MOULTING-BOX OP THE LINNET. 
the practice of turning your bird’s cage during moulting time 
into a sweetmeat shop. Of course the only use of the sponge- 
cake, the lump sugar, the liquorice, the sherry, and the hemp- 
seed, is to promote heat, and a moisture of body consequent on 
high feeding ; but you may depend that the sweets and the 
hemp-seed will not fail to do their work on the lungs of the 
bird. It should be borne in mind that this sort of feeding, 
although it may assist the moult, will bring the bird to such a 
condition that he will take cold at the least puff of wind, and 
if he does take cold while he is moulting he is a dead bird. 
The following is the method adopted by all bird-deckers. 
As soon as the bird begins to shed his feathers he is well 
bathed, his cage thoroughly cleaned out, and he is put, cage 
and all, into a contrivance called a “ moulting-box.” This is a 
square wooden case, a little larger 
than the bird-cage, having in its 
front a movable glass panel. 
There is a slit at the bottom of 
one of the sides of the case, 
through which the drawer of the 
cage can be removed. When the 
bird is placed in the case, the 
glass panel (which slides in grooves), is lowered entirely, and 
every day for three weeks it is pushed up a little higher till 
there is no more space left than is needful to supply the poor 
little prisoner with air. As soon as the new feathers mak 
their appearance, the glass 
slide is gradually lowered 
until the moulting is over. 
His water-can is replenished 
every day, but his seed-box 
filled simply with his usual 
diet, to which about a fifth 
of hemp-seed is added but 
twice- a week. The slit at 
the bottom of the case ad- 
mits of the cage being - — 
cleaned every morning, and female linnet. 
through the glass panel you 
may always see how the bird is going on, and satisfy yourself 
that he wants for nothing. 
MOULTING-BOX. 
217 
