CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



of its cage three parts covered with brown 

 jiaper. 



Some fanciers wlioso lengthy experience 

 entitles tlicni to respect do not hesitate 

 to finger-])iuck the parts in 



Finger 

 Plucking. 



such eases, but ^vc should 

 only advocate this practice 

 wlien all other renicchcs liad failed. In 

 most cases a week or two of the treatment 

 we have advised will assist Nature to huish 

 her temporarily suspended work. 



The importance of maintaining the moult- 

 ing action will be obvious. Heat is a 

 powerful means to this 



end, and its ai)phcation 



Influence of 



Heat at Moults 



ing Time. '^ absolutely necessary 



when birds are late in 

 completing their moult, and are overtaken 

 by an early, cold, damp autunm. A hot- 

 water coil, or any other generator of heat 

 at disposal, shoidd be set going so as to 

 keep the temperatvire up to 65 or 70 degrees 

 imtii the moult is completed. 



When all the birds have finished getting 

 their new coats the temperature can gi-adu- 

 ally be lowered to normal. This will in no 

 way make the lairds delicate ; but, on the 

 contrary, tend to ])rescrve them in good 

 health by assisting Nature to perform lu'i' 

 functions just at a moment when colds and 

 chills are more than usually fatal in their 

 elTects, as I lie bird is in a state which 

 I'cnders it very sensitive. As a |)rcc;iu- 

 tiouMi'v measure it is well to covir 1 he 

 front (if the cage with :\ sul)slautial sci-ccn. 

 and |)art ieularly at ui^lils. wIk'ii it must 

 lie i-cmcnibercd the hii'd 1ms to slcc|) with 

 a sliorl :ill(i\vanct' of clothes, until the new 

 fcatluTs ha\'e gio.vn their lull Icuglli. 

 ()l)\'iously this will not he required where 

 birds .-ire 'oeiiig eoloui'-IV-d. ;is tiie\ will 

 all'endy lia\c been sheeted down. 



.\ co\ering also serA'cs to kce|) the n<'w- 



])lumagc from being soiled by dust or 



smoke, w liieli w ill lind 

 Influence of 



Light on Colour. 



ils wav into rooms in 



towns. despite e\iT\ 

 elfort to exclude it. W'luil mkiv he the 

 chemical elTect of light ui)on the eoloiu' 

 we c;inuot explain, but it has been pro\-ed 



be\(iu(l doubt thai the direct ra\s of the abl 



sun do aiTeet colour induced by vegetable 

 feeding to a greater or less degree, imtil 

 the colour is fixed by the maturing of the 

 feather. It is well, therefore, to shade 

 against the harmful elTcets of fjrighl light. 

 It is said that to darken the cages is 

 detrimental to the bird's health. This is in 

 a measure correct, but there is no neeil tt> 

 do this ; it is sufficient if they be shaded 

 from the full glare of daylight. Again, 

 the material should not be heavy, so 

 that it makes the cages close and stuffy : it 

 shoidd hang an inch or two from the front 

 of the cage, antl thus allow ample \'entila,- 

 tion. Another way is to shade the window 

 of the room so as to prevent the direct 

 rays or bright light of the sun falling on 

 the birds; but we have always founil the 

 cage covering to be the better method. 



Nothing can exceed the spotless beauty 

 of a bird when fresh moulted, before any- 

 thing can have affected the bloom on its 

 feathers; and for this, if for no other 

 reason, we reconmiend covering u|> to- 

 gether with perfect quiet — so that the bird 

 ma.}' litei'ally have' notliiiiL; to do but to 

 moult. 



The whole process of moult iiig occupies 



about a I'oiiplc of iiioiiths. of which period, 



ire<|iieiit ly, a considerable por- 



7J^''J'"'^„°^ li"" i^ oeeui)ied bv the re- 

 the Moult. ' 



clothing of the head and 

 neck. So long as a. single |)en leather is 

 \isiblc protruding through the o'hci's. so 

 long is the moult going on. :ind so long must 

 the colour-food be coiit iiiiied. l'l\'eu when 

 the bird a|)pears "line." if it be caught 

 and "" blown." it will he siin tliat there are 

 slill an astonishing nimiber of young 

 fc;it liei-s en\i-loped in t heir lit t le sheat lis u()t 

 vet expanded. This format ion can be 

 most ck'arK' seen on the head of a (rested 

 Canary, and we have known cxiiiliitors on 

 the eve of a. show open one i>y one with a 

 sli:ir|> |icn-kiiife the ■-kiu-like sheatlis wliieli 

 eiicnse the feathers, and blow them out so 

 .IS to ]iroduce a respectable crest. Anyone 

 atleiiipl iiiti such a I'eat needs to be very 

 careful nol to iI:iiii;il;c I he l'c;ilher. and it 

 is bettir not to try it unless (piite una\oid- 

 able. 



