245 

 THE WILD CANARY. 



Sir, — I see in the Noveinljer number of the Avicultural 

 Magazine, that the gentleman who does not wish his name to 

 appear lias continued his " criticism " of your article which 

 appeared in this Magazine on the Wild Canary. He has dis- 

 covered l)y some occult method of reasoning, that you confound- 

 ed this bird with the Cape Canary. Had he read the article with 

 the attention which should be brought to bear by even a hostile 

 critic he would have seen that you actually contrasted the two 

 birds, and I know that when you had the Wild Canaries you 

 also possessed two Cape Canaries [Seriniis canicollis), which you 

 had obtained from myself. 



One is tempted to paraphrase the celebrated advice of Lord 

 Chesterfield to his son, and say : — "Criticise, honestly if you 

 can, — but criticise." 



I quite agree with you as to the colour of the Wild Canary ; 

 and your quotation from the British Museum Catalogue was 

 not "elaborated," but quite correct. H. R. Fii.lmkr. 



AVIAN TUBERCULOSLS. 



Sir, — The question of tuberculosis among birds is of such 

 far reaching importance and interest, that I trust all avicnlturists 

 will closely watch the discussion, in which you have taken so 

 prominent a part, with the closest attention. For should it be 

 clearly shown that cage-birds are frequently subject to tuber- 

 culosis, the bird-keeping hobby would receive a very great blow, 

 at any rate so far as indoor aviaries and cages are concerned. 



It seems to me, however, that you have manfully thrown 

 down the gauntlet when 3'ou challenge anyone to produce " a 

 cage bird suffering from tuberculosis (that had not been 

 deliberately inoculated for the purpose) and to demonstrate 

 the tubercle bacillus in its organs." Nothing could be fairer 

 or more precise than this. It would be perfectly eas}' for your 

 opponents to produce and demonstrate the tubercle bacillus, if 

 present, by the ordinary processes of practical pathology, aud as 

 far as I am personally concerned, if the challenge is not taken 

 up by some competent person, it will prove to me beyond 

 doubt that 3'our position in the matter is the correct one. For 

 you have demonstrated to expert pathologists, in very 

 numerous cases which you have investigated, that the disease 

 which has formerly been known among " birdy " people as 

 tubercle (and where indeed small bodies are noticed in certain 



