Though natural, is generally accompanied with disease, during which the
birds ought to be taken great care of. Their food should be changed, but
without giving any heating delicacies, which are very injurious.
It has been observed that birds always moult at the time when their food
is most abundant; the forest birds may then be seen approaching fields
and cultivated places, where, having plenty of insects and seeds, they
cannot suffer from want; indeed, the loss of their feathers prevents
their taking long flights, and the reproduction of them occasions a loss
of flesh which must be repaired. An abundance of food is therefore
necessary, and, following this rule, during moulting some additional
food must be given to house birds, appropriate to the different
species--millet or canary seed, a little hemp-seed, white bread soaked in
water, and lettuce, or endive, to those which feed on seeds; with a few
more meal worms and ants' eggs to those that eat insects: all should
have bread soaked in boiled milk, warmth, and baths. Nothing has
succeeded better than this regimen: all the birds which I have seen
treated in this manner have passed their moulting season in good
health.