Morning journal and courier., 1890-01-28

which at intervals are small oval-ShAped
boxes, wherein, If 1t so please their canary
ships, the nests are made, and Nine. Ia Ca
narieuse superintends the feeding and educa-
tion of the little canaries. A little layer Of
sand covers the floor, and through little
wooden trough in the middle Of the room
flows an unceasing stream Of fresh water.
On each side of the windows beneath stout
perches stood, and at odd intervals around
the walls are cuttle6sh bones. In one corner
is box filed with tiny stones, and conn
panion box In the opposite corner contains .
bar Of birthstone. The feeding boxes, Of
which there is one on either side Of the
room, are shallow and two or three feet long,
80 that there may be no possibility of the
stronger birds preventing the weaker ones
from obtaining their full share Of food
through lack Of room.
When day or two since the writer and
the breeder entered the place there were from
thirty to forty of the birds inclosed in the
roomy cage. AS the exterior door opened
there was q chorus of expectant twitters and
chirps, and the little creatures gathered In
groups on the top of the wire perch, not
only not afraid of the visitors, but apparent
ly eager for them to enter.
sI make it a point" said their owner In
answer to the inquiring look of his compan-
ion, ''never to come here unless have with
me some little delicacy for the birds. They
know this and forget their timidity. Did I
frighten them every time had occasion to
enter the consequences to the breeding birds
would besserious."
And 80 saying he produced big bundle
of dandelion leaves and bird grass, and such
like dainties, which he proceeded to distri.
butte among the boughs attached to the walls.
It was amusing to note the confidence and
even impudence of the birds at this stage.
Several of them did not wait for the salad to
leave the owners hands, but few boldly
down, pecksd at the food and with much
hutteripg followed the bearer from place to
place, occasionally perching on his head,
arms or shoulders. The picture presented
by the tiny golden creatures and their hu-
msn companion at such moments was
charming in the extreme, and one that
would have delighted the eyes of the late
Henry Bergh, or indeed any believer in the
cordial relations of man and his humber
fellow creatures.
"Go away, you scamp" said the breeder
to one big fellow who was most persistent
in his efforts to tear piece out of a tough
dandelion leaf. The canary ruf3ed his neck
feathers, dropped his head, partially extend-
ed his wings and opened his beak in threat
ening defiance of the fore finger shaken at
him. The tiny pugilist looked 80 ridiculous
in his Lilliputian anger that tho writer and
his companion were provoked to hearty
laughter. .
as breeding is concerned said the good ma
tured German, as he deposited the last bit of
salad, sbut still have, as a rule, mating
birds for nine months out of the twelve. I
need not say that to bring about such re-
suit have to be as careful of the birds as
of plants which one wishes to raise out of
season. About seventy per cent. of the
birds mate. There are as confirmed bache-
lors and old maids among canaries as among
human beings. Male canaries fight for their
mates with as much pugnacity as English
sparrows. I find that this quarreling over
the lady birds is one of the great tronbles of
breeding. I have tried by every means in
my power to make the birds appreciate the
blessings of peace, but they prefer fighting
and my efforts have been useless. Occasion
ally bird is killed by rival, but this is
not often. The worst of it ia that when a
canary has been soundly thrashed he turns
sulky, mopes, won't sing and has no ambi-
tion for two or three weeks. As rule the
birds, once mated, are faithful and we'll be-
haved. But there are as many varieties OF
character in canaries as there are in town
full of people. They are very intelligent
creatures, these house bred birds. It is rea-
sonable to suppose that when they have fol
generations been accustomed to the society
Of human beings they must become more
Anyhow have noticed that the birds of the
third or fourth generation whose ancestor
were partially wild are as different in theil
general conduct from their progenitors Al
one can possibly imagine. About sixty pei
cent. OF the young birds are raised, and o.
| these fifteen to twenty per cent. will be o.
value. By that I mean male birds witt
good, powerful and continuous song. No,
use no artificial means to teach the younl
birds to sing. In some Of the establish
| ments in the Fatherland bird pipes or organs
are used for this purpose generally retain
some three or four of my best birds so that
| the others may catch their notes from them.
1t is an unmistakable fact that canaries are
gifted with great powers of vocal imitation.
You have perhaps noticed that the best
| songsters have q few squeaky or weak, OF
when the bird was young from some of the
females. OF course all birds are not depen'
| dent on their teachers for the way that they
| eing. All the male birds have the gift OF
song to certain degree, and there are Cam
paninis and Reeves to be found among them
| too. But they all initiate and hence most of
| their defects. Canaries who whistle tunes
are far from uncommon. The method OF
teaching them is to play the tune slowly and
distinctly on a bird whistle for an hour at a
time, twice or thrice daily, the teacher TAX
ing care to keep out Of sight. The birds
must of course be young. A weeks patien,
| Lessons will fix the tune In the mind of q
bird of average intelligence, and another
week or 30 will complete its education.
"The birds who are mating are fed on
| German paste, chopped eggs and other stim.
ulating food. When the little ones are out
of the shell the paste is stopped but the egg
continued, supplemented with green stuff
| worms, tiny bits of raw meat and such like
nutritious food. The ordinary diet is canary
seed, a little, very little, rape seed, an oc
| casional meal Of salad and as much watel
for bathing and drinking purposes as de
sired. Fresh air, light and cleanliness keel
the birds in health and good spirits. And
only one who has much to do with canarie
knows the necessity for keeping them cheer
ful. If the light Is bad or the surrounding
depressing the birds lose heart, become 81
lent and gradually 'droop away"
And so the canary man talked for q hal
hour or 80, giving "points" about the littl
creatures Of curious and valuable nature
Then the quarters of the other birds wer
visited, where more lore and information
was in order, and finally the writer cam