172 The Canary Book. 



to them for their opinion as to the cause of death appear 

 to be agreed that it is decidedly detrimental and injurious to 

 the health of birds, and calculated very materially to shorten 

 their existence, more especially when given in excess. I do not 

 think that a moderate use of it is so injurious as some people 

 suppose, but unfortunately, there are some men so constituted 

 by nature that speculation seems to be the charm, and, I might 

 say, the very essence of their existence ; without it such men 

 would in all probability languish and die. Men of this peculiar 

 temperament who, in addition, possess a considerable measure 

 of ambition as well, are apt at times to do very outrageous and 

 unaccountable things, and their actions betoken them to be, 

 well I will put it mildly, and say very indiscreet, and their 

 indiscretion leads them to adopt plans and methods that wise 

 men would shudder to think about. The only question is, what 

 will these men not do to carry out their ambitious designs? 

 Such men are to be found in the bird fancy, and such men 

 it is that overdo everything they take in hand, by carrying their 

 schemes and ideas to excess. 



From two teaspoonfuls of cayenne pepper to an ordinary 

 hen's egg, and an equal quantity of biscuit quite enough in 

 all conscience to feed little delicate birds upon these men have 

 ventured, and have given their birds as much as six and eight 

 teaspoonfuls of the most powerful pepper procurable to the 

 quantity of egg and biscuit mentioned, in order, if possible, 

 to outvie their brother fanciers in obtaining high colour in their 

 show specimens, and some, not content with this piece of gross 

 cruelty, have actually removed all other food from within their 

 reach, and have left the miserable little wretches no choice 

 between eating it or dying of starvation. I have often wished 

 the Humane Society could interfere and punish such unfeeling 

 and heartless beings, and also for the inhuman method now 

 adopted of pulling out the whole of the flight and tail feathers 

 of young birds, when placed in the moulting cage, in order 

 that these feathers, which are never shed by birds at their 

 first moult, may also become steeped in the unnatural 

 colour supplied to them through the circulation of the blood. 

 Others I have kiown who have gone entirely beyond the 



