BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



29 



THE PLUME SALES. 



The first of this year's bird skin and feather sales 

 took place at the Commercial Sale Rooms in the 

 City on February 16th. These auctions are held 

 every two months and constitute the central market 

 of the plume trade in London. 



For "osprey" plumes there was, according to 

 the trade report, "a good demand.'' It is difficult 

 to estimate the quantity, as these feathers are put 

 up in packages of varying weights. The 291 

 packages consisted of the plumes of various species 

 of egrets and herons, chiefly egrets ; the majority 

 were from India, others from South America and 

 China. The lowest price was 24s. 6d. per ounce, 

 26s. to 36s. being a fair average, and a few special 

 selected lots fetching as much as £5, £7, and 

 £g 12s. 6d. per ounce; while some grey heron's 

 plumes went as low as is. 9d. 



The 2687 Birds of Paradise were principally the 

 yellow-plumed and red-plumed, which sold at 

 12s. 6d. to 1 8s. 6d., according to quality ; some 

 females and poor specimens going at 10s. and 

 us. 6d. each, and a few small and poor rifle-birds 

 at 2s. 6d. each. Needless to say, all these birds 

 were from New Guinea, the only part of the world 

 in which Birds of Paradise are found. 



Of Impeyan Pheasants there were 1828, all from 

 the Himalayas ; their price was is. 9d. to 3s. 4d. 

 each. From the Himalayas came also the so-called 

 " Japanese " Argus Pheasants, which went at 21s. 

 to 26s. each ; and the miscellaneous bird skins in- 

 cluded Indian Hawks and Eagles (many Spiztztus), 

 which sold at from 2s.7d.down to 5d. each ; Ravens, 

 is. 4d. ; 400 small Indian Owls, 5-d. ; 50 larger 

 Indian Owls, among which were many of the genus 

 Ketupa, 3d. each ; about 2600 Indian Paraquets, 

 chiefly Palceornis to?'quatus, is. to is. old. each ; 

 and about 3000 Indian Rollers — described, as usual, 

 as "jays" — which went at an average of about is. 

 each. Flat Jungle-cock skins, without the necks 

 (these having doubtless been taken off for fly-tying 

 purposes) were is. 7d. to 2s. 2d. each. 



Mandarin Ducks, 120 from China, sold at io|d. 

 each ; Pittas, 250 from New Guinea, 7^d. ; Magpies, 

 about 300, a penny apiece. 



Of the 11,443 Humming-birds none were of very 

 brilliant species, and the best fetched no more than 

 2hd. or 3d. each, while dull sorts, males, went foi- 

 led, to i^d., and females for £d. to £ of a penny 

 each. Among other small tropical birds were also 

 1300 Tanagers, which sold for 4^d. each ; about 800 

 Cardinals ("Virginian Nightingales"), 2d. each; 

 and about 400 Orioles, 33d. each. 



BIRDS IN THE PARKS. 



The Report of the London County Council, issued 

 on February 16th, 1904, gives some particulars as 

 to the bird-life in the London parks : — 



" Great attention has been paid to animal and 

 bird life in the Council's parks. The waterfowl 

 have done extremely well, and this is partly due 

 to the satisfactory arrangements made for their 

 shelter on islands inaccessible to the public, and 

 partly to their regular distribution among the 

 various parks The following kinds of water- 

 fowl are now to be seen in the parks : — Black and 

 white swans ; geese, viz., Bean, Bernicle, Brent, 

 Canadian, Chinese, Egyptian, the grey-legged, and 

 common variety. Amongst the ducks will be found 

 Carolinas, Cazarkas, Cayugas, Chilians, Gadwalls, 

 Muscovies, Pintails, and Mandarins, as well as 

 rosy-billed, spotted - billed, and common ducks. 

 Sheldrakes, tufted divers, teal, coots, wigeon, 

 pochards and moorhen are also plentiful in the 

 parks. Swans have been placed on some of the 



ponds in the open spaces In connection 



with the subject of bird life in the parks, it may be 

 mentioned that the experiment of hanging in the 

 trees mesh bags filled with suet in order to induce 

 small meat-eating birds, such as wrens, titmice, 

 and robins, to frequent the parks has been attended 



with considerable success The animals and 



birds thus provided have been a source of pleasure 

 to visitors to the parks, and their provision has the 

 advantage of involving but a very small charge 

 upon the rates." 



BIRD AND TREE FESTIVALS. 



The proposal is made that the new holiday for 

 Ireland — St. Patrick's Day — should be celebrated 

 as Arbor Day. If this excellent suggestion be 

 adopted it is to be hoped that the birds will not be 

 left out. England still awaits the fixing of one date 

 for the national celebration of Bird and Tree Day, 

 and this, once arranged, would no doubt do much 

 to nationalize the festival. Meantime the schools 

 concerned in the Society's County Challenge Shield 

 Competitions select the times and seasons most 

 convenient to each individual school ; but the 

 practical sympathy of the local squires and other 

 residents is needed, and may surely be looked for, 

 if every school entering for the Competitions is to 

 have its annual Festival. 



Sandown (Isle of Wight). — An enthusiastic 

 gathering of clergy, gentry, local magnates, and the 

 parents and friends of the scholars, as well as the 



