The Washing of Pigeons. 141 



good Pigeon \\asher needs to be ambi-dextrous. 

 Next hold the bird firmly across the shoulders and 

 work the tail to and fro in the same manner as vou 

 ha\e previously worked the wings about. B\ this 

 time the suds will have thoroughly impregnated tlie 

 whole of the plumage and you may commence to use 

 the sponge The feather ha\ ing become ihoroughlv 

 saturated and softened by the water, there is little 

 likelihood of its being broken by the rubbing. Rub 

 backwards and forwards, upwards and downwards, 

 in fact, in any and every way you like, but don't rub 

 too hard, and not w ith a drv sponge ; let the sponge 

 be full of suds the whole time. It is not the hardness 

 or vigorousness of the rubbing which gets the dirt 

 out so much as it is getting the suds well into every 

 fibre of the feather, so as to thoroughly loosen the 

 dirt. '1 he dirt, it must be remembered, is, after all, 

 on the top of the feather, not inside it. 



Commence bv spreading the right wing over the 

 fingers of your left hand, whilst still grasping the Isird 

 with the thumb and the palm of the hand. It mav be 

 a bit awkward to do this at first, but perse\'ere, and 

 you will succeed ; the knack of doing it will come. 

 Oi\e the wings each a good sponging, then turn the 

 bird o\er on its back and well sponge the under 

 parts of its body, the wings, and the tail. Return- 

 ing the bird once more to the normal manner of grasp- 

 ing it, you shottkl work the sponge well down its 

 back, cushion, and tail. 



DO HEAD AND NECK NEXT. 

 Next turn \our attention to the head and neck. 

 These should always be left till the last, so as to a\oid 

 putting the bird to unnecessary discomfort and in- 

 con\enience. The good fancier is merciful to his 

 beast, and mindful of his own. Great care will be 

 needed in washing the head and neck. The dirt seems 

 to adhere more firmly to the head feathers than it 

 does to any other part of the bird. This, to some 

 extent, is due to the fact that there is always a cer- 

 tain amount of mucus being exuded from the mouth 

 and nostrils, and this mixing with any floating dust 



