120 Correspondence.


CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, ETC.



A FRENCH A VICULTU RIST IN THE WAR ZONE.


Mrs. JOHNSTONE sends a letter from M. Delacour in France, in which he

writes that although his chateau was invaded by Germans in September last, he

only lost a few birds ; amongst which were some rare waxbills ; through the

aviary doors being left opened.


M. Delacour successfully bred Buffon’s touracos last year, and also

Columba speciosa, as well as a great many hybrid Mikado-Elliott pheasants.

He remarks “ Je crois que personne n’avait jamais eleve de touracous ; les

“ jeunes sont maintenant pareils aux parents.”


Of course M. Delacour is mistaken, for Mrs. Johnstone herself was suc¬

cessful in breeding touracos at Burrswood.



FOREIGN BIRD EXHIBITORS’ LEAGUE CLUB SHOW.


SIR,—This society will hold its annual club show on Feb. 2nd and 3rd,

1916, at the Holborn Town Hall. The section will be entirely controlled by the

League and about 32 classes have been provided for exotic birds. In spite of war

I think British aviculturists still possess some excellent collections and a number

of rare and beautiful birds should be benched. Messrs. S. M. Townshend, R. J.

Watts and Chas. Cooper, all experienced and successful exhibitors, have been

engaged to judge. ALLEN SILVER.



“ VIGOUR AND HEREDITY.”


DEAR SIR, —I have just read your review in the ‘‘Avicultural Magazine ”

for January of Mr. Bonhote’s book on ‘‘Vigour and Heredity.” As you will

gather from the book, I took a very active part in much of the work, especially

that in connection with the experiments relating to “ Colour and Colour Inherit¬

ance” in pigeons.


The idea of ‘‘Vigour” and the theory of ‘‘Vigour” has always held me,

and I can, personally, see ‘‘Vigour” working all throughout Nature, and many

were the talks Mr. Bonhote and I had together concerning the subject. I would

go so far as to say this, that the first human being who can absolutely control

‘‘Vigour” has the world at his feet.


I am sorry you cannot altogether agree with the idea that “ colouring ” in

birds is due to ‘‘Vigour,” * and that fluctuations of this inward force are caused

by environment, of which the main factors are temperament, humidity and

food.



* We wrote that we can understand that through loss of vigour there follows a

loss of colouring, although the RESULT of vigour has for its final object

SOMETHING BEYOND THAT.—ED.



