on the Influence of German Aviculture. 103



(Canaries) “ never came to any perfection until they” (the Germans)

“ came to have birds of their own breeding in their own country and

then, being seasoned to the country, they bred in abundance, furnishing

all Poland, Germany and France; and of late years England also

relieve they vend as many as in any -place in the world."


Some of us had imagined that the German Roller was intro¬

duced by a certain chemist, named Seifert, some thirty years since.

Two hundred years before this date the Germans were supplying

trained Rollers to half Europe!!


The Parting of the Ways.


Let us note then, with pardonable pride, that (so far as the

writer’s researches extend) we were able to produce in this country

an excellent and detailed work on aviculture half a century before the

Germans, and the fact that English aviculturists of that period could

keep the Wren in captivity and make the Robin whistle tunes and

talk, as related in the ‘ Fancyer’s Delight,’ shows that they were no

beginners but masters of their art. But let us also note that even at

this early date German and English aviculture had begun to follow

different lines of development. The Germans had put before them¬

selves a definite idea. They had recognised the possibilities of the

Canary as a singing bird ; they had acclimatised it, taught it por¬

tions of the songs of the Nightingale and Titlark, and had succeeded

in breeding it on so large a scale that they could supply trained song¬

birds to half Europe. Two centuries have passed and the Germans

are still supplying trained song-birds to Europe. :!;


One naturally asks oneself why, if English aviculturists had

all the qualifications for success, they have not produced more

tangible results ? The answer is probably two-fold. In the first

place, aviculture has been pursued in this country in an aimless,

amateurish manner, without any definite object. Another, and

equally unfortunate, characteristic of English aviculture is pointed

out by the author of the ‘ Fancyer’s Delight ’ in a very suggestive

passage : “ This is the Misery of most people, they breed so many

together that one spoils another." How many aviculturists one could



* fls not this because the Germans aim to make money with their Canaries, whilst

the English have kept birds for their personal pleasure?—Ed.]



