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194 6 Stxth Secretary 1 953

Alexander Wetmore

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INTRODUCTION.

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A FONDNEss for pire especially those ren-
dered attractive by musical voices, or rich
plumage, is almost universal, and few per-
sons have the musical fete so entirely un-
developed as not to love the melody of the
feathered train. Singing birds have been a
feature of every rural description, and have
been portrayed in the haunts of every Ar-
mida, a poet has dreamed of. They are
found in every habitation, in the palace and
the hovel, and have called forth many of
the most impassioned lyrics of the poets of
all ages. Fond, however, as most persons
are of birds, but little care has been bestowed
on the health and comfort of the household
minstrel, and but little attention has been be-
stowed on its wants and necessities.

This little volume is an attempt to supply
this desideratum, and therefore, no apology
is made for its appearance. Without any
_ pretensions to literary display, it is intended
to be a mere statement of facts, an exposi-

3

lv INTRODUCTION.

tion of the results of experience, which may,
perhaps, be a guide to the uninitiated in the
rearing and education of cage and singing
birds. “

Such a treatise has often been asked for,
and in attempting to supply the want, but
one difficulty has been experienced, that of
maintaining brevity and conciseness; for, on
such a subject, it is far easier to write a
volume than a single sheet.

Without farther apology, this effort is sub-
mitted to the public, premising, that the
defects are to be attributed to the author, the
merits exclusively to the attractive subject.

= a

THE CANARY BIRD.

ORIGIN.

Tue Canary bird belongs to the tribe Frin-
gilla, or Finch, and is chiefly found in a wild
state among those Islands of the Atlantic
whence it derives itsname. Its prevailing
color is yellow, though there is a second
extensive variety with brown body and yel-
low eye-brows. Other varieties, or other
sub-varieties, have been described to the
number of thirty, arising, doubtless, from
domestication, and admixture with other
finches. It is about the size of a goldfinch.
According to a late ornithologist, the second
variety inhabits Africa, and it is said St. He-
lena, where it sings much better than the
common Canary in cages in this country. It
is also found at Palma, Fayal, Cape Verde,
and Madeira, as well as at the Canaries.
The first introduction of the Canary-finch
into Europe appears to have occurred in the
fourteenth century, or soon after the discovery
of the Canary Islands, when it is said to
have been conveyed to the mother country
by the Spanish colonists. However, we have
Ls. 5

6 THE CANARY BIRD.

no precise account of such an introduction
until two centuries later. Bechstein, a Ger-
man author, states that, at the beginning of
the nineteenth century, a vessel containing a
number of these birds, destined for Leghorn,
was wrecked on the coast of Italy, opposite
to the island of Elba, where, on being set at
liberty, they took refuge. The climate being
favourable the birds increased, and soon be-
came a favourite with the bird-fanciers of
Italy. But, from the circumstance of none
but male birds having been thus conveyed,
it is to be concluded that the breed immedi-
ately became mixed, and the genuine charac-
teristics of the original species blended with
those of other tribes to which they had some
affinity. Among these the Siskin is said by
Buffon to be the only bird of which the male
and female propagate equally with those of
the male or female Canaries. Turner, who
published a botanical work in 1560, indicates
Spain as the source from whence England
was then supplied with the Canary, and like-
wise with the food proper for its nourishment.
He says, speaking of Phalaris Canariensis,
(Canary grass, an annual grass, cultivated for
its seed, which is the common food of the
Canary,) “The first tyme that ever I saw
thys herbe was in the citie of Come, where,
as the chefe Phisiciane of the Citie, no less
gentle than well learned, shewed vnto me,
and my felow master Johan Walker. After-
warde, I saw it in England taken for mil, for
they that brought Canary burdes out of

ORIGIN, 7

Spayn, brought of the sede of Phalaris also,
to fede them with.”’

The demand for them is now extensive ;
they are bred and reared with facility under
almost any circumstances, and the beauty of
their plumage, with the melody of their
song, and the docility of their habits, have
rendered them universal favorites. It is now
thoroughly domesticated, and under cover,
almost completely naturalized throughout the
whole of Europe. |

In South Western Germany, and in the
Tyrol, their propagation has been converted
into a trade, and is carried on by means of
both extensive and expensive apparatus. A
large building is erected for them, with a
square space at each end, and holes commu-
nicating with these spaces. In these outlets
are planted such trees as the birds prefer ;
the bottom is strewed with sand and gravel,
on which are thrown hemp seed, rape seed,
chick weed, groundsel, &c., and such other
food as the birds like. Throughout the inner
compartment, which is kept dark, are placed
brooms and young fir trees, for the birds to
build in,—care being taken that the breeding
birds are guarded from the intrusion of the
rest.

Four Tyrolese annually take over to Eng-
land about sixteen hundred of these birds;
although they carry them on their backs
nearly a thousand miles, and pay £20 for
them originally, they can sell them at 5s. each.

The canary is not so difficult to rear as is

8 THE CANARY BIRD.

generally imagined, a good situation, how-
ever, is absolutely necessary. They cannot
do without the warmth of the sun, but must
be protected from the scorching glare of his
beams. They should, therefore, always be
placed near a window, with a southeast, a
south, or southwestern exposure.

By cross-breeding and gradually accustom-
ing the young to exposed situations, they
will be brought to sing and thrive under
almost any circumstances; but it must never
be forgotten that the warmth of the sun is
indispensable for successful incubation.

The original canary is now in the estima-
tion of most breeders, below par. Mules,
and among the indefinite varieties produced
by cross-breeding, the French breed are now
(and justly) the favorites.

VARIETIES.
THE LIZARD.

From various causes, it is difficult to
identify the Fancy canary with the stock
from which it originally sprung, but there
appears some ground for the opinion, that
the variety called the Lizard,may be looked
upon as the nearest of kin. ink

The plumage of the Lizard is of a ercenish
bronze throughout, excepting the upper part
of the head, which is covered by a patch of
clear yellow. The back, which is marked
with spangles in uniform stripes, correspond-

VARIETIES. 9

ing with the Trapezius, is an indication of
the primitive state, the unsophisticated pro-
duce of nature being precise and geometrical.

This bird derives its name from the resem-
blance it bears to the color and marking of
the green lizard.

From the above evidences, and the simi-
larity which seems to exist between this bird
and the description of the greenfinch of the
Canary Islands, it is very probable that,
among the many varieties produced by cul-
tivation, or by pairing with other tribes, that
in this bird we may recognise the nearest
approximation to the original species.

THE SPANGLED BACK.

The canary known as the Spangled Back,
and formerly held in some estimation, will
show the same process as the Lizard, but
much broken up, an evident sign of degene-
ration: and is now only recognised as one
of the many varieties produced by cross-
breeding. |

In Italy, the canary is paired with the
citril-finch ; in Germany, with the linnet, the
greenfinch, the siskin, and the goldfinch.
The grey, the yellow, the blackish, and ches-
nut, or cinnamon canary, are the principal
varieties, and from their combination have
been produced other varieties, according to
Buffon, to the amount of twenty-nine; but
this estimate is probably much under the fact.

The variety called Cinnamon canary, is
among the most rare.

10 THE CANARY BIRD.

THE JONQUIL.

The kinds chiefly recognised by amateurs,
are the Mealy birds, and the Jonquil, and
upon these all the resources of the breeder’s
judgment and experience have been exerted.

The Jonguil, as its name denotes, is of
pure deep yellow, entirely free from any
green tinge; the color is deeper on the cap,
over the eyes, and on the scapulars.

THE MEALY BIRD.

In the Mealy bird,the golden plumage of the
back, breast, and head, appears to be frosted
over, or powdered, through the small feathers,
producing a white edge. In this and the
above variety, a superiority of form (the
result of high breeding) will easily be dis-
covered.

THE ENGLISH FANCY.

The Fancy canary is of an orange color,
except the wings and tail, which are black ;
the cap, or crown, is of a very rich orange,
extending over the whole back part of the
head. Depth, or richness of the orange —
color, is the grand object to be attended to,
to produce the real Fancy; for the orange
must not, by any means, be of the see
cast. 7 |

THE FRENCH BREED.

Of late years the improvement in
breeding of canaries, has been very great
os

VARIETIES. 11

In Europe, bird fanciers, by crossing with
the long Belgium canary, have succeeded in
producing a bird of beautiful form and
symmetry, commonly called the French, o1
long breed. Those of clear yellow, mealy,
and high mottled yellow and green, being
esteemed the highest and most valuable.
Others, by crossing with less judgment, have
also produced a long bird, they are, however,
easily detected, their bodies being thicker and
legs shorter than those first mentioned.

They obtained the name of French birds
from the fact, that most of these birds are
imported from Havre, although they have
derived their improvement from the Belgium
birds. They command high prices, some
having been sold as high as twenty-five dol-
lars per pair.

The criterion to distinguish the French
breed from other large birds, is the tapering,
long shape of their bodies and length of legs.
These birds measure from six and a half to
seven inches. Full one inch longer than the
common canary; they are now fast super-
seding all other varieties in the estimation of
amateurs and breeders.

In breeding the canary, great proficiency
is shown in judicious pairing. A Mealy bird
and a Jonquil being put together, the produce
will not prove a mixture of the qualities of
the parent birds, but the character of the one
or of the other will appear distinct, and the
produce of the nest will probably show spe-
cimens of each kind, Mealy and Jonquil. It

12 THE CANARY BIRD.

is a curious fact, that the Mealy bird may be
distinguished at six days old, by the invari-
able appearance of fine feathers on the crest
of the ilium, which are not developed by the
Jonquil in any case.

The union of the Mealy and the Jonquil,
is considered favorable to the production of
pure birds; but if two strong birds are asso-
ciated, the result will be an overcharge of
color in the offspring.

Another unfavorable consequence apper-
taining to the union of two Jonquils, appears
when the union is continued, in a deteriora-
tion of the web of the feathers, which be-
come frizzled and insufficient to cover the
body, and the proper complement of tail and
wing feathers will be wanting.

MATCHING.

Depth and richness of the orange color, is
at present the prevailing taste in endeavoring
to form a good match. In breeding fancy
birds, a system so much practised in England,
and on the Continent, and which is now
rapidly extending in America, the grand re-
quisite is a regular and well feathered hen,
on which every thing else depends. But
the qualities of the cock to which she is to
be united, ought not to be neglected. He,
to have a good progeny, even with the hen,
ought to be bold, strong, soe pens ad! Miss

MATCHING. 13

marks, however, may lead astray, if no in-
quiry is made, and no knowledge is obtained
of the family from which the pair have de-
scended. Having obtained this information,
and being certain that the stock is good,
breeding may be safely attempted, and all
turn out well, and far beyond expectation,
even when all the points to be desired are
not perceptible, for most of our most beauti-
ful fancy varieties have arisen from accidental
crossing, and when all the appearances were
most unfavorable, and most unlikely, accord-
ing to ordinary calculation, to lead to such a
result. : ;

Much must depend upon the skill, judg-
ment, knowledge, and taste in the fanciers in
canaries, as well as horses and dogs; but as
particular rules, when not slavishly followed,
under ignorance of the truth, that the excep-
tion is the keystone of the rule, are excellent
auxiliaries to the general principle, we sub-
join the following, by attending to which,
the amateur, with a little patience and prac-
tice, may produce varieties, not only to his
own delight, but to the envy of others.

1. A fine jonque cock, of a strong orange
color, with much black in his feathers, should
be matched with a fine, soft colored, mealy
hen, with as little black as possible, except
her tail, and wings, which must be regular
and tru “yep

2. For a strong mealy cock, a healthy
jonque hen, with a fine soft feather, and re-
gularly marked tail and wings, should be

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14 THE CANARY BIRD.

adopted; and birds from the same nest
should never be joined, as this will reduce
and weaken the progeny to a certainty.

3. For breeding with, mealy hens re
always the most successful, because by their
union with a spangle marked cock, a more
regular and finely marked cock is produced,
than if the most beautifully spangled cock
and hen had been the parents.

According to St. Pierre, contrast is the
law of nature. At all events, with regard to
canaries, this rule holds good, that like should
never be matched with like. Here extremes
meet, and by the union, excellent is the off-
spring.

Therefore, if one is weak, let it be matched
with the one that is strong ; ; if one is dark,
let the Other be fair; one spotted let the other
be plain ; if the one ’be crowned, let not even
the shadow of a crown or coronet grace the
brow of the other, and the excellence pos-
sessed by the one, which the other wants,
will be found in higher perfection, in the
progeny, than the single parent to which the
happy quality belonged. In feathered tribes,
more than in all others, it will be found that
the greatest harmony springs from opposition.

4. To produce a full colored fine yellow
bird, without spot or splash, a fine large
mealy hen bred from a clean yellow stock,
should be matched with a clean bred jonque |
cock. With every precaution, the most ac-
curate attention, and the minutest obs erva-
tion, a spot or splash may appear in the

MATCHING. 15

brood, unless it is previously distinctly ascer-
tained that the parent birds came from a clear
bred stock. If any of the progenitors have
been spotted or splashed, the defect may
have leapt over one generation, and it may
appear in the next.

5. Beautiful pie-colored birds are produced
by taking a fine, clear jonque cock, match-
ing him with a rich dark-colored green or
gray hen. By such an union, the offspring
will always be more or less pied; they have
in general an exceedingly clear pipe, and are
reckoned not only strong, but sweet song-
. Sters.

6. By matching a pair of strikingly marked
birds, the strength of whose color is glaring,
that strong black mixture, resembling the
Lizard, is produced. The same result may
also be obtained by matching a common
strongly marked grey cock, with a splash-
marked hen. Dark variegated birds may be
got by a strong splashed common canary,
with a fancy hen. Those that are all dark
and sparrow-marked make fine singers. A
strong grey or green canary, united with a
mealy colored hen, must be got to produce
the cinnamon color. Those of a lighter color,
called Quackers, that are sometimes produced,
are not much esteemed. By following up
fortwo or three seasons consecutively, Mealies
_ with Mealies, white or flaxen birds are pro-
duced, and by again crossing these with one

eyes, another variety is obtained.
To secure the real Fancy the male should be

16 THE CANARY BIRD.

matched with a fine orange colored mealy
female, with cap, wings, and tail regular, and
with a fine feather.

PAIRING.

The proper period for putting the birds
together for the purpose of pairing, depends
very much on the nature of the weather. In
general the month of March is the best time,
although in.some seasons it may be done a
month earlier, and in others it is desirable to
wait a month longer. Some people make a
boast of their attempt at very early pairing,
but it is a very idle boast, as precocious
breeding is never profitable, both injuring
the constitution of the parents, and turning
out in general an inferior brood. Young
birds have been produced even before this
period, but it is at a great sacrifice, and under
disadvantages which will tell before the end
of the season. They must be brought up,
and at the early period of their existence,
must subsist without that green food with
which, at a later period, their parents and
themselves could be so abundantly supplied.
What is gained in time is lost in power, as
in the summer months there will be less in-
clination and less capacity for incubation.

Common canaries that have spent the
winter together, may indeed be put into the
breeding cage and left to themselves ; in these
circumstances they seldom breed too early,
but it is also true they seldom breed well.

It is better to separate them for a short

PAIRING. 17

time. Their long familiarity is apt to pro-
duce indifference, but after a short separation,
old acquaintance is soon renewed, and you
may calculate almost to an hour when the
hen will begin to lay.

Some breeders put the birds intended for
breeding into a small cage, with only one
upper perch, to make them familiar and
sociable with each other. Others put them
at first into the cage appointed for breeding ;
the former method is allowed to be the best.

During the time they are pairing, they
should be fed high, by giving them sparingly
every morning a little chopped egg and
bread, mixed with a little maw seed and
some bruised hemp. As soon as they be-
come sociable, feed each other, and sleep
on the perch close together, then the breed-
ing cage for their reception may be prepared.

It is needful to remark, some birds at first
pairing will fight very much, and the hen
strives for the mastership, but in most cases,
without success. If they fight too much, and
will not come to any reconciliation in the
course of one month’s trial, it will be best to .
part them and try another hen.

These birds have their sympathies and an-
tipathies, which nothing can subdue. The
sympathy of a male is shown by putting
him alone in an aviary where are many
females; in a few hours he will make choice
of one, and will not cease for an instant to
show his attachment, by feeding her. Nay,
he will even ee noo8e a female without seeing

Q*

18 THE CANARY BIRD.

her; it is sufficient that he shotld hear her
cry, and he will not cease to call her. The
same observation is also applicable to the fe-
male.

In some cases, however, all these sources
of sympathy seem to be dried up within
them, and an immediate antipathy, which no
endearment nor fond caress can overcome,
appears to have usurped its place. By no
contrivance can such canaries be brought to
pair. More cocks than hens appear thus
constituted, and these cocks are generally
found to be the best singers.

Either cock or hen will, in general circum-
stances, very readily take up with another
mate. It is also evident that their attachment
is not confined to those of their own kind, as
the beautiful variety of mules which has
sprung from the canary and other tribes of
finches abundantly testifies.

The birds having at length been success-
fully paired, all now depends upon season,
Situation, and cage. |

SEASON.

With regard to the season, we have already
said it is better to be too early than too late.
If March has been cold, and no favorable
change takes place in April, they should be
kept back as long “as possible, as in such a
season the hen is apt to become egg-bound,
or lay soft eggs: im one case her life is en-
dangered ; in the other, her gence is wasted -
in vain. oy ii

SITUATION. 19

SITUATION.

The situation is a matter of very considera-
ble importance. To this we have before
alluded, but we must repeat more particularly
that it should if possible be exposed to the
sloping beams of the morning sun, and pro-
tected from its meridian rays. If the sun
does not leave the situation before noon, it is
easy to cast the cage into shadow by a screen
at a distance from it. Pulling down the win-
dow blinds, or placing chicken-weed on the
top of the cage, to overhang the sides in fes-
toons, is a simple process.

When the weather is close or sultry, the
window may be opened early, and when hot,
left open all day ; but take care of cats.

For many reasons the doors shguld be shut,
draughts of air being as pernicious to the eggs
as feline intruders are to the birds.

As the best situation to gain the morning
sun, and escape the north-easterly gales, is S.
by E., S. S. E., S. E. by S., or S. E., and not
direct east, it is frequently cool from these
points even in the month of May—precau-
tions must be taken accordingly ; but an ex-
cess of heat is as prejudicial as cold. Too
much warmth and want of air is apt to give
the hen the sweating sickness while sitting,
and to render the young weak and tender.

The room into which the pair are placed
should never require a fire; hence an addi-
tional reason for not beginning too early ; it
should neither be damp, dark, nor close, but

20 THE CANARY BIRD.

dry, large, light, and airy. A cheerful situa-
tion and the morning sun, give spirit, warmth,
and animation to the birds. If draughts of
air can be prevented, and cats excluded, dur-
ing summer, the window should be thrown
completely open all day. Ifa good wire gauze
can be made to project from the window, the
birds can easily be placed under it, where
they will get the air and enjoy the warmth
without the scorching heat of the sun.

The place for the birds to breed in, having
been chosen, the next consideration is the
best kind of cage to hang up for their recep-
tion. If an old one'is adopted, it ought to
be thoroughly washed, scrubbed, rubbed,
cleaned, and dried. After their long cessa-
tion from use, vermin, of various sorts, are
apt to lodge in the crevices, which, if not
utterly exterminated, will grieve the heart
both of bird and breeder.

The cage should be placed so as to admit of
a constant view of the birds, and an easy ac-
cess, without disturbing them. They should
not be hung, unless for disagreeable rea-
sons, and in disadvantageous circumstances,
out of reach, requiring to be lifted or drawn
down to us, or to take stools or steps to get
to them. They should at least be on a level
with the line of vision. This familiarizes
the birds with their keeper, makes him better
acquainted with them, he can see at a glance
what is going on, they become accustomed
to any little motion or commotion that may
be going on around, they will be less liable

aM

SITUATION. 21

to be frightened and flustered by the appear-
ance of danger, and in every respect, the
breeding cage will become a more manage-
able commodity than it generally is.

Of the structure of the cage, we shall
afterwards take notice, but one for breeding
should have two nest boxes at one end, that
birds may have their choice, always having
the perches clean, and as stout as their claws
can grasp and stand firm upon, likewise clean
claws, without lumps of dirt on them; for by
having a steady, full sized perch, the birds
hold fast, and have no trouble, or fear of fall-
ing, or slipping, or turning round on the
perch, which often produces addled eggs.

Some breeders pair a strong healthy male
with two females, which in some cases does
pretty well, provided that proper attention is
paid to them. When two hens are intended
to be put up with one male, they should be
selected for that purpose at the end of har-
vest, and kept in one cage during winter, in
order to make them familiar with each other.
It will not do to put two hens witha male
in one cage, without there being a temporary
board in the middle, to prevent the hens from
seeing each other while they are hatching, or
they will fly off their nests at each other, and
fight like two little termagants, and in the
scuffle the eggs, and consequently, the hopes
of the breeder, may be upset. But to pre-
vent such vexations, let the breeder have
two cages,and put up only one hen at a
time, and after she has done laying, take the

22 THE CANARY BIRD.

male out, and put him up with the other hen,
and so on to the end of the season.

Sprinkle plenty of gravel or sea-sand at
the bottom of your cage, and hang up in it
a lump of good old mortar, the nibbling and
biting of which keeps the birds in good
health. As soon as you have put your birds
up, keep feeding them high, and add a little
moist sugar to the bread and egg, until they
have laid an egg or two; the moist sugar
opening the hens’ bodies, and preventing
them being egg-bound. Be sure that the
bread and egg are fresh every day, and it is
best to feed them over night, so that they
find it early and fresh at break of day. Let
the greens be always fresh, such as water
cresses, radish tops, cos lettuce, cabbage let-
tuce, small sallad, as cresses, mustard, &c., all
young and green. I do not recommend chick-
weed, nor groundsell, nor plantain, till it is
ripe and full of seeds.

BREEDING.

The Canary is a most prolific bird, so much
so, that in the great majority of instances the
propensity requires to be restrained rather
than encouraged. They will have from two
to five nests in the year; and some birds
have been known to bring up safely and suc-
cessfully, eight broods in one season. But it
is a cruel and imprudent experiment to make;
they should not be allowed to breed more
than twice, or at the most, three times a year.
If a hen is prolific one season, she will be the

BREEDING. 23

reverse the next, or she may be completely
destroyed by the effort. One that has two
or three nests and four or five eggs each time,
must be a mother sufficiently valuable, and
to overtax her is both unwise and unsafe.

The period for incubation lasts fourteen
days, but in very warm weather, the process
may be completed in thirteen days. Be-
tween seven and nine in the morning is their
regular time of laying, and for the purpose
of preventing waste of time, by permitting
the hen to sit on unfecundated eggs, some
breeders are in the habit of taking the eggs
out when eight days old, and holding them
between their finger and thumb before a
strong light, when it is ascertained that those
which are transparent are unimpregnated,
and therefore, useless, but the good ones are
dark and thick.

If they are all bad, they should be thrown
away ; the nest should be taken out, shaken
and cleaned, and an inducement, and an op-
portunity afforded the hen to lay again,
which she will. generally do in a very short
time.

After laying two or three eggs, some hens
will desert them, and it is found upon ex-
amination, that these eggs are in general bad;
nature, by some mysterious process, giving
the bird an instinctive hint, that to brood
over them longer, would be labor lost.
These, therefore, should be immediately
broken, and the hen allowed to go to nest
again.

24 THE CANARY BIRD.

It is recommended by some breeders, as
soon as the Canary has laid, to take out the
egg every morning and substitute an Ivory
one ; when the hen has done laying, take the
ivory eggs away, and set her upon the whole
of her own. Naturalists say that it gives the
hen mere satisfaction to see them come suc-
cessively one after the other; but experience
has shown us that it is the better way to sub-
stitute the ivory egg, and daily take away the
laid one, till she lays her complement; and
also to examine the eggs after the hen has
been sitting eight days upon them, to save
time and useless fatigue to the mother ; let all
this, however, be done with as little annoy-
ance as possible.

Some females in breeding are very careless
mothers, a fault which is not very easily done
away with. Therefore, if they cannot be
brought to do any thrift the first season, avoid
another season’s trial.

Others will eat their eggs, as will sometimes
also the male. The best way to prevent this,
is to feed the bird very early every morning
with bread and egg, or the last thing at night
for the morning, for the hen no sooner lays
her egg than she leaves the nest, and flies
round the cage in search of food, which if
she does not find, and that too in some deli-
cate or dainty form, she returns to the nest in
a rage, and seems to break the eggs out o1
pure spite, more than from desire to eat them.

As another precaution when the hen is ad-
dicted to this vice, the usual period for the

6

BREEDING. 25

laying of Canaries should be carefully watched,
and as soon as she has laid it, the egg she has
laid should be removed and the ivory ball
substituted, and if this be done for four or five
mornings, all the eggs may be returned, when
there is a great chance of her settling down
and sitting the requisite time.

When the male eats the eggs, it is a sign
of strength. Such males should have two
hens.

It will frequently happen with young mo-
thers, that the first time of hatching they are
so careful and anxious for the eggs that are
not hatched, as not to leave their nest to feed
the young that are hatched, and the conse-
quence is, that the young birds are starved.

The best preventative of this evil is to at-
tend. to the day they will be hatched, by
keeping a register of the time when they
were laid and set. The most enticing food,
such as bread and egg, fresh greens, &c.,
should be placed before them, to remind them
of the duty of feeding their young. If the
hen is not observed “feeding her young, or
carrying food to them, she should be stirred
out of the nest, to let her see that there is
enough to satisfy her wants. If this is done
three or four times the first day, by feeding
as she goes out, and seeing her young ones
gape as she comes in, she will soon be brought
to feed them, and the cock will soon follow
her example.

_ With every care to set the hen exactly to
a day, it will happen that all the eggs are
a

26 THE CANARY BIRD.

not chipped at the same time ; when this con-
tingence takes place, every effort must be
made to allure them to their duty, as we can
scarcely conceive it within the range of mere
instinct to inform them that there is ever laid
upon them a double obligation. If there is
any suspicion that either nest or eggs are
damaged, the hen may be driven off to ascer-
tain the fact. On this account it is of impor-
tance that the eggs should be so placed that
you may come at the birds with ease to ob-
serve their actions, without annoying them.

If a cock or hen should die, early in the
breeding season, and it is worth while, having
- time on hand, you must choose a mate as
near as possible in color, age, and size, to the
deceased ; for there is always more sympathy
with those that resemble their own choice.

When it is necessary to bring the young
up by hand, some stale, well baked bread
should bo crumbled very fine and mixed with
crushed rape seed, which has been boiled,
and afterwards washed with fresh water to
remove its acrimony ; the whole is made into
a paste, by the addition of a little yolk of egg
and water. The most convenient way to
give it to the young birds is on a quill cut
like a spoon. Each nursling requires for a
meal four beaks full, well piled upon the
quill; they should be fed very early in the
morning, and every two hours during the
day.

As soon as the young are hatched, a small
cup is placed beside the usual feeding trough,

BREEDING. 27

which contains half of an egg, boiled hard
and grated very fine, with a piece of stale
bread rubbed fine and soaked with fresh milk;
another cup should contain rape seed, pre-
pared as above directed.

The young should be placed in separate
cages in about four weeks, but should still
be fed with the same paste, as well as seeds.

The technical terms and names given to
young birds in general are a Nestling, or one
from the nest; a Pusher, a young bird that
is taken three or four days after he has left
his nest; a Brancher is a bird full grown,
but has his nestling feathers.

As for cleanliness, air, and exercise, when
the birds have brought up a nest of young
ones, watch the opportunity to clean out the
nest box, and if this be very dirty, throw
away the dirt and nest. Then let the birds
have plenty of clean materials, and you will
soon see them build another nest in one day.
Neglect of the main point, cleanliness, which
promotes health, and keeps away the red
mites, causes many breeders much trouble,
vexation, and disappointment.

When the breeding season is over, and the
birds all put into the cages, let them not be
fed with much green food ; indeed, at no time
give much, as it is better to give none at all,
than too much. Beginners cannot be cau-
tioned enough regarding this, as many hun-
dreds of canaries die every year, from no
other cause than being surfeited with green
meat.

28 THE CANARY BIRD.

MULE BREEDING.

Some naturalists are of opinion that the
hybrid of the Canary forms an exception, and
instead of being barren is fruitful, and can
propagate its kind. Baron Cuvier, in his
« Animal Kingdom,” states this doctrine, but
only to disprove it, as contrary to an estab-
lished law of nature, and all observations
attest it to be notoriously contrary to the fact.
Eggs will be laid and all the duties of mother
performed, but here the matter ends; and this
no more implies the re-productive power of
the Canary mule, than the laying and setting
of the domestic fowl without a cock. Al-
though no posterity follows, the first opera-
tion is sufficiently interesting to make the
subject of mule breeding worthy of attention.

There are various kinds of cross breeding,
or what is termed mule breeding; that is, an
union with other country finches, or small
hard billed» birds, such as the Venturon, the
Cini, or Serin, the Aberdevine, the English
Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Linnet,
Hedge Sparrow, Yellow Hammer, and Bull-
finch, united with the cock and hen Canaries,
which require some notice and attention.

Of all these crosses, none is so common in
this country, or so successful, as that of the
hen Canary and cock Goldfinch ; from which
on account of the variety of the male’s plu-
mage, the young are sometimes extremely
beautiful. The above and many others, may
be paired with the Canaries, but it is neces-

MULE BREEDING. ; 29

sary to observe the following rules when
you pair them.

They should be taken young and brought
up by hand, or under a Canary hen, and fed
on rape and canary—mostly canary seed; as
otherwise they will be found very difficult to
pair. Of hemp seed they are so fond as to
eat to excess, which is very hurtful in the
breeding time, and ultimately rots them,
changing the brightness and color of their
plumage to brown. )

Before you pair the Golffinch, cut off the
tip of his beak about the thickness of a six-
pence, with sharp scissors; as of all birds,
this has the most pointed beak. There may
be two or three drops of blood, but a little
piece of moist sugar will cure it. This will
prevent him from flying at the hen Canary,
many of which are often killed by a Gold-
finch, and from hurting the young ones when
feeding them; otherwise he is apt to pierce
their little throats with his sharp beak, and
kill them.

A Goldfinch hen put up with a Canary,
ought to be two years old, as they seldom
lay the first year in a cage; a fact which is
but little known, and prevents many who are
disappointed the first year, from venturing
upon a second trial.

The wild birds meant to breed or cross
with, should be kept in a fly with Canaries,
so that they may choose the hen from amongst
a number, for they are difficult in their choice
sometimes. Fresh caught birds must also be

3 *

30 THE CANARY BIRD.

tamed by being hung very low, and kept in .
a room where you constanily live, that they
may become familiar.

Generally the hen Canary is paired with
the cock goldfinch, or linnet; but I prefer
breeding from a cock Canary with the hen
goldfinch, or linnet; as the young are usually
handsomer, following the color of the cock,
and inheriting his song. The young differ
very much in beauty; some are very plain,
resembling the wild bird, while others are
very beautifully “fharked, or pied, and some
few are perfectly white, these two latter de-
scriptions fetch an exorbitant price. The
linnet mules are the best for song, but gene-
rally plain in their plumage.

It is very difficult to induce a Canary to
pair with a bullfinch, as he, in the pairing
time, opens his mouth so wide as to frighten
her; but it has been accomplished where
they have been kept a considerable time
together. *

To breed fine mules, take a cock Canary,
two years old, of rich color, which has never
been paired ; for if they had been previously
paired with a Canary, they will not readily
match with any other bird, and particularly
with a bird of a different color. The hen
goldfinch should have been brought up by
hand, or from the nest; or should at any
rate, have been taken some time, so that she
may be used to live on rape and canary, and
with hardly any hemp, or now and then a
little, for reasons before mentioned. If you

MULE BREEDING. |

can procure it, you will find a small quantity
of thistle seed to be of great service, which
is the proper food for young goldfinches at
first, and they are very partial to it. Your
goldfinch and canary should be put in a small
cage immediately, or as long as possible be-
fore the breeding season, that they may be
accustomed to each other befor@ they pair.
From birds selected as thus directed, you
may expect fine mules, with various and
elegant plumage, the richness of the cock
and the beautiful colors 6f the hen, causing
them to be handsomely marked beyond de-
scription. Sometimes this will be the case
with a cock goldfinch and a canary hen, but
more frequently they are much plainer and
less valuable.

Young mules ought always to be put
under old canaries of fine song, that they
may take their song, which is far preferable
to their natural notes. If you have cock
linnets, take from the nest as sodn as they
can feed themselves, place them under these
old canaries, and they will in six months,
sing so loud and well that you can scarcely
distinguish your linnet from your Canary.

There is a dangerous complaint to which
the goldfinch is subject, called epilepsy, or
falling sickness; when he is seized with it,
he flies about very violently, and falls on his
back. With a pair of sharp scissors, cut off
the ends of his hinder claws ; sometimes two
or three drops of blood may follow; in that
case, wash his feet with white wine, and

~

32 THE CANARY BIRD.

give him two or three drops on sugar. This
is a medicine equally quick and efficacious ;
and unless it be resorted to, nine cases out of
ten will end fatally.

One of the most pleasing variety of mules
is produced by the cock Averdivine, with a
hen canary. The young are plain in plum-
age, but vety harmonious songsters, and easily
become so familiar as to perch on your finger
and sing at command.

Much experienge, attention to nature, and
observation, oo in cross, or mule
breeding, to domesticate and break in the
birds to the Canary food, and to know their
age. For example, linnets should not be
turned up to breed till two years old, when
crossed with the Canary. A goldfinch hen
ought to be two years old, as she seldom lays
eggs the first year in a cage. And, observe
nature in putting your birds up to breed:
that is, to fall in about their own natural
time, be “the bird whatever it may. You
must not expect mule, or cross breeding, to
be ever prolific; the Aberdivine and Serin
finches, are the most prolific, the goldfinch
next, and the linnet seldom more than one
nest In a season.

In the finch tribe it may be noticed there
are two distinct and separate species; the
one hard-billed, living upon seed, the other
soft-billed, living on flesh, soft food, and
insects. Any of the hard-billed birds may be
paired with the Canary, the others will not
unite. Mule breeding will do best mm the

>

FEEDING. 33

country, as good air and a lively situation is
essential for breeding with any thing like
success. ‘Those who wish to amuse them-
selves with mule breeding, must not feel dis-
appointed in losing for a season or two. It
is always with the greatest difficulty that any
thing is produced from the greenfinch, bull-
finch, chaffinch, or yellow-hammer.

This is the whole that is deemed necessary
to advance on this subject. A great deal
more might have been said, but as it will
require a little experienc | to become ac-
quainted with the general method of mule
breeding, which cannot be got by any thing
we could say, we therefore, leave that part
to the reader, confident that a little attention
and obseryation will overcome any difficul-
ties to which he may be exposed.

FEEDING.

The seed that now goes universally by its
own name, is the common food of the
Canary, and on it alone it thrives sufficiently,
especially when kept single as the “pet of
the parlor,’ and merely for the purposes of
song; but when intended for breeding and
to produce fancy varieties, something more
is required. High feeding is essential to them
from the first moment they are set to pair,
till the time they are separated, and this is
generally composed of animal food and hard
boiled egg, mixed with seed. The egg should
always be fresh, and if possible, newly laid.

JP

34 THE CANARY BIRD.

The egg when boiled hard, should be grated
and mixed with dry, stale grated bread, or
roll, in quantity proportionally greater than
the egg itself. A little finely pulverized white
sugar, with some maw seed, is an excellent
addition, and with these they will rear up
their young healthy and well.

As a general food, we find Canaries thrive
remarkably well when fed on a mixture of
Canary, hemp, millet, and rape seed, which
is now generally,.known under the name of
mixed bird seed” They should also be sup-
plied with the cuttle fish bone, which can be
placed between the wires of the cage.

All stale food, and refuse of every kind,
should be daily removed, and if this is not
attended to, gripes and hoarseness in the
young birds will be the consequence—evils
more easily prevented than removed.

Night is better than morning for supplying
the more substantial food, as at the peep of
dawn they will find their repast fresh, clean,
and tidy, of which they will partake with a
keener relish than after their appetite has
been clogged with garbage. Inthe morning,
greens, water cresses, radish tops, cabbage
lettuce should be given, fresh and sparingly ;
and if ehick-weed is given, let it be ripe, and
not much at a time.

Some persons keep their birds entirely on
rape seed; but it is too relaxing, and ulti-
mately kills them. Canaries should always
be allowed plenty of clean water and gravelly
soil. Besides water for drinking, they should

CAGES. 35

be allowed twice a week some water to wash
themselves; a saucer is the best vessel for hold-
ing it.

The female, while hatching, should not get
water to wash herself, as that might retard
the process of incubation, and even run a
chance of rotting the eggs.

After pairing the birds, it will do very well
to put a lump of old mortar in the cage for
the hen to pick at, as it will help in the for-
mation of the shell of her eggs.

CAGES.

The forms of cages deemed suitable for
finches, are as various as the fancies of the
purchasers, or the tastes of the wire workers.
Some contend for their being small, while
others cannot have them large enough, the
former only regarding the singing; the latter,
air and exercise. For their respective objects,
each has its advantages. The mere shape is
altogether a matter of taste, for it does not
signify much, unless for breeding, when an
oblong is evidently the only proper form.

For this purpose, the kind now most in use
are about 18 inches by 11, and 12 in height ;
the perches are placed four inches and a half
from the ends of the cage, to keep the tails
clear, which will allow 7 inches of a leap,
which is long enough. The nest box is
placed on the outside, at the end of the cage,
and is not a fixture, but can be removed at
any time. Those cages with two perches

36 THE CANARY BIRD.

below and one above, should not be used, as
they tend to diminish the stately appearance
of the birds; but those with only two perches
on a level, give birds by far the best shape.
The cage should be thickly and firmly
wired to prevent, as much as possible, the
mischief frequently done by mice, who often
eat the eggs, and even the young ones. If
birds are attacked by a cat, which also hap-
pens, they have the best chance of escaping
who are in a thickly wired cage; provided it
be firmly fixed-up. The wire should always
be of iron, as the Canaries are ever nibbling
at it; brass wires get covered with verdigris
which is fatal to birds. It is recommended
to have cages painted, either inside or out,
with common oil paint; they may be var-
nished on the outside. White paint should
never be used for the inside, as the reflection
of white weakens the sight; light blue or
green should be used. All cages should have
a large door, which is very convenient for
many purposes. |
In purchasing an old cage, or putting up
breeding cages which may have been out of
use for some time, see that they are not beset
with red mites, like bugs in old furniture ; and
that there are no old looking, dry, musty
places about the hinges, doors or nest boxes,
Wash them well with strong yellow soap-
suds and pearl ashes; and when dry, they
may be washed over with the following
lotion :—Spirits of turpentine and spirits of |
wine, equal parts; m which you dissolve
some camphor and soda, about the size of a

.
ies. Llp

BUILDING. 37

scarlet bean; mix this well together, and
keep it in a bottle, closely corked, for use ;
before using it, shake it up well, and dip into
it a small brush, with which wash over the
cage, and let it dry for a day or two in any
airy place to carry off the smell. This de-
stroys all the red mites and other vermin that
lurk in the crevices, and which in the heat
of summer pour forth their hosts to annoy
the birds both old and young. Soak the
water glasses and fountains in pearl ash water
for a few minutes, to cleanse them from green
and scurf, and rinse them well.

BUILDING

The materials used and recommended for
building, are numerous and varied, but the
principal points to be attended to are warmth
and cleanliness. Of whatever stuff the nest
is composed it should always be new. The
materials of the old nest must be unscrupu-
lously rejected, unless it is wished to colonize
the new one with red mites, and all sorts of |
vermin. All old fabrics, indeed are bad—as
from them the woolly surface has been much
rubbed off, and little but the cold fibre left
behind.

The wooden cup, box, or basket, should
have put into it a little fine, fresh, clean elk’s
hair, mixed with soft dried moss, and some
white wool, neatly disposed, so as to give as
little trouble as possible to the bird in form-
* Ing.it mto the shape of a nest. |
4

38 THE CANARY BIRD.

Previous to doing so, we ourselves have
often successfully—although we know not
whether it has been sanctioned or practised
by others—rubbed the inside of the nest box
with strong warm glue, and while in a liquid
state allowed’ it to retain as much wool as
could be gently dipped upon it while the roll
was instantly lifted up. This forms a fixed
and warm foundation. We have also lined
our boxes with undressed fur, and have found
that although the materials afterwards placed
upon it were scanty, the nest was warm
enough for successful incubation.

Sometimes before the young are ready to
quit one nest, the hen will feel a desire to
build another. This she will sometimes do,
even on the top of her young, and thus smo-
ther them.

SEX.

It is not at all times easy to distinguish
between the cock and hen. By an experi-
enced fancier, it can be done indeed at a
glance, and some are even able to point out
the cocks almost as soon as they are hatched.

Both the size and the singing are pretty

good distinguishing marks between male and

female, but sometimes even these are not suf-
ficient, as many a gigantic hen has been
found ; and as there have been crowing hens
in the barn-yard, they have not been alto-
gether banished from the Canary cage.
Some females, by their musical attempts,

ectialr.

Vio en
~

SEX. 39

have deceived the unskilful, and sometimes
even the knowing ones have been taken in,
and have remained sceptical till the reputed
gentleman began to lay eggs. This is the
most conclusive test of all. A hen may try
to sing, but no cock, as far as we know, has
ever attempted to lay eggs.

But the sure way to distinguish the female’s
jabbering from the legitimate song of the
male is, that though a male may sing ever
so indifferently, every time he gtrikes a note,
the passage of his throat will heave with a
pulsive motion, and continue so all the time
he is singing ; but let the female sing ever so
well, this motion is never observed in her
throat as in the male’s.

Another way to distinguish the male from
the female is, the color above the bill, under
the throat, and the pinion of the wings is of
brighter hue in the male; for let the birds be
of what shade of color they may, the male
will always have a brighter yellow on the
above mentioned places, which are always
pale and languid in the female.

But what is a good criterion as any other,
is the largeness, vigor, and majestic carriage
of the male, which he always shows, if in
good health, by stretching himself out to his

utmost extent. The female is generally

smaller and shorter, especially from the legs
to the vent, and of a more sudden roundness,
required by nature for containing and laying
her eggs; the male in that part is slim and
long, ending in a small point under the tail.

>

40 THE CANARY BIRD.

SINGING.

No certain rules can be laid down with re-
gard to the singing of the Canary, by which
all will be satisfactorily guided. All birds,
indeed, are agreeable in their different songs;
the sky-lark for his vast compass of natura!
notes; the linnet, for his docility in imitating
regular music, and taking the wood-lark’s
song ; and the goldfinch for his agreeableness,
and attachment to his house.

Canaries with long, straight, and tapering
bodies, are found, by observation, to be the
finest in song, while, on the contrary, short,
thick-set cocks are found to be harsh and
abrupt in their notes, and to be deficient in the
power of their lungs. When it is desired to
make young Canaries good songsters, they
should if possible, be put under the nightin-
gale or tit-lark for tuition. The German
method, but we beg to doubt its propriety,
to produce fine songsters, is to cover the cage
all day, and expose the birds in the evening
to a strong light, when by making any noise,
they are induced to sing.

It is better to place two or three birds to-
gether, as they will vie with each other.

The Canary, when young, is easily taught,
by means of a flageolet or bird organ, to
retain and sing entire tunes. From experi-
ence, we would recommend the following
method, as best calculated to teach them an
air or tune :—Ten or twelve days after you
observe your bird to feed himself, take him
from all your other birds, and put him in a

SINGING. 41

cage ; or sooner than twelve days if you per-
ceive an attempt te record his natural song.
Let. his cage be covered with a thin linen
cloth for eight days, and placed in a room
away from all the other birds, so that he
may hear no singing. Then take the flageo-
let or bird organ, which must not be too harsh
or shrill, as the bird will not fail to follow in
the same key ; which if too shrill will cause so
great an exertion of his lungs, that most pro-
bably, (if he be a good and mettlesome bird,)
he will strain himself to sucn a degree as to
occasion his death.

At the expiration of fifteen days, you must
change the thin linen cloth which covers him,
for a thick green, or red serge; and he must
remain covered in this way until he is perfect
in’ the air you wish him to learn.

As to the number of airs, it is better, in our ©
opinion, to have him learn a single good one,
than to teach him two or three, as he is apt to
mix and confound them. There are some
canaries, indeed, that learn much quicker than
others; some will be perfect in two months,
while others are six; but a fair degree of
patience is necessary to the master to enable
him to accomplish so desirable an end ; with-
out it nothing is to be done, and with it he
may render his bird exceedingly valuable.

The organ ought to be very mellow and
sweet in its tones; for if harsh, it will have
a very bad effect, the bird, as before ob-
served, copying with great exactness, even

your instrument’s faults.

4*

42 THE CANARY BIRD.

Five or six lessons a day will be sufficient ;
more will only fatigue the bird. They may
be divided in the followimg manner: two
lessons in the morning, the earlier the better,
one or two in the middle of the day, and two-
in the afternoon or evening. At each lesson
the tune must be played eight or nine times
over, and care must be taken to play it
through.

You must not attempt to teach two in the
same room unless they are in the same cage ;
and as soon as you have finished, take one
where he cannot hear the other, as they soon
begin to practise what they have heard, and
will lead each other into error.

In short, the whole bringing up a bird to
sing well, depends entirely upon visiting him
early, and furnishing him the last thing
before you leave him, with what he is to eat
for the day. He should be supplied daily
with fresh water in his fountain, and small
gravel at the bottom of his cage; but short
allowance in eating is absolutely necessary
to make him a good songster.

The mealy, splashed, or green birds, are
better and stronger than the jonquil, and con-
sequently, best adapted to a mode of teaching
them, which requires some degree of severity.

Many Canaries are sullen, unsociable, and
untractable ; appearing thoughtful, sad, and
melancholy, singing seldom, and their song
short and inharmonious. These birds, if not
put under high spirited, courageous old birds,
of strong song, are worth but little. Give

DISEASES. 43

them, however, the. advantage of hearing
birds of fine mettle, and they will, by degrees,
be encouraged to imitate them, and their
temper will be very much improved.

DISEASES.

If proper care is taken, the Canary is sub-
ject to few diseases. Those that do arise,
may be all traced to carelessness and inat-
tention. If duly fed, their cages regularly
cleaned and kept in good air, it is seldom
that the birds are found in bad health. Ina
state of nature they are liable to many mis-
fortunes, but what their diseases are, the
records of no ornothological hospital can tell.
In a state of domestication their health can
be better observed and more carefully at-
tended to, and some hints can be given how
it may be preserved or restored.

Colds are the most general complaint, and
they are almost all owing to carelessness.
How frequently are birds hung up close to
the top corner of a window, with the sash
down about one foot, and a draught of air
running through, or by the cage, fit to turn
a small wind-mill. Thus they are frequently
exposed for several hours late in the evening,
when going to roost, without any considera-
tion whether the air be damp, cold, or dry.
In this manner many a fine bird is endan-
gered, if not killed, by taking cold, which
often proves incurable.

When birds are in good health, and lively,

44 THE CANARY BIRD.

their feathers will appear and feel sleek and
smooth, adhering close to their bodies.—
Whenever you perceive the reverse of this,
and the birds are sitting dull and bunchy,
rely on it, something is out of order.

Therefore, first consider the season, or time
of the year; if moulting is approaching, or
if any thing has worried, or frightened the
bird; if he has been hung up in a draught
of air, and taken cold; if he is suffering from
neither of these causes, see if he can get at
his water and seed, and that both are sweet.
Good seed always appears clear and glossy,
and feels dry and hard; if there is no fault
here, examine his body, blow up the feathers
of his belly, see if his bowels look swelled,
or inflamed, and if so, it is symptomatic of a
surfeit. ,

If he appears lean, and out of condition,
look closely for vermin about his body, and
examine well his cage for those small red
mites, which assail him at night when going
to roost, and frequently are the cause of his
picking and plucking himself so much by
day. Likewise, such is the susceptibility of
the Canary finch, through delicate breeding,
above all other features, that frequently you
will cause him to begin to moult, if the place,
or room, should be too close, or warm, com-
pared with what he has been accustomed to;
and a change from a warm room to a cold
one, will make him bunchy and dull, and
stop his singing.

In purchasing a bird, careful inquiry should

|
ee

DISEASES. 45

be made as to the quarter from which he
came, and the temperature to which he was
accustomed. It need not surprise any one,
if he should appear dull and sulky, when re-
moved from light and cheerful company, to
a dull and lone situation; but a short time
will in general restore him to his wonted
spirits.

Cleanliness, good seed, and fresh water,
frequently renewed, are all that are required
for a bird in good health.

Green food is not absolutely indispensable
for a bird kept merely for song. It, how-
ever, may always be given to them as a
luxury, and in spring it operates as a medi-
cine. It cleanses the bowels, cools and
purifies the blood, and a leaf of lettuce, or a
sprig of water-cress, may be at once useful
and ornamental on the top of the cage. A
plentiful supply of green food should -be
allowed them in the breeding season, but
unless chick-weed is quite ripe, it does them
more harm than good. A stick of good, ripe,
seedy plantain is an excellent thing for them
in autumn, but it should not be given them .
if green, and all the undergrown part should
be thrown away,

SURFEIT.

Surfeit is the most serious malady with
which canaries are affected. It is principally
occasioned either by cold or improper diet,
It is frequently to be met with in a whole

46 THE CANARY BIRD.

nest, owing to the young ones having been
furnished with bad food, such as a bad egg
chopped up, or grated, dead stale greens, left
at the bottom of the cage, overgrown, coarse,
unblown chick-weed, and putrid, or green
water, in the fountains.

There are two symptoms of this distemper,
exhibited as arising either from cold or over-
feeding ; in the first case, if, when blowing
up the feathers of the belly, it appears
swelled, transparent, and full of little red
veins, together with the bowels sinking down
to its extreme parts, it may be inferred that
the bird is in a bad state. In this case, the
state of the bowels should be carefully at-
tended to: if they are not loose, some grits
should be given in the seed, and a blade of
saffron in the water, or as much magnesia as
will cover a sixpence, dissolved in the water,
for two or three mornings, and a little bread
and milk, with a sprinkling of maw-seed
upon it. If he should be very relaxed, give
him, instead of grits, or oat-meal, a little
bruised hemp seed and maw-seed, which are
. more binding, and a little dried sponge bis-
cuit, soaked in white wine.

When the surfeit seizes your birds in the
nest, it is then incurable.

This evil may. be prevented by a little at-
tention; always considering, that as cage
birds have not miles to fly in search of their
food, they have not that air and exercise to
carry off the foul humors which over-feeding,
carelessness, and colds produce; they are

DISEASES. 47

generally young birds that are affected in
this manner.

In birds one, two, or three years old, sur-
feit is sometimes also produced by too much
grass feeding, greens out of season, bad
water, and want of gravel at the bottom of
the cage. At this age, the disease comes
out in scabs, and humors, about the head,
bill, and eyes, and the running of the humor
is so sharp and hot, that it will take the
feathers off wherever it spreads over their
bodies, and even affect the eyes to blindness.

To cure and stop this, put the bird imme-
diately upon a cooling, purging diet; take
away the Canary seed, and let him have
only rape seed, with some grits bruised
among it, which will cool and scour him out.
Afterwards anoint the head, or the parts
where the feathers have come off, with fresh,
good hog’s lard, or the oil of sweet almonds,
two or three times before roosting time.

This treatment will check the disorder.

Keep the bird upon this diet until he is
purged well, which will make him. thin and
lean; and when you have conquered the-
malady, return to the rape and canary seed
mixed; but such is the virulence of the dis-
ease, if it attacks the eyes, or settles there,
in most cases, the sight cannot be saved.
Some persons recommend a strong solution
of salt and water to wash the head and parts
where the feathers have come off. After you
have cured your birds, they will look rough
and most miserable in feather, till they have
passed the moulting season.

48 THE CANARY BIRD.

THE HUSK.

The husk is produced by cold. It is
similar in birds to a dry, husky cough, con-
stantly troubling them, and when once caught
is not easily cured ; therefore, strict attention,
and that immediately, is necessary.

Keep the birds’ in a warm room, and give
them some linseed with their rape and canary,
for some time, and for a few mornings, a
small quantity of boiled milk and bread, with
maw-seed sprinkled over it.

Fresh water every day is indispensable,
and a little rock candy dissolved in it, or a
piece of sponge biscuit soaked in white, or
canary wine, is found to have the happiest
effects. These means with a little care and
attention, are all that can be employed with
any prospect of successful result.

In buying birds, care should be taken that
they are not tainted with this malady; and
in bringing them home, they should not be
hung up where they are exposed to any
draught of air; in such a situation, it is very
apt to be brought on.

EXCESSIVE PERSPIRATION.

Excessive perspiration is a disease that
arises from various causes, of which weak-
ness is the principal. It is an almost insuper-
able concomitant if the hen has been weakly
bred; but it often arises from the close and
confined situation of the breeding cage, over-

DISEASES. 49

heat, a warm season, anxiety and excessive
care, with too close sitting upon the eggs, or
young; all have a tendency to bring it on.

If it arises from the latter cause, little can
be done, as in attempting to remedy one evil
another may be created. In using endea-
vors to induce her to leave her nest, she may
be led to forsake her young.

Both time and policy are required in the
invention and employment of many little arti-
fices, to wile her away from her pleasing but
perilous task. In her situation, air and exer-
cise are indispensable requisites, and to entice
her off her nest, the cock should be removed
for a few days, and hung up in her sight at
a short distance; she should be supplied with
abundance of green food, to tempt her off the
young ones for the purpose of feeding them ;
and in consequence she will have the privi-
lege of air and exercise in the performance
of her duty.

When she appears duly occupied with ma-
ternal cares, her mate may be restored ; and
even although she should not, he must be
restored for the sake of feeding the young.

Weakness may at once be inferred, when
it is exhibited by the symptoms of damp and
ruffled feathers before the hen has had eggs
or young ones. It is not advisable to breed
with birds of this kind. To cure this malady,
in these circumstances, the bird is sometimes
washed with a solution of salt and water for
several mornings, the breeding cage is re-
moved to a more airy situation, all draughts

5

50 THE CANARY BIRD.

of air are again avoided, and a few drops of
sherry are at other times sprinkled over them
in the morning; after which they are set in
the sun to dry.

THE PIP.

It is doubted much whether any such thing
as the pip exists, from the wren to the goose.
A small projection on the rump is found,
which some writers tell us nature has given
them, furnished with an oily substance, to
trim and keep their feathers in glossy order.
Many persons, on seeing this natural promi-
nency, think immediately that the bird has
got the pip, when with a pin they hastily
make an incision in the projection, and force
out all that which is of service to the birds,
and through this received error, many a fine
bird has been killed.

If you should at any time perceive an ex-
tra bladder of matter forming round or close
by the original spot, then you may prick that
inflamed part with a fine needle, and put on
it one drop of the oil of almonds or olive oil.

The true cause of this appearance is, some-
times your bird will be out of health, set
bunchy, and twitch in his tail frequently ;
when that is the case, see if his motions be
hard, and if so, give him some oat-meal, and
a sprig of water-cress for a few mornings to
cool and open the body; change his seed for ©
a few days, and put one or two drops of the

DISEASES, 51

spirits of nitre into his fresh water for two or
three mornings.

Some persons will recommend a feather or
two to be pulled out of the tail, but we do
not; only draw a tail feather or two in case
of a fit, or dropping down apparently dead,
as that will fetch blood and sometimes reco-
ver the bird.

EGG-BOUND.

The complaint of egg-bound proceeds from
cold, and especially the coldness of the spring
weather, which is so very uncertain in this
country ; therefore, it is best not to put your
birds up too early, but to wait till the wea-
ther is settled a little; the last week of the
March month is generally early enough to
put them into the breeding cage. Cold wea-
ther likewise causes the birds to have soft
eggs, that is, no hard shell when laid. There-
fore, begin not too early, especially as a room
without any fire is the best; give the bird a
little moist sugar with the bread and egg,
which will cause a slipperiness and openness
for the egg.

Should the hen be very bad and scarcely
able to move, or if she is down in a bunch at
the bottom of the cage, take her gently out
with a warm hand, and anoint the abdominal
part with two or three drops of warm salad
oil, or the oil of almonds. By this she will
generally be relieved, and the egg will be
found laid or dropped about the cage in the

52 THE CANARY BIRD.

course of a few hours, or, at the farthest, by
next morning.

With a maiden hen this frequently happens,
and if the above means fail, the last resource
is, to pour down her throat, through a reed
or quill, one drop of castor oil.

MOULTING.

Moulting sometimes exhibits a diseased
type.
Birds bred up in the manner we have di-
rected, in a good healthy air, as near as pos-
sible to a state of nature, moult off strong,
clean, and without any assistance; but at
times, even the best require attention. Cold
is the greatest danger to which in this state
‘they are exposed ; therefore all draughts of
air should be carefully guarded against.

In itself it cannot be prevented, and when
it happens in due course of nature it should
be encouraged rather than checked. Nature
has, however, no objection to borrow at times
the hand of man to assist her feathered off-
spring in throwing off their glossy coats.

The top and sides of the cage may be co-
vered up with paper to keep the birds warm,
and the cleaning of the cage may be omitted
for two or three weeks. A little saffron in
their water, a little nourishing bread, egg,
and maw seed, will speedily clothe the birds
in a plumage more beautiful than that in
which they were.

The covering of the cage should not be

Ke.

DISEASES. 53

taken off at once, but gradually; it should
then be cleaned thoroughly, and the birds fed
as usual. Fresh water should be given them
plentifully every day, and they should be put
in the sun for an hour or two if the weather
is fine, when they will be seen assisting na-
ture by plucking off their feathers.

The first moult, which takes place when
they are about three months old, is partial.
The birds then throw off all their down and
loose feathers, and produce the full blooming
plumage. The moult of September is the
general time of moulting for old birds.

LOSS OF VOICE.

It sometimes happens that after moulting
a male loses his voice; he must then be fed
with the same paste as is prepared for young
birds, adding some lettuce seed or maw seed.

CONSTIPATION.

The remedy for this is plenty of green food,
as lettuce leaves, water-cresses, &c., not forget-
ting bread and milk.

ASTHMA, OR HARD BREATHING.

When arising from an oppressed stomach,
the asthma generally yields to plantain and
rape seed, moistened with water, as the sole
food.

5*

54 THE CANARY BIRD.

SNEEZING.

Sneezing, produced by an obstruction of
the nostrils, is removed by passing a small
quill up them to clear them.

EPILEPSY, OR FITS.

Epilepsy, which is common among many
kinds of birds, may be produced in Canaries
by particular causes, as great delicacy and
timidity. Some birds are more nervous than
others; and sudden noise or bustle near the
cage will frighten one, while not the slightest
effect is produced upon another. We should
therefore avoid alarming them, either b
catching them suddenly or violently, or by
tormenting them in any way. If a bird has
dropped down in a fit without any apparent
cause, what we have found the most useful
in this case is to plunge the sick bird now
and then in very cold water, letting them fall
suddenly into it, and cutting their claws, or
at least one or two, short enough for the
blood to run.

From bleeding giving so much relief, one
would think this disease a kind of apoplexy,
occasioned by want of exercise and too much
food.

After the immersion in cold water, a drop
of the spirits of nitre should be put into his
-water-glass for two or three mornings.

Sometimes a Canary will drop down by
exhausting his strength, from singing in

DISEASES. 55

rivalry with another. In this case he should
be recovered by the most gentle means, and
the greatest good may be done by getting a
small quantity of Canary wine in his bill.

THE YELLOW GALL.

The yellow gall in the head and eyes,
arises from over heat; a cooling diet is there-
fore the only remedy. If the tumor has
grown to the size of a hemp-seed, it must be
cut off, and the wound be anointed with a
little oil of almonds, or bathed with wine.

OVERGROWN CLAWS AND BEAK.

When the claws or beak want paring,
sharp scissors must be used, and care taken
to avoid drawing blood, lest the birds should
be maimed. They often injure themselves
when their claws are too long, and get hooked
in the wires of the cage, and continue thus
hanging. The females, in the same way, get
entangled in their nests.

LICE, OR RED MITES.

The parasite insects by which these little
prisoners are often tormented, are gene-
rally produced by slovenliness. They may
be discovered, by their frequent plucking and
feathering themselves in the day. Besides
frequent bathing, the cages must be cleaned —
with much care and vigilance, in the manner

56 THE CANARY BIRD.

we have described when speaking of cages,
and have plenty of dry sand strewed over the
bottom. These lice, like bugs, retire during
the day to cracks and crevices, which accounts
for old wooden cages being often infested.
To get rid of them, hollow sticks, or stalks
of rushes are used, which must be examined
and changed every day.

DROOPING.

It frequently happens, that after having
tried every remedy pointed out by experi-
ence, the true disease cannot be ascertained,
and notwithstanding various treatments, the
bird continues drooping and sickly. We have
ourselves found that pulverized charcoal,
mixed with the bread and egg, as directed for
feeding the young Canaries, has entirely re-
stored to health and vigor, valuable birds
which we had almost given up.

GENERAL REMARKS.

Those who keep many Canaries, ought
always to have a cage termed an hospital ;
asin a large quantity of birds, some invalids
will be generally found.

Separate them from the others, as they re-
quire different food, and to prevent contagion.

This hospital cage should be large, and
covered with thick serge. If in summer,
place the cage in the sun; if in winter, not
far from the fire.

GENERAL REMARKS. 57

Sometimes in spring a hen falls ill, and in
spite of all the remedies given to her, dies.
This proceeds from warmth of constitution ;
hearing the cock sing, they incline to pair,
and pine if kept separate.

When Canaries throw their seeds about
the cage without eating them, it shows they
want purging, which is easily done, as we
have already described.

When a Canary has broken a leg or wing,
put him in a cage without perches, with soft
hay at the bottom, putting also his food
within his reach. This cage should be
covered, that he may not be disturbed. Na-
ture must be the surgeon, and will cure him
in a few days.

When you want to send birds into the
country, to any considerable distance, pursue
the following method: Choose a proper time
of the year; 2. e., let it not be in the height
of summer, or depth of winter, but when
the weather is temperate; if possible, the
birds should be rested every third day.

They should be put in a wooden cage of a
good width, but not too high; so that they
may run about the bottom, but not fly.—
Keep a thin covering over the front of the
cage, so that they may have a little day light
to feed by and exercise themselves.

You miust also put in their water pan a
sponge ; as when they are thirsty they peck
at it, and it saves the water from spilling ;
by these means your canaries will not suffer

58 THE CANARY BIRD.

_the least thirst during the journey; but by
neglecting this precaution, many are fre-
quently lost.

It is rare for canaries which are kept for
breeding to live longer than from seven to
ten years; while others, if well used, may
be preserved for eighteen or twenty years.

THE PURPLE FINCH, OR LINNET.

(Fringilla Cannabina.)

A native bird of considerable pretensions
to musical skill; in truth, a delightful song-
ster, very far superior to the canary. They
winter in Pennsylvania, and about the first
of May retire to the north to breed; they
fly in vast flocks, and are taken in trap cages,
and sold at high prices under the name of
Linnets. They very soon become familiar,
but sometimes refuse to sing in confinement.

The song of this beautiful finch is, indeed,
much finer than that of the canary, the notes
are remarkably clear and mellow, and the
trilling sweet and various, particularly on
their first arrival. At times the warble is
scarcely audible, and appears at a distance ;
it then, by a fine crescendo, bursts into loud-
ness, and falls into an ecstacy of ardent and
overpowering expression; at such times the
usual pauses of the song are forgotten, and
like the varied lay of the nightingale, the
ravishing performer, as if in serious emula-
tion,.seems to study every art to produce the
effect of brilliant and well contrasted har-
mony. As he sits on the topmost boughs of
some tall sapling or more lofty tree, survey-
ing the wide landscape, his proud voice and
elevated action seem to bid defiance to com-
petition, and while thus earnestly engaged,

7 59

60 AMERICAN GOLDFINCH.

he seems to fear no spectator, however near
may be his approaches. The rapidity of his
performance, and the prominent execution
with which it is delivered, seem almost like
the effort of a musical box, or fine toned,
quietly moving, delicate strain of the organ.

Canary, hemp, millet, and sunflower seeds,
may be feed for them, of the latter they are
very fond. Juniper and cedar berries should
be given them occasionally through the
winter; salad and beet tops also, during the
summer.

AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, OR YELLOW BIRD.
(Fringilla Tristis.)

A beautiful and. constant resident, dreading
neither the severity of winter nor the heat
of summer, always cheerful and light-hearted,
it flits from field to field in company with its
jocund companions; it seems a fit emblem
of happiness when on the wing, as it moves
in continued rises and falls, its notes of con-
versation are ever heard, and while sitting
on some lowly thistle, or devoted lettuce
stock, it converses occasionally with low
liquid voice to its more humble and_ less
noticed mate. No bird is more familiar, and
but for its destruction of house and garden
seeds, would be a universal favorite.

When trapped, they soon become familiar
in the cage, and their music rivals the sono-
rous whistle of the Canary, and is scarcely

eo

i see -

EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH. 61

surpassed by it. They at times gradually
elevate and lower their notes in the most de-
lightful manner ; bursting in an instant into
overpowering melody, then dying away in a
fairy-like strain, until it seems lost in the dis-
tance, then reviving with redoubled strength,
running at once into the loudest fife of the
Canary. They are very hardy and will bear
considerable cold. Every sunny day should
see their cage hung out, as air and sun light
are necessary to the health of this delightful
bird; a saucer of water should be kept con-
stantly in the cage, which should be well
sravelled, as he is particularly fond of bath-
ing. They are fond of rich and oily seeds,
and should be reared on yellow canary,
millet, and hemp, one and one-fourth of the
latter, a little sunflower and lettuce seeds 0c-
casionally given them, would be quite an
addition to their fare. ‘They are very fond
of the leaves of the garden beet, and salad,
which should be occasionally fed to them, as
well as apple. The male is of a brilliant
chrome yellow, with the crown of the head,
wings, and tail, glossy black, the two latter
edged with white, the female is of a dark
color, and may be readily distinguished.

EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH.
(Fringilla Carduelis-)

This brilliant and favorite songster is a
native of Europe, and of the same manners
6

62 ABORDAVAT.

and habits of the American goldfinch, or
yellow bird.

The same treatment will answer for this
bird; it mates readily with the Canary, of
which much has been said in the preceding
pages, to which we refer the reader.

ABORDAVAT, OR AMANDAYA.
(Fringilla Amandava, Lixx.)

This beautiful and minute songster, the
smallest of all our cage birds, is brought to
the United States from Java, Malacca, and
other tropical countries of Asia ; it is only
four inches long, of which the tail measures
one and one-third. In the male, the head
and under part of the body, are of a fiery
red, the upper part of a dark grey; but the
feathers have a broad red edge, so that this
color seems to prevail; the feathers of the
back, sides of breast, large quill feathers, and
both tail coverts, are terminated at the tip
with shining white spots.

The female is one-third smaller than the
male, and less brilliant in plumage.

These birds are of a social disposition, and
when a number are kept in one cage, they
perch close against one another, on the same
perch; and what is more singular, they never
‘sing together, but one after another, the rest
keeping silent to listen to the songster. The
females do not sing. Their food consists
principally of millet seed, and occasionally a

FS

SKY LARK. 63

little bruised hemp, and maw-seed; they
should be plentifully supplied with. fresh
water and gravel.

SKY LARK.
(Alauda Arvensis, Linn.)

This beautiful and celestial songster, a
native of Europe, is sometimes introduced
in a state of captivity into this country ; it
sings well when kept in cages, which should
be at least eighteen inches long, nine inches
wide, and. fifteen inches high, the bottom
should be well covered with gravel, or sand,
for this scratching bird to be able to roll and
dust itself conveniently, a piece of green sod
should be constantly kept for them to stand
upon, as they never perch. like other birds.
The top of the cage must be of linen, since,
from its tendency to rise for flight, it would
run the risk of wounding its head against a
covering of wood, or iron wire, especially
before it is well tamed.

Food.—Maw, or poppy seed, bruised
hemp, crumb of bread, and plenty of greens,
as lettuce, endive, cabbage, or water-cress,
according to the season, must be added; a
little lean meat and ants’ eggs, are favorite
delicacies, which make it gay and more in-
clined to sing. During moulting the follow-
ing paste may be given: Grate a carrot fine,
soak some bread in water, press the water
out, and put the carrot and bread together

64 WHIDAH BIRD.

in an earthen pan, add two handfuls of
barley, or wheat flour, and mix the whole
well together; the paste should be made
fresh every morning.

This bird will not breed in confinement.
In a wild state, their song is given as they
rise almost perpendicularly in the air, until
lost from sight in 'the blue vault above.

WHIDAH BIRD.

(Emberiza Paradisea, Lyn.)

This beautiful and rare species comes from
Angola, and other parts of Africa ; and is par-
ticularly common in the kingdom of Whidah,
or India in Guinea, and hence it takes its
name.

This bird moults twice in the year. At
the first, which takes place in November,
the male loses its long tail for six months. The
other takes place in the spring, but the tail
feathers do not attain their full length till
July.

These birds are very lively, and constantly
in motion, always waving their long tails up
and down, often arranging their feathers, and
amusing themselves with bathing. Their
feeble song, though somewhat melancholy,
is however very agreeable. They should be
fed on canary and millet seed, and some
green food,

INDIGO BIRD. 65

JAVA SPARROW.
(Loxia Oryoivora.)

A tender and delicate bird, worth little to
recommend it, except the beauty of its colors ;
a native of the East Indies, as its name im-
ports. Its food should be wholly unhulled
rice, or Canary seed, in a small portion, with
a large quantity of brown gravel, to assist its
digestion. It has very little pretensions to
music, though we have heard one whistle
delightfully. in our possession. They are
erry kept by i ae the above simple
rules

INDIGO BIRD.
(Fringilla Cyanea.)

A native of America of surpassing beauty,
alittle allied in habits to the preceding,—
though in every way more familiar. Their
song is lively, unique, and interesting, and
given not only at early dawn, but during the
intense heat of mid-day in summer, and again
is frequently heard during a great part of the
night, especially if it be moonlight. Its notes
resemble those of the Canary, and it may be
kept in confinement on precisely the same
food as given to the adult birds of that spe-
cies. The male of this species is a brilliant
azure blue, with a reflection of green; the
female of a dingy yellow and olive brown,
rather inclined to purple. mn is sometimes

6 *%

66 PAINTED BUNTING, OR NONPAREIL.

called the Blue Linnet, though in every way a
distinct species from the true American Lin-
net or Purple Finch, (Fringilla Purpurea.)
During the spring season they may be given
occasionally insects, and they are particularly
fond of the leaves or tops of the common
garden beet. We have frequently seen them
at our Nursery Garden, feeding on the latter
in company with the Yellow Bird or Ameri-
can Goldfinch. They are frequently sold in
our markets, in the months of May and June.
A very social and delightful songster.

PAINTED BUNTING, OR NONPAREIL.
(Fringilla Ciris.)

This brilliant and interesting bird, is known
more fully in the Southern States, never
visiting farther north than Carolina. It is
usually styled by the French inhabitants of
Louisiana, Je Pape, and every where else as
the Nonpareil, a name in every way worthy
of so much beauty. They may be reared m
confinement on the same seed as the Indigo
Bird, with the exception of unhulled rice of
which they are very fond. We would recom-
mend it being placed in water for half an
hour or so, and partially dried before given
to them. Ripe figs may be given to them
occasionally ; they are very fond of them,
picking from them the ripe seeds, which they
seem to take considerable interest in devour-
ing,

GENERAL REMARKS. 67

The song, which though not so loud and
vigorous as the Indigo Finch, is still very
sweet, running into delightful warble, and is
continued all summer. They will breed in
confinement, if plenty of room is allowed
them, and might probably mate with the
Canary, which would produce mules of un-
rivalled beauty. The male is of a vermilion
red, with the head and back of the neck of a
rich blue, back of a golden green, wings clouded
red, and the tail greenish, sometimes brown.

They are very delicate, and will not bear
the slightest cold.

GENERAL REMARKS.

Any other of the Finch tribe may be fed
on seeds of the same character, generally, as
those mentioned in the preceding pages. The
same treatment will answer for the whole
order, though a little distinction should be
made as to the habits of the species in a wild
state. Cleanliness, as regards the cages, and
a constant supply of fresh water and gravel
daily, is essential to the health of these beau-
tiful birds. Bird fanciers should take care
that their servants do their humble depen-
dants ample justice. Neglect them one day,
and feed at different times on each day, and
soon will the owner find a change in his fa-
vorite, who. will pine away gradually, lose
his spirits, and finally end his career by a
_ lingering death.

68 THE MOCKING BIRD.

THE MOCKING BIRD.
(Turdus Polyglottis, Avpuson.)

This every where esteemed and beautiful
Thrush, whose musical talents are so highly
appreciated in this country and in Europe, is
a native bird, unrivalled for grandeur and
power of song by any other in the known
world. He is found in his natural condition
from the State of Pennsylvania to the Rocky
Mountains; in fact, he is seen from the At-
lantic to the Pacific Ocean, as far south as
the interior of Brazil. He is occasionally
now, though rarely, seen in the vicinity of
Philadelphia, whence he has been gradually
driven by a constant pursuit, which arose
from the great price constantly demanded
and obtained for him from the fancier. In
fact, from this cause, scarcely a square in any
one of our large cities, has not at least one,
and frequently as many as a dozen cages,
‘suspended from the windows of gentlemen’s
-Iansions.

It would be unnecessary in our limited
work to describe the appearance of this bird,
which is more remarkable for plainness and
intelligence, than for extraordinary beauty.
_In the cage as well as in the wood, his every
Motion is ease and gracefulness itself, com-
bined with a lightness and rapidity of motion
‘which is amusing to the spectator, from its
resemblance to caprice, and an apparent co-
quettishness of demeanor.

THE MOCKING BIRD. 69.

Now with his head bent upon one side,
and with an arch and shrewd expression
lighting up his eye, he is seated almost mo-
tionless upon his perch, quietly gathering the
sounds which arise to his elevated position
from the street beneath. In an instant, he is
changed, “and such a change !’? With out-
spread wings and flirted tail, he flits from side
to side and perch to perch, like an empas-
sioned but earnest troubadour, pening forth
his whole soul in song.

In a wild state, his notes, from the ten
thousand opportunities constantly offered, are
much finer than in a state of domestication.
There, where the wild hymns of the forest
choir are constantly ringing in his ears, he
has ample scope for his imitative powers.
The song which these produce is unsurpassed.
except by his native notes, which are replete
with vigor, boldness, sweetness, energy, and
constant inimitable variations. In the forest,
like the leader of an orchestra, or some ac-
complished musician, he sits upon a lofty
twig, with the whole feathered race around,
pouring out their varied performances, as an
accompaniment to his song; forming on the
whole, one of the grandest overtures which
the human mind is capable of appreciating.
These wild notes of his own are noted for
their expression and beauty, and consist of
short sentences of two, or three, or four sylla-
bles, which are mingled with imitations, and
given with such ardor as to fill the breast of

_ the listener with admiration.

70 THE MOCKING BIRD.

Appropriately named, bird of many voices!
Thy carol of gladness touches at once. the
heart of statesman or peasant. The untutored
Indian, clad in his pride of selfish stoicism,
pauses in his pursuit, his ear drinks in thy
melody, and he wonders at the musical
powers the Great Spirit has given unto thee.
Sweet songster! the nightingale of America!
Yet far surpassing the Philomel of Europe:
could he hear thy varied tones, he would feel
his own inferiority, and shrink in silence from
thy presence.

But in the cage, to which he soon becomes
accustomed, he is better known as a songster.
Here, full as happy asin his woodland home,
his intelligence and genius have ample scope;
and he spreads, by their exertion, a feeling
of joy and happiness around. He is unceas-
ing in his song; cloudy or clear weather is
the same to him; he is the Shakspeare of
nature, and his genius never sleeps. Of
himself he is all, breathing forth a concert
of hundreds of grove and field, shaming the’
original into silence. At daylight, mid-day,
and the live-long summer’s night, his efforts
demand applause. One hundred and fifty
dollars we have known to be refused for a
favorite bird, so docile as to come at a whis-
tle, perch on his owner’s hand and head,
and while there to warble incessantly.

“Ten thousand warblers cheer the day,
And one the live-long night,”

as expressed by the celebrated poet, Cow-

THE MOCKING BIRD. 71

per, of the Nightingale, but equally as ap-
propriate to the subject of our remarks. On
a warm bright night in June, a wanderer in
our streets might hear the shrill scream of
the eagle bursting on his ear, the delicate
warble of the spring-tide blue bird, the moan-
like note of the turtle dove, followed by the
cackling of the domestic hen, and the quar-
relling of a dozen cats, seeming to vie with
each other as to the quantity of noise. Now
the mellow whistle of the cardinal, or red
bird, another favorite, the scolding of the
wren, the cry of the katy-did, the grunt of
some maternal swine, anxiously perambu-
lating the neighboring alley, in search of
some of her juvenile porkers, some rusty
tavern sign, with the shrill pipe of the canary ;
the school boy’s whistle, and the cry of some
forlorn puppy, wailing to the midnight air,
succeed each other with such rapidity, that
the listener pauses, wondering that such va-
riety can proceed from so small an object.
Now the shrill clarion of the cock is heard,
while the servants, in hearing, awaken, at
the too early approach of dawn; then the
watchman’s rattle creaks upon the ear,
scaring the burglar from his prey, or the
loafer into flight; a bar or two of some fa-
vorite air, with the cries of various other
birds, once heard, never forgotten; a cloud
passes over the moon, and our songster is as
silent as the grave.

For the cage, young birds taken from the
nest, are best adapted, since they are accus-

72 THE MOCKING BIRD.

tomed to the sight of man from the first, and
are never so wild as old birds trapped from
the woods, though the latter are the best
songsters. Few adult birds, when trapped,
will survive confinement. Trapping old
birds is a most cruel practice, and should be
discountenanced for many reasons :— The
most important, that thus causing the death
of many old birds, gradually diminishes their
number, and if persevered in, will effectually
extinguish the species, as they never breed
in confinement.

It would be far preferable to wait until the
young could be taken from the nest, and
allow the parent birds to go unmolested, thus
securing their orchestra-like progeny.

The young are generally sold in our streets
at from two to five dollars each, the pur-
chaser running the risk of the sex of the
bird. This, however, can be obviated by
observing the following rule.

The young male mocking bird, must.
always be chosen by the breadth and purity
of the white marks on their wing feathers.
These, in the male, are spread over the whole
nine primaries, or outer wing feathers, down
to, and frequently a considerable distance
below, what is termed their coverts, which
are generally of a dusky white, tipped with
pale grayish brown. This white mark ex-
tends regularly on both sides of the feathers,
down to the place before mentioned, forming
an almost regular curve.

In the female, this white is less distinct,

THE MOCKING BIRD. 73

spreads over a less number of the feathers,
and extends a much greater distance on the
broad than on the narrow side of each. The
wings, besides, are inclined to brown, which,
in the male, are black.

The best food for the young, until able to
take care of themselves, is raw meat, which
shall be either beef, mutton, lamb, or veal,
never pork, without any fat, and be chopped,
or minced fine, and soaked in fresh, sweet
milk. This is the most nutritious nourish-
ment they could receive, as it approximates
most closely to that which they would ob-
tain from the parent birds, insects of various
descriptions. Besides this, Indian meal,
scalded and mixed to a not very stiff paste,
with sweet milk, or water, is an excellent
addition, and must be fed to them daily.

When the birds have arrived at a proper
age, and can feed without assistance, the
same food may be continued for a month, or
six weeks, supplying them also, with all the
different kinds of berries, as they alternately
arrive in season. They must have cherries,
strawberries, and whortle, or huckleberries,
&c., during the summer time; in the autumn,
those of the poke, alder, dogwood, and sour-
gum, all of which are readily found in the
vicinity of the city ; and during winter, those
of the poke and red cedar, which are dried
for the purpose. At this latter time, they may
be fed with a few soaked currants, raisins,
and slices of mellow fruits, such as apples,
pears, and peaches. They will, likewise,

‘

74 THE MOCKING BIRD.

eat rice, boiled soft, in milk, and sweetened,
which is very nutritious.

They should also have insects of various
kinds, as grasshoppers, and beetles, on every

possible occasion. Spiders, and meal-worms, |

which last can be obtained at any granary,
will immediately revive them, if given when
they are either drooping or sick.

Boiled egg, and bread, mixed in the same
manner as for breeding canaries, and moist-
ened with water, may be given in the stead
of Indian meal, but it does not answer to
mix boiled potatoes with the egg, as this
mixture soon sours. Cedar, and other ber-
ries, must be dried in an oven, and put up
in glass jars, as otherwise worms will get in
them, and the bird will refuse to eat them.

The water and food ought to be placed in
a situation where no dirt will get in; a good
plan is to place a thin board across the cage,
resting on the bars; also, put gravel on the
bottom of the cage.

In the cage, during the summer season, the
mocking bird should be regularly supplied
with water once a day, and if the weather
be very warm, twice, in a deep and large
vessel, as this bird requires a great deal of
water when washing. In the latter instance,
he should be kept in a situation where he
will have plenty of air; but not in one where
the scorching rays of the sun would fall for
several hours together, upon his cage, as this
would at once kill him in the summer time,

ik.
'

~

THE MOCKING BIRD. is

though in the winter, it would tend to the
advancement of his health.

In the moulting season, however, this treat-
ment must be changed; thé bird must be
taken in the house, and kept warm, quiet,
and free from draughts of air, which at that
critical period are always injurious. This
fatal time for birds, occurs, with this species,
about the commencement of August, and
continues until the beginning of November.

During this season, your birds should be
richly fed, and have as frequently as possible,
spiders, which we before remarked, were an
excellent revival to their systems, and also,
grasshoppers. These are their principal food,
with other insects, at that season, in a state
of nature. They should, likewise, have meal-
worms, if they be severely afiected.

The mocking bird is subject to few dis-
eases, if properly attended to, but when
sickly, it is necessary to treat him very
kindly. Give him spiders daily, also meal-
worms, and disturb him as little as possible.

Baldness around the eyes, frequently ex-
tending over the whole head, seems to be
the worst malady to which the bird is liable,
and generally proves fatal. It may be
known by the bird incessantly rubbing his
eyes against the perches of his cage; we
have, however, cured several valuable birds,
by anointing the bald parts with flower of
sulphur, moistened with water: it allays the
itching, and in most instances will prevent

76 THE MOCKING BIRD.

the spreading of the disease. Oil applied to
the afflicted parts will make bad worse.

If your bird is taken with purging, let
him have plenty of cedar berries, imported
currants, without which he ought never to
be, and grasshoppers; also spiders, and meal-
worms. Minced beef ought not to be given
until the. bird gets well, or any thing else
that may have a tendency to purge him.
Sick birds seem most fond of such food as
agrees least well with them.

The mocking bird is subject to one disease
which is incurable—it is blindness, which
generally afflicts him after he has spent six
or seveh years in confinement. Thus shut
out from light, he gradually pines away and
dies.

Berries of all kinds may be fed in season,
but not too many pokeberries; a few of the
latter may be dried for winter use, when
they are soaked in water and given to the
bird. 7

We have found it best to scald the beef
and press out the blood with the hand before
chopping it, although some persons give it
as it comes from the market. The mocking
bird is very fond of the eye of an oyster,
and especially of the crabs found in them.
Grasshoppers ought to be given them daily,
when in season, and provision ought to be
dried for the winter.

To dry Grasshoppers.—String them with
a needle, and hang them in the sun against
a wall, out of the reach of cats, which are

THE AMERICAN ROBIN. 77

very fond of them. As they will spoil if
not dried, when the weather is bad hang
them in the fire place, where a small fire of
charcoal, or anthracite, may be made in a
furnace, which will soon dry them.

When sufficiently dry and crisp, put them
up in glass jars, tying a piece of oiled paper
over the mouth, to prevent moths from get-
ting in and eating them. As you want to
use them, take a few out and soak them in
water before giving them to your bird.
Some persons scald them, which method
takes a great deal of the substance out. A
more economical plan is, when dry, to pul-
verize them finely, in a mortar, and bottle
up the powder for further use.

To feed this powder, wet it with cold
water, or mix it with the minced beef.

The most important point to be attended
to in keeping a mocking bird, is regularity
in the process of feeding. Your birds should
be fed every morning at the same time, and
not one day at one, and the next day at a
different hour. Such neglect will render
this bird dispirited and drooping, and he
will lose his song, and finally, pine away
and die, as if he believed that the neglect
arose because his powers were no longer
appreciated.

THE AMERICAN ROBIN.
(Turdus Migratorius.)

Another favorite, a native of America,

equally esteemed for its richness of song,
*y ¥
’ é

78 THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE.

and delicacy of taste. A sprightly and
beautiful bird. The plumage of the male
is of a dark ashy grey, the head and tail
black, with the breast of a bright mahogany
red, the throat barred with white and black,
the eye of a piercing hazel, surrounded with
a ring of white.

Their treatment is precisely the same as
the mocking bird, and in confinement their
docility is surprising, coming in and out of
the house, and following their owner, they
may even be taught to repeat small pieces
of music. Birds have been taught to whistle
psalm tunes, as dull as oLD HUNDRED, with
methodistical precision, and in confinement
they possess a talent for mimicry, and readily
acquire the pronunciation of distinct words.
Some have been known to whistle tunes
with such accuracy, that even eyes and ears
were found necessary to convince the listener
that it was not a flute.

THE ENGLISH THRUSH.
(Turdus Musicus.)

Of the same tribe of birds, may be readily
kept in confinement, on precisely the same
treatment. A delightful songster.

THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE.
(Oriolus Baltimore.)

A native resident, possessing brilliant mu-
sical powers, with unrivalled splendor of

THE EAST INDIA ORIOLE. 79

plumage, surpassed by none in richness and
beauty. It makes its first appearance about
Philadelphia when the leaves and buds are
just springing forth, dotting all nature with
their varied tints. They may be reared from
the nest with the same treatment as the
mocking bird, and will amply repay by their
rich and varied song, all the care and atten-
tion bestowed upon them. Fruit of all kinds
should be given them, with seeds, insects,
&c., as suits your convenience. They will
become very tame and docile, feeding from
the fair hand that tends them. Care should
be taken that frost never reaches them, as
they are very tender, migrating to warm
climates before the frost sets in. They thrive
best in a large cage, where they have plenty
of room, as they are one of the most active
of our native birds. In feeding, from April
to May, as much insect food should be given
them as possible, as at that season it is their
principal sustenance, and indeed, at all sea-
sons would prove highly beneficial.

THE EAST INDIA ORIOLE.
(Oriolus Galbula).

Another beautiful species, closely resem-
bling in colors the preceding, but possessed
of louder and more varied musical powers,
and more frequently found in confinement.
The same treatment will answer as for the

preceding.

80 THE CARDINAL GROSBEAK.

THE CARDINAL GROSBEAK.
(Lowia Cardinalis.)

This magnificent bird, no less celebrated
for the splendor of its colors than for the
liquity and richness of its tones, is a constant
resident of a great portion of this continent.
Its colors are a brilliant scariet, with a beau-
tiful crest elevated and lowered at pleasure ;
it very rarely visits farther north than New
York, though specimens have been obtained
as far north as Massachusetts. In the mid-
dle states it is perfectly hardy, and in New
Jersey abounds in the swampy sheltered
thickets, even in the severest winters. As
you travel farther south, they are found in
still greater abundance. ‘Their notes: are
lofty, liquid, and sublime, and in a wild
state may be heard at the distance of a mile
on a clear morning, running as it were from
a resemblance to the fife, into the soft ca-
dence of the flute. It possesses considera-
ble powers of mimicking, and would readily
acquire some of the notes of other birds if
kept within hearing. Care should be taken
to keep it out of the hearing of Canaries, as
the latter will take most of the notes of the
Red Bird, doing them considerable injury ;
in fact they scarcely ever recover. They are
hardy, and may be kept in a room without
fire for most part of the winter season. North
of this they require stove heat ; every oppor-
tunity should be taken in the winter season

THE SCARLET TANAGER. 8l

to give them sun and air on clear warm
days. They require to be fed on rough or
unhulled rice, which is kept constantly on
hand at our Horticultural Warehouse, and
hemp seed occasionally ; or wheat and millet
may be fed to them. They are very fond
of bathing, and should be kept constantly
supplied with a saucer of water. Brown
gravel is essential to their health, which may
likewise be had at our establishment; a little
cracked corn would occasionally be of ser-
vice to them. Care should be taken in the
fall season that the proportion of hemp seed_
be lessened, as all birds have a tendency to
become gross at this time, and you run great
risk of losing your birds. They are very
long lived; there is a specimen in the Phila-
delphia Museum, which died at the age of
twenty-one years.

THE SCARLET TANAGER, OR BLACK-WINGED SUM-
MER RED BIRD.

(Tanagra Rubra.)

This is a magnificent summer resident of
our country: breeding from Mississippi to
Canada and Nova Scotia, they are some-
times obtained when young and kept in con-
finement. Their food should be seeds of all
kinds sold at our Horticultural Warehouse,
and in season whortle, or as they are more
commonly styled, huckle berries, cherries,
and other fruits, and insects, when they can

82 THE REED BIRD, OR BOB-O’LINK.

be obtained. Their voice, though sweet and
rich, is rather monotonous, and has a striking
similarity to the notes of a fellow-wanderer,
the gaudy Baltimore Oriole, Goldfinch, or
Golden Robin, as it is frequently called, and
likewise to that. brilliant and superb song-
ster, the Rose Breasted Grosbeak. Itscolors
are the most brilliant scarlet, with wings and
tail of a jet glossy black. The female is of
a dingy green. The male in his autumnal
moult becomes of the same color as his more
humble‘ mate, but re-obtains his splendid
dress on the approach of spring.

THE REED BIRD, OR BOB-O’LINK.
(Icterus Agripennis.)

A resident of America, during the summer,
and a favorite of all. The whistling plough-
boy, wending to work his way over the mea-
dow, stands with envy to hear hisown music
excelled. The liquidity and rapid execution
of these delicate songsters will only be heard
to be appreciated. In its native state, every
meadow is enlivened with their presence,
whole phrases are repeated in their song,
which is poured out in the most delightful
manner. The Bob-O’Link arrives in the
middle States about the 10th May, and pro-
ceeds north to breed. They are readily
taken in trap cages, and sing well in confine-
ment, but are apt to die in November from
fat, if too well fed ; at that season, oats, buck-

a

THE RED WING, OR SWAMP BLACKBIRD. 83

wheat, or canary seed may be given to them,
commencing with the first of September. At
all other times, the same food indiscriminately
as the Finch tribe. They should be abun-
dantly supplied with water for bathing, an
amusement of which they are particularly
fond.

THE RED WING, OR SWAMP BLACKBIRD.

(Icterus Phaniceus.)

A fellow-wanderer with the preceding, and
quite as noisy a songster ; readily tamed, and
may be taught to repeat words like a parrot,
with careful instruction. Precisely the same
treatment as the foregoing, with the excep-
tion of a little green corn in season. They
become very amusing and docile in confine-
ment. ,

-.. yey ai |
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99 e% Sai

yadth .tognaatys tea
| ae rE, bes cae gre

INTRODUCTION

Tae Canary Brrp.

Origin - .
Varieties --
Matching -
Pairing -
Season -
Situation -
Breeding =
Mule Breeding
Feeding -
Cages - -
Building
SOT 4) *,« -
Singing -
Diseases .
Surfeit - -
The Husk -

Excessive Perspiration

The Pip -
Egg-Bound -
Moulting -

Loss of voice, Constipation, Asthma
Sneezing. Epilepsy or Fits -

85

86 INDEX.

The Yellow Gall, overgrown claws and beak, Lice

or Red Mites” - 3 e 4

Drooping - - - - - -
General Remarks - - - - -
The Purple Finch or Linnet -
The American Goldfinch or Yellow Bird
The European Goldfinch ¢ - - -
The Abordavat or Amandava - -
The Sky Lark - - - - 5
The Whidah Bird : - - “
The Java Sparrow - . - -
The Indigo Bird - - - - -
The Painted Bunting or Nonpareil -
General Remarks - - - - -
The Mocking Bird ~ bar -
The American Robin — - > - -
The English Thrush = - - - -

The Baltimore Oriole - - - -
The East India Oriole. - - - -
The Cardinal Grosbeak - - -
The Scarlet Tanager - - - -
The Reed Bird or Bob-o’ Link - -
The Red Wing or Swamp Blackbird — -

a7

ADVERTISEMENT.

H, A. DREER

HAS FOR SALE AT HIS

SEED AND HORTICULTURAL WAREHOUSE,

No. 97 CHESNUT STREET Asove THIRD,

PHILADELPHIA,

Brrp Seeds of all the varieties mentioned in the fore-
going pages—all of which are carefully selected, Fresh
and Pure; a necessary part to be carefully attended to
by the Fancier, as most of the birds lost in confine-
ment, owe their deaths to improper food, or other in-
judicious treatment.

A list of the various kinds is appended. For retail
sales, they are put up in quart and pint packages.

BIRD SEEDS.
Canary. Millet.
Hemp. .~ Rough Rice, or Paddy.
Rape or Cole Buckwheat. .
Yellow. Mixed Seed for Canaries.

Maw Seed for young Canaries, and during Moulting
Lettuce Seed; Cuttle-fish bone; Washed Gravel.

Bird Cages, of all patterns; Bird Fountains and
Baths.

Baskets, and washed Deer’s hair for nests; Cedar
and Poke berries for Mocking birds, or Thrushes.
Canaries of the finest breeds and song, with other

song birds, constantly on hand and for sale.
cei... 87

me wea Lear ee

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“« Rose Manual - - > - -
Downing’s Fruit and Fruit Trees of America,
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Py it ale ¥ : als }
+ UMBC reet erg ne) any
“ Hay: } a ULet
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NEWEST AND MOST APPROVED VARIETIES.

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