The Starling. 



195 



suddenly, that they drop from the perch as if shot, and if 

 not at once attended to, beat furiously at the bottom of the 

 cage, and sometimes kill themselves in their agony by their 

 own violence. {Vide Chapter on "Diseases,") A spider or 

 two, and a few mealworms, should be given to a patient as 

 soon as it has so far recovered from a fit as to be able to 

 eat ; but it will probably remain in a languid, semi-torpid 

 state, for some time after a severe attack. Continue to give 

 this food, at short intervals, for some weeks afterwards, and 

 then try other changes of diet. 



When a bird is seized with the cramp, it should be im- 

 mediately removed from the cage, and its legs immersed in 

 a tolerably hot bath, to which half a teaspoonful of laudanum 

 has been added ; a breakfast cup is the best vessel to use. 

 Keep the body of the bird out of the water. The legs should 

 be kept in the bath for ten or twelve minutes ; then take 

 them out, dry, and afterwards -rub gently with goose or capon 

 grease ; in the absence of these, use olive oil. 



