The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-04-18
BIRDS THAT ARE PETTED.
FACTS ABOUT PARROTS, CANARIE5.
AND nIoCKING BIRDS.
where They Come From and what
They Cost-Eraininy up "A Parrot
i'm the Way IHe should Go.


cessant hopping from perch to perch in
many cages, an odor, not quite offensive,
nor altogether pleasant, sufficiently in
formed the reporter that he was in a bird
fancier's store. Here, ranged around the
walls in cages, were macaws cockatoos,
parrots, fnches love birds. red birds,
canares, pigeons, knocking birds and
grave but rather stupid looking toucan.
Judging from the power of lungs the par
rots seemed to predominant, but the cages,
large and small through which flashes of
yellow light were reflected, showed that
the canaries were in the largest force.
"The price of canarics?" answered
the dealer in response to the reporters
question. "From So to S., depending
something on their age and acquire
mcnts. You can get an excellent songs
stcr for So"
care the canarcs greater favorites than
the hooking bird 2"
"The canary is the favorite cage bird,
not only on account of its beauty and ex-
celence of song, but for its intelligence
and docility. No. sir, they are not inn
ported from the Canary islands, but from
Germany. and to some extent from Eng
land and Spain. In Germany the rear
NY vi CulluIN DlIuS - II SlthJ lIluu9ll
and nearly two hundred thousand birds
are annually shipped from there to all
parts of the world. Nearly 100, 900 are
received in this country. The German
bird is SUPERIOR as a songster, to the Eng
fish or Spanish bird. 1t undoubtedly
originally came from the Canary islands,
whence its name, for the species is still
found in abundance in those islands.
10 ;r4
duccd into Europe about the beginning
of the sixteenth century"
every great pains arc taken in Ger
many in the training of songstcrs, and
the best Of them bring high prices. from
SIS to $2j. Some birds have compass
of four octaves, and will execute shakes
and trills in the most admirable way.
Loud notes are not regarded as mertori
GUS, and it is Il great object OF training to
have the song end with a succession of
soft, descending, flutc-lile tones. 1t
takes about six months to teach young
bird perfect melody. They are trained
in various ways, sometimes with musi-
cal instrument, sometimes with the hui
man voice, fbut generally by being as
ISOLATED alone with mastery singer. 1t
takes a splendid musical ear to pick out
good singer. Not one person in ten
thousand, perhaps not one in one hun
dred thousand in this country has ever
heard the canary song in its perfection.
1t is like hearing Patti or Lucca-oncc
heard never to be forgotten"
DO you think it superior to the mock
ing bird2"
" In the domain of song among the
average it is not. But the mocker has
not those lovely domestic traits of the
fine intelligence that belongs to the
canary. Nor is he so reliable as singer
He will give you wonderful burst of
song for little while. and then all of u
sudden break out in some snaring cat
bird notes that will spoil the whole eff
feet. He is apparently great humorist,
entirely indifferent TO your pleasure, and
only intent upon making game of some
one. Now, the canary will never do
that. He will sing YOU over his repcrtory
of three or tour melodies and take as
much pleasure in your enjoyment as in
his own.
''What is the price of a good mocker?"
"Twenty-tive to fifty dollars They are
harder to get, harder to raise in coniinc-
mcnt, and not so prolific. They stand
high as favorites. The plumage is not
brilliant-plain brown and white-but it
has remarkable genteel look You
might say, his clothes fit him. Then,
his carriage is emnentlv aristocratic, as
well as easy and graceful, and his versa
tility is really wonderful. He can imi-
tate any sound he hears-the bark of a
dog, the NEW Of cat the sound of a
hurdy -gurdy, and he can whistle so like
his master that old Rover starts up.
thinking he is called out for walk"
'Do you meet with a ready sale for
parrotsln
"Thc parrot is a favorite pet and meets
with a large and steady sale There is
no end of fun in keeping parrot lie
is a humorSt that bears cultivation. OF
course there are all kinds of parrots -
red, green, white, yellow, gray and parli-
colored-and they vary greatly in their
ability to talk. The African gray is
probably the best taker and the
best tempered the blue fronted
Amazon the next best. Opinions differ
on such matters. and, in fact,
training has everything to do with
it. a patient trainer can teach one OF
these birds to say many things. Most
people confinc their efforts to pretty
pick up good many phrases on their
own account, which they are apt to utter
when least expected If you buy one
you want to know something of its ante
cedents, or you might be astonished some
time at hearing the language of the bar
room in your parlor. Poll is a long lived
bird; some say it will live hundred
years. They cost from SO to $?5. No,
don't believe there was ever parrot
that could carry on conversation, but
they certainly know the effect of what
they repeat. | once had one that was
fond of playing with the cat, but when
he got tired he would whistle for the
dog to drive her away, and he would set
the dog at her in a way that would make
Miss Pussy hump herself. He could re
peat many sentences, such as Go away,
Come again tomorrow Good morn
ha 81 a.; thar, hot