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At tlie present moment, several specimens of both the Great and

Lesser Birds of Paradise (.Paradisea afada and P. minor) are on sale in

Calcutta, and Mr. Rutledge once had as many as four species in his estab¬

lishment together.


He tells me that it is no longer worth while for him to get down

specimens of the rare soft-bills I have mentioned above from up country,

as purchasers now are so few, so that there is every chance of this branch

of the trade dying out, as I doubt whether the ordinary Bazaar dealers can

keep it going; at any rate, they have had to sell off this year at much

reduced prices. So that if people really want good soft-bills from India,

the}’- should bestir themselves, and give Mr. Rutledge orders while the

trade is in hand. I have every confidence in recommending him, and

am giving him, without his knowledge, this advertisement in the interest

of the cage-bird fancy at large.


If this recommendation of a dealer is regarded as an ordinary adver¬

tisement, I shall be willing to pa}' for it as such.


Indian Museum Calcutta. F. Finn.



EYE DISEASE IN GREY SINGING FINCHES.


Sir, — I shall be very grateful for advice how to acclimatize Grey

Singing Finches. Last year I had two pairs from different dealers, and all

died, apparently from the same disease. The first symptom of anything

amiss is the swelling of one eye, which gradually extends until the whole

head is enlarged, death then resulting. I have just bought another pair,

only four days ago. The hen is showing symptoms of the ailment which

carried off the others, and I am anxious to hear of any treatment likely to

check the disease.


I should like also to ask what is desirable to be done in the following

case. A cock Long-tailed Grassfinch has the lower half of beak longer

than the upper. Would this interfere with it cracking its seed properly.

If so, should it be cut down to meet the upper half of beak. In the hen

the two halves fit exactly, which makes me think that the long upper half

in the cock is abnormal.


Asking your forgiveness for so much detail. M. Husband.



The folio-wing reply was sent to Miss Husband :


From the fact that five examples purchased in succession have

suffered from the same disease, I have little doubt that the cause exists in

the cage to which the birds are consigned.


The eye disease is probably due to a bacillus ; but, until microscopic

sections of the brain have been carefully studied by some specialist, we are

not likely to learn much about it. From the fact that it is often associated

with brain paralysis or “ staggers ” in birds, I am inclined to believe that

both troubles are due to the same cause.


I never knew a Grey Singing-finch to be thus affected, but it is

common enough amongst Zebra- and Gouldian-finches, Canaries, and

Skylarks.


When I first receive Grey Singing-finches (of which I purchase all



