The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-10-06
The Care of Canaries.

All Gagged birds are more or less liable to
become infested by mites, to their great
discomfort-in fact to their total ruin if not
relieved. The troublesome insects are so
small as to be hardly visible to the naked
eye, but the mischief they accomplish is
immense Like human "back- biters " they
are the more to be dreaded because insidi-
GUS, and your carefully tended pets may be
murdered through their agency-without
your dreaming of the cause. Their pres
ence is indicated by the following general
symptoms: The bird refuses to sing, and
finally loses his voice altogether; he ap-
pears alternately sick and dropping, or
systematically lively, hopping and flutter-
ing nervOusly about his cage. Anon he sits
for hours upon the perch with half-closed
eyes, continually picking and pluming him
self; he eats little, and his feathers scat
ter about as though he were perpetually
moulting. BY and by theupper part of his
bill turns black; and some fine morning
you will find him on the bottom of the cage
with his toes turned upward, victim to
the destroyer.
Now for the treatment-whichy you can
easily apply if you have cause TO suspect
that they are thus troubled, and which will
uOJ luluIC JutLl III IuG lGdSb III dLN event.
Put little line cut tobacco in bowl, pour
some boiling water on it, and keep it for
future use. Wash the cage clean in scald-
ing suds, into which put little of the to-
bacco water, and dry it well over the stove
If q wire cage, you can heat it hot enough
to kill salamander by first removing the
perches. Then battle the bird in weak
tobacco water, taking care not to wet its
eyes or allow it to swallow any; and then
mt IL into the clean dry paua naa1. tho 4ira
covering the cage with a white cloth on
which the mites, if any are left alive, will
soon collect when you can quickly dispose
of them. Every day or two put enough
tob C, water into the birds bath to give it
the color of weak coffee. If not too strong
it WI not hurt the bird if he does happen
TO swallow little, beyond perhaps making
him drowsy few minutes. After repeat
ing the process a few times, no more mites
will appear, and the pet will become per-
fectly well. 1t is well in the winter time
to occasionally sprinkle little sulphur
over the cage and into the feathers of your
bird. All through the year canaries should
have German grape, Sicily canary seed and
millet mixed in equal partS-and care
should be taken to have the seeds always
fresh and of the best quality. Besides the
seed, 1t is well to feed the bird daily about
One-ouarter of hard boiled egg, both yolk
and white, mixed with as much cracker
dust as can be taken up on 10-cent piece.
Fresh water, both for drinking and for the
bath, and plenty of coarse washed gravel
every day will usually keep the songster in
good health. Twice a week give him a bit
Of sweet apple or lettuce. While moultiug,
keep the bird in an even temperature of
about 20 degrees F'ahr., and let his cage
hang where there is no possibility of
draught- If not yet in song, put half an
inch strip of raw fat pork in his cage and
let him pick at it for a week or so.