If you are about to buy a canary, go to a reputable dealer or breeder.
The best period in which to make your selection and purchase is from
November, after the birds have completed their first moult, through May.
Explain what you want, make your own selection, and take your time about
it. Take a seat in front of the birds. By watching them, you can soon
tell which are singers. Compare the better singers one with another;
eliminate one and repeat the process until you have selected the bird
that pleases you most. Choose a bird that is smooth, brightly feathered,
whose actions are sharp, crisp and sprightly.
After you have taken him home, place the carrying cage or box directly
against the open door of the bird's new home. In a short time the little
chap will go from the carrying cage without being alarmed, and probably
will soon be singing.
If there is no canary dealer in your locality, write to the Mail Order
Department of The R. T. French Company, Rochester 9, New York. From
November through May, except during the Christmas shipping rush, we are
usually able to ship either French's Carillons (choppers) or French's
Carollers (rollers) to any express office in the U.S.A. Both types are
selected birds, guaranteed to arrive in full health and feather, and to
sing within two weeks.
_General Canary Care_
[Illustration: Frenchy]
About ten minutes a day is all that is required for the care of a canary
and its cage. If you have children, let them share the daily routine.
Without realizing it, they will learn valuable lessons in kindness and
responsibility.
The normal schedule of canary care is simple. Each morning give your
canary fresh seed and a supply of fresh water in clean cups. Daily or on
alternate days feed a bit of green food. Occasionally give him a small
amount of a treat such as song food. Keep a cuttle bone and a French's
Bird Biscuit in the cage. Allow the bird to bathe daily, or two or three
times a week. Keep the perches and cage clean, and a covering of gravel
on the floor.
These are the essentials of canary care. More detailed information
appears below. Follow the suggestions made here, and your canary will
reward you with joyful song and years of happy companionship.