Correspondence , Notes , etc. 249


The same thing might be done with the gorgeous American Nonpareil,

who should be flanked with his European near relative the Chaffinch and

his cousin from Java, the Pintailed Nonpareil.* The latter is in colour

similar to the American Nonpareil, but in other respects allied to the

Parrot Finches, a specimen of which should not be absent.


Another very interesting exhibit might be arranged by showing, side

by side, the various African Green Seedeaters, the Wild Canary from

Teneriffe and Madeira, the Cape Canary and all the finches which may have

had something to do with the origin of our European household friend, the

Yellow Canary, whose ancestors were green like a Greenfinch or a Siskin.


A row of cages showing the Robins of various countries would be

very interesting, and if space admitted at any time, a row of cages showing

the varieties of exotic small Doves, or the varieties of Thrushes, or at

another time the Starlings might make very interesting and instructive

exhibits, prior to being turned into flight aviaries as room admitted.


I know from experience that those who look for rare or new birds can

find in London a surprising variety in the course of a year or two. In

former times, when I was an active collector, a weekly or fortnightly visit

to the chief dealers proved sufficient to enable me to obtain possession of

almost every known species of small foreign cage-bird at one time or

another, and of some previously unknown species also. Very rarely were

birds worth having offered to me by letter.


I11 the past the Zoological Gardens were stocked by birds presented

or brought there for sale, and the new arrivals were housed without any

attempt at classification. Anyone interested in any particular bird will not

find it easy to ascertain whether it exists in the collection unless he happens

to be possessed of the exact name under which it has been registered, and

then to find the bird is another and more difficult matter. The Western

Aviary contains a great number of highly interesting and some very good

and rare birds, of which very few visitors ever see anything. Take the

family of Tanagers, as an example, which contains some of the most

beautiful birds known. They do not come outside even for mealworms,

and privileged visitors who gain access to the interior of the aviary will find

these birds retired to the dark unventilated backroom. Their presence

during life is but little known to the public, their death is not noticed by

the visitors, and the prime cost of those which have been purchased has

really been money more or less wasted. In these aviaries these gorgeous

birds live but a short time, whilst I have known them to live for many

years in separate cages, and to delight, during their life, their owners and

very many friends and admirers.


Occasionally the cost of labour for cleaning separate cages and pay¬

ing individual attention to the birds has been mentioned as an argument in



* The American Nonpareil Bunting- is in no way related to the Pintailed Nonpareil

the latter being a Grassfiuch.— Ed.



