229



THE UNITED KINGDOM FOREIGN CAGE BIRD


SOCIETY.


By H. R. Firmer.


The title at the head of this paper was very familiar to

the founders of the Avicultural Society five or six 3^ears ago,

but probably it is quite without meaning to nine out of ten of

the members who have joined us during the last four years.

I have for some time been desirous of giving our newer members

some account of the old Society, which was the parent of the

Avicultural, and began a little article on the subject some

months ago ; but I found it very difficult to handle, and for the

time abandoned the project. Now I am going to try again ;

but I must ask my readers to bear in mind that, in order to

avoid treading on corns, and unearthing buried controversies, I

must refrain from saying a good deal which I may perhaps be

expected to say. Being thus hampered in my treatment of the

subject, it is possible that I may convey a somewhat false

impression of what I am going to give an account of. But I

will do my best within my limitations.


The U.K.F.C.B.S. was founded in 1890, and very soon had

fifty members. The first President was Dr. W. T. Greene, and

the Vice-President the Rev. H. D. Astley. Mr. W. Osbaldeston

was Secretary and Treasurer, and filled those offices during the

whole existence of the Society. The first Committee consisted

of Messrs. W. Bottomley, S. Barnes, J. T. Dewar, J. Frostick,

T. C. Kneen, F. Spencer, W. Oakey, J. A. Sleep, C. P. Arthur,

W. Swaysland, J. Abrahams, and H. T. T. Camps. The chief

purpose of the Society was the issue of a Monthly Report,

consisting of Notes by the Secretary and letters or short articles

from members, with an occasional reprints of articles which had

already appeared elsewhere. These Reports varied in length;

some consisted of but two or three small pages, while others

attained the dimensions of a short number of the Avicultural

Magazine . The matter was similar to that in our Correspondence

pages, but the Editor might, with advantage, have used the blue

pencil more boldly than he did.


The U.K.F.C.B.S. appealed also to Exhibitors, and did the

work now performed by the F.B.E-E. The Society held a Show

at Preston in 1891, and one at Brighton in 1893, and both were

great successes in their way.


The Society seems to have reached high-water mark in

1892-3, when it had a membership of about ninety. The late



