HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
That five Indian wolf cubs born at the Zoological 
Gardens have a sheepdog- for their foster 
mother. 
That our contemporary, "Cage Birds," has 
launched a wonderful scheme for capturing the 
German Canary Trade. 
A start has already been made with a sub- 
scription list amounting up to; the 1st April of 
the sum of £9 4s. 
With such a start comment is superfluous ! 
I cannot do better than print the following 
which appears in "Cage Birds," 1st April: — ■ 
"Sir, — I have read with interest your arti- 
cle entitled "Those Millions of Canaries," and 
would crave your indulgence and space in 
your valuable paper to make a few remarks. 
I do not want to be the proverbial crow, who 
does nothing but croak, but treating it as 
a business proposition, all sides of the ques- 
tion must be carefully studied. 
Let usi first consider how the large quantity 
of Canaries are produced in Germany. In 
the Hartz Mountains and Black Forest dis- 
trict, and even in some of the smaller towns, 
the peasants and the workpeople in fac- 
tories, and other occupations, breed Canaries 
as a side line, just as the peasants spend 
their evenings making wooden toys. Then 
almost, I; might say, from door to door, 
in the autumn, -an agent travels round, 
buying up all the surplus stock. These are 
sent to the coast, and thence shipped to 
England, after classification. I myself have 
bought German Rollers, cocks for 4s. each, 
and hens for Is. 6d. per pair (i.e., 9d. each) 
in the little wicker cages in which they come 
over. This is retail. 
When we consider that they must have 
passed through at least four middlemen's 
hands, what can the breeder have been paid? 
Let us say, for the sake of argument, 3s. 6d. 
per pair, which I consider if anything, over- 
estimated. I think the average British work- 
man would want to earn at least 40s. per 
week. To produce this at 3s. 6d. per pair, 
he would have to breed 1,200 birds each 
season. This is allowing nothing whatever 
for maintenance of stock and young, which 
at present foo dprices would be very heavy. 
Let us say, he should breed 1,500 birds per 
season, to cover everything. To do this he 
would want at least 200 hens, and this means 
each hen rearing 7.5 young ones, which would 
be a very high average. 
Then we must consider the room that 200 
hens would need. As I myself have never 
kept more than 20 hens, I am afraid I cannot 
form anything but a rough idea of the room 
required, but I do not for a moment think 
a cottage would accommodate anything like 
this number. Of this I am sure, that over- 
crowding is fatal. 
A FEW "CAWS." 
Another thing to consider,. Canary breed- 
ing is, I might say, a science, and a man 
cannot walk straight into Canary breeding 
with no previous experience with any hope 
of financial success. Otherwise there would 
be no need of the services of your experts 
to men who have been breeding Canaries for 
several years. 
How do you propose that these wounded 
soldiers .should live for the Ifirst year or 
two, whilst they are gathering experience, 
and multiplying their breeding stock? 
I do not wish to throw cold water on your 
scheme, but I know from seventeen years' 
constant experience that the pitfalls in the 
art of Canary breeding are many and various, 
and breeding cannot possibly be undertaken 
by a novice with any probability of a fair 
livelihood. 
I am a business man, and I understand you 
want this subject treated as a strictly busi- 
ness proposition, not as a philanthropic in- 
stitution, and I therefore say, as a remunera- 
tive side line — excellent, but as a man's sole 
support, worse than useless. 
We must be very careful how we treat 
this subject, or we shall find that we are 
doing the wounded soldiers a lot more harm 
than good. 
Thanking you for the space I hope you will 
accord me. L. E. Howard." 
That some 200 Grey Parrots, including 1 Albino, 
arrived in Liverpool last week. There have 
been a few African Monkeys, with some other 
Greys also during the last month. 
That a very large consignment of Amazons and 
Macaws are shortly expected by a Country 
Dealer. May his enterprise be successful. 
That the arrivals in London lately have been a 
few St. Helena Waxbills with some giant 
Whydahs, 3 Chimpanzees, 25 mixed Monkeys, 
3 Tinamons, 21 White Peafowl, 1 Barbary Ape, 
4 Lion Cubs, 3 Kangaroos, 1,200 Budgerigars, 
5 Rheas, 2 large African Baboons, 1 Hima- 
layan Bear, 25 White Swans, 20 mixed Geese, 
300 Canaries. 
That the arrivals in Hull have been a few Grey 
Parrots and Congo Monkeys. 
That large consignments of animals and birds 
are leaving London fortnightlv for the United 
States. 
That a well-known Amateur received direct a 
consignment of 100 Pintail Nonpariels. 
Printed by W. J. Hasted * Son, (T.U.), 306, Mile Fnd Road, London, E. 
