GENERAL CARE 79 



to be identified in cage birds, so-called cases of tuberculosis 

 generally being referable to bird fever. There is no cure 

 known for this disease, and since it is highly contagious 

 scrupulous care should be taken to prevent the introduction 

 of infected birds. 



Bird fever and septic fever are responsible for the tre- 

 mendous number of deaths which sometimes occur among 

 freshly imported cage birds, particularly canaries. Two or 

 three years ago the bird importers of New York suffered 

 severe losses from an epidemic of this disease, which was 

 .^rife among canaries. Each disease is caused by a specific 

 l^pbacillus. The symptoms in each case are similar — dullness, 

 roughness of plumage and refusal of food — death usually 

 resulting in about a week. Post-mortem examination re- 

 veals the presence of whitish nodules in the greatly enlarged 

 liver and spleen in the case of bird fever, but not in septic 

 fever. Both diseases are highly infectious, almost uniformly 

 fatal, and suspected of being communicable to man. As no 

 efficient treatment is known, affected birds should be de- 

 stroyed and the most rigorous disinfection of the entire 

 premises 'employed. 



Psittacosis is a bacterial disease peculiar to parrots. It 

 is of common occurrence among freshly imported specimens, 

 and accounts, in many cases, for the very high mortality 

 sometimes experienced. Its presence is indicated by dull- 

 ness, loss of appetite and a greenish diarrhoea. It is ex- 

 tremely contagious and generally fatal. A few cases are 

 on record of its communication to man, a well-authenticated 

 instance having been brought to the notice of the writer 

 within the last few months. Little is to be done for the 

 fected birds, and the most vigilant care in isolating freshly 

 eceived specimens is the only safeguard against its intro- 

 uction. 

 Feather-plucking is hardly to be classed as a disease, but 



