66 



foreign bird trade would give their opinions and experiences of 

 the percentage of mortality among their imports. 



I started my aviaries some ten 3'ears ago, and v^^as 

 constantly adding to my collection by purchase, but have now 

 for several years quite given up buying from dealers on 

 account of the conflicting statements made to me on this 

 subject. On the one hand I have been told by a dealer that 

 the high price of a certain bird was due solely to the enormous 

 percentage of mortality before it was exposed for sale in 

 England, amounting even to 95 percent. On the other hand 

 another dealer on being asked has pointed to a cage, just 

 received, containing several hundreds, possibl}' thousands, of 

 Waxbills, among which he assured me he only found one dead. 



Having a great aversion from encouraging a trade, however 

 slightly, that might necessitate even half the mortality I have 

 mentioned in the first case, I have, to be on the safe side, 

 refused to buy a single bird from a dealer, and shall continue to 

 do so till I am reassured beyond a doubt that the percentage of 

 mortality is very much lower than at present appears to be the 

 case. I feel sure that any reliable information that may be 

 forthcoming on this subject will be of interest to your 

 readers, and shall heartily welcome any reassurance that the 

 reports of the percentage of bird mortality among imported 

 birds have been grossly exaggerated. I have never submitted 

 my name for membership of the Foreign Bird Club, but as a 

 constant subscriber to, and reader of your most useful little 

 journal " Bird Notes," I trust you will see your way to insert 

 this letter in your next issue. I have never wished to join the 

 Foreign Bird Club as I have a strong objection to keeping birds 

 in cages, and also to all shows of " Live stock," excepting of 

 course such shows as have for their object the improvement of 

 the breeding of live stock for the use (as distinct from the 

 amusement only) of man. 



H. 



[We must remind our correspondent that the Foreign Bird 

 Club is in no way specially identified with the keeping of birds 

 in cages. 



As to the Show question, the suffering inflicted on birds 

 during capture and importation (whether this be much or 

 little), is so incomparably greater than that involved in their 

 exhibition at Shows, that we fail to understand how anyone who 

 condones the former can have scruples about the latter.— Kd.] 



