Notes on my Birds. 237


Either vaseline or “New Skin” on the wound is an excellent

remedy. The latter is a liquid antiseptic court plaister, which

you just paint on with a brush. It is most useful for cuts in

humans as well as in birds, and so easy to apply r , but must be

allowed to dry on the wounds, which it does in a few minutes.

Of course any dirt should be well washed out first before the

“ New Skin ” is put on.


After a little practice you will soon find you can cut over¬

grown beaks and claws and dress wounds, holding the birds as

well as operating yourself. I much prefer having no one to help

me, but in the case of setting a broken leg one is obliged to have

assistance.


I have been keeping the Rufous Pigeon in the passage

where there is no strong light to try'- the eye too much. He will

soon be turned into an aviary but not be allowed to be with the

hen for sometime till he is a stronger. At the time I had to catch

him up the birds were nesting. The hen bravely continued to

sit herself for a few days, but finally deserted the egg, which

turned ont to be clear. The Rufous Pigeon is a very handsome

bird, reddish purple in colour, with a grey head and most lovely

metallic green 011 the top of the head and neck ; the eyes are

very bright ruby red.


I have just lost alien Bleeding Heart Dove in this No. 1

division. She was a nice bird, but very nervous and I believe

died partly through fright of the cock. Bleeding Heart cocks

get very vicious sometimes at the beginning of the nesting

season, and harass each and every unlucky bird who crosses

their path. Doves do not often kill each other like parrots,

but they are very quarrelsome. Sometimes I have seen a dove

pecked and plucked by;- other doves till its life was not worth

living, but when the tormented one was removed in pity to

another house it has at once turned on its new companions and

itself acted the part of a bully.


Some birds are naturally aggressive. I remember an

ancient Parson Finch we had, too old to fly from the ground,

who made a point, old as he was, of always jostling any new

comer into the aviary who settled on the floor. He did not

really hurt them, but tried to push them about in a most impolite



