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Piactical Bird-Keeping.



is a great deal of matter therein which will provide instruction

for those of riper years, and whose knowledge of birds is not of

the most elementary character. The first chapter which is

headed “ Where our Poultry came from ” is really of great

interest as the author therein traces the history from remote

times of most of our domesticated species of birds, while in

“Birds under Water” he deals with the various swimming

attitudes of birds which procure their food beneath the surface

of the water, and their adaptation to their mode of life. There are

fifteen chapters dealing with such subjects as “ Birds in Training,”

“ Birds at Play,” “ Birds at School,” “ Birds at Night” and so on,

the book running to 235 pages.


The object of the book is to direct the attention of begin¬

ners in ornithology to interesting subjects in connection with the

life of birds — to make them observant, and we feel sure the book

will fulfil the object of its author.


It contains thirty-six illustrations, sixteen of which are

full-page in colour.


PRACTICAL BIRD-KEEPING.


XI.—THE FEET OF BIRDS IN CAPTIVITY.


By Katharine Currey.


Caged birds veiy often suffer in their feet, and, after many

years of bird-keeping, I have come to the conclusion that a bird’s

foot can be made and kept quite sound and healthy (provided of

course there is no hopeless erippledom or disease) by fulfilling

two conditions—a constant supply of fresh earth , as well as sand

and giavel, and giving the bird the opportunity of changing the

position of its feet and toes.


A bird’s foot needs exercise as much as a human hand.

Watch the wild bird in a tree, how constantly he changes the

position of his legs and feet. Now the foot is spread out; now

tightly clenched round a slender twig: now relaxed as he grasps

a bough ; now he hangs upside down, suspended by his feet;

now' holds on to a bough astant, one leg drawm up, the other



