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CANARY BIRDS

Do not keep in a room that is being painted or has odor of new paint. Do not hang over a stove or grate which contains fire. Do not set the cage in a window, and shut it down upon it; the draft is injurious. Do not wash cage bottom, but scrape clean with a knife, and then put on some fresh gravel; the moisture breeds red mites, and is injurious to the bird. Do not keep the birds you intend to breed in the spring together during the winter. Do not keep single birds in a room where others are breeding, or males and females in mating season in the same room in separate cages, as it is likely to cause mating fever. Feed canary on rape seed, but no hemp. For diarrhea put a rusty piece of iron in dish water, changing water not oftener than twice a week, and bread boiled in milkas for asthma; boil well in this case, so that when cold it will cut like cheese; give freely with plenty of vegetables.

Moulting is not a disease, yet during this season all birds are more or less sick, and some suffer severely. They require plenty of nourishing food. Worms, insects, and fruits to those which eat them; and to those which live upon dry seeds, bread dipped in milk, fruit and vegetables.

The German metallic-enameled cages are the best-white and green (a combination of) or a light chocolate are the best colors; they are not painted as are the cages made here in America, but the color is burnt into the wires. Avoid wooden or brass cages, also conical "fountains" for food and drink; for the latter, square or round cups of china or glass are the best. The perches should be plain, round, unvarnished sticks, and no two of the same size. Clean the cage thoroughly every morning. Prepare fresh, clean bathing and drinking water, and if sand is used on the bottom of eage, clean it (the sand) by boiling in water. Scrape the perches well, and twice a week plunge them in boiling water to kill any red mites that may have lodged there. Give plenty of seed, also green green parts of many plants, such as poppy, rape, hemp, etc.; also the seeds of weeds like the chickweed, plantain, etc., and the fresh, tender leaves of beets, cabbage and lettuce. Avoid fruits containing a large percentage of acid, but give occasionally a hard-boiled egg. Never give them sugar, but all the red pepper they will eat. It is the best thing for them. And if your bird feels hoarse at any time, put a piece of fat salt pork in the cage and see how the little fellow will enjoy it. Give him flax-seed once in a while, and if he appears dumpy occasionally give him a diet of bread and water, with red pepper sprinkled in.

For lice, cleanliness is the best preventive, but not always sure. For cure you have simply to cover your cage at night with a white cloth, rise early in the morning, remove the cloth and dip in sealding hot water. Repeat every night as long as there shall be found any vermin upon the cloth.

In raising birds, make just half the fuss directed in the bird-book over the matter, and you will have, doubtless, better success. COLORING. In coloring always use plenty of water, never crowd the goods, taking care that they float in the liquid. In rinsing always use plenty of clear water, and in preparing goods for coloring, clean off all dirt and grease spots. To test color of dye, pour it from a dish held high, and look through it to the light. A pound of extract of logwood is equal to four pounds of logwood chips. Fustic should be boiled in a sack of open texture; the other ingredients are put into the water. All black goods should be washed in soap-suds after coloring.