BIKD-KOO.M OF MK. T. IKONS. NOK THAM I'TON. 

 The lower cages are eminently suitable tur flight cages lor moulting. 



CHAPTER XII 



THE CANARY'S PLUMAGE AND MOULTING 



Signs of 

 Moulting. 



iiioiilt in<f Ijcti'ins : indeed, the latter is 



always aeee| it ed as an index ol' the Inriner, 



and tlie lu'eedii' notes the 



The First presence iil' a lew leathers 



in the liiilloni dl his ea<jes^ 



as sure indications o! tiic 



bcyinninLj ol' the end ol' his hi-cediiig 



season. We arc rd'eirinLj now entirely to 



adult birds, and may s.iy here that the 



youni,' bird deterniiiies its lirst sij,ni ol' incipient moult the shedding 



ol' one or two (juill leathers is to be 

 regarded as the siuii.-d to discontinue 

 breeding with such birds as show it. 



Singularl\- enough, it is usu:dl\ the cocks 

 th.it llrsi di-op into moult, and this oltcn 



TiiK next gi'cat event in the lil'c ol a young 

 Canary is its lust iuoult, indications ol 

 wliich Ix'gin to |)resent themscKcs at 

 about the age ol two months, though, no 

 doubt, preparations ha\c been going on nii- 

 .seeii I'or some time, and indeed maw as well 

 as the I'ood. ha\e had somethiug to do with 

 the ti'oid)les to which we rel'crred in the 

 jirevious chapter, rtidoubtedly the lirst 

 moult ol a, 



future lih' lor better or lor worsi, so that 

 it is an important |)eriod which the I'aucicr 

 eainiot afford to treat lightly. ,\ keen 

 oversight nnist be maintained ol I he birds 

 daily to see that all is progressing huoui'- 

 ably. 



In adidt birds moidting coimneiiccs 

 about .Fidy, but the time \aries greatly 

 according to circumstances, the whole 

 period extending over the next thice 

 months. With the decline of viifour the 



results in the last clutc'hcs ol eggs being 

 unlertilc wliere breeding has been carried 

 on too late. The birds may not at lirst 

 manil'est any dis|)osition to gi\e up the 

 duties of domestic lile. but desire is sure 

 to fail as the drain on the system 



142 



