ladies’ department. 
67 
Cables’ ^Department 
CHAMBER BIRDS.—No. 4 
Canaries may be Taught to Fly; but the 
trouble and risk are so great that it is hardly 
wdrth the time and care necessary to teach them. 
The male is first allowed its liberty in a place 
where there are trees, and the female is hung at a 
window near by, which speedily attracts him 
back to the cage in case of danger or fatigue. 
This teaching must be continued for five or six 
days, but no handling nor violent attempts to 
catch them should be used. 
Diseases of Canaries. —These birds, in a state 
of captivity, seldom enjoying the open air and 
having but little exercise, are subject to most 
of the maladies peculiar to the domestic, 
feathered race. The diseases to which they are 
particularly liable, may be discribed and treated 
as follows:— 
1. Rupture. —This is a common malady, espe¬ 
cially in young birds, and is a kind of indigestion 
which causes inflammation of the intestines. 
The symptoms of this disease are a lean, trans¬ 
parent, blown-up body, full of small red veins, 
and in which all the intestines seem to have fall¬ 
en to the lower part of the body, where they 
become entangled and turned black. Too much 
nutritious food is the cause of this evil. All 
remedies appear to have been ineffectual in this 
malady, but aisistance is sometimes obtained 
from a spare and simple diet. 
2. The Yellow Gall in the Head and Eyes may 
be cured by refreshing food; but if there be a 
tubercle of the size of a hemp seed about the 
head or eyes, it must be cut off, and the wound 
anointed with fresh butter. 
3. Sweating. —Some females, whilst hatching, 
have a sweating sickness, which is injurious to 
the blood, and may be detected by the feathers 
of the lower part of the body being quite wet. 
The body of the bird should be washed with 
brine, and afterwards with rain or spring water 
to free the feathers of salt, and then rapidly dried 
by the sun or fire. This may be repeated once 
or twice a-day. This sickness, however, is not 
so prejudicial to the bird as is generally supposed. 
4. Sneezing. —This is occasioned by a stoppage 
of the nostrils, and may be removed by a very 
small feather being passed through them. 
5. Loss of Voice. —If the male, after moulting, 
lose his voice, he must have diet similar to that 
given to young birds; that is, some thoroughly- 
baked, stale roll, dipped in boiled milk or water 
until completely saturated; then press out the 
milk and mix it with more or less, say a propor¬ 
tion of two thirds of coarse barley or wheat flour, 
freed from the husk, or bran. Some persons give 
them a slice of pork or bacon to peck. 
6. Constipation is cured by giving them plenty 
of green food, such as water cresses, chickweed, 
sallad, &c. 
7. Epilepsy is commonly brought on by too 
great a delicacy of treatment, and also by 
timidity, from alarm. Too great an abundance 
of rich food, and the want of proper exersise, 
whereby much and thick blood is produced, are 
the chief causes of this disease. The birds ought 
to be kept free from alarm, either by catching 
or tormenting them in any way. When suffer¬ 
ing under this complaint, if they are hot, 
it is recommended to dip them frequently into 
cold ice water, and then pare their nails so 
closely as to start blood. A few drops of olive oil, 
also, given internally have proved serviceable. 
8. Overgrown Claivs or Beaks require to be pared 
with sharp scissors. Care must be taken, how¬ 
ever, not to cut the nails too close, as the birds 
would be liable to lose so much blood as to 
become lame. The end of the “ red ray,” or vein, 
both in the beak and claws, when held up to the 
light, show exactly how far they may be cut. 
During the hatching period, also, the nails of the 
female sometimes must be cut, in order that they 
may not be caught by them when in the nest. 
9. Lice may be avoided by frequent bathing, 
cleanliness in the cage, and dry sand mixed with 
aniseed and scattered on the floor.— Americanized 
from, the German. 
PUMPKIN PIES. 
By a Yankee Girl. — Select a fine-grained, 
marrow squash, cut it up and boil in as little 
water as possible. When it is perfectly cooked, 
strain off all the watery part, then pass the 
squash through a sieve or colander. Add to 
one pint of the squash one quart of new milk, 
four well-beaten eggs, and sugar, cinnamon, 
ginger, nutmeg, and salt to suit the taste. 
The paste is made of lard, butter, cold water, 
and flour, well mixed. As we never weigh nor 
measure the ingredients, it is difficult to state the 
exact proportions, but with a little Yankee 
guessing to assist, I think the pies will come out 
about right. 
All we can say to the above recipe of our fair 
correspondent is, that we have often had a taste 
of her pies, and found them the most delicious 
and luscious of the whole pumpkin family of 
Yankeedom. 
Late Raspberries.— These were picked from 
bushes growing in an open garden, without pro¬ 
tection, in the vicinity of this city, on the last 
of November. They were the ever-bearing 
kind, described at length in the first volume 
of the Agriculturist. They usually ripen from 
July till October; but owing to the mild weather 
of November, the past year, they produced 
several weeks later than common. They were 
cultivated by a lady who raises much other 
choice fruit, and is one of the most skillful gar¬ 
deners we know of. 
To keep Moths from Woolfn Clothing, Car¬ 
pets, and furs.— Place the articles in linen 
sheets, or bags, sewed closely together, first 
beating them, so as to clear off all moths and 
eggs. Camphor or tobacco, scattered through 
light trunks, where they are packed, is also a 
protection. 
Caution.— Do not inhale the smoke of matches 
while ignited. It is highly poisonous. 
