30 



given me once which a boy had shot, and well I rated him for 

 killing it I remember. I have it stuffed somewhere still. 



G. McAdam. 



SEPTICEMIA AND TUBERCULOSIS IN BIRDS. 



Sir, — I should like to say a few words of comment on 

 "The Story of Bird-Death," and first I may say, that having 

 been for the past five years engaged in the study of medicine, 

 I speak from the point of view of one acquainted with the 

 latest developments of medical science, as well as in the 

 capacity of a bird keeper. Your pathological description of 

 septicaemia is so plainly written as to be perfectly intelligible 

 to any decently educated layman of average intelligence; no 

 medical man or veterinary surgeon of anything like recent 

 training ought to be excused if, after reading your articles, he 

 still confounds septicaemia with tuberculosis. And you have 

 also made it perfectly clear that in different stages of the 

 disease care should be taken not to confound it with various 

 other diseases, as I am afraid is too often done. 



I am very glad to see that other medical men have pre- 

 ceded me in the appreciation of 3'our work, and when besides 

 this, Professor Hewlett, one of our most able bacteriologists, 

 is in agreement with you, surely those who have little or no 

 bacteriological knowledge should regard this as a true recog- 

 nition that your work is of the greatest importance in avicul- 

 ture. I congratulate you. Sir, that you have had the courage 

 to persist in your work all through the attacks which have 

 been made so continuously upon 5'ou on all sides, and which to 

 me are unexplainable, except that they are dictated by bigotry. 



Your arguments against egg food appear to be sound, and 

 I suggest that you publish your articles on "Septicccmia " in 

 book form. That j-ou deserve our thanks for what you have 

 done for aviculture in more ways than one should be plain 

 enough, even to those who persistently minimise your work. 



J. E. R. MCDONAGH, 

 M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., F.L.S., F.Z.S. 



