Wichita eagle., 1888-01-26

Young by Hand.
Among the different tribes of song birds
the canary has long been established as the
farorite. its melodious song, beautiful plu-
mage and domestic habits having won for it
place in every household, and gained for it
the name of the universal parlor bird /"
The Canary Islands are the most frequented
haunts of the species. According to the obser-
vations of Adamson, Labillardie and others,
the prevailing color of the bird in its wild
state is gray or brown, mingled with other
colors, but never reaching the brilliancy of
plumage exhibited by the bird in captivity.
The introduction of the canary into Europe
is stated by some TO have taken place in the
Fourteenth century, but Bechstein sets it
down as the beginning Of the Sixteenth.
The principal varieties are the gray, the
yellow, the white the blackish and the chest
NUT and it is from theig combination that
we derive the numerous varieties known to
breeders Those canaries that have the upper
part of the body of dusky green or linnet
brown and the under part the yelowish green
of the green bird with dark brown eyes, are
the strongest, and most nearly resemble the
primitive bird. The yellow and white often
have red eyes, and are the most tender. The
chestnuts are the most common, and hold a
middle rank for strength and length Of time
between the two extremes. AS the plumage
OF the intermediate varieties IS mixture of
the principal colors enumerated, their value
depends on the pretty and regular manner in
which they ere marked 1t seems to be ad-
mitted by competent authorities that the
canary most admired among fanciers is the
one with the body white or yellow: the head
particularly if creSted-wings and tail
yellowish dun The second in degree is of a
golden yellow, with the head, wings and tail
black, or at least dusky gray. Next follow
the gray or blackish, with yellow head and
collar, and the yellow, with a blackish or
green tuft, which is very much valued
Those that are iiregularly spotted, speckled
or variegated are much less sought after than
the others, and are used to pair with those Of
one color, such as white, yellow gray or gray
brown
The canary breeds freely with allied spe-
cies Of birds, and many hybrids are recog-
nized by breeders, among them being the
following: Mules bred from the hen canary
and goldfinch, rlale siskin, greenbird OF.
Gitriltinch, as well as those bred from e hen
canary and linnet or bullfnch Besides
those chaffinches, yellow hammers and other
birds have been triDd, but have not proved
successful. In all recorded instances where
mules nave been bred the canary has al
ways been the mother, the reason being that
female of the other species could not be in.
duced to lay her eggs il an artificial nest as
the canary does In order to obtain bright
and good plumage, those birds whose colors
are clear and whose spots are well defined
should be placed together. A brownish gray
or greenish bird paired with one of a lively
yellow color often produces young of a dim
white and other admired colors
An eminent authority, in speaking Of the
choice of a bird, says: Sacrifice color to
accomplishments; you will never repent il.
Nature seldom gives us rare beauty and
great accomplishments united" Canaries
seldom show sulkiness Of disposition, and
experience goes TO show that this emiability
of disposition is quite characteristic of this
bird of the Fortunate Isles whose nature ap-
pears TO be at sunny and genial as the cline
from which it originally came Although
the canary, as domesticated bird, lis the
easiest of all others to take care Of and his
treatment tho most simple, there are many
persons whose ideas on this subject are very
limited.
As to their food, the more simple and nat
ural has been always fouHd to be the most
productive of good health and cheerfulness;
while, on the other hand, mixtures intro
duced Nv many, such as hemp, oatmeal,
oats, sugar, sweet cake. biscuit and such like,
SO far from being wholesome are injurious.
The main point is to obtain pure and fresh
seed for them. Rape seed, when old or kept
= long in a damp place, becomes musty,
bitter taste and won't agree at all with
DIS. The canary seed must be clean and of
Ilossy hue, feel heavy, 60 be free from
jty smell and have a sweet taste.
'ersons keeping canaries for their singing
,uld keep them in cages of about foot in
4meter, either round or square, as in a
rye cage they will not sing SO well. having
o much room to fly about and amuse
themselves, which, in great degree, takes
away their attention from singing 1t is
not necessary TO keep these birds in very
warm room in the winter season, as they can
endure great deal of cold without injury
but they should be kept in as equal a TEN
perature possible.
A short time before the birds are put TO
breed they should be fed with higher food
such as hard boiled egg. chopped up fine
white and yolk together, exclusive of their
general seed.
Good birds, when put together, will gener-
ally mate within a week, which is &c ,ily
known by their attention to each other
After mating they commence building the
most, and in about a week the hen begins to
Law from two to six eggs, one each day in
succession, on which she viii sit thirteen
DAYS. when the young ones will come out. one
after the other. IL Is wrong 10 take the eggs
from under her while she is laying, for the
purpose of Matching them at one time: it is
best to let nature have its way in this case.
As soon as the little ones are Matched they
may be fed, beside their general seed, with
.cgg boiled hard. chopped up fine and an equal
quantity of grated cracker, mixed together
with the egg and boiled milk into q paste
This food must be given To them fresh three
or four times day, for the old birds will be
more inclined to feed the Young when fresh
food is handed them. An extra cup should
be handed them containing soaked rape seed.
1t is sometimes necessary to bring up young
canaries by hand, and then paste should be
made of stale bread or biscuit, pounded very
fine, rape seed well bruised, o little of the 1
boiled yolk Of an egg and some water. They
should be fed with a quill cut into the shape
of a spoon, and should not have less than ten
or twelve meals day, four beakfuls consti-
tuting meal.
''on the thirteenth day" says Bechstein,
great German authority. they viii begin to I
feed themselves, and in four weeks they NAV
he removed TO other cages. Care should be I
taken, however, to supply them for some
time with the paste described. together with
the food of full grown birds. as q sudden
stoppage in the supply of the former has
been frequently known to occasion death, I
especially if the nesting is deprived Of it
when moting.-New York News.