The song of the canary is evidently a
matter of choice and training, and the Ger-
man song canary has a voice vastly more
beautiful than that of the wild bird. Cock
birds of fine voice are chosen to breed from
and also as tutors, young birds, if possible,
being trained in a room where they can
hear only the tutor, for they will pick up
bad notes as easily as good ones if left where
they can hear them. The tutors and pupils
are allowed to sing only about three hours
each day, being covered up the rest of the
time. Birds that have caught up bad notes
need to be drafted off", before they can make
mischief among the others. If there is no
good tutor, a flageolet will serve, with the
condition that the same air must always be
played in exactly the same way.
The colors of cage birds vary consider-
ably, through green, yellow, white, brown,
gray, etc. The yellow and the white have
often red eyes, and are the most tender ;
those most resembling the wild race — dusky
green above and yellowish green beneath —
are the strongest. The bird now most ad-
mired is of yellow or white body, with head,
wings, and tail of a lively yellow. The gold-
en yellow bird, with head, wings, and tail
black, or dusky gra}^ comes next in estima-
tion. There are other admired shades of
color, those spotted or speckled being ot
least value.
Care of Canaries.
In keeping canaries much attention must
be paid to the cage, which is very lia])le to
be infested with the canary mite, a plague
so constant that great care is needed to
avoid it. It begins with a floury dust,
which is soon found to be alive, the insects
becoming larger and reddish in color . They
harbor in the minutest crack. To destroy
them, every cage should be completely plas-
tered with whitewash and carbolic acid at
the beginning and end of each breeding
season, each chink being carefully filled. If
any of the "flour" appears on the perch,
this should be withdrawn, the place painted
with oil, and a new perch with an oiled rod
put in. If it is in a crack, paint it over
with spirit varnish. If the case is a bad
one, paint with solution of bichloride of
mercury, rubbing it well into the places,
and, when dried, varnish over it. In this
way the enemy may be overcome.
The food of the bird is an important
matter. In Germany summer rape seed, of
mild quality, is chiefly used, the cocks — the
only singers — having also a little bread-
crumb and &%%. To force them, dealers
often feed them almost entirely on egg-food,
and the bird, when purchased, is fed solely
on canary seed, or canary and hemp seed.
This sudden change is apt to prove in-
jurious.
Canaries are liable to various disorders
which need special treatment. Colds may
be cured l)y putting twenty drops of pare-
goric, a bit of gum arabic the si/.e ol a pea,
and half a teaspoonful of glycerine in the
water. Loss of voice may be treated in the
same wa3^ but in either case it is best to
give first a drop or two of castor oil from
the point of a penholder.
90
THE MODEL COOK BOOK
Page 111
Presented as published in 1901. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The song of the canary is evidently a matter of choice and training, and the German song canary has a voice vastly more beautiful than that of the wild bird. Cock birds of fine voice are chosen to breed from and also as tutors, young birds, if possible, being trained in a room where they can hear only the tutor, for they will pick up bad notes as easily as good ones if left where they can hear them. The tutors and pupils are allowed to sing only about three hours each day, being covered up the rest of the time. Birds that have caught up bad notes need to be drafted off, before they can make mischief among the others. If there is no good tutor, a flageolet will serve, with the condition that the same air must always be played in exactly the same way.
The colors of cage birds vary considerably, through green, yellow, white, brown, gray, etc. The yellow and the white have
often red eyes, and are the most tender ; those most resembling the wild race — dusky green above and yellowish green beneath — are the strongest. The bird now most admired is of yellow or white body, with head, wings, and tail of a lively yellow. The golden yellow bird, with head, wings, and tail black, or dusky gray comes next in estimation. There are other admired shades of color, those spotted or speckled being ot least value.
Care of Canaries.
In keeping canaries much attention must be paid to the cage, which is very liable to be infested with the canary mite, a plague so constant that great care is needed to avoid it. It begins with a floury dust, which is soon found to be alive, the insects becoming larger and reddish in color . They harbor in the minutest crack. To destroy them, every cage should be completely plastered with whitewash and carbolic acid at the beginning and end of each breeding season, each chink being carefully filled. If any of the "flour" appears on the perch, this should be withdrawn, the place painted with oil, and a new perch with an oiled rod put in. If it is in a crack, paint it over with spirit varnish. If the case is a bad one, paint with solution of bichloride of mercury, rubbing it well into the places, and, when dried, varnish over it. In this way the enemy may be overcome.
The food of the bird is an important matter. In Germany summer rape seed, of mild quality, is chiefly used, the cocks — the only singers — having also a little breadcrumb and egg. To force them, dealers often feed them almost entirely on egg-food, and the bird, when purchased, is fed solely on canary seed, or canary and hemp seed. This sudden change is apt to prove injurious.
Canaries are liable to various disorders which need special treatment. Colds may be cured l)y putting twenty drops of paregoric, a bit of gum arabic the size of a pea, and half a teaspoonful of glycerine in the water. Loss of voice may be treated in the same way, but in either case it is best to give first a drop or two of castor oil from the point of a penholder.