Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-11-11
Raising and Training CanarIes.

To such science has the breeding of the
canary been elevated, and such branch of
industry has it become in the vicinity of the
Hartz mountains, moro particularly near
Audreasberg, that societies have been form
ed having as sole aim the propagation and
improvement of the breed holding annual
exhibitions with comparatively large prizes
for fine specimens. There nearly 80 varie-
ties are recognized, under two diyisions-the
plain and the variegated. In this country,
where the taste for birds is not fully devel-
oped, although rapid strides have been made
in the past few years, but two kinds are gen.
orally known, which are the long breed, or
French birds, and the short, or German
raised bird. A German male with a French
mate will, if properly paired produce the
most superior young.
The Germans sacrifice all for song, while
the French have bred them for shape entirely.
This latter method has resulted in birds from
seven to seven and half inches in length,
while an ordinary canary is only about five
inches. The model of perfect long breed
is thus described by noted fancisr: "The
head is small and round, while the neck is
thin, forming almost a curve in from the
back. The shoulders are very high, and the
back, from the elbow of the wing to the end
of the tail, curves like half-drawn bow.
The tail feathers lie very close together,
while the wings are set so snugly to the body
as to overlap at the ends. The legs are ex-
actly straight, with the feet close together,
and the feathers perfectly smooth on the
body" For such bird 1000 francs has been
paid in Antwerp, and in this country $50
will purchase one of the second quality only,
while the young from a perfect long and
short pair readily command $25 each. The
German breeders, disregarding in a measure
the shape of the bird, select short, full bodies,
not caring whether the feathers lie close or
loose, and train the young birds to sing by
keeping them in the same room with nightln-
gales, woodlands or skylarks.
1t is possible to give the canary almost any
song for there is no bird so ready to initiate
as he. As an illustration: it requires about
nine months of constant teaching to give a
bullfnch one tune, while canary can be
| taught to sing ~ bars of almost any song in
five months, and even with no more practice
| than one hour each day.
But if they are tractable birds, they most
surely are jealous ones, and he who divides
his attention with other pets can never hope
to teach his canary. They will, when given
the liberty of room, dash furiously at al
most any other pet which their master OF
mistress may fondle, and, while sitting, the
female displays true feminine jealously when
her mate even has the appearance of singing
TO another
The perfect German bird should not have,
according TO the authority before quoted, q
succession of noisy bursts of song. ''li
must know how to descend regularly through
all the tones of the octave in a silvery, son
orous voice. having about 20 notes in all, the
best of which are the bow trill, the bell note
flute note, water trill, nightingale, and wood
lark note"
The canary will mate with such birds as the
goldhnch, siskin, linnet, citril-fnch, and
many of our own wild birds, the cross in the
second or third breeding being particularly
| fine both in song and plumage.
The manner in which birds are procured
for this country is not the least interesting il
a necessarily brief sketch of such universal
! ly known pet The Germans who rais'