INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CANARY BIRDS 255 
Pathogenicity. The organism is highly virulent for canary 
birds, mice, guinea pigs and rabbits. 
Symptoms. In the beginning of the disease the bird is not so 
lively as usual and sits on the perches with ruffled feathers. Later 
the head is turned backward between the wings, which latter droop. 
Occasionally the bird hops about briskly and eats. As the disease 
progresses the bird becomes more depressed, appetite ceases en- 
tirely, the droppings become thin, the eyes are kept half closed and 
respiration becomes quickened to 150 per minute. Occasionally the 
bird peeps hoarsely. Movements become uncertain, the bird falls 
down, loses consciousness and dies in a spasm. 
Morbid anatomy. Rigor mortis is pronounced. The legs are 
most often extended from the body. There is more or less marked 
inflammation of the intestines. The spleen always shows hyperemic 
enlargement, twice to five times its normal size. There is 
hyperemia of the liver and kidneys. Smears from heart blood and 
organs, contain great numbers of short, thick rods in pure culture. 
Prophylaxis. The first measure should consist of separating 
the sound from the diseased birds. Further the healthy ones should 
be isolated in separate cages so far as possible. The droppings 
should be removed daily and be burned. Feed and water containers 
should be removed from the cages daily and be disinfected. 
Treatment. Sick birds may be supplied with drinking water 
containing 3 to 5 grams of sulphate of iron per liter. It is best to 
separate them so that there will be one or at the most two to a cage. 
DISEASE OBSERVED BY FREESE 
Freese has described a septicemic disease of canary birds sub- 
stantially as follows: 
Symptoms. The bird at first ruffles the feathers occasionally 
and is not so lively as usual. On the next day it sits quietly on the 
perch, peeps now and then and shows a certain degree of dyspnea. 
There is scmewhat more thirst than usual but the appetite is not 
changed. In addition, there may be slight diarrhea. It is char- 
acteristic that the sick birds at frequent intervals hop around in the 
cage like healthy birds. The symptoms become more marked and 
the birds die in a day or so. Some hours before death they sit with 
ruffled feathers, on the perch or in the corner of the cage. The eyes 
are half closed and the head is turned backwards and held in the 
feathers. At this time there is a great increase in the frequency 
