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From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin )
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Re: parakeets
Message-ID: <3993@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 15-Aug-84 11:26:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.3993
Posted: Wed Aug 15 11:26:34 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 21-Aug-84 00:27:37 EDT
References: <592@pyuxc.UUCP>
Organization: Ballistics Research Lab
Lines: 19

I'd been meaning to ask this, and the base posting on parakeets reminded
me:  Back in the 50's or so, when last I had a parakeet, it seemed like
canaries and parakeets were about equally available; any store that had
one had both for sale, in various varieties. Now, looking at Woolworths
and the pet departments of department stores, I see lots of parakeets,
but no canaries. 

Is this just the result of changing fashion and taste in pets; that is,
are canaries just unpopular these days? Or was there some virulent
disease in the past decade or two that wiped out the canary strains
normally bred for sale?  (Or is this a local [St. Louis, MO] phenomenon?)

I only knew one household that had a canary; it used to sing along
with the stereo, which I thought was nice (though I can imagine that
such behavior might get tiresome or bothersome, especially if you
are an audiophile and are trying to do critical listening). How does
one choose a canary that will sing?

Will