THE COLOUR OF BIRDS. How it May Be. Affected by the Use Of Cayenne Pepplr

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 400, 7 September 1889, Page 3

THE COLOUR OF BIRDS. How it May Be. Affected by the Use Of Cayenne Pepplr

Dr. S.U'nuMANX, whose high reputation among the physiological cocieties of the world gives great weight to his conclusions, lately made a series of investigations into tlie effect that cayenne pepper lias upon birds, fowls, pigeons, and other species of the feathered family. These investigations wore undertaken in connection with the observed fact that canai ie-> fed with cayenne pepper acquire a ruddy plumage. This diet was Ifound only to produce the eflect stated upon young birds when given to them before they moulted. The colour of the feathers of the old birds was not affected at all, although a considerable amount of the pepper was given at different times, extending over an interval of several weok=. Moisture was found to facPitate the change of colour to a ruddy hue, which was again discharged under the influence of punlight or of a cold, dry atmosphere. The whole of the pepper is not lequired to produce the change, a portion of it being quite inactive, as, for example, the piperin and several extractives ; similarly the red colouring matter alone had no effect on the colour of the feathers. It is rather the triolein, which occurs in the pepper in large quantities, together with the characteristic pigment, which brought about the change of colour by holding the red pigment of the pepper in solution. Glycerine may be used instead of triolein to bring about the same result. Thesamestatementholdsgood with regard to the feeding of birds with aniline colours. The red pigment of the pepper 13 also stored up in the egg yolk as well as in the feathers. The fir=t appearance of this pigment in the yolk can be observed as a coloured ring four days after the commencement of feeding with the pigment dissolved in fat. Continuing this diet for twentyeight hours will result in the colouring of the entire yolk. As these experiments have proved so instructive and interesting they are to be continued throughout the present season, when the result will be embodied in a report to the Birlin Physiological Society.