STKONGYLUS DOUGLASSII. 161 



eats a few mouthfuls, and then turns away, evidently 

 in pain as the food enters the stomach ; repeating the 

 operation again and again till he finally leaves the 

 mealies ; but this symptom will only be seen when the 

 bird has been suffering for some time, and to a con- 

 siderable extent, when it will also often retch from the 

 pain and throw the grain up again. If the dung be 

 examined, it will be noticed that much of tlie food has 

 passed through undigested. 



In the '^ post-mortem " appearances : the body will 

 be found fearfully emaciated; dropsy of the abdomi- 

 nal cavity will be found highly developed, as also 

 of the pericardium, and the heart will be flabby ; the 

 small intestine and the coeca will be found full of water. 

 In the latter will generally be found a quantity of the 

 stones that should be in the gizzard, and ought never 

 to leave it as long as the bird is in health. This, no 

 doubt, is caused by the muscles of the whole body be- 

 coming relaxed, and the rings of muscles that surround 

 the outlet of the gizzard into the small intestine being no 

 longer able to prevent (as in health they would) the 

 passage of anything but the finest-ground food. We 

 have already remarked upon the appearance of the 

 stomach. 



TreatnienL — Give the birds an extended scope of 

 grazing-ground, and change it frequently, if possible. 



L 



