58 Pigeons and Ahh About Theji. 



the bens get nothing but dirtj- water to bathe in. 

 This is most injurious to their health. I never hke 

 to see batlis in an aviary at all hours of the day. The 

 first thing a Pigeon does when it stands on the edge 

 of the bath before taking its plunge is to drink, and 

 if the hens have the dirty water of the cocks left for 

 them, it of necessity' follows that they swallow a 

 quantity of the refuse which has been thrown off the 

 bodies of 'the cocks whilst they were bathing. 



Threefold is the use of the bath during the breed- 

 ing season, and the fancier who allows his birds to 

 indulge freely im its use will never have cause to 

 regret the same. It makes for health, strength and 

 vigour in the old birds, it prevents the incubation and 

 accumulation of undesirable parasites, and it assists 

 in giving the moisture which the nest requires. The 

 baths should never be allowed to remain all day in 

 the aviaries, because if so the cocks will often bathe 

 when they come off the nests lin the afternoon, and 

 this in the early part of the season means that they 

 cannot properly drj' themselves ere the shades of 

 night with their chilling winds are upon them. Late 

 bathing is apt to result in colds and rottp. 



FIRST AID. 



There is just one more point I would like to men- 

 tion in connection with helping backward hatching 

 youngsters. It is this : When a bird is a long time 

 coming out after it has first chipped, some fanciers 

 adopt the s^^stem of giving a little stimulant, a kind 

 of "first aid." The difficulty which is experienced 

 by so many young birds in getting free of their prison 

 house ife doubtless due to lack of vigour, therefore a 

 little stimulant supplies them with "Dutch courage," 

 and they break the bonds which hold them. 



The stimulant used in such cases by the knowing 

 ones is very weak brandy and water, the strength 

 being 'about ten drops of water to three of brandy. 

 Why brandy in preference to any other spirit? 

 Because brandy is the juice of the grape. We know 

 what brandy is, and, therefore, it is safe to use it. 

 The way to administer the brandy and water is to 



