260 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE. 



MR. MILLER FEEDING A BLUE JAY. 



work has been that of keeping insectiv- 

 orous and many of the seed-eating 

 birds, in good health and spirits while 

 in captivity. This problem is receiving 

 the careful attention of the Society, as 

 is also the housing of birds in all sea- 

 sons of the year in surroundings as 

 nearly like those of their natural en- 

 vironment as can be devised. It is 

 pleasant to discover that, under their 

 system and methods, the mortality 

 among the birds is very small and the 

 general health excellent, in striking 

 contrast with the conditions and results 

 observed in many of the Zoological 

 Collections where less attention must 

 necessarily be given to details of their 

 care. 



Nor is the work confined by any 

 means to the aviaries. The migration, 

 nesting and general habits of our native 

 birds in the vicinity, are under observa- 

 tion and records are made. 



While the collection of native species 

 is by no means complete as yet, it is a 



fairly representative one and is being 

 constantly enlarged. Additions to the 

 bird family are made in three ways : 

 First, by trapping wild birds ; second, 

 by rearing by hand young birds taken 

 from nests found outside ; and third, 

 by the natural increase of those already 

 in the collection. While the rearing of 

 young wild birds by hand entails a 

 great deal of extra work upon the at- 

 tendants, it is more satisfactory than 

 trapping the old ones, as the birds thus 

 raised are always tamer and more 

 tractable. 



Among the special things the Society 

 is now investigating are the following: 



i. The colonization of birds in cer- 

 tain regions where they have been 

 driven out by English sparrows or 

 other causes or have left on account of 

 lack of breeding places. 



2. The life history of a certain para- 

 sitic fly, the larvae of which inhabit 

 birds' nests and feed to a certain extent 

 on young birds. 



3. Hybridism and fertility of hy- 



TWO VERY INTIMATE PETS. 



