Correspondence 263



I would not trouble you with another letter, but that the matter ia so

serious to aviculturists.


The article on Aviculture in this month’s issue of the Magazine seems

so disloyal to bird-keepers that it cannot lightly be passed over.


If the writer knows that bird dealers import these birds in a cruel and

disgusting manner, why does he not either charge the dealer or dealers with

it or lay the matter before a committee of the Avicultural Society, who

could surely reprimand the guilty one. What is the use of writing indefinite

abusive letters to the papers ?


Prejudiced people simply use them as powerful propaganda for these

virulent and wholly unjustifiable attacks on bird-keepers. I know from

experience how utterly unreasonable and wilfully blind these people are.

They refuse even to look at a pet bird, and will not listen to what is not

only common sense, but a crying need for all bird-lovers to support, as unless

Aviculture does come to the aid of Nature, many of our loveliest birds will

disappear before advancing civilization.


The truest part of birds is their wonderful love for their homes. My

birds are in and out of cages or aviaries most of the time but never fail to

return.


One tiny Orange Cheek came out with some branches while cleaning the

aviary. Nothing was seen of him for three weeks, but the other day the

poultry boy ran in and said : “ That there little bird is back again and

fair blustering to get inside.” There he surely was, peering all over for an

opening. I let him in and the joy of his song was unmistakable, while he

presented me with pieces of hay through the wires. When first put out

into the aviaries they will not leave the cages, and for long return to them

to sleep.


I think it is extremely bad taste for any one who sells birds, and is after all

only a small dealer (that is if he imports to sell), to run down those on a

larger scale. It looks so very much as if they wanted the monopoly, and to

charge their own prohibitive prices.


Looking back twenty years, when such names as Perreau, Alder son,

Whistler, Chawner, Lovell Reay, Peddie, Waddell, Otto Peek, and countless

others filled the pages of Bird Notes with inspirations and such a joyful

loving interest in our birds, these men were a bulwark to Aviculture—the

loveliest study in the world.


Muriel Maxwell-Jackson.



THE AIMS OF THE SOCIETY


Mr. Webb’s excellent article in last month’s issue should stimulate the

Avicultural Society once and for all to make an effort and decide definitely

what its ultimate objects are, and what advantages it can offer to its members.

At the moment it can hardly be said to contribute much that is of value to

the science of ornithology, although, vaguely enough, it claims to exist for

the study of British and Foreign Birds in Captivity.


It is all very well to say that people keep birds purely for pleasure : there

is absolutely no doubt whatever that a time will come when this form of

“ pleasure ” procured at the expense of living beings will be made illegal.



