88 



British Cage Birds. 



vigilance and care are necessary, and, when it is discovered 

 that a bird has this predilection, he should be removed to 

 a separate cage, and only introduced at intervals of two or 

 three hours during the daytime. Sometimes a device is 

 resorted to by using a nest with a temporary inner lining, 

 and a hole cut in the bottom of it for the egg to fall 

 through. A piece of stout saddler's lining felt will be found 

 suitable for this purpose. 



Diseases and their Treatment. — After a Goldfinch has 

 become thoroughly accustomed to the change from its wild 

 state to a life of domestication it rarely ails anything, if 

 properly looked after and its food and water are good ; 

 excepting during the period of moulting, or in the spring, 

 when it may become love-sick. The best cure for the last- 

 mentioned complaint is a mate, which may be one of its 

 own kind, or a Canary, Linnet or Bullfinch, or other bird of 

 the Finch tribe, as it readily pairs with birds of a kindred 

 species. It is subject to epilepsy, or, what the bird- 

 dealers usually term "fits." The kind of epilepsy from 

 which birds suffer is known in surgery as cerebral 

 epilepsy (there are three kinds of this disease), or a species 

 of vertigo. When the paroxysm comes on, the bird falls off 

 its perch, and struggles until it frequently gets over on to 

 its back, when it is unable again to regain its legs, as long 

 as the fit lasts. It works its legs, wings, and body in a 

 convulsed manner, for a length of time, varying according to 

 the severity of the attack. If no attention be paid to the 

 bird, death may possibly ensue ; and, in any case, it will be 

 a long time before it recovers, and will be weak and ex- 

 hausted for a considerable time afterwards. 



The disease is caused in some cases by internal para- 

 sites ; in others by over-feeding with stimulating food, 

 such as hemp and poppy seed ; or by sudden fright, 

 though in a few cases it is undoubtedly hereditary or con- 

 stitutional. A bird seized with a fit of this description 

 should at once be removed from the cage and placed near 

 the fire, folded in a piece of flannel. When it has quite 

 recovered, a warm bath for fifteen minutes will be of great 

 service ; after the bath, it should be dried, and again placed 

 in the flannel, and kept as before stated. Then a purgative 

 of some kind should be administered, such as a couple of 



