Treatment of Birds when Sick. 59 



and setting his feet firmly together, took her wing 

 in his beak and tugged it with all his might to 

 induce her to get up. I thought such nursing, 

 however, might be dispensed with, so having got 

 some warm water, and with exceedingly great care 

 given the bird a bath (of course holding her in my 

 hand the while), I wrapped her up, insensible as 

 she was, in a very warm piece of flannel, and having 

 kept her warm all day, I had the pleasure at night 

 of seeing her eating crumbs of sponge biscuit (which 

 was her favourite refreshment,) with considerable 

 appetite. She has never, I am sure, forgotten that 

 day's nursing, for she is the only bird who now 

 makes no fuss at all if I take her up. The others 

 kick and scratch and peck as hard as they can, 

 maintaining firmly the difference between being taken, 

 and coming of themselves. 



7. The moulting is always a trying time to birds ; the 

 young ones lose their first feathers at about three 

 months old, the old ones generally about August or 

 September. At this time they require warmth, and 

 as they have little appetite, it is better to give them 

 as much variety in their food as possible, also being 

 careful to crush for them any hard kind of seed like 

 hemp, as they are very weak. A rusty nail or a shred 

 of saffron in the water glass is a useful tonic. And 

 if the bird should be attacked with any sort of fit, 

 some authorities recommend dipping its feet in warm 



