Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-06-28

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The greatest favorife among birds APP
pears % be the canary. The best singing
varioties (which Il member Of the finch
family are imported from Germany.
principally from the HaTiz Mountains,
where they are bred BY the peasantry BY
the hundreds u thousands yearly. and
from there are shipped to this country,
England, France and even to Australia.
This bird had its origin in the Canary Is
lands. where lie color is Of greenish
gray. II was first introduced into Europe
in the sixteenth century, where their notes,
particularly in Germany. were greatly
improved By raising them in rooms where
other birds-such as nighfingales. wood
larks, skvlarks. and the like-were com
monty kept. They would take some notes
from each bird and by mixing these notes
the canary has attained the beautiful and
varied song transmitted to its descendants.
When the composed song Of the canary
was thought completed the use Of other
birds was not deemed requisite, as the
young ones learned from their parents.
Instead Of succession Of noisy notes,
the bird should know how, with silvery
sonorous voice, to descend regularly
through all the tones Of the octave. and
Lie " uOIC eOuk buDuIa LObsi1t Va o1''Nh
twenty notes, the most admired Of which
are the bow-trill, the bell note and wood
lark note.
To raise such birds the breeder must be
q good Judge himself. and must not put
together birds having unpleasant notes.
He should also keep one or two of his
very best singers in separate cages near
the breeding-room or cage. which will be
the teachers Of the Young.
From the LIST of June. 1882, to the end
Of May this year, $4,000 canarics were
imported into New York. of which one
firm bought 5000.
The two varieties most priced BY anna
teurs are the Jonquil and the Neatly. com
bining the greatest beauty in color and
excellence In song. The long breed or
French canary, Is now almost out of favor.
and but few Of the kind are to be seen in
this country, although they bring much
higher price owing to the difficulty in
breeding them.
This leads many people to believe that
they must consequently be much better
singers, but such is not the tact, for the
song Is much inferior to the other
The price of male canaries varies ac-
cordiug to the size, age and song-from
~ 80 up TO $25 each-and tor females
from rs cents to 81.
The canary, as domestcated bird. is
the easiest of ali to take care of. The
treatment they require Is the most simple
and certainly the best known, but
there are many persons whose ideas on
this subject are very limited, and, what is
worse. very erroneous.
As to their food, the more simple and
natural 1t is the better and more conducive
to good health and cheeriulness. Mix
lures such as rape, miller, hemp, canary,
poppy, lettuce. oatmeal, oats, sugar. sweet
cake, biscuit and such like, so far from
being wholesome, as some people think,
are very unwholesOme; it spoils their taste
for their natural food, weakens the stomach
renders them feeble. sickly aud incapable
Of bearing moulten, under which they
frequently die.
The best food is a mixture OF rape and
canary and little green stuff. such as
chickweed, lettuce, or cabbage in season,
or sweet apple in winter. The main
point, however. is to obtain pure and
fresh seed. Rape seed. when old or kept
too long in damp place, becomes musty.
gets bitter taste, and does not agree
with the birds. The best sort is
the German summer rape, which has nut
like flavor in distinction from the English,
which tastes something like mustard The
canary seed should be clean and have
glossy hue, free from musty smell and
have sweet taste.
The cage should be daily supplied with
fresh water. both for bathing and drinking,
and the cage bottom be cleaned out at
least once q week and be covered over
with dry gravel which the birds freely