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Italian, or other Kuropeaii scientist I know of no reliable work 

 dealing specially with the above subject. And although I have 

 a great number of works on birds in my library I have failed to 

 derive much trustworthy information from any of them that 

 is likely to be of real utility to the practical aviculturist or 

 scientist. It seems that nearly every author who has dabbled 

 in the question has written from his imagination rather than 

 from a comprehensive study of the actual facts and has, in 

 consequence, drawn iuexact or incorrect conclusions. And at 

 this there is no wonder when one just calls to mind that very 

 few of the writers have received any training at all in ana- 

 tomical and physiological science, let alone the elements even 

 of pathology, bacteriology, or therapeutics. In reality, a student 

 of avian pathology and hygiene requires as much preparation 

 for the study of the diseases of birds and their prevention as 

 the practitioner of human or veterinary medicine. But what 

 do we actually find ? Most, if not all, of the amateur bird 

 physicians, who are no doubt honest in their endeavours, are 

 absolutely ignorant of the laws that govern health or disease 

 and the means of their respective preservation and prevention. 



Many of these so-called authorities are to be pitied, 

 because they are ignorant of their own ignorance, even if they 

 feel highly flattered at the admiration of their still more 

 ignorant admirers. Furthermore, it would appear as if bird 

 fanciers were led to mistake the euphonious symbolic Greek 

 and Ivatin terms, practically the sole stock in trade of many 

 writers on avian matters, for " science," whereas this term 

 really means exact knowledge or truth, and not by any means 

 guess-work or imagination. 



I feel constrained to write as I have above, since being a 

 professional man myself, who has given a life time to the study 

 of the diseases of animals and a great deal of attention to the 

 management of birds, and the prevention and cure of their 

 diseases, it is only my duty to assist in furthering truth by 

 correcting errors, exploding mysteries, and exposing humbug. 



I ought not to forget to mention that I have read your 

 little work on " The Hygiene of Bird-Keeping " and consider 

 it to be the most truthful expose of the subject extant. The 



