272 
Post Mortem Reports. 
Nonpareil <? (Mrs. ILu-tley, Hastings). The breast bone was very 
proiuiiient, iiulioatiiii^ the bird had been ailing for some time. Its lungs 
were the seat of pneumonia. No doubt this was due to the inclement 
weather before the bird got acclimatized. As a rule, the majority of these 
birds die soon after their importation or leaving the bird dealer's hands. 
Pneumonia is not, as a rule, contagious in birdn, but there is no doubt it is 
due to infection derived from within the .system or without -from the sur- 
roundings, coupled by a chill daring the inclement weather. As a rule, in 
other animals, it is of a contagious origin ; or lather it complicates other 
infectious diseases such as influenza and strangles in the horse, distemper in 
the dog or cat, or swine fever in the pig. Cold of itself would not cause it. 
Bird-dealers' establishments are ordinarily reeking with germs of disease ; 
although their stock cages, pens, etc., espccial'y after a coat of white wash, 
may be cleanly to the eye. I think to obviate much of the spread of disease 
bird-dealers should have two sets of metal cages ; one set to be thoroughly 
scalded before any fresh birds are put into it ; and so on. Germs of disease 
are mostly microscopic in size ; but the most deadly are those that are even 
invisible to the most powerful microscope yet devised. Really, cages should 
be rendered asceptic before fresh birds are put into them. Very often the 
period of incubation — the timci of reception of tlie germs into the bird's 
body to the time of the first appearance of illness — may be weeks and even 
months, luiy, it may be indefinite, and in this last case, the germ remains 
dormant or latent until something depresses the system, so that the germ 
gains the mastery and manifests its ravages in the form of symptoms. A 
variety of food, plenty of exercise, fresh air, dryness, and scrujjulous clean- 
liness of the ground surface of the cage or aviary, obviates illness to a 
great extent. Given good hygienic conditions, foreign birds are as hardy 
as the native. If British birds are subjected to the same bad hj'gienic 
conditions as foreign birds generally are, the mortality is just as great. The 
R.S.P.C.A. should take up the question of bird hygiene. 
Blue Roller (Dr. Philip Gosse). This bird's breast bone was very 
prominent, its body emaciated and aniemic. The kidneys had undergone fatty 
degeneration. Aniemia is a very common condition in birds during the 
moulting process ; and in all probability it is of microbic origin. The 
debilitating moulting process, and very likely an improper dietary during 
this process would favour infection of the blood stream. 
Indigo Bunting ? (Mrs. Scott, Surrey). This bird was very fat in- 
deed and the liver had undergone fatty infiltration. The lungs were black, 
due to much carbon — anthracosis. There were no signs of any external in- 
jury. The boby was otherwise in a good condition. No doubt death was 
due to the effect of convulsions. 
Answered b>/ Post. — Wm. Bush. 
HENRY GRAY, M.R.C.V.S. 
