Correspondence.



203



It is interesting to note that in-breeding appears to be the natural habit

with Cranes. These birds normally produce two young of opposite sexes every

season, and the latter, according to my experience, remain together all their lives,

and do not pair with unrelated birds, except an accident happens to one of them.


Warblington House, Havant, Hants; Yours sincerely,


February 9th, 1918. Tavistock.



METALLIC MARKINGS IN BIRDS.


Dear Dr. Renshaw, —Herewith I send you my further notes on the evolution

of patterns and growth of colour in birds. I wanted to work out points relating

to the development of metallic colouring, but unfortunately, I do not possess a

microscope ; and that belonging to a medical friend appears not to be powerful

enough to discover the ridges or papillas which produce the metallic effects.


The fact that (in the African Bronze-wing Doves) the colouring changes

greatly according to the angle at which the light falls upon the metallic markings,

the purplish-blue spots of Clialcopelia afro, becoming partly black (so approaching

those of Tympanistria), the green spots of C. chalcospila considerably more blue,

and the crimson spots of Calopelia puella var. brehmeri green, when held level

with the eye, seems to me rather to indicate ridges than papillse as the agents in

producing the effects.


If I only had the splendid microscope available in the Insect-room at South

Kensington, I might clear up the point. Years back I wished to discover how the

silver spots on the Fritillary butterflies were produced, and I discovered that the

scales on those spots were crystalline and curved over towards their distal extremi¬

ties, so that they caught the light like a congeries of small mirrors. I wonder what

happens in the case of those beautiful aberrations in which the silver covers about

half the under-surface of the wings ?


124, Beckenham Boad, Yours very sincerely,


Beckenham. Kent; A. G. Butler.


February 4th, 1918.



SEPTIC ENTERITIS.


Monsieur, —Je vous serais trbs reconnaissant si vous pouviez m’indiquer

un remede cfficuce contre la gastro-enterite des oiseaux. Je possede en ce moment

deux jeunes Poephila gouldice atteinte de cette maladie; Pun d’eux a le ventre con-

siderablement enfle, . . . l’autre ne se perche plus.


J’ai perdu souvent des oiseaux de cette maladie, et tous les remedes que

j'ai essayes n’ont jamais donne aucun resultat.


Avec mes remerciments, veuillez agreer, Monsieur, l’expression de ma con¬

sideration distinguee.


A. Decaux, Membre de l’Av. Society.


Gery, fevrier 4, 1918.


[TRAX SLAT ION.]


Sir,—I should be much obliged if you could tell me an efficacious remedy

for gastro-enteritis in birds. I have at this moment two young Poephila gouldice

affected with this disease ; one of them has the abdomen considerably distended,

. . . the other no longer perches.


I have often lost birds from this malady, and all the remedies which I have

tried have given no result.


With my thanks,


A. Decaux, Member of the Avicultural Society.


Gery, February 4th, 1918.


The following reply has been sent to M. Decaux :


Septic enteritis is one of the most difficult diseases to cure to which birds are

liable. In treating it I have found warmth the most important thing ; the bird

should be placed by itself in a dry, clean cage (open only in front) and kept in a

warm, but properly ventilated, room.



