C07141 Many birds perish from irregu- lar and mproper nourishment. Such, as a ter of course, will induce extremely poor blood (Ancemia), leanness, weakness,' and pains in the bowels; i diseae which is very commonly called (Daci.e) consumption. The bird may have this disease and appear lively. He eats the food given him; it may be, however, that he does not cat with his usual appetite; he takes but little, flies away, and again returns to his food. He stops singing. In a' few days diarrhoea and sumption ensue, when. he ruffles his feathers and dies. The consumption is more chronic if it rives its origin from the bowels. Birds frequently labor under this disease as the result of improper food and of colds. The symptoms are various. Sometimes they will continue to eat, though fected with costiveness or diarrhoea. The ments will tell when birds are sick. Should costiveness or diarrhcea continue for any length of time, inflammation of the intestines will sue, and defecation will become painful, as is manifested by the bird shaking his rump and tail. These alone will produce a fatal result. If, however, the food be changed during the early stages of the disease, the bird may be saved. In insect-eaters, meal-worms in many cases are very effectual, and should be given with a few drops of castor oil. Besides healthy food in this, as in all other diseases, the first and most necessary remedy is a good supply of fresh air, plenty of room for the cage, on which as much sunlight as possible, without burning rays, may fall. ty of gravel should be placed in the bottom of the cage ; drafts should be avoided. Stacklen says in his report on singing birds: " In many cases diarrhoea and costiveness will be cured if, for you feed birds of prey with raw meat without removing the hair or feathers; fruit, or grain-eaters with nightingale food and greens; soft-eaters with meal-worms, drowned in olive or sweet oil, spiders, and ground seeds as much as they desire, and distilled water for drink. Their bathing-cup should, from time to time, be removed. As a rule. such diet will have a better effect than all quack prescriptions, such as liniments, (butter, oil, or lard), syringing, and other humbugs, such as we see recommended in many books. Many bird-fanciers believe that at the consumption (Dar re) results from induration of the excretory glands, from which birds take the oil necessary to grease their wings, or that it is merely a disease of this organ. They elieve it advantageous to squeeze them open with the thumb nail, or to prick them with a pin. Dr. Richter has designated this method as nonsensi- cal. For such mal-treatment there is not the slightest excuse. Should a bird thus treated become well, the wound will heal, the same cis ease will recur, and the bird doomed to die only a little later. The only thing that can be done without injury is to oil this gland carefully with a feather. When we have a surplus of fat, it will be well to simplify the food, and to sprinkle the bird with lukewarm water about noon-time. This will compel the bird to clean itself, and thus, by regreasing his plumage, remove the sur plus fat.
Fatness. This disease results from irregular food, and is the opposite of the Darre. It attacks grain-eaters most frequently; soft-eaters are rarely affected by it. Wint of sufficient exercise is also a potent cause of it. Birds sometimes, when supplied with mixed food, consume only the most nutritious, and thus induce a surplus of fat. Some canary birds, when fed on German rape and canary seed, will eat only the latter, and never touch the former. If nothing 10 done to mend thia habit, and compel the bird to eat rape seed and greens, be will soon become too fat and too lazy to sing. In the case of too much fat, grain-eaters should be supplied with plenty of greens; soft-eaters with berries, sweet turnips, or their juice, and well salted water to drink. The
birds should, moreover, be excited to exercise more freely. Whoever lets a bird in this condi tion fly around a room for a few weeks generally cures him. When the disease is too far advanced, it will be useless to withhold his food, as the or gans no longer perform their proper functions. In such cases they are sure to die, and the less we disturb them the better.
Apoplexy. Food which is too rich and nutri tive, often produces this disease, many times resulting fatally to birds in a state of captivity as well as free. It often occurs that while they sing, eat or sleep, they suddenly drop and expire in a few minutes. Grain eaters are more subject to this disease than others, as their gen erally lazy mode of living makes them more fitting subjects of fat diaease. These birds are sometimes saved by cutting the nail of the back toe until it bleeds, and then immerse them sev eral times in cold water. A shower or plunge bath is, under these circumstances; advantageous; but it is of the utmost importance to protect the wet bird from draft, and afford him an opportunity of drying his feathers.
t Epileptic Fits. Improper food may be consid ered as the cause of this disease, although, brain disease and worms may also induce it. This terrible disease, very common among seed eat ing birds, and observed among other birds also, incurable. ncurable. The remedies which have been applied, may, for a time, alleviate the pain of the sufferer, but are wholly inadequate to erad icate the disease. The beat thing to be done is to remove them at once, as no pleasure can be derived from a bird suffering from this disease.
Catarrh, Cold, (Pips). The care of captive birds is as important as their food. A great many diseasea are brought on by colds induced by drafts, change of temperature, or unseason able baths. The first of the diseases incurred from the above mentioned causes is pips, which is most frequently found among seed eating birds. The sick bird opens his bill because his nostrils are clotted with phlegm. He sneezes, coughs from time to time, with a view to clear his breathing organs; he gasps; ruffles the feath ers on his head, and sinks exhausted on the floor of his cage. After the disease has continued for some time, the skin of the tongue and throat hardens, inflammation sets in, and all the symp toms of. a severe catarrh fever may be observed. This disease kills many birds, yet a cure may be effected if they are taken in time. The first and best method is to place the bird in a sunny room' with an even temperature; rinse his bill with lukewarm and moderately salt water; grease his nostrils tith sweet oil; remove his bathing ves sels, and supply him with the proper food. The experiment often resorted to by bird fanciees, of placing a greased feather in his nostrils, and of permitting it to remain there for several days, is not only useless, but detrimental, as it induces inflammation of the nasal organs—an effect worse than the original disease. It is equally danger ous, though sometimes recommended, to remove the diseased akin with a knife or needle. Many who know nothing of birds act as surgeons in these cases. No one understands what possible good it can do. I can only warn you against such maltreatment. It will not be dangerous to mix some well known cough medicines with sugar and their drink. These remedies are at least harmless. The proper treatment is: let the air be warm, moist, and of an even temperature. Should catarrh suddenly a vapor bath may be given in the following manner: wrap the bird in a damp woolen cloth, and place it in close proximity to the stove. During the operation the air must be kept damp by keeping a waterpot on the stove.