Budgerigars " h'rcnch Moult." 33 



but my experience is tiial by judicious inbreeding" one can 

 materially improse one's stock, but only rtrong, vigoro. s 

 specimens must be selected as breeding stock. 



Some years ago I saw a crowd of Budgerigars in a 

 roomy aviary, and I must say I never saw a more degenerate 

 looking lot, but no cases of r'rench Moult " were visible, an J 

 their owner assured me that he only had isolated cases of partly 

 feathered birds and such were killed off at once. The birds 

 were of small size, decidedly lacking in colour and vim, and, 

 though well-covered with plumage, they were not tightly 

 feathered, and generally they lacked the gloss of health we an 

 like to see. In the course of a long conversation with their 

 owner T ascertained that he started with two pairs, which lie 

 bought from an aviary: they bred the first year well, and he 

 retained the parent birds and several pairs of their young, 

 allowing them to pair promiscuously, and that for several years 

 he had so continued, with the result aforestated. 



No one would start a strain of poultry or rabbits so! 

 They would go to the headquarters of the breed they wished 

 to go in for and secure pedigree stock for a start, and then by 

 careful selection and /n-breeding aim at improving same. 



Some will say, but you can't secure Budgerigars so for a 

 start, and the cases are not parallel. Be that as it may; I, never- 

 theless, see the analogy — one thing we may be sure of, we shall 

 waste time and money if we simply buy two pairs of birds, and 

 do not even take the trouble to ascertain whether they are related 

 or not, as was the case in the instance I have quoted. Anyhow, 

 if one cannot go to an aviary and see what the stock is like 

 before they purchase, one can procure odd birds here and there, 

 all from different sources, accepting none but large, strong 

 and perfectly feathered birds, and then if the budding breeder 

 uses common sense, and carefully selects his pairs, there can be 

 considerable inbreeding without detriment, nay to the improve- 

 ment of stock; but I repeat in conclusion that only birds which 

 are perfect in every respect, both as to health, colour, and 

 feather, should be allowed to breed. 



The mating of brother and sister, unless their progenv 

 are selected and paired of¥ with unrelated mates, can only lead 

 to degeneracy in all its varied forms, . 



