170 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Canaries are obtained by agents who visit breeders in the Harz 

 Mountains, the Tyrol, and other parts of Europe. A few, however, 

 are imported at San Francisco from breeders in China and Japan. 



HOW BIRDS ARE SHIPPED. 



Most of the small birds received from Africa and Australia are 

 shipped in large boxes especiallj^ prepared for the purpose (see PI. 

 VIII, fig. 1). These boxes are of different sizes and accommodate from 

 1 to 125 or 150 birds, according to size of box or of birds shipped. 

 Shell parrakeets are sent from Australia in especially large boxes, 

 sometimes as many as 500 making the journey in a single box. The 

 birds so shipped are of a peaceable disposition and may be caged 

 together without fear of their injuring one another ; but some birds, 

 such as bullfinches, goldfinches, and male canaries, are quarrelsome, 

 and each bird has to be placed in a separate cage. 



Canaries are confined in small wicker cages; seven of which are 

 strung on a stick, constituting what is technically known as a row. 

 When shipped across the ocean these rows are crated and a linen or 

 burlap sack specially made for the purpose is placed about each crate 

 (see PI. VIII, figs. 2 and 3). A crate usuallj^ contains 33 rows. To para- 

 phrase the old riddle — every sack has 33 rows, everj^ row has 7 cages, 

 every cage has 1 canary (or sometimes 2 if the occupants are the more 

 peaceable females). Often more than two dozen crates are shipped 

 in one consignment. Each of these must be opened every day of the 

 voyage, every row removed, and food and water placed in the cages. 

 In this daily re-crating the rows are rearranged so that the benefits of 

 outside positions may be more evenly distributed among the birds. 



On arrival in port consignments of birds (which pay no duty) are 

 entered at the custom-house under permit from the Department of 

 Agriculture, usually secured in advance by the importer. The larger 

 shipments are generally examined by one of the special inspectors of 

 the Department stationed at the principal ports of entry. Nearly all 

 shipments subject to such inspection enter at New York and Phila- 

 delphia. After the inspector has examined a consignment to ascer- 

 tain that it contains no objectionable species, and has noted, for sub- 

 sequent report to the Department, the number and kinds of birds it 

 comprises, the importer is free to dispose of it. 



It is the aim of the importer to sell his stock as quickly as possible, 

 to diminish his losses by death and so increase his profit. It is esti- 

 mated that the mortality en route and in the store among some of the 

 more delicate species of birds, such as African finches, may reach 14 

 per cent. 



Zoological parks and aviaries are usually supplied direct by the 

 importers, but the general public is reached by way of the retailer. 



