Correspondence, Notes, etc.



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produce some little revenue which no Colony despises. It could easily be

made a regulation that no cage of live birds shall be received on board

ship without a label which might be the Customs receipt for paid Export

Duty, and state the number of birds in the cage.


It should be further within the means and sphere of influence of the

many Societies for the Protection of Birds, Against Cruelty to Animals,

Avicultural and Ornithological, and what else their names may be, to obtain

from the Steam Shipping Companies trading all over the world, the issue of

a regulation that all live birds carried on board must have cages measuring

at least one cubic foot per pair of Finches, two cubic feet per pair of

Parrakeets and three cubic feet per head of larger Parrots.


Such or similar fiscal measures and shipping regulations would

render a now pernicious trade harmless, and in many respects beneficial.


This bird question is important not only to lovers of birds and

students, but possibly more so to the Colonies. The latter have every

interest to make their flora and fauna known in the old world.


Men and women who take some interest in natural history subjects

probably make good settlers in a new country. That in North America a

farmyard soon attracts the beautiful Blue Robin, whose habits are similar

to our Redbreasts and Redstarts, and that our European Chaffinch is

represented by his much brighter cousin the Nonpareil, that in place of

our Song-Thrush the graceful and melodious Mocking-bird enlivens the

country side, are facts which have some value of being made widely known,

for they may determine one and the other intending emigrant in the

selection of the part of the world where to seek a wider field for the

energies of new generations of the human race.


As regards Australia, I think that it cannot be made too much known

how many and what beautiful, perfectly harmless, little birds can be found

there. Nearly all of those being seedeaters they can easily be kept and

studied in Europe.


Stuffed skins or pictures convey but a faint idea of the beauty and

charm of a living bird.


The great majority of foreign seed-eating cage-birds become at once

reconciled to cage life, and are perfectly happy when properly cared for

and thrive much better than British cage-birds.


Some of the foreign finches breed readily in captivity, which is the

best proof of their feeling at home and happy.


But I repeat, that it is not desirable to see these pretty little

creatures sold at a price which tempts children to buy and soon forget to

tend them, or that thoughtless people who have neither the time nor the

means to care for them intelligently, purchase them like they do a cheap

toy or other novelty.


The real lover of birds wants a healthy bird to begin with, for which

he will pay a fair price, and he wants to keep that bird in perfect health and



