Our  Canaries 
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amount  of  adulteration,  which  would  barely  produce  any  effect  at  all  on  a 
mature  specimen,  may  cause  serious  injury  to  the  exceedingly  delicate  organs 
of  the  nestlings. 
"TAILING"  AND  "FLIGHTING." 
This  operation  is  happily  becoming  more  and  more  rare ;  so  much  so  that 
the  young  fancier  of  to-day  is  frequently  puzzled  to  know  the  meaning  of  the 
term.  It  consisted  of  the  forcible  plucking  out  of  the  large  wing  and  tail 
feathers  of  young  birds  at  their  first  moult  in  order  that  the  new  feathers  might 
also  show  the  effects  of  the  colour-food— the  feathers,  as  already  stated,  not 
being  shed  naturally  until  the  second  moult.  The  desired  effect  was  certainly 
gained,  but  at  the  expense  of  suffering,  and  sometimes  serious  injury  to  the 
birds,  which,  from  a  moral  standpoint  was,  and  is,  wholly  indefensible. 
We  shall,  therefore,  leave  the  subject  here,  mentioning  it  only  to  express  our 
entire  approval  of  the  decadence  of  the  practice,  and  the  earnest  hope  that  it 
may  never  be  revived.  Of  course,  if  a  bird  has  sustained  broken  feathers  in 
a  natural  way  prior  to  the  moult  the  removal  of  the  broken  quills  at  the 
commencement  of  the  moult  is  not  only  defensible,  but  advisable,  and  will 
be  as  much  in  the  bird's  own  interest  on  account  of  the  extra  comfort  it  will 
have  in  possessing  perfect  wings  and  tail  when  re-grown  as  in  that  of  its 
owner. 
TO    FIX    AND  REFINE. 
When  the  moult  is  drawing  to  a  close  the  final  touches  of  quality  and  colour 
of  plumage  are  given  by  the  colour-feeder.  A  few  grains  of  clean  and  bright 
linseed  about  three  times  a  week  are  an  excellent  means  of  adding  a  permanent 
lustre  and  quality  to  the  plumage.  But  do  not  overdo  this  seed,  as  it  is  apt  to 
set  up  diarrhoea  and  cause  the  cages  to  become  unpleasant.  Soon  after  the 
plumage  is  fully  grown,  the  linseed  may  with  advantage  be  replaced  by  a  cube  of 
carrot  stuck  in  the  wires  for  the  birds  to  peck  at,  which  also  has  a  good  effect  in 
making  the  plumage  close  and  tight.  To  make  the  colour  given  by  the  colour- 
food  more  durable,  and  to  prevent  its  fading  so  soon  as  it  otherwise  would,  a 
small  crystal  of  sulphate  of  iron  should  be  dissolved  in  the  water  two  or  three 
times  a  week,  and  preferably  on  those  days  when  linseed  is  not  given. 
With  a  little  care  in  properly  alternating  these  two  items,  they  will  be  found 
to  counteract  the  undesirable  effects  of  each  other,  as  the  linseed,  especially  when 
given  in  any  but  the  most  limited  quantity,  is  apt  to  prove  very  relaxing  to  the 
bowels,  whilst  the  iron  is  decidedly  constipating  in  effect.  The  iron  not  only 
makes  the  colour  more  durable  and  lasting,  but  also  helps  very  considerably  to 
tighten  the  feathers  at  the  end  of  the  moult,  besides  acting  as  a  useful 
strengthening  tonic  for  the  bird  at  a  time  when  one  is  most  Jikely  to  be 
needed. 
