Meeting of Section V. 61 



Mr. Seth-Smith's discovery of the polyandrous habits of the 

 Tinamous and Turnices suggested a reason why species which 

 must increase so rapidly did not become very numerous. 



Dr. A. G. Butler said that when rare birds were shot or 

 caught one often heard the remark that they bore no sign of 

 having been kept in captivity, and it was therefore assumed 

 that they could not have escaped from confinement. It was, 

 however, a great mistake to imagine that birds in captivity 

 were necessarily in inferior condition as to health or plumage 

 to those that were wild : the contrary was rather the case, 

 birds kept in suitable aviaries being, as a rule, in absolutely 

 perfect condition in every way, which cannot always be said 

 of wild birds which have many enemies, both of their own 

 and other species, to contend with, and must often get 

 damaged in the struggle for existence. 



Mr. A. F. Wiener said he had found that small foreign 

 finches often suffered during our English winters on account 

 of their being unable to survive the long dark nights without 

 food ; and he had found it a good plan to supply artificial 

 light at such times. He suggested that an export tax of, say 

 one shilling a head, should be levied upon the small birds 

 imported to Europe from West Africa. These sometimes 

 reached this country in such numbers as to become a glut in the 

 market, when numbers perished in the bird-dealers' shops or in 

 the cages of those who bought them merely because they were 

 cheap, but had no idea as to their correct treatment. It 

 was, however, generally agreed that the importation of rare 

 species in small numbers should be encouraged, as the study of 

 their habits in captivity was of great scientific importance. 



The Chairman then thanked Mr. Seth-Smith for his paper 

 and declared the meeting closed. 



