28 CANARIES AND CAGE-BIRDS. 



convince the British breeders that such is the case : the}' have followed this fixed 

 style of feeding for generations back, and cannot be induced to think any other 

 feeding correct. The young birds are fed daily on the egg-paste, which is made of 

 hard-boiled eggs and bread crumbs, mixed in equal proportions, with the addition 

 of a little sugar or maw-seed. The old birds are given the above mixture once a 

 week, in some cases twice. The diet is also occasionally varied by feeding chick- 

 weed, water-cress, and sweet apple. The English birds are also given freely millet- 

 seeds on the ear, and an occasional Sunday dinner of raw, scraped beef. 



CAYENNE-FED CANARIES. 



We now come to the Cayenne, or artificially colored, class of Canaries ; and, as 

 they are the last products of scientific attention and feeding, it is no more than 

 proper that they should occupy an important place in these papers on the Canary. 

 The Cayenne-fed Canary of the present time is as far ahead of his plain-coated 

 brothers, if the comparison may be permitted, as the electric light is of the old- 

 time tallow-dip. 



The first intimation on the subject of cayenne feeding was obtained by a trifling- 

 accident, just as many greater discoveries are disclosed in the same manner. There 

 certainly must be some law which governs nature in bestowing the various colored 

 hues which adorn the feathers of the bird-nation ; but what that law is, cannot lie 

 defined. The fact, that in the earliest stages of the growth of the feathers of the 

 Canary, as of all other birds, these were not feathers, but simply little tubes in which 

 the blood circulates, and which eventually develop into what we call feathers, led to 

 the supposition that the coloring matter was manufactured in and deposited by the 

 blood. This theory eventually took hold of the minds of the breeders ; and various 

 somethings were fed, in order to develop the colors which they contained. Experi- 

 ments were made with saffron, cochineal, port wine, and beet-root ; but all were 

 ineffectual. At last, by the veriest accident, the simple coloring agent was 

 discovered to be cayenne pepper, the very article which every bird-breeder has 

 occasion to use in his breeding and moulting rooms as well as on his own table. 

 Who the lucky discoverer was, is not known ; but he jealously guarded the secret, 

 and for two years, at the great bird-shows throughout England, made his find pay. 

 by taking all the cash-prizes, and bearing away all portable property in the way of 

 special prizes. He also made the real hard workers in the natural colored breed of 

 birds gnash their teeth with rage at their easy downfall, and puzzled the learned 

 judges of birds, and chemists in their analyses. It is also true, that the naughty 

 discoverer endeavored to palm his wares off as a new strain of blood ; but who would 

 not have done the same if placed in his position ? This discovery was verily a comet 

 in the sky of Canary-breeding, and for a time the one absorbing topic. The first 

 birds of this class which were produced bear no comparison in color to those which 

 are now seen : they were at first a pale reddish color, but careful researches with 

 the food have been followed by the present brilliant results. When the first 

 published account of the secret was written, it startled the entire Canary world of 

 breeders ; but the curious breeders of deep natural colors, whose labors in that 

 direction had brought the golden Canary to its high standard, struck off into a new 



