St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-28
BIRD BOARDERs.
Summer Quarters for SOngsters
Whose Mistresses Are Absent.

StOIo vi Niubu SuocI ytStolutsy dIICIHoOi
a young lady came in and gazed
hurriedly from one cage to another. She
was sunburnt and brown, and this fact, to-
gether with the travelling costume that she
wore. made it evident that she had been
seeking health and pleasure out of the city.
With disappointed look she at last turned
to the attendant and asked: us Beauty
alive and well?" The attendant went to a
distant corner of the shop. took down an
expensive cage and handed it to the young
lady.
''Are you glad to see me? Oh, you dear
little Lowell" and the bird hoped around and
sang, and in many ways showed that it
recognized it's owner. After being assured
that the bird had received the best of care
all summer, the lady paid its board bill and
went out caressing the little singer and call
ing it all kinds of pretty names.
''We have been boarding the bird while
she was away" explained the attendant.
.'We have great many boarders here. but
they are being taken away now. When
people who own birds go away for the sum-
mer and have their houses closed they take
their birds to store where birds are
boarded. I've got fifty-two boarders left,
but they will all be gone in couple of
weeks.
birds are boarded for 25 cents week
and we take no risk on them. We don't
insure them and if they die we are not the
losers We have some very fastidious birds
brought to US. They are used to many lit
tie attentions at home which it would be
impossible for us to give them. Some of
them are allowed to hop around the room
at home. Others are used to being
HUNG OUT IN THE YARD,
where they can enjoy the fresh air and sum
shine, and we cannot give them these little
indulgences. A great many pet birds. too,
are taught to eat certain things for which
they sometimes develop great love, and
when they are brought to US, where the y
are placed on regular bird food, they don't
like it. In fact some of them rebel against
common fare and wont eat until hunger
drives them to it.
There is an old fellew there in that hand
some cage" said the bird store man, point
ing to sedate-looking bird, which had one
eye shut. He is a regular old sport and
you would be surprised to see the airs he
puts on. We call him the parlor boarder,
because he pays, or rather his owner pays,
more for his board than we get for any
other bird here. He must have eggs and
fruit every day, and if he doesn't get them
he makes more fuss than dyspeptic old
bachelor"
'.Are many pet birds sold now?" was
asked.
more than ever before; but can't say
just how many. There are nearly hum
dred bird stores in the city. There were
not half that number five years ago. There
are more canaries sold than any other kind
OF birds. They are not the best singers, but
they are very pretty and they are easily
kept. The best singing canaries come from
Germany, where they are trained. We
sometimes receive as much as SO for fine
singer. Some are sold as low as 80.
THE best singer of the feathered tribe is
the American hooking bird. He is the ac-
knowledged king of them all. The smart
est of these birds come from Virginia and
North Carolina, where they ale caught
while young. They are very hard to raise
until they get to be months OF year old.
After that they give little trouble. They
begin to sing when they are a year old, and
are in their prime at years. They will
live by proper attention for 10 years. and
have known them to attain Is years. The
young birds are secured at this season of the
year and in the spring. The females are
worthless as pets, as only the males sing. 1
have known hooking bird to sell for $50.
The average price for good singer, how
ever, is $50"
In a big cage was North Carolina red
bird. He" said the attendant, sis valued
for his plumage. He is not of a musical
turn, and only gives forth shrill whistle. +"
This bird had blood-red body, with black
head and the tips of the wings were black.
''They average in price," said the owner,
about $50
''How many kinds of birds talk?"
''Let's see-there is the startling, the mag
pie, the raven, the parrot and the cockatoo,
which is in reality species of the large par
rot family"
docs THE CROW TALK?"
'sYes, once in awhile crow can be found
which, with hard and careful training, can
be taught to say one or two words. But
we don't count him with the talking birds.
l sold the mate to that cockatoo you see
there to gentleman last week for 500,
and / would not take much less for this
one." The bird stood doing on perch, a
perfect picture of grace and contentment
He was almost as white as snow, except his
head, which was bright yellow. He was
much larger than an ordinary-sized parrot
and when he opened his eyes he looked
very wise.
''We divide birds into two classes" ex-
planned the attendant ''There are hard
and soft bills, and each class has its kind of
food. Our hard bills eat seed and the soft
bills eat a soft preparation which is made Of
honey and canary seed. We have birds here
from every cline. There are the love birds,
which are parroquets from South America,
and those birds over there are from Africa.
Y Oh see, they haven't much beauty about
them, and they cau't sing.
None Of the African birds sing. The lit
tie cut-throat has rather soft whistle, but
that is all. There is the English blackbird
which belongs to the singing family. We
sell them for So and upwards. The parrot
family is very large. The best parrots are
of grayish color and they are brought from
Africa. Egch kind of a bird requires a
special kind of care. 1t is not necessary to
clean the cages every day of the smaller
birds, but great care should always be taken
that their perches are kept clean or the
birds will get corns on their feet. Didn't
know that birds could get corns? Certainly
they can. That comes from standing on a
rough perch. We are often called On to
doctor sick birds and find them suffering
with corns. They soon come all right after
the perches are cleaned thoroughly. Painted
cages are bad for birds, for the reason that
the little songsters sometimes peck the paint
off and get sick from the effect of it,
Philadelphia Times.