12 



BIRD NEWS 



It is a rich, strong food and its 

 quality plays and important part in 

 the voice culture of the singing can- 

 ary. The amateur, especially if am- 

 bitious to raise roller canaries; those 

 great vocalists of cage bird "pro- 

 fessionals," will soon be forced to 

 recognize that the song muscles of 

 the roller can not long withstand 

 the over-stimulation of the strong 

 diet, which proves to be only daily 

 bread to the husky Yorkshire or 

 Cinnamom. 



We have already spoken of the 

 gloss or polish on canary seed. This 

 gloss may be natural or artificial; 

 if the latter, the seed will taste 

 musty and smells like rancied oil. 

 Such a condition should prohibit its 

 use as food for cage birds. Rape 

 seed is a valuable adjunct to the 

 menu and its quality is most impor- 

 tant. It is a round, black seed, and 

 readily lends itself to substitution or 

 adulteration. Many kinds of seeds, 

 similar in appearance, but much dif- 

 ferent in character, are included un- 

 der the name "rape." For our pur- 

 pose, it is well to remember, that 

 for the finer breeds of canaries, es- 

 pecially so closely caged, it is best 

 always to use the smaller red or 

 summer German rape, not the big, 

 black, coarse seed generally known 

 as English rape seed. Rape es- 

 pecially of this type, is at all times 

 more or less acrid and purgative; 

 it frequently is the cause of an epi- 

 demic of diarrhoea in the bird room. 

 This may be largely avoided if the 

 above hint regarding the grade of 

 the seed be kept in mind. Many 

 fanciers used it only, as "washed;" 

 i. e., running cold water over it 

 several times until the water runs 

 off clear, and then jilacing the seed 

 in a fine sieve in an airy place thus 

 making it ready for use next morn- 

 ing. 



Hemp seed is another food with 

 a "bad name." This seed is too rich 



for every day use, but is excellent 

 in cold weather or as a "pick-me- 

 up.' The oil it contains renders it 

 a rapid fat former, and a fat bird 

 is no more successful as a songster 

 than a fat man is as a sprinter. 

 Go gently on the hemp, and crush 

 it when you do use it. 



Maw or poppy seed is essentially 

 a medicinal seed and should not be 

 used as a routine food. It is help- 

 ful to breeding hens, young birds, 

 and mopy specimens. These latter 

 rs well as diarrhoeic victims will 

 often respond rapidly to a bit of stale 

 bread, milk-soaked and peppered 

 with maw seed. 



Millet seed is rarely enjoyed by 

 canaries, but an occasional teaspoon- 

 ful in the seed box or spray stuck 

 in the wires will form a change of 

 diet or be an amusement to the birds. 

 Many fanciers have recently spok- 

 en favorably of Inga or nigra, that 

 long, black spindled-shaped seed. 

 It is oily, and is thought to be very 

 helpful to breeding hens, as a pre- 

 ventative of egg binding. Singers 

 with some lioarseness also seem to 

 be benefitted by its use. For this 

 latter we have found a pinch or 

 two of lettuce seed, better liked 

 and more effective. 



Plantain, or rats-tail is a plea- 

 sant change, and adds a nice 

 treat through the long winter days. 

 It is best gathered in the fall, dried 

 in a cool, airy shed and then placed, 

 stalk and all, in clean jiaper bags. 

 Kept dry it is good for several 

 months. 



Green food, groundsel, charlock, 

 chick weed, letttice, dandelion leaves, 

 shepherd's purse can all, when clear, 

 fresh and dry, be added to the bill 

 of fare. Fresh or crushed sunflower 

 seed is excellent and seems to be 

 much liked. We use it liberally in 

 our aviaries. Caged canaries must 

 not have it too freely. 



(To be continued). 



