Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-05-30
TRAFFIC IN BIRDS
More Than Half Million Of Cana
rieS From Abroad Yearly.
They Are Consigned to One New York
Firm, Which Handles Some 3oo,-
900 Other Species-Germany
Sends the Songsters.

Eight hundred thousand birds are
imported every year by one New York
firm. according to w. De w. Miller, the
United States department of agricul
ture special inspector of foreign ami
mails and birds at the port OF New
York. More than 100000 of them are
canaries raised in the Hartz mountains
of Germany, where climatic conditions
have made the breeding of songsters
a profitable calling for many genera,
lions.
Most numerous among the other
900, 900 are the waXbills, or weavers
comprising many small tinchlike Al
rican and Asiatic species), bullhnches,
Australian shell parOQuets, parrots Of
various species, cockatoos. shama
thrushes. South American cardinals,
African siskins and bulbuls. OF we'll
marked domesticated breeds imported
in large numbers are the white Java
sparrow. the yellow variety of the
shell paroquet. and the pied variety
of the weaver known as the japanese
or Bengalese nun. Most of the small
birds are reared in captivity in Ger
many.
The birds imported range in size
from the tiny sunbird less than hall
the size of a canary. and so delicate
that it is fed on honey and water and
a little oatmeal to such huge birds as
the ostrich, rhea (South American
ostrich, emu, vulture, and marabou
The larger and rarer birds are OBJ
tanned by men sent abroad In the in
terests of the importer, Louis Ruhe
and of his brother. who has a similal
business in Germany. These meI
visit all parts of the world and ship Il
Germany the specimens they collect
The founder of the business was MI
Ruhes great grandfather, who Travelled
in Russia and Australia in search o
birds before there we're any railroads
and had to tramp about with his cage
on his back.
Now the firm supplies geological
parks. private aviaries, and bird dea
ers throughout the country with a
most any species they require. 1t ais
imports mammals of various kinds, bu
in much smaller number and varlet
than birds. The larger animals ar
kept until sold at the firms farm o
Long island.
; The proficiency of the canaries
: singers is determined by an expel
who stands before the rows OF cage
in the Grand street building in whic
they are housed and in the babel
piping voices, in which 1t is imposslb
to distinguish the notes of any IND
vidual songster. judges the ability
!, each bird by the movements OF n
. hill The birds are then marked as
a grade. values ranging from SIS to -
4, q dozen.
As a safeguard the governmel
:. maintains a careful inspection of
:. the birds that come into the countr
A the inspectors being specialists
crnithology. The only restriction
made are in the cases Of the Europes
. starting and house sparrow. whic
l. however, are already thoroughly natu
g allied in this country. and among mai
mails the DESTRUCTIVE lnOu6OuoO' INV
- PRODUCTION of which into the Unit
= States is rigidly guarded against.
g An importer arranging for shl
ment of birds from abroad applies
;. the authorities of the department
agriculture at Washington for p'
:. nit, stating the number and kind
=, birds expected, with the name OF t
" vessel, port from which It is comi
and the approximate date OF its
- rival.
%. Because of the delicate nature
u many of the birds and the disastro
ia results that might follow from
D. posture at the docks preceding and d
70 ing inspection, the shipment Is at on
40 removed to the importing house,
-, the inspection follows later. Compl'
~ records of the number and species
% birds imported by the various deai'
a are made by the inspector and I
y warded to Washington, where they
VI" -. IN fiIa for reference