\\ ^.^^ :^f ^■% '.^ /^ c^. ,- '> // C- x"^ .>^\,g«^12^ ", -e.. •■^^ .x\ ^^-^ ^ct. :>:5^ V v^^ ,/ % J « <, 'b 0^ ,<^ ■^<*-. /K-^ '^.r. o 0^ .^■* ,V Your Bird Store THE SONG OF BIRDS. BY W. W. CALDWELL. When spring returns in bud and flower, And south winds breathe o'er hill and plain, And winter's cold hath lost its power ; Then longings come to hear again From field and grove the blackbird's call, The sparrow's chirp, and, over all. The bobolink's exultant strain. When summer blushes in the rose. And woodland odors fill the air, And all the grassy wayside glows With golden light and blossoms fair ; In welcome shade I love to rest. While near me, o'er his hidden nest, The linnet trills, and lulls my care : Or wake at early dawn, when now Faint flushes up the orient play. And hear from every leafy bough Glad choirs their adoration pay ; Or, when the twilight purples die. Thrill to the robin's plaintive cry. His farewell to departing day. THE SONG OF BIRDS. And still, when winter spreads around The chilly covering of the snow, And woods in dreary silence bound No more with sounds of joy o'erflow, Beside my hearth I sit, and hear The same sweet music ringing clear, And summer-time within I know. For look ! where at the window swings Yon blithe canary, full of glee ; And answers to my call, and sings All day his varied melody. So that I seem to hear again The skylark's song across the main^ Or nightingale in Thessaly. Newburyport, Jan. 14, 1875. THE CANARY. The sweetest music of nature is the singing of those little angels of the trees, the birds. It glad- dens the heart to hear their " wood-notes wild " ringing through those great cathedrals, the woods, phrasing in exquisite harmony their salutations to the golden dawn. Their song seems to make the sunshine brighter; and we have often fancied we could see the golden rays darting and flashing, and keeping time to their warblings. lO THE CANARY. No doubt, when Eve wandered through Eden, and Adam wove her a bower of blushing roses, that the birds sang the self-same tune which they do now, and that the angels often listened when they "walked in the garden in the cool of day." In all ages, in all countries, as far back as we have any record of time, the singing of birds has given delight to mankind ; and they must many a time have gladdened the hearts of Noah and his family, when he sailed over the wild waste of waters in his ark ; and the children that were with him would listen, and recall the green nestling places then deep down beneath the waves, where the sweet- voiced birds built and sang. The wild wood hath its minstrels sweet, That fill the forest-aisles with joy; And oft we seek their loved retreat, To listen to the singers coy. But not to woods need we repair To hear the sweet canary's song : He trills his clear and varied air In quiet homes or city throng. He loves our kindness and our praise, And gladly cheers our darkest days. Mary Helen Boodey. Europeans have never known, to a certainty, the exact date of introduction of this charming warbler. Aldrovandus describes the bird in his Ornithology, which bears date 1610. Many authors assert that the island of Elba was the first European ground on which a canary found FOOD FOR CANARY. I I resting-place, having flown thither from a ship bound to Leghorn, which foundered near the island. These sweet songsters, thus set at liberty by accident, found a congenial clime, remained, and bred ; and doubt- less would have continued to do so, had not bird- trappers hunted them so assiduously that not a single specimen was left on the island. From Italy the birds were transported to France and Germany ; and from the latter place the whole habitable globe is supplied. So we might with truth say, that, among the musicians who come to our shores to charm us with their notes, the largest orchestra is that of the singing-birds. They require very little of our money, and never demand an opera house as the only theatre worthy their performance. A few dollars will buy one of these sweet singers, and a few more will build or buy an opera house for his performances. Food for a Singing Canary is as follows : For food give only German summer rape seed and Sicily canary seed, mixed equal parts, and purchased, not at the nearest grocery, drug, or fancy goods store, but at a bird store. Keep gravel paper, or washed, silver, loose gravel on thick paper, in the cage; the paper keeps the bird's feet from the metal. A cut- tle-bone should always hang in the cage. One tenth of both white and yolk of a hard-boiled egg, grated, should be given twice a week, and, in moulting season, every day ; a piece of apple, sweet if can be had, two or three times a week; apple is better than let- tuce, celery, or any other green stuff. All canaries 12 FOOD FOR CANARY; COLDS. should be fed the year through as above, except that the better grades of St. Andreasberg canaries should not have any canary seed. A canary may have two or three hemp seeds from fingers or lips once or twice a week, to encourage tameness. The bird may hang in the sunshine for an hour very early in the morning ; but a bird hanging in the sunshine at mid- day is in a bad place for his health or song. Nearly all birds keep in better health if not hung near a window. I have seen many so-called air-tight win- dows, but I never saw an air-tight window fit to hang a bird near in cold weather. A canary should bathe two or three times a week. Remove seed and water cups and the base of cage, and set body of cage over the bathing dish of tepid water, and then remove the perches. Use the regular canary bath-tub, with three quarters of an inch depth of water. If the bird will not bathe in the tub, try less water, and perhaps a dozen shapes and sizes of dishes, until you find the only one he will use ; sometimes this is an old flat saucer, with a quarter of an inch depth of water. The Cause of most Disease is colds, occasioned by either hanging a bird in a draught of air, near a loose-fitting window, or keeping him in a very hot room (sixty degrees is the proper temperature for a bird) through the day, and then in a cool one at night, — a variation of perhaps forty degrees in twenty-four hours. This cold, if not Cured at once, leads to asthma. Give a paste made from hard- boiled egg, ground cracker, and red pepper, thor- oughly mixed together, using no water in mixing, LOSS OF VOICE. 13 the egg supplying sufficient moisture. Sometimes a bird seems hoarse, and apparently has Lost his Voice. — This is occasioned by over- singing : a little pure rock-candy, not flavored, dis- solved in the drinking-water, and a quantity of red pepper put into the paste described above, will usually effect a cure. If, however, the cold is allowed to remain for several days without any attention or cure, it will pass rapidly from cold to asthma, and from that to gapes, which is best described by saying that the bird looks like a little puff-ball, with a con- stant panting, and his bill almost constantly opening and shutting, as if to catch breath. His food should be the same as described above. Many bird-fanciers have given small pieces of salt-pork (cut about the size of seed) with a quantity of red pepper thereon, with beneficial effect ; also keep the bird warm, and give, with his rape and canary, ripe plantain if it can be had. Every morning he should have a small tea- spoonful of warm bread and milk, and now and then a little bit of sponge-cake soaked in sherry wine. Asthma, or Hard Breathing, when arising from an oppressed stomach, generally yields to plantain and rape-seed, moistened with water, as the sole food. Birds troubled with a Diarrhcea can be greatly relieved by placing a rusty nail in their drinking-water. Another excellent remedy will be found in common chalk ; let a small piece be placed between the wires ; it is also well to scrape some quite fine, and scatter it with the sand on the bottom 14 A BIRD BRISTLES UP. of the cage. Should a bird be troubled with the reverse of this complaint, — CosTiVENESS, — a piece of sweet apple, a little chickweed, lettuce, or any green food, will usually afford full relief. Most ailments of birds commence with a cold ; and the old adage of the " ounce of prevention," &c., is peculiarly applicable to the bird family. Oftentimes A Bird bristles up, sits moping upon the perch, with his head under his wing, and looks like a puff- ball. If this is occasioned by the bird having diar- rhoea, give the remedies as directed. Should it be occasioned by costiveness, see article above. Occasionally a bird will act in this manner when he has neither of these complaints. Should this be the case, examine first his food, and see if he has been properly fed. Many times it will be found that it is wholly occasioned by neglect in not feeding the bird, and sometimes by not supplying sufficient water for the bird to drink. If, however, it should prove that the bird has plenty of food, and is per- fectly regular, then make a change in* his food, taking away the seed, and feeding the soft food as recommended for birds with colds, and perhaps a small piece of sweet apple. Occasionally a canary is troubled with Epilepsy. — A sure cure for this has never been discovered. The author has taken a bulfinch, and other birds affected, and cut the hind-claws just sufficient to draw the blood, holding the foot in warm (not hot) water until the blood ceased to flow ; then SNEEZING AND SWEATING. I5 a slight sprinkling — with the hand — with cold water : then feeding only on rape-seed which had been previously soaked in water, and a liberal supply of apple and green stuff, as recommended above, has generally effected a cure. Rupture. — A kind of indigestion causes inflam- mation of the intestines, to which young birds are more especially subject. The symptoms are a swelling of the body, which, on blowing up the feathers, looks semi-transparent, and full of red veins ; at the lower part are black turgid lumps, as though the intestines had fallen there in a knotted state. The cause of this is generally an over-abundance of nutrition, or bad or stale food or water ; the remedy, if any there be, a spare diet, with a little alum or salt in the drink ; groats and oatmeal are good in this case ; if the bowels should be much relaxed, give bruised hemp and maw seed, with a little stale sponge-cake soaked in sherry wine. Sometimes the feathers of the bird come off : then rub the bare parts with fresh lard, or oil of almonds. Yellow Gall makes its appearance about the head and eyes ; sometimes there is a small ulcer the size of a hemp-seed. This must be carefully cut off with a sharp penknife, and the place anointed with fresh butter, or washed with chamber-lye ; the bird should have fresh nourishing food. Sneezing, often caused by an obstruction of the nostrils, may be cured by passing a very fine feather through them ; sometimes it is the result of a cold. Good food, and careful exclusion from draughts, are the remedies in this case. l6 WHEN A BIRD SHOULD MOULT. Sweating, — A female canary will at times con- fine herself too closely to the nest, and thus generate a superabundance of heat which often destroys the brood. Wash her in a good strong solution of salt, and after a few minutes with fresh water ; dry her as rapidly as possible in the sun. Do this once or twice a day, and sprinkle a little sherry wine over her plumage. Supply her with plenty of good food to tempt her off the nest ; she is most likely a weakly bird, and injures herself by sitting too close. A sweating female is not fit for a breeder, so never use her for this purpose twice. A question often asked is, — "When SHOULD a Bird moult?" — Most birds shed their feathers in the months of September and October ; and, though it is perfectly natural for them so to do, still the operation is accompanied with a slight disease. They should be fed on the soft paste before described ; and, as they are not well covered with feathers, great care should be taken to keep them in a comfortably warm place out of all draughts of air. With these precautions a bird will fully moult in from four to six weeks. Should a bird not shed his wing and tail feathers readily, it is well to pull them out, — pulling, however, only one at a time. Broken Limbs are best left to themselves. Human contrivances, where so fragile a thing as a bird's leg or wing is concerned, are generally more mischievous than useful: Nature will, if possible, SWOLLEN LIMBS AND SORE FEET. 1 7 perform the cure. Place the little sufferer carefully and tenderly in a small cage, without perches, upon some soft hay; let the seed and water be within reach, muffle up the cage with flannel or baize, keep every thing as quiet as possible, so that the bird may not be excited to move ; the chances are, that, in a few days, all will be right again. Occasionally a bird's limbs will be covered with scales, particularly an old bird's. The best way to remove them is to moisten the limb with quite warm milk ; and a slight rubbing with the thumb and fore- finger back and forth will cause them to peel off. Care should be taken, however, not to break the under-skin. Swollen and Sore Limbs are greatly relieved, and oftentimes a permanent cure effected, by bath- ing the affected parts with diluted tincture of arnica. Sore Feet. — This disease is usually occasioned by using a very small perch, and also by not using sufficient gravel for the bird to keep his feet clean. The perches for a canary, or other bird of similar size, should never be less than seven-sixteenths of an inch in diameter, and even larger ; and for a mock- ing-bird, and all birds of his size, perches of five- eighths to three-quarters of an inch in diameter are far preferable. With such perches, and plenty of gravel, a bird will seldom have sore feet. Should he, however, be so troubled, the best remedy is to wash the feet in a gill of warm water to which has been added ten drops of tincture of arnica.. 1 8 LONG CLAWS AND LOSS OF FEATHERS. It often happens that a Bird's Claws grow very long, and require cutting. This is a particular operation ; and care should be taken not to cut up into the blood-veins, which can be easily seen by holding the bird's claw in front of a strong light, and then not cutting with- in at least a sixteenth of an inch of the red vein. Why does my Bird lose the Feathers around HIS Bill, and his head become bare ? There are two reasons for this. First, many birds seem afflicted with an eruption, or skin-disease, which causes the feathers to drop out. Such birds should be fed principally upon rape-seed, and occasionally a small piece of raw carrot, of which most birds are very fond ; and, if a little olive-oil is at times put on the bare spot, the feathers will commence to grow more readily. Secondly, many birds are of a nervous and irritable disposition, never remaining in one position for a single instant, but are continually hopping to and fro against the wires of their cages, as if trying to get out, which is really the case ; and, by coming constantly in contact with the hard substance, they ruin their plumage. Such a bird should be hung quite low, or, better still, placed on a table where he can be occasionally talked to, and noticed : then he will soon become accustomed to his home. When partially quieted, bathe the bare parts with water into which has been placed ten drops of the tincture of arnica : after the soreness (if any there has been) disappears, use a little olive- oil, as before mentioned. BIRD-LICE AND LOSS OF APPETITE. I9 One source of great annoyance to a bird, and also to his owner, is the Little Red Bird-Lice. — We now put up a powder harmless to birds, which is applied directly to the bird, and effectually rids him of these annoy- ing pests. It is put up in envelopes, and will be sent to any address by mail, prepaid, on receipt of twenty-five cents. Lost his Appetite. — At such times it is well to give a very little hemp, and all the millet-seed a bird will eat ; and, if convenient, change the loca- tion of his cage to a more cheerful place. These comprise about all the diseases that the canary is subject to ; and we will here state, that all of the family of seed-eating birds have about the same ailments, and require similar treatment. CuTTLE-FiSH. — There is an impression, quite general, that the only use for cuttle-fish is as a "bill- sharpener ; " this is erroneous. The cuttle-fish is a mollusk caught in the China Sea, and is very largely used by all manufacturers of tooth-powder, its salty particles readily removing the tartar. All seed-eat- ing birds are fond of this, its salty taste seeming to give them a great relish for food. Birds, when proper care is taken of them, are rarely attacked with disease. If owners of feath- ered pets would first see that the cage is perfectly clean, and well supplied with plenty of gravel or gravel-paper for the bird to pick upon, and that the seed is of the very best quality, and that they are fed, and given a bath, at a regular hour daily, — then 20 BIRDS BATHING. birds, if kept from draughts of air, and no trash, such as sugar, candy, figs, raisins, cake, &c., fed them, will sing from ten to eleven months out of the year; which they always do with the poor families in Germany, who find it impossible to get such luxu- ries. It is only the wealthy and better classes that have so-called ''poor luck with birds." And why? Because they kill them with kindness, — though it is very unkind to the bird. I have often been told that a Bird will not bathe, and asked how we can make it. In reply, I can only say that I have never yet, in an experience of nearly twenty-five years, seen a bird that will not bathe. True, some will not enter a bath-dish, as we would wish them to, and will persist in putting their heads into their drink- ing-cups or fountains instead, and, after wetting their head, push it through their feathers, and then, with their bill, thoroughly clean themselves ; which is very like the person who uses the "wet end of a towel," instead of taking a proper ablution. For this there is no help ; and we can only hope, that, with age, they will discover the beauties of a toilet which can only be arranged after a first-class bath. "Do Birds bathe whilst mated?" I can only say, that some do, and some do not. It is al- ways well to give a bird its bath, and leave it to the bird's judgment whether to bathe or not. Saffron as a Medicine for birds seems to be almost in universal use, though why it is used is HOLDEN's bird cures. 21 more than the author has ever been able to ascer- tain from those using it, more than that " My folks used to use it ; " and they presume that the bird required it. The medicinal property of saffron is diaphoretic, and used mostly to color and flavor other medicines. When chewed, it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, though a pleasant aromatic flavor. It is not impossible that its bitter taste to the bird may give an increased appetite, which per- haps the bird needed, and in that way health is re- stored. The authoi;, however, has discovered no medicinal property in it, excepting that of a cathar- tic ; and, as such, it is very good. But quiet to the bird is the best remedy ; and it is best obtained by covering the bird up quite closely on the first ap- pearance of ailment. Remedial Agents. — We put up in envelopes simple remedies for the cure of the following com- plaints ; all of which are known as " Holden's Bird Cure." Cure No. One, for diarrhoea; No. Two, for constipation ; No. Three, for debility ; No. Four, for moulting ; No. Five, for asthma, and loss of voice. Either one of the above will be forwarded by mail, prepaid, on receipt of twenty-five cents. Or the five remedies mentioned above, and one package of German Insect Powder (see p. 19), will all be for- warded, prepaid, on receipt of one dollar and twenty-five cents. As many who own birds have a desire to breed them, a little information may not be amiss to the new beginner. 2 2 GERMAN BREEDERS. Were you to visit one of the large breeding estao- lishments in Germany, you would observe a quantity of rooms arranged very much after the style of the sleeping-apartments of a hotel. Each of the rooms is properly furnished with light, ventilation, a quan- tity of small trees, feeding-boxes, water for bathing and drinking, and on the sides of the room a quan- tity of nests, and the floor covered with fine sand to the depth of three or more inches. In this room are placed twenty or more male birds, and three times their number of females ; and from this large feminine family every male chooses his mate, — and, reader, don't blush, for some of them choose even three and four mates, — all of which will hatch their young peacefully, and live one large, happy family together. The young birds (males) are taken at the age of six weeks, as they can then crack seed (and we will here remark, that, when they are fully feathered, they commence to warble ; that is, they fill their throats in the same manner as an old singing-bird : and this is the only way that male birds can be told from females when so very young), and placed in large cages, say twenty-five birds to a cage, and kept in rooms holding about twenty such cages until they are through moulting ; for a young bird, as soon as he is in full feather, commences to moult, or shed his body-feathers : his tail and wing feathers he sheds the second season. This moulting process requires about six weeks ; after which they are taken away from the sound of all singing canaries, into a BEAUTIFUL BELL-NOTE, ETC. 23 room having a small opening in the top ; and in the room above them is kept a nightingale, skylark, or some other fine whistling bird, the best of his spe- cies, who acts as instructor for the young birds. It is from this instructor they get these beautiful notes, the bow-trill, the bell-note, the flute, the water-note, &c., which are so much admired. At the age of six months they become adepts at singing ; and then the exportation to all parts of the civilized world commences. Americans raise Birds wholly for pleasure ; and it certainly is a pleasure. What greater amusement can be furnished children, and, in fact, children of a larger growth, than mating birds, and then rearing a nest of beautiful canaries ? — to watch the busy weavers make their nest ; the constant care and attention given to it by the mother-bird during the season of " sitting," who is so regularly relieved by her loving mate, who ever and anon covers the eggs while she is seeking food or rest ? Alas ! our little canary-bird has taught many a lesson to the human family ; and the constancy of a bird to its mate is rarely equalled by the lords of creation. A suitable Cage for breeding can be either of wood, wired, or the ordinary japanned tin cage, or brass. Should you use an <7/^ wooden cage, it should be thoroughly scalded with hot soda-water, to kill all vermin, and then varnished over. The birds should have a nest — wire is the best — securely fastened into one corner of the cage, first covering the nest with canton, or cotton-and-wool flannel, and hung 24 MATING SEASON. up against the wall at least a foot above your head, and in a southern aspect if possible, and not moved until you are through breeding for the season. There should always be placed in the cage, from a wall of some very old building that is being torn down, a piece of mortar to make egg-shells from ; as, without this, the female would lay soft-shell eggs. In vain did the oldest of our English poets pro- claim his mandate in our ears, saying, — *' Foules take heed of my sentence, I pray, And for your own ease in fordring of your need, As fast as I may speak, I will me speed : Ye know well how, on St. Valentine's Day, By my statute, and through my governaunce, Ye do chuse your mates, and after flie away With him, as I move you with plesaunce." From the 14th of February to the middle of May, all birds have what is known as the Mating Fever. — This fever, or sexual desire, is the strongest during the latter part of April,- and early in May ; and, if not mated, they sit moping with ruffled feathers, cease singing entirely, refuse their food, and often, in their silent sorrow, pine away and die. If their attention can be diverted from this " lovesickness," it should always be done. The better cure is to mate your bird. If this is incon- venient, place him in the cheerful sunlight, tempt him with dainty morsels of food, talk and whistle to him ; and, if you have a friend who owns a bird, let your bird visit him, and cheerful company will soon restore him ; or a better way still is to leave him at a well kept bird-store. HOW TO MATE BIRDS. 25 A question often asked at bird-stores is, "How DO YOU MATE A PaIR OF BiRDS ? " The reader is supposed to own a male canary. If such supposition be true, then go to a first-class bird-store, and buy a female canary and breeding-cage ; and the very best way to mate a pair of birds is to place the female in the breeding-cage, and hang it up on one side of the room ; and, leaving the male bird i?i his cage, hang him up on the other side, and within sight of her. If he sings and calls to her, and she calls back in return, as much as to say, " May I come in your cage .? " then you can put them' together; and, though they may quarrel at first, this will be only of short duration, , and they will very soon mate. " The tuneful choir in amorous strains Accost their feathered loves ; While each fond mate, with equal pains, The tender suit approves." In MATING Birds, a young male and old female produce mostly male birds ; and those of about the same age produce about equal proportions of both males and females. A FEMALE Canary will mate with the following birds, and produce a very beautiful songster, which is known as a mule : the linnet, goldfinch, bulfinch, siskin, our native bobolink, indigo-bird, and other birds of a similar size ; and the male from these birds is very highly prized on account of his beauty and song. A hybrid variety is mentioned in a German work 26 HOW TO RAISK HANDSOME BIRDS. as being a cross between a female bulfinch and a male canary ; in form and plumage it somewhat resembles both parents, and is a delightful songster, not so loud as the canary, but with notes more soft and mellow. This is a very rare bird, it being diffi- cult to breed and rear such. To PRODUCE A HANDSOME YELLOW BiRD, your male should be a jonquil, which is a deep yellow bird with almost an orange crown ; and the female a mealy bird, which is a whitish yellow, and has the appear- ance of being frosted or powdered all over. A clear yellow male and a mealy female will usually produce 2i pure yellow bird ; while a clear yellow male mated with a gray or greeji female will usually produce a very handsome mottled bird. A deep yellow or orange-colored male with a very dark-green female often produces the highly prized cinnamon bird. After mating your birds, a period of only seven to eight days elapses before the female commences to lay ; and she will lay from four to seven . eggs, one each day, at about the same hour, and sit upon them for thirteen days, when the operation of hatching commences. Dealers in birds are constantly visited by owners of feathered pets to seek information on a subject to which their human instinct should furnish the answer. This is particularly the case in breeding- season ; and a question asked daily is, — " My Bird is egg-bound : what shall I do for it ? " A few questions from the dealer reveals the fact that the female has been fed upon dry seed, and food of HOW BIRDS ARE HATCHED. 27 a clogging nature ; and the information given at once is, Feed your bird some green stuff or a piece of apple, thereby loosening it (which should have been done before mating), and, carefully taking the bird out, rub the passage gently with warm sweet-oil. At times birds are egg-bound from having taken cold : should this be the case, give also the reme- dies for a cold. Birds are hatched one each Day, until all the eggs are hatched. If it should happen that one or more eggs remain in the nest, and do not hatch at the proper time, it would be well to take them out of the nest carefully, using for this purpose a tea-spoon so as not to handle them, and hold them before a strong light ; and, if there is the appearance of blood-veins, place them back carefully ; for they may yet be hatched. If, upon the other hand, the egg be clear and transparent, it can be thrown away as worthless. It is a rule in Europe to never throw away an egg until it has been laid at least twenty- one days. From the time the young birds are born, the male bird helps feed them, if he is a good father, and so partially relieves the female. If he should at times seem quarrelsome with his mate, or show too 7nuch attention of a loving kind to her, it would be well to separate them, putting him in his own cage until the young birds are nearly feathered ; then, after they have perched a few nights, they can be removed to other cages, and the male returned, and another brood raised ; and the same operation repeated. 28 BIRDS EAT THEIR EGGS. Cases have been known of raising seven broods in a season. ** With cheerful hop from perch to spray, They sport along the meads; In social bliss together stray Where love or fancy leads. Through spring's gay scenes each happy pair Their fluttering joys pursue ; Its various charms and produce share, Forever kind and true." Those who raise birds are often annoyed by the male, and sometimes by the female bird Eating the Eggs as soon as they are laid : this usually occurs from improper feeding. Birds that are mated require* rich food ; and this rich food should be given for three to four weeks previous to mating them. When this is done, it is very rare that the eggs are disturbed. The richest and best food for your birds, in addi- tion to their regular mixed seed, — no hemp, — should be the following: one hard-boiled tgg — the whole egg — grated on a coarse horse-radish grater, ai;d one common soft cracker, rolled fine with a rolling- pin, or carefully grated, and then mixed together, and fed to the birds in small quantities at least twice per day ; and this food must be continued to the old birds until you are through breeding ; and the same food must be continued to the Young Birds until they can crack seed, which they can do with ease at the age of six weeks. It is, however, an advantage to soak some rape-seed, BIRDS LEFT TO STARVE. 29 a-nd put it in for the young birds as soon as they leave the nest. Another source of great annoyance to bird-breed- ers is, that occasionally the old birds desert the young, and leave them to starve. This I never knew to occur where birds were placed in a suitable place, as described on p. 23, and always fed and cared for by the same person. It is the constant annoy- ance to which a bird is subjected that occasions this. It is usually the fault of those who have had this ill luck. They take great pride in the birds they are prospectively going to raise ; and, as soon as they are from the egg, the cage is taken down on all occasions, and shown to every visitor ; and, when it is too much trouble to- take it down, the step- ladder, a chair, or table is brought into action in order to show up the bird family ; and then the bird-dealers are asked the question, "Why did my old bird desert the young before they were a week old ? " Those who have had this ill luck doubtless see wherein success in the future awaits them. Occasionally there is no apparent cause for the old birds deserting the young. When such proves to be the case, and the old birds are very good ones, it is always well to bring the young up by hand, using the food described above, and using a quill with a small piece cut from one side, similar to the old- fashioned quill-pen. It can then be used as a spoon ; and, with three or four such spoonfuls, feed them every hour ; and not feed of tener than once an hour, using judgment in not over-feeding the birds. It is 30 DOES A YOUNG BIRD MOULT? always a good rule to take the nest from the cage, and keep the young birds in it, covering them over slightly until they are well feathered. We are often asked the question, — "Does a Young Bird moult?" — Our answer is, Yes. A young bird is usually in full feather at the age of six weeks (we will here state, that, when he is four weeks old, he will swell up his throat, and try to warble ; and by this you can tell the males from the females) ; and, when he is in full feather, he commences to moult, or shed his body- feathers. The wing and tail feathers he does not shed until the second season : this process is slow in a young bird, and usually requires about eight weeks to change all the body-feathers ; during all of which time they should be fed, at least twice a week, on the hard-boiled egg and cracker, as described above, and kept out of all draughts of air. If your bird — the father of the young — is a good singer, the young birds will learn readily, and, at the age of six months, become fine songsters. The English-bred canaries are now becoming justly popular : their songs are pleasing, their plumage very bright and varied. Among these may be named the long and large Yorkshires and Manchesters ; the deep gold — both clear and pied — Norwich ; the Crimson, or Cayenne-fed, which are a deep orange or nearly crimson color, either clear or pied .; and the Gold or Silver Spangled Lizard canaries. The latter are the most magnificent in })lumage of all the canaries. CRIMSON AND GOLD-SPANGLED CANARIES. 31 Crimson and Gold-Spangled Canaries. — There have been imported from England recently a few deep colored canaries, which, for the want of a more exact term, we have called "Crimson canaries." The color may be described perhaps as the deepest orange, with a tendency to shade on the crimson. Some are clear birds ; others have dark green crests ; while still others have dark green crests and green wings, the two colors making an elegant contrast. The present system of color-feeding is yet but little understood ; but it seems necessary to take deep yel- low birds, or deep yellow-and-green birds, and feed the brightest colored Cayenne pepper. Take a bird six or seven weeks old, and give him all he will eat of the mixture made of a whole boiled egg chopped fine, and an equal quantity of soft sweet buiscuit or cracker, and a heaped-up teaspoonful of Cayenne pepper. This may be fed in large or small quantities, as the bird seems to thrive or not on it. Give seeds only in small quantity while the bird does well on the soft food. Before a bird, thus colored, moults, he should again be fed in the same manner, and the same feed continued during the moult : otherwise the deep color will be lost. Gold-Spangled Lizard canaries, also bred originally in England, have bright gold-capped heads, and con- tinuous lines of spangles from the neck down the back. Each spangle is decided ; its clear gold edging and olive-green centre, being distinct and regular, mark the several rows with great beauty. The Silver- Spangled are marked exactly like the gold, but have silver-colored spangles where the others have the gold. 32 ST. ANDREASBERG CANARIES. St. Andreasberg Canaries. — The best singing canaries known are bred in the German village of St. Andreasberg, situated on one of the highest summits of the Harz mountain range, famous for its clear air and pure water. This clear air and pure water un- doubtedly have their due effects on the voice of a bird ; but much more than this, and in addition to it, great care is taken to breed only the best grade of singers, and to put these under the instructions of those master-musicians the English larks and English nightingales. Hence this canary has no short or choppy notes ; but every tone is sweet, round, and full, — the song containing delightful bell-notes, low, water-bubble and charming flute notes, and long, sil- very trills and whistling notes. Those who tire of an ordinary screeching canary find in this grade restful bird melody which continually delights and surprises by its many changes. Our buyers, being residents in the village, have every facility for obtaining the best songsters : so we now sell one grade of these birds at five and six dollars each, and guarantee them satisfactory. Campanini Canaries. — These are the best sing- ing canary bred in St. Andreasberg; the song is, in quality, soft and sweet, every tone being true, mellow, and musical, while the singer displays great variety and compass. The voice draws its pictures on three octaves: now high and clear and sweet, then deep, low, resonant, inspiring. There are light and shade, foreground of brilliancy, and distant, subdued effects, but all one glorious masterpiece of song. THE GOLDFINCH. ■ Oh ! what is so pretty, so cunning, so gay, So daintily busy the livelong day, As my little goldfinch, — beautiful pet, — With his butterfly wings, and cap of jet ? Far, far, from his native bowers of bloom. He lives a prisoner, yet feels no gloom ; For his merry glance and his sprightly song Tell plainly as words that he fears no wrong. 34 THE GOLDFINCH. The Goldfinch, of all parlor birds, is certainly one of the' most delightful, alike for the beauty of his plumage, the excellence of his song, his proved docility, and remarkable cleverness. He is also very easily tamed, and is capable of great attachment to his owner; and may be taught various amusing tricks, such as dragging a little wagon up an inclined plane into his cage to supply himself with food, or to ring a bell whenever he requires attention, and to haul up water from a little well underneath the cage. All these he will learn very readily, and without any coercion. Goldfinches have been known to live confined in a cage for sixteen or twenty years ; and, though they may lose their bright colors, they retain their activity and cheerfulness of disposition. Their food, in their wild state, consists of all kinds of seeds, &c. : in a cage, they should be fed upon maw-seed. As their bill, though as sharp as a needle, is in young birds quite soft, and, although very fond of rape and canary seed, they cannot readily crack it until they are at least two years old, it would always be well to soak a little canary and rape for them, thereby softening the hull, and making it a matter of no trouble for them to crack ; and occasionally, as a reward for some trick, or display of affection, a few crushed hemp-seed, which he should be made to take from the hand. Most wild birds, when cap- tured, become in confinement sullen and dispirited : want of exercise and of a peculiar kind of food so alters the quality of the fluids, that fits and ailments 3 GOLDFINCH DISEASES. 35 ensue ; and the bird mopes, and soon dies. Not so with the goldfinch : immediately after his capture he commences to feed on maw-seed, mixed equal parts with hemp, rape, and canary, frisk about the cage, and dress his plumage, without manifesting the least apparent regret for the loss of companions or liberty. His beauty, melody, and speedy reconciliation to confinement, render him a desirable companion ; and he is captured to cheer us with his manners and voice in airs and regions very different from his native thistly downs and apple-blossom bowers. There are many varieties of the goldfinch, shown by the difference in markings or colors of the plumage. The highest prized of these varieties are the scarlet-headed, which has the entire head colored in rich scarlet or crimson: there are no other mark- ings to mar the brilliancy of color on the head. This is a very rare and beautiful variety. The white-breasted Cheveral, or King Goldfinch, has a pure white breast, and clear white ring around the neck. This variety is highly prized as a breeder of white or handsomely marked goldfinch-canary h3'brid3. The white-legged variety is esteemed for the readi- ness with which he mates with the female canary. The Black Goldfinch is a variety which is obtained by keeping the bird in close confinement in a dark- ened room. The goldfinch hybrids are in some cases very beautiful birds, and exhibit a wonderful variety of markings and color. The pure white is the high- est prized, and the colors range from that of the above specimen to the very dark, and are varied by 36 GOLDFINCH DISEASES. elegant spots of brilliant crimson or yellow through- out the plumage. The goldfinch is found throughout Europe, and in the summer season frequents gar- dens, groves, and even mountainous districts which are not altogether uncultivated. The goldfinch, when caged, sings throughout the year, with the exception of the moulting season. His song is on a high key, and real agreeable, and contains many warbles, trills, and twittering notes, which are intermingled in a most charming manner. The bird, during the continuance of his song, is in constant motion ; and these lively movements, com- bined with his graceful form, delicately blended colors, and sprightly song, make him one of the most attractive bird-objects with which a home can be adorned. Goldfinches may be reared in cages in the same manner as canaries ; their mating season begins in April. Goldfinch has Diseases, epilepsy, diarrhoea, constipation, etc., which may be treated in the same manner as like ailments in canaries. Decline, or wasting, is cured by changing the diet to richer food, giving freely apple or any fruit the bird will eat, and lean, raw, juicy, scraped beef. Giddiness may be treated by withdrawing the maw-seed and feeding on soaked millet and rape seeds. The goldfinch, if properly cared for, will live caged for twelve or sixteen years, and in his old age will lose none of his gay colors, general friskiness, or sprightly melody. His cage should be of the square style, from ten to sixteen inches long. TffE LINNET. I wadna gie the Untie' s sang, Sae merry on the broomy lea, For all the harps that ever rang In all the halls of minstrelsie. Mair dear to me, where bush or breer Amang the pathless heather grows, The Untie' s wild sweet note to hear, As on the ev'nin' bree2e it flows. Burns. The Linnet, either gray or brown, is a beautiful songster, and is very generally kept throughout Eu- rope. He is of a hardy constitution, easily domesti- cated, a most lovely and constant singer, uttering many very sweet, flute-like notes ; and if fed princi- pally on canary and rape seed, with occasionally a very feiv hemp seed, will remain in health. These two birds are spoken of as two distinct varieties, but in reality they are not ; for the same bird which at one year old, when it has no red feath- ers in the head, is a gray limiet^ becomes after the second moulting, when the red of the breast takes a golden hue from the yellowish-white margins of the Z1 38 THE LINNET. feathers, a yellow linnet ; and in the spring of the third year, when the forehead is blood red, the feathers on the side of the breast the same color, and a ferruginous tinge prevails over the whole body, the bird comes out in all his glory as a rose linnet. By and by, when age steals on, or sickness or con- finement tell upon the constitution of the sweet songster, he falls from his high estate ; his plumage changes, and he is a brown, gray, or yellow linnet, as the case may be. There is scarcely any bird, per- haps, that puts on so many different dresses in the course of his life as our little linnet ; there is scarcely any telling what changes each moult will produce : that is, in a state of confinement ; for in a natural state the bird will go through its regular gradations of plumage in a natural manner, and one may safely judge of his age by his dress ; but in an artificial state it is not so. H^ is fond of bathing, and we might say of two kinds : first, like the skylark, in plenty of gravel (of which there must be an abundance in the cage) ; and, second, in water, and a bathing-dish must be given daily. His diseases are similar to all seed- eating birds in confinement ; and the treatment must be the same, for which see article on Sick Birds. Linnet Mules. — The male linnet will some- times mate with the canary ; but the mules are not nearly so beautiful as the offspring of the goldfinch and canary, though they are generally good song- sters, and highly prized on that account. THE SISKIN. The Siskin, sometimes called the black-headed thistlefinch, in point of beauty will bear no com- parison with the goldfinch, although possessing this recommendation in a high degree. The prevail- ing color of plumage is a yellowish green, elegantly marked and shaded with black ; a neat little bird, with a short tail, and stout beak ; the top of the head is altogether black, hence one of its names. This, as well as the goldfinch and linnet, is one of the species used in crossing with the canary. In Europe a favorite cage-bird, and really a beautifully plumaged one. Their song is short and low, though very agreeable, and they imitate with facility the notes of various birds. Caged, they should be fed on maw-seed mixed with crushed hemp. As they are a greedy bird, care must be taken not to feed them too much. In health or sickness their treat- ment, except feeding, should be the same as the canary. 39 ^'■>?*>4. THE CHAFFINCH. " The low, sweet singing of a bird, The murmur of the breeze, — How soft would glide our fleeting hours, Blest as the sunshine and the flowers, And calm as summer seas !" Amelia. The Chaffinch. — Who that has ever read the letter of Michelet to his good wife, in his work en- titled " The Bird," could have failed to read his vivid description of a poor blind chaffinch that was offered for sale in the great bird auction rooms in Paris ? This bird had been a pet ; and poverty in the family had compelled his sale. This bird is one of the many European song-birds, and for the sweet- 40 SONG OF CHAFFINCH. 41 ness of his song, as well as for his sleek plumage, should be generally kept. In Germany chaffinches are so highly valued that very high prices are given for them if they possess a fine song ; a common workman will give sixteen shillings for a bird whose notes he considers good, and will frequently live upon bread and water until he can save money to purchase the desired ob- ject. His wild notes are soft and mellow, but have little variety : they are first heard very early in the year ; for Chaffy seems at all times ambitious to open the vernal chorus, and to make a start before any other of the feathered musicians have got their in- struments in order. A curious circumstance con- nected with the natural history of chaffinches is, that the males and females separate during the winter, and resort to different parts of the country : hence the scientific name ccelebs^ or the bachelor, ap- plied to this bird. In Europe they have singing matches amongst their birds, and the chaffinch that sings the greatest number of perfect notes within a given time gains the prize for his owner. A perfect note is represented by the syllables toll-loll-loll-chick- wee-do ; and if a bird slurs them over, or stops at chick or wee, the note is not counted. They are extremely docile, and can be trained, or taught to perform many amusing tricks. Their food should be the same as the canary ; adding, however, in the spring, a few hemp-seed to induce them tr sing more freely. 42 THE BIRDS OF KILLING WORTH. ■ The ballad-singers and the troubadours, The street-musicians of the heavenly city, — The birds, who make sweet music for us alj In our dark hours, as David did for Saul. The thrush that carols at the dawn of day From the green steeples of the piny wood ; The oriole in the elm ; the noisy jay, Jargoning like a foreigner at his food ; The bluebird balanced on some topmost spray, Flooding with melody the neighborhood ; Linnet and meadow-lark, and all the throng That dwell in nests, and have the gift of song. Whose household words are songs in many keys, Sweeter than instrument of man e'er caught. Whose habitations in the tree-tops even Are half-way houses on the road to heaven. Think, every morning when the sun peeps through The dim, leaf-latticed windows of the grove. How jubilant the happy birds renew Their old, melodious madrigals of love ! " Longfellow. \ s^^^ THE BULFINCH. BuLFiNCH. — This bird has no natural song, but is gifted with the ability of imitating, with an astonish- ing accuracy, in a sweet and fiutelike tone, almost any air that is whistled, or played to them on an instrument. This has made him a great favorite among all lovers of birds. In Germany, particularly in Hesse and Saxony, a large number of these birds are taught, and by the dealers brought to various parts of the world. The raising and teaching is generally accomplished by shoemakers, tailors, and weavers, who, being con- fined to their rooms, are thus enabled to take care of them. The teaching begins from the time they are taken into the house. The tune that it is intended ihey should learn is whistled to them — whistling is always preferred, as instruments are generally too shrill — several times a day, more particularly in the morning and evening. The tune must be whis- tled always in the same key, and no other tune whistled in the hearing of the bird, which is kept 43 44 THE BULFINCH. in rather a dark place during the process of train- ing. Taken as they are when quite young, and brought up by hand; they are always tame, and will take food from the hand of any one, and may be trained to sing or pipe their tune at command : they very soon learn to know the person who feeds them, — andl we will here remark that the same person should always feed them, — and will pipe their tune, making: beautiful and elegant gestures, now moving the body, and then the head, first to the right, then to the left, spreading the tail like a fan, and seem- ingly "fanning" with it, when they commence with a short flourish, or prelude, and pipe their tune through perfectly. The bulfinch should be fed principally on sum- mer rape-seed, to which may be added a little canary, and occasionally one or two hemp-seed, as a reward for piping his tune. Sugar, sweet-cakes, or such-like delicacies, spoil their taste, and should not be given to them. A little greens in the sum mer, or sweet apple in the winter, is very whole some, both of which must be fresh. As their claws grow very fast, and also very hooking, they must be cut at least twice a year. They must always be handled very gently, as they are easily frightened, and harsh treatment often causes their death. These birds usually moult in the month of Sep tember ; and, as they shed their feathers very rap- idly, — sometimes becoming ^/w^j"/ /^^r(f in one day, —great care must be taken to keep them from all THE BULFINCH. 45 draughts of air; and, in addition to their regulai seed, a little of the yolk of a hard-boiled egg should be fed them at least three times a week. The bulfinch has diseases. These, however, are usually caused by improper care ; for if the bird be fed and watered regularly every day, at the same hour and by the same person, and plenty of dry sand freely used, the cause of disease is greatly reduced. Occasionally these birds are troubled with a diarrhoea, and can be greatly relieved, and many times a permanent cure effected, by placing a rusty nail in their drinking-water : a nail should also be placed in their drinking-water during moult- ing season ; and, should a bird be troubled with the reverse of this complaint, — costiveness, — a piece of sweet apple, a little chickweed, lettuce, or any green food, will usually afford full relief. Occa- sionally this bird will appear dumpish, sitting all day upon his perch with ruffled feathers : the best mode of treatment is to give him a supply of maw, oi what is sometimes called poppy-seed, which will in most cases quickly restore him to his usual spirits. Piping bulfinches arrive from Europe about December i each year, and are on sale from then until June i, and I have some seasons had them for sale all through the year. To me they are the most charming and enjoyable of all cage birds. They pipe " How can I leave thee," "The bridal wreath for thee we twine," " Away to the wildwood," " Polly Perkins," " I will love you forever," "The mill in the valley," " America," and other songs. THE NIGHTINGALE. Night from her ebon throne stoops down to listen To this the sweetest songster of the grove ; And pulses thrill, and eyes with rapture glisten, As forth she pours her plaintive song of love." This bird is decidedly the most melodious of all singing-birds. The compass, flexibility, prodigious variety, and harmony of his voice, make him the 46 THE NIGHTINGALE. 47 greatest favorite of the lovers of the beauty of na- ture. Coleridge wrote thus of this bird : — " The merry nightingale, That crowds and hurries and precipitates, With fast, thick warble, his delicious notes, As if he were fearful that an April night Would be too short for him to utter forth His love-chant, and disburden his full soul Of all its music." He will sometimes dwell for several seconds on a strain composed of only two or three melancholy tones, beginning in an under-voice, and swelling it gradually by a most superb crescendo to the highest point of strength, then ending it by a dying cadence. His very striking musical talent, surpassing all other singing-birds, has acquired for him the name of the king of songsters. His food is the same as the American mocking-bird. When caged and well treated, they will sing for six or eight months during the year : some begin in December, some in January, and some in Febiuary, and sing till the month of July. Improper feeding, and other causes, have seemed, so far, to render it almost an impossibility to keep one of these birds more than a few months ; and, for the benefit of the lovers of this bird, we will give an extract from a letter from Mr. George B. Pear- son of Beverly, Mass. He says, — " As I write you, four p.m., Jan. 7, 1875, ^^^Y night- ingale is singing sweetly. He commenced singing 48 THE NIGHTINGALE. early in December, 1873 ; and he did not cease to sing until September, 1874. He moults with no trouble at all, and since I have owned him has not had a sick hour. Your books will show you that I purchased him in the winter of 1872 ; and you did not advise me to buy him, but to ' wait for a better bird later in the season.' " I cannot agree with high authorities, that the nightingale is a difficult bird to keep in the cage, if you know how to take care of him. With the very best of intentions, most persons starve their nightingales. The bird is an enormous eater. Less than half the size of a mocking-bird, he will eat double the quantity of food that the mocking-bird will eat ; and he requires it. But he is a very pa- tient bird, and will not, as will both the mocking- bird and black-cap, tell you by restless motion or call that he needs food. You may never fear to give a nightingale as much food as he will eat. " His daily bread and butter should be the pre- pared mocking-bird's food. Vary this food with grated carrot and ants' eggs, hard-boiled egg and" ants' eggs, yellow turnip and ants' eggs, elderber- ries and ants' eggs (all of these half and half each), and ants' eggs moistened with water, alone by them- selves, and you have a bill of fare that will give you delicious song. " Can you obtain meal-worms, give your bird as many as you can afford to give him. He will sing all the better for every worm eaten. He is not a deli- cate bird, as, for example, the mocking-bird, if you THE NIGHTINGALE. 49 feed him on the right food. He is the king of song- sters, and he has the king of digestive organs. My bird sings from sunrise to sunset, and never a note at any other hour. When silent, a meal-worm will make him sing during the above-named hours. He will sing very loud till he silences my mocking- bird, and so loud that his song is disagreeable ; but when he has silenced my other birds, thirteen in number, he will delight you for hours. " I have always been very particular to keep his cage, perches, and feeding-dish very clean ; have used gravel (sand) in the cage freely, and given him his bath daily ; and I see no reason why, if the same rule is followed, that any bird cannot be kept in health and song for many years." 4 THE BLACK-CAP. 'Sweet warblers of the sunny hours, Forever on the wing, I love them as I love the flowers, The sunlight, and the spring. They come like pleasant memories In summer's joyous time. And sing their gushing melodies . As I would sing a rhyme. In the green and quiet places, Where the golden sunlight falls, We sit with smiling faces To list their silver calls. And, when their holy anthems Come pealing through the air, Our hearts leap forth to meet them With a blessing and a prayer. Amid the morning's fragrant dew, Amid the mists of even, They warble on as if they drew Their music down from heaven. How sweetly sounds each mellow note Beneath the moon's pale ray. When dying zephyrs rise and float Like lovers' sighs away ! " THE BLACK-CAP. 51 The Black-Cap, sometimes called the mock nightingale, possesses, in the opinion of some, powers of song equal to those of the more univer- sally acknowledged leader of the sylvan choir. He is a most delightful singer ; and his notes, though quite different, are no less admirable than the nightingale's, and are heard throughout the year, during the whole day, except in the moulting season. This may also be called the English mocking-bird, as he readily catches the notes of any other songster which he chances to hear. Sweet says that he has heard the black-cap imitate the nightingale so exactly that even his practised ear was deceived. If you love real bird-music, procure a black-cap at any cost ; for he will make the whole house ring again, his song is so full, so sweet, so deep and loud, and so enriched with a variety of oily, silvery mod- ulations, especially that long, soft shake, which, though it sinks gradually into the lowest note a bird can utter, is heard as distinctly as the louder tones ; and then just as you think it is about to die away, and you begin to anticipate the silence that must follow, higher and higher swells the song to the lofti- est burst of melody, and you feel as if you wouldn't part with the bird for twenty times his weight in gold. When singing he distends his little throat, while the whole body quivers with delight, telling that he feels as much pleasure as he gives to the listener. Gil- bert White, whose " Natural History of Selborne " every boy ought to read for the sake of its beautiful 52 THE BLACK-CAP. descriptions of the habits of birds and animals, speaking of the black-cap, says his " note has such a wild sweetness that it always brings to my mind those lines in a song in Shakspeare's *As You Like It : ' — ' And tune his merry note Unto the sweet bird's throat.' " And I have no doubt in my own mind that Shak- speare was listening to the singing of the black-cap, or called to memory his notes, as he had often heard them when a boy in the green fields that spread around his native place, when he composed that beautiful and simple song which begins with, — "Under the greenwood tree, "Who loves to lie with me." The back and wings of the black-cap are of an olive gray, throat and breast of a silvery gray, belly and vent white, sides of the head and back of the neck ash color, and the top of head black as night, whence the name. Caged, he requires the same food as all soft-bill birds, with the addition of elderberries, of which he is very fond. The black- cap, and most of the genus, suffer from tender feet, and swellings or warts upon them : a little cold cream will soon cure these. TO A SKY-LARK. Ethereal minstrel ! pilgrim of the sky ! Dost thou despise the earth where cares abound ? Or, while the wings aspire, are heart and eye Both with thy nest upon the dewy ground ? — Thy nest, which thou canst drop into at will. Those quivering wings composed, that music still. Leave to the nightingale her shady wood : A privacy of glorious light is thine ; "Whence thou dost pour upon the world a flood Of harmony, with instinct more divine. Type of the wise who soar, but never roam. True to the kindred points of heaven and home. Wordsworth. 54 THE SKY-LARK. This beautiful warbler is spread all over Europe, and has the most peculiar manner of flying of any of the feathered tribe, his movement being invaria- bly upwards in a perpendicular line ; after leaving his grassy abode, beginning his melodious song, which he continues unceasingly till nearly out of sight, looking like a mere speck, towards the heav- ens, — and even then you may hear his sweet voice dying away as if in the clouds, — he descends in like manner, still continuing to gratify his hearers below with his own peculiar melody till within a short dis- tance from his nest ; then silently alighting, hiding himself in the grass, fearing, as if by instinct, some straggling wanderers were watching his movements, to find out the spot to " rob a bird's-nest," when he creeps along, quite unseen, to visit his home and little family. He is the bird that Shakspeare fancied went singing up into the very gates of heaven ; the minstrel of the sky, who makes all the gold and sil- ver pillars in cloud-land echo when he warbles in his great star-roofed skyey hall. This is the bird that sleeps beside the daisies, and among the gentle lambs ; that makes a nest in any hole in the ground, the print of a horse's or bullock's hoof serving as well as any thing else in which to deposit the five greenish-white brown spotted eggs. The sky-lark will readily imitate the songs of other birds, and also learn tunes, and in confinement sings during half the year, and may be tamed so as to come and eat from the hand. THE WOOD-LARK. " What time the timorous hare trips forth to feed, When the scared owl skims round the grassy mead, Then high in air, and poised upon his wings. Unseen the soft enamoured wood-lark sings." The Wood-lark is also a beautiful bird, and resembles the sky-lark in color, but is smaller. If he cannot soar so high nor sing so sweetly as the sky-lark, he can do what the latter can't ; and that is, either sit and smg on the branch of a tree, or have a fly, and carry his music along with him. But, though so partial to perching on a branch, like the sky-lark he builds on the ground. Some bird-fan- ciers say he possesses a more musical and sonorous 55 56 THE WOOD-LARK. note than most other singing-birds ; but his imitative faculties are not very good, for, unless reared from the nest near some other birds, he will not learn their strains. His song is very much prized, and ranked by many amateurs next to the nightingale's: he sings far into the night. This bird is more easily tamed than the sky-lark, and appears more happy in captiv- ity. He is of an affectionate disposition, and, if pains are taken to gain his affection, will become much attached to his owner ; but he is a delicate bird, and dainty in appetite, and requires variety in food. Most of the wood-larks perch, therefore he must have a square perch put into his cage ; but, if not used, it should be taken away. He must have a fresh-cut turf, if possible, once a week, and plenty of gravel and chalk. It is very rare that either of the larks will take a bath, much preferring — like domestic fowls — to dust themselves ; and for this reason sand or gravel must be used very freely, and always kept in the cage to the depth of not less than half an inch. The lark requires what is known as the lark-cage, and will not do well in any other. It is a low-priced cage, and can always be purchased at any bird-store. The food of the sky and wood lark is the same as the American mocking-bird. If the bird is unwell, or becomes loose, grate a little cheese into his food : some licorice in his water will also be of service, as likewise a spider occasionally. THE THRUSH. But when the morning broke, and the green woods Were all alive with birds, with what a clear And ravishing sweetness sang the plaintive thrush ! I love to hear his delicate rich voice. Chanting through all the gloomy day, when loud Amid the trees is dropping the big rain, And gray mists wrap the hills ; for aye the sweeter His song is when the day is sad and dark. LongfcUmv. The Song-Thrush is a most melodious singer, being gifted with a more powerful tone than any of the feathered choristers of the European forest. This speckled musician pleases with delight, and 57 58 THE THRUSH. satisfies, as it were, the very soul of the listener. In the wild state he sings only during the spring ; but, when caged and properly treated, will sing eight or nnie months of the year, commencing about December or January. It is for this reason, as well as for his beautiful song, that the thrush is so much kept in cages, and domesticated. Ke must have a large cage, well strewn with coarse sand or gravel, and should be well supplied with water for drinking and bathing ; but his bath should be taken away when used, as the bird is liable to cramp. The food and water should be put outside of the cage, if possible. The thrush will live many years in confinement, if properly fed and cared for. The ailment to which he is most subject is constipation. A large spider is the best remedy ; abundance of pure fresh air, and a change of diet, should be given. The male and female are so much alike in color, that it is very difficult to distinguish them : the female is a litde smaller, and has not quite such a glossy brown plumage as the male ; so that the purchaser of a thrush should make sure of the sex by hearing the song. The male has great imitative powers, and will readily learn tunes played on wind instruments or whistled* to him. Food 3am3 as preceding. THE BLACKBIRD. **0 blackbird ! sing me something well : While all the neighbors shoot thee round, I keep smooth plats of fruitful ground, Where thou may'st warble, eat, and dwell." Tennyson, The Blackbird, whose plumage is of a pure vel- vety bi-ack, with an orange-yellow bill, is a fine songstei-. The notes, though not so various as those of the thrush, still are of a more sweet, flute- like tone. Besides this, he possesses the ability of imitating airs which are whistled to him : these he executes with great perfection, and is said never to forget a tune once learned. An anecdote is told of 59 6o THE BLACKBIRD. one who had been taught to whistle an air, which, on hearing played with variations on the piano, af- fronted him so exceedingly that he hissed and flut- tered his wings till the performance stopped, and then gave his version of the air, whistling it all through as he had learned it. The same bird fell into the hands of a lady whose custom it was to have the Evening Hymn sung at the conclusion of family prayers. He caught the tune, and always accompanied their voices, and from that time regu- larly whistled it every evening at the same hour, long after he had passed into another family, and continued the practice for the remainder of his life. The blackbird will also learn to imitate the songs of other birds, the crowing of a cock, the gobble of a turkey, and in his wild state will often mimic them. He is very fond of bathing, and may have a good deep bath daily in the sunshine ; but his cage should not be left wet, as he is subject to cramp like the thrush : there should be plenty of dry sand or gravel on the floor. He will live in captivity from twelve to sixteen years, and sing in a loud and joyous tone the whole year, except during the moulting season. When in a wild state, this bird sings only three months in the year ; when caged, nearly throughout the year. His food and treatment are the same as for the mocking-bird. ROBIN REDBREAST. " Good-by, good-by to summer, For summer's nearly done ; The garden smiling faintly, Cool breezes in the sun ; The thrushes now are silent, Our swallows flown away. But Robin's here in coat of brown, A.nd scarlet breast-knot gay. Robin, Robin Redbreast, O Robin dear ! Robin sings so sweetly In the falling of the year ! " The English Robin Redbreast. — This bird is very popular in Europe, particularly in England, being lively and very handsome. He is easily tamed, so as to be let out of his cage, and play about a room. He has, by fearless conduct, earned golden opin- ions from all classes of men. Every nation seems 6i 62 ENGLISH ROBIN. to protect him. Even the American redbreast lives unharmed, possibly on accomit of his connec- tion with his English relation, whose oft-told charity I is mentioned in the good old ballad of the " Babe?' in the Wood " whom Robin Redbreast "painfully" did bury beneath the leaves : — " Leaves of all hues, gold, red, and green, Ruins of summer bowers ; A thousand times more beautiful Than all her choicest flowers." In the winter, when the berries are gone, insects dead, and the worms hidden under the hard-frozen soil, then the robin flies for refuge to the habita- tions of man for shelter and food. It is very amus- ing to see the half-trusting, half-fearful look with which he hops to the window-sill for the first time. After a while he becomes bold, and taps at the win- dow, if the expected crumbs are not thrown out. He possesses a sweet warbling song, is very fond of bathing, and should therefore be daily provided with a bath ; but, when allowed to fly about a room, care must be taken not to leave a pitcher or any large vessel with water within reach, as he is very apt to try to bathe in it, and frequently gets drowned. Being a soft-bill bird, his food is the same as the preceding birds. THE STARLING. The Starling. — His natural song is racher poor ; but he has a wonderfully good memory. He will learn to repeat several airs that are played to him, with great ease ; nay, more : he learns to pro- nounce words very distinctly, or imitate the song of other birds, or any sounds when repeatedly heard. Besides this, he becomes very tame in the house, so as to be let out of the cage, and walk about the room. He soon knows all the persons in the house, is always gay and wakeful, and as docile and cun- ning as a dog. His food and treatment may be the same as that of the mocking-bird. He is a very hardy bird, and will sometimes attain thQ age of fif- teen years. 63 THE TALKING MINOR. The Talking Minor, or "musical grakle," is a good talking bird, and can accurately whistle in sweet, full tones any song which may be taught him. A minor will converse at any time, and correctly reply to in- quiries respecting his health or feehngs — though sometimes, if pressed too closely, my own bird will consign the too-inquisitive person to that proverbially hot country. He is a vain bird, saying often, " Pretty minor," " What a pretty minor ! " and replying to the common salutation says, " I'm pretty well : how are you? Will you have a glass of champagne ? " He is about the size of a dove ; and his beak, feet, and legs are orange-color. The prevailing hue of the plumage is a glossy black, which is tinged with purple, violet, and green, according to the light in which it is viewed. The feathers on the head are short and glossy, and* have the appearance of satin velvet. Be- low each eye is a small bright yellow naked mem- 64 THE TALKING MINOR. 65 brane ; and close to these, but detached, another extends from each side to the back of the head and down on the neck. A white stripe in each wing, with the bright hues mentioned above, combined with ele- gant form and graceful movements, make the bird uni- versally admired. He is a native of the East Indies. An East-Indian acquaintance of mine used to have her children say the Lord's Prayer and the Apostles' Creed at a regular hour each evening ; but, whenever the children were absent at the usual hour, her minor, with most devout tone, would commence with " Our Father," and repeat the prayer and the whole of the creed. The minor as a talking bird is unsurpassed. He speaks plainly, and can acquire and retain an unlimited number of words, which he readily forms into sen- tences. My own bird will converse with me or a stranger at any time, and can whistle, in full, sweet tones, a regular song which has been taught him. He flies about the house friendly to all, including the cat and dog. He is fond of fruits and berries, which are good food for him ; and if a ripe cherry is shown him he cries for it. He is fed daily on.Holden's Pre- pared Food, the same as all soft-bill birds ; boiled egg and boiled potato is good for him, and, once or twice a week, lean raw beef chopped fine is beneficial. He is fond of bathing, and has the tub daily. He is tough and strong, and should live in good health caged very many years. The bird has been known to live sev- enty-five years. The suitable cage is twenty-four to thirty inches long and about twenty inches high. THE GRAY PARROT. Fie, silly bird ! ' I answered, tuck Your head beneath your wing. And go to sleep ; ' but o'er and o'er He asked the selfsame thing. Then, smiling, to myself I said, — ' How like are men and birds ! We all are saying what he says, In action or in words.' " Whittier. In the parrot family, the African gray, with ashen gray body, black bill, light gray face, and scarlet tail> takes high rank. Until the bird is a year old the body plumage is a darker gray, and the tail dark brown^ excepting close to the body, where the crimson shows a little. The birds vary from twelve to fifteen inches. 66 THE GRAY PARROT. 67 ill length, about the size of a common pigeon. Some- times a bird has red feathers in spots on the back ; this is known as a "■ king " African, and is highly esteemed, and commands a higher price, being con- sidered more intelligent; but I am not certain that the " king " learns any more than his subjects can. West and Central Africa is its home ; and from there these birds are brought to ' America, either, via Eng- land in steamers, or direct in sailing-vessels, a few of which arrive at New York, but most of them arrive in Boston. The birds brought in sailing-vessels are preferred, because they get acclimated in the longer trip, and have also better care when brought by the captains themselves, some of whom have been fur- nishing me with birds for over ten years, in both cities. These birds make excellent talkers and whistlers, and occasionally learn to sing both words and music of popular ballads ; but, like children, they vary some in " mental activity," though during my study of the subject of parrot training for the past fifteen years, I can truly say that the teachers' abilities vary much more than the pupils', to the latters' great disadvantage. Parrots learn more readily in the three hours next fol- lowing sunrise, or the three hours before sunset, and should be taught verbally just as one would teach a child, line upon hne, precept upon precept. I have known many children give from six months to a year to long division, and not understand it very well then ; and it may take the brightest parrot that time, or even longer, to commit, " The Lord is my Shepherd," etc., *' Mary had a little lamb," or a list of oaths varied 68 THE GRAY PARROT. enough to please alike the Quaker, the gamin, and the rector. In teaching, speak in clear, ringing tones, pitched on rather a high key. Babies learn to talk some in from twelve to eighteen months ; parrots learn to talk some in from four to twelve months. I have known a gray to be taught for twelve months and not utter a word ; then one morning he said, . ^' Hurrah ! " and in six months more could speak fifty or sixty words with elegant accents, and whistle two > songs. If we ask how talented a speaking bird may ' become, the answer presents many difficulties. . Brehm, a great authority on birds in Germany, gives ; an account of a gray parrot, which talked in three :( languages as clearly as a human being, and at the:| same time often caught up forms of speech which hadl! never been repeated to it, and which it then applied Ij suitably to the *astonishment of all. He also gives ; this example of its sharpness. A fat major, whom it: knew well, one day paid a visit to teach it tricks.. " Get up on the stick, Polly ; up on the stick ! " com-- manded the bold warrior. The parrot was decidedly • annoyed. Then suddenly it laughed loudly and said, , '' Up with you on the stick, major ! " Brehm describes this as a witticism of the bird's, and adds, " I cannot; relate all this parrot said and did : it was half human." " I had to wait," says one owner, " fully eight months- before my gray pronounced one word ; but then I was richly rewarded, for it learned something new almost' every day, and now, after four years, there is scarcely any expression in the daily conversation of the family which it has not learned to repeat; and how well it CAGE OR STAND. 69 knows how to apply the words ! It commands the cats and the dogs, whistUng to one, and coaxing or crying to the other. If the black- cap is heard, it calls at once, ' Just wait, you black-cap ! ' If the blackbird whistles, it exclaims, ' Be quiet ! ' It distinguishes between the canary's song and that of the red bird and thrush, speaking to each as it hears the song of each." If proper methods of instruction are followed, there is no imaginary fixed line in intellectual progress beyond which a parrot of ordinary ability may not go. In teaching or training a parrot, let the bird remain for two weeks after purchase, unnoticed, further than proper care is concerned ; it will then be less shy, and, finding no harm is intended, will incline to become friendly. It is better not to use any forcible means for training, but always be gentle, and avail yourself of some knack, according to the bird's inclinations. Take away the drinking-water or coffee for some hours, then hold it out to the bird, and offer also some tidbit, of which the bird is fond, and thus the bird will learn to take food from the hand, and will presently volun- tarily come on the finger, allow its head to be scratched, and soon permit you to caress and handle it at will. Many trainers feed the bird bread or fruit from the mouth ; this as a reward for tameness or speaking is a great incentive to progress, and birds form warm attachments for any one who thus feeds them. Cage or Stand. — This parrot should have a cage fourteen or fifteen inches in diameter, or fifteen to ^O FOOD. twenty-four inches long ; but larger ones can be used, or a stand of the usual style. Generally, parrots do not talk as well if allowed about a room, and are apt \ to find something to eat which is injurious. ' Food. — The food now very generally given to all parrots over four months old, consists of a mixture of equal parts of unhuUed rice, cracked corn, hemp, and sunflower seeds ; but the effects of all food should be watched, and any one of the above which seems to disagree with the bird must of course be withheld. Probably ninety-nine parrots in every one hundred thrive on the above mixture. Give daily, if eaten, a piece of cuttle-bone the size of a walnut. Half a dozen peanuts may be given occasionally, but no other nuts, as they are too rich. Never give any meat, bones, or greasy food of any kind, as they cause diseases, and ruin the plumage. Dainties from the table are usually indigestible and harmful. Fruits, such as apples, oranges, bananas, cherries, can be given, but only those proper for your special bird should be allowed in limited quantity. A vegetable red-pepper pod can be given every week or so, and is particularly desirable during the moulting season. A piece of raw onion, half the size of an egg, acts as a good tonic. Cracker, or stale but good bread, soaked in "coffee, is good daily ; but some gray parrots will not take coffee, or it may make them nervous, in which case water should be used. Water causes some to have diarrhoea, and coffee, in that case, is the better drink. Silver gravel in abundance should be given fresh daily for eating and batiiing. The cage or stand should be cleansed THE GRAY PARROT. 71 with water, or soap and water, every third day, and oftener if necessary. Bathing in sand is usual, in water is unusual, for parrots ; but water baths should be given according to the health and needs of the bird, one to three times a week, through the year. Use from a pint to a quart of tepid water, in which a tea- spoonful of borax has been dissolved, spraying the bird with the coarse atomizer which holds a half-pint. If a teaspoonful of wine is afterwards thrown on with a small atomizer, the plumage will become glossy and beautiful. The grays, like most of the larger parrots, sometimes live from fifty to seventy-five, and even one hundred years. TABLE OF THE PARROT FAMILY. ^ bC 9 H .E . c V 2Z 2S .E 'Bgi ifl .£P >'Z >>^ ^g V 1 5S IE Si H p/ay 10 10 5 10 8 9 52 .Mexican . 10 n TO c 8 9 51 Carthagena ID 8 8 8 9 52 Single H'd 7 6 6 3 7 7 30 Amazon . 8 8 5 3 8 8 40 Blue-front 6 5 5 5 6 27 ALiracaibo 6 5 _ 4 8 28 Cuban . . 6 6 6 _ 6 . 9 33 Dwarf. . 6 6 - 4 4 10 30 Macaw . 7 5 5 _ 10 6 33 Cockatoo . 6 4 - 7 8 25 In the above comparative table, 10 is the highest figure under each heading, and the total number of points is 60. ^- ^b^^^a. ^ 'gm ^W A GREEN PARROT. There are many varieties of the green parrots, but this article will treat only of those usually caged in Apierica. The Double Yellow Head of Mexico is the operatic star of the parrot family ; his natural gift of song is great, and his voice is clear, sweet, and reso- nant. There are marvellous stories of the repei'toire winch some of these Mexicans are capable of render- ing. I have owned birds of this variety, which could sing the words and music of two, three, and four songs, and give each with its best points, well phrased, and in a style that would always "■ take the house." The Mexican is of a beautiful green through- out the body, with a pale orange forehead, and scarlet and blue feathers in wings and tail ; his feet are strong and white ; his beak is white ; his tongue 72 A GREEN PARROT. «-, may be white, black, or mottled. His length is from fourteen to sixteen inches, being a somewhat longer and thicker bird than the gray parrot. As the birds get older, the pale orange color of the forehead deepens, and extends back over the head. These birds are not only great singers, but free talkers as well, learning many words when taught for three months or so, and are most amusing at times by theii manner of mingling songs and speeches. The grays, and these Mexicans, are the most enjoy- able birds to own, because most intelligent and teach- able. Cage, food, and care, are the same for the Mexican, as for the gray. The Carthagena Parrot is from thirteen to fifteen inches long, being about the size of the Mexican, and has all green plumage, except on the back of the neck, a pale orange marking about the size of a silver half- dollar ; and in the wings and tail feathers red and blue markings. This bird becomes quite a singer, whistles some, and talks very well ; he is generally next to the Mexican, and his food and care are the same as that bird's. The Single Yellow Head is smaller than the Double Yellow Head, being from eleven to thirteen inches long, but has the same colors and markings as that bird, except the beak is dark, instead of flesh color, and the narrow pale-orange stripe on the fore- head does not extend as the bird grows older. This bird makes a fair talker, learning easily, but not so many sentences as those named above. His food and care is the same. ^4 DISEASES. The Amazon Parrot is a native of the upper por- tion of South America ; he is not quite as large as the Mexican ; his hght-green body, and briUiant head- dress of bkie and yellow, throat of orange tinged with red, scarlet-tipped wings and parti-colored tail, make him very attractive. He is an apt scholar, and easily learns to talk and ^ing. Food as above. The Blue Front Parrot is twelve or thirteen inches long, with plain green body and blue forehead, and slight red and blue markings in the wings. Fie becomes a fair talker. His food is same as above. The Maracaibo Parrot is ten or eleven inches long, with green body, forehead well marked with yellow, and wings having some blue, yellow, and red markings. He looks like a small edition of the Mexi- can, and sometimes makes an excellent talker. His food is the same as above. The Cuban Parrot is ten to twelve inches long, with green body, white forehead, scarlet throat, and scarlet and blue wings. These are usually imported when three months old, so they are tame, and very teachable, becoming quite good English scholars. The food is the same as above. Diseases. — If parrots are properly fed, and their cages or stands kept clean, they remain in good health during the long life of from fifty to one hundred years. The principal diseases afflicting birds not properly cared for are as below. I have written these prescrip- tions without seeing your particular patient. Use your judgment about increasing or diminishing the number and quantity of the doses. COLD AND INDIGESTION. y^ Cold. — Keep the bird in a very warm place, and give a few bird peppers ; into a glass of water put ten drops of aconite, and every hour pour a teaspoonful down the bird's throat. Second remedy : Clean the bird's nostrils with a feather dipped in salt water, and then moisten them with the oil of almonds. Rub the beak and throat externally with a solution of chlorate of kali one part, and twenty parts of hot water; let the bird inhale tar vapor, putting the tar in a bottle, one part of tar to twenty-five parts of hot water. Indigestion. — Give a plain, light diet of unhulled rice, and a few sunflower seeds ; but little green food or fruit, some salt, and tepid drinking water, with, a tea- spoonful of lime water in it ; a teaspoonful of warm Bordeaux wine can be poured down the bird's throat. Constipation. — Use warm castor-oil and olive-oil in equal parts, dropping it into the vent or passage from the head of a pin ; after several repetitions, large masses of excrement pass away; give a dose of ten drops of castor-oil, with half a teaspoonful of honey, once or twice a day. Feed hemp and sunflower seeds in equal parts. DiARRHCEA. — Keep the bird in a warm place, feed unhulled rice, and give a half cracker soaked in brandy, on which sprinkle red pepper. In severe cases, put five drops of paregoric into a teaspoonful of boiled milk, and give this full dose every three hours. Bloody Diarrhcea. — Give four drops of laudanum in a teaspoonful of boiled milk every three hours. Give no fruit or green stuff, and do not allow the bird to drink water, unless it has had some tincture of iron put into it. 76 DYSENTERY AND VOMITING. Dysentery. — Treat as for diarrhoea ; and give also one-half to one teaspoonful of castor-oil, with ten drops of honey. The sticky feathers under the tail should be washed with warm water. Vomiting, when caused only by fright, or anxiety, or overeating, has but litde significance ; but when arising from inflammation of the stomach, and accom- panied by weakness, shivering, loss of appetite, or bloody discharges, should be treated as follows : Apply warm or nearly hot poultices of bread or flaxseed to ,, the belly ; also apply sand as warm as is pleasant to •' the hand. Give teaspoonful doses of a solution of tannin, two parts to seventy-five or one liundred parts ,] of warm water two or three times a day. Pulling the Feathers. — This is caused usually by improper food, too much hemp-seed, meat, or bones, and too close confinement. Feed sunflower seeds and unhulled rice ; keep plenty of gravel in the cage, and j a constant supply of wood for the bird to gnaw. ■ Amuse the bird by giving spools and a '' robust " china doll to play with. Put a half-teaspoonful of glycerine to a teacupful of tepid water, and spray the bird thoroughly six to ten times daily, using the full dose each time. Smear the plumage with the tincture of bitter aloes. Put the bird into new surroundings to occupy his attention. Some keepers have good results by reducing the quantity of food by degrees, till the bird gets only a third of its usual allowance ; then it becomes weakened, its blood being reduced, and leaves off the habit. For further information on diseases and treatment, consult Holden's " Canaries and Cage Birds." THE AUSTRALIAN PAROQUET. Paroquet is the name generally given to the smaller kinds of parrots, from which birds the species placed under this head do not otherwise differ than in size : the term is somewhat arbitrarily applied, so that you will frequently have the same bird called at one time a parrot, at another a paroquet, as might be expected, there being no exact boundary line to divide the larger from the lesser kinds. 7 n 78 THE AUSTRALIAN PAROQUET. The Australian Paroquet, a very beautiful and eccentric bird, has but recently been introduced into this country ; yet he possesses so many desirable qualifications that he has at once become a well- known member of the " bird family." This bird is a native of the island from whence the name is derived ; and in a wild state leads a retired and sequestered life, sometimes alone, and again in pairs. During mating season they are found in pairs, and in immense numbers, the male and female each singing to the other incessantly. As they are inhabitants of the ground, where they build their nests, they are rarely found in trees. Their plumage is a beautiful shade of green, with a few brownish or black feathers upon the back, and the feathers of the head a bright lemon color ; which, added to the bright blue spots around the head and neck, make them a beautiful and attractive bird. They easily become domesticated to cage-life, and are capable of being taught many amusing tricks. They are hardy birds, and easily endure the cold winters of the north, the author once having placed a pair where water froze to the depth of an inch, and this, too, without any perceptible injury to the birds. They should be fed wholly upon canary-seed, and allowed frequent baths. With this treatment they will continue in perfect health for many years. THE TROOPIAL. The South American Troopial has a beautiful rich plumage, and looks very much like our Ameri- can golden robin, or what is known as the Baltimore oriole ; the chief difference being that he is much larger in size, with the orange of the body more of a yellow. Few, if any, birds have a natural song at once so sweet and powerful as this ; and none have a nicer ear and a more retentive memory. Take a young male, and instruct him carefully by means of a flageolet or flute, and he will not only repeat the air played, but imitate the very tones of the instru- 79 So THE TROOPIAL. ment with astonishing fidehty. We have heard! troopials thus instructed whose strain seemed to us- the very perfection of melody, such as only a skilful: performer could produce ; and such a one as this is really a valuable bird. Give us the troopial with; the loud sweet song morning and evening, the vespery and matin chants, and his beautiful plumes seeming: veritable sunbeams- of the tropics, diffusing light andl warmth around. They are extremely active, and very graceful ini their movements, and require a cage the same size that a mocking-bird is usually confined in. Im their wild state their food consists of insects andl berries; caged, they require the same food andl treatment as the mocking-bird. They may also be.' brought up without much difficulty upon white bread! soaked in milk, and raw lean meat scraped fine, andl mixed with it. There are few wild birds, which,, when confined, become so thoroughly domesticated! as the troopial. They can be taught with little ^ trouble to accept food from the hand, to fly to andl perch upon the one who regularly attends to their daily requirements ; while their extreme docility is a fact proven beyond a doubt. THE BRAZILIAN CARDINAL. The Brazilian Cardinal is one of the beautiful whistling birds of the tropics, and is justly admired as a cage-bird. The back is dark gray, the quill- feathers of the wings are of a darker shade of the same color, and the tail is nearly black ; the head, crest, cheeks, and throat are bright red of an orange hue, deepest on the chest, where it ends in a point ; the lower part of the body is grayish white, and the feet and legs are black ; the strong beak is dusky gray ; the crest is pointed like that of the Virginia nightingale, and is raised and depressed at pleasure. His brilliant scarlet head forms a beautiful contrast with the snowy white of his body. In addition to his beautiful plumage, he is also gifted with powers of song. If fed upon unhulled rice and canary-seed, and given plenty of bathing water, he will live many years in confinement. 7* 8i THE JAVA SPARROW. The Java Sparrow takes his name from the Java Islands, where they abound in immense numbers. Their chief recommendation is the great neatness and beauty of phmiage ; their glossy black head, with clear white cheeks, and delicate rose-colored bill, that looks like a piece of wax-work, and their light- slate or almost ashen-gray body, forming one of the richest combinations of colors ; the plumage b'eing so neat and smooth that the feathers all seem to fit into each other ; and all appear covered with bloom 82 THE JAVA SPARROW. 8;^ like that upon plums. They are very affectionate birds, and happy in confinement; and occasionally one is seen that can in reality be called a bird of song. They can be taught a variety of amusing tricks ; and, perhaps more than any other caged bird, will perform their tricks at command, with the seem- ing fear of a child. The pairs are much attached to each other, and are continually dressing each other's feathers. They are generally fed upon canary and millet seed, but in a wild state live chiefly on nee. At a bird exhibition at Crystal Palace, London, a few years since, a pair of Java sparrows were exhib- ited, entirely white, with the black head and throat and rose-colored beak of the gray Java sparrow, and with the plumage equally soft and downy ■ and I was told that they were most beautiful birds. THE MOCKING BIRD. The American Mocking-Bird. — This unrivalled songster, though he may not possess the melodious sweetness of the nightingale and lark, or the beau- tiful pipe of the blackbird, yet in himself he unites all the excellences to a greater extent than any other living bird. Who, on passing through the streets of any large city on a bright night in June, has not heard the shrill scream of the eagle, the mourning note of the turtle-dove, the delicate warble of the blue-bird, the cackling of the domes- tic hen, followed by the quarrelling of a dozen or more grimalkins^ each seeming to vie with the other as to the quantity of noise ; then the cry of the 84 MOCKING-BIRD FOOD. 85 katydid, the mellow whistle of the cardinal, the grunt of tbe maternal porker searching for her juveniles, the creaking of some rusty swing-sign- board, the pipe of the canary, and the cry of some lost puppy wailing in the midnight air, and each succeeding the other with such rapidity, that the listener wonders if such a variety can come from so small an object. Ail this the mocking-bird is capable of. The mocking-bird is a general favorite, and deserves to be attentively cared for. He is particular, and should be fed and watered at the same time every day. His cage should be large, and kept very clean, with plenty of gravel. His food should be Our Prepared Food. — It is for mockino-birds and all long-bill or soft-bill birds ; has been used for a great many years, and is pronounced best. It is in bottles all ready for use ; in the boxes it requires the addition of equal quantity of grated raw car- rot. The box-food lasts longer, and so is cheaper. A good way is to feed the two kinds alternately. A few ant's eggs, soaked and mixed with the food, is very beneficial. They can be had of us. A little sweet-apple grated up with the food gives it a fine flavor, and often restores tlie appetite when it is poor during moulting, and hot weather. During moult- ing, add ants' eggs and meal-worms to food, daily. A Supply of Insects should be gathered during the proper season, such as flies, grasshoppers, spi- ders, &c., and put loosely in a paper bag, and hung up to dry ; and, when used in winter, they should S6 MOCKING-BIRD FOOD. have boiling water poured over them, wh ch willl soften them, and make them as palatable as if they, were still alive. A grasshopper thus prepared is ai Thanksgiving dinner to your bird. Zante currants, the same as used for cake, washed clean, soaked 1 over night, and wiped dry, also make a dainty i morsel. Meal-Worms give a bird a great deal of life, and,, being the richest of food, should only be givem occasionally, say six to ten worms in a month. Everyi owner of a soft-bill bird should raise a stock of! meal-worms. The process is very simple, and con- sists in first taking an old box or jar, and placing:: therein a quantity of bran or meal, — in fact, any fari- naceous meal, — a few biscuit or part of a loaf of bread, a few pieces of leather from an old, worn-outt boot or shoe, and some woollen rags ; place thereim a few meal-worms, — say fifty, — and then cover thet opening tightly with a thick cloth. If this cloth iss moistened with water occasionally, they will breed: faster j and, if not disturbed, at the expiration of fromr four to six months, you will have thousands. ' MocKiNG-BiRDS HAVE DISEASES. — Should your^ bird's feathers stand loosely all over, and he still seem healthful, give him cooling food only. Should your bird be dumpish and stupid, a few spiders will usually cure him. Should he refuse to eat, examine his tongue, and you probably will find on it a horny scale: this must be removed with great care, as, ifi allowed to remain, your bird will surely die. Td remove this scale, hold the bird on his back firmly; MOCKING-BIRD DISEASES. 87 with one hand, and, with the finger-nail of the other hand, gently peel this scale from the tongue. Care- fully watch the bird's droppings, and immediately apply the cure for illness. DiARRHCEA IS CURED by a very rusty nail placed in his drinking-cup, and the reverse by insect food, 01 water with a few ants' eggs soaked in it. Blind- ness is not to be cured ; and the bird thus attacked will shortly die, its spirit being broken by the illness. During the month of May, sometimes earlier, all birds have what is called the Mating Fever. — They grow melancholy, allow their feathers to grow rough, cease to " plume themselves " before retiring, waste away, and die. All lovers of birds must have observed that a bird never goes to sleep without arranging, just before dark, every feather. The uniformity and tedious ness of a bird's life, confined in a cage, that was not bred in one, is the cause of this mating-fever. They have an ungratified sensual desire. In many instances they forget their inclination for freedom and a mate, by simply changing the cage, and hang- ing near a window, where their time will be taken up in watching new surroundings. Mocking-Btrd Lice are a great annoyance to n bird, and should be gotten rid of. This is besi done by placing the bird in another perfectly clean cage ; then steep some fine-cut chewing tobacco in water, and, with a very weak solution, wash the bird very thoroughly, particularly under the wings j then place a white cloth or towel on top of the cage. 88 BIRD-LICE AND IMPROPER FOOD. and they will crawl up, and in a few days you will be rid of them. Clean your cage very thoroughly before you replace your bird therein ; and, with proper attention to cleanliness, you will not again be troubled with them. Experience has taught us that nine-tenths of tht ailments of birds are caused by improper feeding. Bits of sugar, candy, daily green food, grapes, meat from the table, — all are bad for any bird. Birds need plain food, regularly given. Seed-birds require seed free from dust; other birds, food mixed daily in clean vessels. A bath should be given the mocking- bird daily ; and the vessel should be removed from the cage when the bird has bathed. You can soon teach any bird to bathe directly when you give him his bath, if you give it to him at the same hour each day. If irregular yourself, the bird will contract the same habit. These remarks on the mocking-bird will also apply to the thrush, starling, lark, nightingale, robin, black- cap, and, in fact, all the family of soft-bill birds. In doctoring your sick bird, ascertain as nearly as possible what his complaint is, and apply the rem- edy ; if it does not succeed, try another. Birds have been known to be at the point of death with cos- tiveness, when a small spider has been forced down their throats, and a large knitting-needle, dipped mto oil, inserted into the passage as an injection, and the bird caused to fly a few feet, when imme diate relief followed, and in a few hours the bird was again in song. THE GROSBEAK. The Rose-breasted Grosbeak, though a very elegant bird, is but little known ; yet few of our domestic birds much surpass him in sweetness of song, or beauty of plumage. He sings by night as well as by day, and the notes are very clear and mel- low. His great rarity accounts for the fact that he is so seldom seen caged ; yet no bird can be more highly prized ; the bright carmine breast, and deep black and snowy white body, forming such a rich contrast. Caged, he becomes very tame in a short space of time, and, being well contented in confine- ment, lives many years. He usually keeps in the best of health if fed upon nothing but canary-seed. If hemp or unhulled rice (unless necessary) is fed, he will eat until it is with difficulty that he can move from the bottom of the cage. 89 THE VIRGINIA NIGHTINGALE. "Give me but Something whereunto I may bind my heart, Something to love, to rest upon, to clasp Affection's tendrils round." Mrs. Henians. The Virginia Nightingale, sometimes called the Virginia red-bird, sometimes the cardinal, is a native of the Southern States, and one of the handsomest birds of the New World. His color is of a brilliant red, with the exception of the throat and the part round the beak, which are black. The head is orna- mented with a tuft, which he is capable of raising, giving a very commanding appearance. Together 90 t VIRGINIA NIOHTTNCxALE. 9 1 with his beautiful plumage, this bird is gifted with a very sweet, pleasing song, or rather whistle, which sounds almost like the playing of a flageolet, being very pleasant to the ear. He is very hardy, and easily taken care of. He is also very tender-hearted, and kind in feeding young birds even of a different species, when placed in the same cage. One belong- ing to an old woman at Washington earned for his mistress a large sum of money by rearing a number of young birds of other species placed under his charge. He should be fed with a mixture of canary and hemp seed, and rough (unhulled) rice, to which may be added a little fresh green food, or a piece of apple occasionally. When properly treated, this bird often attains the age of fifteen years ; though he will fade away from the beautiful scarlet to a delicate shade of pink. A lady who has had a pet Virginia nightingale for some years says he is still in the highest health and beauty; she feeds him upon canary-seed, giving him a few hemp-seeds, four or five meal-worms, or spiders, grubs, or caterpillars every day. He is fond of Spanish nuts, almonds, walnuts, and Indian corn, but cannot crack the nuts. A piece of salt and a lump of chalk are always kept in his cage, and she gives him opportunity for a daily bath. The salt causes the bird to retain his bril- liancy, and the chalk keeps him regular. T'^iJi' '''\\ THE BOBOLINK. The Bobolink received his name from a peculiar song of his own, in which he expresses very dis- tinctly the words " bob-o-link " several times in suc- cession. They are found all over the United States in the summer season, in great numbers, but migrate southerly when cold weather approaches. Their song is a confused, merry jingle of notes, of about the quality of the canary, but without any method whatever. They are easily domesticated to cage-life, and, when fed on nothing but canary-seed (no hemp), will sing about eight months of the year. They are hardy, and will live many years. The author owned one that was sent to the World's Fair in 185 1, and, after taking the first prize in Europe, came safely back to America. 92 -\"*' I THE AMERICAN LINNET. The Red Linnet, a beautiful singing, or we might say whistling bird, is one that should be as univer- sally kept as the canary. His song is equally as sweet ; and he will sing for ten months of the year, or the whole season, excepting during the time of moulting. The song consists of a variety of low, sweet-sounding notes, which are never harsh to the ear ; and if kept near other birds, the power of imi- tation being very good, he will soon add many beauti- ful notes to the already sweet song. In confinement he becomes very tame, and, if fed sparingly, will live a number of years. He should be fed exclusively on rape and canary seed, and, at times, a short allowance of that. If hemp-seed is fed, very soon he has a giddiness followed by epilepsy, and shortly after by death. He is fond of bathing, of two kinds ; first, like the sky-lark, in plenty of gravel, and second, in water ; and a bath must be given daily. 93 THE AMERICAN YELLOW-BIRD. " Blooming trees, and bubbling springs ! Bless me, how that wild-bird sings ! " The American Yellow-Bird, or what in reality is the American goldfinch, is a beautiful lemon- colored bird with a black cap and black and white wings, and has always been a favorite with every- body. He is a pretty thing to look at, and has many graceful attitudes when jumping about in a cage ; or, as we once heard a countr3avoman say, who was a great lover of birds, " He has such a many winning ways with him, that one can't help liking him, if even we try." Then to say nothing of his singing, although that is very pleasant to listen to, — a little deficient in variety perhaps, not so quick in picking up tunes as a few other birds, — still he can do no end of things which better singers cannot do ; and, in a wild state, his song has a brisk, cheerful, heart- stirring ring. Thousands are caught every season by means of trap-cages, using almost any bird for a decoy. If fed upon maw, millet, and a little canary- seed (the two latter should be soaked a little), and otherwise treated as a canary, he has been known to live ten years in confinement. THE NONPAREIL. A merry welcome to thee, glittering bird ! Lover of summer flowers and sunny things ! A night hath passed since my young buds have heard The music of thy rainbow-colored wings, — Wings, that flash sparkles out where'er they quiver, Like sudden sunlight rushing o'er a river." The Nonpareil is what his name indicates, — " without an equal ; " being one of the most beautiful cage-birds, and needs only to be seen to be admired*. He is called by many authors the " painted finch " or " painted bunting," and is also spoken of by Buffon as "the pope," on account of his beautiful violet hood. I have a beautiful specimen of the bird, which at the present moment has a violet head 96 THE NONPAREIL. and neck, a red circle round the eyes, the iris brown, the beak and feet brown, the upper part of the back yellowish-green, the lower part of the back, and the throat, chest, and whole under part of the body, as well as the upper tail-coverts, of a bright red ; the wing-coverts are green, the quills reddish-brown tinged with green; the tail is reddish-brown. He is about the size of the English robin, and very much resembles that bird in his attitudes and character- istics ; and his song, though not powerful, is very agreeable. He is fed upon canary and millet seed, and is exceedingly fond of flies and spiders, which he ought to have to keep him in health. If I offer him one, he darts across the cage to seize it, and takes it from my hand fearlessly ; and, when allowed to fly about the room, will catch flies for himself, either pouncing upon them in the window, or taking them on the wing in the course of a rapid dash across the room. He is a sociable bird, and very inquisitive, hopping about on the table, and examining every- thing he sees ; and, when tired of his sudden flights about the room, will go to a vase of flowers placed before a mirror, and warble away to his image re- flected in the glass. This bird is very fond of bath- ing, and should therefore be daily provided with a bath ; but, when allowed to fly about a room, care must be taken not to leave a pitcher, or any large vessel with water, within his reach, as he is very apt lo attempt to bathe, and might get drowned. THE JAPANESE ROBIN. The Japanese Robin. Perhaps, not the least among the beauties and pleasures which our present commercial relations with the empire of Japan afford, are the gorgeous plumage, elegant songsters, so quickly introducing themselves, and so completely charming us. The Japanese have reduced the breeding of birds to a science ; so that one may take any color or even shade to a bird-breeder, and in a short space he will show you a fledgling of just the desired hue. But the natural colors of the robin far surpass those which can be obtained by domestic breeding in cages. " The head of the robin is a bronze-green ; beak yellow ; body the color of a mourning dove ; eyes black, with a circlet of white ; throat ecru tint of yellow, shading on the breast into orange ; wing-feathers black, with parti- colored stripes of gold and white ; and tail-feathers glossy black, barred with white so clear, that the bird looks as if he had just been out in an April 98 THE JAPANESE ROBIN, flurry of snow." For this description of colors we are indebted to Mrs. Dr. G. Kimball of Lowell, Mass. In size, the bird is similar to a bulfinch ; has an eye large, mild, and genial, and every movement is graceful and sprightly. In such a Venus of shape and beauty, we usually expect little or no music ; but listen ! he utters a low prelude. You whistle a responsive call, which he never fails to answer ; and as the sun now rises, and its rays gleam on his square, golden palace, his full, strong melody surprises you. On, on he sings. Now you are delighted ; then rap- ture follows delight, as trill and warble and merry run follow in quick succession. His voice compasses all the notes and semi-tones contained between the low contralto and high tenor. Every day he delights with new and surprising com- binations, as well as notes totally different from any before uttered. Some day from the porch he hears a wild bird's tender song or delicate trill, and forthwith makes it his own, and yours too in pay- ment for a little care and petting. He whistles every month in the year. Though not reared in a cage, he is tame and teachable, never quarrels nor complains, eats with keen relish the prepared bird-food, and occasionally wants a few meal-worms or ant's eggs. Being very hardy he has few diseases. Carrot grated and mixed with his food once or twice a week, keeps him in good health and song throughout the year. Hi^ c:\ge should be square, about medium size. DIAMOND SPARROW. CUT-THROAT SPARROW "The birds around me hopped and played : Their thoughts I cannot measure ; — But the least motion which they made, It seemed a thrill of pleasure." Wordsworth. Diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires are beautiful gems ; but the living gems, the beautiful little crea- tures known as finches, far outshine them. I can never forget the day that I first saw these darlings. America is the home of the humming bird and lovely nonpareil ; Europe sends us her loved songsters : but to Africa, India, Asia, Australia, and Japan are we indebted for the dear, sweet, lovely little creatures, marvels of beauty that they are, known under the name, somewhat arbitrarily applied, of African finches, and Japanese nuns. 99 AFRICAN FINCHES. " Caged at my window the little birds sing, Wild with delight at the coming of spring." Among the various colors we have the ashen gray, turquoise blue, crimson, ruby, emerald green, mal- tese, the rich reddish brown, the wine color, the cinnamon and white, invisible green, and black and white, the orange and slate, the delicate fawn ; in fact, colors of every conceivable hue, many of them shaded with a darker color of the same, giving the effect to the plumage of scallop shells, laid one over the other. Added to these you have the little white Chinese finch, the coal black Cuba finch, the coral red finch ; and among them all you have the neutral tints of every color. " To charm the sense, and soothe the pensive heart, And bid sweet dreams and gentlest fancies start." These finches are thoroughly happy in each other's society, and sit all together in a row, packed as closely as possible, caressing and pluming each other. If you place a small box or nest in the cage, and supply them with cotton-batting, thread, or horse-hair, they will make a charming little nest, which, if the weather be cool, several will occupy, " cuddling " closely together, often sleeping for hours. The pleasure to be derived from watching the little creatures is certainly very great. Most of them are the sweetest songsters ] and it seems at AFRICAN FINCHES. lOI times, as if there certainly was a singing school, and each was striving to see how long he could sing, and how great a variety of notes he could utter. Those who are confined to the house can profit- ably spend days and weeks in familiarizing them- selves with this, the most interesting branch of natural history. And the price has now become so reasonable that all who have the taste — and who has not ? — can have it gratified. A ten-dollar bill will purchase a brass cage, and four or five small birds or finches. Before America was blessed with an assortment of these pets, our own loved poet, Bryant, wrote, — And thou wert still a hope, a love ; Still longed for, never seen." During the past five years there has been a per- fect revolution in the bird trade ; and Bryant's wish has been more than realized, for at any well-kept bird store large family cages can be seen, and their occupants, — " Birds from every clime." Among the various finches we will describe such ones as are usually first selected. ST. HELENA WAXBILL. AVADAVAT. " These musicians excel in their wonderful art : They have compass of voice, and the gamut by heart." The Avadavat. — This little well-known beauty comes to us in great numbers. They are natives of China, Asia, Africa, and India. Their plumage is beautiful ; and, unlike most other birds, they change plumage yearly until the third year. At this time, the head and under part of the body are a fiery red tinged with black, the back brown, tail black, wings a reddish brown ; all the feathers are tipped with white, giving the bird the appearance of being speckled with white spots ; beak red, the upper mandible on the top being almost black. " A little bird sang on the tree ; His song was joyous, glad, and gay." The Gray-Blue Finch. — This bird has a song that seems a mixture of the canaries' and bobo- I02 THE ORANGE-CHEEK WAXBILL. IO3 finks', but very much finer than either of these much- admired birds. " Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight." He will mate and rear his young in the aviary, ad- hering to the tropical spring month, — November, — raising beautiful young birds in our mid-winter. The Silver-bill, or Quaker bird, has a pretty warbling song, and will often dance upon the perch, as if keeping time to his melody. When kept in couples, they are very affectionate, and devote the greater part of their time to caressing each other. ** And hear the sound of music sweet, From birds among the bowers." The Orange - Cheek Waxbill is a beautiful, smooth little bird, always as neat as possible, with every feather in its place, vermilion beak, gray head, neck and throat brown. The Zebra, or orange - breast waxbill, is quite small, but very pleasing ; and, as he is scarcely three inches long, he is considered desirable. The Chestnut Finch is another choice bird, and one which will speedily become a favorite. The whole body is of a rich chestnut-brown, both above and below ; the upper and under tail coverts white, and the tail black. The Magpie Finch is one of the little beauties with a bottle-green head, brownish back, white I04 JAPANESK NUJNT. throat and breast, always neat and trim, and a songster. *' From perch to perch the magpie hops, And chirrups as he flies." Nuns, both black and white capped, often called African manikins, are a really beautiful bird, their white head forming a rich contrast with the choco- late brown and black bodies. An aviary is hardly complete without one of each. Japanese Nuns are a beautiful combination of the purest white, intermingled with the much ad- mired cinnamon color. These pets, being bred in cages, are very tame, of a quiet disposition, and sing so merrily that you would think two songs were striving for united utterance. " There's a concert, a concert of gladness and glee ; The programme is rich, and the tickets are free." Not less beautiful are the brown and white, and yellow and white, charming pets that they are, and with which you would not part. The Cordon Blue, native of Africa, or, as some call this well-known finch, crimson-ear waxbill, is one of great beauty. The male has a soft, pleasing song, and is usually to be heard cooing, as if for his own amusement. This little fellow has a pe- culiar habit of singing with a bit of twine, or some- thing which he can hold, in his bill. If he can find a piece of cotton, or a stalk of any kind, he will hop about his cage, and sing to his utmost. I JAPANESE NUN. CORDON BLUE FINCH. Thou hast no sorrow in thy song, No winter in thy year." The Cut-Throat Sparrow, a native of Africa, sometimes called " fascinated finch," is about half the size of the canary. He is of a delicate grayish- fawn color, spangled with white spots. " Come, little bird, and live with me, You shall be happy, light, and free." The St. Helena Waxbill. — This finch comes to us from Africa in great numbers ; and, being com- paratively well known, our description will be brief. The beak, a bright red resembling sealing-wax, a darker shade of same passing through each eye ; also a dash of same on under part of the body : the prevailing color of the plumage is a grayish-brown, 105 Io6 THE DIAMOND SPARRO^V. the wings and tail being a shade darker ; all the feathers have transverse blackish wavy lines all over them, giving them a very soft and silken appear- aiice. The Diamond Sparrow, or " spotted-sided finch," a native of Australia, is a short, stout bird, some- what larger than the St. Helena waxbill. The un- der part of the body is white, and the sides under the wings quite black, with oblong white spots. They have the utmost desire to catch flies ; and, if allowed the liberty of a room, will rush to the win- dow, and remain by the hour catching them. They can be made remarkably tame, and can be trusted without their cage. The Fire Finch bears a strong resemblance to the avadavat at certain seasons of the year. He is somewhat larger, but has little song, being kept particularly for beauty and cheerful disposition. The Saffron Finch is in many respects similar to the canary, though not quite as large. In point of color, however, the finch is more desirable, as the shades are of brighter tints. " The tropic sunshine from his golden wings." The above comprise a variety of the family of fiuches. There are, however, very many others, which can be obtained at any well-kept bird store. They should be fed upon millet-seed, and given a bath daily ; care should be taken that they are kept II- a warm room, and, if possible, in the warm rays FINCHES, THEIR CARE. 107 of the sun. Cayenne pepper, sprinkled on the sand in the bottom of the cage twice a week, will be found beneficial. They are fond of the sun, and delight to bask in its warmth. Their ailments are very few, and these few are about the same as those of the canary and other seed-eating birds ; for treat- ment of which see article on canary. Care must be taken not to leave them exposed to cold draughts or the dampness of the night air. With the above precautions, all these birds can be kept in the aviary for many years. So far as possible in a volume of this size, the description of finches will be found complete. These birds are all suitable for the aviary ; but the following birds can be placed with them by those who desire to make a more extended collection : canary, goldfinch, linnet, bulfinch, chaffinch, siskin, American goldfinch, indigo bird, nonpareil, song sparrow, Java sparrow, Australian paroquets, love birds, mountain finch, rose bunting, Virginia night- ingale, rose-breast grosbeak, Brazilian cardinal, sparrow, and many others. Of course the bird family, like all others, is liable to domestic troubles. Sometimes a bird of certain species will become troublesome, and destroy the quiet and happiness of the entire family. When such one is found, he should be taken out, and exchanged at a first-class bird-store for another of his kind : by this means the aviary will become a model of quietness and harmony. I08 BIRD-SEED. I Bird-seed. — Very few persons are aware ho' much a bird's health, and consequently its song, depends upon the selection of seed. There are as many qualities or grades of canary-seed as there are qualities or grades of flour. Is all flouf alike? If it is, then all seed is alike. The qual ity of canary-seed is usually based by dealers in seed upon the price per bushel, — it varying from $6.75 to $8.00 at present writing (Jan, 1875). The very best seed is the Sicily Canary. — It is a very plump and heavy- feeling seed, and is extremely palatable to the bird. A sample of this seed — enough to last one bira two months — will be sent by mail, prepaid, on re- ceipt of twenty-five cents. The German Summer Rape-seed is excellent for birds, and should always be given them. It is their only food in Germany, where they are reared, and, being of a very cooling nature, will always keep the bird in excellent condition ; though, if fed on this exclusively, he will not sing as much as if his seed were mixed with canary, — the canary giving the bird life and animation. A package of clear RAPE, or rape and canary mixed, will be sent the same as the clear canary, and at same price. The next seed which is used, and often by persons en- tirely ignorant of its nature, is Hemp-seed. — This is a very rich, oily, sweet seed, and very much loved by birds of every species. When mixed with other seeds, the bird never fails to scatter all other around the room, searching BIRD-SEED. 109 tor this dainty morsel, and, so long as he has one seed, will not taste either rape or canaiy. This, being the richest of all seed, should be fed very sparingly. If the bird is in health and song, nevei give hemp ; for it only fattens, and, if constantly fed, ^ill ruin the song. Occasionally a bird seems deli cate, and is a very small eater : in such a case give a few hemp, — an^ only a few, unless the bird be a long breed, in which case give about a thimble- ful, not oftener than twice a week. Goldfinches and siskins are fed upon Maw-seed, sometimes called poppy. These two lit- tle climbing birds have very soft bills, — that is, the young birds, — and it is with difficulty that they crack rape and canary seed, unless it has been previ- ously soaked, until the birds are at least two years old. All birds are great lovers of maw-seed ; and it must be fed sparingly ; for, being a powerful opiate, they will feed upon it until they drop from the perch from its intoxicating effect. The few birds that require this seed, besides the preceding, are the bulfinch, canary, and occasionally some other seed eating bird ; for which see Treatment of Birds. The next seed used is called Paddy, — unhulled or rough rice. This seed is fed to most of the seed-eaHng birds of the rice-fields of the Southern States, and also those that come from China, Java, or in fact from any part of the world that rice is grown. All of the family of grosbeaks are particularly fond of it, as is also the Java spar- row and rice bird. Our native bobolirk is not I lO BIRD-SEED. averse to a bountiful supply ; but, with the feeding ; of this in any quantity, his vocal powers are ruined For the family of finches. Millet-seed is used exclusively. It is the size and color of mustard-seed, ver}^ sweet ; and birds thrive remarkably well upon it, though many of them will also eat readily of rape and canary seed. This seed, being nutritious, can be fed to any seed-eating bird, and without detriment to them. The only other food required is Cracked Corn and cracked wheat. This is fed principally to macaws, parrots, paroquets (of the larger species), cockadillos, cockatoos, lories, &c. The corn, being of a heating nature, should only be given in small quantities. By the present postal laws, seed can be sent safely through the mail ; and all orders intrusted to us will be filled with the very best quality, and the largest possible amount forwarded for the money sent. To those living remote from a bird-store, and de- siring one of "God's joyous warblers," it is with pleasure that we here state that they can be safely sent by express to any part of the United States oi Canadas. All any party need do is to give an ordei to an express company, accompanying the same with a five-dollar bill, — this is very important to the express company, — and for this sum he will procure you a first-class singing canary. I am aware that many people are reluctant to trust a bird to the supposed rough handling of an expressman. The i TRANSPORTING BIRDS. Ill expressman may handle a trunk roughly, and thro^ packages around in a careless manner, but nol the little innocent bird. Could you but see, as the author has so many, many times, on a cold, bleak winter's day, an ex- press-messenger, clad in an ordinary under coat, drive to the store door, and take from his wagon a package of birds closely wrapped in his overcoat^ re- marking as he placed the package within the door, "I could not bear, Mr. Holden, to see the little things suffer such a terrible day as this." Or had you been with the author one stormy night last winter, when coming eastward from New York by steamer, upon which was a large shipment of birds in charge of the Adams Express Company, you might have seen the messenger, on arriving at Fall River, carry the package with the utmost care inco the cars, and place it near the stove in that part ot the car usually occupied by himself. The comfort and safety of these helpless, creatures was to him of the utmost importance. Having some curiosity, I asked him why he was so particular about the package, he replied, without knowing to whom he was speak- ing, " Ah, sir, I love those little birds ! they can- not take care of themselves, and God knows my first duty is to them." A call at the office of the com pany revealed the fart, that the messenger was Mr. David Crowley, one of the three survivors of the fated 'Lexington," which was burned in 1S42. The large bird importing houses have shipped nearly half a million l?i?'ds ; and this immense number 112 TAMING AND TRAINING. without any loss worthy of mention. If our ex perience is worth any thing, do not hesitate to order; for the express company will always pur- chase at the point nearest your residence, and get them to you with as little exposure as possible. Almost all fanciers take a delight in having theii birds so tame that they will not only take their food from the hand, but will readily fly to, and remain with, the person from whom they daily receive atten tion. When wild birds are first caught and placed in a cage, it is not well to begin at once upon their education. It requires some little time for them to become accustomed to their new mode of life : the change of food, together with a diminishing of their usual exercise, so changes the fluids that the bird is not in a healthy condition, and is therefore wholly unfit for mental training. There are some birds which seem thoroughly in- capable of learning the important fact, that their at- tendant is their friend. When it is discovered that such is the nature of the bird in hand, it is as well to give up all hopes of attaining favorable results. Patience will, however, accomplish much ; and it is best to give a long and careful trial before pronoun- cing final judgment. Young birds can be taught more easily than old ones. Yet with siskins, gold- finches, Java sparrows, and chaffinches almost any age will answer. One of the best ways to teach a bird to fly and return, or to go out pf doors perched upon the finger or shoulder, is first to tease it with a soft feather in its cage, leaving the door open. The TAMING AND TRAINING. II3 bird at first will appear frightened, but, on finding that no harm is intended, will peck at the feather, vhich should be quickly withdrawn. The bird, soon thinking that it has mastered the feather, thereby gains confidence, and will peck at the finger : soon it will come out of its cage, and perch upon the hand. A few choice morsels should be laid down for it ; and in this way it will soon learn to eat from the hand itself. The bird should then be made ac- quainted with some call, which should invariably be used whenever the training is going on ; after a short time the bird can be placed upon the shoulder, and carried from one room to another, care being taken to close the windows and outside doors. In this way it will speedily become accustomed to being handled, and can be allowed to fly about the room, inviting it to return by the previously-arranged call or whistle. As soon as it attends to the call with- out appearing nervous or frightened, it can be taken into the open air, and gradually accustomed to being carried abroad without its offering to fly. Adult birds should not be carried into the open air in the spring or in pairing time ; for at this sea«:on of the year they show indications of resuming ^heir native wildaess. A siskin, goldfinch, or canary can easily be tamed by cutting away more or less of the inner web of the pinion-feathers, care being taken that the bird shall have sufficient power to fly from the hand without injury. The nostrils are then smeared with any essential oil, — bergamot is as good AS any, — which will render it partially insensible for a 114 TAMING AND TRAINING. I time. It should then be placed upon a finger, and changed from one to another. It may fly a fe\^ times, but should be brought back, and kept upot the hand until the effects of the oil have wholl) passed away, when the bird, finding no harm is in tended, will sit quietly. A few crushed hemp seeds should be given for its good behavior, and the above repeated from day to day until a satisfactory result is obtained. Hunger will speedily teach a bird to take food from the hand. Place it in a small cage, — one that has a door large enough for the hand to pass through, — then remove all food. In a few hours tr}- putting a seed-dish into the cage with your hand : if the bird flutters wildly about, and refuses to accept your offering, remove your dish, and wait a few hours longer. You will not be compelled to remain long in suspense, for two or three trials will generally effect a good result. After food has been accepted from the dish, try your hand ; and as soon as you have convinced your pupil that only from you can food be procured, and to you, and you only, must he look for all his goodies, a friendship will be formed which he will not be first to break. Birds that are desired to be tame should be talked to and made of : they should be placed upon your writing-table, and every now and again a little notice taken of them. It is surprising how speedily these little fellows will learn the difference between neglect and attention. Some of the best birds which have been placed on exhibition have been those owned by tailors and shoemakers, who, owing to the nature TAMING AND TRAINING. 115 of their business, could keep their feathered pupils constantly with them. Thus far I have spoken only of taming these " little dewdrops." They are capable of still greater things, and can, with little or no coercion, be taught to pel form many amusing tricks. The goldfinch and siskin may be taught to fire off small cannon, to imitate death, to draw up their food and water in a little bucket. The apparatus consists of two lines of broad, soft leather, in which there are four holes, through which their feet and wings are passed, and the ends are held together beneath the belly by a ring, to which is attached a delicate chain that sup- ports the buckets containing the food and drink. A bird thus equipped will draw up the chain by its beak, retaining the draw links by its feet, and thus succeeds in obtaining what he wishes. A cage can be made with a bay-window, in the floor of which have a hole : across this place a narrow bridge of wood, to which attach a small chain or piece of cord to hold the bucket, which should be about the size of a thimble. By drawing up the bucket filled with water, and letting the bird drink, then lowering it and pulling it part way up, he will soon acquire the habit of working at it. And, by gradually leaving a longer and longer length of chain between the bridge and the bucket, the bird will soon discover that he must pull the chain up into the cage, and hold it after it is there ; and he readily comprehends the necessity of holding the chain with his foot. As 80on as this is done, his education is complete. I!6 TAMING AND TRAINING. Birds which are taught in this way never forget, and are always unhappy if out of their cage. Care should be taken to see that the working of the ap- paratus is not hard, and that it is always in order, otherwise a serious result might follow. A chain attached to a little wagon may be drawn into the cage and held in the same manner; and the bird may be taught to ring a bell by suspending it in a corner of the cage, and leaving him without seed until he is hungry, pulling the string attached to it and ringing it, and putting some favorite food into the glass. He will soon discover, that, whenever the bell rings, he gets his food, and will seize the string and ring it whenever he is hungry. A few words of advice to those about purchas- ing a bird. All lovers of birds desire one with beautiful plumage, as well as one gifted with exqui- site powers of song. There are times when it is impossible to secure both advantages in one bird, and, when this should be the case, always select the bird for his beauty of song, never for plumage. In visiting a bird-store to make a purchase, — perhaps your first one, — if the dealer has a large stock, and there is an incessant singing, it is almost an im- possibility for any person to select just such a bird as he desires. One that the purchaser may think is an elegant singer may, after you have him alone, prove to be only a " twittering " bird, and his song composed of only six or eight notes. Again, you may select a bird for a sick friend who desires something quieting, — something that will sing TAMING AND TRAINING. 117 "words of comfort for hours of sorrow •" you may possibly select just such a bird ; but nine times outol ten you are liable to select a loud, shrill singer, whose notes seemingly pierce the brain. How are you to obtain that which you so mud: desire ? You have a friend whose bird just suiis you; but that particular song you cannot by any possibility select in a bird-store. You have but one resource left; and that is, your confidence in the dealer : tell him plainly what you wish ; and, if he has such a bird, you may depend upon his giving it to you ; for he knows, even better than the purchaser, just what is required ; and he will strive to please you, thereby not only gaining your esteem, but also the patronage of your friends, whom you will as- suredly send to "your bird-store." One source of great annoyance to a dealer is, after having select- ed such a bird, for the purchaser to turn to some other patron {always a perfect stranger) and ask his or her opinion of the bird, and then take the advice of a person whom they never saw before, and proba- bly will never see again, and select a bird which the dealer knows is not what is desired, and in a few days — a week at furthest — return to exchange it ; when, by taking the dealer's first selection, and holding no conversation with a stranger whose knowledge of a bird may have been as profound as the bird's knowledge of him or her, thereby causing a " little unpleasantness " between dealer and patron, which was as needless as it was unnecessary. Many persons have an idea that a bird with cleai Il8 TAMING AND TRAINING. yellow feathers is the best singer, while others main tain that those with dark-green feathers are the best, and yet others think that a mottled bird is the best singer ; and many times it is hard to convince people otherwise. Upon inquiry, we find these ideas usually based upon the fact, that a friend of theirs once had a bird such and such a color, and it was a very fine singer, and they have been repeatedly told, that that colored bird was the best singer. To those who labor under this delusion we will simply state, that there are birds of every color that are in- ferior singers, and also those of every color that are very superior singers. The fact is, a bird's feath- ers have no more to do with his song than a lady's dress has to do with her voice. If a lady cannot sing with a plain dress, I doubt very much whether a moire trimmed with real lace would give her that much-wished-for accomplishment. In selecting a cage for a bird, always look first to his comfort, never forgetting that he is our little caged prisoner, and our first duty is to make his prison-life happy. The canary and many other birds will live happily in a cage of any size or shape ; while there are many birds that must be confined in a flat-top cage \ others again that must be kept in a cage the top of which must be of wood. The bird-dealer is always the best judge of the kind of cage best adapted to a bird's requirements ; and, if you follow his advice, you cannot go amiss. The improvements made in cages for the comfort of its occupant during the past three years have been very many ; and, in mak- I I BIRD-CAGES. II9 ing these improvements, style also has been consult- ed. We have the beautiful moresque, the Chinese pagoda, the Swiss cottage, the mansard, gothic, and in fact styles after every order of architecture, and many of them are very beautiful, and certainly pleasing to the eye. A bird's comfort, however, should be consulted a little, never forgetting that he is your caged prisoner ; and your first thought always must be to make his prison life happy. Very few who own a " Little dewdrop of celestial melody " give a moment's thought to the fact that many of the song-birds require vastly different cages. A canary will pour forth his chant in any cage in which you place him. True, he loves a large cage, and will fly from one end to the other for joy. He will even take a bath several times a day if the oppor- tunity is given him, and plume his feathers times without number. All this he will do, as well as eat, and sing occasionally. Should you keep such a bird for a pet, such a cage would answer every pur- pose: if you keep the bird for his song, then he must be kept in a small cage. Owners of feathered songsters must have ob- served that many of them constantly flutter then wings, and look up as if about to fly upwards ; others again look up, and turn their heads backwards, until you think they will fall backward, which they sometimes do. Did it ever occur to the owner of such a bird that he was not in a suitable cage ? foi 120 TRAPPING BIRDS. such is the fact. To those who have not studied this branch of natural history, and buy for the first time a bird and cage, ahvays take the bird-dealer's advice as regards the cage. Your bird will then sing readily, remain quiet, and not fly as if afraid of his life, and ruin his plumage the first day that you possess him. TrappiN''". Birds. — Bird-dealers are constantly re% ceiving orders and calls for "bird-lime." This article is made from the inside bark of the holly, — a tree almost unknown in this country, though very plentiful in England. A substitute for this can be made by boiling linseed-oil away to about one-third the quan- tity you start with. It is a very dangerous operation, and should never be done in a house, its explosive qualities being fully equal to gunpowder. It will make a very strong bird-lime, and hold any small bird that lights upon a twig that has been smeared with it. Unless, however, the trapper is near at hand to remove the bird at once, he becomes besmeared all over his body and wings ; and it is almost impossible to remove it until the bird moults, thereby, for the time being, ruining the sale of it. A far better way is with a trap- cage, and a bird for a caller ; and, if you can obtain a blind bird, he will sit quietly, and call all day long, and many, very many more birds can be taken than if the bird had his sight. Wrapping Birds. — There are very many people who think that a bird will " smother " if covered up closely. Such, however, is not the case. A dealer knows better than any one else possibly can. And, if the purchaser would only remain quiet until the WRAPPING BIRDS. 121 package was ready to deliver, he or she would always discover that the last thing done was to make a few small holes in the top to let out the hot air, but by no means let in cold ; if so, a bird would assuredly catch cold. And lastly, I will say to all who now own birds, or ever expect to, that all they require is suit- able seed, as you have been informed in the body of this work, clean water for drinking and bathing daily, gravel-paper or sand on the bottom of the cage, a little green stuff or sweet apple once in three or four weeks, — not oftener, — and nothing else. Tobacco Smoke is not, as many suppose, injurious to birds. A little occasionally is beneficial. To CLEAN A BRASS, SILVER, OR GOLD PLATED CaGE, always wash with a sponge or piece of old towel, using clear cold water, and wipe dry. The surface of these cages being varnished, if hot water is used, they will have the appearance of being spattered with milk, which can never be removed. If they are scoured the same as brass-ware ordinarily is, the varnish will be removed, and the cage commence to corrode, and require polishing daily. Silver Plated and Bk^ss Cages can be refinished in two days, and made in appearance equal to new. Cages are refinished in silver for ^2.00; in brass, ^i.oo. SEEDS, FOODS, AND MEDICINES. The health and song of birds depend on the quality of seeds and foods: I sell only the best. PER QT. Seed, canary, Sicily, best quality, clean $0.20 " rape, German summer, best quality, clean 20 " millet, domestic, " " " 20 " " French, " " " 40 " maw, " " " 25 " padda, or urihullcd rice, " " " 20 " hemp, Russian, " " " 20 " canary, rape, equal parts, mixed for Canaries 20 " cracked corn 20 " hemp, cracked corn, padda, and sunflower, mixed for Parrots. . .20 Ants' €ggs 1. 00 Maw-meal 25 Packages of seeds, ants' eggs, or maw-meil, will be sent by mail, on receipt of 25 cents or 50 cents; largest packages, $1 00. Fresh seeds of the best quality can thus always be promptly had. Cuttle-bone, large each, $0.05; by mail, $0.08 Meal-worms per dozen .o5; per hundred, .40; by mail, .50 Food, prepared, either moist, ready for use, or dry, requiring grated raw carrot per qt., .35 Food, moist in bottles, or dry in boxes 40 " moist or dry, packages by mail 25, .50, or i. 00 Red food, for coloring Canaries red .... per box, $1.00; by mail, 1.12 Gravel pint box, .05; quart box, .10 Gunning's Tonic, a liquid not mailable, to tone up weak birds . . . .25 Holden's Song Restorer, a nourishing food by mail, .25 Bird Treat, or Appetizer per package, by mail, .15 Lime, to use in catching birds per box, .25; by mail, .35 Holden's Bird-Cures, carefully prepared after a long experience in the care of all kinds of birds, are recommended for birds which are out of song, either because they are sick, or are infested with vermin. We put these powders up in suitable form for mailing, and send them to any address, with full directions for use with each package, postage prepaid, for .25 per pack- age; or five packages of Cures or Insect Powder, $1.00. The whole seven are sent on receipt of $1.40. Holden's Bird-Cure No. i . . . . For Diarrho2a. " " No. 2 . . . . " Constipation " " No. 3 . . . . " DebiUty. " " No. 4 . . . . " Cold or Moulting. " " No. 5 . . . . " Asthma, or Loss of Voice. " " No. 6 .... " Sore Feet. " " No. 7. German Powder, for Insects. 122 G. H. HOLDEN, BIRD IMPORTER. 240 Sixth Avenue (near 15th St.), NEW YORK, N. Y 9 Bowdoin Square . . BOSTON, MASS. 100 Lake St. (near Dearborn St.), CHICAGO, ILL. HOLDEK'S LIST OF BIRDS, CAGES, ETC. My birds can be bought from me only in the above stores. No pedlers or agents are employed; any one representing himself as such is a swindler. Birds and cages are sent everywhere safely by express. Money can be sent by bank-draft, by money orders which can be had of the Express companies, by Post-Office order, or in a registered letter. Postage- stamps are accepted for any article sold for $1 00 or less. Guaranties. — Birds, cages, seeds, etc., are guaranteed best quality. Special orders are taken for all kinds of rare birds. German male Canaries, guaranteed to sing to suit, each $2.50 to $3.00 St. Andreasberg Canaries, trained singers, each $5.00 to $6.00 Campanini Canaries, fine grade singers, __ each $8.00, $12.00, $15.00 " " best, imported to order eacl $25.00, $40,00, $50.00 Canary-bird, English, red, singer, each $8.00, $10.00 to $12.00 Females, red each $4 00 to $5.00 Canary-birds, Gold or Silver Spangled Lizard, singers, each $10.00 to $15.00 Females, same kind, each $5.00 to $8 00 Canary-birds from Norwich, Eng., large, deep golden, high green, and fancy colors, each $4.00, 6.00, and $8.00 Females from Norwich, each $2.00, $3.00 to $5.00 Canary-birds, Manchester Coppy, the largest breed of canary singers, each $10.00 to $15.00 Females, same kind, each $8.00 to $io.oo Canary-birds, Scotch Fancy, singers, each $10.00 to $15.00 Females, same kind, each $8.00 to $10.00 Cinnamon Canary, in perfect color and song each $5.00, $6.00, and $8.00 Females, same kind, each $2.00, $3.00 to $4.00 Canary-birds, olive-green or golden-brown, singers, each $5.00 All female Canaries of the ordinary colors, each $1.00 High-colored females, deep gold or olive-green, each $3.00 to $5.00 Canary that pipes a tune, each $50.00 to $150.00 The above prices for males and females apply to the German birds and the English birds, all imported, which are the finest songsters. Long-Breed Canaries, sometimes called Belgium or Antwerp birds, males or females each $5.00, $8.00 to $10.00 The above prices rei'er to imported stock. Half Long-Breed Canaries, domestic, male or female, each $4.00 to $3. 00 Special orders are taken for finest Campinini canary singers, extra l^rge Manchesters or other prize canaries, and extra piping bullfinches. 123 124 G. H. HOLDEN S PRICE-LIST. Bullfinch, unlearned, each $3.00 to $5.00 " that pipes one tune, each $15.00 to $25.00 " " " two tunes, each $40.00, $50.00, $60.00 " phrasing, echo songs, etc. each $75.00, $100.00, $150.00 Black-Cap Warbler, each $5.00 to $6.00 Blackbird, each $8.00 " that pipes one tune, each $25.00 to $40.00 Brazilian Cardinal, each $5.00 " " a very choice songster, $8.00 Goldfinch, each $2.00 " a very choice songster, $3-5o to $5.00 Goldfinch Mule, each $5.00 to $8.00 " " a very choice songster, $10.00 " " " " " and high colored or clear white, each $10.00 to $20.00 Chaffinch, each $2.00 to $3.00 Japanese Robin or Pekin Nightingale, each $6.00 to $7.00 Java Sparrows, each $1.50 to $2.00 " " white, each $5.00 Sky-Larks, each $4.00 to $5.00 " choice songsters, each $6.00 to $10.00 Wood-Lark, each $5.00 to $8.00 " choice songsters, each $15.00 Linnet, Gray or Brown, each, $2.00 " " " choice songsters, each $3.50 to $5.00 " Green, each $3.00 " " choice songsters, each $5.00 Nightingale, English or German, each $10.00 to $20.00 " choice songsters, each $25.00 Siskin, each $1.50 to $2.00 Starling, each $5.00 to $8.00 " that pipes one tune, each $20.00 to $40.00 Talking Minor, or Musical Grakle, young, each $20.00 to $25.00 " " well trained, each $50.00, $100.00, $150.00 Troopial, each $8.00 to $10.00 Thrush, each $8.00 " choice songsters, each $10.00 to $15.00 All the above are imported birds; and the highest prices quoted should purchase the choicest bird of its kind in any part of America. The following birds are suitable for the aviary: Avadavat or Amandava, Bishop Finch, Banded Finch, Cordon Bluefinch, Cut-throat Finch, Celestial Finch, Cuba Finch, Diamond Sparrow, Fire-finch, Fascinated Finch, Indian Sparrow, Indian Silver-bill, Clear White Japanese Nuns, Brown and White or Cinnamon and White Japanese Nuns, the Little Doctor, Magpie Finch, Napoleon Finch, Negro, Nun (both black and white capped) Quaker Finch, Rockhampton Finch, Strawberry Finch, Spotted-sided Finch, Saffron Finch, St. Helena Waxbill, Spice Birds. I'he preceding birds range in price from $2.00 to $5.00 each, and are im- ported from Europe, Asia, and Africa. G. H. HOLDEN's price-list. 125 Paroquets, Australian, pair, $6.00 to $8.00 " Red Face Love Bird, pair, $7.00 to $8.00 " other kinds, each $2.00 to $5.00 Parrots, African, Gray fyoung birds), each $12.00 to $20.00 " '« " talkers, each $25.00 to $75.00 '• " " extra fine talkers, each $100.00, $200.00, and $300.00 " Double-yellow Head, young, each $15.00 to $20.00 " " " *' talkers, each $40.00, $50.00, $100.00, $200.00 " Half-yellow Head are about 25 per cent less. " Blue Front, each $12.00, $15.00, $20.00, $35.00 " Maracaibo, each $7.00, $8.00, and $10.00 " Cuban, •ach $4.00, $5.00, and $6.00 " Dwarf, tame and learn to talk, each $3.00 to $10.00 Bobolink (wild), t-ach $1.00 to $1.50 " in song, each $2.00 to $3.00 Cardinal Bird or Virginia Nightingale, each $3.00 to $5.00 Scarlet Tanager, each $3.00 to $5.00 Grosbeak, rose-breasted (wild), each $3.50 to $5.00 " in song, each $5.00 to $8.00 Indigo Bird (wild), each $1.50 " " in song, each $3.00 to $5.00 Linnets, red (wild), each $1.00 " in song, each $2.00 to $3.00 Mocking-Birds (nestling), each $3.50 to $5.00 " " one-year-old, in song, each $10.00 to $15.00 " " two-year-old choice songsters, each $20.00 to $50.00 Nonpareils, each $3.00 to $5.00 Robins (American), each $3.00 to $5.00 " Golden, each $3.00 to $5.00 " Redbreast, European, each $3.50 to $5.00 Red Bird or Virginia Nightingale, each $3.50 to $5.00 Yellow Birds (American Goldfinch), each 75 cts. to $2 00 Enamelled Cages, with patent doors and fastenings, each 50 cts. to $3 00 Mocking-Bird Food (box or bottle), 40 cts.; by mail, 50 cts. Ants' Eggs, half pint, by mail, 25 cts. Gravel-paper, 12 sheets, 25 cts.; by mail, 37 cts. Lovers of birds, living remote from our large cities, and desirous of ob- taining any article pertaining to birds and cages, can procure the best quality from me at the lowest rates. I2t) G. H. holdp:n s price-list. All cage measurements are from wire to wire. The following list of prices refers to chart at end of book: — No. Price each. diameter of body , 6 in. $o.7t; 7 " 7-1 " 1. 00 « 1 .25 << ,< 8\ " i.!;o u << "I 9 " 7l " 83 " 9 " 9 " 134 li'S 12I " 1 .^u << .< i.i;o .< 1.75 « 2.00 « 3-75 b. dy, 74 X io.\ x " 63 X gl X 1 2.";o very strong . 1. 00 " 7 X lo X 13 " " . . 1.50 " 73 X loh X 13', " " " . . 2.00 " 63 X 9lx 12 " with drawer 1.25 " 7 X ID X 12I " " " 1-75 7:1 X 93 X 13^ " 3.00 73 X 93 X 13 " with drawer 3-25 73 X 93 X 15 " " " 3-25 " R V TO V 14.1 " 14 " -J 0- " 8 X 10 X with drawer . J'-D 3-50 " 9 X 104 X Hh " 350 " 9 X io3 X i4i " with drawer . 3-75 " 74 X 95 X 15 " " " 3-50 S^xii^x 16 " " " 3-75 " 9 X 103 X i4 " " " 350 93 X 12 X 15 " 4.00 " 9^ X 12 X 16 " 4-25 '•' 9 X iiix 16 " with drawer 4-25 " 9 X II^X 16 " " " 4-50 " 9 X 12 X .54 " " " 4.50 " lo.T X 13 X 18J " for breeding 5.00 7 X 13.V X 22 " wheel for canary 6.00 " iiS X 14^ X 17 " for Bullfinch . . 500 " II XI33X 16^ " for Paroquets . . 6.00 " 14.^ X 20 X 21 " for Mocking-Bird 9.00 " 14 J X 23I X 23 " for Mocking-Bird 10.00 " i3.\ X i6i X xSi " for Cardinal . . 8.50 " 14.^ X 20 X 21^ " for Mocking-Bird 12.00 " M^ X 23I X ^3h " for Mocking-Bird 13.00 " 144 X 31 X 24 " for Mocking-Bird 16.00 /B " fA " JB " jC •' Brass Banded Cage, strong, for Parrot. Tinned wires, heavy zinc base ; the best low-price cage made ; diameter 12 inches, $2.50; 13 in., $3.00; 14 in., $4.00; 155 in 5.00 t40. B " C " [d " G. H. HOLDEN's price list. 127 No. 129. Brass base, body, iron, 14 x 17 x 24 in. high, for Parrot . . $7.00 *' 130. " Cage, 15 inches diameter, for Parrot 8.50 " 131. " " body, 15 X 18 X 254 in. high, for Parrot . . . 9.50 „ ^ A Brass Cage, body, 15 x 18 x 21 high, for Parrot . . . 10.00 I B " " " 15 X 22 X 225 " << " ... 11.00 " 133. " " " 15 X 22 X 264 " '' Cockatoo . . 15.00 " 134. Parrot Stand, 3 feet 6 in. high, iron foot, $6.00; brass foot . 7.00 " 135. " " 3 feet 10 inches high, $9.50: with swing . . 11.00 " 136. Cover, fits stands 134, 135, all brass, with door 6.00 Dwarf Parrot Stand, brass, $5.00; cover, $2.00; complete . 7.00 " 137. Brass Cage, body, 6^ x g\ x 12I high, for 4 small birds . . 2.25 " 138. " " " 9 X II X 13 " " 6 " " . . 4.00 " 139. " " " 10 X 13 X 175 " " 10 " " . . 8.00 (A Brass Cage, body, 13 x 16 x 19 high, for 16 small birds 10.00 B " " " 12 X 22 x 215 " " 20 " " 15.00 " 145 X 235 X 27 " " 25 " " 18.00 " 20 X 29 X 32 " " 40 " " 35-00 Revolving wheel inside B, C, or D, extra, $3.50; dome, extra, $4 00 No. 141. Iron Cage for Chip, for Red, for Gray, Squirrel, $3.00, $4.00, $5.00 <, ( A Brass Cage, body, 15 x 18 x 21 high, for Squirrel . . 10.00 f B " " " 15 x 22 X 21 " 2 wheels .... 12.00 " 143. Tinned wire, wood frame, sizes 8 X 10 to 13 X 24 . $1.40103.00 /A Samematerial,forbreeding, body 9x16 in., $1.50; 10x18 in. 2 oo* " 144. H H H 0) ^^ DO K- so o 2 tsi » w > w » CQ t-< H o o s tTJ M o ^ n H • W W 1°^ D « r r H W c/5 ::d o > < m > z o tTQ Q § m o* •^. K o § "» B 01 «• » » c « t3 2 111 § i i' B o"^ «• g cr — • 2 > ^. P eg § I H 0*5 r S r - JO ^ o I CO o •-i O o o o 0' ^ ■% ""-C ^. ,^x~ .p. «> •^0 0^= ^V 'c^. ^^^ e^_ ^^i^-^ \\^' .-Jy'' -^ .\^ A .. 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