500 



JOUBNAL OF HORTIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



C June 18, 1874. 



artist's materials is all very well, but I hold that the birds in 

 the class which I support are iinished pictures of themselves, 

 and at the same time materials for others. 



A perfect Mealy in every respect is a more beautifully coloured 

 Pouter than any of the standard colours ; and such beinf^ my 

 decided opinion, I would join in agreeing to add it to the stand- 

 ard classes. I must again go over part of the ground by repeat- 

 ing that mismarked Pouters are not birds fit for any but the 

 Selling class. I esteem them valueless, and often worse than 

 valueless, as their mismarkings can seldom hehreH permanentl i/ 

 out. They will turn up every now and then in coming genera- 

 tions ; still there are always exceptions to this as well as to other 

 rules. Now here is the mistake. Mr. Wallace insists upon 

 classing with the mismarked standard-coloured birds perfectly- 

 marked Mealies, Sandies, Chequers, Silvers, Duns, &c., and 

 sending the whole into the Selling class, which is I think absurd, 

 and will not be allowed by the fancy. Why, five-sixths of the 

 whole Pouter fanciers in Scotland keep those " off coloured " 

 well-marked birds, and therefore they are, according to Mr. 

 Wallace, excluded from our shows, or forced to offer their birds 

 for sale at a nominal price in the Selling clas^i. I do not require 

 to tell Mr. Wallace that the standard-coloured Pouters are in the 

 hands of a very few in Scotland, that the few may be counted 

 on the ten fingers, and, according to his argument, the shows are 

 to represent the property of the few only. I do not think this 

 is the way to encourage the ** young or poor " fancier, or meet 

 the grand question of the '* bread and butter." 



My friend, " Wiltshiee Rectok," proposes smaller prizes for 

 Pouters other than standard-coloured birds, and that the 

 Splashes be excluded altogether. Well, I should never think of 

 dictating to committees on the former at all ; let them treat as 

 their means will allow ; but, then, if the prizes are good for 

 those birds they will find the classes pay all the better. As to 

 the latter, there are often some nicely-marked birds among 

 them, as in marked Canaries, and others are verging on pure 

 whites, with, for instance, a grizzled point of the tail, and they 

 are often so handsome as to be perfection in form, the imper- 

 ative in the true Pouter, not to mention the wonderful size to 

 which some of them attain. Why, then, exclude such birds'? 

 A fancier suggested to me that they might have a separate 

 table. Well, be it so, or a separate room if you will, but do not 

 exclude the produce of the season's labour of some "young or 

 poor " fancier. I know this will draw out the sympathies of 

 my friend, and hope my argument will also show up the " off- 

 coloured " birds to him in a better light — their true light. 



But "Wiltshire Rector" says, "I want progress and ad- 

 vance towards perfection." We all want this, and none more 

 so than myself. Taking this for granted, then, we must en- 

 courage the breeders of the very birds that do, and only can, 

 help us on to that much-envied goal. We want our friend here, 

 not to hang over a show for a day and a half, but for two or 

 three weeks, and will promise to show him pictures before they 

 have been painted, which will change his views altogether, and 



we will also give him a lesson in pure Scotch. — James Huie, 



E.iRLY-LAYiNG Brahma Pullet. — I think it may be interesting 

 to mention that one of our Dark Brahma pullets, hatched on the 

 2Sth of January, laid her first egg on June 7th, being only four 

 months and ten days old.-— E. Peel, Bock Ferry, Cheshire. 



THE CANARY.-No. 2. 



Mules. — A female Canary will mate with several varieties of 

 birds, and their offspring are called Mules. The males from 

 some of these crosses are line singers, and command high prices 

 on account of their beauty and song. These Mules mated again 

 with the female Canary are prolific. Among the varieties of 

 birds employed in producing Mules may be mentioned the 

 Linnet, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Siskin, Redpole, and Bluebird, 

 besides several other varieties. 



Before placing the male and female Canary together, this 

 precaution should betaken: — The female should be put in the 

 breeding-cage and hung on one side of the room, while the male 

 should be suspended directly on the opposite side of the room, 

 in a separate cage, in sight of the female. When he sings and 

 calls to the hen bird, and she returns his call, then they can be 

 placed together, and though they may at first quarrel, it will 

 only be of short duration; they will soon become reconciled 

 with each other and will mate. When the male is observed 

 feeding the hen, you may be certain it is right. 



After having been mated about a week the hen will lay from 

 four to six eggs (one each day), and will sit from fourteen to six- 

 teen days, bringing-out one bird per day, in the same order as 

 the eggs were laid. Never disturb the eggs, or they will not 

 hatch. 



The birds may be mated during the months of February, 

 March, or April. There should always be placed in the mating- 

 oage a piece of mortar for the formation of shell, or the hen may 

 lay Boft-sheU eggs. There in also required some untwisted 



manilla rope, cut into sections of 1 inch in length, with, perhaps, 

 an addition of a small quantity of deer hair, for the formation 

 of a nest. 



After the young are hatched, if the male bird gives his mate 

 too much attention, or is quarrelsome, he should be placed in 

 his own cage until the young are nearly feathered and leave the 

 nest to feed themselves. After they have perched a few nights 

 they can be separated from their mother and the male re- 

 turned, and another brood reared, which operation may be re- 

 peated until seven broods are raised in one season. 



Food tor Young Birds. — As additional food for young birds, 

 besides canary and rape seed, they should be allowed hard- 

 boiled egg and cracker rolled fine, and fed to them in small 

 quantities several times each day. The same food should he 

 given to the old birds during the breeding season. When the 

 young birds are able to crack seeds, which they will do at six 

 weeks of age, the soft food can be replaced by cracked seed or 

 soaked rape seed. Hemp seed should never be fed, as it will 

 kill them. 



Never allow two crested birds to pair, as their progeny are 

 liable to be bald or malformed about the head. 



One male bird will serve half a dozen hens during the breed- 

 ing season. This plan, in my opinion, is more certain to raise 

 young birds. The parent birds can occupy a small room with 

 nests fastened to the wall, with material handy for constructing 

 nests, also food and water. A German friend pursues success- 

 fully this plan every year, and it is marvellous to note his success- 

 in raising young. 



Some Canaries will never mate; nothing will reconcile them. 

 In this event another hen should be tried until one is found that 

 is disposed to assume the responsibility of rearing a family. 



The female bird builds the nest, and the male selects the 

 location and carries the nesting material to his mate. In con- 

 structing the nest the female is in constant motion, and by her 

 loving manceuvres invites her mate to the act of pairing. 



The eggs are of a sea green colour, more or less spotted and 

 streaked with reddish-brown and violet. The male sits on the 

 nest, relieving the female a few hours each day during the period 

 of incubation. Should either of them become addicted to the 

 vice of breaking their eggs, they should be bountifully fed with 

 egg and bread, which should be constantly kept within their 

 reach. Should they persist, the eggs should be removed as fast 

 as laid, and their places supplied with artificial ones. 



When the young are hatched the male assumes the chief 

 responsibility of feeding them, which consumes most of his time. 

 Instances are recorded of talking Canaries. One is mentioned 

 by Professor Hawkins ; a bird that was exhibited in the streets 

 of London a few years ago. Mr. Sothly, in a communication to 

 the Zoological Society of London, gives a description of a talking 

 Canary, owned by a friend, that can whistle a few bars of " God 

 Save the King," and also repeat a few words, as " Minnie," 

 " Kiss Minnie," ka. 



Not many years ago a travelling showman will be recollected' 

 as exhibiting, in the streets of the principal cities, some per- 

 forming Canaries. They were taken from the cage and placed 

 on a small stand, dressed in diminutive clothes, some harnessed 

 in a waggon, another driving, and others riding in the carriage. 

 At a given signal the coach started, and at the ringing of tho- 

 bell they stopped to be put into their cage. They were again 

 placed upon the table to exhibit their proficiency in drill. Alt 

 were arrayed in regimentals, guns being held in one claw, one 

 bird acting the part of drill-master, and when he whistled a> 

 few notes the soldiers hopped on the other foot, keeping time. 

 Finally the performance ended by one of the number firing a- 

 diminutive cannon. 



Dr. J. M. Bechstein, in his " Natural History of the Birds of 

 Germany," and who is an acknowledged authority, relates the 

 following instance of their sagacity, and remarks that instances 

 are known in which they have not only been taught to repeat 

 short words distinctly, but to distinguish colours, numbers, 

 letters, (tc. He also says — " I once saw a female in posse.'^sioii 

 of a person named Jeanlot, of Befort, in Alsace, which selected 

 from the alphabet and placed in order the letters of certain 

 words, added, subtracted, and multiplied in German, and in- 

 dicated, by means of numbers, the exact time of a watch. He- 

 had also three males with him, which were able to select letters 

 and numbers which were named. Hunger had been the chief 

 mears used in the education of all." 



Diseases and Treatment. — Canaries are subject to diseases 

 as well as the human family, which also yield to medicinall 

 agents. 



Moulting is a critical period, and great care should be exer- 

 cised at such times to keep them from being exposed to draughts 

 of air, and to see that they are abundantly supplied with food 

 and water; a change in diet is very beneficial. A piece of 

 boiled carrot should be given them often, also a little hard- 

 boiled egg, which should be left on the shell, for this will keep- 

 it moist longer than if crumbled in a dish. A little saffron put 

 in water will assist them to cast off their plumage, and a nail 

 dropped into their water will serve as a tonic. .-Vs a consequence 



