The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-26

Master Yellowbreast is better for the
freedom of the room. II he Is properly
tanned, and never roughly handled, nor
too much. he will be safe in it, no mat
ter how many open windows tempt him.
The right sort of a cage is important.
1t must be altogether of metal-wood in
vites vermin. 1t must further be light
and airy looking with a dependable bot
tom easily removed movable perches. and
a door that works easily but will stay
| shut when required. Bath, water and
| seed cups must be of good size. but not
too big A vagrant-minded bird may
indulge himself in a bath in the drink
| ing vessel If by any chance he can squeeze
half of himself inside it. If the cage is
to hang above a carpet, it is well to have
widely fiaring bottom so as 10 catch
| the seed, or water. the bird filings out of
bounds.
The Birds Diet.
canary cage should never be hung
! out doors in a draft, nor where direct
rays stream upon it. Neither must it
stand, or hang where it is cold. Canaries
! are by nature tropical and reVel in a
steady. even warmth. Cold and over
feeding are their chief dangers. A little
| care puts both to rout Feed healthy
bird seed mixed thus: Four parts canary
seed, three parts German rape, two parts
| India millet, and one part Turkish Nav
seed. All the seed should be fresh-of
last years growth, and pure. German
rape is adulterated often with both tur-
MP and black seed. To test it for such
adulteration chew a dozen seed. The
true rape is sweetish, turnip seed bite
the tongue, and mustard seed have the
unmlstakable mustard flavor Canary
seed, which come from Sicily, are firm
ana shiny when fresh-if they do not
shine reject them-it means staleness.
The millet ana Nav seed are less apt to
be old. Nav seed by the way, is seed
o. the opium poppy, but lack wholly the
narcotic properties of the milky juice
which runs out when the seed heads are
cut, and after 1t hardens, is gathered as
opium
Hemp seed should be given very very
sparingly, as it is so fattening it causes
the bird to moult out of season. and
hence to stop singing. Sugar and cake
are Objectionable for the same reason
though both may be given and then-by
was of reward for an especially sweet
song. Still bit of ripe apple or fig eth
er fresh or dry, is better and apprecia-
ted quite as much by the chorister Elv-
cry day suspend something green in the
cage-either lettuce, chickweed, dandelion,
water cress, pepper grass, or plaintain.
Take care that none of the greens have
grown near poison weeds very little
poison makes an end of a bird A small
pod of cayenne pepper with leave to
pick out seeds of it at will, o. not only
treat to canarles, but to any sort of
cage birds, and also helps to keep them
well.
A little hard-boiled egg yellow, lightly
busted with cayenne is good for canaries,
say once a week, or once fortnight
once week is best if they are rearing
young, also in the moulting season. Keep
cutie fish bone always within reach
This supplies what salt the bird needs,
besides affording lime to repair bone
waste and build up egg shells. If bird
looks droopy and the cage bottom shows
signs of diarrhoea, pour boiling water
upon twenty grains of unground black
pepper, steep to a strongish tea, and feed
the bird with it, Another way is to dust
strip of very fat salt pork with ground
pepper, either black or cayenne, and
hang it in the cage, letting the bird eat
his fill of it.
Health and the Toilet.
Fill the bath every morning-the bird
will decide whether or not he needs a
bath. In cold weather, take the chin off
the water and if the bird picks himself,
picking out feathers, put several drops of
rose water in the bath. If the picking
keeps on until there are bare places rub
them over with sulphur ointment-fower
of sulphur and fresh butter in equal parts.
and use the rose water every day. Rub
in the ointment very lightly, touching
only the affected parts, the space just un-
derneath the wings where they leave the
body, and the back of the neck. Canaries.
indeed alb cage birds suffer occasionally
from caked oil glands. The oil gland is
situated just at the root of the tail, and
from it a healthy bird each day dresses
his plumage. If by any chance the oil
hardens in 1t, it at once makes the bird
i'll. He sits quiet and droopy upon his
perch, not with hanging wings, to be sure
but looking though like LanceNot of the
Lake, he were disguised with "love, life,
all things" Take him gently in hand,
blow apart the feathers al the root of
the tail, and look at the oil gland. If it
is swollen and inhamed press il very
gently. but do not try to force the cake
oil violently out. That will almost GER
| tainly kill the bird. Drop warm soapsuds
| gently on the gland, using a medicine
dropper, then dry il with a very soft
handkerchief and apply very little vase
line. Next day examine again and repeat
| the treatment, keeping it up day after
| day until the softened gland frees itself
Do not let canary's claws grow too Ions
thence come many ills. But trim them
| discreetly. Hold the bird gently, so light
shines through the claw. Thus the tiny
vein in it will be plain to view. Cut so as
10 miss the VEIN If accidentally it is
touched hold the foot in warm water
until the bleeding ceases.
Birds sing best when kept away from
| strong light. Canary birds should never
| be hung near the open upper half of
! window. Miss Virginia Pope. the greatest
authority upon the care OF cage birds,
kept a canary in good condition until
twenty-one year-sold. by feeding it and
treating it, much as here set down. and
never letting il be hung outside.