DR. SNIPE, SURGEON.

Manawatu Herald, Volume VII, Issue 262, 26 April 1889, Page 2

DR. SNIPE, SURGEON.

Some most interesting observe, tions made by M; Fatio on the surgical treatment of wounds by birds were recently brought before the Physical Society of Geneva. In ' these if was stated that the snipe had uften been observed in repairing damages. With its beak and feathers it makes a very creditable droning, and even has been knows to Mtttrt Rteokta Umb by aituu «f

a stout ligature. On one occasion M. Eatio killed a snips which had on *he <chest a large dressing composed •of down from other parts of the body, and securely fixed to the body by coagulated Wood . Twice he had had. ' ' snipe with interwoven feathers * strapped on to the site of a fracture of one or other limb. The most interesting example was that of a «nipe both of whose legs he had unfortunately broken by a misdirected shot. He only recovered it on the following day, when he found that the poor creature had contrived to apply dressings and a sort of sp int to both limbs. In carrying out this opera ion some feathers had become entangled around the beak, and not being able to use its claws to get rid kof them it was almost dead from hunger when found. In a case recorded by M. Magnin, a snipe which was observed to fly away with a broken leg was subsequently found to have forced the fragments into a paralled position (the upper fragment reaching to the leg joint), and they were secured there by means of a strong band of feathers and moss intermingled. The observers were particularly struck by the application of a ligature of a kind of flat>Jeaf ed grass, wound round the limb in a spiral form, and fixed by means of a glue-like substance.