104 



Years ago in an outdoor aviary I bred ordinary Blue 

 Javas without taking any special care of them. I know that 

 these birds never had any egg food. 



Again, with regard to Canaries. I have just returned from 

 a visit to Kingston-on-Thames, where I saw in two of Dr. 

 Creswell's aviaries, wholly devoted to Canarv- breeding, a 

 number of this year's birds in all stages of growth. These 

 birds are being reared solely on a diet of seed, green-food and 

 occasionally a little bread and a few ants' eggs. On this food 

 they are fat and in perfect condition. As are also his soft-bills, 

 which he keeps on a food absolutely free from egg or oil. 



The above facts answer the question as to the necessity 

 ^f ^og — ^t any rate to my satisfaction. 



Emilius HOPKINSON. 



vSiR, — After all that has appeared in Bird Notes on the 

 " ^gg " question, it is both surprising and disappointing to find, 

 in an elaborate article in our Magazitie, the old and exploded 

 fallacies of the eggists paraded as if they were universally 

 accepted truths. 



Mr. Finn states that the Java Sparrow " needs some food 

 prepared with egg when rearing young." That Canaries 

 "need food prepared with egg when feeding young." That the 

 Pekin Robin " needs a constant supply of egg food and fruit." 

 Now, Mr. Finn has either read Dr. Creswell's contributions to 

 the egg question which have appeared in Bird Notes and else- 

 where, or he has not. If he has not read them, he is, for a 

 prominent aviculturist, strangely ignorant of recent investiga- 

 tions into bird food, and his remarks on the subject are 

 unworthy of serious consideration, or of a place in our 

 Magazine. On the other hand, if he has read them (as is 

 probably the case), he has chosen to deliberately ignore them, 

 and to publish, in the Magazine in which they appeared, ex 

 cathedra statements as to the necessity of a thing which Dr. 

 Creswell and others have shown to be harmful and unnecessary 

 — and the bad taste of this course needs uo comment. 



If Mr. Finn, after carefully reading what has appeared 

 upon the ^^^ question in this Magazine, is still of opinion that 

 egg is necessary, he is, of course, entitled to that opinion, and 

 any arguments which he brings forward upon the subject will, 

 I am sure, be read with interest by the other side. But he is 

 not entitled to coolly put aside the anti-egg case as if it did not 



