2IO 



Opinion about it, but Dr. Butler says it is "poison." 

 Indeed he loves to say it. 



So much for the " pro " : the " con " is infinitely 

 more simple. Mr. F. Howe writes to me as follows: — 

 " I do not give egg in any form and my birds appear 

 "to do well without it." The plaintive wail — " Alas! 

 " I fear the wise are very few in number" — with which 

 the exponent of Gouldian wisdom concludes his 

 letter, may be true. We have heard it before in 

 somewhat different words from an even greater man 

 than its present propounder, but the abjurers of the 

 egg foolishness seem somehow to be gradually in- 

 creasing: in number. W. Gko. CkeSWKI.Iv. 



1Rotc5 on the Iforcign Bii&s at tbe 

 X. d. 16. a. 



The growing custom of housing foreign birds in 

 large outdoor aviaries is undoubtedly the cause of 

 keeping many rare and beautiful specimens away 

 from Shows ; this and possibly the early stage of the 

 season, (many foreigners not yet being through the 

 moult), were responsible for keeping the entries down 

 to fifty-four, and consequently for the cancelling of 

 many classes. However among the birds shewn there 

 were some rare and exquisite exhibits, fully worth a 

 long journey to see. 



First and foremost must be placed Mr. S. M. 

 Townsend's beautiful Racket-tailed Whydah, seen in 

 public, we believe, for the first time on this occasion. 

 With its rich plumage of velvety black and tawny 

 brown, finished off by an eight-inch tail of the curious 



