Cor7 espondeuce. Notes, etc.



43



It is truh' surprising to see the great fall which has occurred in the

market prices of foreign cage birds since 1878. Aug. F. Wiener.


[As our Publisher had stated that the book was at least 37 years old,

we forwarded Mr. Wiener’s letter to him, and he replies as follows :


“I11 reply to Mr. Wiener’s letter, the date given by me of ‘at least

37 years old ’ is quite correct, the authority from which I took this when I

forwarded it to Dr. Butler, was the dated autograph of the previous owner,

he had written Nov. 1868.


If Mr. Wiener will refer to the “English Catalogue of Books” he

will also find it recorded there as published by Warne in 1868, price 1/-.

There is no clue to the writer.


Dyson’s book on the same subject went into two (or more) editions,

the first being in 1878, price 1/6, the second 1879, price 3/6, of course there

is the chance that Dyson (I can find 110 evidence whether this author was a

lady or gentleman), may have been responsible for the work of 186S, it

would be interesting to know if the price list of birds appeared in Dyson’s

book and if so whether the prices varied or were simply copied from the

earlier list.


In November, 1900, Mr. Wiener wrote in the Avicultural Magazine

“ Gould’s book on Australian Birds was not to be had at that time (20

years previously) for less than sixty or eighty guineas,” in 18S0 this work

complete was catalogued at ^175, and even now in two recent catalogues is

marked ^150.


Mr. Wiener’s remarks about Cassell’s “ Canaries and Cage Birds ” on

p. 259 would lead one to think that this work was dated, but I do not

remember ever seeing a dated copy.”


Dr. Butler also writes to much the same effect.— Ed.]


THE AGE TO WHICH BIRDS LIVE.


Sir,—I purchased a pair of Magpie-Mannikins in 1S96 which were

exhibited later at the Crystal Palace, but were beaten by two cocks exhibited

as a pair in the next cage : some three or four years later the lieu died, but

the cock continued in good health until about the 15th of August, 1905,

when he began to mope about 011 the floor: he died on the morning of

the 19th.


This bird must therefore have lived for quite ten years.


A. G. BuTEER.



THE CRIMSON-BREASTED GROSBEAK.


Sir, —Mr. Hamlyn has lately brought back from West Africa a pair of

these interesting birds, which have since been deposited at the Zoological

Gardens, Regent’s Park,;where however one died within a day or two of its

arrival.


This very handsome and interesting species has of late years been

very rarely seen on the bird market, whilst I had several opportunities to

purchase specimens between 1874 and 1S7S.



