The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-05-25
WOMAN IS WORLDS
ONLY BIRD SURGEON
THREE ENTIRE FLOORS GIVEN
TO SICK AND PLAYFUL PETS
FROM MANY CHIMES.

NEW YORK.-No beloved old
fashioned country doctor was ever
more unwearied in his devotion to
his patients than is Virginia Pope,
doctor and surgeon of birds to hers.
At all hours of the night lights may
be seen burning brightly in her
house, while Miss Pope defrauds her
self of her rest in order to minister
to the suffering of some one of her
small feathered friends.
Years piled upon years of expe-
rience of the study of both schools Of
medicine of experimentation in the
Carnegie laboratory, have made her
an authority as a bird specialist. She
is said to be the only woman bird
surgeon.
Birds From All Over the World.
The price of distinction and dedi-
cation to a lifework is self-sacrifice.
Miss Pope's work involves the caring
for hundreds of birds whose cages
fill three floors of her house. Here
are congregated representatives of
the different schools of flying from
all over the world. Here are birds
of gorgeous plumage, from the tiny
finches to the magnificent macaw
perched on the back of chair, his
iridescent train nearly reaching the
floor. There are birds that are
boarding of them, therefore
infinitely better off than at home
and birds that belong to the doctor
and consequently are at home; birds
that have Just come off "the road
, following a season of exhibition
work; birds of all descriptions anC
conditions, from the slender built
Gorilla to a common black crow
? mending from a broken leg. Aside
from looking after all these charge:
Miss Pope is constantly con call" fol
| outside cases.
Sick and Wounded Birds.
Birds suffer from colds, sore
threats, pneumonia and especial!
from shock, just as do human beings
Upstairs a green parrot, feathers ruff
fled from badly pulled body, cluns
hazily to his perch-the word "hazi
ly'' being here employed because
you know by the way he lurchet
slightly that his surroundings wert
hazy to his eyes, his grip was inse
cure. He has spinal meningitis ant
the bird doctor was not sure of saw
ing him.
Across the room a small canar,
perched miserably on his crossbar
) blinking at the sudden flare of cleo
trio light. But he made no effort t
f move his position One leg wa
bound up.
1t seemed he had fallen with hi
cage and in doing so his leg ha
> caught and been injured, severln
2 some arteries. His foot was due TO
amputation to prevent gangrene fror
setting in. Hell be relieved whe
that foot comes off," said Miss Pope
Q with scientific certainty.
Coco Likes PIaythings.
1t is amazing the natural aptitud
5 of birds for tricks and the like. Flo
! instance, there is Coco Like al
! birds, he loves playthings. He ha
shovel he drags up and down tn
; floor, worsted ball and china dol
The doll is constant companion
He washes his face carefully wit
bit of newspaper dipped in his owl
bath water and puts it to bed in tn
newspaper covering of his own Gag
every night.
, |. Coco demon. trated the instinct o
the human in a remarkable way on
day, and quite secretly. Miss Pop
discovered in his cage piece o
cheesecloth he had got from some
where. With seeds, each one o
which was so cleverly enmeshed il
the fabric of the cloth that CPL.
scissors could bring it to light, HI
had made a design clear across thu
piece. All of his demonstrations hat
been voluntary.
Bullfinch Is Self-Feeder.
One little bullfinch has a small
gilt car that runs on an inclined
plane, the later attached to his cage
A string is fastened to the car, filled
with seed-really his meal wagon
and dropped inside the cage. He
picks up the string in his beak, pull:
the car and takes his rations.