52 



CANARY BIRDS. 



abdomen, they also ascertain the mode of feeding which has 

 been practised up to that time, at least they can draw 

 general conclusions in that respect. Summer rape-seed 

 and egg-food produce yellow flesh (fat), but "roll" and 

 canary-seed will, on the contrary, give w T hite flesh — 

 and it is important to know this, since it is absolutely 

 necessary to be informed of the kind of food which has 

 been habitually given to birds which a dealer intends to 

 buy. 



Great caution must be exercised in the case of Schimmel- 

 birds; 1 these birds have a great deal of white on the " ver- 

 tex " (top of the head), breast, and back, because the points 

 of the feathers lack the peculiar yellow tint which is proper 

 to the male ; the ring around the throat, too, especially at 

 the upper throat, appears like that of a female ; in fact the 

 male is to be recognized only from the vividly yellow colour- 

 ing of the forehead. As a contrast to the " Schimmel " 

 birds, all other cocks, both young and old, display a very 

 vivid and even yellow colour over the whole of the head 

 even if the rest be very pale ; a whitish-grey spot on the top, 

 be it ever so small; with these birds is indicative of the 

 female sex. 



A " selector " (orig. Ausstecher) gets a remuneration of 6s. 

 to 7s. 6d. per diem. One of the most renowned w T as the 

 recently deceased L. Seifert of St. Andreasberg, who was 

 also the owner of a good breed of canaries. 



All sudden transitions in the feeding as well as in 

 tending should be carefully avoided, in fact the whole 

 treatment of so delicate a creature as the Hartz-bird unfor- 

 tunately is should be particularly attended to. 



Those who live near St. Andreasberg, says Bocker, and 

 who do not grudge the trouble and expense of the journey, 



1 Schimmel (white horse) cannot be otherwise translated. 



