BIRDS TRAINED TO PERFORM 135 



veloped into a first-class caller it will prove his 

 most valuable asset in a ducking-blind. While 

 the beauty of a captive bird may appeal to our 

 esthetic sense, its practical value is measured by 

 its performance. 



Most birds, however, when captured and tamed 

 da develop some accomplishment and thus afford 

 an excuse for their taking. These achievements 

 are of many kinds, including singing, talking or 

 mimicking, and acting as barometers of danger 

 and as decoys and hunters. Birds that sing and 

 talk are the ones which are most commonly taken 

 for the cage, and of these the best known are the 

 canaries and parrots. 



The canary is a native of the Azores, Madeira, 

 and Canary islands. Early in the sixteenth cen- 

 tury it was introduced into Europe by sailors and 

 was received with enthusiasm because of its song. 

 It would be difficult to recognize in the dull-plu- 

 maged little finch of those days the forefather of 

 the modern vivid yellow bird. The wild canary 

 is far from beautiful. Above it is dark olive, the 

 only color to be seen being a slight greenish- 

 yellow tint on the rump and breast. The sides of 

 the breast are gray with dark stripes, and be- 

 neath it is dirty white. 



Despite the low-toned hue of its body, its drab 

 and uninteresting appearance, the exquisite voice 

 of this tiny songster flew straight into the hearts 

 of the people. The bird seemed to thrive in cap- 



