N. Taka-Tsukasa — Aviculture in Japan



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this method of feeding, and as soon as a man comes to the cage they

open their mouths and take the paste from the spatula skilfully.

While the fancier feeds the fledglings in this manner, he sorts out the

groups again and again as soon as he finds some weaker birds in a group.


This method of rearing gives the fancier less loss than he would

have if he left them to their parents until they were old enough to leave

them naturally, and by this method he often obtains one more brood

than is usual.


The fancier needs the assistance of two or three men’s hands,

including his own, to rear about 500 to 7,000 fledglings to maturity.


The White Java Sparrow, I have heard, was produced at Nagoya,

and obtained from some common grey birds which had some

white plumes in the wing, but I think this refers to the origin of the

white bird in Japan. The white birds were probably produced in

China earlier than the Japanese birds, and it seems that there is no

relationship between the stock of Nagoya and that of China.


The Zebra Finches are also bred numerously in Japan, but this

bird is not allowed generally to hatch its eggs itself, for what reason

I do not know, but the fanciers use the Bengalee hen as a foster-mother

to hatch its eggs and rear its young. But personally I have reared many

fledglings without using the Bengalee. The Zebra Finch breeds freely

in an aviary if it has been accustomed to the aviary life, as this bird

is chiefly reared by Nagoya fanciers Avho keep the birds always in box-

cages, so its wings generally are not strong enough when it is put into

an aviary to fly about at once and freely. This bird thrives well on

the diet which I have mentioned before, and also endures an outdoor

life in the winter.


Recently the Gouldian Finch has been bred in Japan in fairly

large numbers. But the young birds are very delicate until they finish

their first moult. The hatching of the Gouldian Finch is done either

by using the Bengalee as a foster-mother or by the parents themselves.


The newly imported birds are also very delicate, and the hen is apt

to suffer from egg-binding when she first lays.


The following foreign Finches are commonly seen in the cages of

the bird fanciers’ shops in great numbers : the Amanduvade, Spice

Bird, Sharp-tailed Finch and Black-headed Nun. The Diamond Finch,



