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KIDD'S LONDON JOURNAL. 



much together, if you value a fine songster. 

 When you really do become possessed of a 

 rare bird, make much of him ; such are not 

 to be met with every clay. 



We have before given sufficient reasons 

 for not allowing any of your birds to see each 

 other. Only let them hear each other, and 

 you will have unceasing music from " morn 

 till noon ; from noon till dewy eve." Such is 

 the rivalry among birds that, not unfre- 

 quently, the one that is outdone falls lifeless 

 from his perch. His heart has been broken 

 from the magnitude of his efforts to stand 

 his ground ! In some cases, if death does 

 not ensue from over-exertion, the bird's 

 spirit (courage) will have fled for ever. He 

 may exist for years ; but he will never be 

 heard to sing from that day forward. Of 

 this, we have had oft-repeated proofs. 



In this variable climate, you must take 

 special care never to leave your birds in a 

 cold room, or in a room without a fire. 

 Keep them at one equable warmth, and they 

 will thrive — neglect them in this matter, and 

 their feathers will become ruffled ; their 

 head will find its way behind their wing; 

 and their dissolution will be speedy. In an 

 aviary, this precaution is unnecessary. No 

 birds '' winter " better in an aviary than 

 canaries ; but this is owing to their never 

 being used to a fire, and also to their being 

 gradually inured to the succession of the 

 seasons. 



The habits of the canary are no less re- 

 markable than they are diverting, and his 

 natural disposition is truly amiable. He 

 bears no malice — entertains no resentments 

 that cannot be coaxed away by a single hemp 

 seed. " Semper idem " (always alike) is his 

 family motto ; and it is well chosen. He is 

 never so happy as when he is in your com- 

 pany, and he will chatter to you by the 

 hour together. It is no punishment for him 

 to be in his cage ; though he loves occasion- 

 ally to hop on the table, and help himself to 

 a morsel of sweet cake. He is of all birds 

 the least shy, and the least suspicious — so 

 thoroughly does he confide in the good faith 

 of his master and mistress. Would that 

 such confidence were never misplaced ! 



If you feel inclined to humor him in his 

 little visits to you on the table, provide him 

 regularly every morning with a square china 

 bath, half filled with water; first placing 

 it within a deep basin, to prevent damage 

 to your furniture by his splashing. An 

 invite of this nature is irresistible, and he will 

 soon be seen immersed to his very throat. 

 On his return from the bath, his appearance 

 will be found ludicrously comic. His sly 

 look of self-satisfaction, and assumption of 

 importance, whilst nearly drenched, and in a 

 state of utter helplessness withal — are " as 

 good as a play." Touch him — if you dare ! 



With extended wings, and unrestrained fury, 

 he will resent the indignity by pecking 

 fiercely at you with his open beak, and he 

 will often give you, in addition, striking 

 proofs of his anger. These " airs of state " 

 are very frequently practised. We merely 

 throw out a hint for our readers to improve 

 upon ; for you may teach these majestic birds 

 anything. 



In our early days, we were never without 

 the company of some Jialf-dozen canaries. 

 They were allowed free liberty during the 

 day, and they would fly after us from room 

 to room all over the house, perching on our 

 head or shoulder with the familiarity of a pet 

 child. Whilst making our toilet— a grand 

 " study " with a gay young man — one or 

 other of these little fellows would sit on our 

 forehead, and seeing himself reflected in the 

 glass, he would incontinently dance a horn- 

 pipe there — his little, throat the while dis- 

 tended with song, and his trembling wings 

 describing the arc of a circle. 



How often, too, have we taken up a book 

 to read, and found one of our little friends 

 speedily perched on the summit thereof — 

 bidding us defiance to say him " Nay ! " All 

 our remonstrances have been silenced by a 

 flood of harmony, and in every instance we 

 have gone to the wall. 



Were we to go on thus leisurely particu- 

 larising the many little tricks we have Avit- 

 nessed, as practised by our winged minstrels, 

 we should exceed the bounds of propriety. 

 One however of our joint performances, we 

 must, through favor, record; enforcing at 

 the same time, the necessity for extreme care 

 on all who may hereafter try the experiment. 

 It is not quite free from danger. Aware of 

 the perfect understanding existing between 

 ourselves and little family, Ave were in the 

 constant habit of playing them off some 

 " practical joke," rewarding them afterwards 

 with a hemp-seed, by the way of compro- 

 mise. The sight of a hemp-seed, therefore 

 (of which our mules and canaries were in- 

 ordinately fond), was a signal for some favor 

 to be granted — some game to come off. Tak- 

 ing up four or five duodecimo volumes of 

 printed books, we opened each in the middle ; 

 and placing them in a line on their front 

 edges, in a slanting position, there Avas formed 

 beneath, an avenue throughout their entire 

 length. It Avas like a railway tunnel on a 

 small scale. In this opening Ave placed some 

 half-dozen birds, one by one, gently forcing 

 them in the first instance to travel onwards, 

 pari passu, until they emerged from the tun- 

 nel. As each successively made his appear- 

 ance, we presented him lovingly with one of 

 his favorite hemp-seeds, as a " reward of 

 merit." Shall we be credited Avhen Ave af- 

 firm that, before Ave had thrice repeated this 

 little experiment, our pupils thoroughly com- 



