Any other Variety of Canary. 357 



sop, made with stale bread soaked in milk, squeezed dry, and 

 sweetened with manna. If the patient refuses this food, a 

 little moist sugar or honey is substituted for the manna, but 

 the latter is considered preferable. The peppermint is pre- 

 pared by pouring hot water over the dried leaves and allowing 

 them to infuse in a warm place for a couple of hours, when 

 they are strained through a piece of muslin. It is prepared 

 fresh every day, or every alternate day at the farthest, and 

 given in place of the drinking water. The Germans never 

 give their birds cold water to drink, they give it lukewarm, 

 and if a bird is in health they get a little egg food every 

 day or every alternate day, as they believe that it induces a 

 bird to eat its seed more freely. The Germans consider that 

 a newly-imported bird should not have a supply of sand given 

 him, and only very sparingly after he becomes acclimatised 

 until he gets accustomed to it, as otherwise it will kill it. I 

 cannot see the danger, nor understand the logic of this advice, 

 as birds cannot be kept in health without a supply of sand 

 or grit, but I reluctantly tell what the Germans say. Another 

 thing about which they are very particular is the temperature 

 in which their birds are kept. It varies from GOdeg. to 

 65deg. Bird dealers in this country keep them in a much 

 higher temperature, say, from 70deg. upwards; the warmer 

 they are kept the more freely they sing, but the greater 

 the heat the sooner they will be brought into moult, when 

 they cease to sing, so that a moderate use of heat is pre- 

 ferable. 



If a bird becomes too vivacious and begins to " scream " 

 he is gradually put into outer darkness, the cage being covered 

 by degrees with thick cloth until the light is entirely excluded. 

 After a few days he is allowed to have a little light, and if 

 he still " screams " he is again covered. After a few weeks 

 of this treatment he will understand the reason and refrain. 

 The great cause of failure among many fanciers of these lovely 

 songsters in our country is attributed to the manner in which 

 they are fed and treated, and more particularly is this the 

 case with imported specimens. The Germans hnve made a 



