152 The Canary Book. 



Whenever you discover a bird in this plight, catch it, 

 immerse the feet in warm water to free them from dirt, 

 dry, and proceed to cut away the hairs with a sharp pen- 

 knife or a pair of scissors, and, lastly, anoint any place 

 which appears sore with a little sweet oil. 



SURFEIT. This complaint is usually produced either by a 

 bird eating to excess, or by its being fed too long upon one 

 particular kind of food without having a change. During 

 this disease the insensible perspiration is impeded, and the 

 skin is generally covered with a small, almost invisible, 

 eruption, and the feathers gradually disappear from the head 

 of the bird. A change of diet, something cooling, should be 

 given, and a few drops of lime-juice added to the bird's 

 drinking-water. Give it, once or twice a week, a drop or two 

 of castor-oil internally, and anoint its head with a little pure 

 olive-oil (free from scent), lard without salt, or spermaceti 

 ointment, and the ailment will speedily disappear. 



SWEATING. See Chap. II., on " Breeding and Management," 

 page 74. 



SWOLLEN JOINTS. I have known instances of birds having 

 had their feet or legs caught in a loose wire, or in the thin 

 wire used for securing the upright wires to the cross-bars of 

 a cage front, and with struggling in their endeavours to free 

 themselves they have injured their knee- or ankle-joints, or 

 other portions of their limbs, which have become swollen and 

 inflamed in consequence, or pulled a nail off one of their 

 claws. When an event of this kind happens, catch the maimed 

 bird and place the injured leg in hot water, as hot as you 

 can bear your hand in without flinching; allow it to remain 

 immersed for five minutes, afterwards dry the limb, and apply 

 a little compound tincture of myrrh to the affected part with 

 a feather. 



SYNCOPE OR FAINTING. This is caused by a diminution or 

 complete interruption of the motion of the heart and of the 

 function of respiration, accompanied by a suspension of the 



