March 19, 1363. ] 



JliDENAL OF nOllTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



231 



ments of the case, as there is no denying they are very beau- 

 tiful, anJ a great attraction in any show ; but so long as com- 

 mittees of shows offer prizes only for domesticated poultry, let 

 domesticated poultry have the prizes. — G. K. 



.\ GUIDE TO CANARYBREI:DINCx.— No. 2. 



Before proceeding to put up breeding stock, a few words 

 about breeding cages. 



The most useful for all purposes are what are called " two- 

 oonple " cages — that is, containing two compartments. JIany 

 breeder.^ use cages with a greater number of compartments 

 than this, ranging from ten to twenty or more. Kuch cages 

 are, however, nothing more than a multiplication of the 

 smaller one, with the disadvantage of being more cumbersome. 

 It is, perhaps, only a question of taste, but the smaller cages 

 have the advantage of being more easily moved, and more 

 readily cleaned — a great desideratum. The simpler the con- 

 struction the better. To a practical man there is a wide dif- 

 ference between the appearance of a cage which looks like 

 business, having every necessary appliance but no more, and 

 one which, while it may be a creditable specimen of the cabinet- 

 maker's skill, is only a useless ornament, altogether unfitted 

 for the purpose for which it is intended. 



The best cage is simply a box 3 feet long, 18 inches high, 

 and about a foot from back to front, divided in the middle in 

 the direction of its width by a fixed or moveable partition, 

 having a small door in the centre, which, revolving on a single 

 screw, will open or close an aperture serving to connect the 

 two compartments. The door of each division should be made 

 large enough to admit the hand and allow it free motion in the 

 inside for the purpose of whitewashing, an operation necessary 

 at the beginning and end of each breeding season. A still 

 better plan is to have the front attached to the cage with 

 screws, so that it can be removed at pleasure, a method which 

 affords greater facility for thoroughly cleansing than by means 

 of the door. 



The wires may be half an inch apart. There must be a water 

 hole at either end, and four seed holes in the middle, two on 

 either side of the partition, giving access to the seed hopper, 

 which must in the first place be covered so as to prevent the 

 birds throwing out the seed, and also be divided into two parts { 

 by an upright partition, as the cocks, being very pugnacious j 

 while the hens are incubating, will exchange a passage of arms 

 through the seed holes, if they can reach each other. There 

 are a great many contrivances for seed hoppers, all more or 

 less ingenious. Simplicity is, however, a great essential. The 

 main objects to be attained are a regular and certain supply of , 

 seed, so protected that it cannot be wasted, and still accessible ; 

 to the bird without injury to its head, an important matter j 

 with crested birds. A sliding bottom to the cage, with a raised 

 rim to hold the sand, with which it should be freely sprinkled, 

 will be found a simple and clean arrangement. 



Having procured such a box, proceed to give the interior a 

 good thick coat of whitewash, formed' by mixing common 

 whitening and milk — a mixtm-e which will not easily rub off. 

 Be very careful to fill every crevice. This is of extreme im- 

 portance, as the red spider, a parasite which persecutes the 

 ■Canary more or less at all times, but particularly when nesting, 

 and which is the great bugbear of breeders, to exterminate which 

 is their constant aim, and to effect which object various nos- 

 trums are prescribed, will establish itself in countless numbers 

 in the minutest cracks, leaving its hiding places after night- 

 fall to prey on the very life blood of the young birds, and re- 

 treating to its fastnesses at break of day. Having whitewashed 

 the interior, coat the edges of the box thickly, and white each 

 screw in the front, taking care that it fits closely, the whiten- 

 ing acting as a cement behind it. 



The rest of the apparatus consists of nest boxes of various 

 sizes. Wooden boxes are most in vogue in the south ; in these 

 the hen will construct her own nest from a supply of moss and 

 doe hair, which must be furnished her. In the north, how- 

 ever, tin nest boxes fitted with artificial nests of felt are 

 generally used. A few egg troughs of tin or earthenware, a box 

 about 6 or 8 inches square and 2 deep, having a bottom of per- 

 forated zinc for passing hard-boiled egg through a piece of 

 felt such as is used for stuffing saddles, and a bath, which 

 is a small cage about 8 inches square, entirely open on one 

 Bide, and containing a zinc or earthenware trough, will, with 

 a few water fountains, about complete the necessary ap- 

 pliances. 



A few other trifling accessories may suggest themselves aa 

 occasion requires, but with these necessaries the beginner may 

 '■put up" his birds, one pair in each compartment, giving 

 them in addition to their usual supply of food (which should 

 be a mixture of Canary seed and summer rape, with occasion- 

 ally a little hnseed, millet, or maw seed by way of variety), a 

 little chopped egg and crushed hempseed every day. This 

 being very stimulating assists in getting them into high con- 

 dition. 



A nest formed by cutting apiece of felt into a circular shape, 

 and splitting it in halves, as it would otherwise be too thick, 

 should be tied into a No. 1 size nest box, and the tin suspended 

 by a small nail at the back of the cage between the two perches, 

 W'hich, by the way, should not be like those small affairs sold 

 in ornamental song cages by ironmongers, but nearly half an 

 inch square, and only slightly rwunded off at the edges, afford- 

 ing the bird a secure resting place for its food without having 

 to contract its toes in an unnatural way to grasp the perch. — 

 W. A. Blakston. 



LIZARD CANARIES. 



After perusing Mr. Blakston's very sensible remarks on 

 Canaries, I would like to ask the opinion of fanciers how to 

 determine the essential qualities of a show bird in the Lizard 

 classes, and I believe I am right when I state that no other 

 variety of Canary is so imperfectly understood, or regarding 

 which there is so much diversity of opinion among fanciers. 

 I would receive thankfully the opinions of fanciers on the fol- 

 lowing questions, and also any extra remarks. 



1. Is depth of colour as much an object in Lizard as in 

 Norwich or Cinnamon Canaries ? 



2. Is a bird with golden spangles intermixed with silver, or 

 silver-tipped spangles, to be considered a show bird; and in 

 which class ought it to be entered — gold or silver, or neither ? 



3. In what class should a bird be entered that in ground or 

 body colour is almost yellow, with a cap as high in colour as 

 one of the best Mealy Norwich cocks, yet its spangles are all 

 silver ? 



4. Is it a fault or point of excellence for a Lizard to have a 

 spangled appearance on the breast as well as on the back ? 



In the latter part of IHGG a friend of mine had two Silver- 

 spangled Lizard cocks, both good-sized and excellent birds, of 

 about equal quality in size and regularity of spangles, and each 

 bird had well-shaped caps; I will term them Nos. 1 and 2. 

 No. 1 was a bird of a good buff colour on body and cap. No. 2 

 suggested my third question, for the ground or body colour was a 

 very high mealy colour, almost as good as a yellow, with a cap as 

 high in colour as a prize Mealy Norwich cock. The birds were 

 exhibited four times together 'in one class at some of the very 

 best shows, the bird No. 2 taking the first prize on two occasions. 

 There were different judges at each exhibition. On the other 

 occasions on which they were shown No. 1 was very highly com- 

 mended at one show, and took a prize at the other show; but 

 in both cases No. 2 was not even commended when one of our 

 most noted judges officiated, though at each place assisted by 

 different persons. On one of the latter occasions the bird had 

 the appearance of having been tested, to ascertain, I suppose, 

 if the colour was spurious. These two Lizards have been 

 exhibited many times besides those above mentioned, when I 

 believe I am right in stating they always took prizes. 



I noticed a Lizard last season, that with the exception of 

 having both gold and silver spangles on its back, and with 

 body colour of a palish yellow, is, in my opinion, a very good 

 bird, and has taken prizes at some of our largest shows in the 

 Golden Lizard class. This bird comes under my question 2, 

 yet I do not think it can be termed a Golden-spangled Lizard. 

 R. Hawman, 94, Marston Road, M'uhlleshorouijh. 



CONSEQUENCES OF MISBLVNAGEMENT. 



May I ask if you think it desirable for me to feed my Lign- 

 rians now, as I find them very weak ? I have never had any 

 honey from them, and I should have thought they might have 

 collected honey enough last season to keep them till summer 

 again, as the English bees have done, but I am rather frightened 

 about them. 



The English bees are now working well, but those horrid 

 Ligurians only come out in the finest part of the finest days. 

 They appear to be few and languid. As they cost so much, 

 and are said to be so good, I should like to keep them if pos- 

 sible, hoping for better times. Why are they so much more 



