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

do not believe We have no bi.ds 10 New
York. The sparows are now found in
multitudes in all the city parks, and the
collection of birds, foreign aud 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-
bcr 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
IL is calculated that there are at least
dozen private collections of pigeons in this
city worth over 81, 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
lar in New York now as formerly, Still,
some fine specimens are to be found, as
much as 800 being refused for 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 $1,000 in their stock of fancy
fowls. As to singing birds there is no
city in the Union where they are more
numerous and appreciated. The iavorite
song bird Of New Workers is the canary.
Attempts have been made to rear canarics
in this country, but so far unsuccessfully.
They are brought over in the steamers
from Germany, in coops, by thousands at
time. In Germany canary costs from
six to fifteen cents; in this city canaries
cost from S27 to $50 dozen. A good
canary in New York will cost on an aver
age sj, One lady on Twenty fourth street
has a collection of scventy-two canaries
valued altogether at 81 600. Besides the
canary, the mocking bird, which is of
Southern origin, the nightingale, the starl-
ing, are all well known. Mocking birds
range in value from 50 to 5000. A good
startling that can talk and whistle is worth
from sl5 to 500. Thrushes, goldfnches,
blaekbrds and linnets have also attracted
the attention Of our bird fanciers to a great
er or less degree. Highly trained parrots
are also not uncommon, and some are val
ued at extravagant sums.
The figures relative to bird keeping in
New York are really surprisingly large.
There are eight large establishments in the
metropolis transacting heavy trade in
"birds, and over one hundred other mi
nor bird stores Several hundreds of peo-
pie earn an easy and ample livelihood by
raising fancy fowl for the New York
market, and small army of agents in
Europe are kept busy sending over choice
birds. Many Of our private citizens, such
as DR.. Robinson, have invested thousands
of dollars in choice birds. There are said
to be five private collections of birds in
this city worth over $4,000 each, and at
least twenty costing over $4,000 each
while the total money value of 'the birds
of New York may be set down as exceed
Ing $4,000, OJserrcr,