42 Correspondence.


THE SECRETARY AND THE SOCIETY’S MEDAL.


In the last number of this journal we published a new Rule in con¬

nection with the Society’s Medal, which had been carefully considered and

passed by the Executive Committee of the Council. (See page 305). We

did not expect any of our members to object to such a rule, and were

surprised to receive a letter from the Rev. C. D. Farrar, protesting strongly

against it, and asking if it had been passed by the Committee or was

merely the work of the Hon. Secretary. To this we replied that the Rule

was passed by the whole of the Executive Committee, and that we

considered it a perfectly fair and necessary rule. We have received the

following letter in reply to this, which, not being marked private, there can

be no objection to our publishing. We publish also a reply from the Hon.

Secretary.


We may say that we strongly object to Mr. Farrar’s attitude in this

matter, and if the Society’s Medal is going to cause ill-feeling amongst our

members we shall consider it our duty to put before the Council the advis¬

ability of discontinuing to award a Medal at all, though this would be a

pity.— Editor.


Micklefield Vicarage , Leeds, Oct. 18th, iqo2.


Sir, —Thanks for your letter of to-day. I do not consider that the

Executive have any right to make rules apart from the rest of the Council.

It seems to me that the Executive now does just as it pleases, and it puzzles

me and a good many more to know what good the rest of the Council are.


I am a member of the Council, but I am never consulted on any

single point. I was once summoned to a meeting in London, and that is

all. I feel very sore, indeed, on the way the affairs of the Society are

conducted. It seems to me that the Council are mere dummies, with three

exceptions.


With regard to the Sydney Waxbills, I do not see why Mr. Gedney is

not to be believed quite as much as Mr. Wiener; for example, Mr. Phillipps

refused me a Medal because he said Mr. Wiener said he had bred them—

Malabar Mynahs; also I was denied a Medal for breeding Dhyals, because

Mr. Phillipps said the Zoo had bred them. Would anyone believe, who

knows anything, that the Zoo could rear such birds as Dhyals ! and yet I

had to sit down under Mr. Phillipps’ dictum ! I think what is sauce for

the goose is sauce for the gander, and I for one, consider that, unless dis¬

proved, Mr. Gedney should be believed as much as Mr. Wiener or the Zoo.


Also I think that it would be more satisfactory to members if some¬

body saw the birds alleged to be raised. I always bring witnesses; why not

others? It hardly seems right that a man should award a Medal to himself.


With regard to the new rule, I can see nothing unfair if a friend likes

to lend you a pair of birds to breed off, on the strength of your skill. After

all, the object is to breed a new species; not to enquire to whom the old



