204 
Our  Canaries 
colour-feeding  and,  therefore,  are  not  so  much  trouble  to  the  fancier  during 
the  moult,  I  usually  get  all  my  birds  into  the  flights  as  soon  as  the  breeding 
season  is  over,  supplying  them  with  a  little  egg-food  twice  a  week,  and  a 
mixture  of  the  following  seeds : — equal  parts  inga,  teazle,  German  rape  and 
linseed,  and  just  a  small  portion  of  hemp  seed.  When  the  birds  are  half- 
way through  the  moult  I  have  a  good  look  over  them,  and  what  I 
think  are  likely  to  make  up  good  for  the  show-bench  I  cage  off  separately.  I 
then  drop  giving  the  egg-food,  supplying  them  with  the  above  mixed  seed  every 
other  day.  But  towards  the  finish  of  the  birds'  moult,  I  gradually  stop 
giving  the  mixed  seed,  and  substitute  crushed  sunflower  seeds  and  linseed — 
and  to  their  drinking  water  I  add  about  ten  drops  of  the  following  mixture: 
to  a  pint  of  best  port  I  add  two  pennyworth  of  ammoniated  citrate  of  iron 
and  two-pennyworth  of  tincture  of  gentian.  I  may  add  that  I  have  the  baths 
on  every  day  when  the  weather  permits,  as  the  bath  helps  the  birds  to  cast 
their  old  feathers,  and  is  a  grand  '  conditioner.'  " 
AIDS  FOR  THE  GREEN  COLOUR. 
For  the  following  notes  and  useful  hints  on  assisting  the  moulting  process 
of  the  Greens  without  detriment  to  the  purity  of  the  colour,  our  thanks  are 
due  to  Mr.  S.  Hadwin,  the  well-known  Liverpool  fancier  of  Greens,  who  writes  : — 
"  As  regards  the  general  management  of  the  Green,  this  does  not  differ 
from  that  of  other  varieties  so  far  as  breeding  is  concerned,  except  that  the 
Green,  being  a  very  hardy  variety,  is  more  easily  looked  after.  It  is  when  the 
moulting  time  approaches  that  the  difference  comes  in,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  the  Green,  in  all  its  varieties,  is  strictly  non-colour-fed.  The  slightest 
tinge  of  red  caused  by  pepper  -  feeding  is  absolutely  fatal  to  the  Green 
colour  :  even  the  use  of  cochineal  to  assist  the  moult  will  have  bad  effects. 
At  the  same  time  there  are  two  agents  that,  if  used  during  the  moult,  will  help  to 
quicken  it  and  tighten  the  bird's  plumage,  and  at  the  same  time  give  a  lustre  and 
richness  to  the  feather.  Saffron,  in  the  early  stages  of  the  moult,  will  help  to 
throw  off  the  feathers  and  deepen  the  Green  colour,  and  ammoniated  citrate  of 
iron  in  the  later  stages  will  tighten  up  the  feathers  and  give  them  that  rich  bright 
appearance  so  desirable  in  a  show  specimen.  Greens  not  having  to  be  colour-fed 
give  very  much  less  trouble  during  the  moult  than  their  colour-fed  brethren.  It  is 
the  same  during  the  show  season  ;  very  rarely  do  Greens  require  washing  ;  that 
is,  if  they  are  kept  in  clean  cages.    Plenty  of  baths  are  all  they  require." 
The  views  of  Mr.  J.  W.  Metcalfe  concerning  the  Greens  are  expressed  in  the 
terse  note  with  which  we  close  : — 
"  I  am,"  he  says,  a  great  believer  in  giving  the  birds  plenty  of  light. 
Sheeting-up  I  don't  care  for  5  the  more  a  bird  knocks  about,  the  sooner  the 
feathers  fall  out." 
