Notes on Out-of-the-way Birds. 127 



XXI. 



NOTES ON OUTOFTHE WAY BIRDS. 



By Frank Finn, B.A., F.Z.S. 



Although we have heard a great deal about aviculture as a 

 scientific study, the fact remains that the avicultural purview has 

 so far remained very limited, and neither in private collections, 

 bird-shows, or Zoological Gardens do we find any all-round 

 representation of the many families of birds ; yet, without this 

 all-round representation, aviculture cannot be said to be scientific. 

 The reason is, of course, that the ordinarily-kept families, such 

 as passerine birds, parrots, doves, pheasants and ducks, are so 

 much easier than the others that the temptation is to acquire 

 good series of these and to consider that a rare species is a great 

 acquisition, while neglecting difaviily which is seldom kept at all. 



The rarer families of birds have, however, always had a 

 great attraction for me ; not only are they likely to be of more 

 scientific interest, but they are often by their very unfamiliarity 

 of form and ways, more pleasant to watch, while some species 

 among them may be far easier subjects than many birds belong- 

 ing to the more ordinary avicultural groups. For instance, for a 

 bird which has the distinction of being the unique representative 

 of its family, easy to keep, and interesting in its ways, we may 

 refer to the Kagu {Rhinochetus jjibatus) whose quaint and affable 

 manners we have mostly admired at the Zoo. The first known 

 egg of this species, by the way, was laid there many years ago — 

 a triumph far greater than the modern breeding results we hear 

 so much about. 



I purpose here, then, to say something about members of 



