17



if it have been previously in good health, it will probably recover with this

treatment. Should it do so, it must be separated from its mate, and no

attempt must be made to breed with it for the remainder of the season.



CORRESPONDENCE.



Sunny View, Kingsnorth Gardens,


Folkestone.


Sir, —May I be allowed, through the columns of the Avicultural

Magazine , to ventilate a grievance which is felt a good deal by many

British Bird and Mule fanciers. During the Cage-bird Show season, from

the beginning of October until the Crystal Palace Show in February, these

birds are not in colour. Of course, after that time canaries are better

employed as a rule, and are not free for exhibition. But why should British

Birds and Mules always be content with a back seat at .Shows ? Why cannot

some enterprising spirits get one up at the end of April or the beginning of

May ? to which canaries should not be admitted ; but plenty of classes

should be given for Mules, British and Foreign Birds.


Some birds vary in plumage but little at different seasons of the year,

but to others it just makes all the difference. I need only instance

the Brambling and the Chaffinch, and among Mules the dark jonque

Goldfinch-Canary. These are never exhibited in their full beauty. It is

no exaggeration to say that to many people (bird-lovers, but not able to

indulge their fancy to any extent) a good Mule of this kind in his Spring

plumage is simply a revelation. We see them colour-fed to almost any tint

at the Winter Shows, but no colour food can produce that exquisite

metallic lustre of the blaze, or that brilliant universal glow which

characterizes these most lovely birds in May.


Could not the Avicultural Society strike out a new line, and

inaugurate a show of this kind ?


Yours truly,


H. B. RuTT.



Woodford House, Queen’s Park Road,


Brighton,


Sept, ty, i8gp.


Dear .Sir, —I am greatly interested in Birds, of which I keep a good

many (chiefly Foreign), But as I have as yet had little experience, I am

not very successful, and hope to learn a great deal from the Avicultural

Society.


I have been trying to breed Zebra finches all the year, and have had

plenty of eggs but no young birds. What is the cause ? I started with

three pairs, which I keep separately in large cages. I lost one lien in the

spring through egg-binding, but soon replaced her, so that I have had

three pairs all the summer ready for breeding. One pair have done nothing

at all; another pair have built nest after nest, and laid an immense number

of eggs, but never attempted to sit; while the third pair have had three nests

and have sat on each most industriously for about a week and then deserted

them. I am sure that the birds have not been disturbed, and they have

had plenty of egg and other soft food which some of them seem fond of,

while others never touch it.


I feed my soft-billed birds on Abrahams’ food, which I am told is the

best. Am I doing right ? I find that the birds pick out the egg and ants’

eggs from it and leave the rest.



