153



many, hoping to light on the White Banded Mocking Bird, or

perhaps a nice cage full of Red Crested Finches. But my in¬

dustry was in vain. There were Cardinals by the hundreds,

Black Headed Siskins in scores, numbers of a Mocking Bird

from Paraguay, hardly distinguishable from the N. American

species, and any quantity of Canaries, besides S. African Weavers

and Waxbills, but nothing of any interest. Of course the Sis¬

kins are interesting, but I did not feel at all tempted to risk

bringing these delicate birds for a month’s voyage, to arrive in

England in January. There were a good many also of a species

of Spermophila, something like the Fined Finch but duller in

colour and not very attractive, but these mostly appeared to be

in very uncertain health. I looked in vain for Tanagers or ai^

interesting soft-billed birds.



THE WOOD-SWALLOW SHRIKES.


(Artamus).


By Henry J. Furejames.


Aviculturists who have, in the pursuit of their hobby,

been led from time to time to try their hands at the. keeping

in captivity of many different species of birds will, even if

their efforts have been confined to British birds, have found

from their own experience, that some kinds are quite easy to

keep in health and comparative happiness in cages, some kinds

difficult, and some kinds impossible. In the latter category

must emphatically be classed the Kingfisher and the Swallow.

With regard to the first of these I am happy to say I do not

write from personal experience, as I have profited by the known

failure of others and have never tried to keep an English

Kingfisher. Of the keeping, or, rather, the endeavour to keep,

Swallows in cages, I can, however, speak from the results of

my own attempts, as well as from what I have known of the

fate of the unfortunate specimens seen in the past at our bird-

shows. In this connection I should like to congratulate the

National British Bird and Mule Club upon the evident result

of their action in striking out the Swallow tribe from their

original list of cage birds, inasmuch as that during the past

season I think I have only seen one Swallow at a bird-show,

whereas, until quite recently, a Eondon show was rarely to be

found at which the species was unrepresented by at least two

or three unfortunate examples. I am ready to acknowledge

that I have myself been a sinner in trying to keep these beautiful



