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FANCIERS' JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 



for this purpose, the former being more tractable. The mice 

 intended for the purpose of training should be kept separated 

 from the others. A cigar box with a hole cut in the lid will 

 make a good cage in which to keep them during the period 

 of performing. Always feed them after they have performed. 

 Treat them kindly. Gentleness should be your maxim 

 while training animals of all kinds. 



The first thing necessary in the beginning is to make 

 them familiar with your person and devoid of all fear. To 

 accomplish this, handle them often, allowing them to run in 

 and out of your pockets. General!}' the first trick taught is 

 to walk the slack or the tight rope. To do this, stretch a 

 piece of good, thick twine between two posts fastened firmly 

 in a board. Now, take a mouse and place it on the string ; 

 for a few seconds he will sway to and fro, but soon becoming 

 accustomed to his position, will cross and descend. Make 

 him do this many times, until he will when taken from the 

 box immediately cross the string. When he does this well, 

 place a small flag in his mouth, and compel him to doit ear- 

 ning the flag. 



A very good trick is to fire off a gun, with a mouse resting 

 unconcerned on the naked barrel. To learn a white mouse 

 the above, wrap a cloth around the barrel so as to afford a 

 clinging hold, and place a mouse upon it. At first the gun 

 should be unloaded. Simply draw back the hammer and 

 pull the trigger. Do this several times. Now place a cap 

 on the nipple and pull. If the mouse jumps oft' replace him 

 on the cloth and fire a cap again. Kepeat this until he he- 

 comes accustomed to the noise. At last load the gun with a 

 very small charge, and fire. Increase the load gradually, 

 repeating the fire every time the mouse jumps off. At last 

 remove the cloth around the gun-tube, and place the mouse 

 upon the bare barrel. Fire as before, until the mouse can 

 lay firmly on the rounded surface. I might mention hun- 

 dreds of different tricks that can be performed with white 

 mice, but it would be unnecessary, as any ingenious boy can 

 devise any number of them. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



[Under the above head we will with pleasure answer all reasonable 

 questions concerning small pets.] 



E. B. — Many thanks for your kind compliments. "Will 

 answer your letter personally. 



" Young Fancier." — White mice are worth about $1.00. 

 Guinea pigs, from $2.00 to $3.50, according to age. Yes, 

 we believe there are black mice, but they cost considerable. 

 White mice will breed at the age of five weeks. 



" Parrot Fancier.'' — Scrape the feet of your parrot with a 

 knife, being very careful not to touch the skin, and wash 

 them in lukewarm water. The disease is caused by a dirty 

 cage. If you would scour the bottom of the cage occasion- 

 ally with sand, your parrot will never be troubled with the 

 disease again. 



The seals in the Brighton (England) aquarium are 

 in a room where concerts are occasionally given. It is said 

 that the animals are greatly affected by vocal music, and 

 lately became very disorderly during a performance, rush- 

 ing about in the water, and making a noise which almost 

 drowned the voice of the singer. Instrumental music does 

 not seem to affect them so powerfully, but the more sweet 

 and tender the voice of the singer, the more powerfully they 

 are affected. 



I J E [H s. 



In order to make our "Item " column as interesting as possible, we 

 would be obliged to our readers for contributions of original matter, how- 

 ever short — yes, let it be condensed and to the point, in a variety of 

 style — facts and fancies interesting to fanciers. 



figap" One cattle raiser in Texas is preparing to brand 

 75,000 calves this season. 



8®- Advertisements on eggs are the very latest, says a 

 New Jersey paper. The contents of such advertisements 

 are easily beaten. 



fi@T" A woman named Grey, a resident of Banks town- 

 ship, Indiana county, recently gave birth to a monstrosity 

 in shape of a child with perfect eyes on the top of its head ; 

 its mouth filled with teeth, and its fingers joined together 

 like the toes of a duck. It was dead when born. 



flg^» An emigrant from the green isle recently applied 

 for and obtained employment on the farm of a gentleman 

 near Chester, Pa. One morning Pat was sent to dig a ditch 

 in a meadow. "Now, Pat," said his employer, "keep a 

 sharp look-out for turtles, or they will bite off your toes." 

 Just before noon Pat was seen hurrying toward the house 

 with all possible speed, and apparently very much excited. 

 As soon as he came within speaking distance he shouted : 

 " Mr. Jones, there was a bird flew up jist beyant the creek. 

 He had short bushy wings and no tail at all most hardly, 

 and he hollerd 'skite.' Was it a turtle, think ye?" 



POULTRY SHOWS FOR 1874 & 1875. 



New England Poultry Club. Worcester, Mass., December 

 1, 2, 3, and 4, 1874. G. H. Estabrook, Secretary. 



Bucks Co. Poultry Association. Doylestown, Pa., Decem- 

 ber 8, 9, 10, and 11. Theo. P. Harvey, Secretary, Doyles- 

 town, Pa. 



Connecticut State Poultry Society. Hartford, Conn., De- 

 cember 15, 16, 17, and 18. Dr. Geo. L. Parmele, Sec'y. 



Maryland State Poultrv Association, Baltimore, Jan. 5, 6, 7, 

 and 8, 1875. S. H. S'lifer, Secretary. 



Lehigh Valley Poultry Association. Allentown, Pa., Jan- 

 uary 5, 6, 7, and 8, 1875. John H. Hickman, Secretary. 



Maine Poultry Association. Portland, January 12, 13, 14, 

 and 15. Fred. Fox, Secretary, Portland, Maine. 



Massachusetts Poultry Association. Boston, Music Hall, 

 January 27 to February 4, 1875. Wm. B. Atkinson, Sec- 

 retary. 



Western New York Poultry Society, Buffalo, New York. 

 February 10th to the 17th. Geo. W. White, Secretary. 



Wm. H. Churchman, Esq., Chairman of the Executive Committee of the 

 American Poultry Association : 

 Deak Sir: Respectfully calling your attention to Article V, Section 1, 

 of the By-Laws of this Association, we, the undersigned, members of 

 your Committee, would urge upon you the necessity of culling together 

 this Committee at as early a day as possible, and would name Wednesday 

 morning, July 22, 1874, at half-past 10 o'clock, at the Metropolitan Hotel, 

 New York City, as the time and place for said meeting. We would also 

 ask you to cause to be published in the World, Bulletin, and Fanciers' 

 Journal the announcement of the meeting, and inviting any one who has 

 matters of interest to himself or to the Association, whether they be 

 members or not, to be present in person, or to present their communica- 

 tions, when in either case they would be properly listened to. We would 

 respectfully ask you to send to each member of the Executive Committee 

 this notice, or one to this effect. 



We are, sir, very truly yours, 

 A. D. Warken, Charles" A. Sweet, Edward B. Smith, 



Philander Williams, Edmund S. Ralph, P. W. Hudson. 



To the Executive Committee American Poultry Association: 



In accordance with the above request, the Executive Committee of this 

 Association will meet at the Metropolitan Hotel, in New York City, on 

 Wednesday morning, July 22, 1S74, at half-past 10 o'clock. Every mem- 

 ber is particularly requested to be present. 



W. H. Churchman, President. 

 E. S. Ralph, Secretary, 



Buffalo, N. Y., May 28, 1S74. 



The Constitution and By-Laws of the American Poultry Association 

 will be furnished by addressing the Secretary as above. 



