95


imported. I have bought many freshlj'-iinported birds as hens, and they

are now represented in my collection by three survivors, all of which are

cocks. I have never had a hen in my possession.


Henry J. Fui^IvJAMES.


DEAIvERS' NAMES FOR BIRDS.


I agree with the writers of the letters which have appeared under the

above heading in thinking that a glossary of English names of foreign

"birds would be useful — I doubt, however, whether it would be expedient for

the Societ}' to undertake the preparation of such a work at present. I

think that if the Society were to publish a glossary, it would be necessary

for us to fix upon one English name for each species commonly imported,

which should in future be treated by lis as the accepted name. The

recognition of an accepted English name for every species would be a great

convenience, but the selection of the name would, in many cases, be a very

difiicult and delicate matter, and might possibly cause much dissatisfaction.


Further, it is worth serious consideration whether the preparation of

a glossary of dealers' names would not tend to the perpetuation of some

names which would be better forgotten, and give a fictitious importance to

names scarcely known bej'ond the circle of the customers of the dealer

who invented them.


With regard to scientific names, it has long been an unwritten law

of the Society that only those names adopted in the British Museum

Catalogue of Birds should be used in the Magazine. This rule has, however,

frequently been broken, and there are reasons which make it sometimes

difficult to enforce it in practice. I believe it to be the wish of all those

engaged in editing the Magazine that it should be more strictly enforced in

future.


Personally, I should like, as far as possible, to see the adoption of a

uniform S5'stem of English names in our Magazine, and I believe that this

may in time be gradually bi-ought about. If this were achieved, the

adoption by the Society of a list of accepted English names would be easy —

at present, I fear it would be hazardous and difficult.


Horatio R. Fii,i,me;r.



WINTERING FOREIGN BIRDS IN OUTDOOR AVIARIES.


Sir, — In commenting on Mr. Phillipps' letter in last issue re winter-

ing foreign birds out of doors (for, as I read it, it is of general application,

and he only mentions Green Avadavats as an instance) I would not pit my

small array of facts against his, for I am comparatively young in aviculture,

but my experience is quite the contrary to his, and leads me to believe that

many birds which will appear puffed and unhappy in an unheated indoor

aviary {a) will, in a garden aviary, open to the atmosphere (of course

screened on the North and East) charm their owners (in the winter) with

their cheerfulness, vivacity, and song.


{a) Mr. Phillipps did not suggest that foreign birds should be wintered in " an

unheated indoor aviary," — his words are " a moderately warm room." It is well-known

that birds kept in the open air will stand much more severe cold than those indoors, and

that indoor aviaries should always be heated in winter. — Uc



