PIGEONS AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 83 



we do not fill liiiii up with mBdicinu for consumption. As I 

 liiive liinted I am not much of a believer in medicine fur 

 pigeons. Tlis great point is to keep the loft clean, and the 

 birds hungry, and the bugbear of "Sickness in the Loft" 

 will lie unknown. 



OTHER MINOR TROUBLES. 



Tliere arc uuiuy little mishajis that occur in the loft that 

 are hardly worthy of being given a heading. If for instance 

 a bird is crop-bound, give castor oil, to affect the lower 

 bowels, and then gently knead the crop till the food is in 

 better condition to assimilate. 



If the fancier will carefully examine the droppings of any 

 all'ected bird, he will liud that a disordered liver is the basis 

 of nine-tenths of all pigeon troubles. Shutting off feed is one 

 of the best general remedies known, and it is a very good 

 idea to practice this in conjunction with the giving of med- 

 icine. 



Sometimes a fancier will imagine that his squabs are sick, 

 when the fact is they are nearly eaten up by lice every night. 

 They drain every particle of vitality, and, from the fact that 

 they come out only at night, and cannot be seen by day, 

 the fancier imagines that his birds are wasting away, and 

 jiroceeds to dose them with medicine. 



There is quite a lot of pigeon talk about diptheria. and I 

 have read long treatises full of scientific terms regarding it, 

 but caie nothing for them. It is claimed that the little while 

 swellings on the side of the neck can be cut open, tlie con- 

 tents taken out etc. In my opinion, when a youngster 

 starts in life with his neck in such a condition, when you be- 

 gin cutting his neck, you may as well keep on, and cut oil 

 his head. I do not wish to be considered cruel, but it is a 

 mercy to them, and a mercy to the offspring that may come 

 in after years. I would rather have ten good sound birds, 



