268 English Bird Dealers versus Germans.



as kept, not in shops, but in open aviaries and so on ; an announce¬

ment, which, if there were no overcrowdings and neglect of sanitary

arrangements in the trade, would be unnecessary.


Beautiful hand-reared Skylarks, singing gloriously, and larger

than anybody else’s Skylark, only costing two shillings, should dis¬

appear from the columns of British birds in Bird papers and journals,

since the deception and the lie is manifest.


Nightingales* in full song for 7/6, which are for sale in April

and May, when none have been advertised all through the previous

autumn and winter ; or if they have, their price has been very con¬

siderably larger; should not be permitted, since they are obviously

wild-caught birds immediately after their arrival from Africa.


At any rate, would not aviculturists be far more inclined to

purchase if the vendor honestly stated “ Freshly-caught birds, and

therefore not really tame.”


But as the dealer in question might be overhauled by the

authorities, he or she pretends they are nothing of the kind, and so

it comes about that many a bird seller vies with another in tricks of

the trade. And that trick too of advertising what is not in stock,

never has been, and never will be as far as immediate purchase is

concerned, is an obnoxious and dishonest one, which in time must

detract from the dealer’s good name.


There should be a union of those who wish to deal honestly,,

clubbing together to put down such detriments. Why should not

birds of a feather, flock together? A trade’s union to protect them¬

selves from their worst foes, the ones of their own household.

Why should they not meet once a year, say at the London Zoo¬

logical Gardens, where aviculturists could also gather together, each

seeking helpful advice and gaining mutual encouragement from the

other ? H. D. A.



[* * 1 gales ’ as some persist in dubbing them ! Why not ‘ rows ’ for sparrows,



1 nets ’ for linnets, ‘ catchers ’ for flycatchers, etc. ?]



