INTBODUCTION. 



THIS work is designed to be a help to those who keep birds for pleasure, or breed 

 them for profit. The greater part of the space devoted to each bird contains the 

 essential facts respecting his food and care. The two subjects, food and care, 

 being thus fully written up, it can be readily inferred that the subject usually com- 

 bined with them, namely, diseases, would require little attention. And the author 

 would like to sharply outline this fact for each reader, that if " Food and Care," as 

 indicated for each bird, are properly read, " Diseases " will not prevail. 



But there always will be some sick birds requiring attention, and they must not 

 be neglected ; for this reason these pages contain a large number of recipes, many 

 of which have been used for years with success, and are now for the first time 

 published. 



The articles on Canaries, Mocking-birds, Parrots, Finches and Nuns, and our 

 native wild birds, have been made very complete ; and it is hoped they will prove 

 especially valuable. The directions for mating and rearing many kinds of birds 

 not generally bred here iu cages, such as the smaller seed-eating birds, as well as 

 the soft-billed birds, and Paroquets and Parrots, are drawn from the experiences of 

 European breeders of wide reputations, and with due regard to the habits of the 

 birds in their wild states. 



An attempt has been made in each article to indicate the peculiar traits of the 

 bird, and this idea has been expanded in the several comparative tables. Buyers 

 unfamiliar with the different birds will find in the tables suggestions which will aid 

 them in selecting desirable specimens. 



The black-and-white illustrations of birds have been drawn with care from life- 

 subjects. 



The colored plates were made under the author's own supervision, and exactly 

 represent in color and outline the subjects portrayed. 



We are indebted to Mr. W. W. Caldwell of Boston for several good poems ; to 



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