New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-08
CINIRY-COLORING.
from The London Times.

To no bird has so much attention been paid as TO
the canary. l. came originally from the Islands that
have given II Us name; now the chict ImpoitaHons
are said 10 b. from IT. Helena. thOugh we should
have supposed that little business was done m that
way, since the BIRDS are 50 prolific VIXEN d0Wesfi-
Gated. Mr. H!aEstOn tell us chat thor first Iutio-
dugtinu lutO Europe Is believed TO have been early
iu the sixteenth century, when a ship containing a
consignment OF th,m was cast away upon LlJa.
The prisoners escaped, TO he gradually re-
captured and hen Cauares became an article OF
trade tom Italy 10 Germany, where. fom the Ii>t,
they were taken MO general tavCr. In Englhnd
Norwich has always held IFS place n the headquar
ters If canary faucyug. and the birds ppos,d
to have been brought there bv the eNpa tTiat d
Ficmngs Nh' fed from the prosecutions of Alva
10 tHIs day the Norwich canary stlU stands pre-
emiaent among the birds whose speciality Is color
Others OF the color class are the Liz1ld-so named
from somewhat far-tetchcd resemblance IN Its
VaTicgated tnts 10 The gstCnng STRIPE, on the back
of the rrDiile-tnd the London EaucY' which l.
comparatively rare and NOT much sought aftcr.
But nothing Is more curious 10 the ms DRY OF ca
narybieedlng than the remarkable processes of ar
tlHciai cOlOriuR which are among tie great dis
coycries OF very recent times. CanaIies We're
brought up for exhibition, which showed guam fly
fanCilul variations IN their piumage. Those vaTa-
tons supposed at tiIst 10 bee mere incidents IN
the breeding; and il was understood that tie way
to peTDetuatc or improve upon any particular hues
to be careful III selecting suitable parents
Even then, and under the most favorable
conditions, II was obvious that the cOlOrS
of the offspring must bo very much
matter of chance. 1t occurred, however, 10 certain
intelligent fancers thai color might be influenced
by notifications III the diet. Many prescriptions
were tried with that ObJect-amOng Others mari
gold flowers strong solution of saffron, cochinea,
port wine, beetroOt. mu-tard-seed, etc.-but with
very imperfect results when suddenly exhibitors
came into the field with a success that startled
enylOus rivals Suspicious were aroused ANA
accusations freely INDUCED in. 1t SAID that
the colors were the result of unskIlful dyeing,
though the very audacity OF any such attempt
should have raised strong presumption for the
innocence of the exhibitor TO satisfy the DIRECTORS
so far possible the unfortunate birds were sub
Jected to severe ordeals, being half stripped IN the
process OF testing their feathers. But experienced
judges like Nj. BiakstOn were satisfied, and gave
their awards in favor of those phenomena. Finally,
OF the breeders of rich red blTds. who had un-
dertaken to multiply them almost to order aud
successfully, proclaimed his secret to the world.
1t consisted simply in feeding cayenne. Some
birds will color readily, Others apparently will
hardly color at all, and "by supplying food from
which color can be secreted we ascertain what
birds have and what have not the capacity OF doing
that. the manifestation of which constitutes then
distinctive quality in iancIers eye"