38



for his. My concluding remarks were merely incidental. I cordially

accept the explanation that “ Varet “ did not intend to imply the equal

delicacy of the Redstart and the Willow-wren. His mention of the Wood-

wren in such a connection was an obvious slip, and I thought it right to

draw attention to it in the interests of the accuracy of the Magazine: I am

sorry if I made too much of it. A year or two ago I saw a Willow-wren at

a Bird Show catalogued as a Wood-wren, and I am told that this is not

unusual: so it seems that some confusion exists upon the subject.


Septimus Perkins.


r* If Mr. Perkins means to suggest that the “ Varet ” letter was written by Mr.

Eulljames we must give the suggestion an emphatic contradiction. As we said before, we

are not at liberty to disclose the name of the writer of that letter, but we may say that it

was written by a member of the Society, not an officer, who has had much experience in

connection with British Birds.—E d.]


RAW MEAT FOR BIRDS ; ZINC FOOD-PANS.


Sir, —I should like to have the experience of members on the subject

of raw meat as food for insectivorous birds. I once saw a letter in which

the writer attributed the death of a Thrush to its having been fed on raw

meat at a show. In India, it is a very general practice of bird dealers to

give raw meat to insectivorous birds: but after being chopped, it is

washed, so that the blood, as it is called, may be washed out. They say

that leaving the blood in the meat causes looseness. I have followed the

above plan of preparing raw meat for my birds for a long time, and have

found it agree with them. I first scrape the meat, which, I think, is more

satisfactory than chopping it. The meat, being in a small plate or

saucer, water is poured on to it, and the meat is spread out so that every

particle of it comes in contact with the water. A piece of cloth about the

size of my hand is then placed in one hand, and the meat and water-

emptied into it, the meat being squeezed as dry as possible. It is then

made into pellets of the required size between the fingers. One advantage

in washing the meat is, that it removes all stickiness, and when made into

pellets they remain separate instead of sticking together, as they would do

if made from unwashed meat. The stickiness of chopped and unwashed

meat renders it very inconvenient in feeding, as a great deal of it gets

scattered about the cage. I also give my birds cooked meat -when more

convenient. Instead of chopping it, I have latel} T taken to tearing off bits

with my thumb nail. Each bit is then rolled into a pellet between my

thumb and forefinger. My reason for adopting this plan is that, when

cooked meat is underdone, it is too adhesive after being chopped, and by

the tearing process I can regulate the size of the pellets to the size of the

bird. Of course my process of making pellets would be too tedious for a

large number of birds.


(2). I think I have read somewhere that food or water pans should

not be of zinc on account of its being more or less of a poisonous nature.


I should like to know if such is the case, and the nature of the poison.


C. L. Harrison.


NEWLY-CAUGHT BULDFINCHES AND GOLDFINCHES.


Sir, —1. What is the best food for newly - caught Bullfinches: a

“ m eating-off ” food, so to speak?


2. Are they best kept in cage or aviary ?


3. Do the same replies apply to newly-caught Goldfinches ?


Charees Speed.



