Review.



77



very much larger. And from my recollection I should say

unicolor was not so yellow a green as here depicted.


Mr. Seth-Smith’s work is valuable, not only because he

tells us what aviculturists have found birds require, but also

their habits in a wild state. The aviculturist wants to know both.

Sometimes the knowledge may help him in treating the bird

when ill.


While on the subject of health, one may be permitted to

regret that as the book was written with a view to birds in

confinement, Mr. Seth-Smith has not given us a chapter on

Diseases and their treatment. He may have felt that we know

too little for him to venture on ground necessarily so empirical,

but it is from everybody adding their mite of experience that we

may hope to arrive at any sure knowledge of how to keep our

birds in condition. I am always hoping that some day the

Pasteur of feather picking and French moult may arise. But

till then—till some man will devote himself to the scientific

investigation of the causes of these two plagues of the Parrot

keeper, everyone should bring his quota of experience to the

common stock.


Bast, but not least, there is a capital index. Works of

reference—and this will be a work of reference—are useless

without one, but this one seems to be unusually thorough,

thereby doubling the value of the work.


In conclusion, while cordially recommending Mr. Seth-

Smith’s well got up book to any one who wishes to make a start

in the all too fascinating pursuit of aviculture, let us hope that

either Mr. Seth-Smith will himself embark on some of the

larger species of the family Psitlacus, or else inspire some one

else to follow in his footsteps and do it. The Short.tailed

Parrots—even the Amazons alone—would not prove less

interesting.



F. G. Dutton.



