140 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



A SlMl'LE FORM OF AVIAKV OK LARGE FLIGHI FOR YOUNG BIROS. 



that age nmch less time is spent in sleep, 

 and as tliey get older less still. When a 

 bird is oV)served to sit thiek and hini))y, 

 with its leathers at all rnlTled up. it" should 

 at onee he eanght and examined bv blowing 

 up the I'eatheis of the l)i-east and lower 

 part of the body, when, in ])lace ol' a ])hnnp 

 breast, there will most i>i-obabh' be I'onnd 

 iiidiealions ol' wasting, ;ind more or h ss 

 of inllaniniation about the abdomen, arising 

 from the presence of unwholesome and un- 

 digested l'o(;(l, causing generjil denuigc- 

 incnt of the system. This may h;i.\'e been 

 induced, in the first ))lace, by the biid 

 eating stale or sour (yg-mixtur-c, or from 

 I)artaking too freely of such delicacies as 

 may ha\'c been introduced into the llight 

 from time to lime. .Xnd it means " iji-oing 

 home ■" speedily, if some jirompt remedial 

 nu'asnrcs are not ap|)licd. Young birds 

 are more susce]itiblc to these attacks from 

 the age of five or six weeks until they haxc 

 got nicely away with the moult than tluv 

 are at an\' othei- pciiod, and we ha\c 

 found from long cx))erience that much 

 of the mortalit\' (hu-ing the ))eriod men- 

 tioned can be wanhd oil by a little 



regulation in feeding. If egg-food be given 

 e\-ei-v other day instead of daily, and 

 bread soaked in scalding milk- allowing 

 the bread to lie in the milk in a solid ])icce 

 UTitil cold, and so absorb as much of the 

 milk as it will — is given on alternate or 

 every third day, and the egg-food on the 

 intermediate days, with the seed, of cour.se, 

 daily in addition, much can be done to 

 ward oil' the malady, 'j'lic bri'ad and 

 milk has a ri'laxing but nol purgative 

 tendency on the young bii'ds bowels, 

 and, consopicnt ly. is soolliing to the 

 lender iuleinal parts, anil at the same 

 tiuic is nourishing. 



The laic Mr. W. A. Blakston spoke of 

 the great nurtality among young t)irds 

 at the age we mention, bul rccouuiieuded 

 as a i'eme(l\ purgatiNcs and cod-liver oil, 

 the cllieicney of a bread and milk diet 

 to combat tlu' malady not being then 

 known. W'l' were among the lirst . if not 

 actually Ihc lirst. to .•i(l\-ocate. through the 

 colmnns of 77/c Fiathcrcd World and 

 its olTshoot ('(iniiri/ iniil Cage-Bird Lijc, 

 this method o\ feeding, experience having 

 taught us its great benefits ; thousands of 



