better the deed.’ There were four of them, all lusty and strong.

For a few days they perched about, but soon learned to fly any

where. In appearance they are nearly white about the head and

breast, and ashy-grey-brown on the back, beaks nearly white,

eyes grey-blue with black centre.


The other day, in looking over a back number of the

Magazine, I learned that my cock Malabar was a noted Palace

winner, spoken of there by Dr. Butler as a capital specimen.

He adds the scathing comment, ‘ I prefer Mr. Housden’s Crested

Mynah, rarer and far more intelligent.’ Has Dr. Butler ever

kept a Malabar Mynah ? ( c) Few birds I know can beat

Malabars for nous.


And now I think I had better draw to a close, or else you

will be saying that there’s a lot of truth in the old saw—


The Magpie can talk for a terrible span,


And so, by gow, can a Yorksliireman.



THE MANAGEMENT OF SMALL FOREIGN BIRDS IN


WINTER.


By A. F. Wiener.


The season is now beginning which too often brings many

disappointments to owners of the prettiest small exotic finches,

because it brings death to so many. A few hints how to minimise

the mortality in winter, may therefore be useful and welcome to

some readers of the Magazine.


My aviary at Herne Hill was heated by hot water pipes.

It was divided into compartments of about 12ft. long by 6ft.

wide and 8ft. high. The floor of these was raised 2ft. above the

level of the passage which led through the aviary. Each

compartment had a small fountain, was furnished with some

evergreen shrubs in pots, and numerous perches of many kinds.

The food I used to give in white china dishes placed on the

sanded cement floor.


I was always careful not to crowd my cages with too many

birds, and to locate quarrelsome species apart from the small

exotic finches, Waxbills, etc., which were my special favourites.


With the advent of the first winter the mortality among

my birds became very considerable. Every morning I found a


(c) Dr. Butler has kept a Malabar Mynah, a very fine male, and he paid just one-

sixth as much for it as he did for his Crested Mynah : it is common, but not regularly

imported, probably because there is no great demand for it.—A.G.B.



