John WilcocJc—Some Aims and Ideals in Aviculture



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and small insects, and hunting about on the ground. At this period,

when they are searching over bunches of seeding grass, it is as much

for insect life as for seeds. Actual greenfood I find my finches rarely

eat, or if they do it is in the smallest quantities, but chickweed seed

is much appreciated. Another seed they have always before them

is maw ; I think it ought to be one of the stock seeds. I am not sure

whether the time will not come when seed hoppers and dry seed are

considered obsolete and bad practice, and seed trays with soaked or

sprouting seed take their place. Sprouting seed has certainly come

to the fore recently and, when one thinks of it, birds in a natural state

are rarely likely to find seed in the bone-dry state in which we give it

them in hoppers. It seems too much like feeding ourselves with stuff

out of tins all the time, and for a young life, whether human or avian,

the results would certainly leave much to be desired.


I can quite imagine some of my views being criticized as a counsel

of perfection ; many can no doubt speak of apparently moderately

satisfactory results from birds rather crowded in small quarters, with

little more than the seed hoppers kept filled. I would just point out

that I am concentrating on the perpetuation of aviary-bred birds,

generation after generation, and whilst aviary-bred birds which are

well reared should be in every way more desirable as stock-birds than

newly imported ones, not all by any means are, and I am hoping

that some of the points I mention may help to make just the difference

between dependence on importations, and, except for occasional new

blood, independence of them. If the importation of the Australian

Grassfinches, for instance, were stopped (and I mention them as being

considered free breeders) can we maintain virile breeding stocks of

them, or even increase them ? If not, our methods still admit of

improvement.


With the larger parrakeets it appears to be accepted that relatively

large aviaries are necessary for the raising of first-class young. Our

methods with these birds are being put to the test at the present time.

If we are pursuing our hobby successfully, and have got on the right

lines, we ought to find that aviary-bred birds of at least the more

usually bred species are produced to meet a normal demand. This

should certainly apply to the Lovebirds, Cockatiel, Eedrumps, and



