The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-05-11

and make terrible noise, and such tempers
as they have, too. Once in while you may
ind one that is good talker. They are
very snowy birds and on that account find
purchasers. There are number of differ
ent varieties The lead-beater is without
the crest. The Maggie Mitchell is a very
handsome bird. white, streaked with red
and adorned with ruff about the top of
the head, red, with yellow tips, The Ma
poleon is also fine bird, white, with red
too that can talk.
II think it would amuse you if you could
see cargo of birds arriving from some
Mexican port. They are packed, yes,
packed is the word, for they are crowded so
closely in the boxes or barrels that no other
term will give the correct idea. The boxes
or barrels are not air tight, of course you
understand that. They are run through
and through with perches, and upon these
the feathered emigrants struggle to main
tain foothold."..
How about mocking-birds
AM see you have romantic recollec-
tion of that song, Listen to the MOcking-
Bird laughed the dealer, cor you would
not have thought to ask about the bird
The demand for them has fallen off a good
deal since that song went out of fashion.
why, there was time when mocking-
bird cost SIS or 500; now they are to be
bought at any time for So to S2G
Where do they come from? Oh,
you want to, for fine specimen is caught
in Los Angeles, although a regard for the
truth compels me to state that the finest
come from the Southern States. The mag
pie is another bird who can whistle and
talk. he is willing to become great pet,
and II treated nicely will become very tame.
and has habit of playfully rolling on
his back, and kicking his legs in the
air, as if in derision of any attempt to
pick him up. As to price. he is more swell
10
less than S25. and he may bring as high as
500. There is rising demand for the
California variety. Don't you remember
the maybe that used to wander in and out
Of a bird-store on Washington street? L
thought that you might; all old Califarni-
ans would be apt to. Oh. you need not
resent being called an old Californian.
II is quite an honor, l assure you. Well.
as L was about to relate, this mag
pie had the run Of the neighborhood. and no
matter how far up or down the street he
used to roam would always return at his
masters call. Come. Mag, Pm going to
breakfast would bring the bird hopping
back in jffs. But poor Mag met her fate
one day by being crushed to death under
the wheel of heavy truck, and l can tell
you. the entire neighborhood went into
mourning"
what are those little birds that huddls
SO closely together on their perches and
seem to be so very sociableY'
They 60 by the general name of 'ayiary
birds answered the dealer, land as for
their sociability, let me tell you that most
of them are fearfully bloodthirsty. They
fight like everything. These are the
hey sns soft Ord low from sUnr Jspan;
thing like that of a canary. 1t will
not do to put more than pair In
a cage; they'd fight to the death. The love-
bird is another, and its African cousins,
which are all green, with red patch
arOun0 the head Qrk- ropnihaIc nd
each other. They tear out each others
eyes, eat them up, and then finish off with
the head. Why, actually have come down
here In the morning, 10 find several head
less bodies olns on the floor OF the cage, There
France; Here they bring IS
little blue birds and white birds. They are
the kind who have been trained to pick out
fortune for any one who will invest
envelope from the tiny bills. The diamond
sparrows from Australia are also great
fighters, but nothing like their cousins from
Japan, who think nothing OF catching COM
rade by the head and swinging his body
back and forth until its weight causes it to
break away from the head. Other aviary
birds are the plum head, the black-hoOded
nun, the satin finch and the zebra finch. A
good way to make an ayiary is to shut up q
spare bow window, and in it put the spread
ing branches Of an oak tree full of its tiny
twigs. The birds will like this thousand
times better than any set perehes."
"Canaries bring price ranging from SO
to $40. The finest come from the Hartz
Mountains IN Germany, and are knows as
est Of all is the Campanini canary. named
In honor Of the great tenor, and is distin-
guished on account Of having all rolling
notes, in five distinct tones. And let me
tell you one thing. good canary should be
l. hxv
an interruption or an impatient 'shoo.'
also it should not be allowed to hear any
harsh tones or false notes, for they will
corrupt its song"