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FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 

for this purpose, the former being more tractable. The mice 
intended for the purpose of training should be kept separated 
from the others. A cigar box with a hole cut in the lid will 
make a good cage in which to keep them during the period 
of performing. Always feed them after they have performed. 
Treat them kindly. GENTLENESS should be your maxim 
while training animals of all kinds. 
The first thing necessary in the beginning is to make 
them familiar with your person and devoid of all fear. To 
accomplish this, handle them often, allowing them to run in 
and out of your pockets. Generally the first trick taught is 
to walk the slack or the tight rope. To do this, stretch a 
piece of good, thick twine between two posts fastened firmly 
in a board. Now, take a mouse and place it on the string ; 
for a few seconds he will sway to and fro, but soon becoming 
accustomed to his position, will cross and descend. Make 
him do this many times, until he will when taken from the 
box immediately cross the string. When he does this well, 
place a small flag in his mouth, and compel him to do it car- 
rying the flag. 
A very good trick is to fire off a gun, with a mouse resting 
unconcerned on the naked barrel. To learn a white mouse 
the above, wrap a cloth around the barrel so as to afford a 
clinging hold, and place a mouse upon it. At first the gun 
should be unloaded. Simply draw back the hammer and 
pull the trigger. Do this several times. Now place a cap 
on the nipple and pull. If the mouse jumps off replace him 
on the cloth and fire a cap again. Repeat this until he be- 
comes accustomed tothe noise. At last load the gun witha 
very small charge, and fire. Increase the load gradually, 
repeating the fire every time the mouse jumps off. At last 
remove the cloth around the gun-tube, and place the mouse 
upon the bare barrel. Fire as before, until the mouse can 
lay firmly on the rounded surface. I might mention hun- 
dreds of different tricks that can be performed with white 
mice, but it would be unnecessary, as any ingenious boy can 
devise any number of them. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
{Under the above head we will with pleasure answer all reasonable 
questions concerning small pets. ] 

E. B.—Many thanks for your kind compliments. Will 
answer your letter personally. 
‘Young Fancier.’-—White mice are worth about $1.00. 
Guinea pigs, from $2.00 to $3.50, according to age. Yes, 
we believe there are black mice, but they cost considerable. 
White mice will breed at the age of five weeks. 
‘Parrot Fancier.’’—Scrape the feet of your parrot with a 
knife, being very careful not to touch the skin, and wash 
them in lukewarm water. The disease is caused by a dirty 
eage. If you would scour the bottom of the cage occasion- 
ally with sand, your parrot will never be troubled with the 
disease again. 

The seals in the Brighton (England) aquarium are 
in a room where concerts are occasionally given. It is said 
that the animals are greatly affected by vocal music, and 
lately became very disorderly during a performance, rush- 
ing about in the water, and making a noise which almost 
drowned the voice of the singer. Instrumental music does 
not seem to affect them so powerfully, but the more sweet 
and tender the voice of the singer, the more powerfully they 
are affected. 


Items. 
In order to make our “Item” column as interesting as possible, we 
would be obliged to our readers for contributions of original matter, how- 
ever short—yes, let it be condensed and to the point,in a variety of 
style—facts and fancies interesting to fanciers. 

BG One cattle raiser in Texas is preparing to brand © 
75,000 calves this season. 
_ BGS Advertisements on eggs are the very latest, says a 
New Jersey paper. The contents of such advertisements 
are easily beaten. 
yeés> A woman named Grey, a resident of Banks town- 
ship, Indiana county, recently gave birth to a monstrosity 
in shape of a child with perfect eyes on the top of its head ; 
its mouth filled with teeth, and its fingers joined together 
like the toes of a duck. It was dead when born. : 
pes An emigrant from the green isle recently applied 
for and obtained employment on the farm of a gentleman 
near Chester, Pa. One morning Pat was sent to dig a ditch 
in a meadow. ‘Now, Pat,’ said his employer, -“‘ keep a_ 
sharp look-out for turtles, or they will bite off your toes.” 
Just before noon Pat was seen hurrying toward the house 
with all possible speed, and apparently very much excited. 
As soon as he came within speaking distance he shouted : 
‘‘Mr. Jones, there was a bird flew up jist beyant the creek. 
He had-short bushy wings and no tail at all most hardly, 
and he hollerd ‘skite.’ Was it a turtle, think ye?” 
POULTRY SHOWS FOR 1874 & 1875. 
New England Poultry Club. Worcester, Mass., December 
1, 2, 8, and 4, 1874. G. H. Estabrook, Secretary. 
Bucks Co. Poultry Association. Doylestown, Pa., Decem- 
ber 8, 9,10, and 11. Theo. P. Harvey, Secretary, Doyles- 
town, Pa. 
Connecticut State Poultry Society. Hartford, Conn., De- 
cember 15, 16, 17, and 18. Dr. Geo. L. Parmele, Sec’y. 
Maryland State Poultry Association, Baltimore, Jan. 5, 6, 7, 
and 8, 1875. S. H. Slifer, Secretary. 
Lehigh Valley Poultry Association. Allentown, Pa., Jan- 
uary 5, 6, 7, and 8, 1875. John H. Hickman, Secretary. 
Maine Poultry Association. Portland, January 12, 13, 14, 
and 15. Fred. Fox, Secretary, Portland, Maine. 
Massachusetts Poultry Association. Boston, Music Hall, 
January 27 to February 4, 1875. Wm. B. Atkinson, Sec- 
retary. 
Western New York Poultry Society, Buffalo, New York. 
February 10th to the 17th. Geo. W. White, Secretary. 




Wo. H. CHURCHMAN, Esq., Chairman of the Executive Committee of the 
American Poultry Association: 
DEAR Sir: Respectfully calling your attention to Article V, Section 1, 
of the By-Laws of this Association, we, the undersigned, members of 
your Committee, would urge upon you the necessity of calling together 
this Committee at as early a day as possible, and would name Wednesda 
morning, July 22, 1874, at half-past 10 o’clock, at the Metropolitan Hotel, 
New York City, as the time and place for said meeting. We would also 
ask you to cause to be published in the World, Bulletin, and Fanciers’ 
Journal the announcement of the meeting, and inviting any one who has 
matters of interest to himself or to the Association, whether they be 
members or not, to be present in person, or to present their communica- 
tions, when in either case they would be properly listened to. We would 
respectfully ask you to send to each member of the Executive Committee 
this notice, or one to this effect. 
We are, sir, very truly yours, 
A.D. WARREN, CHARLES A, SWEET, 
Epwarp B. SMITH, 
PHILANDER WILLIAMS, EpMuND S. RALPH, 
P. W. Hupson. 
To THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AMERICAN POULTRY ASSOCIATION: 
In accordance with the above request, the Executive Committee of this 
Association will meet at the Metropolitan Hotel, in New York City, on 
Wednesday morning, July 22, 1874, at half-past 10 o’clock. Every mem- 
ber is particularly requested to be present. ; 
: W. H. CuurcuMan, President. 

E. 8S. RALPH, Secretary, 
Buffalo, N. Y., May 28, 1874. 
The Constitution and By-Laws of the American Poultry Association 
will be furnished by addressing the Secretary as above. f 
. 
