Correspondence 303


OFFICERS FOR THE YEAR 1935


The Council propose the following :—■


As members of Council : Mrs. Wharton-Tigar and Mr. R. S.

de Quincey, in place of Mr. G. H. Gurney and E. G. B. Meade-Waldo,

deceased ; Mr. D. Seth-Smith in place of Mrs. Goddard, retired.


As Editor : The Honourable Anthony Chaplin.


As Auditor : Colonel A. E. Hamerton, C.M.G., D.S.O.


As Scrutineer : Mr. James B. Housden.



The Council regret to have to announce the resignation of

Mr. Seth-Smith as Editor of the Avicultural Magazine. He has held

this post for twenty-one years, not consecutive years, but nearly so.

As we all know, it is chiefly due to him that the high standard of the

Magazine has been maintained, and we cannot be too grateful to him

for all the work it must have entailed, and we beg him to accept our

very sincere thanks.


The Council propose the Honourable Anthony Chaplin be elected

as Editor for the year 1935. E. M. K.



CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, ETC.


THE DISPOSAL OF DEAD BIRDS


Mr. C. B. Scott’s suggestion that upon death our rare and beautiful birds

should be mounted and presented to schools is a commendable one. Personally

I always ask the Natural History Museum if they desire the body of any

bird that I may lose. In most instances they do, and one receives a handsome

acknowledgment upon vellum. Not always are the birds or other subjects

needed for exhibition, but for scientific study. A few years ago I was fishing

off Nasau, Bahamas. I pulled up a bright scarlet fish. Attached to the neck*

if a fish has a neck, was a long parasite. It was ten minutes before this

parasite died and released its hold, leaving two holes plainly visible where

its prongs had been buried. I got a large, empty, glass olive jar from the

steward and I wasted £1 upon two bottles of whisky. I put the fish and

parasite in the bottle, filled it up with Scotch, and screwed down the lid.

As soon as I arrived back I wrote the Museum asking if they would care for

this specimen. Several scientists from that Institution wrote per return

saying “ Yes please ”. One was a lady—a lady doctor. She of course received



