78 BIRDS 



bird's general condition, will cause temporary relief. Four 

 or five drops of tincture of gentiaTi in the drinking water 

 make an excellent tonic for such purposes. 



Roup is a disease \to which almost all birds are subject. 

 It certainly is not common in cage birds, but game birds, 

 doves and pigeons, hawks and owls are especially subject 

 to it. The symptoms are the running of mucus from eyes 

 and nostrils, frequently accompanied by swollen face and 

 offensive odor. It is highly infectious, and unless affected 

 specimens are especially valuable it is far better to destroy 

 them at once and disinfect thoroughly. If an attempt is 

 made to cure the bird, it should be removed to warm quar- 

 ters and given the best of food. Eyes, nostrils and throat 

 should be cleared frequently with creolin, potassium per- 

 manganate, or lysol. If the face is swollen, the tip of a 

 soft rubber ear syringe, filled with a weak solution of zinc 

 sulphate or potassium permanganate, may be introduced 

 into the cleft in the roof of the mouth or palate. If the 

 syringe is directed forward, on alternate sides, and gently 

 squeezed, the mucus obstructing the passages of eyes and 

 nostrils may be forced out. Pills of quinine and capsicum 

 are of excellent service in such cases. Many proprietary 

 products, claimed to be very efficient, are in the market. 



Parrots are subject to colds, which affect the voice and 

 sometimes cause discharge from eyes and nostrils. An ex- 

 cellent remedy is to cover the cage carefully with a cloth 

 and then introduce at the bottom a hot iron plate or coal 

 shovel, on which two or three drops of carbolic acid have 

 been placed. The bird should be allowed to inhale the fumes 

 for three minutes, when the cloth may be removed. Two 

 or three repetitions of this treatment will be found to have 

 a most salutary effect. 



Tuberculosis is the bane of the pheasants and doves, and 

 sometimes occurs in parrots and other groups. It has yet 



