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this is much better than being on the cold floor. Young Doves

do not seem to understand a branch placed for them on the

ground to perch on, and in this case the nest was 12ft. or more

from the floor, so they could not fly back to it. By August 1st,

both birds stayed out of the nest altogether (vve had once or

twice put them back at night), and by now they are nearly as

long as the hen, but more slender. Both young birds are growing

very fast. They are drab like the parents, but rather darker,

and with no blue skin round the eyes, nor sheen on the neck.

The feet are pale flesh colour, the beak pale pinkish, and the

eyes dark brown. The feathers round the eyes are whitish, with

a wash of pale chestnut below the eye, merging on to the throat.

In one young bird I can just see the dark mark coming below

the eye. The rest of the colouring is just like the old birds. I

have never seen the latter feed the young ones ; they seem to

leave them quite to themselves. A fourth nest has been started,

and the Doves are sitting well. I think it often happens in

breeding foreign Doves that the birds do not settle down to sit

really well until the 2nd or 3rd nest; at least this has been my

own experience.



CORRESPONDENCE.



vSICK GREY PARROT.


Sir, —Can y r ou give me any advice as to the treatment of a Parrot,

which has a most extraordinary growth all round its head ? The latter is

swollen greatly, and the bird is unable to close its mouth.


It is a common Grey Parrot, but it is rapidly becoming quite black,

and has a sort of shiny appearance all over its feathers such as one notices

on the feathers of a Rook. The growth over the eyes resembles that of

a Carrier Pigeon ; but there is a growth of flesh all round each eye, and one

is nearly closed. The illness has been coming on for about three months,

I believe, but am not sure. The bird is a most distressing sight, and I

think the kindest thing would be to destroy it ; but it is not mine, and is a

great favourite with its owner. The growth to me looks like cancer, if a

bird can have such a disease. The bird has been kept on mixed seed, but

lately has been given bread and milk as well. Mary Keene.



The following reply was sent to Mrs. Keene :


From your account of the bird I should say the disease is either

scrofula or cancer, to which latter complaint Parrots are very' subject. I do

not think there is the least probability of its recovery, and were it mine I

should decidedly chloroform it and put it out of its misery. The local

chemist would no doubt administer the chloroform. W. T. Greene.



