CAGAYAN, ka-ga-yan', an island of the Philippine group; the largest of six small islets, known as the Cagayan-Sulu group. It is five miles wide and eight miles long. Pop. about 3,500. There are mountains attaining a height of 1,100 feet. The chief products are tobacco and sugar. There are pearl and shell fisheries. Cagayan was sold by Spain to the United States, with Cibitu, in 1900, upon payment of $100,000, having been inadvertently excluded from the terms of the treaty of peace.
birds kept in cages for the benefit or enjoyment afforded by their powers of song, beauty of plumage, ability to talk or companionship. They have been so kept by human beings ever since prehistoric times. The first essential for the maintenance of birds in captivity is a cage as large as possible, and as nearly like the birds, original habitat as cir cumstances permit. Cleanliness is a prime ne cessity, and the bird should be given a constant fresh supply of water for bathing and drinking purposes, and as much fresh air and light as possible, always, however, avoiding draughts and the sun's direct rays. The food and neces sary attention bestowed on the bird vary ac cording to the species.
Birds are captured by means of birdlime or a falling net, but many are taken from their nests when young, and so tamed, or are bred solely for market purposes. An important trade throughout Europe is the retiring of cage-birds, especially German canaries. The best-known songster, and probably the most popular cage bird, is the common canary (q.v.), originally a native of the Canary Islands. It is typical of captive birds generally, in the marked change produced by captivity and selective breeding, in coloring and size, from its original wild state. Other widely known and popular cage birds are the nightingale, goldfinch, cardinal, mocking-bird, bullfinch, the Indian bulbul, sev eral European thrushes, and others, all of which are fine singers. Among the birds kept be cause of their beauty are the parrakeets, love birds, cockatoos, macaws, the whydab-bird, the painted finches and others. Those imitating human speech are not so plentiful, consisting chiefly of the parrot, of which there are several species, and the starlings, especially the English species, and the Indian mina-bird (qq.v.). Ow ing to the change of climate, and especially the cold, nine-tenths of the African parrots trans ported to Europe or North America die before learning to speak. It is advisable, therefore, to purchase such birds in the spring, thus giving them a chance to become gradually acclimated.
In the case of all cage-birds most particular attention should be paid to their food, and over feeding must be especially guarded against. Frequently ailments can be greatly benefited by a fresh supply of food given in smaller quan tities. Insectivorous birds are most trouble some to care for in regard to food, as their diet is less easily obtained. In case of inability to procure the accustomed food, finely chopped meat should be substituted, and a reasonable quantity of spiders is always beneficial. The universal and most acceptable food to nearly all birds, however, is canary-seed, with which hemp, rape or oats may frequently be mixed to advantage. Seed-eating birds should be given such fresh vegetable matter as soft green leaves, chickweed or lettuce, at regular inter vals. Sugar in small quantities is also bene ficial, but acid fruits of all kinds should be avoided. A prime necessity in the rearing of cage-birds is something on which the bird may sharpen its bill. This is most easily supplied in the form of sandpaper, or, better, cuttlefish bone, which is essential to the health of breed ing birds. A bird's nails are apt to grow so long as to become troublesome to it, but in clipping them care should be taken to use a sharp pair of scissors, avoiding a possible in jury to the foot by twisting. In case of illness due to overfeeding, a drop of castor oil may prove beneficial, especially if it is accompanied by a change of surroundings, quiet and a sim pler diet for a time.
Bechstein, 'Cage and Chamber Birds' (London 1864), a most com plete work; and Greene, 'Notes on Cage Birds' (London 1899); Dixon, 'Dovecote and Aviary' (London 1851) ; Holden, 'Book on Birds' (Boston 1875) ; Greene, 'Diseases of Cage Birds> (London 1897) ; Blacicston, Swaysland and Wiener, 'Book of Canaries and Cage Birds' (London) ; Greene, 'Parrots in Cap tivity' (London 1884) ; Butler, 'Foreign Finches in Captivity' (London 1899) ; and 'How to Sex Cage Birds' (London 1907) ; Oldeys, 'Cage-bird Traffic of the United States' (Washington 1907) ; Norman, 'Aviaries, Bird rooms and Cages' (London 1908) ; Birchley, 'British Birds for Cages, Aviaries, and Exhibi tions' (London 1909); Telling, 'Practical Guide to Successful. Cage-bird Culture' (Lon don 1909). The Avicultural Magazine and Bird Notes are two monthly magazines pub lished in London and devoted to the interest of cage and aviary birds.