1 88 Reviezvs.


elusions. Progression, however, is never by walking, but by

frog-like leaps.


F. Diving, catching fish and swallowing them head-first are

almost congenital instincts, much improved by practice

within the first week.


G. There is no instinctive fear in the young birds.


H. It is probable that the young Loons instinctively recognise

the usual rolling, laughter-like call of the parents."



"THE IMPORTANCE OF AVICULTURE."*

This is an admirable paper and one likely to direct the

attention of the more exclusive among systematic ornithologists

to the indisputable fact that they cannot ignore the labours of

aviculturists without exposing themselves to a charge ot

culpable ignorance, and a liability to blunder in their estimation

of the constancy of specific characters, in their judgment as to

the affinities of genera, and many other points upon which only

aviculturists or resident field-naturalists abroad can inform

them.


It is a cheering reflection to know that many cabinet

workers are beginning to appreciate the value of the observa-

tions recorded by bird-keepers : thus, whereas in the British

Museum Catalogue Hypochcera (the genus containing the Com-

bassou and its allies) was placed between a genus of Waxbills

and a genus of Grass-finches, the notes on the habits of

Hypochoera published by the late Dr. Russ and others, induced

Messrs. Stark and Sclater, and later Captain Shelley, to transfer

the genus to its natural place among the Whydah-birds.


Mr. Seth-Smith rightly says — "there are hundreds of

species represented in our museums, the actual life-history of

which practically nothing is known " ; he proceeds to show that

the private life of many of these can only be studied in captivity ;

that, although much good work can be and has been done in our

Zoological Gardens, the private owners of suitable aviaries,

whose birds are not constantly exposed to the prying observa-

tions of hundreds of visitors, have a. distinct advantage in this


*The importance of Aviculture as an aid to the study of Ornithology, by D. Seth-Smith^

M.B.O.U. Proceedings of the IVth. International Ornithological Congress, 1905, Section V.



