38



Sir,—I have a Blue-bird which I bought last week, and was told that

it was a Honey-eater and would eat insect food (Arthur's) and fruit, like the

Tanager; but I do not find that it answers to the description of the Honey-

eaters. It is smaller than my Superb Tanager, and is more sober in its

shades of bine. It has a patch of yellow at the root of its beak and also on

its back ; but is chesnut-browu underneath, and its beak is a little more

pointed than the Tanagers. I have given it banana, orange, pear, and

sponge cake mixed with honey, and Arthur's mixture mixed with cold

potato—the same food that I give to the Tanager, and which seems to

suit it.


I shall be much obliged if any member can help me to define what

bird it is. I think it must be the Blue Robin, only it is a small bird.


Mary Mi brer.



THE MAGAZINE ; THE RATE DR. RUSS.


Sir, — The accounts for last t 7 ear show that the Avicultural Society

has expended a little more than its income, and is at present indebted to its

Honorary Treasurer for is. 6d. balance on the wrong side.


I enclose my annual subscription, to which I have added 2 S. 6d., and

I venture to hope that of the 289 members a sufficient number will be glad

to make such a small addition to their subscription to extinguish the little

debt.


A foot-note to the Balance Sheet explains that the cost of the

coloured illustrations has considerably exceeded the original estimate.

Their cost has, indeed, absorbed one-half of the total receipts from

subscriptions, entrance fees, and advertisements. I venture to suggest

that it would perhaps be good policy to restrict the number of coloured

illustrations to two, at the utmost, per annum. One every three months

would, I think, be ample ; and a sound financial position is perhaps more

conducive to the best interest of the Society, than a coloured supplement

more or less.


I see with pleasure that the Members’ List, published a few days ago,

contains the names of so many ladies ; that of three new members who

joined the Society last month, two are ladies, and that the three new candi¬

dates are all ladies. As many ladies have more time for the observation of

cage-birds than the majority of men, I hope the lady-members will in future

frequentty record, in the pages of the Magazine, interesting new facts.


I have seen no mention in the Magazine of the death of Dr. Karl Russ,

which occurred some months ago. The deceased naturalist was probably

the most enthusiastic lover of foreign cage-birds of his time. He devoted

a long life to the care, observation, and description of birds and their habits.

All readers of his many works and writings on the subject, will remember

them with pleasure.^


A few readers of the Magazine may recollect having seen the

magnificent collection of foreign birds Dr. Russ sent over and exhibited at

the Crystal Palace, about twenty years ago. It contained a few hybrids of

extreme rarity. At that time Dr. Russ was already advanced in years. He



( e ) I think one reason for this was, that it was reported that a nephew of the famous

gentlemen (and not Dr. Russ himself) had died.—A. G. R.



