26 British Birds. 



I intended to have a photograph taken of the bird just 

 hatched and another when full gi'own. I aranged with a man 

 come up and do this for me, but he did not come until nearly 

 a week after and as the bird had grown so much, it was 

 too late. 



They were exceedingly tame and interesting birds. The 

 Tree Creeper thrives well in an aviary and can stand a con- 

 siderable amount of cold weather providing it is given a fair 

 amount of live food in addition to the insectivorous mixture, 

 a small quantity of York cream cheese, chopped fine, and added 

 to the soft food, is a most useful item of diet and the birds 

 do well upon it. 



I consider the Tree Creeper is a species that would 

 not be at all difficult to get to breed in an aviary, lifted 

 up in a manner suitable to the habits of these birds, but 

 it must be an aviary for them alone, they would not tolerate 

 the presence of other birds when nesting. 



After the breeding season, Long-tailed, Blue, Cole, 

 and Marsh Tits, and also Gold-crested Wrens, could be placed 

 in the same aviary with the Creepers, as these .birds 

 associate together during the winter months, in a wild state. 



When placing birds in the aviary they should always 

 be watched for the first time to sec that they readily find 

 the vessels containing their food, and if fresh birds are put 

 into an aviary, containing others who know the food vessels 

 by heart, then more careful watching than ever is required, 

 not so much because of seeing that the new comers And the 

 pots containing the soft food, but to see that there is live 

 food there when they do find them, for the established occupants 

 will have devoured all the live-food, before the fresh birds 

 will have found their way to the food vessels, and that is 

 why some birds go off so soon after being turned into an 

 aviary. 



Correspondence. 



PARROTS AND FEATHER PULLING. 



Sir, — We have had a Green, I think West Indian, Parrot 

 for about thirty yeaj-s. About ten years ag-o it began to pull out its 

 feathers, and has continued to do so intermittently ever since. It 

 has very fretiuently been, except for its head, like a plucked fowl 



