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SEASONAL CHANGES OF PLUMAGE.


Sir, —The question has occurred to me, Has a bird any control over

the time at which it assumes bright plumage ? I am inclined to think not,

yet it evidently contrives to make the bright feathers show as much as

possible as soon as they begin to come, and to hide the dull ones as long as

it can. Perhaps some of our members have studied the subject.


I have a Madagascar Weaver which began to grow scarlet in

November, but after a few weeks, and when a very long way off full colour,

it went brown again very quickly. It has now assumed the brilliant

plumage and almost completed it.


A Rufous-necked Weaver, a few weeks since, went into dull plumage

(though they live together in an outdoor aviary) and another Rufous-necked

Weaver has remained in bright plumage for three years.


A Nonpareil, living with them, has been dull all the winter, but, I

think, begins to show signs of brightening now.


Have breeders of these birds which have bright and dull times of

plumage found that they gradually begin to assume bright plumage in our

springtime after a few generations ?


A. A. Thom.



THE LICENSING OF BIRD-CATCHERS.


Sir,' —According to Dr. Butler, the Society for the Protection of Birds-

is over-reaching itself by ludicrous severity, and by interfering with the

liberty of Englishmen.


I can assure Dr. Butler that I do not wish to interfere with the liberty

of Englishmen any more than is necessary for the protection of birds,,

some species of which are likely to become extinct if nothing is done (b).


I should like to ask Dr. Butler if he thinks it would be fair to a

professional catcher and dealer if an unlicensed private individual were

allowed to go out on Sundays or an} r other day and catch a score or so of

Nightingales, Blackcaps, Garden-warblers, etc., to sell again, whilst the

professional catcher and dealer were licensed. These skilful private catchers

do exist, to my knowledge, and among the doctors too—my first two

Nightingales I bought from a doctor for 30/-, and they both turned out to

be hens or non-singing cocks, so I let both go in Epping Forest. I have

bought another since, from a private individual and catcher, and he had a

dozen more to sell. Why should these private individuals be let off scot-free ?

The Society means to do its work thoroughly, and I commend it for it.


A. Jones.



PARROT FINCHES AND THEIR FOSTER-PARENTS.


Sir,—I have a fine pair of Parrot Finches. The hen built in a box

low down in the aviary, and laid two eggs, but did not sit. The week after

this she laid four more eggs in another nest box, but again did not sit.



(6) There is not the least doubt that nothing' can be done to prevent the extinction

of many species in Great Britain. The whole land is rapidly being converted into bricks

and mortar. In the days of good Queen Bess nearly everyone considered it sport to snare,

slaughter and eat birds of all kinds wholesale, yet there was no decrease in their numbers ;

let Mr. Jones and his friends ask themselves why this was.—A. G. B.



