196 REED-BIRD. 



doubt, had they lived, they would have 

 been wonderful for their powers of song, 

 as well as strangeness of plumage. The 

 disease of which they perished I believe 

 was "surfeit," which was caused from 

 their being fed entirely upon Indian-meal 

 paste, owing to the difficulty of obtaining 

 canary-seed during the summer of 1841. 



They should be kept in a comfortable 

 room during winter, carefully guarding 

 them from draughts of air at the periods 

 of their moult, which occur every spring 

 and fall. 



They may readily be obtained in any of 

 our markets, at the low prices of from 37 J 

 to 50 cents each, during the summer and 

 fall, or of some of our fanciers, who have 

 accustomed them to the cage, at one or 

 two dollars each. 



