134


Nightingales warble but are not called " Warblers," and most

assuredly the Chats are not : the Stonechat eats bread and thrives upon

it, so does the Whinchat ; the Redstart in my aviary would certainly die

without it, for he gets but little of the egg and ants'-cocoons in his mixture,

these being quickly appropriated by other birds ; yet he is in excellent

health and sings well : I have had him two years.


It was Mr. Perkins (aud not I) who hinted that there was some affinity

between bread and berries ; I, on the other hand, said that I failed to see

the point of his suggestion.


Dr. Bradburn, even in his Intioduclion, says : — " Beef and mutton

(preferably the lean portions), sheep's heart and liver, in the right place will

be found very useful, and in some instances indispensable." If Mr,

Perkins will take the trouble to run through the suggestions for feeding

insectivorous birds in Dr. Bradburn's little book, he will see that I have

certainly not underrated the late doctor's high esteem for raw meat.


Lastly I would ask Mr. Perkins whether a foreign bird which

voluntarily visits England is more subject to indigestion than a foreign

bird which is imported into England ; because, if not, his statement

respecting Mr. Abrahams falls to the ground.


A. G. BUTlvER.



THE FOREIGN BIRD EXHIBITORS' LEAGUE.


A new Society with the above title has been founded to encourage the

exhibition of foreign birds and to improve shows in regard to them.


Thirty members have already joined, and a Council consisting of the

following gentlemen has been elected : — Messrs. W. H. Betts, H. T. T.

Camps, J. F. Dewar, J. Frostick, J. B. Housden, R. Humphrys, N. H.Jones,

W. Osbaldeston, C. S. Simpson, J. Storej', and W. Swaysland. I have been

elected Hon. Secretary and Treasurer.


The subscription is 2/6 per annum to members of the Avicultural

Societ}', and 5/- to others. I shall be very pleased to receive the names of

any desirous of joining. The rules have not yet been drawn up, but this

will be done forthwith.


The objection has been made that the formation of a new Society was

unnecessar}', and that its objects could have been just as well effected by a

special committee of the Avicultural Society. The answer to this is that the

Avicultural Society is, as a Society, unable to interfere usefully in Show

.questions, as the great majority not onl}' of the members but also of the

officers, are non-exhibitors. For the same reason it would be unfair to use

any part of the funds of the Society for any purpose connected with Shows.


It is the belief of its founders that the League supplies a long felt

want. The U.K. Foreign Cage Bird Society, which was amalgamated with

the Avicultural Society in 1895, was, to a large extent, a Society of

exhibitors — since that Society ceased to have an independent existence

exhibitors of foreign birds have been without a Society of their own.


Horatio R. Fili^mer.



