48 THE PIGEON BOOK 



The small intestine is a long narrow tube folded many 

 times. The large intestine is the last stage of the food. 

 The digestive canal terminates at the rectum. 



I look upon the organs of nutrition as amongst the 

 most important in pigeons. Let these be deranged in ever 

 so slight a manner, loss of power immediately follows, 

 for the blood becomes disordered, leading to inanition. 



A free, easy digestion is the surest sign that birds are 

 in good health. 



A full crop at night and an empty crop in the morning, 

 with sound, healthy excretions in the nest-boxes or on 

 the floor of the loft is a happy augury for the fancier, 

 for his birds are well. 



The very first symptoms that the organs are deranged 

 is the remaining of food in the crop beyond the normal 

 time. 



Take as an example the hen that has just laid her 



egg- 

 Generally it will be found that for forty-eight hours 

 after laying the digestion is slow, and the crop will 

 contain food in the morning partaken of the previous 

 night. 



Besides the organs of nutrition we find in a bird's body 

 the nostrils, larynx, trachea, lungs and air sacs, which 

 together constitute the respiratory apparatus. 



The principal functions of this apparatus are to supply 

 oxygen to the blood, and receive in return carbonic acid 

 gas and watery vapour. 



Then we have the circulatory apparatus, composed 

 of the heart, arteries, capillaries, veins, and lymphatics, 

 which carries the nutriment and the oxygen to every part 

 of the body, and brings away the waste and cast-off 

 material. 



There is also the urinary organs, made up of the kidneys 



