AFRICAN GRAY PARROT AND OTHER PARROTS, 197 



some animal or vegetable parasite. Treatment: Rub the bare place with soft soap, 

 and tventy-four hours after wash with warm water, and cleanse as much as possi- 

 ble with a soft brush, and then rub with balm of Peru. 



Self- Plucking, or Pulling the Feathers, is one of the worst diseases of 

 Parrots. Cause : Improper food ; too much hemp-seed, meats, or bones, and too 

 close confinement. Preventive Measures: A constant supply of wood to gnaw, 

 also sand ; avoid all titbits and unnatural food ; feed sunflower and unhulled rice. 

 Amuse the Parrot, and give wooden spools or a strong china doll to play with, and 

 keep in a large cage. Treatment : Spray with tepid water and gtycerine, half tea- 

 spoonful of glycerine to teacup of water, several times each day ; smear the places with 

 tincture of aloes or infusion of tobacco leaves, one ounce to half pint of water, 

 or other bitter fluids. Puff insect powder through the feathers if it is needed. It 

 is also a good plan to put the bird into new surroundings. Some keepers have had 

 good results by reducing the quantity of food by degrees, till at last the bird got 

 only a third of its customary allowance, when it became quite drooping, and left off 

 the habit. Read "Plumage Diseases," above. 



Tongue Splitting. Parrots are never ' ' tongue tied " ; and it is unnecessary 

 and barbarous to cut the side cords or split the tongue. 



Warmth. A Parrot when quite sick should be wrapped in a small blanket 

 and kept near the heat. A temperature of ninety to one hundred degrees is often 

 very beneficial. 



Paroquets and Dwarf Parrots are treated in disease the same as Parrots. 



