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Xettcrs to the lEMtor. 



MR. FINN ON CHINESE AVICULTURE, &C. 



Sir, — Dr. Creswell says in the June number of Bird 

 Notes, "Java Sparrows have been bred in cages from time 

 immemorial in China and Japan. Mr. Finn and Mr. Heselton 

 both tell me tlie inhabitants of these countries never by any 

 chance use egg food for their birds." 



In Volume II. of Bird Notes (p. 224) Dr. Creswell said 

 " Mr. Frank Finn tells me that the Chinese, who, as he says, 

 know practically all that there is to be known respecting the 

 keeping of cage birds, never give e^g to insectivorous birds." 



I have never said to Dr. Creswell or any one else that the 

 Chinese never give egg to birds; nor have I said that the 

 Chinese know practically all that there is to be known respect- 

 ing the keeping of cage birds ; nor have I made any statement 

 whatever about the methods of bird feeding in use in Japan. 



With regard to Mr. Fillmer's criticisms, I have not mixed up 

 Uroloncha acuticauda with U. striata, as Mr Fillmer may see by 

 referring to any good description of these birds. Both are dark 

 brown above, but whereas U. striata has a pure black breast 

 and white belly, U. acuticauda has a dark brown breast with 

 lighter edges, and the belly pencilled with brown, at any rate 

 at the sides— usually, in the specimens I have seen, all over. 

 Dark-pied Bengalese often exactly resemble U. acuticauda 

 except for the abnormal white feathers, and even cinnamon- 

 pied ones show its characteristic markings in such parts of the 

 breast, etc., as are not white. 



It is not misleading to say that Goldfinches and Canaries 

 require much the same treatment, for I was speaking about 

 birds in aviaries. Indeed, I do not admit that my remark was 

 misleading even with regard to caged birds, as I guarded 

 against saying they needed exactly the same treatment, know- 

 ing their somewhat different requirements as to seed. Any 

 fancier could give a beginner details. 



My paper was not originally written for Bird Notes and 

 was intended as a general guide for beginners in aviculture 

 who wished to experiment. Frank Finn. 



What is practically a copy of the above letter has appeared 

 in the August issue of the Avicultural Magazine. In that 

 journal it was an easy matter to deal with, but in view of my 

 position on this Magazine it is necessarily a matter of some 



