145



Con espondence, Notes, etc.



I do not mean that the Society should not do its best to assist and to

instruct the public. Coloured plates, even if imperfect, affixed outside the

aviary are a great help, and excite inquiry and search in many a thoughtless

breast. But care should be taken that blunders do not occur. When one

sees Chera procne called a Paradise Whydah, an Indian Barbet referred to

South America, a Scops Owl given as Scops gui, one might imagine on the

authority of the dealer who commonly imports the species and used always

to talk of “ Scops guy ” (as the name), one wonders why a few of the many

who are so fond of dangling their “ F.Z.S.” before one’s eyes do not dcr

something to justify their dignity by seeing to the prevention and correction

of avoidable errors.


A great help to seeing and identifying birds would be the opening ot

a passage for the public at the back of the aviaries, as already suggested.


And may we not look to the Zoological Society to teach us how

aviaries for the various species should be constructed ? Their exhibition

of cages sufficeth for our present need. Reginald PhieeippS.



Sir, —No doubt a very great deal that Mr. Wiener writes on this-

subject is worthy of being read, marked and learnt, but if I may be allowed

to add a few words, I should like to say that it is surely a pity if, in so noted

and important an institution as our Zoological Gardens in London, there

are not to be found large flight aviaries for the smaller foreign birds; for I

understand that it is proposed to erect before long some house or aviaries,

or a house containing aviaries, by the Society, for such birds. Mr. Wiener

seems to be of an opinion that it would be more advisable to keep the birds

in cages, rather than to give visitors to the Gardens the interest of seeing

them flying about in a freer manner, and building their nests as one would

never be able to see them do, were they in cages immediately under one’s

nose.


There are many beautiful and hardy small foreign birds, which would

really do better in many ways in large flight aviaries, than in small cages.

Such birds as the more ordinarily imported Grass-finches of Australia, the

members of the Waxbill family, Singing Finches, etc: etc:


I cannot say that I have found birds to be so timid as Mr. Wiener

thinks they are, when faced by strangers who visit their aviaries; and in

the Zoological Gardens where they see daily hundreds of people, this

timidity soon disappears, and they hardly seem to notice the presence of

the visitors.


In my own aviaries, which are in the country, aud away from the

house, the birds soon seem to understand that they cannot fly beyond the

wire from within, and that the visitors cannot penetrate from without.

Many of my birds will fly down and take mealworms from the hands of

strangers, and even nesting-material, much to the evident delight of both

parties.


Of course there is a risk of individual birds becoming egg-eaters or



