JV RURAL NEW-YORKER 
699 
Feeding and Care of Canaries 
As a child I used to be intensely inter¬ 
ested in the canaries kept by some “in¬ 
laws'’ of the family. They must have 
made an impression, for I seem to remem¬ 
ber the details of their .surroundings, even 
to the articles of diet placed at their dis¬ 
posal. I can even see in my mind’s eye 
how the nesting and breeding cages 
looked, and how they were equipped. The 
house where these happy birds lived was 
a large log structure with a big sunny 
kitchen where the canaries were kept and 
petted and pampered by three interesting 
ladies, a mother and two daughters. To 
me the most remarkable thing about these 
women was their hair, which always hung 
in perfect curls down their necks and 
around their shoulders. But they must 
have been remarkable and interesting in 
other respects, for they succeeded in mak¬ 
ing a very happy and attractive home for 
themselves and their men folks, in a re¬ 
mote spot in the Minnesota woods, 12 
miles from the nearest town. 
But to return to the canaries. The 
nales were generally yellow or yellow 
nixed with olive green. The females were 
not so bright as a general thing, some of 
them showing very little or no yellow at 
all. Both males and females were some¬ 
times quite different from the parent 
birds. Occasionally a bird which was al¬ 
most pure yellow at maturity would have 
a few black feathers in wings or tail. 
More often the plumage would be olive 
green with brownish or grayish markings. 
The pure yellow type seemed greatly in 
favor, but if a bird proved to be a fine 
singer the color did not make so much dif¬ 
ference. 
When the birds were mated each pair 
was provided with a separate cage which 
was considerably larger than the cage 
used for one bird. A small pasteboard 
box, either square or round, was fastened 
in one corner of the cage for a nest, and 
a sufficient amount of cotton placed in* 
the box to provide a soft lining. 
The young birds, when hatched, were 
left with the parent birds until well- 
grown and fathered out, -when they were 
taken out of the breeding cages and placed 
in smaller cages near the best singers to 
have lessons in singing. Each bird which 
gave promise of becoming a good songster 
was then placed in a cags by himself. 
The food consisted of mixed birdseed 
placed in little glass receptacles hung on 
the sides of the cage. A piece of apple, 
a bunch of lettuce or bit of cabbage or 
other green food was hung securely be¬ 
tween the wires of the cage where the 
birds could reach it. A little bone was 
always in evidence, and renewed when 
needed. Bread and milk or hard-boiled 
egg was given about once a week. During 
he breeding period the egg was given 
every day until the female began sitting, 
when it was fed only every three or four 
lays. After the young birds hatched only 
the yolk was used for the first day or 
TWO. 
A daily bath was set in the cage every 
morning, and in cold weather the water 
was slightly warmed. After the bath, 
with its splashing and wetting, the paper 
n the bottom of the cage was changed 
or a fresh one, and the birds needed no 
further attention unless cold weather 
made it necessary to hang a cloth around 
he cage at night. Fresh water for drink¬ 
ing was always provided; this was usually 
in a little receptacle like the seed dish, 
and hung at the opposite side of the cage. 
The perches were arranged so that the 
canaries could reach all food supplies 
that were fastened to the sides of the cage. 
The soft food was set in small dishes on 
the bottom of the cage. Cages of gener¬ 
ous proportions were always used, as they 
were considered more comfortable and 
cheerful for the inmates. Sometimes it 
was necessary to replenish the water sup¬ 
ply more than once during the day. The 
bath was never omitted, as being necess¬ 
ary to the birds’ health. 
The females and poorer singing males 
were sold to people who wanted them for 
from 50 cents to $1.50. The best singers 
brought from $2 up. It is probable that 
canaries do not mind the confinement of 
he cage as much as might be supposed, 
or they have been domesticated by gener¬ 
ations of confinement in cages, and it is 
doubtful if they could find food if allowed 
o go free, or if they would have sense or 
he guiding instinct to find their way to a 
warmer climate at the approach of coll 
veather. As a warm climate bird they 
vould of course perish failing to make 
heir way to their native haunts. 
Just the other day I noticed a birdcage 
suspended in a window facing the street. 
The cloth bag, drawn up over the cage 
from the bottom and extending about 
aalf way i p the sides, was made of some 
hin material of a green shade, which pl¬ 
owed the light to filter through, and at 
the same time kept it from being too hot 
and bright. Primarily these bags are de¬ 
signed to keep the bird from scattering 
the seed and hulls out on the floor, and 
from splashing and spattering the water 
over everything when bathing. 
JESSIE i. cakp'fnter. 
Gulbransen Trade Mark 
Entertains and Educates 
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