The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-11-15
The Care OF Canaries.

People who keep canaries should at
tend strictly TO their comfort. They
are cleanly birds, and their cages
should always be neat and clean. They
should have a clean bath every day,
fresh seeds, and the bottom of the cage
should be cleaned and fine gravel and
small pebbles scattered there. Ii ne
cssssry, the water in the cups should be
changed several times during the day
Never leave stale, dirty water in the
cups. When they are moulting a
small piece of iron may be put in the
drinking water.
Very little sugar, cake, and bread
| should be given to caIaries, 1t is best
TO mix the canary, hemp. and rape
| seeds in the cup. giving them but little
of the hemp, of which they are very
fond, but which makes them too fat for
health. a little apple, chickweed, and
tender lettuce leaves are all healthful
This bird is very susceptible to cold
a fact that people lose sight of. They
are brought from n room with a stove.
aud hung out OF doors il a bleak, cold
wind. When they need air, .t is bets
ter 10 hang them inside the window,
not outside, and thus they escape the
draughts that are necessarily in the
street. Then, too, they are not alarm
ed and made nervous by the noises in
the street. In hlnging them outside
they are liable TO be drsnched BY the
sudden rains that often occur. The
owner may not be at home, or she may
forget the bind, and for hours il is ex-
posed to the peltings of the storm. If
you will hang your bird outside, be
sure to take it in before you leave the
. house. While birds need air and sun,
there is right and wrong way of
giving It 20 them. They should never
be subjected TO q hot sun, as it is no
plesssnter FOR them than it is for MS to
be scorched By fits rays. The cage
should be covered with paper. IL u is
put out when the sun is very hot. The
bird enjoys the sun in winter when the
cage is set inside the window, and
shows its appreciation by its lively
antics.
Strong, disAgreeable odors are bad for
the bird. To some tobacco smoke
proves unhealthy, while Others again
do not seem to mind it. They have
been known, however, to fall INTO fits
when exposed to its smell.
No bird should be put in very small
cage. It should have one sufficiently
large to enable it to fly from side to side
with perfect ease.
The mites that infect the cage are q
matter of great annoyance to the bird.
Once month the bird should be re.
moved to another cage and the other
wei! scalded. This is as effectual a
way Of getting rid OF these pests as
any other. Tie psrches should be well
sealdsd also. Il must be remembered
that the perches should always De kept
clean, otherwise the birds feet will be-
come sore. Another remedy is to re-
move the bird from the cage, and to
hold a lighted candle to every part of
it ; this will destroy the mites. A rem
edy which has proved effsctual is TO
sprinkle the inside Of the cage with sui.
phur, but, after all, the sealding of the
cage is best.
1t is only natural that when evening
comes on birds should go to sleep.
This they Will not always do if exposed
to the gas-light. They may be quite
lively, but they are excited by the light,
not that they enjoy it, for they do no..
\ cloth should be thrown over the
cage. to shield the inmate from the
light do this, and you will soon find
the bird asleep.
No one should keep birds who is not
kind-hearted, careful OF their comfort.
and willing to see that their cages are
clean.