58 FANCY PIGEONS. 



of cold weather. When this disease has taken thorough 

 hold in a loft, almost every young bird of choice breed will 

 become infected with it at from two to four weeks old, even 

 though the feeders do not themselves have it. Few recover 

 from it, the strain on their systems when so young being 

 too great. Canker would sometimes seem to be the direct 

 result from foul drinking water and dirty food, as pigeons 

 that are sent long distances by sea invariably become infected 

 when not kept scrupulously clean. The best safeguards 

 against an outbreak of canker are strict attention to clean- 

 liness, no overcrowding in the loft, and great care in intro- 

 ducing fresh birds during the breeding season. I have 

 never had a canker epidemic among my pigeons all through 

 a breeding season, but more than once it has appeared 

 in my pigeonry about the end of July, and almost every 

 young one hatched thereafter has become affected with it. 

 It takes various forms ; first in the throat, in which case 

 it appears, to a greater or lesser extent, as lumps of cheesy 

 looking matter, which, if only small, and at the entrance 

 of the throat, so as not to interfere with swallowing, may 

 be often cured by touching with nitrate of silver or alum ; 

 but if of large extent, and deep down in the throat, so as 

 to prevent swallowing, it causes death from choking or 

 starvation. Canker sometimes forms in the head, below one 

 eye, and it will then often grow so rapidly, that in a few 

 days it will distort the head out of all proportion, and 

 cause death. I have never been able to cure this form of 

 it. Again, the upper or under mandible is often affected, 

 and becomes swollen and distorted, preventing the squab 

 from being fed. Painting the sores with tincture of per- 

 chloride of iron, or with glycerine and carbolic acid (six or 

 eight parts of the former to one of the latter), has been advised 

 by some; but nitrate of silver, or powdered alum, according 

 to others, is more efficacious. Canker of the beak and eye 

 wattles of carriers and barbs may be treated in the same 



