All Rights Reserved. June, 1919. 



BIRD notes;: 



THE 



JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. 



1918 in the Boyers House Aviaries. 



Bv W Shore Bati.v. 



The year 1918, althout^ii one that we shall always 

 remember as " \'ictory Year," seems to have been by no means 

 a successful one in our aviaries. Whether the birds have been 

 affected by a loss of vitality, owin"' to the poor quality of their 

 food, as has been the case with many of their owners, or 

 whether the want of fresh blood, through the lack of importa- 

 tions, during- the last four years, has reduced their vigour. I am 

 unable to s;iv, but it seems certain that very few birds were bred 

 in captivity last season. One or two of our members seem to 

 have had reasonable luck. and. T have no doubt our Editor 

 would welcome (very much so. — Ed.) an account of their 

 successes. 



In these aviaries I have had nothing of interest to record. 

 Ear more birds have perished than were bred. Amongst those 

 that succumbed from illness were : 



From pneumonia. 



Severe Macaws. Crimson-ringed Whydah. Orchard Finch, 

 Jackson's Whydah. Argoondah Quail, Sikhim Siskin. 2 Chukar 

 Partridges, and Stanley Parrakeet. 

 From Congestion of the Brain. 



2 Masked Doves and a Diamond Dove. 



In addition to these losses, an invasion of rats, with which 

 I was unable to cope, carried off another 40 to 50 birds, so my 

 aviaries are at the present time (May. 1919), nearly empty. 



The rat question is a very serious one to all aviculturists. 

 and one which is always liable to crop up in any aviary. T 

 understand our Editor has to face the problem himself jus; 



