18 N. Taka-Tsukasa — Aviculture, in Japan


The Canary birds of Japan are chiefly the offspring of the German

Rollers and the curled-feathered race, though the latter are less in

number than the former. The breed has now become inferior in all

respects to the original stock, for new blood has not been imported

during the Great War, and therefore inter-breeding in small circles

has been the result. But fortunately we have new stock now, though

the numbers are small from the native land, so they will be soon

improved, and the Green Canaries has been imported too.


Before the Great War we had often very good specimens of Lanca¬

shire Coppy, Yorkshire Coppy, and Belgian Fancy Canaries, but they

have all nearly vanished from the cage-birds of Japan.


The Japanese did not try cayenne feeding till last year, when Mr. T.

Takano, of Yokohama, tried this experiment, and has succeeded in

getting some colour-fed birds from the Japanese stock.


We get generally two or three broods a year, but if the birds are

in good condition we have one more brood in the autumn.


Just before the breeding season comes we give the seed of Pellira

ocimoides or rape, and in the breeding season we add a little quantity

of the yolk of an egg boiled and chopped fine to the above mentioned

seed.


The history of the importation of Canary birds in Japan, according

to a “ cage-bird ” book which was published about 100 years ago,

is as follows : The Canary birds were imported many years ago, before

this book was published, but the birds were all males, consequently

the Japanese could not get any fledglings ; but about forty years ago an

European (probably Dutch) brought a pair of Canary birds to Nagasaki,

from which he got many broods. The governor of Nagasaki received

a present of the parent birds from the European, and brought them back

to Yedo (now Tokyo), and he gave them to a Shogun knight. This

knight attempted to get young birds from this jrair, but he failed the

first year. However, the next year he succeeded, and had many birds

in a few years. These birds he sold and gave away, and so the Canaries

were soon distributed in all parts of Japan.


I have little information on the subject of mule birds, but it is said

that the Canaries are crossed with the Siskins and Japanese Green¬

finches ; so far I have not yet met with such birds. I have heard

recently Mr. Takano has succeeded in getting such mule birds.



