E.vliihitiiig Foreign Hinls. 265 



Exhibiting Foreign Birds. 



TORQUAY FUR AND FEATHER SHOW. 

 :^th and 6th Decemljer. lyjj. 

 By Capt. Ci. E. Rattigan. T'.Z.S. 

 l'\)REiGX Bird Section. Judge — Mr. C", House, 

 1 am sendinj^- a few notes on the Foreis^n Bird Section 

 <i the above show in the hope that it may be of interest to some 

 o! the readers of " B.X.." more especially to former 

 o.hibitors. It is to be hoped that the interest of former years 

 in forei.iiii bird exhibiting- may once again be aroused, and that 

 ill the near fnture our shows will even eclipse the wonderful 

 displays of forei.^n s])ecies seen in ])re-war days. It is noi^ 

 everyone, unhajjpily, who can afford to purchase the wonderful 

 and rare species which from time to time tind their way over to 

 this country. To the vast majority then, a bird show affords the 

 only possible chance of seeing' such glories of nature in the 

 flesh. A really good display of foreign birds is an education 

 i.i itself, and a source of the keenest delight to masses of the 

 general public. ^loreover, it gives birth to a desire in many 

 •I visitor to such a show to himself or herself possess some of 

 the fairy-like creatures exhibited. A real and wide interest in 

 I'oreign Bird Keeping is thus awakened which, in turn, means 

 many more jjotential members for the '' F.B.C." an end towards 

 which it is obviously both the duty and to the interest of us all 

 to strive. The main objection to sending foreign birds to 

 shows is the, unhappily, very real danger invoh'ed of losing 

 them through the carelessness, or lack of knowledge as to the 

 proper treatment needed by their charges, of the stewards con- 

 cerned. I have myself suffered severely in the past, so am well 

 aware of the risk one runs under such conditions, a risk I 

 should certainly not care to incur again. But. granted good 

 and efficient stev\'ards who are genuinely devoted to the interests 

 C't their charges, and all risk is practically eliminated, for I 

 have never found that birds suffer to any extent on a rail 

 jcurney, however long, providing, of course, that they have 

 been properly packed for travelling, and water dishes and 

 sticky food, etc., removed or ])roperly confined, dranted such 

 conditions T always think that a person who still refuses to allow 



