and Aviaries 191 



attention in details that is necessary for their health 

 and happiness. 



The state of the interior should be looked to by 

 the outward signs thereof, deposited on the sand ; if 

 there is much diarrhoea, three or four drops of castor 

 oil are beneficial so as to thoroughly purge out any 

 poison in the system. 



The bird must be taken in the left hand, and the 

 bill opened with the fingers — handling birds is again 

 only learnt by experience — whilst the oil on a clean 

 quill pen is carefully dropped down the throat. This, 

 if neatly done, will in no way smear the feathers round 

 the beak. 



Then the bird must be kept warm, and perhaps 

 given some bread soaked in hot milk. 



Constipation can be treated in the same way. It 

 is most important that food should be perfectly fresh ; 

 yet many people feed their birds, especially those that 

 eat " soft " food, as if they fed themselves in this 

 manner. 



Supposing your dinner was served up on one dirty 

 plate, with fragments still on it of the previous day's 

 meal, some of which is no longer exactly sweet, such 

 as fish may be in hot weather ; and supposing you 

 partake of the present meal, with all that refuse mixed 

 in ! Is it not likely that you may before long have a 

 decided pain in what is politely called your " tummy " ? 



Or if at five o'clock tea the milk and cream jugs 

 were not washed out, and the fresh milk and cream 

 had simply been poured into that of the previous day's 

 supply ! 



