The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-01-20

a compound of grated hard-boiled egg,
carrot, and bread. There is a prepared
food on which the bird will thrive, but
if properlyicared for the food should be
made fresh every morning as described.
A good nightingale sells for S25.
The black cap, which sells at Sc, and
tie English robin, which sells at 81,
ssre good singers. They are fed the
same as the nightingale. Among other
singing birds may be mentioned the
blackbird, the startling, the skylark, and
the Yeodlark. These are the principal
singing birds which are imported to thfs
country from Europe. n '.t -tH
America is not very prolific of natural
songsters, for beyond Kellogg, Albani,
and Cary, the mocking- bird is the only
worthy representative of our 'eountry's
vocal resources. This bird, however,
is a very versatile. genius, combining,
like the hitherto undiscovered tenor of
Mr.. Mapleson, great power and sweet
ness of voice and mimetic ability of the
highest order. He can sing exactly
! Like any other bird or number of birds
whose song he has ever heard, and his
own natural song is as sweet as any, so
that it is plaintiffs he is'essentially an
American bird, the, f. plari6as tartsns
Of ornithology in fact, They are
brought to. the North in the summer
season, from. New Orleans principally,
in patches of from 500 1000 at a
time. The dealers here select and buy
the males, and keep them until they
have become good singers, when they
lpffer them for sale. The females. are
peddled around the streets by unprinci-
pied hucksters for what they will bring.
The parrot cannot becalled singing
bird properly; his forte lies in his con
.yersational powers. In the exercise of
these he accommodates himself to cir
cumstances with a facility truly slTpris-
ing, and swears and quotes the Scrip
lures in obedience to the whim of his
master. The value of a parrot depends
upon the extent of his vocabulary, and
a good talker has been known to fetch
SiOO. They are very long lived birds,
in this respect being an improvement
upon the singers. q. ... 81. .... ,....-.
ORNAMENTAL BUT sONGLEss BIRDS.
! As rule the plumage of singing birds
islEery plain, bril1iancy Of feathers be-
ing the perquisite of the silent of the
bird race. In these songless but beau
tiful birds there is quite large bust
ness done in this city, many of our
weather citizens their
home elegance is -iuconpleteHwith an
avairy filed with different kinds of for
eign and domestic birds famous for their
beauty. Among the most popular are
the African inches, of which there are
about, twenty different varieties, which
vary invahIe according to the brilliancy
of their plumes. OF these the veda, or
widow-bird, whose tail feathers fire.
quently measure foot in length, and
which on that account is sometimes mis-
called the bird of Paradise, is, favorite.
The weaver bird is also in good de-
mand, not so mueh-on. account of its
beauty as because of its wonderful in
genuity in utilizing thread material in
connection with the wires of the ayiary
which it weaves together, the cloth it
manufactures being so dense and finely
interviewer that it can only be removed
by cutting it with a sharp instrument.
There are three kinds of weavers, known
as the Napoleon and Bishop, which are
very richly plumed, and the common
weaver, which is palmer bird. Among
the African fnches may be mentioned
the St. Helena, the silver-beak, the wax
bill, the. orange7cheek, the cut-throat,
.sand others whose names suggest the
regularity after which they are called.
The price of these ornamental birds runs
from So to So.