Breeding. 59 



take a qnill toothpick (quill toothpicks are wonder- 

 fully useful things to a Pigeon fancier) , dip the broad 

 end in the brandy and water, taking up about three 

 or four drops of it, then touch the beak of the squab 

 with the tip of the finger; it will generally open it 

 slightly ; as it does so, you can place the end of the 

 toothpick in the slight aperature, and the squab will 

 suck the brandy and water down. 



TREATMENT OF DEIJCVTE SQU.^BS. 



It sometimes happens that when young birds 

 have emerged from the egg successfully, they are 

 somewhat weak, and cannot take the nourishment 

 their parents wish to give them. At other times the 

 squabs are anxious to be fed, but their pare-nts, for 

 some reason or other, are not quite ready with the 

 needful supply of soft food. From whichever of the 

 two causes named ithe ^-oungsters are not being fed 

 it does not much matter ; the fact is there, and unless 

 food is given to them the weakly babies will not be 

 long for this world. In such cases, an egg should be 

 beaten up and the youngsters fed with it. The best 

 way to do this is to u,se a medicine-dTopper, or a tube 

 with which you fill your fountain-pen. Draw a small 

 quantity of the egg up into the glass tube, then open 

 the squab's mouth, insert the point of the tube, and 

 genth? squeeze the bulb. Only a few drops should be 

 given at a time, because a young squab does not want 

 its stomach overloaded the first two or three days O'f 

 its existence in this world. " Little and often " is the 

 golden rule in such cases. It is advisable, when ad- 

 ministering soft food in this manner, to have an as- 

 sistant, as iff is rather difficult to hold the squab, and 

 at the same time effectively- handle the glass tube. 

 If the assistant holds the squab in his hands, it leaves 

 the operator with both hands free, so that with the 

 left hand the beak of the youngster may be easily 

 opened, and its head held so as to prevent its bobbing 

 and nodding about, whilst the right hand manipulates 

 the glass tube containing the beaten egg. A little 

 assistance like this, the first two da}^ of a squab's 

 life, often preserves its existence, and enables it to 

 continue in this world of trouble and care. 



