Diseases. 123 



require no other food, except to prepare them for exhibition. 

 Let them have as much fresh air as possible, and be sure to 

 give them fresh water every day, or every alternate day. If 

 there be any reason to doubt the purity of the water you 

 give the birds to drink, it is a good plan to filter rain water 

 for their use. Let the cages be roomy, and clean them 

 out frequently. Use sea sand when procurable, as the salt 

 which it contains is beneficial to them ; if you cannot succeed 

 in getting it, prepare your sand in the manner pointed out 

 in the chapter on " Canary Breeding." By observing these 

 recommendations you will seldom be troubled with diseased or 

 ailing birds. 



It is a mistaken kindness on the part of many well-meaning, 

 warm-hearted fanciers, to pamper their birds with every con- 

 ceivable luxury, and they little dream of the consequences 

 which are sure to follow such a line of treatment. It will 

 readily be seen that I am strongly opposed to feeding canaries 

 on delicacies ; so I am, and ere I proceed further I will illus- 

 trate my meaning by quoting the following facts : It is well 

 known to a great many fanciers that people who keep canaries 

 merely as singing birds, and who are totally unacquainted 

 with many of the dainties that are frequently given to them, 

 and who believe that all they require is canary and rape 

 seed mixed, fresh water, and clean sand once a week after 

 their cages are cleaned out, manage to keep their birds until 

 they attain great ages. I have known one bird live to the 

 age of twenty-three years, another to twenty-one years, and a 

 third to eighteen years; but the most remarkable part of the 

 story is that these birds were all living at the same time, and 

 kept by three different families in the same village, and within 

 a hundred yards of each other. This fact I will vouch for; 

 and I found on enquiry that they were fed upon canary and 

 rape seed, principally, commonly called black and white bird 

 seed, occasionally a little apple, and during the summer months 

 a little green food given sparingly, which latter consisted of 

 either watercress, groundsel, or lettuce; each bird had a knob 

 of loaf sugar constantly placed between the wires of his cage, 



