Minium (pigment) Minium (pigment) Minium, also known as red lead, is a bright orange red pigment that was widely used in the Middle Ages for the decoration of manuscripts and for painting. It was made by roasting white lead pigment in the air; the white lead would gradually turn yellow, then into an orange lead tetroxide. The color varied depending upon how long the mineral was roasted. During the Roman Empire, the term minium could refer either to the pigment made from ground cinnabar or to the less expensive red lead. The name came from the river Minius in Iberia (now forming
Budgerigar colour genetics the first captive mutant specimens. This would mean that Suffused is the oldest sudden captive-bred colour mutation of the Budgerigar species. Budgerigar colour genetics The science of budgerigar colour genetics deals with the heredity of mutations which cause colour variation in the feathers of the species known scientifically as "Melopsittacus undulatus". Birds of this species are commonly known by the terms 'budgerigar', or informally just 'budgie'. The wildtype (natural-coloured or wild occurring) budgerigar's colour is called Lightgreen. The feathers of most parrot species, including budgerigars, contain both a black type of "melanin" named "eumelanin" along with a basic yellow pigment