31 



Islands of the Austro-Malayan Archipelago; Apteryxi^con- 

 fined to New Zealand, and Rkca to South America 



Sont^Vf"'' ^''? °?''^ ^"'"^^ ^"^^ "^^^^ established in 

 thei fef/r'' T^ ' ^''^' """^'^^^ °^ y°""^ ^^^ r^-'-ed for 

 nlu k d ':. T- ^'"^ '' ''' ''''' ^^^ f^^^hers are not 

 plucked from the living bird, but carefully cut off, if thev 

 were plucked the next growth would be of very inferior quality. 

 Large tracks of country have been enclosed for ostrich 

 tarmmg, but it is still questionable whether a permanent race 

 of truly domestic ostriches will be established, or whether the 

 breed will after a few generations, die out; I have been 

 informed that already the offspring of the domesticated birds 

 shows a falling off in the plumage. 



I place the ostrich as a domestic bird with some 

 hesitation, because its permanent domesticity is not vet 

 assured. ^ 



It will thus be seen that out of ten and eleven thousand 

 species of birds, but nine are sufficiently attached to locality 

 that they may be allowed full liberty, two others, in this ■ 

 country, are cage-birds-there may be others in India-and 

 one of very recent domestication is kept in enclosed grounds 

 of great extent 



I do not doubt that most birds which seemed worth 

 domestication have been subjected to trial, and without 



success, and I venture to state that, in my opinion, another 

 ruly domestic bird, by this I mean a bird as domestic as the 



tour Galhne, the four Anaiinc, and one of the Columbine will 



never be obtained. 



