jforeiott 3Bii*6 Botes 



FOR OCTOBER, T901. 



The Foreign Bird Exhibitors' League was founded 

 in May, 1898, and was intended to be a vSociety of 

 Exhibitors only, concerning itself exclusively with 

 matters connected with Shows. The League did a good 

 work, but it is not my purpose here to record either its 

 successes or its failures — it has now changed its name, 

 and, to some extent, its nature, and as the " Foreign 

 Bird Club " it has before it, I hope and believe, a pro- 

 mising and useful career. It is intended that the exer- 

 tions of the Clul) on behalf of Shows shall be at least as 

 energetic as those of the League, but while the League 

 did nothing else, the Club will try to help all interested 

 in foreign birds, whether they exhibit or not, by advising 

 as to treatment in health and sickness, assisting in the 

 identification of rare species, and affording in '■ Foreign 

 Bird Notes " a medium for the exchange of experiences 

 and mutual encouragement in our hobby. 



I very much wish that all this could be done without 

 asking the members for subscriptions — unhappily this 

 cannot be. Our numbers at present are small, and we 

 are greatly increasing our expenses— under these circum- 

 stances the Council have reluctantly altered the rule 

 which reduced the subscription to members of the 

 Avicultural Society to 2/6 only. Henceforth everyone is 

 to pay 5/- a year, but this will not be enforced this year in 

 the case of those who were members of the Ivcague. I 

 think that I may safely say that the subscription will 

 never be raised above 5/-. On the other hand it is just 

 possible, if the membership largely increases, that it may 

 be reduced. 



I would venture to remind the members that the 

 Club is in their hands, to make or to mar. If they are 

 energetic in contributing to " Notes," in securing 

 new members, and in other ways helping the work of the 

 Club, it will go strong and be a success — but if the 

 members leave the officers to do all the work, it must be 

 a failure. 



