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spray millet. They have plenty of sand (Hyde’s shell gravel), egg shells

crushed, cuttle fish bone and green food. One or two of them have taken a

long time to get through the moult, but I have never had one lose all the

feathers on the back like this.


I shall be very much obliged if you can help me. I gave him

Parrish’s food in the water, and have now put him bv himself in a cage so

that the others cannot annoy him. I am also trying to get some sea sand

for my birds as, perhaps, the)' require a change; but all the others, with

the exception of one Spice-bird, are in very good feather.


I hope some of the members of the Society may be able to tell me

what I should do. I do not know the age of my Red-faced Finch, but I

bought him in Madeira three years ago, and he has never had anything

wrong until this winter. E. W. Robertson.



The following reply has been sent to Mrs. Robe/ tson:


The drawback to keeping the Ornamental Finches together in a

cage is that they almost always peck one another’s feathers out. I think it

highly probable that the Red-faced Finch has suffered simply from the lack

of other occupation on the part of the Zebra-finch.


Should lie not recover his feathers when isolated, you will have to

treat him for ‘ Surfeit ’ so-called, with four grains of Epsom salts and the

same quantity of chlorate of potash in his drinking water for one day, but

I do not think he will require this.


I prefer vaseline to sweet oil; it does not run into the feathers and

disfigure the bird to the same extent.


Shell-sand is dangerous, on account of the sharp-edged chips of

shell, which are apt to perforate the crop and so cause death : you will do

well to use sea-sand. Uo not wash the sand, as the salt in it is most bene¬

ficial to all birds. A. G. BuTEER.



“INTELLIGENT PETS.”


Sir, —The article in last month’s Magazine on “Intelligent Pets”

was, in my opinion, most interesting, as no doubt nearly ever) - member has

his favourites. Among my birds the Grey Parrot holds premier position.

It is a most accomplished talker, and values itself by repeating “Fifty

pounds for pretty Polly.” When I purchased this bird three years ago I

was told it had been fed on “sop,” and that its breast was bare because it

was moulting. I knew better, however, ami now that it gets no sop it is

in splendid plumage. Among the “smaller fry” our greatest pet is a

Sliama, which spends a great deal of its time out of the cage, and is so

tame that it will readily fly and take mealworms from our fingers. It is

very jealous of a Blue Robin which also feeds from our hands. The Sliama

I consider a most interesting cage bird and I should be sorry to be without

one. Why is it that hen Shamas are so rarely advertized?


I trust that some of the wealthier members of the Society will favour

us with photos and descriptions of their aviaries, as 1 am sure these articles

would greatly enhance the value of the Magazine.



Hedi.ev Speed.



