Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-11-04
CARE OF CANARiEs.
How to Properly Feed and Look Att
err the song-terr.

the songsters.
When the canary is in ordinary
health the more plainly 1t is fed the
better, says the Pittsburg Press. The
usual mixture is what is called black
and white canary seed, the black being
good summer rape. OF this one part
is added to two OF the other. 1t is i'm
portant, however, that the seed be
good and clean-that is, free from dust
and grit
The canary seed should be fat, gilt
tering seeds, and before putting il In
the tin Of morning not only should
the tin itself be cleansed, but the seed
should be put upon a piece of white
paper and the dust or grit, IL any,
blown away or removed. In addition
TO these seeds a little green food must
be given, fresh every day. but not
damp. The best are probably plantain.
ripe groundsel, ripe chickweed. a lit
tie lettuce or water cress.
AS TO dainties, the less OF these the
better. We may, perhaps, make an
exception In the traditional mOrsel OF
sugar or crumb Of sweet biscuit, but a
bird will not keep long in song that
has much OF either.
Water should be given fresh every
morning. the little glass fountain being
previously well rinsed out. Soft filter
ed water Is best by far. a great many
ailments are induced by hard water.
In the wild state birds drink the rain
water from the leaves. This is pure
and contains. of course. no hardness.
Sand is another important sine qua
non Of health. 1t should be rather
coarse or gritty and very clean. Per
haps washed sea sand is as good as
any. The bottom of the cage should
always be thickly strewn with this
Immediately after the cage Is cleaned
In the morning. a stock being kept in
the house for the purpose.
A song canary Will not do well for
any length OF time in a stufTy, badly
ventilated room. Fresh Dir is essen
tial to health Another thing that
tends greatly TO keep the bird in health
is a sun bath. on fine days the cage
should be SO hung that the sunshine
shall penetrate the cage, but at the
same time 1t must be remembered that
too much heat IS very dangerous, so
one-half OF the cage should be invari-
ably covered with n cloth.
This cloth comes In handy I'm several
other ways-at night. for example;
more particularly when the temporal
ture Is low or likely TO be. On such
occasions the cage is TO be covered
quite over, but in summer a part
should always be left open. The cloth
may be required also at times when
l. T..
likely 10 brighten the bird Some birds
are naturally timid and easily alarmed.
When they are so, it is useless trying
20 tame them: the heart is weak and
they need extra gentle treatment. We
have known a bird OF this kind al
most frightened TO death 10y some one.
while sewing. tearing n piece OF linen
down the center.
AprcpOs Of fresh air, the bird in
the winters evening is too often hung
In a position we have already con-
demned as prejudicial to its health I'm
a room where gas Is burning. II the
bird must be In this room the cage
should be lowered and partially COW
cred up. Smoke, steam and all sorts
OF vapors tend TO injure the health
slowly, or. indeed, to cause Illness and
loss OF voice.
A forenoon bath daily In fine weather
Is an excellent preservative OF llfc md
voice In the song canary. a saucer
makes as good bath as any, the wa
ter being clear rain water. Ii is usual
ly placed In the cage. but II the bird
has been tanned thoroughly and al
lowed its freedom for time every
day the bath should be placed on a
chair or on the floor. The bird will
come 70 look upon this as n very great
| luxury and the cage remains unsolled.