PREFACE. 



TIIK present volimie tiiiishes my account of the 

 . age-birds imported into the European, bird 

 markets, and is, so far as I have been able to 

 make it, complete up to the end of the yeai 

 1908. Ill the case of the Doves and eome other gi'oups, 

 I believe it. to be complete up to the end of 19D9. It 

 represents, in fact, a series of monogi-aphs of known 

 cage-birds, any one of which, if printed in large type 

 ajid illustrated fully by scientifically con-ect coloured 

 plates, would form a handsome volume. 



In the preparation of the present work I have spared 

 no trouble in indicating the affinities of the various 

 i^i-oups. as worked out by systematic ornithologists, 

 feeling that hitherto avicultnri.sts generally have given 

 technical workers too much cause to accuse them erf 

 apathy respecting what has been regarded by many as 

 the scientific side of ornithological study. As a matter 

 of fact, the study of biixi-life is every whit ae scientific 

 as that of the classification of birds, and for one sec- 

 tion of workers to look down upon and ignore the 

 labours of the other is the height of folly, and exposes 

 all who indulge in such an attitude to the charge of 

 wilful ignorance. Before leaving this subject, I feel 

 bound to call attention to the incalculable mischief 

 which is being done to science by the misguided efforts 

 being continually made by short-sighted agitators to 

 hinder the work of aviculturists under the cloak of 

 humanitarianism. 



Bird protection, in so far as it puts a stop to the shoot- 

 ing down of every rare bird which approaches our 

 sliores, or to the wicked slaughter of sea-birds by 

 trippers with guns, and more particularly in its efforts 

 to put a stop to the iniquitous traffic in bird skins and 

 plumes for the adornment of hate and Ibonnets, is an 

 excellent institution ; but when, not content with this 

 good work, it strives to do away with the study of 

 birds in cage and aviary, it becomes at once an evil 

 thing for which posterity will have just cause to curse 

 its advocates. 



Bird-life can only be partially studied by the field 

 naturalist owing to the skulking nature of many birds. 



.Tnd their amazing cunning in. not only concealing their 

 nests, but in enticing the investigator from the neigh- 

 boitrhood of the same ; of such birds the habits can only 

 be studied in aviaries, and any seeker after self-adver- 

 tisement who strives to ])revent such means of acquiring 

 knowledge is an offender both against God and man, 

 and deserving of the severest punishment. 



In the twenty chapters I have treated of tlie fol- 

 lowing groups of biixJs : — New- and Old-world Starlings, 

 Bower-birds, Paradise-birds, Manuoodee, Crows, so- 

 called Piping Crows or Crow-Shrikes, Larks, Pittas, 

 Tyrants, Chatterers, Oven-birds, Woodpeckers, Colies, 

 Kingfishers, Jlotmots, Bee-eaters, Toucans, Baxbets, 

 Touracous, Parrots, and Doves. The last two gi'oups 

 have been so extensively imported that they occupy no 

 less than tliirtcen of the twenty chapters in the volume. 



As before, I have endeavoured in each group to give 

 an account of the wild life, and of the food generally 

 regarded as most suitable for rendering the lives of its 

 members healthy and happy in captivity. I now pro- 

 ceed to give, as before, for the benefit of those who 

 desire to study aviculture more intimately, a list of the 

 works quoted in the present volume, most of which are 

 in my own library. 



In this and the preceding volume I have described 

 about a thousand species of cage-birds. 



A. G. Butler. 



Andre, E. : A Naturalist in the Guianas. 



Andrews, C. W. : A Monograph of Christmas Island. 



Annals and Magazine of Natural Historj-, Series 7, 

 Vol. XVI. 



Avicultural Magazine, The (.Journal of the Avicul- 

 tural Society) : First, Second and Tliiixl Series. 



Beebe, C. W. : Two Bird Lovers in Jlexico. 



Bendire, Capt. and Major Charles ; Life-Histories of 

 North American Birds (Vols. I. and II.). 



Brenchley, J. : Cruise of the "Curagoa." 



Buller, Sir Walter : Birds of New Zealand. 



