BIRD NEWS 



tJJe roller canary, 



(Continued). 

 Hemp-seed can only be used to a 

 limited extent; it is too cloying and 

 renders a bird fat and indolent. Can- 

 ary-seed may be used under much the 

 same terms. When moulting, or the 

 birds are not in song, this seed may 

 form part of the daily diet. It is 

 too stimulating; it forces song but 

 at the expense of ultimately produc- 

 ing a "cracked" voice. Better omit 

 this seed if long sustained singing is 

 aimed at. A trained fancier can tell 

 by the tone of the bird's singing whe- 

 ther or not the bird has had too 

 much "crazy-seed," for the cocks be- 

 come much excited and ring out high, 

 sharp notes, as harsh as a rasping 

 buzz saw, and as inharmonious as a 

 stump orator. 



It is unnecessary to say that next 

 to food cleanliness and ventilation 

 are most important in the "making 

 of a roller." The general rules of 

 management must be along the lines, 

 as recorded in the serial article upon 

 the canary. Breeding stock must al- 

 ways be the best. A good "strain" 

 must be the "hall-mark" permitting 

 a desirable "brand" of birds being 

 secured. After the young birds have 

 been taken out of the aviary, it is 

 best to cage the hens by themselves. 

 The young cocks must be so plac- 

 ed that they cannot see any other 

 birds. Note carefully the attempt 

 these latter make at singing. A bird 

 that "shapes" well, i. e., shows a 

 good full throat, firm on the perch, 

 at the same time free from stiffness 

 in action, will be worth watching. 



The roller-warble is a throat note 

 and a youngster giving this, at the 

 same time keeping his "mouth shut" 

 is probably a master singer in em- 

 bryo. Attention to the schoolmaster, 

 which of course is hidden, is also a 

 worthy trait and deserves recogni- 

 tion. Caging off is the next forward 



step and perhaps there is not one 

 thing in bird-dom which demands 

 more tact and experience, plus that 

 invaluable intuition, that personal 

 equation in the fancier, which is of 

 more value than much fine gold. The 

 individuality of the bird must now be 

 judged, its physical and mental qual- 

 ity. One bird will be precocious, an- 

 other shy, one frail but nervy; an- 

 other robust but whimsical and so 

 along the entire gamut of possibili- 

 ties. The non-recognition of these 

 "personalities" has blighted the ca- 

 reer of many a "lost star." 



Broadly speaking, the longer the 

 youngsters remain in the flight cage, 

 the better, it makes bone, muscle and 

 general tone. Never attempt remov- 

 ing any of the birds until they are 

 hard on seed. Presumably all is 

 well, the moult over and October al- 

 ready upon the calendar, you may 

 take your pupils place them in the 

 training cages — and then learn to la- 

 bour and to wait. 



Once education begins, the bird be- 

 comes a veritable victim of discipline. 

 Small wire cages, a trifle larger 

 than the well known wooden import 

 cage are best. Every precaution of 

 hygiene must be observed. The train- 

 ing cages are best placed in rows so 

 that the birds can see each other. 

 Outside interruption must be avoid- 

 ed as much as possible. Absolate iso- 

 lation will in some temperaments 

 produce such "shyness that the bird 

 becomes useless as a performer. Soon 

 after the pupils have become atten- 

 tive to the schoolmaster, they must 

 be penned off, that is, partitions plac- 

 ed between the cages, so that each 

 bird will work out his own standard, 

 uninfluenced by the sight of a com- 

 petitor. Very soon the skilled fan- 

 cier will begin to pick out his birds, 

 and classify them as to voice-charac- 

 ters. 



Roller singing is music, and a mu- 



