10 
CAGE-BIRDS. 
eighteen in each wing and twelve in the tail. Imperfect or damaged feathers 
can easily be replaced by pulling them out, for their places will soon be 
lilled with new and perfect feathers. 
Some persons prefer the yellow varieties, and many are fond of the crested 
canaries; others prefer the long breed. 
The two secrets—if secrets they can be called—in bird-keeping are, a 
good supply of fresh food and water, and perfect cleanliness. 
As to the general management of the canary, it may be summed up by 
saying that it chiefly consists in judiciously letting alone. Do not meddle 
with the birds more than is absolutely needed, and do not worry them with 
medicines whenever they seem to be unwell. 
Be careful and protect your birds from insects. 
One pest is vigorous throughout the year, and always ready to seize on 
the birds. We allude to the “red-mite,” a parasite known to all bird- 
keepers. 
if you And your birds restless, especially at night, and see 1' i continu¬ 
ally pecking among the roots of the feathers, and especially if they lose 
appetite, and become fretful and ill-tempered to their companions, look out 
for the red-mite. You can always detect the tiny but formidable foe by 
placing the bird in a dark room, and, after a few hours, holding a bright 
lamp close to the cage. If there are any mites about, you will soon see 
them crawling upon the perches, the wires, and even showing themselves 
among the feathers. They are not larger than the dot over the letter i, but 
their numbers are often very considerable, and the injury they inflict is great. 
Let not one escape, for it may be the parent of hundreds more. When 
the red-mites have once obtained possession of a cage, their extirpation is a 
task of very great difficulty to those who do not understand the constitution 
of the creatures. So difficult, indeed, is the business, that many fanciers 
will not even attempt it, but burn the cage and buy another. The metal 
cages which are now so common, are preferable to those made of wood and 
w ire, inasmuch as they present very few spots wherein the red-mite can 
And a hiding-place, and for that reason we prefer metal to wood. Even if 
they have gained admission to an ordinary cage, they can be extirpated 
without very much trouble. We have succeeded in doing so in several in¬ 
stances, and think that in a fortnight any cage can be freed of its trouble¬ 
some parasites. 
Eirst, place the cage in the sun for a short time, so as to induce the light- 
hating mites to leave the bird and hide themselves in the crevices of the 
cage. Remove the bird and transfer it to another cage, or even a box, and 
let it wait. Take the cage and examine it well, introducing a heated needle 
or a thin blade of iron into every crevice. Next, take some insect-destroying 
powder, force it into a hollow paper cylinder, light the paper, put it into the 
cage, and envelop the whole in a newspaper. Leave it there for an hour, and 
when you remove it you will see dozens of the red-mites, of all sizes, lying dead 
on the floor, or clinging half-stupefied by the fumes of the powder. Scrape 
