Cayenne Probably a Natural Food. 83 



This coming to our knowledge, we put Mr. Bemrose in possession of the fact, and on Dec. 11, 1873, 

 he published in the Joiwnal of Horticulture the grand secret of the extraordinary colour of the 

 birds which had so completely demoralised the whole Canary world ; and when he stated that 

 the agent employed was nothing more than Cayenne Pepper, we must say in justice to the Fancy 

 that half of them didn't believe him. But in searching after hidden things how frequently does it 

 happen that we place our hands near them, or even on them, and yet don't know it; and it was 

 almost too much for fallen humanity to be asked to believe that in the cruet which stands next to 

 the mustard which some of them had been using every day, lay the solution of the whole mystery. 

 The wonder is that it had never been discovered before, for cayenne pepper had long been 

 prescribed as a comforting spice, and it is probable that administering it in excess first led to a 

 knowledge of its remarkable properties. There is also not the slightest doubt that it had long 

 been used in very small quantities simply as a condiment, and that it then produced effects which 

 were not attributed to it, but to some other vehicle in use at the same time. Years ago we were 

 recommended to use a patent pungent condiment as being an excellent agent in conditioning 

 certain birds ; and though we have not analysed it, we think there is every reason to believe that 

 it contains the pepper in a large proportion, and that the effect attributed to it as a whole was, 

 in the main, traceable to the presence of cayenne in its composition. 



Such is the history of the early struggles attending the introduction of the capsicum into the 

 bird-room. We do not intend to pursue it farther, but the bare statement that cayenne pepper is 

 the principal ingredient in moulting- mixture would not have satisfied any reader who, for the first 

 time, became acquainted with the fact that food influenced colour. Our object has also been to 

 show that although the Canary in its usual garb is very pretty, yet it has ever been the study 

 and aim of breeders to improve its colour by adventitious aids ; and that the best specimens in 

 exhibition ever owed their superior finish and polish to a system of feeding long kept secret, and 

 only exploded and blown to the winds by the discovery of which we have given the history. 

 During the two or three years this has been in practice it is only natural that the peculiar 

 characteristic of the capsicum should occasionally have caused some speculation as to whether 

 its pungent heat is not distressing to the birds ; but the fact that they eat it greedily and in large 

 quantities without suffering the slightest apparent inconvenience would seem to answer the question 

 satisfactorily. Collateral proofs, also, are not wanting that some varieties of birds, though not 

 belonging to our family, are inordinately fond of the capsicum. We may mention one instance 

 which came under our own observarion. A cockatoo of ours escaped, and was captured in a 

 conservatory where it had lived over again an hour of its old sub-tropical existence. We expressed 

 our regret at the circumstance, fearing it might have done some injury, but were glad to know it 

 had done no mischief, though the gardener expressed his opinion that "the bird had a queer taste," 

 for it had " stripped all the capsicums of their ripe pods'' 



We have introduced the question of the influence of food upon colour in this place as forming 

 part of the practical business of moulting, though it is evident its application will lie chiefly in 

 the direction of those classes we have indicated as forming what we have described as the Colour 

 section. Our reference to them has been necessarily somewhat vague, since we have not as yet 

 minutely described any particular variety, and do not presuppose any knowledge of them. We 

 will, however, exhaust the subject so far as its general principles and practice will carry us, 

 reserving any remarks upon special treatment till the occasion offers to present them. 



We return to our flight-cage, where our birds are about eight weeks old, by which time it will 

 be necessary to put those intended for a "hot" moult on " feed." If there be a sufficient number 

 of breeding-compartments at liberty, clean and whitewash thoroughly, and put two or three birds 



