Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-09-16

birds as they sat IN the trees that cluster
ed about her home. She is tall woman,
with silvery hair, dark eyes and typical
Southern face.
"Come right in," she said, as the par
rot and the reporter stood gazing at each
other through the half open window.
''Take off yer r-r-r hat" interrupted
the gaeen brute, running his nose through
slat in his cage.
'Keep quiet, Sam Jones, or I'll whip
you hard" scolded the good lady, com
ing to the rescue of her visitor. sYou
mustn't mind what Sammy says" she
continued, ''he's getting old and cross,
and ="
''Haw-haw- "Trip, "Trip, "Trip;
oh, cheese it, cheese it, cheese it; howdy;
aw-w-wa-whOr! O-o-o-o; polly wants a
! ker-r-r-acker!"
These CALCULATIONS hit the reporter
like a string of Frankfurt sausages, and
seemed to tickle Sam Jones immensely.
They came from a gray female parrot
with one eye and wings slashed with red.
She sat in brass cage near the ceiling,
and when she had finished her TRADE she
wiped the venom off her tongue on her
| perch, and feigned sleep.
sold, too, [ suppose" remarked the
visitor in q soft voice.
$50 soak yer-r-r-r head" rOared the
one-eyed poll.
"What was that you said, deary?" ask
! ed Mrs. Mair.
"He told me to soak my head" replied
the visitor, stepping out into the middle
of the floor.
''Oh, you naughty birdy. Well go into
another room where you can't disturb US,
and when supper time comes I'll attend
to your case"
Mrs. MAR then led the way into anoth-
er room amid a chorus of ''tr-ta's" and
''so-lOng's" from the rowdies. When the
lady had taken a seat she leaned her head
on the back of the chair and said:
eyes, it is strange business, but it is
one in which 1 take a deep interest. Since
[ started my hospital, six years ago,
| have discovered that birds are liable to
attack from fifty different diseases. Many
of these maladies are miserable in their
nature. A great many of the birds that
are brought here for treatment are suffer
ing from bad keeping eating stale
or sour food, or from being kept in I'M
clean cages. In their wild state birds do
not remain long enough in one place to
contract any disease that has its origin
in filth. For this reason it would seem
that lovers of birds would see to it that
the cages of their pets are kept clean and
sweet. Like human beings, birds will
not thrive in an impure atmosphere. In
addition to a clean cage, they must have
light-not artificial light, for that blinds
| them-but sunshine"
''From what diseases do birds suffer-
GAS l have said before, they are liable
to attack from fifty diseases. Canaries
are subject to asthma and pneumonia.
When over-fed or too fat, they often die
of apOplexy, When this fatal disease
fastens itself upon them they topple off
their perches and are dead before they
strike the bottom of the cage. When
severely frightened birds go into convul
sions like little children Paroxysm fol-
lows paroxysm in quick succession, and
unless the unfortunate bird receives i'm
mediate and skillful attention there is
little hope of reviving its life. Treat
ment of such cases is similar to that ad-
ministered to children in similar pre-
dicament. Warm water is applied to the
body and cold water to the head. This
is done to keep the blood in circulation
and prevent it rushing to the brain. Sc
we're colds or gripings will throw birds
into commissions almost as quick as fright
and would prove fatal in other than pro-
fessiOnal hands"
''What success do you have with mock
ing birds?''
Knocking birds are of the soft bill spe-
cies. just why they are classified as soft
bills can not say, for their bills are as
hard as those of any of our birds. I sup
pose, though, it is because they do not
eat seed.''
"Don't eat seed?"
''Why, bless you, no. If you were to
give a knocking bird seed and water it
would die in five days. The hooking
bird must have meat, worms and fruit.
Prepared food is very good, too"
''Do mocking birds have any peculiari-
ties?.
"Lots of 'em. One of their eccentrici-
ties is to throw their heads back until
they nearly touch their wings. This is
vicious habit, for in practicing it the
bird often loses its balance and falls
backward upon the floor of its cage,
thereby injuring its plumage. The
hooking bird is as playful as Il kitten
that is when you have large number of
them. They like to play ball and run
races and do any number of cute things.
They are observing, too, and possess a
remarkably retentive memory. L he
mocking bird has reached the summit
of its ambition when it can initiate the
barnyard fowl. The minute it can crow
like rooster it has lots of fun at the ex-
! pense of the shanghai. The hooking
bird lives to a good old, ripe age.
know of one that is thirty years old, and
! it still whistles beautifully"
"How do birds hurt themselves?
'By getting their feet entangled in the
wires of their cages and then struggling
to free themselves. Many people do not
attend to the nails of their pets. They
allow them to grow until they are men
ace to the dear little things. They get
caught in the perches, in the food dishes,
and in the wires of the cage. They fut-
ter about until they get mad, and then
give one last, despairing jerk that almost
invariably breaks one of the slender legs
-theDpoor things. Half of the broken
| legs of imprisoned birds are caused in
this way. There are but few other ways
in which the pets suffer injury unless