Practical Bird-Keeping.



43



PRACTICAL BIRD-KEEPING.



XXI.—NOTES ON OUT-OF-THE-WAY BIRDS.


By Frank Finn, B.A., F.Z.S.


Although we have heard a great deal about aviculture as a

scientific study, the fact remains that the avicultural purview has so

far remained very limited, and neither in private collections, bird-

shows, or Zoological Gardens do we find any all-round representation

of the many families of birds ; yet, without this all-round represen¬

tation, aviculture cannot be said to be scientific. The reason is, of

course, that the ordinarily-kept families, such as passerine birds,

parrots, doves, pheasants and ducks, are so much easier than the

others that the temptation is to acquire good series of these and to

consider that a rare species is a great acquisition, while neglecting a

family which is seldom kept at all.


The rarer families of birds have, however, always had a great

attraction for me ; not only are they likely to be of more scientific

interest, hut they are often by their very unfamiliarity of form and

w r ays, more pleasant to watch, while some species among them may

he far easier subjects than many birds belonging to the more ordinary

avicultural groups. For instance, for a bird which lias the distinction

of being' the unique representative of its family, easy to keep, and in¬

teresting in its ways, we may refer to the Kagu (Bhinochetus jubatus )

whose quaint and affable manners we have mostly admired at the

Zoo. The first known eg'g of this species, by the way, was laid there

many years ago—a triumph far greater than the modern breeding

results we hear so much about.


I purpose here, then, to say something about members of

rarely-kept families of which I have had personal experience, and I

shall use my own experience as a peg on which to hang remarks or

suggestions re the treatment of out-of-the-way birds which I have

only seen kept by others, chiefly at various Zoos, which are not un¬

fortunately, usually good schools for high-class scientific aviculture,

though an absolute beginner may learn much there about the keeping

of hardy unkillable stuff.



