354 



Canakies and Cage-Birds. 



raw February is about the worst time of the year to send foreign birds to an exhibition, and 

 some of the most interesting kinds, for example, Weavers, Whydah-birds, &c., are not then in 

 colour, and would look very much like sparrows. A show of foreign birds should take place 

 in June or July, and need not exclude Canaries, although the latter would be less numerously 

 represented than at another time. 



In purchasing foreign birds, it should be borne in mind that the first month after arrival 

 in this country is the most trying time for the little strangers. They all suffer more or 

 less in health and plumage during the long voyage, and frequently succumb soon after 

 arrival to the effects of the mere change of climate and food. At the shops of the large 

 London wholesale dealers — Joseph Abrahams, Charles Jamrach, and Charles Rice — hundreds, 

 and sometimes thousands of the same species may be seen just as they are brought from the 

 ship, and buyers must expect to find more or less raw birds. Experienced amateurs will 



derive pleasure from seeing birds, bought in 

 ,-^ , ^ an imperfect state, rapidly improving under 



their care ; but for beginners the deaths 

 amongst new purchases are sometimes dis- 

 heartening, and they had better purchase sea- 

 soned specimens from retail dealers. 



I would warn collectors against importing 

 birds themselves, or having them sent over by 

 correspondents in distant lands. Although I had 

 kind friends in many parts of the world who 

 were anxious to send me birds, the intended 

 importation always ended in failure, and in 

 much expense to somebody. A friend of mine 

 residing in Japan had unusual opportunities of 

 obtaining birds from parts of the country 

 rarely visited by Europeans. He had pre- 

 pared a collection of live birds at much trouble 

 and expense, and found somebody going to 

 At the last moment the " somebody " had to travel via 

 San Francisco, and was therefore unable to take the birds with him ; my friend had to undertake 

 a journey in Japan, and there remained no alternative but to give the birds collected for me 

 their liberty. Another friend sent me a wonderful Parrot from the Philippine Islands, but 

 the Parrot escaped from on board ship and flew away, and I owe my friend many thanks for his 

 kindness, although I never saw the Parrot. A friend in India sent me some rare Himalayan 

 Pheasants, and to an amateur on the Continent a collection of Weaver-birds. Of the Pheasants, 

 one was killed at Calcutta by a stoat or rats, and the three survivors arrived by a piece of 

 rare good fortune. What was believed to be the pair of Pheasants turned out an old and a 

 young male, and the freight, gratuities, and charges together came to three times as much 

 money as would have bought a pair in Europe ; and the collection of Weaver-birds could 

 have been bought in London for half the money paid for them in Calcutta. Similar examples 

 might be given ad infinitum. 



Large dealers like Jamrach, Abrahams, and Rice of London, Cross of Liverpool, Hagenbeck 

 of Hamburg, and Reiche of Hanover, have their collectors and agents in all parts of the world 

 who send over birds, besides which sliip captains and sailors continually bring over a number. 



FIG. 76.- 



Europe willing to take charge of them. 



