192



Mr. P. F. M. Galloway,



may discover in such places. In the group of wild African buffalo,

collected by Col. Eoosevelt and his party in that country, and

exhibited in one of the immense cases in the Mammal Hall of

the National Museum, several of these Egrets or Herons have been

introduced. The plumes on the back of this bird are of a rather

deep yellowish-buff, which is also the case with some of the plumage

of the head and neck. All the rest is of a chalky white, which is

difficult to faithfully reproduce photographically when one comes

to consider the place in which the picture was obtained. Hundreds

of people, visitors at the Museum, have admired this truly elegant

piece of work—the pity is that my photograph fails to show it as

w T ell as it should ; the reduction and the light are chiefly responsible

for this. On the other hand, the original is absolutely true to life,

and to the last feather of the specimen we have the pose assumed

by a small Heron as it attempts to preserve its line of gravity

or balance when pacing down some old stick, to reach the water

of the marsh wherein it has its home.


{To be continued.)



[We shall shortly consider taxidermy in relation to book

illustration, and the volume concerned will be reviewed by Mr.

J. J. Cash.—G. R.]



DISEASES OF BIRDS, AND THEIR TREAT¬

MENT AND CURE—I.


By P. F. M. Galloway.


Birds, both large and small, whether kept in cage or aviary,

are liable to be attacked by diseases the same as any other animal,

human being, or even insect or plant.


There are pests or diseases which attack all forms of life, if

conditions are favourable; but if the bird (and it is birds that I am

dealing with) should be, as it were, below par, then it stands the

chance of being attacked.


In the case of a bird it is impossible to tell if it is below par;

hence the reason why birds, as a rule, suddenly show signs of some-



