February 27. j 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
3-11 
and its breast lias a convulsive movement. These symp¬ 
toms increase so rapidly, that by night, or the next day, 
the animal is in a desperate state. 
2nd. A bird sometimes joins other symptomatic charac¬ 
ters to this one. Its beak remains half open, and a slimy 
humour appears inside, which soon hardens, and has a 
yellowish colour, and announces the existence of an ulcer in 
the throat. 
3rd. Other symptoms may also accumulate before death, 
such as the drooping of the wings, starting of the feathers, 
and seeking out the darkest corners of the dove-cot. 
This disease, when indicated in the two first ways, is not 
always incurable. When a young bird is affected by it in 
the first degree, we may hope to save it, by keeping it to a 
strict diet, as by feeding it with pure barley, and giving it 
) water to drink, with a little alum dissolved in it; and, giving 
it a little salt. As soon as the intenseness of the complaint 
j decreases, we may leave it to itself; in time it will entirely j 
| recover. If the complaint has arrived at the second degree, | 
i we shall apply the treatment described for young pigeons ; 
; and, if the ulcer is formed, it must be treated as we shall 
i describe presently in the article “ ulcer ’’; but, if it presents 
I the symptoms of the third degree, there is no hope of its 
I recovery—at least, unless Nature makes an unaccustomed 
effort. 
It frequently happens that a bird remains the rest of its 
life ill and weak after a bad moulting ; its constitution 
being so weakened, that the disease may reappear every 
year, at the same time, and with the same virulence. This 
bird will uever be good for any thing ; and the amateur who 
does not wish to waste his grain and space, will remove it 
from his dove-cot. 
False Moulting is a moulting that has been hindered in 
its progress by several particular circumstances that one 
cannot entirely foresee. Whenever moulting is not general, 
it is a false moulting, and very serious accidents result from 
it. Generally, the bird affected in this manner remains the 
whole year in a weak state, and at last perishes. It is not 
so dangerous when it only has produced some feathers 
turned the wrong way, but the bird suffers almost as much. 
Sometimes, in a neglected dove-cot, a bird dies from not 
being able to throw off three or four large wing feathers ; 
but the careful amateur soon perceives this accident, and 
applies an easy remedy; he plucks them out, taking care 
not to break them, or tear the flesh that adheres to the 
quills. As to the other inconveniences of the false moult¬ 
ing, they resemble those described in the preceding article, 
and are treated in the same manner. 
Diseased Ovary (Avalnre) is a defect of conformation in 
the ovary or womb, proceeding from an accident that may 
happen at every age, -but particularly when a bird is old. 
We may discern this disease, by a large hard substance that 
may be felt in the abdomen of the female, which has caused 
some merchants to believe that the gizzard or stomach of 
the bird had fallen into the ovary. A female affected with 
this disease is incurable; she will remain barren all her 
life ; but she may still live some time. If we cannot cure 
this disease, we may at least prevent it, in more cases than 
\ one ; for we know that it is generally the result of too much 
i ardour in the male. If he hastens her too much in laying— 
i if he persecutes her—it is almost certain that he will give 
| her this complaint; therefore, as soon as we perceive this 
j we must immediately take him away, and, bring to her a 
| less amorous mate. 
(To be continued.) 
— 
DESCRIPTIONS OF PIGEONS. 
SEVENTH RACE. 
(Continued from page 279.) 
Speckled Pigeon (Columba maculata). — ■ Buffon, and 
other naturalists who have contented themselves with 
meanly copying him — even M. Vieillot himself — have 
ranked these pigeons with the Pouters, although they differ 
from them essentially in their figure, which is smaller; 
their throat, which is not nearly so much swelled; then 1 
legs, much shorter ; and their wing coverts singularly 
remarkable for the handsome spots with which they are 
covered. The last author we have just quoted, thinks they 
have been produced by crossing the Pouter with the Mixed 
Pigeon. These birds are very productive ; they often have 
young ones and eggs at the same time. They fly well, and 
travel some distance in search of food; they are not nearl}’ 
so delicate as the Pouters, nor are they subject to the same 
complaint of the crop. 
43. Blue Speckled, on Jacinth Pigeon (Columba macu¬ 
lata ceerulcata). —The head and tail, slate colour ; end of the 
tail, darker coloured; the large quill feathers of the wing, 
white; the cloak, or covert of the wing, white, spotted with 
light blue, with a blue and a black stripe placed at the 
extremity; all the feathers that are streaked with blue have 
the under side blue, and the outside has a large white space 
edged with a blackish embroidery; no embroidery round 
the eyes ; and feet naked. 
44. Entirely Blue Speckled Pigeon (Columba maculata 
ceerulcata plena). —A little smaller than the preceding; and 
differs from it in the large quill feathers of the wing, which 
are entirely blue. 
45. Flame-speckled Pigeon (Columba maculata ignes- 
ecus). —A blue, red, and black stripe across all the ^feathers : 
the black stripe placed at the extremity; it differs essen¬ 
tially from the Jacinth, having a sort of reel-coloured spot 
insteael of white. 
40. Entire Flame-speckled Pigeon (Columba maculata 
ignesccns plena ) —The only difference between this and the 
preceding, is in the large quill feathers of the wing, which 
I are black, reflecting a kind of reddish brown, 
i 47. Tawny-speckled Pigeon (Columba masculata fulva). 
—Resembling the No. 45, but with speckles approaching to 
! to a fawn colour. It is a mongrel, proceeding from Nos. 40 
and 45, but forming a constant variety. 
48. Light Blue-speckled Pigeon (Columba maculata 
\ rubiginosa). — Spotted like the preceding, but resembling 
’ Nos. 43 and 47, of which it is a mongrel, and forming a 
constant variety. Speckled light blue; and large quill 
i feathers of the wing white. This last character, according 
• to some authors, makes it a pigeon of a pure race, which 
sufficiently proves the carelessness of their observations. 
I 49. Entirely Light Blue-speckled Pigeon (Columba 
maculata rubiginosa plena ).—This only differs from the pre¬ 
ceding in the large quill feathers of the wing being of a 
bluish black. These bh-ds, and the Swiss l'igeons, present 
us with the most brilliant and rare colours. 
(To be continued.) 
HINTS TO COTTAGERS. 
The chief object of my present paper, will bo to try and 
lay before my humble readers the pleasure of having a 
comfortable, clean cottage, and a well conducted family : 
and I also hope to give a few plain, useful hints, towards 
obtaining these ends. There are a few cottages, in every 
parish (would that there wero many morel), which might 
i 
