Chirps and 
Chatter. 
( 1 75 ) 
THE BIRD WORLD. 
It has Caught on. 
The scheme has caught on, and at 
the time of going to press we hear from 
the Editor of “ Cage Birds,” that many 
of our leading Ornithological Societies 
have taken up the scheme most heartily, 
and that many others have it under con¬ 
sideration. Such a gigantic special prize 
scheme has never before been placed in 
front of the exhibiting section of the 
Fancy. It is, indeed, stupendous. 
Fanciers are beginning to get used to 
the enterprising methods of the Editor of 
“ Cage Birds,” and are not now dumb¬ 
founded when he launches some big 
enterprise, in fact, they would be sur¬ 
prised if he let many months slip by 
without bringing something sensational 
before them. His latest enterprise is 
the greatest he has yet attempted, and 
it has secured the approbation of fanciers 
in the sunny South, the invigorating 
North, the balmy West, and bracing 
East. This being so, it is bound to 
prove, as the many other “ Cage Birds ” 
enterprises, a big, bounding, bouncing, 
success. 
Aid to the Fancy. 
Whatever may be the result so far as 
the enterprise of “ Cage Birds” is con¬ 
cerned, there can be no two opinions 
as to the immense amount of good the 
scheme will work to the Fancy generally. 
So far as the shows themselves are con¬ 
cerned, it will tend to considerably 
augment the entries, and thus enrich 
their coffers, it will cause the keenest 
interest to be taken by exhibitors as to 
the destination of these unique specials, 
and it will considerably enhance the 
value, not only of the particular birds 
which win these special “ Cage Birds ” 
prizes, but also of the whole of the stock 
in the studs from which they emanate. 
The names of the winners of these 
specials will become household words, 
and the amount of kudos and fame their 
owners will reap will be tremendous. 
Many of the secretaries of our leading 
Ornithological Societies have thrown 
themselves most heartily into the task 
of pushing the scheme forward. What 
this means needs no telling. 
A Unique Competition Closes. 
At the close of the month the result 
of the much-talked of “ Cage Birds ” 
Breeding Competition, which had been 
in progress during the summer, was 
announced. It was our privilege to 
assist in the sorting of the papers and 
the awarding of the prizes, a task which, 
whilst it was most interesting, also 
taught us, or rather drove home with 
much force a lesson we learnt many 
years ago, that the breeder with a small 
stud is the one who is likely to be the 
most successful in the race for honours. 
The results achieved by those com¬ 
petitors who only keep one, two, or 
three pairs of birds were really startling, 
and had they not been properly authen¬ 
ticated and vouched for, one would be 
justified in doubting them, but there can 
be no doubt in this case, because of the 
precautions taken. 
To Advance Fellowship and Enterprise. 
A movement to form a Federation of 
the London Ornithological and Cage 
Bird Societies is on foot, but it is not 
being received with any great amount of 
enthusiasm. The idea is good, and 
would undoubtedly prove of immense 
service to the Cage Bird Fancy in and 
around the Metropolis. At the present 
moment there are in the London dis¬ 
trict many societies struggling along, 
just keeping their heads above water, 
and something is needed to put more 
“ go ” into their proceedings. It is pro¬ 
posed to work this London Federation 
something on the same lines as the York¬ 
shire Union. Could it be done, and the 
same success attend its working, we 
should soon see the number of our 
Metropolitan Societies doubled, and all 
of them holding good open shows in¬ 
stead of the small members’ shows with 
which they are now content. The 
prestige of the London Fancy would 
also increase by leaps and bounds, and 
our great city would take its proper 
position in the bird world. 
What the Provinces Think. 
Londoners are wonderfully favoured 
by reason of the geographical position 
