Correspondence, Notes, etc.



49



CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, ETC.



THE INFLUENCE OF DIET ON THE AVIAN DEATH-RATE.


Sir,—I n answer to Mr. Phillipps’ query I regret to say that I am

bound to include dried egg in my condemnation of egg food.


Septicaemia, as occurring in its various forms in birds, is a very large

and interesting subject, and covers too much ground to be traversed within

the limits of one or two short papers. Unfortunately I cannot, for more

than one reason, well duplicate my articles in both the Avicultural Maga¬

zine and Bird Notes , but those who are members of both Societies may

with Hamlet begin to realize by the time they have finished them, that

there is something more in heaven and earth than is yet dreamt of in their

philosophy.


At present, owing to the want on their part of “much more inform¬

ation, they have no grounds open to them for criticising, since there is

indeed much that is outside the purview of those who have only

experience to guide them. For instance, the experience, not of one

only but of many centuries, seemed to teach that the proper treatment in

cases of phthisis consisted in stuffy, closed up rooms, and opiate cough

mixtuies. A little microscopic investigation has however been of consider¬

ably mote practical value” than all that experience—in spite of the

opinion of one of my annotators to the contrary—inasmuch as not only has

it taught us to recognize the potential germs of the disease in air and food

and the effect of their development upon a receptive soil, but it has also

demonstrated the correct method of meeting them to their ultimate

discomfiture.


It is however not my intention to waste time on discussions with

those who are not equipped with anything beyond “ experience,” which, as

I have already pointed out in my original article, is common to all, and

which, as though to show its true value, only succeeds in leading us all to

different and often erroneous conclusions in these special matters of bird

treatmeut * W. Geo. Cresweee.



Sir,—H aving read Dr. W. G. Creswell’s article under this heading,

I must acknowledge that I have not suffered the shock that he anticipates,’

-excepting that we are asked to accept as a fact that egg food is positively

dangerous as an article of diet for birds, without the slightest explanation

as to how this conclusion has been arrived at. That egg is a favourable

medium for the reception of various kinds of germ life has been known for

years, taking for granted that Dr. Creswell is correct in his statement

that egg food (not fresh and sweet I presume) does contain Bacilli which,

when received into the alimentary track of a bird, will sometimes produce



