104 Correspondence.


feather belonging to the summer plumage which, instead of falling out at

the autumn moult, had merely continued to grow, the basal half being of

the autumn plumage.


Finally, ma)^ I try to impress on Mr. Beebe and other Americans that

proof of a moult is no disproof of colour-change, and ask them to attack

this fact, which they deny, from another and more scientific standpoint.


J. Lewis Bonhote.


[In the notice, above referred to, we merely stated the result of Mr.

Beebe's observations, very carefully carried out, of a single example of

Larus atricilla, in which there certainly appeared to be no doubt whatever

that no actual colour-change took place ; nevertheless we would not for

one moment state that colour-change in feathers never occurs, in fact Mr.

Bonhote, Dr. Gadow, Dr. Butler, and others have published evidence

tending to show that it does. It is a very interesting and important subject,

necessitating the most minute observation, and we hope that it will be

thoroughly thrashed out in our Magazine. Ed.].



FOREIGN BIRDS AND OUR CLIMATE.


Sir, — If you think my remarks worth publication perhaps they will

add to the testimony of others, and show Mr. Attewell that there need be

no cruelty in keeping foreign birds in outdoor avairies that are properly

constructed.


I have now watched ni}' birds both in heat and cold for some con-

siderable time, and I find that several of them that will remain indoors

most of the day will do all they can to roost outside at night. A pair of

Crimson Wings are almost impossible to drive in at night, even at this time

of year, if there is no wind.


A pair of Varied Lorikeets, though they remain indoors a good deal,

alwa3'S fly outside and remain out a considerable time on the coldest morn-

ings. Then take the Violet Neck Lories, which I suppose come from

nearly the hottest part of the world ; during the late summer they hardly

ever showed outside on a hot day, but as the weather became cooler they

came out more and more, and even now they ate out of doors a good deal,

sometimes in very cold rain.


The fact is that, in very hot climates the mornings, before sunrise, are

often very chilly and cold, and the birds are well provided by nature against

these sudden chills.


How often one sees birds that have been kept in cages in warm

rooms improve greatly in spirits and plumage when carefully introduced to

a cool aviary. By all means give birds a chance of a warm inner room if

they wish to use it, but let them have a chance of a fly in the outer aviary,

and it will astonish many, who do not know the fact, how often birds from



