1 70 The Canary Book. 



unfrequently spring up between different birds, and this often 

 leads to jealousy and discontentment on the part of others; 

 and bickerings and strife are engendered, and other ill conse. 

 quences ensue, which it is best to obviate when possible. 



INFLUENCE OF POOD ON COLOUR. CAYENNE MOULTING. 

 It is now an acknowledged fact that the colour of birds can be 

 greatly influenced by the food given them whilst they are 

 passing through the moult; and in order to reap the full 

 benefit that is to be derived from this treatment, it is neces- 

 sary to administer the stimulants required to produce this 

 change when the birds reach the age of seven or eight weeks, 

 and it should be continued until they are four or five months 

 old. Formerly marigold flowers, beetroot, carrot, cochineal, 

 saffron, madder (for Cinnamon canaries), annato, and other 

 compounds were had recourse to for this object, but these 

 ingredients have been entirely superseded by the use of cayenne 

 pepper, and this is given to them in the manner following : To 

 one hard-boiled egg, add two small biscuits (wine or luncheon), 

 and two large teaspoonfuls of the condiment. The egg should be 

 chopped fine, and the biscuits grated ; a good-sized teaspoonful 

 of this mixture may be given to each bird daily. Nearly all 

 birds refuse to eat it at first ; but if you remove all other food 

 from them for a day or two they will ultimately do so, and when 

 once they get accustomed ta it, they devour it most voraciously, 

 and appear to like it very much. Whilst they are under this 

 regimen they should have constant access to canary seed, but no 

 rape, and a little mustard seed and maw seed should be given 

 them once or twice a week, as a change of diet, to keep them in 

 health. Prior to the discovery of the cayenne process, it was 

 proved beyond doubt that mustard seed improved the depth and 

 increased the intensity of colour in canaries. The credit of 

 discovering the cayenne feeding is, I believe, due to a weaver 

 residing at Sutton Ashfield, near Nottingham, although it haa 

 been claimed by other people. Being a recent invention, it is 

 difficult to say what effect it may have on the constitution of 

 birds, but I am afraid not a very salutary one. Capsicum 

 annuum, or, as it is commonly called, cockspur pepper, is an 

 annual plant, a native of South America, and cultivated in large 



