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the treatment of their bitds, if unwell, some giving pills made of rhubarb, others 

 giving pills made of bitter aloes, my favorite pill is a compound of both. The way 

 I do is to take a good many, at once, when they are not breeding I remove their 

 water overnight, and keep them some hours in the morning without, and when 

 I think they are very thirsty, give them their water as usual, with this difference: 

 dissolve some Epsom salts, and mix it with their water, they being very thirsty 

 will not discover it until after they have drank very heartily; I cannot tell you 

 what quantity to mix not knowing how many birds you intend giving it to ; should 

 you have any birds in your aviary, or lott, that are scoured or purged, remove them 

 while the salts are in the water, if any is left, throw it away at night and let 

 them have their water as usual without any salts, then restore the birds that you 

 consider too loose. 



I hinted before in a former part of this work that it was possible that I might 

 have over done some things, nevertheless on reasoning, I am not afraid of killing 

 a pigeon, which I would treat as mankind ; I will suppose my having a stomach 

 full of hard old beans and a pigeon with a stomach full of hard old beans, and the 

 pigeon got rid of the beans before I did, (for ought I know the beans might kill 

 tne), the inference I should draw was, that the pigeon was stronger, or at all events 

 its digestive powers, althoagh I should not be alarmed for fear of killing an old 

 bird, 1 should act very cautiously where there were young ones, from one hour 

 to one week old, and not give the salts and water where these young birds were, 

 not knowing the effect, it might purge and kill them. If it was possible that in a 

 loft were there were no young birds under three weeks old, the feeders partaking 

 of the salts and water, and then feeding these big young ones, my opinion is, that 

 not any evil would arise, but on the contrary good, inasmuch as it might cleanse, 

 the craw, prevent canker in the throat, and cool the young bird which is very 

 hot, but freely purged, at the same time the Fancier can exercise his own judgment. 



Peppercorns are very good to give to your old birds, or those that appear cold, 

 every other day, giving three or by no means exceeding four at a time. They 

 should be taken from the aviary or loft and judiciously placed near the fire for a 

 few days. In my experience if birds are kept too long before the fire they seldom 

 recover, for air is more important to their health than heat — but changes are 

 requisite at times. You will find in your experience some birds that may live 

 one or two years with you that are never hardy or vigorous, and will not match 

 up, but moping about and that even from the nest ; unfortunately it happens they 

 have some good properties about them, otherwise we should effectually cure them 

 by cutting off their heads. I consider more birds die of consumption, or wasting 

 away, than any other complaint, and that is a reason why I endeavour to keep my 

 birds fat. There is some Uttle clanger here, but not a tenth part to where the birds 

 waste away and die of a decline ; sometimes it happens that a bird will fall from 

 Its perch on the floor like a stone, and on picking it up will be dead and as fat as 

 butter, no doubt the cause of it was the overflow of blood to the bead, and might 

 be called apoplexy. The vertigo or meagrims arises from the same cause. If I 

 happen to be in my aviary, or loft, and a bird should fall off its resting^ place, or 

 taken in a fit, I plunge it into cold water as quickly as possible, and give it two 

 compound of rhubarb and bitter aloe? pills. There cannot be a doubt but that 

 making a small puncture in the roof of the mouth to let out a little blood might 

 be attended with a good effect, as apoplexy, or vertigo, arises from too great a 

 fulness of blood in the vessels of the head ; if you do not let blood, well drench 

 them with the pills. 



There are many absurd things recommended for the cure of pigjeons too numerous 

 to mention, I will give you one or two— such as spiders wrapped in butter. Where 

 would you find a spider in a genteel house, unless you went into the wine cellars, 

 and there your cobwebs are ornaments, as mirrors or glasses are to your drawing 

 room. If there is any charm it arises from the butter ; then again giving them 

 three or four cloves of garlick. When I got garlick for my pigeons it so happened 



