44 THE CANARY BIRD. 



their feathers will appear and feel sleek and 

 smooth, adhering close to their bodies. — 

 Whenever you perceive the reverse of this, 

 and the birds are sitting dull and bunchy, 

 rely on it, something is out of order. 



Therefore, first consider the season, or time 

 of the year ; if moulting is approaching, or 

 if any thing has worried, or frightened the 

 bird ; if he has been hung up in a draught 

 of air, and taken cold ; if he is suffering from 

 neither of these causes, see if he can get at 

 his water and seed, and that both are sweet. 

 Good seed always appears clear and glossy, 

 and feels dry and hard ; if there is no fault 

 here, examine his body, blow up the feathers 

 of his belly, see if his bowels look swelled, 

 or inflamed, and if so, it is symptomatic of a 

 surfeit. 



If he appears lean, and out of condition, 

 look closely for vermin about his body, and 

 examine well his cage for those small red 

 mites, which assail him at night when going 

 to roost, and frequently are the cause of his 

 picking and plucking himself so much by 

 day. Likewise, such is the susceptibility of 

 the Canary finch, through delicate breeding, 

 above all other features, that frequently you 

 will cause him to begin to moult, if the place, 

 or room, should be too close, or warm, com- 

 pared with what he has been accustomed to ; 

 and a change from a warm room to a cold 

 one, will make him bunchy and dull, and 

 gtop his singing. 

 , In purchasing a bird, careful inquiry should 



