MINERAL SUBSTANCES. 23 



tremely fond of cummin seed ; and may suggest as a compro- 

 mise that a salt-cat containing it may easily be mixed with 

 brine so as to answer all needful purposes. 



The proper supply of these last necessaries is of great 

 importance to the health of a loft j and to some want in this 

 direction, as well as of the green food already mentioned, must 

 be traced the heated, corrupt condition of blood that manifests 

 itself by many diseases. Some diseases are common to animal 

 life, but canker and its allies are unknown to wild birds ; and 

 experiment with some cooling salts, such as carbonate of 

 potash, or with some others found in sea-water, might be pro- 

 bably rewarded by great benefit. One hint in this direction 

 we may give, for which we are indebted originally to a German 

 friend unrivalled in his success with aviary birds generally. 

 He found that pigeons shared with many of these birds a 

 greedy appetite for scraped cuttle-fish bone, and appeared greatly 

 benefited by it. Now this substance contains many of the salts 

 spoken of, and we are strongly inclined to believe that it acts 

 as a cooler and purifier of the blood in default of more natural 

 means. We can recommend it strongly, and believe further 

 investigation might find other valuable prophylactic agents of 

 the same class. Meantime, however, let the gravel-box or 

 salt-cat never be neglected. 



It may be noticed finally, that while pulse or other grain 

 forms the most natural food of pigeons, they will often eat 

 various kinds of soft food with relish. Crumbled oatmeal cake 

 is eaten greedily by many ; also boiled potato and sopped bread, 

 rice boiled in milk, &c. There is also no doubt that when at 

 large they will eat grubs or small worms j and it has been 

 found that cold bacon fat, minced into small bits, will be eaten. 

 "We cannot recommend any of these things as regular diet j but 

 some of them are useful occasionally for birds feeding young 

 ones, while others may sometimes, as a total change and 

 stimulus to the appetite, be the means of saving a sick pigeon. 



