The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-12
HOW CANAR1ES ARE BRED.
Not Able to Sing Until Crossed with the
Linnet or Lark The Trade il Them.
New York Sun.

Business Is reviving Mr. Reiche," WAS tn.
reporters salutation 10 the we'll known Chat
ham street naturalist yesterday" "Will yo,
tell me whether tho trade lii wild animals also
IL becoming brisk2'
'eThi. Is the close of the Season for TINT
staple" Mr. Relche replied; shut am look
ing forward TO al enormous business In el,-
plants and Nubian lions, tigers. Camels and
monkeys in the spring. | have few on hand
What have are Ia Central Park. It ID not
customary with me to keep a stock. As or.
ders come to me send out expeditions and
procure what are wanted. LIT IN order were
to come to mo to-day for any number OF Gle
phants or lions, could guarantee to have
them oil ready for delivery on the first OF
May. Wild beasts are always captured after
being ordered they would be young ones. oil
course"
And what DO you deal in when wild anil
mails are dull?'
These" and Mr.. Reiche waved his hand to
signify what seemed from their tlutter and
their noise d million canares. Each bird
WAS confined separately in little wicker
cage In the form Of u cube, measuring about
six inches In all ways. These lined al the
walls OF the large shop, rising in tiers to tho
ceiling. and barbados OF them rose ut inter-
walls from the floor.
1.-The canary bird is my staple" Mr.. Relche
continued. From August until May these
little creatures come To me at the rate OF 1000
every week. When came to this country,
In 1S47, there WAS no trade In canary birds,
just MS there was no trade In flowers You
could not buy canarys cage Or seed to feed
him with In this city. These things had to
be sent for to Europe. The taste for birds
been since that time.
They call them canary birds, but they are
German birds. The native canary does not
sing. It WAS when the canary was crossed
with the linnet and the lark and the other
song birds of Europe that the little musician
which we know as the canary, came to exist.
These birds are all bred in Germany. The
Inhabitants OF the Harz Mountains supply
the civilized world. There Is not a cottage in
all the region about Andreasberg aud the
Broken that is not full OF them. Some OF the
peasants raise as many as 300 IN q year, but
the average IL perhaps twenty to house. AS
much as 100000 goes to the inhabitants Of
the Harz Mountains for their canary birds
every year. They have bred them for genera
tions, and fairs are held and prizes are offered
to stimulate the breeders.
'rhese wicker cages" the fancier continued,
holding up one slender and simply con-
structed OF soft wood, are made by the peas
ants who breed the birds. The canary that
comes to America ia confined to his cage for
q space OF about three weeks. send an order
for several thousand birds to my brother In
Germany. He directs number Of agents to
collect In the Harz enough birds to till the
order. The peasant has no general place of
sale. The agents go from cottage to cottage,
buying In one 500 birds, and ia another 700,
and so on. Instructions are given to send
these birds to the port Of shipment. to be there
on Friday. On Saturday the ship sails. Men
20 with the birds to feed them and take care
for them. One man can take care Of 1850
birds. and generally have two men gong
each way by the North German ships every
week"
Here Mr.. Reiche requested one Of his men
to show how the birds fed. The man lifted in
his left hand six or eight little cages that
We're fastened together In q line, and with a
kind Ut shovel held in his right scooped up d
and With q single sweep scattered the Same
through the bars and into little cups arranged
inside. With like skill and celebrity water was
poured into the cages from d can such as is
used in the filling of lamps.
aYou sac how one man can take clre or 1850
BIRDS" Mr.. Raiehe said. with two sweeps
OF his hand he can feed and water eight birds,
and you have only to multiply The little
fellows have to be tenderIy cared for as chill.