The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-08-23

shipped across tno ocean LneS0 rows
are Grated and a linen or burlap sack
specially made for the purpose is
placed about each crate. A crate usu-
ally contains SO rows. To paraphrase
the old riddle-every sack has 33 rows,
every row has seven cages, every cage
has one canary Tor sometimes two il
the occupants are the more peaceable
females). Often more than two dozen
crates are shipped in one consign-
ment. Each of these must be opened
every day of the voyage, every row re.
moved and food and water placed in
the cages. In this daily re-crating the
rows are rearranged so that the bene-
fits of outside positions may be more
evenly distributed among the birds.
On arrival in port consignments Of
birds (Which pay no duty are entered
at the custom house under permit from
the department of agriculture, usually
secured in advance by the importer.
1t is the aim of the importer to sell
his stock as quickly as possible, to
diminish his losses by death and so
increase his profit. 1t is estimated
that the mortality en- route and in the
store among some of the more delicate
species of birds, such as African
finches, may reach IA per cent.
Geological parks and aviaries are
usually supplied direct by the i'm
porters, but the general public is
reached by way of the retailer. Many
small birds are scattered over the
country, and some of the large depart
ment stores have added birds to the
great variety of merchandise they
handle. Small consignments are
shipped to retail dealers by express
Cat double rates.. In the cages or
boxes are placed water and food suffi-
cient to last until arrival at detina-
ton. Sometimes, when the distances
are unusually long, the express mes
sengers supply fresh water and food
en- route, and large consignments are
often accompanied by agents of the
importers. Several of the principal
importers have branch establishments
at various points, such as New Or.
leans, Chicago and San Francisco,
which fill western orders.
While retailers do more or less bus
mess during the entire year, three
we'll defined seasons are established.
In February canaries begin to breed,
and for the first two or three months
of the year the trade in breeding
canaries, especially females, is brisk.
About the time it subsidies the first:
shipments of young parrots arrive
from Cuba and Mexico. These at once
take the stage and hold it until the
middle of August, when it is no longer
possible to secure young birds. In
terest then turns chiefly to singing
canaries and the many other small
cage birds that are imported. The
sale for these grows greater and
greater and reaches its maximum by
Christmastide, after which it abruptly
declines. Many dealers probably make
more sales in December than during
all the rest of the year. In the Christ
mas season of 1905 one Philadelphia
department store sold 1000 canaries,
besides other cage birds.
From the character or the demand
for cage birds it is evident that the
retail trade is, as rule, not enough
by itself to yield profitable income.
1t is usually, therefore, combined with
some trade of an allied nature. In re.
tail bird stores one may usually find
fowls of various kinds, pheasants,
dogs, monkeys, squirrels, white mice,
guinea pigs, goldfish and even lizards
and snakes. The sale of food and
cages also constitutes an item.
During the year ending June 80,
1906, more than 200 species of cage
birds were imported into the United
States. These comprised canaries,
parrots (under which term we may
include parrakeets, cockatoos, macaws
and lories), European birds, Oriental
birds, African birds, Australian birds
and few South American, Mexican
and Cuban birds.
HENRY OLDYS, ASSISTANT, BIO.
LOGICAL SURVEY.