37 



qnent absence from the intestines, or else stained with- 

 effused and broken down blood. In the latter case 

 the stain may vary from the slightest discoloration to 

 almost perfect blackness. Sometimes fresh blood 

 is voided wilh the fseces. Again, in the acute and 

 earlier stages of the disease we are treating of, we 

 should always expect to find a marked increase of 

 temperature, which of course would gradually decline 

 as the bird either approached recover3% or else drifted 

 into a chronic condition. Swelling and redness of the 

 abdomen would be absent in the very early stages but 

 would become more pronounced as the liver and 

 spleen became larger and more deeply congested with 

 blood. And so symptoms which are well marked in 

 one case, may in another be so slight as to escape 

 casual notice, or indeed may be altogether absent. 



In selecting instances for illustration I have given 

 preference to those of a more or less chronic character. 

 Those which occur in acute and virulent epidemics 

 are for the most part so rapid in their course as to 

 present but few points of interest beyond the stereo- 

 typed statement that " within the past fortnight the 

 " birds have been dying at the rate of seven or eight a 

 "day ; they become dull and mopey, pant for breath, 

 " and generally die within two days." Such cases as 

 these require no further notice beyond what can be 

 gleaned from the foregoing pages. 



But here is an account of a Rock-Thrush which 

 belonged to a member of the Foreign Bird Club. It 

 was in its owner's possession for six months, during 

 the last four of which it was " wasting away. Although 

 " a large eater, food seemed to do it no good : its beak 

 " was always open and the breathing often short and 

 " hard. For nearly the whole time of the illness the 

 " faeces were copious, white, gummy, and frothy." On 

 post moytem examination the bird was very thin, and 

 the vent feathers were clogged with dried faeces. The 



