49—SOME OBSERVATIONS ON CANARY COLORATION IN INDIAN RAW WOOLS

Abstract

It is shown that pigments present in the suint are responsible for canary coloration in Indian raw wools. These pigments enter the fibre when the grease content is low. The grease content of the fibre and the pigment content of the suint undergo a periodic change, and hence the canary coloration recurs periodically in certain breeds of sheep. Although alkali damage has been observed in the canary-coloured fleeces no correlation was found between the intensity of the canary stain and the alkalinity of the suint.