66 CANARIES 



the operation. This done, you should not be troubled 

 much with red mite. 



If camphor is hung about the bird room and in the 

 cages in small muslin bags, this is said to keep red mite 

 away. Another preventive is to dissolve a pinch of 

 powdered alum in the bathing water. 



The only effective method I have discovered of ridding 

 an infested bird is to give it a thoroughly good washing 

 as you would if you were going to show it, but in the wash- 

 ing water sprinkle a tea-spoonful of Jeyes' Fluid. 



Plucking The Young. 



It is most peculiar that a canary will prove herself a 

 model mother, sit her eggs, hatch her young, and rear 

 them most tenderly and assiduously, and then the moment 

 she begins to think about going to nest again she will 

 commence to pluck her babes so as to line the nest which 

 is to be the home of her second family. 



Most annoying is this to the owner, because it spoils 

 his birds if he wants them for his club First Feather Show, 

 and if he is going to colour feed them it means that those 

 feathers have to be plucked again shortly after the birds 

 begin their natural moult. 



Prevention here is the only thing to be thought of, 

 and one should never wait to give a hen the chance to 

 pluck her young, but when the young are nearing three 

 weeks of age, and the fresh nest pan is put in, the parent 

 birds should be given some clean nesting material so that 

 there is no need for plucking. When this is done, there 

 are few hens that will pluck their young, but should a 

 hen start this horrible practice her babes must be re- 

 moved at once to a small nursery cage which should be 

 hung on the front of the breeding cage, the door of the 

 latter being fixed open so that the parents may be able 

 to feed the young through the wires of the nursery cage, 

 the wires of which should be sufficiently wide apart for the 

 young to put their heads through to receive the food. 

 If the young are left in the breeding cage the hen will 

 pluck every feather from their bodies once she has started 

 the practice. 



It is wise to tie a piece of rough string to the front of the 

 cage, and renew it from time to time during the breeding 

 season, this gives the hen something to play with and often 

 prevents plucking. 



