MOULTING ON COLOUR-FOOD 



163 



case of the former ; but we shall liave 

 more to say on this when dealino- with the 

 breeding of the birds. 



We will now return to our flight cage, 

 where our birds are about eight weeks old, 

 by which time it will be neces- 

 Ca"'""^ sary to put those intended for 

 a colour-fed moult on to the 

 " feed.'' The breeding compartments that 

 are at liberty should be thoroughly washed 

 with soap and water with which a little 

 carbolic or some other disinfectant has 

 been mixed, to make sure there are no 

 insect pests to torment the birds, and then 

 well rinsed. Then, when dry, two or three 

 birds should be placed in each compart- 

 ment, but they should not be overcrowded. 

 It should be remembered that the work 

 can be done as efficiently by utilising these 

 cages as by using a set of small moulting 

 cages. Specially contrived cages for cer- 

 tain kinds of birds will be described in 

 their proper place. 



Some breeders, however, like to have a 



stack of small moulting boxes, so as to 



allow each bird a cage to itself. 



Small These moulting boxes are about 



ou ing ^ij inches square and 15 inches 

 high, and can be made in the 

 flight style in groups of six ; that is to say, 

 a flight can be made sufficiently long to 

 pai'tition ofT into six 10-inch compart- 

 ments. The turn-rail for cleaning out can 

 be made in one length to fit across the 

 six compartments. Such moulting boxes 

 usually have one perch arranged in the 

 centre, as there is not room for two from 

 front to back, the ends of the perch being 

 wedged firndy against the sides or parti- 

 tions of the compai'tment. Another perch 

 is arranged in front of the bottom front 

 Kail of the cage for the bird to stand upon 

 to feed, and so keep his tail and plumage 

 clean. There is no fear of the bird soiling 

 this bottom cross jierch with its excreta, 

 as the arrangement of the top perch prevents 

 this. The bird can also hop from the 

 one perch to the other without incon- 

 venience. 



Each compartment is fitted Avith a 

 small seed-hopper and drinking vessel in 



front, as well as the usual egg-pan or 

 drawer for the supply of egg and colour- 

 food. 



Such cages are ]5ut together in a similar 

 manner to the ordinary breeding or flight 

 cage. They are, of course, best enamelled, 

 or painted, both inside and out. A very 

 good colour for the inside is Hedge Sparrow- 

 egg blue, and for the outside black. Care 

 nuist be taken that the paint is quite dry 

 and hard before the birds are jiut in. The 

 cages can be arranged verj' neatly in stacks, 

 in racks, in the same manner as other 

 cages, and fifty or sixty of these boxes, 

 each containing a bird undergoing the 

 process of transmutation (for it is little 

 else) is a sight a breeder may be proud of 

 when he lifts up the clean sheet — thin 

 white calico answers well — with which 

 they should be covered. We have given 

 details of these moulting boxes, as several 

 large breeders use them, though by far the 

 greater number of birds are moulted in 

 flight or ordinary breeding cages, and they 

 do equally well in them, though, of course, 

 they should be sheeted over in the same 

 manner. 



We must here say that at the head of 



the Coloin- section stands the Norwich 



Canary ; and we take that bird 



The Colour ^^ illustrate our mode of going 



Section. T^ ■ ■ c i. tu 



to work. It is, m tact, the 



colom- bird. Two others of the family have 

 also the power to develop colour in a re- 

 markable degree — viz. the Lizard and 

 London Fancy. The Lizard is, proVjably, 

 at least its equal in this respect, while the 

 London Fancy is, by its admirers, con- 

 sidered its siqierior. But each of these has 

 other properties which rule above colour 

 in them, and which are their strong points, 

 while in the Norwich Canary colour is 

 one of its leading characteristics. The 

 Cinnamon Canary is another member of 

 the colour family, but is of an entirely 

 different shade, and this peculiar property 

 practically rules, or at least is the leading 

 characteristic of this Canary. 



We have heard the question asked with 

 wonder and amazement, as if it were a 

 niNStery past human comprehension : " Why 



