Part 4

EXERCISE AND PLAY

Birds in small cages need exercise. Tie a few strands of worsted to the top of the cage for your canary to tug on, and sometimes dangle a small bright key or other metal object from the top of the cage. A small bell suspended in the cage will sometimes attract and hold the interest of the bird when nothing else will. Canaries like attention and excitement. Talk to them frequently. They are usually fond of music too, and will often try to drown it with their own notes.

Allowing the canary to have the freedom of the room provides it both pleasure and exercise. The dangers are that the bird may injure itself or that it will pick up something not good for it to eat. If you decide in favor, prop or tie the cage door open and let the bird return to the cage by itself. Have a regular time, such as when cleaning the cage.

CATS

The cat is a natural enemy of small birds. If a cat is kept in the home, be sure to hang the cage where the cat cannot reach it or knock it down by leaping on it.

MICE

Mice are especially fond of bird seed. At night they sometimes enter the room where the bird is kept and eat the seeds which have fallen on the floor. They will often reach the cage by climbing up a curtain or drape. A bird is thus frightened and disturbed at a time when it should be asleep, and as a result it will be drowsy in the daytime, lose its gay spirits, and fail to sing. See that the cage is not hung in a place where mice can reach it.

TAMING A CANARY

A canary is easily tamed. Take a tiny pinch of French's Song Food and moisten it in your lips. Raise your hand slowly and spread the moistened food on the cage bars near an upper perch. Out of curiosity, the canary will hop over to see what you have placed on the bar, pick at it, and enjoy eating it. Do this once or twice a day, and in a short time you will find he is accustomed to your presence and will pick the food from your fingers. Birds like to feed from the lips. After a bird has taken a treat from your finger, place a bit between your lips. If he takes it from you, you can rest assured that you have his confidence and probably will always have it.

HOW TO SHIP A CANARY

A cardboard carton approximately 8{~DOUBLE PRIME~} × 8{~DOUBLE PRIME~} × 12{~DOUBLE PRIME~} is suitable for shipping one or two canaries. Cover all joints inside the bottom of box with gummed tape to prevent loss of feed supply by sifting. Cut a row of six small holes near the top for ventilation. Next cut an opening on one side for a window. The window need not be more than 3{~DOUBLE PRIME~} square. In cool weather cover this opening with reinforced, transparent plastic window material, usually available at hardware stores or poultry supply dealers. In warm weather, use a small square of regular wire screen, secured in place with heavy package wrapping tape. Cut an opening on the opposite side for a door approximately 3{~DOUBLE PRIME~} square, leaving one of the four sides uncut to act as a hinge. Use a clean evaporated milk can for a water cup. Cut an opening about one inch square in the top of the can near the edge. Place the can on the floor of the box against the two sides forming a corner near the window. The opening in the top of the can should be toward the center of the box. Secure the can in position with a piece of wire. Loop the wire around the can and run the ends through the two sides of the box forming the corner. The ends of the wire should then be folded flat and held in place with tape. Filling the container half full of clean imitation sponge will help to prevent the water in the can from spilling.

Using small tacks, nail a perch across the narrow width of the box at the window end 1½{~DOUBLE PRIME~} from the floor and close enough to the water container so that the canary can reach it from the perch. The perch must not be closer than four inches from the end of the box to prevent injury to the bird's tail feathers.

To provide additional moisture, wire a half an orange to the corner of the box nearest the other end of the perch. The orange should be placed so the bird can reach it easily from the perch. The sliced side of the orange should face into the box, and the wires should be taped on the outside. Scatter several tablespoons of seed and a few teaspoons of gravel on the floor. Seal the box at the top with gummed tape. Label top of carton in bold black letters "LIVE BIRD"--"THIS SIDE UP." Print addresses "TO" and "FROM" plainly. Admit canary and seal door with gummed tape. Tie carton securely with heavy wrapping cord.

a. Ventilation holes b. Door taped shut c. Half orange wired to corner of box d. Window with wire screen covering taped in position e. Water cup wired to corner of box f. Perch

It is a good plan to call the Express Company to get a routing and time of train departure so the bird need not wait in the depot for hours before train time. When possible take the bird to the Express office yourself. Have all necessary papers written up. These will be supplied in advance by the Express Company. Birds must be insured for full value, otherwise the Express Company will pay no more than $5.00 in the event the bird is lost, stolen, or accidentally killed.

A Gallery of Canary Portraits

Each bird in this collection of thirty-six life-size canary portraits was painted from an actual live model carefully selected to typify the best qualities of a particular breed or type. To appreciate fully the beauty of these paintings, stand the book upright and view them at a distance of from four to five feet as you would paintings in an exhibition gallery. North light will be found better than most artificial illumination.

William C. Dilger, one of America's most talented ornithological artists, painted these outstanding canary portraits. At the time the paintings were made, Mr. Dilger was completing work for his Doctor's degree at Cornell University. Mr. Dilger has had many years of experience in the field of bird painting. As a boy, he found his greatest pleasure in drawing birds. Even while in the Army in World War II, he found time to continue his study by sketching wild birds native to India and the Far East. This collection of paintings truly represents a "labor of love."

Mr. George F. Mitchell of Toronto, Canada, one of the continent's most highly regarded bird show judges, supervised the descriptions in the "Gallery Catalogue" and served as consultant throughout the preparation of the paintings. Mr. Mitchell is well-known both in Canada and the United States for his efforts in connection with bird shows.

BIRDS ARE DESCRIBED IN THE ORDER OF APPEARANCE

The Gallery Catalogue

YELLOW ROLLER CANARY

The roller canary is bred primarily for song, hence the form, feather, size, and substance of this roller makes it most exceptional. Most rollers are no more than five inches in length, with a much flatter appearing head and straighter back and are lacking in the solid girth of this bird. With the advent of color breeding, many of the foremost U. S. roller fanciers are experimenting with color, size, and form improvements, as shown in this advanced type. PLATE 1

YELLOW CHOPPER IN SONG

The chopper opens its beak wide in attaining some of its clear, free notes. The song of the chopper varies from that of the roller to the loud, full song of the average "type" canary, including the song of various crosses between the canary and birds of related families. There are no standards for the song of the chopper other than that it be cheerful, lively, and free. Its action should be lively and alert. PLATE 2

VARIEGATED YELLOW ROLLER IN SONG

The almost closed beak is typical of the roller in full song. This characteristic, plus the much prized low pitched song tours such as the Hollow Roll, Bass, and Koller serve to distinguish the roller canary. Tone quality is just as important as range. There is some possibility that the use of rape seed is at least partly responsible for the lower pitch of their most valued tours. PLATE 3

GREEN CHOPPER CANARY