26 



medicine twice a day ; 3rd, raw scraped carrot liberally mixed with 

 rape seed as staple food ; 4th, fresh green food ; 5th, boiled milk 

 instead of drinking water. One day of this treatment should effect 

 a cure. 



For Catarrh, evidenced by sneezing or coughing, running at the 

 nostrils, violent jerking of the head to eject moisture, the treatment 

 is : — Warmth ; inhalation of coal-tar steam by holding the patient 

 well over the steaming vessel ; painting of palate and throat (inside) 

 "with olive oil, or, if handy, chlorate of potassium (1 : 100) ; cleansing 

 of beak and nostrils with a feather dipped in salt water. 



Catarrh of windpipe, producing hoarseness and ultimate loss of 

 voice, is combated by sweetening the drinking water with sugar, 

 honey, candy, or liquorice. In chronic, or severe cases, replace the 

 drinking water by dill water : 95 parts honey : 3 parts ammonia : 

 2 parts.* 



During the pairing months some males suffer grievously from the 

 lack of opportunity of satisfying their natural instincts. The harm 

 of enforced celibacy may be minimised by exceedingly low diet and 

 daily cold shower baths. Under no circumstances should such birds 

 foe allowed to hear the call of a hen ; any other male bird kept in the 

 same room they must not be allowed to see, although they may hear 

 each other's song without hindrance. 



These are the usual tractable diseases to which Canaries are 

 subject, and by applying the remedies as soon as the nature of the 

 ■complaint has been ascertained, many valuable birds may be saved 

 without having recourse to an expensive Pharmacopoeia. Unfortu- 

 nately the various ailments above mentioned do not by any means 

 represent all the diseases our little pets are subject to ; some com- 

 plaints are difficult to diagnose, others are incurable. Nature will 

 have her due, and there is only a very small proportion of cage birds 

 that reach the patriarchal age of ten, twelve, or more years. 



Some will puff out their feathers and mope for days or weeks 

 without getting better or worse ; some will spend all their time in the 

 *eed trough eating incessantly, and apparently searching among the 



* See Publisher's advertisement re Asthmarine. 



