554 
bell-rope and pulls it ten times, after which he bows and re- 
turns to his seat. This was repeated a great many times, 
and with one exception the bird made no mistake. The 
bird will strike twenty-seven times, but after that he re- 
fuses ; and his owner states that he has worked nearly a year 
to get this bird to strike up to thirty, but it appears that his 
memory gives out at that point, and it is unable to count 
further. A collection is, of course, taken up after each ex- 
hibition.”’ 
————_« », em + 
A BANKER’S LOVE OF BIRDS. 
GIRARD’S LITTLE SONGSTERS AND HIS LIBERALITY. 

THe smallest means of adding to his fortune were never 
neglected nor overlooked by Girard. Yo him nothing was 
a trifle, if a penny could be made by it. His breed of canary 
birds was among the most choice and extensive in the world, 
and he was careful to sell them at the highest price. The 
fondness of Girard for these little creatures was remarkable. 
He had his favorites among them, and doubtless enjoyed 
many a happy moment under the influence of the music of 
their songs,—a sweet and singular solace from the distrac- 
tions of trade, and which seemed to indicate, after all, a 
native trait of tenderness lurking at the bottom of his heart. 
True he sold them, and they contributed to gratify his super- 
lative passion in that way, but it would be ungenerous to 
suppose that he was not susceptible to feelings of delight 
from those winsome strains of melody, which, at the same 
time, naturally commanded so high a price in the market. 
A poor beggar, on a stormy winter evening, called at Mr. 
Girard’s office, and stated that his family was in want of 
bread. Girard refused to give him anything, but took a 
memorandum of his residence, and dismissed him. Upon 
the poor man’s leaving, Girard told one of his clerks to follow 
him, and ascertain whether his story was true. Upon the 
clerk’s return, with the information that the statement was 
true, Girard gave orders that his baker should leave four 
loaves of bread a day for the poor man’s family as long as it 
Some time 
afterwards, a Baptist clergyman, Rev. Dr. Stoughton, called 
on Mr. Girard for aid in behalf of the new Sansom Street 
Baptist Church edifice, Philadelphia, Dr. Stoughton being 
pastor, and very highly distinguished at the time. Girard 
received him, as he usually did beggars, coolly and cour- 
teously, and gave him a check for five hundred dollars. Dr. 
Stoughton received it with a low bow, but upon examining 
it, expressed his astonishment, adding, ‘‘ Only five hundred 
dollars! Surely you will not give us less than a thousand.”’ 
‘“« Let me see the check, Mr. Stoughton,” said Girard ; ‘“ per- 
haps I have made one mistake.” The Baptist clergyman re- 
turned him the check with the utmost sang-froid. Girard 
tore it into fragments, observing, ‘ Well, Mr. Stoughton, if 
you will not have what I give, I will give nothing.’’ 
might be necessary, and send the bill to him. 
“That liberality is but cast away, 
Which makes us borrow what we cannot pay.” 
Many treat the gospel with indifference under the name 
of liberality. ALBERT FOREPAUGH. 
BRANCHTOWN, Pa. 
y@ A pair of laughing kingfishers, intended for presen- 
tation to the poet Whittier, are on exhibition at the Central 
Park Menagerie, N. Y. The bird is a native of Australia, 
where it receives from the colonists the name of ‘‘settler’s 
clock,’’ on account of the regularity with which its laughter 
rings through the forest at certain hours of the day. 

FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
HOME PETS. 
Anp who is it, let me ask you, Mr. Editor, who is not 
possessed of a home pet of some description, but if I may 
venture to offer my humble opinion, the Canary is really 
the nicest home pet to keep. Whether it is kept in the man- 
sion or in the humble cottage, what is nicer to see or to hear 
than a really good whistling Canary? I am writing about 
the Canary for this reason, there are very few of your lady 
readers that do not possess one or more of these beautiful little 
songsters. Being originally from a warm climate, they are 
as a matter of course very tender, and should be kept in a 
room of agreeable temperature; if they are exposed to cold 
winds, they will pine and die. In the summer they should 
be hung outside in the open air, being careful not to expose 
them to a scorching hot sun. If Canaries are kept in too 
hot or too close rooms, they will moult at an improper sea- 
son, which should be always guarded against. They should 
be kept scrupulously clean, and the perches frequently wash- 
ed, and a little fine sand scattered upon the bottom of the 
cage. They should have clean water at least once a day, 
but oftener, if convenient, and should have two vessels to 
contain water, one to drink out of, and one to bathe in. 
Many persons, from mistaken kindness, offer pieces of rich 
cake, and other inappropriate sweetmeats to their pets, and 
the little creatures being naturally fond of this kind of feed- 
ing, do themselves a great injury by eating of them. I have 
known Canaries in full song become quite mute by being 
indulged with the improper food above named. The food 
cannot be too simple, and they should have a small portion 
of fresh green food daily. In the spring and summer seasons, 
a little chick weed, lettuce, and radish leaves are very good for 
them, of which they are extremely fond, a little finely chop- 
ped yolk of an egg once a week will be duly appreciated by 
them, and in the winter season, nothing is to them so great 
a relish as a slice of nice sweet apple twice a week, and in 
concluding these remarks, I would ask every lady who loves 
her Canary, to abstain from giving it too many sweetmeats, 
and thereby killing her home pet by mistaken kindness. At 
an early date I will write you a line or two about the best 
sort of cages and the breeding of Canaries.—Jowa Stock 
Journal. 


POULTRY SHOWS FOR 1874 & 1875. 
No shows will be entered on this list until we are officially notified by 
the Secretary. 
New England Poultry Club. Worcester, Mass., December 
1, 2, 3, and 4, 1874. G@. H. Estabrook, Secretary. 
The Eastern Pennsylvania Poultry Association. 
town, Pa., December 8, 9, 10, and 11, 1874. 
Harvey, Secretary, Doylestown, Pa. 
Connecticut State Poultry Society. Hartford, Conn., De- 
cember 15, 16,17, and 18,1874. Dr. G. L. Parmele, Sec’y. 
Meadville Poultry and Columbarian Association. Mead- 
ville, Dec. 22, 28, 24, and 25, 1874. A. McLaren, Sec. 
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, 138, 14, 
and 15, 1875. Fred. Fox, Secretary, Portland, Maine. 
Western Pennsylvania Poultry Society. Pittsburg, January 
13 to 20 inclusive. R. F. Shannan, Secretary. 
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 10 to 17, 1875. Geo. W. White, Secretary. 
Rhode Island Poultry and Columbarian Scciety. Provi- 
dence, February 18, 19, 20, and 21, 1875. James L. 
Bullock, Corresponding Secretary. 
Doyles- 
Mheowee. 
