CANAE Y BIRDS. 103 



most easily cured by feeding on light and 

 cooling food, such as lettuce and rape-seed. 



EPILEPSY is brought on by too rich food. 

 Keep the bird quiet and free from sudden 

 alarms, and feed on lettuce, rape, and canary- 

 seed. Give no hemp-seed for a while ; it is 

 always fatal. 



MOULTING is always a trying time ; it is 

 sometimes dangerous to young birds ; it 

 commences when they are from six weeks 

 to two months old, and lasts several weeks. 

 You will observe that the birds lose their 

 natural vivacity, and sit moping about with 

 their heads under their wings, and soon the 

 bottom of the cage will be strewed with the 

 shed feathers. All you have then to do is 

 to keep them q.uiet, and free from draughts. 

 At this time they require warmth, and as 

 they have little appetite, it is better to give 

 them as much variety in their food as possi- 

 ble, also being careful to crush for them 

 any hard kind of seed like hemp, as they 

 are very weak. A rusty nail or a shred of 



