HARVARD UNIVERSITY. AS Ee ASE OF THE MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. : \o asl ae : : 1 : oat: as = : é im bn G aS Bue e IN as S OS eg & eas E Hs iS S Z \row ji Y oe iS 5 2 oD pom = 5 E S Z — kre Ag = a a ar = a & Bee 8 t = Oo z z = = Es SS eee oo © = a oe Peal ale eee s as ees eA an Oe 5 2 a - Se tec yaaa leelalebi; Zz, ea) as em 6 | cc, Qu Baie ae oe Ba oe S as S Q 5 # eo 3S? oe < = 5 ne . =< : E oe Ts Sj oy a 3 % = : : © Z vy 4 : 4 8 . . : 5 (ss) 5 continually received for information on the care of canaries in sickness and health, is compiled from numerous sources, and includes also some personal experiences and observations of the author. In it the history of the domestication of the canary is touched upon, and there is a brief account, with illustrations, of the common and faney varieties, which are distinguished by shape and color. The chief usefulness of the bulletin is in its discussion of practical problems. There is a section on the style of cages and their sanitation. De- tailed information is given concerning bathing, molt, and food, including the feeding of special foods for deep- ening the color of the birds.. One chapter shows: the possibility of breeding canaries in captivity and is de- signed as an aid tothis. The concluding pages deal with | the health of the birds. Methods of ridding them of ver- min are set forth, as weil as instructions for caring for fractured legs and wings, and for the treatment of respi- ratory and intestinal diseases and of such ailments as loss of feathers. The bulletin is intended for all who are inter- ested in canaries. P : VHIS BULLETIN, intended to meet the requests CANARIES: THEIR CARE AND MANAGEMENT. CONTENTS. Page. Page. Irimoctire: Lone eta ae eee er a | 5 CHEE COC By ep Am Se 2 see neh) eae eS 14 EIS COG areal eas ois Das Oe as aR e RES Apa Sexcan dares. co. Ate oasis gan se seicemeee cs se oo 16 Variotiosseses sos s014.p soba Seeing eo Ret 5 Rierririn ss Sy. FEA Ape sa pes Pigneee Fes REE 17 ( CEE SS cs PN ies TRE Vale Le a 7 Care offeetrand: pilleay (52h es Se et 8 18 CW areroh Cares. 2 ay. 0) arom ale A rtemce repos ae) 9 LB TaeH So aie) Dean OVS) RoR es ae SAA Tas cr hea as ea ea 19 TEWOOte 2 ay Oe ae oe a 10 Loss of feathers about head.................. 19 SByeT ple ka Vege pera Oe seat aie tae SR oe li BBVISCASOS Seite h IE y ea eee 1 ae eee tla 19 RE OU Gee oe esa a eiee erent e ater tice ei < it Respiratory trouples: | 2-22 92- ea sea. 19 Cokorkieedin se is sae geno Pe ae 2 12 Intestinal complaints: <2... 5222.22.20 ..-..- 20 INTRODUCTION. Among the birds kept for household pets none is so common or so well known as the canary. So simple are its requirements in the way of food and care that it needs little attention, and because of its pleasing songs and interesting habits it is a universal favorite. Readily adaptable to cage life, canaries display little of the fear shown by wild birds in captivity, and the ease with which they may be induced te nest and rear young adds to their popularity. Canaries have been domesticated for several hundred years and, though more common in western Europe and the United States than elsewhere, have been carried over practically the entire civilized world. In England and Germany there are hundreds of canary breeders and many avicultural societies. Several periodicals dealing solely with cage birds are published there, and in the larger cities bird exhibitions are held annually. In the United States there are comparatively few fanciers as yet, so that, though numbers of canaries are reared here, a large part of the stock is secured from abroad. More than three and one-quarter millions of canaries have been brought into the United States during the last 10 years, an average of more than 300,000 birds each year. Most of these have come from Germany, but some are imported from England. Canaries seem to thrive in any climate where not exposed to too severe weather conditions, and in spite of the long period they have been protected and held in captivity they are capable of enduring a surprising degree of cold when hardened to it. In England it is not unusual to find them in outdoor aviaries throughout the year. They seem able to establish themselves again in a wild state under favorable conditions. In 1909, a brood of domestic canaries was 3 4. FARMERS’ BULLETIN 170. released on Midway Island, a small sandy islet in the Hawaiian group. By 1914 they had increased until it was estimated that they numbered about 1,000. HISTORY. The actual origin of the canary as a cage bird is as obscure as is the early history of other domesticated animals. It seems probable that captive canaries were first secured from the Canary Islands, a group with which they have long been popularly associated. There are in the Old World, however, two closely allied forms from which the domesticated canary may have come. One of these, the bird now recognized as the “ wild canary ” (see illustration on title-page), 3s found in the Canary Islands (with the exception of the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote), Madeira, and the Azores. The other form, the serin finch,’ ranges through southern Europe and northern Africa, extending eastward into Palestine and Asia Minor. In a wild state these two forms are very similar in color and to a novice are hardly distinguishable. If, as is supposed, the original supply of canaries came from the Canary Islands, it may be considered doubtful that the stock thus secured has furnished the ancestors of all our canaries. The slight differences in color between the serin finch and the canary would probably have passed unnoticed by early ornithologists and- bird lovers. With bird catching a widespread practice in middle and southern Europe, the serin would often be made captive and be accepted without question as a canary. In this way serins and wild canaries may have been interbred until all distinguishable differences were lost. The original canary, whether serin or true wild canary, in its native haunt was much different in color from its modern pure-bred descendant. The back of the wild bird is, in general, gray tinged with olive-green, especially on the rump, with dark shaft streaks on the feathers. Underneath it is yellowish, streaked on sides and flanks with dusky. Wild canaries from the Canary Islands, the Azores, and Madeira differ from the continental serins in. being slightly grayer with less of yellowish green in the plumage above. In addition, the rump is duller yellow and the bill is distinctly larger. All of the wild birds have the feet and legs (tarsi) horn brown, the upper half of the bill dark brown or horn color, and the lower half paler. Both of the wild varieties inhabit vineyards, thickets, and more open country where bordered by trees. At times during fall and winter great flocks are found together. The birds feed upon various 1The scientific name of the serin is Serinus serinus serinus. The wild canary is known. as Serinus s. canarius. Both were first described by Linnezus. CANARIES: THEIR CARE AND MANAGEMENT. 5 seeds and occasionally eat figs or other small fruits in season. In a wild state they nest early in spring and again later, rearing two broods. The nest, made of plant stems and grasses and lined with hair and plant downs, is placed in bushes or low trees. The eggs are clear green in color, spotted and clouded with deep wine red and red- dish brown. From three to five eggs are deposited. VARIETIES. Variation among domesticated canaries began early, as Hernandez, in 1587, speaks of the canary as wholly yellow in color save for the tips of the wings. The various forms have had their origin in dis- tinct geographic areas, and though some are almost extinct at present, all at one time or another have had a devoted following of fanciers. At present at least 14 distinct strains, with a large number of varie-, ties, are known. The common canary is reared primarily for its song, and from it probably came the roller, or song canary, a great favorite in Germany and, more recently, in England. In rearing song canaries attempt is made to produce males with clear, soft, pleasing songs with long rells er trills, and no attention whatever is paid to other characters. These birds, therefore, are usually nondescript as regards color and appearance, but care is taken in mating to secure males that are good singers and females from good stock. The young birds when fledged are put in rooms with birds noted for their soft song, and here, through imitation, they develop their own vocal powers. Care- ful watch is kept over them, and any bird developing harsh notes is removed at once to prevent his corrupting the purity of tone in the song of his brothers. A mechanical instrument known as a bird organ, that produces liquid trills, is frequently utilized in training, usually when the adult birds are silent during molt. Ordinarily the room where these birds are kept is darkened, and frequently the cages containing the young birds are screened with cloth to lessen a tendency to objectionable loudness of song.- In six months or less, their education completed, these songsters may be sold or in their turn utilized in training others still younger. It is common to teach these birds some simple strain or air, through its constant repetition by whistling or by means of an instrument. Well-trained birds bring high prices, and a fair number of these find their way each year into this country. Tn the great class of exhibition birds perhaps none is more striking than the Belgian canary (fig 1). Formerly known as the “ king of the fancy,” it was reared extensively in Belgium, but of late years its popularity has been on the decline. In 1911 it was said that few pure-bred Belgians were to be found, and under present war con- 6 FARMERS’ BULLETIN 1770. aitions it may never recover its own. The typical Belgian canary is a large bird with a small head, long, slender neck, large shoulders, and a long, tapering body. It is primarily a bird of “ position.” When examined it hops up on a perch and throwing its shoulders up brings the head down well below their level. The back and tail form a perpendicular line and the feet are held close together. Another bird of position is the Scotch fancy canary (fig. 2). This variety resembles the Belgian, but when in position throws the tail in under the perch until its outline in profile is almost a semicircle. Another well-marked variety is the cinnamon canary, one of the earliest forms to appear, but one whose origin is wholly unknown. Its true color is a dun or dull brown that has been likened to cinnamon, In exhibition birds the color is usually intensified by Fic. 1.—Belgian fancy eanary. Fig. 2.—Seotch fancy canary. color feeding (see p. 12). In addition to the body color the cinnamon canary is peculiar in possessing red or pink eyes, a character that denotes cinnamon blood even in a yellow or buff bird. The cinnamon inheritance is transmitted only by the male; young reared from a cinnamon mother and a male of any other form lacking cinnamon blood never show signs of their cinnamon parentage. Among the old-established varieties that now are in decadence none 1s more striking than the hzard canary (fig. 3). Lizard canaries are known as gold or silver according as the body color is yellow or silvery gray. The wings and tail are black and the back is spangled with numerous somewhat triangular black spots. The crown in pure-bred birds is unspotted and light in color. CANARIES: THEIR CARE AND MANAGEMENT, Hi The crested canary is another unusual form, with a long crest ex- tending down around the head below the level of the eves (fig. 4). The frill or Dutch frill canary is a large bird with long curling feathers. The Lancashire is the largest of known varieties of the canary, standing head and shoulders , above all others. [Qne® These “giant” ca- mS naries may be crested \ or smooth headed. Other forms that may be mentioned are the border fancy, a small bird, and the Norwich, or Norwich plain head, from which come many of the com- mon canaries. It must not be supposed that the Zo number of varieties of canaries enumerated covers the entire field. For each of the main forms there are almost endless groups or divisions that have been de- veloped on color peculiarities. To obtain pure-bred birds requires constant care and supervision, and with any slackness of method a : host of mongrels ap- pear. Interbreeding between the various forms, differing so widely in color, re- sults in reversion to the original type, — : which was a spotted 2 Ss or striped ' greenish Trig. 3.—Lizard canary. TW _ bird, certain proot of 3 the common origin of all, CAGES. When choosing cages in which to keep ca- naries, the primary consideration should be the comfort of the birds, and this should not be sacrificed to any desire for ornate appearance. There are several types on the market, any of which may serve. So Fie. 4.—Crested canary. 8 FARMERS’ BULLETIN 770. far as shape is concerned, the square cage is best, as it affords more room for exercise than one with rounded corners. For a single bird, the cage should be at least 94 inches long, 64 inches wide, and 9 inches high. A larger size is much better. The ordinary cages secured from dealers in this country are made of wire and are open on all sides. Each is fitted with receptacles for food and water, usually at opposite ends. A fine-mesh wire screen may be secured from the dealer and fastened around the lower half of the cage to prevent the scattering of seeds and seed hulls. A com- mon substitute for this is a simple muslin bag, held in place by a crawstring fastening tightly about the middle of the cage. In a cage of ordinary size three perches are sufficient. One should be placed at either end at a distance that will allow easy access to the food and water receptacles, and the third elevated above the middle of the cage at its center. A bird confined in small quarters is dependent for exercise on hopping about from perch to perch, and this arrangement will give the maximum freedom of movement. In larger cages four perches may be advisable. These should not be placed so that they interfere with the free movement of the bird, and for reasons of cleanliness one perch should not be directly above another. In small wire cages, if the swing perch usually found sus- pended in the center is removed, the bird will have more room, and in hopping back and forth will not be continually striking head or wings. In larger cages this perch may remain. Perches should be large enough for the toes of the bird to grasp them readily and encircle them for three-fourths of their circumference. If they are too small they cramp the foot and cause trouble. They should be elliptical in shape, with the flattened portion above. If perches fur- nished with the cage do not meet these requirements, others may be made from soft wood without much trouble. Cages in which canaries are to breed must be large and roomy in comparison with those intended for single occupants. An English authority gives the standard size for breeding cages as 22 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 16 inches high. Several types of open breeding cages made of wire may be obtained, or a box with a wire front may be made. The latter is recommended by breeders who rear large numbers of canaries, as it is both convenient and inex- pensive and protects the birds from drafts. Where large numbers of canaries are kept these box cages are placed in racks one above another or arranged on a series of shelves along the wall of the bird room. They are provided with a sand tray three-fourths of an inch deep, that slides in and out from the front and facilitates clean- ing. Perches may be adjusted in the following manner: One end is notched and the other has a brad driven in it filed to a sharp point. The sharpened brad is pressed against the back of the cage and a CANARIES: THEIR CARE AND MANAGEMENT, 9 wire on the front slipped into the notch. If made the right length the pressure of the wire will hold the perch in position. For shipping birds the small wicker cages in which canaries come to dealers are best. These are fitted with deep, narrow-necked food and water receptacles that do not readily spill, so that there is a minimum of waste during the journey. A small packet or sack of seeds should be tied to the outside of the cage in order that the bird’s supply may be replenished en route. CARE OF CAGES. Though canaries when acclimated can endure a great degree of cold without discomfort, they are very susceptible to sudden changes in temperature, and cold drafts soon prove fatal. This should be borne in mind in choosing a place for the cage. A place along the wall at some distance from a window is better for the bird, yet cages are usually suspended before windows. This may be permitted if the window is kept closed and the joints are tight. It may be neces- _sary to line the edges of the window frame and the junction of the upper and lower halves of the window with weather stripping to prevent drafts. The room must remain at a fairly even temperature day and night. Tor this reason it is best to avoid keeping birds in small kitchens, as the fluctuations in heat are perhaps more marked there than in any other part of the house. Exposure to damp air is also likely to be fatal, another reason for avoiding the steam-laden air of small kitchens. Direct exposure to a strong draft of cold air must always be avoided. A cage may be placed on a small shelf along the wall or suspended from a bracket attached to the wall or window casing. Brackets are inexpensive and are convenient for use when it is impracticable to fasten hooks in the ceiling. Wherever placed, the cage must be kept scrupulously clean if the canary is to remain in good health and free from vermin. Seed supphes must be replenished and water renewed each day. The receptacles for these necessities should be cleaned and washed care- fully at short intervals. Cages that have removable bases should have the tray in the bottom covered with several thicknesses of paper.