Preface 
grad Society of Naturalists under Mr. D. M. 
Rossinsky and Professor D. N. Kaigorodov ; 
in France by MM. Cunisset-Carnot, Rebous- 
sin, and Edmond Perrier; in Germany by 
Veterinary Surgeon Dr. Reuter; in America 
by Dr. Arthur Allan, head of Cornell Univer- 
sity ; and probably other authorities, of whom 
I am unaware, have contributed to the sub- 
ject. I can claim nothing original for my 
observations; the majority of the notes I 
quote appeared anonymously in newspapers, 
but some are by recognised authorities such 
as Messrs. Charles Dixon, A. H. Patterson, 
Thoburn Clarke, Oliver G. Pike, and Miss 
Fd: Turner, 
For lack of better arrangement I have 
arranged my notes in five chapters, divided 
again into twelve sections, which seem more 
or less to cover the subject as I have dealt 
with it. There are, however, some ramifica- 
tions which remain untraced and it has been 
impossible to utilise all of my notes. For 
example, when writing of the utility of birds, 
I have omitted to state that the New Zealand 
Government sent a quantity of SwANs’ quills, 
vill 
