266 



OUR DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



A Norwich Canary avith Gray Hikjh 



a canary on a perch will show. These perches 

 should be easily removable and should be taken 

 out often and cleaned or seeds, husks, and all 

 sorts of dirt will collect upon them and will 

 therefore become wedged be- 

 tween the toes of the bird, 

 which finally prefers the bot- 

 tom of the cage to the perch 

 which his owner does not 

 clean, and the latter then sup- 

 poses that the bird is ill ! 



As to the accessories, — 

 seedboxes, water troughs, 

 bath tubs, nests, etc., — the)' 

 come in great variety. The 

 essential thing is that thev be 

 convenient to use with safety 

 and easily kept clean. Cages 

 have a great influence on a 

 fine song bird. The canaries 

 of the Hartz Mountains will 



trill their highest notes in their little travel- 

 ing cages, while the\" nften lose their charm 

 in a more lu.xurious home. Some breeders 

 and dealers make use of specialh- con- 

 structed cages to induce their birds to sing; 

 occasionally the birds are kept entirely in 

 the shade to correct a shrill or piercing note. 



III. The Song of Birds 



This song is the subject of serious study 

 to breeders, for the song of a young canary 

 (if good origin can be improved and per- 

 fected. It is interesting to see the results 

 obtained by the Hartz breeders. 



There is much diversity of taste among 

 the purchasers rif birds. Some desire a loud 

 song, with long trills and high notes; others 

 ]5refer soft warbling, clear crj-stalline rou- 

 lades, and flutelike tones There are certain 

 faults, however, that all dislike ; as, for in- 

 stance, when the bird suddenly interrupts 

 a beautiful roulade by uttering a short, 

 brusque chap-chap or tsi-tsi. To correct 

 such faults and to improve the song of the 

 canar\-, adapting it to the taste of the day, 

 is not an easy task for the breeder; but 

 the breeding and training of singing canaries 

 will always remain a source of great revenue. 

 Thousands are exported annually from Mount 

 Saint-Andre alone (in the Hartz Mountains), 

 bringing in a revenue of from seventy-five to 



^"cll'^■G TnKrsHF.s 



