Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1914 — The Care of Canaries. [ARTICLE]

The Care of Canaries.

The first thing to consider in looking after the comfort and happiness of the canary is its cage. Have as large a one as possible. This gives chance for exercise. A good cage Is the small sized mocking bird’s cage, which is about 28 inohes long and 11 Inches wide. The absenoe of paint and brass wire makes It mors healthy for a bird, as the former sometimes contains arsenic and the latter become tsuched .with verdlr git% which Is poisonous.

Next, the perches should be of proper size, or rather, sizes. The use of different sized perches enables the bird to exercise all the muscles of the fiset, keeping them in healthy condition. Where little scales upon the bird’s feet and legs cause soreness and lameness, it is well to occasionally cover one of the perches with vaseline, which will rub off on the bird’s feet and soften them.

Perches and cage must always be kept clean, and the little Inmate should be given a bathing dish of clean water every day, leaving him to choose Ms own time for bathing. The cuttle bone should always he within reach for sharpening the bill. Sand is another essential, either put on the floor of the cage or in a dish. This is eaten by the bird and helps digest the food. For food a good quality of seed should be bought, ÜBing two-thirds canary seed and one-third - mixed hemp, millet and rape seed. Occasionally add a pinch of lettuce seed. Then vary the seed diet with lettuce, apple, celery, bread and milk, sugar, hard-boiled eggs, red pepper and onoe in a while even a hit of fat bar con. Grasses In seed and plantln stalks are likewise good. Birds are very sensitive to • draught and should be carefully guarded In this respect. A bird expert advises talking to birds and, if possible, having more than one bird, as the tiny songsters are naturally sociable creatures and suffer from loneliness when put off alone without companionship of any kind.