The Bird Market of Caracas.



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I find all Teal are fond of unhusked rice—known in the trade

as “ Paddy Bice” I believe—and they thrive on it with some wheat

and a little barley. They are also fond of worms, machine-minced

rabbit [raw], soaked dog biscuit or Spratt’s “ Crissell,” but fondest

of all of water-cress and water-weed, pulled out by the roots from

a ditch with all the insects in it and put in shallow end of pond in

early Spring.


Later in May-June you can skim duck-weed off some pond

and throw it on, the more the better; or, failing duck-weed, then

young lettuce thinnings. In the winter, old Brussel Sprout plants,

tied on the edge of pond so that they are an inch in water, are

esteemed.


Personally I feel convinced that if anyone kept these Teal in

the West of England, where Spring is early and therefore more grass

and nesting covert in April, they would be certain to breed freely, as

would the other rarer Teal.


In conclusion, if you write to a dealer abroad for Blue-wing

Teal you get Cinnamon Teal sent at once, unless you quote the

Latin name and add American Blue-wing Teal; also sometimes a

Blue-wing x Cinnamon is sent by mistake.



THE BIRD MARKET OF CARACAS.


By Albert Pam.


Bight in the centre of the City of Caracas is situated the

41 Mercado ” (market), where every morning all the cooks of the

town meet to purchase provisions of every kind, and almost more

important, to chat and discuss the latest scandal; Martinique

negresses, as black as soot, with gaily coloured turbans, and native

women of every gradation of complexion to pure white. Adjoining

the market is an open space of about 100 square yards, surrounded

by palms and tropical trees and paved with patterned tiles. On

weekdays this space is deserted, but on Sundays and Beast Days

(of which there are many in the Venezuelan calendar) it is trans¬

formed into the “ bird ” market. Then the paving is covered by

men and boys of all ages, squatting next to a cage—men from all



