4246 The Zoologist — Dkcember, 1874. 



writer goes much farther than this: we are told with a kind of 

 dogmatic candour — " My advice to those who are desirous of 

 investing in foreign birds, is the same as Mr. Punch gives to young 

 men about lo marry — 'Don't'; they are more plague than profit," 

 &c. The spirit of this advice pervades and permeates the entire 

 book, more especially that particular chapter which in its heading 

 professes to treat on foreign birds, and which winds up with the 

 following sentence : — 



" In conclusion I can only once more repeat to my reader the advice with 

 which I started — namely, that unless he possess the purse of Fortuuatus, 

 the patience of Job, and space and leisure unlimited, — forbear from trifling 

 with foreign bird-keeping, or his hobby will lead him into endless labour, 

 loss, expense, and waste of time and money, over many a hill aud dale of 

 difficulty, before he is himself aware of the extent of the mischief and the 

 delusion under which be is labouring." — P. 133. 



O' 



This may be beautiful writing, tall writing, strong writing, im- 

 pressive writing, improving writing, but certainly it is slightly 

 discouraging to one who lias purchased the book called ' Birds, 

 Iheir Cages and their Keep,' in the expectation of learning how to 

 manage the betcherrigahs, the turquoisiues, the rosellas, the Vir- 

 ginian niglitingales, the mocking bird.s, and the innumerable finches 

 aud waxbills which gladden his eyes and delight his heart whenever 

 he has the good fortune to visit a true lover of the feathered race. 

 K. A. B. must be somewliat of a visionary to imagine such an one 

 would be contented with "our old-established friend!" As well 

 endeavour to persuade the sportsman to abandon his percussion- 

 cap and fall back on flint and steel ; or the traveller to resign his 

 express train, and revert to the "Portsmouth heavy" or the "Darby 

 dilly ;" or the merchant to repudiate the galvanic wires, and entrust 

 his message to a relay of couriers with horse-pistols in their holsters 

 and a blunderbuss slung over their shoulders. 



Whoever has visited the Western Aviary at the Zoo and wit- 

 nessed the perfect physique of the exotics, — so bright, so beautiful, 

 so healthy, so hapfjy, — domesticated in that little paradise under 

 the care of Mr. Travis, their thoroughly qualified and most obliging 

 keeper, will never agree with the writer in the sweeping denun- 

 ciation of foreign birds. 



Eliminating such olijeclionable doctrines, I find much in this 

 little volume with which I most cordially agree ; for instance, the 



