96



Correspondence



abnormal bird by brick red, and many of the green feathers by yellow,

indicating the partial absence of the blue factor.


As the bird has created a considerable amount of interest in avicultural

circles in Scotland, I have decided to exhibit it at the forthcoming “ Palace ”

show, where readers will have an opportunity of inspecting it.


By rather a coincidence, one of my Fischer’s Lovebirds moulted last year,

heavy yellow feathers intermingled with the usual green plumage. The bird

is, and always has been, in sound condition, so this lutinistic coloration

cannot be associated with ill-health.


And. Wilson, F.Z.S.



THE LATE MR. METZGER


As I believe I am the only member of the Avicultural Society who has

met Mr. C. T. Metzger in person, I was greatly shocked to hear of his death

in the January number of our Magazine.


While on a visit to Chicago two and a half years ago, I rang him up and

asked him to call at the hotel where I was staying, and we had a long conversa¬

tion about avicultural matters. Since then I have carried on a private

correspondence with him, and I can assure members of Aviculture they

have lost a very good supporter. He worked very hard to establish the

American Magazine and also to keep it going, and members of our Society

have no idea of the difficulties he had to overcome. I am very pleased to

be able to state that he thought very highly of the help I and other members

of the English Society gave him, and he seemed to think that we English

were far in advance of any others in our knowledge of birds.


However, the great slump in the United States made the carrying on of

the Magazine more difficult than ever. As English subscribers are aware,

the Magazine improved beyond all recognition during the last twelve months,

both in the articles and in the style of print and paper.


Mr. Plath, the writer of the note regarding Mr. Metzger’s death, was a

great help to Mr. Metzger, and provided him with several very good coloured

plates, as one of America’s authorities on foreign birds, and I am very pleased

to read that according to Mr. Plath the Magazine is going to be carried on in

the future.


G. Beever.



SOME REMINISCENCES OF A COLLECTOR


The intensely interesting series of articles by Mr. Walter Goodfellow

which have recently appeared in our Magazine, under the above title, have

been reprinted as a pamphlet and can be obtained from the Editor for 2s. 6d.

post free.



BREEDING OF THE SPUR-WINGED GOOSE


Dr. Kadry, Director of the Zoological Gardens at Giza, near Cairo, reports

that the Spur-winged Goose bred in his gardens in 1926, four young birds

being hatched by their mother.



D. S-S.



