Correspondence. 313



THE FEEDING OF LORIES.


Sir, — From time to time I have sent a few notes to the Avicultural

Magazine on the feeding of Lories, and I believe my method of mixing

barley water with the milk, whether fresh or condensed, has been followed

by several other keepers of these birds with good results.


Recently I have been trying another method of feeding, and, from

the results obtained, I think I am justified in reporting it to the members

of the .Society.


Marmite sop made with barley water, sweetened, and a little sponge

cake added is the food I have been trying. The idea of using Marmite sop

was given me by a Member of the Avicultural Society, but as a food for a

different class of bird.


The advantages of Marmite over milk are that there is no risk of the

food going sour in the hottest weather, and fresh fruit can be safely given.


The suitability of this food for Lories was brought to my notice in

the following ways : — In the first instance, I had reason to place a Red-

crowned Hanging Parrakeet into the same aviary with a Fruit Sucker that

was getting Marmite sop, and I soon noticed a great improvement in the

Loricul'us. On another occasion I placed a pair of Lories that were not

looking well into an aviary containing Tanagers and a Fruit Sucker. The

Lories soon forsook their milk sop for the Marmite and are now looking

better than I have ever seen them. A third instance was an Eos fuscata

that I thought was certainly going to die. The diet of this bird had been

changed from fresh milk to condensed milk and then to a malted milk

but without any good results. As a last resort Marmite sop was tried and

the bird is now as well as possible.


All my Tanagers, Fruit .Suckers and Sugar Birds get some of the sop

and the Sun Birds get a little in their Horlick’s Milk, with first-class

results. I think from this that Marmite is a wholesome food for honey¬

eating birds, and probably an improvement on the usual milk diet.


E. J. Brook.



TUBERCULOSIS IN CRANES.


Sir, —I should like to inquire whether avian tuberculosis is a common

disease with Cranes. The disease is of course very rare in this country, but

I lost two birds from it (a mated pair of Demoiselle Cranes) last spring. I

had had these birds myself for about two years, and it seems as if they

must have had the disease during this whole period.


There is no question about the diagnosis as the livers of the birds

were carefully examined by a well-known pathologist at the Harvard

Pathological Laboratory. John C- Phillips.


Wenham, Mass.



