all are then returned to the 
nest to be hatched. They often lay three or four times a-year, 
from February to September, and some are so assiduous in 
pairing, that even moulting does not interrupt them. The 
eggs are of a sea-green color, marked on one end with reddish- 
brown or violet spots or stripes. The period of incubation 
lasts thirteen days. 
If, from the , sicklines-s of the male, or of the female, any of 
the eggs are unimpregnated, they must be taken out of the 
nest when the hen has sat for a week or ten days, held lightly 
between the fingers in the sunshine, or in a bright light; the 
fecundated ones will then appear filled with veins, while the 
bad ones will be quite clear, or already addled, the latter of 
which must be thrown away. The male rarely relieves the 
female in hatching, nor does she very willingly permit it. 
Immediately after feeding, she returns to the eggs, and should 
the male perchance be on the nest at the time, if he should not 
directly quit, he would speedily be compelled to do so by 
pecks and blows. The young are occasionally killed in the 
egg, in consequence of loud and near noises, such as heavy 
thunder, the discharge of fire arms, violently ^slamming the 
door, or any other very loud knocking. 
FEEDING- AND REARING- THE YOUNG-. 
As soon as the young are hatched, the old birds should be 
supplied with one fourth of a hard-boiled egg, minced very 
fine, with some dried roll, or bread, containing no salt, 
steeped in water, the latter of which should be squeezed 
or pressed out again. In another vessel, some boiled rape 
A seed should be placed, which has been rewashed in fresh a 
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