The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-17
A BIRD DOCTORS YARN.
Delicate Treatment Required for
Gagged Birds.


From the New York Evening Post.
Inquiries regarding the care and treat
ment of Gagged birds always come to every
bird specialist who visits this city, in
numbers that show how great is the de-
mand for really good bird doctors" John
w. Smith, the director of the Central
Park menagerie, pointed out in an inter-
view in the Evening Post year ago that
a profitable as we'll as interesting bust
ness was waiting for any one with the
proper qualifications Since then there
has been established a bird boarding
house on the upper West Side, where
more than $50 canaries were cared for last
summer.
Miss Virginia Pope, who annually visits
most of the large cities of the country
as a specialists on song birds, has for
years made it a practice to give advice
in person and without charge to the own
ers of birds that are ailing in any way.
Sometimes this is by no means a slight
task. great part of the sickness among
birds is due solely to ignorance or neg
lect of the proper precautions in caring
for delicate creature, and a few words
at the right time may be all that is need
ed to secure the bird a long and healthy
life.
At this season of the year, Miss Pope
says, the commonest mistake made by
the owners of birds is in hanging their
cages out of doors when it is still too
cold. Just because the sun is shining
and the world outside looks cheerful, peo-
pie are apt to think that the bird would
enjoy an airing Even in summer there
is much danger of a bird catching cold,
especially If las often happens) the owner
forgets to bring in the cage at night.
A month or so ago, when Miss Pope
was in one of the small cities of New
England, an old Irishwoman named Mrs.
O Shannessy came to ask advice concern,
ing the welfare Of her parrot 'Patsey."
Hes twilve year DID," she said, IAN l
fear tn divi is goin to die on me. He
sits loike a stump on log. He won't
ate an he won't drink, nor blissid word
kin l git out av him."
Parrots are peculiarly sensitive to scold-
ing, and Miss Pope surmised that the
trouble might be traced to Mrs. OShan-
nessy's sharp tongue. After some ques-
tioning, the truth came out thus:
"Oi've a naybur, Mrs. Gilhooly, ans
she's borrowin' from mornin till night for
tn last six monts. Shes had livery thlne
cook-stove; ans she comes in an cooks
in the place but Patsy, mesilf, an the
cook-stove; ans she comes in an cooks
on that. l spose that is whin she has
nothin' to make a foire wild in her own.
Wen, dye know, Miss Pope, OF tho't ORD
tach me parrot some things to be sayin'
to Mrs. Gihooly to break her av tn Dor
roUin' business. Patsy's always been
pleasant before. For six months hov On
bin workin' trainn' Patsy. Tn devil was
smart, an cud learn all av tn purity
things ] cud tache him, but devil word
would he say whiu Mrs Gilhooly was
there. Now he's dyin' to spite me-"
'Coaxing and good treatment are the
only means of making an impression on an
obstinate parrot, so "blarney' and soft
mash were prescribed to Patsy.
About a fortnight later Miss Pope re-
visited the little town for the express
purpose OF getting a report on 'Patsy's"
condition. In response to Mrs. O'Shannes-
sys blarney, 1t appeared, the parrot mad
thawed and become very friendly. He
had not been stupid. only stubborn and
contrary.
The sentiments about Mrs. Gilhooly that
his mistress had tried TO teach him were
all stored away in his brain. He turned
them all loose and fairly made the air
blue.
If We cud only have heard tn darlin'l
Shure, there was no stoppin hlm-Ol
cudn't have done so well NEST. An Mrs.
Guhooly! II We cud av seen her! Ye'd
av thought a Western cyclone had struck
her lie didn't lave whole rag on Mrs.
Gllhooly He chased her to the door an
his talk wint afther her IN tn sthreet
an followed her IN her drames. Glory be.
sheH nivor show her poie-face insode Of
me door agin. An Patsy is that Pleased
Wild himself he's primpin himself before
a. glass from mornln tiil night an calm
10 me TO give him some barney. Tn nay
bors 'ay christened, BIN Patsy Nation, an
aant TO pay rint ~ bin. so he can break
thelr nayb0rs OF borrowin'."
Since the department. stores nrst began
10 cell cnnaries the demand han enoT-
mously Increased. The importation OF
birds begins boz AnEuHt. and iist year me
supply w4f practically exhausted n ih,
after pari az June. The importation for
this year 81 is expected, vii be- about
il6 mo. Nhieh b. zt.gQ more than in sny
t.rsuIoua Year