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moment for want of a better, but I will try to explain what I meant by it.

There are many questions in aviculture which remain open, but there are

some upon which there exists a more or less complete concensus of opinion.

For instance, no one dispiites that the staple food of Waxbills should be

white-millet seed, or that Parrots require water to drink. When I say that

no one disputes these things, I mean, of course, no one whose opinion is

entitled to the respect of experienced aviculturists. With regard to the

feeding of the more exclusively insectivorous birds, it is impossible to

assert that " no one disputes" that the diet should be non-farinaceous; but

I think I am justified in saying that, with the single exception of Dr.

Butler, all competent modern authorities take that view ; and if I maj' so

far trespass upon space I will venture to give a few quotations to prove

this.


In " Song Birds of Great Britain " Dr. Greene writes,— " My Nightin-

gale's food consists of as many dried ants'-eggs as it chooses to eat, eight or

ten mealworms daily, or rather on alternate days, and in the interval the

same number of blackbeetles, which it appears to equally enjoy, a little

green food in the shape of chopped lettuce, and cooked mutton cut up very

small, about three times a-week."


The late Dr. Bradburn, in his most valuable little book on British

Birds, saj's, — " The food must be soaked ants'-eggs as a staple : there is

nothing to touch them. Avoid all pastes and messes if you wonld have

strong healthy birds. Nightingales will live on good ants'-eggs and half-a-

dozen mealworms per da}', and keep in grand condition all the year round."

He then goes on to mention various things which may be given by way of

a change, none of them, however, in the least resembling breadcrumbs.


I have purposely selected for quotation writers who are not members

of our Society. With regard to our own members it is sufficient to point

out that not one of them who has taken part in this discussion on " Food

for Soft-billed Birds " supports Dr. Butler in his advocacy of bread for

Nightingales and other warblers. Dr. Butler appears to be in a minority of

one.


I am anxious not to be misunderstood. I do not wish for one moment

to suggest that the knowledge or experience of Dr. Greene or Dr. Bradburn

or anyone else is greater than that of Dr. Butler. I simply want to shew

that the concensus of opinion is against him : in other words, that his

contention is contrary to " orthodox avicultural teaching."


It may be that Dr. Butler is right and everyone else wrong, but it is

clear that he is the heretic, and not those who condemn breadcrumbs. This

is all I undertook to shew.


Septimus Perkins.



Sir, — If I understand Mr. Perkins rightly, he regards the opinions

of Dr. Greene and the late Dr. Bradburn as orthodox. I do not. I will say

nothing more respecting the former gentleman lest it should be imagined

that I have a personal objection to him (which is not the case). With regard

to the late Dr. Bradburn, his opinion was based upon experiments carried on

in one direction onl}', and he was far from correct in some of his views : he

was a strong advocate for the use of chopped beef for soft-billed birds,

and that is certainly an error in the opinion of many aviculturists of the

present time.



