Early days of Aviculture.



67



and I regretted an engagement prevented my going over to see them.

All four took their departure on the 7th (W., 2), but on the 18th (S.,

1) three of them came back again. Mr. Patterson, who had an

opportunity of watching, thinks they were feeding on sand shrimps

and ditch prawns, which is very probable, as Sheppard and Whitear

remark that one killed on Breydon was full of the shells of shrimps,

and another which I had several years ago (October, 1871) had also

good-sized shrimps in its stomach. Mr. Jary does not say how long

these three stayed, but on July 4th another was seen, which he

considered to be a young one, and if so, a bird of the year. On the

31st there were again three (W., 1), which may have been the trio

first seen on June 2nd. On August 2nd two Spoonbills were

remarked flying out to sea by Mr. F. Chasen, perhaps on their way

to Naardermeer, as the following day none were visible on Breydon

Broad. However, one came back on the 4th (W., 2), after which the

Watcher, who has supplied nearly all the above memoranda, saw no

more. Breydon is the only one of the Norfolk Broads which Spoon¬

bills habitually visit, none of the others being tidal. Now and then,

however, one is seen on Hickling Broad, probably in search of

sticklebacks (see ‘ Zoologist,’ 1866, p. 348). *



EARLY DAYS OF AVICULTURE.


By Dr. E. Hopkinson, D.S.O., M.A.


The following is mainly a translation of what Dr. Russ calls

“ a short historical survey of the history of bird-keeping from the

earliest days up to the present time,” which that writer gives in the

introductory pages of vol. iv of his great storehouse of information

on cage birds, ‘ Die Fremdlandischen Stubenvogel.’ This is also

supplemented by further translation from the third volume of the

same work, by quotations from other sources and by a few additional

notes.


The translation is as accurate a one as I can produce, though

in places not quite literal, where the author’s use of idiomatic or

colloquial forms of speech is beyond me. I think, however, that it


* [The beautiful photograph of a Spoonbill, reproduced in illustration of the above,

is the work of Commander Rotch, R.N.]



