on Foreign Doves at liberty.



125



-disappeared. The next summer, on the return of the Turtle Doves,

it broke out afresh, but by immediately destroying all sick birds,

discouraging the presence of the healthy ones on the foreign birds’

feeding trays and dressing large areas of ground with salt, a serious

outbreak was fortunately averted. The following season a few cases

again occurred ; but, this last year, I am glad to say there has been

no outbreak at all, and I am hoping that the disease will not return.

Canker is quite distinct from the diphtheria which in certain seasons

•carries off the Woodpigeons in such vast numbers. A Woodpigeon

suffering from diphtheria will be found to have its throat covered

with whitish spots : a dove suffering from canker has the entire

gullet choked with cheesy matter and much distended. It has great

difficulty in swallowing food and often throws away a grain of seed

after making several ineffectual attempts to get it down. Another

bird which picks up the same seed afterwards, will, if susceptible to

the disease become infected on the spot. I have never seen any

kind of dove suffering from diphtheria, except the Woodpigeon ;

but many species, including the Stock Dove, readily contract canker.


During the winter following the first canker outbreak, tuber¬

culosis made its appearance among the Crested Doves. A good

many were lost from this cause also, but I managed to save a few of

the sick ones by keeping them warm and feeding them on stimulating

food; avian tuberculosis, even when very advanced, is by no means

so incurable as some people imagine, although, if the diseased bird is

not a valuable one, it is usually better to destroy it at once. The

same methods as were adopted in dealing with the canker outbreak,

viz., salt dressings and the removal of sickly birds at the earliest

opportunity, did a good deal towards checking the ravages of tuber¬

culosis. The wretched disease has not been entirely got rid of, as I

know to my cost, probably owing to the large area over which the

infection is spread and the difficulty of treating the whole : but the

cases which occur now are isolated ones and it is long since a

Crested Dove has been among the victims.


When at liberty Crested Doves attempt to breed nearly the

whole year round, but during the winter months they are seldom or

never successful in rearing their young. The latter, on leaving the

nest, may be distinguished from their parents by their duller colours



