ggs, and thrushes and blackbirds need
earth-worms as well.

Tricks

Some birds are easily taught tricks. We remember a red-poll who would
draw his water up from a well in the cage in a little bucket; but if
you teach your bird to do this you must be careful to watch him, in
case the string gets twisted and the bucket does not reach the water,
when your pet will suffer terribly from thirst. He will also learn to
pull his seed-box up an inclined board if you put it day by day a
little farther from him, so that he must draw the string to get his
food. It is better to take a long time in training birds, and tempt
them with any dainty they care most for, such as water-cress,
groundsel, chickweed, or hemp-seed, as otherwise you must starve the
bird first, or he will not trouble to get the seed. This means a
certain amount of cruelty and cannot be right.

Canaries

The favorite cage-bird is the canary, which, though a foreign bird, is
kept in this country in greater numbers than any other bird, and is
also bred here. One has to be very well posted up in the nature of the
bird to be protected against deception when buying it; and you ought
therefore, in getting a canary, to find some one competent to buy what
you want.

Canaries must be kept carefully. They cannot stand much air. Be
particular that the cage does not hang in a draught, and let it be
large enough for comfort. When evening comes it is kinder to take the
cage out of a room in which there will be much light and noise, and
put it somewhere dark and quiet, as the air of a room where gas is
burned is not good for it. But if moving the cage is not convenient,
lower it to a position below the level of the burners and cover it up
with a thick cloth. By day the cage should be hung in the sunshine if
possible, but if the sun is very hot a green gauze cover ought to
protect the bird a little. If the bird's singing is too lusty--as
sometimes happens--a handkerchief thrown over the cage will check it;
but this seems rather hard treatment.

In feeding canaries follow the rules on p. 356, but you may put a lump
of sugar between the bars now and then, or a sprig of groundsel or
water-cress. Do not give them cake; it is no real kindness.

When they are moulting, canaries (and other birds too) need rather
more attention. Give them a little richer food, such as chopped-up
eggs, and put some saffron in the water. There is a kind of insect
called the red mite which often