THE CANARY. 101 



surmounted with a cap of tin, or something of the kind, to prevent the seed 

 froui being so easily scattered. It is for this reason that the large seed 

 drawers in an aviary are covered with iron win-Work, leaving only sufficient 

 spaces for the heads of the birds to pass through. Cleanliness being a great 

 preservative against most of their disorders, the bottom of the cage should 

 be made to draw out, that it may the easier be cleaned and covered with 

 sand. This should be done every day, or at least several times a week. 

 These tender birds, being natives of a warm climate, and becoming more 

 delicate instead of hardier from being kept in the house, require a tempera- 

 ture analogous to that of their native climate. They must be protected 

 from the cold, and never allowed to remain in winter in a cold room, 

 which would occasion many diseases, or even death. But, in summer, 

 it is proper to place them in the open air, and they enjoy it very much. 

 Never do they sing so gaily as on fine days, and their cages should there- 

 fore be placed at the open window, that they may have the advantage of 

 the light and heat of the sun, which is particularly serviceable to them 

 whilst bathing. 



FOOD This is an important point, for, in proportion as it is simple and 



natural, it will be wholesome ; and, on the contrary, the more it is mixed 

 and rare, the more injurious and productive of disease will it be. What I 

 have found the best is summer rape-seed ; I mean that which is sown at 

 the end of spring, which is small and brown, in distinction from the winter 

 rape-seed, which is sown in the autumn, and which is large and black. This 

 seed alone agrees with canaries as well as with linnets : but to give them 

 the pleasure of variety, a little bruised hemp or canary, or poppy-seed, is 

 added to it, especially in the spring, when they are intended to breed. 

 Indeed a mixture of summer rape-seed, oatmeal and millet, or canary-seed, 

 may be given them as a great treat. But whatever seeds they may have, 

 they equally require green food, as chickweed in spring, lettuce and radish 

 leaves in summer, endive, water-cress, and slices of sweet apple, in winter. 

 As to that whimsical and complicated mixture, prescribed and used by 

 many people, of rape, millet, hemp, canary seed, whole oats and oatmeal, 

 poppy, lettuce, plantain, potentilla, and pink seeds, maize, sugar, cake, hard 

 biscuit, cracknels, buns, and the like, so far from being wholesome, it injures 

 the birds in every respect. It spoils their taste, weakens their stomachs, 

 renders them feeble, sickly, and incapable of bearing moulting, under which 

 they most frequently die. It is true, they may be accustomed to eat of 

 everything which comes to table, but to teach this habit is also to prepare 

 a poison for them, which though slow is not the less sure, and brings them 

 to a premature death ; whilst every day we see bird-fanciers who are poor, 

 who hardly know the names of these delicacies, rear, on the simplest food, 

 a considerable number of the healthiest, cleverest, and strongest canaries. 

 We must, however, be guided in a great measure by the constitutions 

 of the birds. They should be daily supplied with fresh water, as well for 

 drinking as bathing, in which they delight. In the moulting season, a nail 

 or bit of iron should be put into the water, in order to strengthen the 

 stomach. Saffron and liquorice are in this case more hurtful than useful. 

 <; rains of the sand, with which the bottom of the cage is strewed, afford 

 the birds a help to digestion. What has been said above, refers solely to 



A! 



