INTRODUCTION 



IT will scarcely be contested that, in sweetness, length, and variety 

 of song-, the German Canaries, as they are now bred, reared, and 

 trained in G-ermany, surpass any other cage birds kept in our 

 own homes. True, the Blackbird, Thrush, Skylark. &c, are acknow- 

 ledged to have admirable vocal powers, but they would scarcely be 

 tolerated in a drawing room. A Piping Bullfinch, singing two or 

 three short " tunes," is surprising and engaging beyond description, 

 but this sweet pet is really a whistler, not a singer. He is not pur- 

 chaseable for less than his weight in gold, and, after all, he is 

 " manufactured in Germany," as is the subject of these lines. The 

 Nightingale, Woodlark, and Titlark are exceedingly sweet songsters, 

 the two last-named never too loud in song even for delicately con- 

 stituted ears. But these birds only sing well during very few months 

 of the year, and, besides, require very great attention. The average 

 German Canary sings to us through at least nine months of the year, 

 and the best trained ones present us, for the same period, with all the 

 choicest and sweetest utterances of the three favorites just mentioned. 

 For many years it has been the aim and special endeavour of the 

 trainers to introduce into the repertoire of their pupils all the most 

 lovely passages of wild birds' song, and right well have they suc- 

 ceeded. It is even claimed for their charges that their vocal per- 

 formances exceed the Nightingale's natural song, inasmuch as the 

 latter embraces harsh, unpleasant, crooking sounds, which would not 

 be tolerated in a really good soft-singing Canary, who is only allowed 

 to learn the beautiful strains of his educated seniors who have 

 themselves been most carefully salected for their proficiency. 



