62 Fancy Piorons. 



the season. A bird will be going on well, and be nearly ready to quit 

 the nest, when it will be observed to be unable to got on its legs. I have 

 seldom known a bird so affected cured, and it is those that give promise 

 of being extra long in limb and upstanding in carriage that are, I 

 suppose from this desirable appearance, most liable to it. Such weak- 

 neag in the limbs proceeding from some internal cause, must not, how- 

 ever, be mistaken for such an accident to the limb, as sometimes happens 

 to a bird from falling from an upper nest, which is often curable by a few 

 days of careful attention. 



Moulting. — The majority of pigeons go through their annual moult 

 without anj' trouble, but generally a few of them will fall into a 

 diarrhoea during that time. When this becomes specially severe, the 

 growth of the new feathers will sometimes suddenly stop. If the bird so 

 affected recovers, the growth of its feathers will proceed, but many of 

 them will be weak and unfurnished about the middle, showing where 

 their growth was arrested, and instead of lying close to the bird's body 

 will hang loosely, and flutter about with the wind. I have seen several 

 cases of this, but it cannot be said to happen very often. Of course 

 the bird so affected cannot get into proper feather before another moiUt. 

 When a pigeon casts its feathers in masses, as many do, so as to be quite 

 bare on head and neck, it should get extra protection from cold and 

 draught till the new feathers are well grown. 



Small Pox was well known to the old writers, from their description 

 of it, but I have never known a case of it in this country. In India, 

 however, it is a common complaint of young pigeons in the nest, and 

 I have known seasons there when every young bird bred by myself and 

 others, to the number of hundreds, has been attacked with it. At 

 about a fortnight old pustules full of yellow matter would break out all 

 over the bird, including its beak and feet. If let alone these would 

 gradually dry up, and by the time the bii-d was able to fly, it would be 

 nearly clear of them ; but if broken they would bleed and grow into big 

 sores. I think this form of small pox is quite unknown in this country 

 now, at least I never heard any fancier say he had found it in his loft. 



SjjokIs are fissures that form in the eye wattles of barbs and carriers, 

 either naturally, from the skin growing into a fold, or from accident. 

 These can never heal of themselves, but must be cut out with sharp 

 scissors, and dressed with healing ointment. The operation is no doubt 



