THE PIGEON BOOK 55 



over the affected part. This treatment has been the most 

 efficacious that I know of. 



If the growths are on the outside of the body, then 

 they must be burned with caustic pencil ; but if the growth 

 be near the eye great care is necessary. I have at times 

 cut away large pieces from birds near the vent as 

 large or larger than an egg, and subsequently the wound 

 has healed and the birds recovered. Still the best advice I 

 can give to fanciers who have birds attacked with canker is 

 to breed from them as little as possible, no matter how 

 good they may be, as I think that a canker deposit in the 

 body, wing, or joints, or in any other part of a pigeon 

 denotes a scrofulous tendency, and is hereditary. 



Diarrhwa. 



The symptoms of this disease are a looseness of the 

 bowels, sleepy look about the eyes, ruffled feathers over 

 the frontal, and a dejected appearance of the subject. 



Youngsters in the nest quickly succumb to this disease 

 if not taken in time. When fanciers see that the 

 droppings of their birds are watery the cause must be 

 looked to at once. 



The excessive partaking of water through eating too 

 much salted grit in hot weather will also cause it. 



But the most serious cases are when the birds go to the 

 fields and partake of nitrate of soda, or earthy matter 

 saturated with this, which, if taken in excess, will not 

 only cause incessant diarrhoea but death. 



New wheat or new corn will also cause it. 



Fungoid grain will cause it, and particularly will it arise 

 from birds eating corn contaminated by their droppings. 



A hot, close loft, imperfect ventilation, the accumulation 

 of the droppings on the floor will all bring about the 

 trouble. 



