The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-21

regards talking; and, besides, 1t Is a fear
tul screecher. The best parrot Is the Anna
zon or Mexican double yellow head.
have never seen one OF these fine bird
that would not talk.
Reporter-What do you mean by 1
ouble yellow head parrot2
Genther-There are U great many greer
parrots that are smaller in size anC
have only Q yellow spot on the fore
head, and they are always called half
yellow heads by bird dealers. But the
whole top OF double yellow head Is vel
low, and II Is large, green parrot. Ask Q
bird dealer for o double yellow head
and he will think you are posted, and will
tell you at once whether he has one OF
not. and will not show you any Other
kind. Young ones are worth so, and
when they begin to talk, they are worth
from $50 TO $50. All other parrots range
In prices from S. 10 SIS each, and not
more than five out Of ten will learn TO talk.
Reporter-IIow about your trained
birds2 You seem to be the only one in the
business?
Genther-I have trained birds for many
travelling showmen, both in this country
and In Europe. have been at the bust.
ness nearly twenty years, but since have
been getting so fat l have given It up.
Reporter-People say you accomplish
your difficult ieats by starving them.
Genther-That is all bosh. | train birds
TO perform gymnastic feats, and feed them
well. How could q man perform hard
athletic feats 1.-The was half.starved2 He
cannot do 1t, neither could q bird do It II
he were served likewise.
Reporter-What kind OF acts have you
trained birds to perform?
Genther-I have trained birds to per-
form all the acts done by gymnasts and
animal trainers. A bird that lives on
animal food lsoft bill bird) cannot be
trained to perform tricks, as their 'craws'
are too tender and they will not bear
handling.
Reporter-Your mode Of training Is a
secret, suppose2
Genther-No, sir; II | had the time to.
day ! would show you how 1t Is done. In
the first place tame the birds four weeks
before commencing To train them. do
this by handling them. always use the
females, for they are twice as easy to
train as the males. | always train one
bird to perform two or three acts. You
have often seen public performer with
lot OF birds on the stage at time, and he
conveys the impression that they are ali
trained, when In reality he has only four
or five In his troupe that are trained.
keporter-Can any one perform with
them after they are trained3
Enthusiastically. When get Gus.
toner for them l show him all the points,
and then keep silent and let him do ali
the talking. l take care not to let them
hear my voice again, for you would not
believe how intelligent trained birds are,
and how quick they know the voice oftheir
educator. They soon become accustomed
to the voice Of their new master.
Reporter-Do not public performerslo lose
them sometimes by their flying away?
Genther-0h, no. A trained bird seldom
tiies. II it does, II is because it gets flight.
ened at some color in the audience. Colors
are about the only thing that scares them.
! was performing one night in South Bend,
Ind, when all at once the best bird had
flew out OF the window. The temptation
was so great that l jumped off the stage
and ran down into the street and got the
bird In the darkness and came back on the
stage before the audience realized what l
was doing; and when they did, they sent
up an immense cheer. All seemed pleased
that l recovered 1t, and it went through
its performance all right.
Reporter-What kind OF cages are the
best for the canary?
Genther brass cage is the best.
Reporter-Some people say they tarnish,
and that they are unhealthy for birds?
Genther-That's all nonsense; q good
brass cage, il properly made, will not turn
black. Hyou scour them or wash them
with hot water they will turn black OF
course, because You take off the varnish.
Wash them with cold'water and soap and
they are all right.
Reporter about the painted or
Japaned cages?
Gcnther-Well, the painted or Japan
ed cages arc also good. Some people saw
that the birds pick off the paint and eat it,
and 1t kills them. This is not so. In the
first place, If you keep hot water of them,
a canary bird has not strength enough in
his bill to pick of the paint. In the sec
ond place, these cages are so thoroughly
dried by heat that there is no strength in
the paint, and it would not kill them II
they did eat it. So you see this is another
humbug.
Reporter-Are you foreigner
Genther-No, sir. My father is Ger
man, but I was born in Woodstock,
Champaign county, Ohio. in 1913.
We then left the Professor, he promising
il we would come some day when he had
the time he would give us full insight
into his mode Of educating birds, and any
other information We desired. "But," said
he, "bear in mind, Mr.. Reporter, that l
never starve birds to educate them"