46 THE CANARY BIRD. 



nest, owing to the young ones having been 

 furnished with bad food, such as a bad egg 

 chopped up, or grated, dead stale greens, left 

 at the bottom of the cage, overgrown, coarse, 

 unblown chick-weed, and putrid, or green 

 water, in the fountains. 



There are two symptoms of this distemper, 

 exhibited as arising either from cold or over- 

 feeding ; in the first case, if, when blowing 

 up the feathers of the belly, it appears 

 swelled, transparent, and full of little red 

 veins, together with the bowels sinking down 

 to its extreme parts, it may be inferred that 

 the bird is in a bad state. In this case, the 

 state of the bowels should be carefully at- 

 tended to : if they are not loose, some grits 

 should be given in the seed, and a blade of 

 saffron in the water, or as much magnesia as 

 will cover a sixpence, dissolved in the water, 

 for two or three mornings, and a little bread 

 and milk, with a sprinkling of maw-seed 

 upon it. If he should be very relaxed, give 

 him, instead of grits, or oat-meal, a little 

 bruised hemp seed and maw-seed, which are 

 more binding, and a little dried sponge bis- 

 cuit, soaked in white wine. 



When the surfeit seizes your birds in the 

 nest, it is then incurable. 



This evil may be prevented by a little at- 

 tention; always considering, that as cage 

 birds have not miles to fly in search of their 

 food, they have not that air and exercise to 

 carry off the foul humors which over-feeding, 

 carelessness, and colds produce ; they are 



