Correspondence.



213



few people are able to study the bird in its native haunt, and the only way

of learning about him is to keep him—not a prisoner, but a pet.


A pet bird should be given its own natural surroundings as far as

possible, and the owner should learn of the bird, and not expect the bird to

learn of him.


What a wretched sight to see a little Goldfinch or Redpoll doing

tricks, or to hear a piping Bullfinch go over the same song like a machine

wound up ! O11 the other hand, given their natural conditions as far as


possible, these same birds will exhibit far more interesting traits of their

own than any tricks that man can teach them.


The crying evil of bird-taking is the senseless indiscriminate way in

which the birds are caught, millions to adorn (?) fashionable hats of silly

women, and millions to fill the bird-dealers’ shops.


If, in addition to the Anti-plumage bill, laws were enacted for the

restriction and proper surveillance of bird-catching—all over the British

Empire—the cause of aviculture would not suffer, while beautiful species

would not become rare or extinct. There could be licensed watchers and

catchers, one young bird to be taken out of a brood, and only so many

taken as are wanted. If the trappers are sufficiently keen to almost clear

a district of birds, the watchers can be equally keen to prevent this being

done. Bov-scouts would make excellent watchers.


Bird-dealing could be relegated to a few licensed dealers, thoroughly

understanding their business, to receive the birds 011 their arrival. It is

often a joy and solace to a poor person to keep a pet bird, and this should

be permissable, members of the Avicultural Society seeing to it that proper

conditions are fulfilled. As a wild bird’s protectionist, I should be tempted

in my zeal for my beloved feathered friends, to push things to extremes, if

I did not reflect that untold myriads of beautiful birds perish yearly in

migration, becoming the prey of other birds, or dashed against lighthouses.


We have just read of the remarkable rush of millions of birds com¬

ing to Ireland, terrified by atmospheric conditions, and the fearful waste of

bird life in consequence. Add to this the frequent congested flocks of

Larks and Crossbills arriving here, more than half probably perishing, not

to mention the countless numbers of birds that perish from cold in winter

all over the earth,—and the capture of a few hundred birds in the cause of

Science, with the prospect of a happy life before them with their human

friends, sinks into insignificance. Katharine Currev.



NOTES FROM WOBURN.


Sir,—I fear it is somewhat late to send notes relating to the breeding

season of 1910, but though many interesting birds were hatched, the num¬

ber reared was not such as to prompt an irresistable desire to rush into

print to record our successes.


One pair of Sarus Cranes nested three times. On the first occasion



