THE BIRDS OF THE AVIARY 



267 



eighty thousand dollars. The 

 best singers (that is to say, 

 the best males) are carefully 

 kept from hearing the notes 

 of the other birds; for it often 

 happens that very good song- 

 sters will borrow the false or 

 less beautiful notes of their 

 congeners. 



The great breeders always 

 keep a certain number of their 

 finest singers as models, and 

 from these they make cross- 

 ings, which is an art that re- 

 quires a special talent. The 

 results obtained may be re- 

 garded as among the greatest 

 victories in the domain of the 

 education of animals. At the 

 end of eight or ten months 



the song has acquired its full power, and the forgets, and then the trainer bird is placed 

 canary knows several airs, which he sometimes him to refresh his memory. It is on record 



some birds, few perhaps, have been 

 cessfully taught to utter words. 



Tar; Red Bengai. Finch 



near 

 that 

 suc- 



An English Canary with Hood 



IV. Food and Care to be given 

 TO Canaries 



Rape seed and hemp seed, universally 

 known, may serve as the principal food of 

 canaries. They may, without injur)-, be 

 made the sole food, if of good qualit)' ; but 

 unfortunate!}' they are apt to be adulter- 

 ated with all sorts of impurities, among 

 others charlock, or wild mustard, which is 

 ver)' injurious to birds. A little flaxseed 

 is excellent from time to time for all birds 

 of the finch tribe. It fattens them, and 

 they eat it with pleasure ; it ought to be 

 given crushed. Millet, salad seed, and oats 

 may also be given. The birds are not \eiy 

 fond of these seeds, but millet will fatten 

 them. 



Besides this seed food, \()ung canaries 

 should have hens' eggs, boiled hard, finely 

 puh'crized, and mi.\ed with bread crimibs ; 

 this gi\'es excellent results. There are as 

 many recipes for this egg food as there 

 are breeders. It is absurd to disap}3ro\'e of 



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