183 



613. Page 54. On vermin.— '' The common Pigeon Louse and Feather Louse are 

 totally, and in all respects, different. Pigeons kept clean never have fleas. ^ I have 

 never tried this, fearing to destroy by the alkali in soap that oily coat which is on the 

 feathers, and for a time keeping the bird much warmer than otherwise — a bird so treated 

 is like a sheep shorn in cold weather." See M.S. note in the 52nd page. 



614. Page 55. On vermin on fresh birds ; "unnessary in the country, where birds 

 are kept clean ; but all newly added birds should be examined and cleaned." 



615. Page 58. On plumage, rain, and water "Unless the spring water is from a 

 chalky soil." 



616. Pages 58-59. On flying the birds : "And especially if the loft is kept free from 

 dust and dirt. On the contrary, more than half of my flyers are by good usage quite 

 tame, and when I seat myself in an arm chair on the lawn, fly to me and surround me, 

 several of them letting me handle them, and playing with me by pecking my fingers and 

 cooing. This is quite true, I have a pair of red mottle, bred from Almonds, whose 

 grandmother was a red, and both tumbled beautifully." 



617. Page 60. On loam : "A bank of street sweepings, where the roads are daily 

 watered with sea water, is superior to all othermethods. The birds willalways be upon 

 the bank on account of the salt, and they swallow a quantity of fine gravel on that 

 account." 



618. Page 62. Gravel. — See the note at the foot of page 60. 



619. Page 63. Mortar ; "Mortar dust will greatly injure the plumage, and I never 

 admit mortar ; the dusty strong alkali, whicb, by settling on the feathers, kills the oil 

 of the plumage, and the birds are always dirty." 



620. Page 66. On their food ; " I do not concur in this ; if the food is damaged 

 Nature points out to the old ones not to touch it, if they can get other food. ^ Good old 

 wheat and tares, old tick, and refuse rice, are the best articles of food, placed in hoppers, 

 so that the old ones can always get what they like. The palate is their safest guide, 

 having plenty of choice." 



621. Page 67- On change of food. — see page 47. "Beyond a week or ten days at 

 one period, change of food is of great advantage." 



622. Page 68-69. On the healthy state of the birds : "In this year (1849) fronafive 

 pairs of well bred birds I reared thirty-two young ones, by the aid of nine pairs of 

 common Tumblers, as nurses, and by shifting the young ones of those high bred birds 

 that deserted them. But I also attribute that success partly to diet, which I constantly 

 watched ; their principal food was old tick beans, and tares ; but, for a day or two 

 before hatching, I always gave the old birds a little refuse rice and hemp-seed every 

 morning and evening, untill the parents had fed off their soft meat. By care I never 

 lost a bird ; for, in addition, I also watched the time of hatching, and frequently broke 

 the shell of an egg when the young one was not strong enough to extricate itself, by 

 first puncturing a small hole near the beak to give air, and on the following day crack- 

 ing the sheU all round the egg. The first nest in April all failed from cold weather ; 

 from the second set in May and June, I obtained five young ones ; from the third set 

 in June and July, I obtained six young ones ; from the fourth set in July and August, 

 I obtained nine young ones ; fifth set in August and ' September, I obtained six young 

 ones ; and in the sixth and last set in September and beginning of October six more, 

 making altogether thirty-two. After this, and as soon as the old birds began to show 

 signs of going to nest again, I separated male from female, putting the young ones 

 under the nurses. During the whole season I did not loose a bird either by disease or 

 accident after the first three or four days. (J. B., November, 1849.) 



623. Page 70-71. On parting the birds after breeding season. — See also page 31. 

 "One of the methods to check going to nest again, is to make them, if you can, feed 

 as many young ones as possible, as they are seldom with egg again whilst so feeding, 

 and more especially if their pans be taken away. The feeding lowers the old ones, but 

 not near so much as going to nest again ; and by this method your young ones become 

 much stronger birds, and more fitted to begin moulting before winter sets in." Page 

 72-73. " No sound Fancier will keep his birds together in winter. I think this of but 



