THE CANARY. 37 



THE NAILS often grow long and hook- shaped, and 

 need to be cut. Hold the bird up to a strong light 

 so the vein in each nail may be seen ; then cut each 

 nail, avoiding the vein. 



THE BEAK also grows so the bird has difficulty in 

 eating ; cut the overgrown parts with sharp scissors, 

 and scrape them into correct shape carefully with 

 edge of a penknife blade. If convenient, send the 

 bird into the store for these surgical operations. 



BROKEN LEGS may be set if broken between the 

 joints. Shear the feathers off around the break, and 

 draw the leg carefully away from the body, so that 

 the ends of the bone may be pressed into place. 

 Then place strips of court plaster a sixteenth of an 

 inch wide, inside and outside of the leg, and extend- 

 ing one third inch, if possible, each side of the 

 break. Other narrow strips may be put around the 

 legs, in three or four places, to hold the lengthwise 

 " court-plaster splints " in. place. Put the food, seeds, 

 and Song Restorer, and water inside the cage, on the 

 bottom, so the bird will not have to struggle to get 

 up on the perches and thus dislocate the break. 



A BIRD is PUFFED UP when he has diarrhoea, when 

 constipated, when there has been neglect in feeding 

 or watering, when he has a cold, when a mouse gets in 

 his cage at night, when insects are devouring him, or 

 when he is in any way diseased. 



RED INSECTS seem to come out of the air, and get 

 on the bird regardless of the best care. The symp- 

 toms are a puffed appearance, alternating with a 

 scratching, a shaking and frequent pecking at the 



