276 CANARIES AND CAGE-BIRDS. 



The seeds used for all varieties of hard- billed birds are, canary, hemp, maw. or 

 poppy, millet (domestic and French), plantain, rape, and sunflower seeds, Indian 

 corn (whole and cracked), oats, and padda, or unhulled rice. The Sicily canary-seed 

 and the Spanish are the two best kinds : the Sicily is the smaller and richer seed. 

 Never buy the short Dutch seed when either of the two former can be obtained. 

 Canary-seed is a very rich, nourishing seed, and is used more than any other kind. 

 Great care should be exercised in the selection of it ; as from age, dirt, or damage 

 in transport, it becomes injurious ; and its use often proves fatal. See that the shell 

 of the seed is shiny and firm ; the interior of a kernel of good canary-seed should 

 be white and hard ; when a quantity of canary-seed is tossed in the air, no particles 

 of dust should be seen coming from it ; dust and small particles of foreign matter 

 should be carefully sifted out of all seeds. Old canary-seed is known by the 

 lustreless appearance of the shell, and the honeycombed interior, the work of small 

 parasites. If such seed is fed, slow death is a sure result. It is, therefore, better 

 to always examine the seed when purchasing, and, if possible, to buy of a bird- 

 dealer ; as he uses the utmost care, selecting only the best for his birds. The Sicily 

 seed is recommended as the best ; as it is richer, and more easily cracked. 



Hemp-seed is the richest of all seeds, and is more universally used in a whole 

 and a crushed state than any of the others. Its nutritious qualities are unsurpassed, 

 and it is looked upon by all classes of seed-eating birds as a dainty. It should be 

 fed sparingly at all times to the smaller seed-eating birds ; but, in the case of the 

 largest birds, it forms one of the principal mixtures. The hemp-seed is one of the 

 largest of bird-seeds ; and in good specimens the outer surface should be round and 

 smooth, and the interior should be well filled and very sweet. 



Maw. or poppy seed, is the smallest of the bird-seeds, and is easily recognized 

 by the grayish-blue color. The best class of maw-seed should have a clear, bright 

 color, and should have a fresh odor. The age of all classes of seeds may be 

 detected by the odor : musty or foul-smelling seeds should be rejected at all times. 

 Maw-seed forms the chief article of diet for such birds as the Goldfinch, Siskin, 

 Crossbill, etc. It is very rich, and is used as a medicine or stimulant for nearly 

 all the smaller birds : it also enters largely, as maw-meal, into mixtures of food 

 for the soft-billed birds. 



Millet-seeds consist of two kinds : the domestic, or smaller grade, is round and 

 yellow : it is a very good seed to use in the mixtures for the small seed-eating birds. 

 The French millet is a little larger than the domestic, perfectly round, and the best 

 clear white. It is a handsome seed, and very rich. It is used principally for the 

 small African birds, and smallest Paroquets. 



Plantain-seed was formerly used as a medicine : it is but rarely called for at the 

 present day. 



Rape-seed is one of the principal seeds in use, and in Germany is almost wholly 

 used as the main seed for Bullfinches and Canaries. It is, without doubt, one of 

 the healthiest seeds which can be fed the majority of seed-eating birds. It is not 

 so rich as some of the other seeds mentioned, but its health-giving properties are 

 well known among bird-fanciers. The best grade is the German summer rape, 

 which is the young seed grown in Germany : this kind is distinguished from the 

 other and inferior grades by the peculiar dark reddish color, and the smaller size 



