66 CANARIES AND CAGE-BIRDS. 



will be rinsed out, and the possible poisonous effects guarded against. A bath may 

 be given daily, or less frequently when desirable. 



All birds, when reared from the nest by hand, are necessarily fed on food which 

 is unnatural to them in the wild state ; and man} 7 writers on the subject claim that 

 this is a means by which their lives are shortened. I do not think this is so in the 

 case of this particular bird. As mentioned above, delicacies must not be given too 

 freely. 



A cage ten or twelve inches long, with the perches so arranged that the bird can 

 easily hop from one to the other, hopping is his usual mode of locomotion, 

 is the proper size. A plentiful supply of dry, coarse gravel, sprinkled daily on the 

 bottom of the cage ; good, plain, wholesome food ; and the bird hung in a warm, 

 dry place, free from any draughts of air, and you have the preventives of the 

 usual diseases which attack him. 



During the moulting season a little extra care should be given the trained 

 Bullfinch. At this period all song-birds, as a rule, partly or wholly lose their 

 songs ; and the rule applies to the cultivated voice as well as the natural one. The 

 better way to moult the Bullfinch, so that he will lose none of his accomplishments 

 by forgetting what has been taught him; is, to moult him in a darkened place, and 

 feed on nourishing food. Cover the cage with a black cloth, and hang it in a place 

 where fresh air will reach the bird : he should daily receive his lessons in the same 

 manner as originally given him. He may only respond by his note of recognition : 

 but, nevertheless, the lesson constantly repeated will be borne in mind ; and, as soon 

 as his new feathers spring out, he will commence to gladden his teacher's heart 

 by piping bars of the air in which he was formerly so proficient. As soon as he 

 has finished his moult, and regained his full strength, his vocal powers return ; and 

 his rendering is as perfect as in his early days. The moult, or season in which 

 Bullfinches remain out of song, lasts from the beginning of July until the latter 

 part of August. During this period some Bullfinches pipe through their entire 

 song or songs, others only parts of the song. The bird should be incited to pipe, 

 for then the chances of perfect restoration of the vocal powers and the retaining of 

 the song are greatly increased ; but, when the lessons are faithfully given him, 

 there is no danger of a loss of song. 



During the moulting period the bird's strength should be kept up by means 

 of stimulating food. Feed on the soaked rape-seed squeezed dry, a few grains of 

 hemp-seed every other day, and daily a portion of green food, which should be 

 changed and kept fresh while he is feeding from it. A little iron tonic, or a drop or 

 two of sherry wine, put into his drinking-water about once a week, will prove very 

 strengthening, and keep the bird from drooping. After he has safely passed 

 through his moult, he may be put on his regular diet, and kept in health the 

 entire year. 



The diseases which attack the Bullfinch are diarrhoea, constipation, epilepsy, 

 asthma, or lung troubles, surfeit, melancholy, and corpulency. 



Diarrhoea is caused by overfeeding of green food, by filthy drinking-water, or 

 unwholesome rape-seed. This, like the appearance of all other diseases to which 

 the Bullfinch is subject, is noticed by the cessation of the song, and the drooping, 

 wearied look of the bird. The excrement will be of a watery, whitish appearance. 



