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Our  Canaries 
CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
SEEDS  AND  FOODS  FOR  CANARIES. 
SEEDS  AND  THEIR  USES. 
BUT  a  very  little  space  remains  for  our  remarks  upon  the  food  substances  most 
suited  to  the  requirements  of  our  Canary  pets,  and  we  can  barely  touch  the 
fringe  of  this  large  subject.  Being  naturally  a  seed-eating  species  a  diet  of  dry 
seeds  necessarily  forms  the  major  portion  of  the  Canary's  food  in  captivity.  In 
a  wild  state,  however,  it  also  probably  partakes  of  a  certain  amount  of  small 
insectivorous  food,  as  do  all  the  Finch  family  to  which  it  belongs,  and  consequently 
it  is  found  useful  to  supply  a  small  proportion  of  more  moist  foods  occasionally 
To  take  the  seeds  in  the  order  of  usefulness  Canary  stands  easily  first.  It  is 
the  Canary's  "  staff  of  life."  A  good,  sound,  sweet  and  clean  seed  should  be 
selected,  and  a  large  plump  grain  is  the  most  economical.  Too  much  stress  is 
laid  upon  so-called  Spanish  seed  ;  given  a  good  quality  sample  its  place  of  growth 
is  totally  immaterial.  Rape  :  The  small  reddish  brown  seed  called  summer  rape  is 
next  in  importance,  and  contains  oils  and  fats  which  make  it  an  excellent  accom- 
paniment of  canary  in  the  staple  diet  in  the  proportion  of  about  one  in  four,  or  for 
Roller  Canaries  one  in  three.  If  used  soon  after  harvesting  it  is  apt  to  scour  the 
birds,  and  should  be  kept  properly  stored  for  some  months  to  "  mellow  "  before  use. 
Winter,  or  English  Rape,  a  much  larger  and  blackish,  acrid  seed  should  only 
be  used  occasionally  in  very  small  quantities.  It  is  useful  to  help  to  correct  a  ten- 
dency to  undue  constipation.  Hemp  is  a  very  oily  and  fattening  seed,  and  should  be 
used  very  sparingly  except  when  young  are  being  reared,  and  for  birds  kept  with- 
out heat  in  very  cold  rooms  in  winter,  when  it  may  be  used  more  freely,  but  should 
never  form  a  large  proportion  of  the  general  diet.  Always  insist  upon  having  this 
seed  with  a  sweet,  and  milky-white,  oily  kernel.  Linseed,  or  Lint,  is  useful  in  very 
small  quantities  at  the  end  of  moulting  to  add  lustre  and  finish  to  the  plumage. 
At  all  other  times  it  should  be  almost  entirely  dropped.  Teazle  and  Thistle  are 
safe,  stimulating  appetisers  for  occasional  use.  Niga,  or  Inga,  is  also  a  very  stimula- 
ting seed,  but  not  quite  so  harmless  for  continued  use. 
Maw,  Gold  of  Pleasure,  and  Sesame,  are  all  useful  tit-bits  as  appetisers,  the 
first-named  being  specially  useful  for  tempting  sick  birds  and  helping  them  over 
a  crisis,  and  during  the  moult,  and  the  two  latter  to  stimulate  backward  birds 
into  breeding  condition.  Crushed  Oats  and  Broken  Groats  in  small  quantities 
occasionally  are  especially  useful  for  helping  the  growth  of  large-framed  breeds 
such  as  Crests  and  Lancashires,  but  are  best  withheld  from  small  slim  breeds 
such  as  Border  Fancies  and  Yorkshires,  for  which  a  pinch  of  Millet  occasionally 
would  be  more  useful.    A  mixture  of  the  ten  last-named  seeds,  of  which  a  little 
