The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-06-20
Birds in the City Of New york.

DO not believe We have no birds in New
York. The sparrows are now found in
muItitudes in all the city parks, and the
collection of birds, foreign and domestic,
in the Central Park is one Of the finest in
the world. But, says the Herald, the New
York taste for and appreciation of birds
Is shown most conspicuously in the num-
Der and kinds of birds possessed by its
private citizens Pigeons are favorites
with New Workers, especially the variety
known as "button head almond tumblers. /"
One gentleman has collection Of these
birds worth $4,000. Carrier-pigeons are
also not uncommon, some varieties Of
which are valued at $500 pair, and up
wards
II Is calculated that there are at least a
dozen private collections of pigeons in this
city worth over So 900 each, some ranging
over $4,000, and one or two as high as
$4,000. Altogether there are fifty or
sixty varieties of fancy pigeons known to
New Workers. Game fowl are not so popu
in New York now as formerly. Still,
some fine specimens are TO be found, as
much as 800 being refused for a single
hen. Among the varieties of fancy fowl
most affected by the rurally disposed New
Yorker are the black Spanish, the white
Leghorn and the Cochin. These average
in price from S. head upwards. There
are many Of our New York merchants and
professional men who have invested from
$500 TO $4,000 in their stock Of fancy
fowls. As to singing birds there is nc
city in the Union where they are morJ
numerous and appreciated The favoritC
song bird Of New Workers is the canary
Attempts have been made to rear canaricl
in this country, but so far unsuccessfuly
They are brought over in the steamers
from Germany, in coops, by thousands al
time. In Germany canary costs from
six to fifteen cents; in this city canariei
cost from $27 to $50 dozen. A gooC
canary in New York will cost on an aver
age So. One lady on Twenty fourth stree
has a collection of scventy-two canarie'
valued altogether at 81 900. Besides tn,
canary, the hooking bird, which il o
Southern origin, the nightingale, the start
ing, are all well known. Mocking bird
range in value from IS to 5000. A goot
startling that can talk and whistle is wortl
from SIS to 500. Thrushes, gold6nches
blackbirds and linnets have also attracte,
the attention of our bird fanciers to great
er or less degree. Highly trained parrot
are also not uncommon, and some are val
ued at extrayagant sums.
The figures relative to bookkeeping ii
New York are really surprisingly large
There are eight large establishments in tn
metropolis transacting heavy trade il
"birds, aud over ono hundred other mi
nor bird stores. Several hundreds Of pee
pie earn an easy and ample livelihood b
raising fancy fowl for the New Yorl
market, aud small army of agents i
Europe are kept busy sending over choic
birds. Many of our private citizens, sue
as Dr. Robinson, have invested thousand
of dollars in choice birds There are sal
to be five private collections of birds il
this city worth over $4,000 each, and a
least twenty costing over $4,000 each
while the total money value of ''the bird
of New York may be set down as exceed
ing s3,0O0,000 Observer.