EGG-BOUND. 



131 



anxious question arises, whether this or that excellent 

 songster will get over the moulting. The young birds, too, 

 give less satisfaction, for, although they suffer less from the 

 first moulting, yet, while their song was being rapidly 

 perfected as long as the old birds were singing, they now 

 perceptibly recede, and many a young bird sings less well 

 than he did some weeks previously. The more delicate the 

 canary, the more care does he require during the moul ting- 

 time. The songster should, as is done at the Hartz, at this 

 time be then taken into a well-warmed room — even when he 

 has already been weaned of the higher temperature. He 

 must, moreover, now get nourishing and abundant food, 

 including egg-food, also lime and sepia. He must be kept 

 scrupulously clean, and should, altogether, be carefully 

 tended. All injurious influences, such as draughts, strong 

 and rapid variations in the temperature, damp and cold, 

 etc., handling, sudden fright, or a state of fear, should 

 be carefully avoided. The females, too, should have 

 more nourishing food during the moulting season. Old 

 Bechstein recommends a repeated application of luke- 

 warm water in case of a heavy and morbid moulting, as 

 also when the young are not in good condition. If the 

 old, dry skin remains on the legs, when the new has already 

 appeared, the legs should be rubbed over with Provence oil, 

 and, after five or ten minutes, the old skin should be carefully 

 removed. This must be done because the latter causes 

 much pain to the bird, and may even produce inflammation, 

 through cutting into the delicate new T skin, and consequently 

 into the flesh, while the bird is moving about. 



Egg-BoUTld. — Messrs. Potts and Homer write : " This 

 complaint proceeds from cold, and especially the coldness of 

 the spring weather, which is so very uncertain in England ; 

 therefore, you will find it best not to put your birds up too 

 early, but let the weather be settled a little ; the last week 



