•234 
The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
the fluid by the aid of a throat brush, which can be obtained at any chemist's at a trifling cost. Where there 
are a number of birds to be treated, a few drops of eucalyptus oil added to the drinking water not only assist 
to kill the disease, but prevent infection, but the birds must be prevented from obtaining water other than 
that to which the oil has been added. In all cases of roup (and I do not think it is generally known) there 
is always a certain amount of fever present, and I have found that a pill made with bran and pollard (about 
the size of a marble), with sulphate of quinine and a few drops of Parrish's Chemical Food — sufficient to 
mix — that it keeps the fever down and creates an appetite, thus keeping the bird from wasting away. These 
pills should be given regularly each night, but if the bird shows signs of debility, give the pills twice a day, 
morning and night; also add a teaspoonful of Parrish's Food to the drinking water until improvement takes 
place, when the treatment may be gradually decreased, and finally left off altogether. Keep the bird in as 
warm and dry a pen as possible, and quite free from draught. I have also used this same treatment in cases 
where a bird is commonly called 'going light,' and been very successful in pulling them through. I attribute 
this latter ailment to bad food, or food left in the pen until it becomes sour, and the bird having eaten it in 
this state often gives the disease a start. In addition to the treatment the birds should be allowed a good 
grass run if practicable, limiting the grain food given, substituting good wholesome soft food and a little 
finely-chopped meat. Often tliis complaint arises from over-showing, so that birds often exhibited should be 
limited to a soft food diet for a few days following when placed back in the run, in order that the bird will be 
able to obtain the necessary grit, and the gizzard get into proper working order again. 
" \\'ith the Modern Fowl, Fanciers well know the difficulty of keeping a stylish chicken on his 
feet, the breed suffering a good deal from leg weakness. Most of those who breed them think a cure can be 
effected by giving the bird a big grass run. This is a mistake. The bird requires his legs to have a rest, not 
to run him off them. A small pen with a dry, sandy bottom, with plenty of grit and ground oyster-shells, will 
work wonders ; and to the drinking water should be added a teaspoonful of Parrish's Food one day, and clear 
lime water the next. The bird will do far better than if allowed a big grass run, providing that he has not 
been allowed to get too bad. 
" I do not think that this breed in Australia suffer from the variety of diseases they are subject to in 
Great Britain, and once the Fancier can cope successfully with roup there will be little fear of failure from any 
other ailment, and having given the treatment I pursue with success will no doubt be of some value to 
brother Fanciers. There is another complaint which chickens are often subject to, called by Fanciers in 
error chicken po.x. This is not a disease, the cause being mosquito bites pure and simple. My birds were 
attacked year after year, and suffered considerably. I was led to believe that it was a disease, but finding 
various adult imported birds affected in the same manner set me thinking, which caused me to hit upon 
the expedient of preventing these troublesome insects from congregating in the pens. I procured raw 
carbolic acid, the common black ingredient used for disinfecting purposes, and as the chickens grow up I 
give their houses a thorough spraying once a week with the acid, and while operating find that the mosquitoes 
clear off for the fresh air, and now I am not troubled in the slightest degree with chicken pox or warts. If 
any of the birds are attacked, I find a salve made of vaseline and eucalyptus oil rubbed on the afTected 
parts will quickly effect a cure, and prevent further attacks of these "troublesome pests. 
" In giving a description of the various colours I will start with the Black-Red, so named from these 
colours forming the combination. The colour of the modern type of bird should be — in the cock, eyes orange 
red, smooth red face, legs willow, head and neck hackle orange red, without showing any light shading or 
black streaks ; back, wing-bows, and shoulder-coverts rich crimson, the wing-bows clearly cut, without running 
into the black ; the saddle hackles rich crimson, slightly shading off towards the tail, not mottled, as too often 
seen ; the breast black, showing a steely-blue sheen from throat to thighs ; tail, rich black, with brilliant 
sheen ; wing-bars, steel-blue ; wing secondaries, a rich chestnut. The English writers, notably those in 
Wright's ' Book of Poultry,' give three colours of the Black Red cocks ; but, as all Fanciers desire 
to wm, it is well to take this as the colour for the Show pen, and breed birds to this standard of marking, 
