The Illustrated Booh of Pigeons. 
382 
crop empty, and nearly dead, at about four days old. We at once took a biscuit, and chewing it 
till of the right consistency, fed it from the mouth ; and since then we have reared birds from the 
very shell in the same way. The biscuits known as plain “ milk ” biscuits are best, and may 
either be given in this manner, or by a glass syringe with a large orifice ; and numerous trials 
enable us to state that young birds will thrive as well fed in this way as if taken every care of 
by the parents. The great advantage of the plan is, that by taking a biscuit or two in the pocket 
into the loft, any young bird found empty may be filled up without a moment’s delay, and valuable 
young ones in this way saved. When there are many young ones likely to want such assistance, 
the best plan is to grind the biscuits into a smooth pap with boiled milk, by a stiff spoon, fill a 
rather large glass syringe, and stand it, except while using at the moment, in a jug of warm water, 
as it injures the birds to give food cold. A three-ounce syringe will feed half a dozen young birds 
without refilling. It must always be cleansed after use, of course.— Ed.] 
VERTIGO. — This disease is by no means uncommon. It is sometimes slight, though very 
evident ; but in other cases the bird no sooner lowers its head to feed or drink, than it will stagger 
back, or round and round, perfectly helpless. It evidently arises from either some pressure upon the 
brain, which we are inclined to think the usual cause ; or, in some cases, it may be of a purely 
nervous character. Generally speaking cure is hopeless if the bird be an old one ; but when young 
and vigorous we have known recovery follow bleeding at the back of the roof of the mouth, or from 
making an incision, through the skin only, across the entire back of the head. In these cases the 
sudden relief to the brain is evidently the cause of cure. We once, however, had a very valuable 
bird thus affected, which getting in our way (as they are very apt to do), received a severe kick , so 
severe as to be left for dead ; but next day, to our great astonishment, it was not only alive, but 
quite recovered. Here the cure may have been from the sudden nervous shock, or it is possible 
the sudden kick may have given relief by rupturing some small tumour which caused the disease. 
In other cases, with young birds, we have known cure follow keeping very quiet, in a small pen, for 
some days, on low diet. 
[We once knew chloroform given to a fowl, preparatory to making an incision as just described. 
A sudden call hindered the operation ; but the bird on recovering from the chloroform was perfectly 
well. This experiment may be worth repeating, but care must be taken not to overdo the chloro- 
form, or death will follow. It is given by dropping some on a handkerchief, and holding near 
the bird’s nostrils till insensibility follows. — E d.] 
Wing-Disease. — The treatment we have usually found most successful in this case we have 
given in the chapter on Carriers, at page 91. The slinging of the wing properly is, however, so 
important (as unless this is done the bird will droop or hang its wing when cured) that we show, in 
Figs. 70 and 71, how to do it in the easiest manner. Two pieces of soft twine or thin tape are first 
so tied as to form the loop C 1) (Fig. 70), with a free end at each knot— if each string be knotted 
round the other neither knot can slip. The loop is then slipped over the shoulder of the wing, from 
A to B (Fig. 71), with the knots at C D, the size of the loop, of course, requiring careful adjustment. 
The loose ends are then brought up and tied at E, except that, whereas we have represented the 
knot outside the wing, it is better to tie it between the wing and the body, which will prevent the 
bird undoing it, a feat some pigeons are quite capable of performing when the knot is tied outside. 
The sling must be fastened sufficiently tight to hold the long flights somewhat above the proper 
position. 
Wing-disease, however, seems to vary much in its character ; and while we believe the leech to be 
