1 66 The Canary Book. 



own bird room looks due north-east, and directly opposite to 

 it is a large building used as a chapel. This shuts off a 

 great deal of light, and acts as a protection against the cold 

 winds, consequently I have rarely been necessitated to cover 

 my birds, either whilst moulting or afterwards; and I have 

 exhibited both Cinnamon and Norwich Fancy canaries, 

 moulted in open cages, at several of our best shows, and 

 some of them were never once beaten. I merely mention this 

 fact to show that I am not endeavouring to propound a 

 theory that is impracticable. I may likewise mention that 

 for depth, richness, and purity of colour, they were unsur- 

 passed ; and yet these birds were never covered, excepting 

 when the room was being swept or the cages cleaned out. 



FORCING A MOULT. It is a difficult matter to get some 

 birds to moult at all, particularly those that are out of health 

 or permitted to breed to an advanced period of the year. If 

 a bird fails to moult in any year, it will assuredly die in the 

 following spring or sooner. If an old bird shows no signs 

 of moulting before the end of September (which is beyond 

 the proper season) place it in a small box cage, and after it 

 is quite familiar with the arrangement, and knows where to 

 find both food and water, commence to cover it gradually until 

 it can feed in total darkness ; then place the cage in a very 

 warm part of a room where a fire is kept burning almost 

 constantly. If there should happen to be a closet by the side 

 of the chimney, and a sufficiency of air can get to it, place 

 it there, as it will require great artificial heat to produce the 

 desired symptoms. Being condemned to utter darkness will 

 most likely cause the bird to fret, and this sometimes effects 

 the change sought for. Before confining the bird it will be 

 as well to give it a little magnesia in its drinking water, or 

 a senna leaf or two, as a slight aperient is requisite. Keep 

 the bird closely covered until it begins to cast its feathers 

 freely, when it may be gradually uncovered and removed to a 

 cooler place, but not into a room without fire, until the return 

 of genial weather in the following spring. If this method 

 fails to bring the bird into the moult, then it must be 

 removed to an opposite temperature, which in nine cases out 



