CANARY BIRDS. 95 



cure, it is so pleasant to see the bird's relief 

 when the load falls off. This discomfort 

 arises from a damp or dirty cage, or one not 

 sufficiently supplied with clean gravel ; when 

 the feet become perfectly clogged with a 

 sort of dirty shoe. When bought with 

 clogged feet an immediate cure should be at- 

 tempted ; we take it for granted no one will 

 allow their own birds to get into such a con- 

 dition. Take a saucer, containing lukewarm 

 soft water, not hot, but tepid, and then care- 

 fully catching the bird in one hand cause it 

 to stand for at least five minutes, if possible, 

 in its shallow bath. 



To take hold of the bird without burting 

 it, it is very essential to keep the hand quite 

 outside the wings ; watching an opportunity 

 for lightly closing it when the bird has both 

 its wings folded. It is best to keep the head 

 over the thumb ; and as the feet are very 

 often tucked up just when we want them 

 down, the mistress's hand is usually forced 

 to take a bath with the bird. Jenny, one 



