Food. 51 



but where they are fed entirely upon seed, it would 

 certainly be necessary to make a most marked differ- 

 ence between the summer and winter diet. 



Except in the spring with the young, and in the 

 autumn when moulting, the supply of these seeds 

 should therefore a good deal depend on the warmth of 

 the room or aviary, on the amount of exercise, and 

 on the share of green food that can be supplied. 



When the birds are exposed to some cold, have 

 exercise and green food, the rape and hemp in the 

 proportion of one to three parts of canary will seldom 

 be found too much. In the summer even, Canaries 

 and other birds in an out -door aviary may generally 

 take this mixture harmlessly, especially when steeped. 



11. In buying a new bird, however, it is well to 

 make a point of hearing what its food has been, 

 because, for instance, an old bird brought up without 

 hemp would suffer were it given. 



My usual plan has been to have one pound of 

 canary-seed, and to mix with it half-a-pound of rape, 

 the same of hemp, and the same of flax. 



The poppy, or maw-seed, I keep separate, and 

 generally give it either mixed with any paste that 

 is used, or strewed on the sand or gravel on the floor 

 of the cage. This red sand is very essential for the 

 health of the birds, and I think these small grains of 

 a popular seed are useful in causing them to scratch 

 about more diligently in it. It should be made an 



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