130 Practical Bird-Keeping. — II. The British Warblers.


Some of the other inmates of the aviary, notably several species of

Yellow Weavers and a pair of Cuban Bine Thrushes, probably stimulated by

the example of the Shania, soon began to try their skill at the game, but

were very amateurish at the business and moreover only attempted to secure

the fish when placed in a shallow receptacle, and even then had consider¬

able difficulty in effecting a capture.


In view of the above it would be interesting to know whether the

Shania ever attempts to catch fish in its wild state, as from the extraordin¬

ary dexterity displayed by my own bird, I should fancy it does !


Geraiyd E. Rattigan.


[This note seems to us of exceptional interest, and we hope that any

of our members who keep Sliamas will try their pets with fish, in order to

ascertain whether this habit is an individual one or common to all Sliamas.


—Ed.]



PRACTICAL BIRD-KEEPING.


II. THE BRITISH WARBLERS.


By W. E. Teschemakek, B.A.


I sincerely wish that this subject had been allotted to

some more experienced aviculturist than the writer, because

undoubtedly the treatment of the Sylviinae in captivity presents

special difficulties of no mean order, and there is considerable

divergence of opinion as to the most suitable methods of feeding

and housing. Nevertheless, having some time since promised

our excellent Editor any small assistance that I was in a position

to offer, I felt that I must not fail him the very first time I was

called upon.


I shall make no excuse for endeavouring to point out the

principles involved in the various methods of treatment, which

we shall have to discuss, because I have always most fully

realized the truth and importance of our Editor’s recent remark

that it is those aviculturists and those alone who take a theoretical

interest in birds that derive the maximum of enjoyment and

the minimum of disappointment from their hobby. With these

preliminary remarks I will turn at once to my subject and

commence with :—


A list of the Warblers that have occurred in Britain and

have been successfully kept in captivity.


N.B.—Some species, such, for instance, as Savi’s Warbler,



