74 THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



insect powder (32) ; puff well through the plumage several times 

 a day by means of a hand bellows ; a daily douche bath (80), 

 with cool water, in which spirit, French brandy, rum, or eau de 

 Cologne has been mixed. In Eotterdam tin collars were put 

 on some parrots who had the habit of plucking themselves, but 

 without success ; nor, in fact, have any of these so-called 

 remedies really worked a lasting cure. The best hope lies in 

 the treatment of Mr. Dulitz, that of putting the parrot into totally 

 fresh surroundings, supplying it with a roomy cage and dry 

 sand to scrape, placing it near the fire in cold weather, douching 

 it daily with lukewarm water, giving it only maize, oats, and 

 little hemp, and, on the other hand, fruit, green food, and cuttle- 

 fish shell ; and, while carrying on this management, in accordance 

 with the laws of nature, busying oneself with the bird as much 

 as possible. The Eev. Mr. Ottmann obtained the best results by 

 allowing the infatuated parrot to starve, it being depiived of 

 its food by degrees, till at last it only got a third part of the 

 customary allowance; it thus became quite drooping, and left off 

 the bad habit of mutilating itself. 



Table of Medicines, with Dieections for Mixing the 

 SAME, AND Doses. 



All the medicines prescribed may be bought at an apothecary's 

 or druggist's. If no directions are added to the name it must 

 be asked for by that here given. Attention must be paid 

 to the number which stands before each prescription, for there 

 are many different dilutions and solutions of the thing 

 mentioned, and each one applies only to the case in point. The 

 bird-keeper must use his own judgment as to measurements in 

 diluting or dissolving, but the strength of the sick bird should 

 be rather under than over rated. The sub-cutaneous injections 

 must be made with a very small glass syringe with a very fine 

 point on the fleshy part of the breast. 



1. 1 part of alum to 200 parts of water. 



2. Tincture of aloes. 



3. Marshmallow root. 



4. Spirits of ants. 



5. Carbonate of ammonia formed with confection of roses or other 



suitable substance (bread) into pills, each pill to contain from 

 2gr. to 5gr. of the ammonia. 



6. Powdered areca nut, about Igr. daily. 



7. Tincture of arnica mixed with water — 1 or 2 parts to 100 parts of 



water. 



