82



Correspondence, Notes , etc.



Why I write is that, some years ago several of these birds were in my

possession. They' were kept in a large cage, with Waxbills and the smallest

finches. Their principal food was Canary and the ordinary table rice, and

they kept in very' good health. I had been try ing for more than a twelve¬

month to get paddy' rice, and at last received a consignment.


A well-known bird dealer, now deceased, cautioned me not to give

paddy rice, but get the birds on to canary', as they were liable to get rice

ophthalmia. I did not take his advice, I am sorry to say', and the conse¬

quence was that very soon all the Erythrura prasina contracted this

horrible disease, and had a spongy' sort of growth below the eyes, which

rapidly spread round the mandibles. As after a time they' could only peck

seed with difficulty 7 , I killed the whole of them.


I may add that none of the other birds were affected.


W. T. Cateeugh.



THE MANAGEMENT OF THE AVICUETURAE SOCIETY.


Sir,—I think there can be no doubt that the Council were within

their legal rights in enacting the new rules. The original rules, as you

point out, made the Council the sole rule-making authority, and so long as

this power is not exercised in a manner entirely' contrary' to the original

purpose of the Society, the members have no right of veto. But a thing

may be legal without being expedient, and I agree with Mr. Simpson that

the sweeping changes recently introduced should have been submitted to

the members before they were definitely' carried out.


Why it should be “ practically' impossible to take a vote of the

Society' as a body unless at a general meeting,” I fail to comprehend. Such

a vote was taken before the subscription was raised from 5/- to 7/6.*


It was always customary to publish the names of the proposer and

seconder of each candidate for the Council. The proposer and seconder

were almost invariably well - known members, and their names were

sufficient guarantee of the suitability of the candidate proposed. If your

contention is correct that the Council and the Council alone is competent

to select candidates, surely the right course would be to abolish popular

election entirely 7 , and let the Council 011 all occasions itself fill up the

vacancies in its own body. And if the members are not fit to be trusted

with the management of the Society’s affairs, why have a Society at all ?

Surely it would be better to run the Magazine by a syndicate, and turn the

so-called members into mere subscribers.


I am glad to see that the “ number of members” who left the Society

to join the F. B. C. has now come down to “several members.” I believe



When the Society was a small affair compared with its present state.—E d.



