CANARIES 217 



that of its noisier relative. It consists of a series of soft, 

 sweet trills known as " tours," to each of which has been 

 given a name, such as " hollow-flute," " bell-roll," " water- 

 roll," etc. This little bird's voice really is indescribably 

 charming, and no one who has heard it would ever again 

 value the song of another canary. 



Rollers are bred, trained and selected with the greatest 

 care. As soon as the young cocks have completed the 

 molt, and commenced twittering, each is placed in a sepa- 

 rate cage, in a partially darkened room. An old cock, 

 known as a " schoolmaster," selected for his perfection of 

 song, is now introduced, and from him the young birds learn 

 the most desirable trills. Should one develop a false or 

 harsh note, he is removed at once, lest he ruin his neigh- 

 bors. The schoolmaster is often assisted by the bird organ, 

 an instrument on which it is possible to produce many of 

 the runs. 



The best Rollers still are bred in Germany, in the vicinity 

 of St. Andreasburg. English and American breeders have 

 taken up breeding rather extensively, but the best school- 

 masters are difficult to obtain, as they are highly prized in 

 Germany. 



Rollers are exhibited at most cage-bird shows, their judg- 

 ing being a matter of considerable interest. Each bird is 

 kept in a small cage, enclosed in a decorative wooden box, 

 the doors of which are kept tightly shut. When the time 

 for judging arrives, the contestants are removed to a quiet 

 corner, where no sound will interfere with accurate hearing. 

 The doors are then opened, one at a time, and the occu- 

 pant, if well trained, at once bursts into song. The adjudi- 

 cator, with the greatest care, listens to the performance, 

 marking each bird according to its ability, and deducting for 

 faults. It may well be believed that only a most experienced 

 person may qualify as a judge of Rollers. 



