196



Correspondence



From my own limited experience and from what I hear elsewhere, I fear

the record will not be a very exhilarating one, but all these facts are of real

value for any future record ; I know too that the recording of losses is by no

means as pleasant a job as its opposite.


My own recent records were given on page 55 and were fairly satis¬

factory, but their after-history is not quite the same, e.g.—


Greenfinches. —Two pairs ; four or five nests ; about twenty young

hatched, twelve left the nest, from June onwards ; three let go, nine over the

moult and looking in perfect health in October; then six died and by

1st December only three alive. Of these only one is left now (1st May, 1935).


Yellow Sparrows. —One pair; three nests ; one young bird left the

nest from the third ; through the moult by 1st December; died in the

winter.


In both cases the old birds still alive and nesting again.


When I issued a summary of the Records a year or two ago, I considered

that one could be fully satisfied with about 37 per cent, be more or less

satisfied with 39, while of the remaining 24 per cent the less said the better.


From correspondence I gather that those who use the Records may be

almost divided into two schools, those who doubt or discount, the whole,

and those who seem to take a species inclusion there as clear proof that

it has been bred. I hope that the mean is somewhere between these two

extremes.


E. Hopkinson.



THE PARROT BAN


Is it any wonder that the Avictjltttral Magazine grows smaller each

month when two of its five pages are given up to such an article as that on

the Parrot Ban. Almost wherever I go I make time to call on my poorer

neighbours who keep birds and though I have seen a great many Parrots

hardly one was out of condition.


If there are faults in the trade (which after all should be the practical way

to procure birds) surely these could be rectified without putting a ban on

one of the most fascinating families of birds in Aviculture.


Anyone reading Lord Tavistock’s book should know how to keep a Parrot.


Let us spread knowledge by teaching —not prohibition. How much help

could be given to budding aviculturists by broadcasts on bird-keeping.

In my experience Parrots are one of the easiest birds to keep and soon

become part of the family.


It seems from the many accounts given by private importers that their

losses are exceedingly numerous, while the much maligned dealer manages

to land his charges in really good condition.


I am sorry this letter is so long but the matter is one of great importance

to all aviculturists.


Muriel Maxwell-Jackson.


[We respectfully draw attention to an inaccuracy in the above letter,

due, we are sure, to an oversight on the part of the writer, and would point

out that although last month’s issue of the Magazine was unavoidably very

short, this can in no way have been due to an article appearing at the

same time.--E d.]



