The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-11-22
HOW THE UNITED
 STATES HELPS TO CARE FOR CANARY

The canary bird is member of numberless American households. In every household where he lives he Is the member of greatest importance, which he is treated. There is no way ary bird population of the United States, but more than three and 8 quarter millions of canaries were brought into the United States be- tween the years of 1896 and 1918, an average of more than 300,00o birds a r. year.
 Most of these came from Germany but soni. were imported from Eng land. In England and Germany there were hundreds of canary breeders and many agricultural societies before the war. Several periodicals dealing sole I ly with cage birds were published there, and in the large cities bird ex- hibitiohs were held annually.
 So many letters to the Department of Agriculture were received asking for in formation on the care of can aries in sickness and health that AL exander Wetmore, assistant biologist of the biological survey, after taking counsel with B. W. Nelson, chief of that office, wrote a treatise on the care, management and history of can aries, which was issued as bulletin by the department.
 The subjects dealt with include such Iractical questions as style or cages and their sanitation, bathing, mott and food, special foods for deepening the color of the birds, breeding canar- ies in captivity, caring for fractured 1ar I xrysr,e fvao nrf nf e and such ailments as loss of feathers. The origin of the canary is obscure. It seems probable that captive canar- ies were first secured from the Can ary Islands, the group with which they have so long been popularly as sociated. There are in Europe, how ever, two closely allied forms from which the domesticated canary may have come. One of these, the bird that is recognized as the ''wild can ary," is found in some of the Canary Islands. Madeira and the Azores. The other form, called the serin finch. ranges through Southern Europe and Northern Africa, extending eastward wild state these forms are very slmi- lar in color.
 l MT. Wetmore says tha. if, as sup posed, the original supply of canar- | ies came from the Canary Islands, 1t may be considered that the stock thus secured has furnished the ancestors of all our canaries. The slight diff ferences in color between the serin finch and the canary would probably l have passed unnoticed by the early
 ornithologists and bird lovers. With bird catching a widespread practice in middle and southern Europe, the T. 54 ~+;r,
 accepted without question as a can- ary., In this way serln finches ard
 wild canaries may have been inter Ibred until all distinguishable differ ences were lost.
 The wild varieties mentioned are still quite plentiful and in their owr country inhabit thickets, vineyards and open country bordered by trees At times during fall and winter great flocks are found together. They feed on seeds and small fruits in scasoI
 and in their wild state nest early II the spring and rear two oroods a sea- son.
 The canary is a very adaptable lit.
 tie bird and their biographer sayE
 that they seem to thrive in any eli
 mate where not exposed to too severe
 weather conditions and, in spite o1
 the long period they have been pro-
 tected and held in captivity. they ari
 capable of enduring a surprising de
 gree Of cold when hardened to it. IT
 England 1t is not unusual to find then
 ir outdoor aviaries throughout the
 year.
 They also seem, he says, to be abit to re-establish themselves in 8 wilt state under favorable conditions. IT
 1903 a brood of domestic canaries wal released on Nidawy Islands, . small
 sandy islet in the Hawaiian group By 1914 they had increased until i
 was estimated that they numbered about 1000.
 There are a large number of vari Ieties of the domestic canary. Many of them are bred primarily for theil
 song, and their training makes an in
 teresting story. The aim IS to pro
 duce males with clear, soft. pleasing attention is given to other characters
 These birds are usually hondescr1p
 as to color and appearance.
 The young birds, when fledged, art
 put in rooms with birds noted fol their soft and fine song, and here
 through imitation, they develop theil
 own vocal accomplishments Any birt
 developing harsh notes is removed SC that he may not endanger the voca
 success of his brothers. It is said tha "a mechanical instrument, known q!
 a "pird organ" which produces Ii quid trills, is frequently used in train
 ing the birds The musical course fol
 Q canary covers abou- six months tuition and practice.