under the same treatment if acclimatised specimens are 

 bought, or newly-imported specimens procured in late Ma\' or 

 June. WKSr.EY T. Pagk. 



P.S. — Since the above was written I have seen Captain 

 Perreau's admirable and instructive article on these lairds in the 

 November issue. It is most interesting to have this confirma- 

 tion of the fact that wintering birds out of doors, even in climes 

 where the contrast between winter and summer is more 

 pronounced than in England, is not "unintentional cruelty," 

 nor yet purely experimental, but is now proved from many 

 sources to be rational and reasonable treatment for the great 

 majority of foreign birds. Even most of ihe Tanagers can be 

 so kept. To come back to the Gouldians, I am somewhat of the 

 opinion that the\' would have done eqnally well without the 

 bread and milk; this, as Captain Perreau states, is hardly 

 correct diet, and I am of the strong opinion that the range of 

 diet named in the above notes, would produce a more healthy 

 and vigorous stock. There are one or two other points of 

 difference in our experiences, which are worth noting, viz., my 

 birds pick over the soft food mixture, principally for the ants' 

 cocoons I believe, and again they do not refuse insects ; they 

 take an occasional mealworm, i.e. when the Cardinals, etc. give 

 them a chance, and I have observed them captnre spiders, 

 small moths and flies, and also search the foliage in the aviary 

 for aphides, etc. 



THE CORRECT SHAPE FOR PERCHES. 



Sir, — I note in "The Story of Bird Death" in the Nov. 

 number, j'our remarks ie flattened perches and paper for the 

 bottom of cage for Wagtails, &c. As to smooth flattened 

 perches I had come to the conclusion that this was the better 

 form of perch for birds in cages. Of course the size must be 

 in accordance with the birds feet. I al.so question the advisa- 

 bility of having perches with the bark on : unevenness in size 

 of the perches I quite believe in as it keeps the muscles in play 

 — in my cages there are seldom two alike. Wagtails, when 

 rnnning about, are the greater part of the time on uneven flat 

 surfaces with the toes extended, which reqnire little or no grip, 

 while running about in a cage on round perches there must be 

 a strain on the feet. 



Paper, even if changed every day, is objected to on account 

 of it being insanitary, and coarse absorbent sand half an inch 

 thick advised in its place. I have seen a piece of sandstone 



