Savannah morning news., 1885-09-22

Also Alligators at a Dollar aud a Half
and Three DoIlHrs "A Foot.

From tAe Aeio York Sun.
"The season for the sale Of song birds
and other fancy birds is just beginning
said Louis Rune, bird fancler of North
/ Wllam street. ''We have to keep a very
/ large stock on hand in order to be ready
1 for the fall trade. OF course we do far
more business in canarles than In all the
other birds put together. They range In
price from the cheap German canary at
81 80 and the Hartz mountain bird at
4 50 80 to the fine Andreasburg cana
/ ries at from $3.50 to $40 each These
/ last are OF a peculiar breed which
/ Is raised only IN Andreasburg. They are
/ very hardy. and are tie best singers IN
/ the world They are sold only once a wear
at bird market held il December, and at
other times 1t would be almost impossible
/ to procure one. They are bred in the
/ spring and are kept until winter before
/ they are sold, in order that they may be
+ taught 10 sing well. Tunes are taught to
them BY grinding an organ near them.
These gray back birds are gold and
/ slyer-spangled lizards or English cana
ries. They are a hardy bird, and are bred
m Norwich and Manchester. They sing
verv sweetlv.
t'The ordinary American robin sells for
S. He is not much Of a singer, but some
people ike to have him about the house.
This red breasted English robin, not much
larger than a canary, is worth 50. A
mOcking bird from Virginia is worth $40
when in good voice, and the Imported
Nightingale il worth SlJ English or Ger
man black birds and thrushes are worth So
each.
"Here is a little gray bird that doesn't
look very valuable, but his price is $2j.
lie is builhnch, and he can sing Polly
Perkins,"
Mr.. Rune ducked his head in little mods
from side to side before the Bird and said
very softly, Come Hans" and whistled
a lew notes. Hans ruilled his feathers
and sang "POlly Perkins" very sweetly.
Gan untaught bulinch," said Mr.
Ruhe, sis only worth 81 20. 1t takes
months to train one and it is necessary
that the bird should be exceedingly tame.
1t is taken from its nest in February, as
soon as it is able to eat, and is kept sep
arate from other birds. The teacher
sings to it every day for three or four
months until it learns the tune.
"Here Is a cage of African and Aus
tralian fnches. They are named accord
ing to the cOlOring Of their feathers.
There are black head and white head nuns,
nutmegs, tigers, and cut-thrOats. The
latter are sO-called from the crimson band
under the throat Tigers are worth 81,
and the others S. pair. These Spanish
tiniches from Cuba bring So pair. Ger
man skylarks sell for 81. ParrOquets
bring 81, $40, and S15 each, the last being
the very rare Madagascar variety. Aus
tralian shell parroquets are So pair
They are these little green birds, and they
become very tame.
"CockatoOs vary according to their
abilities. This yellOw-crested fellow is
worth $50, as he is a good talker."
MIR. Ruhe tapped on the cage, and said /:
"Hello, cOckatOO." "HellO, yourself"
replied the bird.
This rOsehead MOlucca bird is worth
S25. 1t doesn't talk. Parrots vary
according to their scarcity end their
ability to talk, good takers being worth
from $50 upward. Other parrots are
Blue Amazon $40, Cuban S.. Maracaibo
SS, common Amazon 50, double yellow
mead $l5, and gray parrot $l5.
This is hardly bird" said Mr.. Ruhe,
as he tapped a tank containing a good
sized alligator. "rhat fellow is from
Florida, and we have a demand for them
from geological gardens in Europe.
Salable ones are from five to ten feet in
length, and the price is from 81 so to So a
foot, the longest being worth the most.
sell 200 or 800 year."