42 THE PRACTICAL PIGEON KF.EPKR. 



wliich its beak must be inserted. It will feel for the food 

 greedily enough, and the process is easy if it be remembered 

 that the mandibles must be taken sideways between the lips, so 

 as to open between them ; the tip of the owner's tongue then 

 pushes the masticated food between the open mandibles. We 

 see nothing more objectionable in this than in a young lady 

 feeding a canary ; and by this method a young pigeon can be 

 " filled up " almost instantly. Those who are so fastidious as 

 to dislike such a proceeding can !get a small glass syringe with 

 a large aperture ; mash the biscuit up with hot milk, and feed 

 by inserting the point of the sjringe into the throat. This is 

 equally effectual, but more tedious ; and should a lot of birds be 

 found starving from such an accident as is hinted at above, 

 time lost may mean several deaths. It is well to examine 

 all the young ones every night, to see if the crops are empty 

 or full ; if empty, they should be filled up in one of the ways 

 described. 



The same failure to feed may occur at a later stage, when the 

 pap has gone off, and the old birds should be feeding with peas 

 or grain only just softened in their crops. In this case, peas 

 must be soaked all night in cold water, to swell and soften 

 them. Before feeding, pour sufficient hot water on them to 

 make them lukewarm, . and opening the mandibles of the 

 squeaker between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, 

 with the second or third finger behind the neck, pass soaked 

 peas down the throat with the right hand till the crop is very 

 loosely filled. The young ones will, after a few meals, eagerly 

 welcome their feeder, and it will, in fact, be almost impossible 

 to drive them away till satisfied. They should always be put 

 back in their own nest-pan till strong enough to leave it of their 

 own accord. Feeders may be dispensed with, and pigeons brought 

 entirely up in this way as soon as their natural food fails, if the 

 old birds sit on them. "When thus reared they often become so 

 tame as to be actually troublesome. And it wUl be seen that 



