18 



cUaning them they recover their health, and breed as well as ever. I have teen 

 birds so devoured with them, as to have large crusts or scabs formed by the 

 ichor that flows from the wounds these little animals inflict upon their bellies, 

 under which scabs, forming a sort of canopy, they run for shelter, and remain in 

 safety when the bird is picking itself; another purpose is also answered by these 

 incrustations, covering parts of the belly of the bird in a circle beyond where the 

 wounds are, by rendering the parts so covered softer to the piercers of these little 

 insects, and affording them a more ready, as well as a safe opportunity, of satisfying 

 the cravings of their voracious appetites. The blue ointment not only _ destroys 

 the vermin, but heals the wounds under the crusts before mentioned, in a day 

 or two. Some Fanciers are afraid of venturing upon this remedy, and have 

 recourse to the usual ones of snuff, tobacco dust, snuff and hog's-lard, smoking 

 their feathers, &c. ; but I am satisfied these are of very little, if any use, because 

 they are not fatal to the insects, if they come in contact with it, and, besides, 

 they are very troublesome and prejudicial in the application, by getting into the 

 bird's eyes, nostrils, &c., disfiguring them, and discolouring their plumage, which 

 must be turned back to get the snuff down to the quills of the feathers. 



I know a good Fancier that always uses a strong decoction of tobacco water. I 

 fbrmerly used sweet oil, and the heat of the body caused the oil to spread all 

 over the skin of the bird, and the insects could not escape ; but I fancied the oil 

 rotted the roots of the feather, and caused them to come off. I mentioned the 

 circumstance one evening at a grand show, and was informed that if I used 

 animal oil, instead of vegetable, it would not happen — such as neat's-foot oil ; I 

 think this would be worth trying. Of late I have used nothing but the blue 

 ointinent, and have anointed upwards of one hundred at the same time, but only 

 on the belly, never having used it on the neck, and never saw any of them 

 tremulous or paralytic ; but there are Fanciers who have ventured to rub some 

 of the ointment about the neck feathers ; if the Fancier does this, it must be 

 done very cautiously and sparingly, otherwise it will affect the birds so far as 

 to make them tremulous and paralytic, and even kill them. I therefore recommend 

 the young Fancier not to apply the ointment to the neck at the same time that 

 he does to the belly, but wait two or three days first. 



I am bound to acknowledge, after the most mature consideration, that I cannot 

 possibly do better than give verbatim, some of the remarks on the management of 

 the Almond Tumbler, contained in a work now out of print, dedicated to the 

 " Gentlemen of the Columbarian Society;" those remarks are so true, taken from 

 actual observations, and constitutes a complete fund of experience ; nevertheless, 

 I shall add a few idteas, which I trust will not be found unacceptable or unworthy 

 of ibllowing the excellent remarks I here allude to. 



THE LOFT 



Should he very airy, and at the top of the house, and if it is large, it would be 

 better to divide it, as the Fancier will find two rooms very convenient upon many 

 secounts, particularly in cross-matching, in the middle of the breeding season, if 

 the produce of his birds should not please him ; and he will find his birds more 

 familiar if they have not too much wing room ; and when he wishes to catch 

 any of them, he should entice them into the area with a little rape or hemp seed, 

 by which he will avoid hurrying them about the room, and may catch them at 

 pleasure, and prevent the probability of a hen who is near laying, dropping her 

 egg on the ground. The area should, if convenient, have a south west aspect, 

 that the birds may have the benefit of the Sun in the spring mornings, when 

 they are near laying, which will greatly assist them if the weather should 

 unfortunately set in cold, soon after matching. And besides, it is very great service 

 to the young ones as soon as they are able to fly up to it ; but if it is convenient, 

 I should recommend a separate room or loft for them, as soon as they are fit 

 to be drafted off, as they will certainly thrive better, where they have no old 



