18 farmers' bulletin 110. 



during the dsij. They are often found in tlie slits at the ends of the 

 perches or in the round piece of metal forming the support at the top 

 of the ordinary wire cage. In wooden cages they hide in cracks, nail 

 holes, or crevices, and their presence is betrayed upon close examina- 

 tion b}'- minute white spottings. If unnoticed, they multiply rapidly 

 and sap the strength of the bird by sucking its blood. When their 

 presence is suspected, remove the bird temporarily and either clean 

 the cage thoroughly with a solution of one ounce of commercial car- 

 bolic acid in a gallon of water, applied with a small brush, taking 

 care to reach all crevices; or immerse the cage in boiling water, keep- 

 ing it covered for several minutes. In addition, insect powder may 

 be used as for the gray louse. 



Where facilities for frequent bathing are offered and the cage is 

 kept clean, there is usually little trouble w^itli either mites or bird lice. 

 When a bird is sick and neglects its customary bathing, cleaning, 

 and preening, it is surprising to see how rapidly these pests mul- 

 tiply. With care, however, they 

 may be completely eradicated, 

 though fresh outbreaks are liable 

 to occur when new birds are 

 brought in. 



CARE OF FEET AND BILL. 



^ 



As a canar}^ grows old it will 

 be noticed that its claws get long 



Fig. 5.— Diagram of foot of canary with and Catch OU the IDCrcheS and 

 overgrown claws. A, Terminal blood . . 



vessel ; B, point at which claw may be WireS aS it hopS about the cage. 



trimmed without injury. j^ a state of nature the activities 



of the bird as it moves about on the ground or among twigs and 

 limbs keep the claws properly worn down. Confined in a cage, 

 the canary is less active, and while the rate of growth of the claws 

 remains the same they are subject to much less abrasion. It is 

 necessary, therefore, to trim them with a pair of sharp scissors 

 every few months. It is important to watch the condition of the 

 claws carefully, as by catching they may cause a broken leg. In 

 each claw a slender blood vessel extends well down toward the 

 tip (fig. 5). This may be seen on close examination through the 

 transparent sheath of the claw. In trimming cut well beyond this 

 canal and take special care not to break the leg while handling the 

 bird. 



In cage birds the horny coA'ering of the bill, as well as the claws, 

 sometimes becomes distorted through growth without sufficient wear. 

 The tips of the mandibles may be pared down with a sharp knife, but 

 care must be taken not to cut deep enough to reach the quick. 



