362 



FANCIERS' JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 



Sjwa^ll Pej De[=^J|V1E[JJ. 



-CSP" AH communications and contributions intended for this depart- 

 ment should be addressed to HOWARD I. IRELAND, Concordville, 

 Delaware County, Pa. 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



TO REAR YOUNG BIRDS TAKEN FROM THE 

 NEST. 



There arc many birds inhabiting our woods, which are 

 excellent songsters, and make interesting pets when confined 

 in cages ; but, unless they are procured when quite young, 

 they will gradually pine away, and some morning be found 

 dead upon their perch. 



When you have discovered a nest containing the kind of 

 birds which you desire to rear, if they are nearly feathered, 

 remove them, nest and all, to a large cage ; if not, visit the 

 nest daily until the young birds' eyes are opened, then 

 remove them. They had better be placed upon the bottom 

 of the cage, for fear, if they were placed higher, they might 

 in their restlessness fall out of the nest. Feed them upon 

 insects, seeds, etc. ; or, if they are of "a large species, on ripe 

 fruit and berries. A better plan is to secrete yourself a few 

 days before you remove the young birds near the nest, so 

 that you can watch unobserved the food the mother brings 

 them, and imitate this diet as nearly as possible. A good 

 artificial food, suitable for all species of birds, can be made 

 as follows: Take of canary seed three parts, and oats one 

 part; grind them in a coffee mill, and pulverize the crushed 

 grains in a mortar ; now sift this through a linen cloth, to 

 obtain the finest particles ; mix this with fresh blood — the 

 blood from a chicken will answer — to the consistency of 

 new putty ; roll this dough into balls about the size of peas, 

 or, if for a little kind of birds, into a smaller size. Give 

 them these balls as often as possible — at least feed them 

 every two hours during the day. "Water can be given by 

 dipping a straw in water and allowing the drop that clings 

 to it to fall into their opened mouths. Give but a drop or 

 two at a time. At night cover them with cotton or wool, 

 and feed them as early in the morning as possible. Keep 

 the following italicized sentence firmly impressed on your 

 mind : Without a great deal of attention, your birds will surely 

 die. Paot. Logic. 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



BARN SWALLOWS. 



There are but few people who try to protect barn swal- 

 lows as they deserve to be protected ; yet, I believe, as the 

 following incident will show, they devour more insects than 

 any other bird that flies. 



One April day the swallows were flying around my 

 barn, one after another, in a steady stream. Desiring to 

 examine them more closely, I procured a bamboo fishing 

 pole, and after a few attempts succeeded in hitting one. No 

 sooner had it struck the ground than it vomited a surprising 

 number of insects. Now, if one swallow will catch so many, 

 what a number a flock will devour in twelve hours. 



D. L. T. 



that could approach either in cheapness or reliability the 

 following: Take a dry, hard-shelled squash, in the centre 

 cut a hole, about the diameter of a two-cent piece; remove 

 the seed all through this apperture, and fasten it by means 

 of a string to a tree or out-house. This is for wrens. Of 

 course, if intended for blue-birds, the hole will have to be 

 enlarged. 



A few weeks ago, at evening, I fastened such a box to a 

 tree near my residence, and early the next morning a wren 

 had commenced building in it. Who can beat this ? 



Pemberton, n. j. T. E. Shrive. 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



A SQUASH BIRD BOX. 



Mr. Editor : 



I have noticed in former departments quite a variety of 

 devices for making cheap bird boxes, but have seen none 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



THE FERRET. 



Ferrets (commonly called English ferrets) are of the 

 specie of the weasel. They are natives of Africa, and found 

 in abundance there in their wild state ; but for a great many 

 years have been brought into England and the United States 

 and domesticated. They are used for driving rats from cellars, 

 granaries, &c, and are also used, with great success, in 

 hunting the small gray rabbit, so abundant in our Northern 

 and Western States. The ferret, being muzzled, goes into 

 the hole and drives the rabbit from his burrow, when he 

 becomes an easy prey for the hunter, either prepared with 

 net or gun. The object in muzzling the ferret is, that if 

 not muzzled they will attack the rabbit in his burrow, and, 

 after killing him, suck his blood until they become so 

 gorged as to lie down beside their prey and sleep two or 

 three days at a time, causing the hunter much trouble and 

 perplexity, as he is often compelled to leave them for the 

 time or dig them out. 



The process of muzzling is done in different ways ; one 

 by running a needle and stout thread through the upper 

 lip, thence down under the lower jaw, with a knot which 

 prevents their getting their mouth open; but a much better 

 way consists in the following manner : Take a very coarse 

 waxed end or thread, pass it through the mouth between 

 the jaws, thence down under the lower jaw. Here make a 

 strong knot, then pass the two ends up over the upper or 

 nose jaw with another strong knot. Now, run the cord up 

 the forehead, between and directly back of the ears, and 

 make another knot. Now, pass the two ends down under 

 the throat, and tie securely but not tight enough to choke 

 Cut the ends off closely, and all is perfectly secure. 



I like this method of muzzling much better than the 

 other, as it causes no pain; and experience has taught me 

 that any unjust cruelty, loss of patience, &c, in the rearing 

 and training of any animal is entirely uncalled for and out 

 of place. Use them carefully, learning them to love rather 

 than to fear your presence, and the way is easy. 



Ferrets vary in color, some being white, others a yel- 

 lowish-brown on the back and dark brown under the body. 

 I have made crosses between the white and brown ferret, 

 which would produce what is commonly called fitch ferrets, 

 being yellowish-brown, with dark stripes running around 

 the body, resembling the fitch martin used for ladies' furs ; 

 but the pure white ferrets, with red eyes, are much more 

 preferable on account of being more handsome, hence more 

 salable. I have also seen a few specimens of ferrets brought 

 from Brazil, which were of a bluish or maltese cast on the 

 back and nearly black under the body; quite large; very 

 pugnacious and hard to tame, and, 1 think, of little use on 

 that account. 



I once made a cross between a Brazilian and a white 



