63 



feeling of il. (Ik nalnic of its ronlciils fan fro(iii('iitIy 

 be detci-iiiiiicd. 



If it is iui( possible to rcmoNc tliL'.couteuts by pres- 

 sure, as in tlie case above, and if it does not pass away 

 Maini'all\- within a day, it beeomes necessary to per- 

 foiiii an operation U>\- ilie purpose of emptying tlie 

 organ. To do tliis, the fealliers should be removed by 

 clipping tliem off with a pair of shears from a vertical 

 line about half an inch wide along the most prominent 

 portion of the crop. Then with a sharp, clean knife 

 an incision about one inch long should be made 

 through the skin and down to the obstructing mate- 

 rial. This can then be removed with the handle of a 

 spoon, or with llie fingci', or with the loo[) of a hairpin. 

 When the crop is thoroughly eni])li(d. its walls should 

 be tinited by sewing them with Avhite silk. Oan^ 

 should be taken to avoid including anything besides 

 the walls of the ciop in the first seam. After this is 

 perfectly ui-ited the other tissues and the skin may be 

 drawn together with a second sel of stitches. The 

 sewing slu.uld be done neall\ ami the tissues should 

 nc't be drawn together so tliai ihe\ pinker. The ends 

 of the first set of stitches slmnld he left long and al 

 lowed to hang outside of the wound. Tn five or six 

 days union will have taken place and the stiches can 

 then be removed by cutting thi-ongh them with a pair 

 of shar]) scissors and drawing them out. After this 

 operation, the bird should be allowed no food for 

 twenty-four hours, and only a small amount of watei', 

 lo which a few grains of salicvlie acid have been added. 



