86 OUR HOME PETS 



one of two things is probably the matter 

 either he wants a cover on his cage, and a 

 newspaper laid over will quiet him ; or his 

 upper perch is lower than some of his neigh- 

 bors' perches, when his cage must be elevated 

 to suit the requirements. 



There are several common afflictions to 

 which birds are subject, and I will give my 

 method of treatment for them. First, let me 

 beg the bird -lover never to submit her pet 

 to the crude and often ignorant treatment of 

 dealers, who proceed as if the poor victims 

 were machines. Some of them will actually 

 bleed a bird ! Others dote on some special 

 patent medicine, and drench the unfortunate 

 with it, whatever may be the matter. There 

 are books which coolly advise scraping the 

 scales from the delicate legs and feet of a 

 bird, and tell one to cut something out from 

 under the tongue . practice worthy of the 

 Dark Ages we read about. 



When anything at all is out of order in a 

 bird, he should be at once put into the hos- 

 pital that is, removed to a quiet room, if pos- 

 sible, and if not, lightly covered up so as not 

 to be disturbed. He should not be excited 



