An Original Member-—•Early Days of the Avieultnral Society 5


contains articles by the Hon. and Rev. F. G. Dutton, Chas. Louis

Hett, G. E. Bouskill, Thomas Marshall, W. Landless, Percy W.

Farmborough, A. Savage, and F. Finn.


In Volume V, in lieu of hand-coloured plates, there are four chromo¬

lithographs from drawings by P. J. Smit, the subjects being the Rufous¬

tailed Finch, the Blue Sugar Bird, the American Siskin, and the Princess

of Wales Parrakeet. The extra charge for plates was dropped, but

the nominal price of the Magazine was raised to 9 d. There was a

slight falling off in the number of pages. Amongst other writers who

first appear in this volume are W. T. Page and A. A. Pearson. The

Society and the Magazine were now firmly established, and the

membership had risen to 265. In 1899 Mr. Fillmer resigned the

Secretaryship and Editorship. Mr. Bonhote succeeded him as Hon.

Secretary and Mr. Cresswell as Editor.


After this lapse of time, it is perhaps not indiscreet to disclose

a small fact in connection with the articles and correspondence which

appeared under the name of Septimus Perkins. The truth is that

there “ never was no sich person ”. Septimus Perkins was the nom

de plume of a member who wrote also somewhat voluminously on

avicultural subjects both under his own name and, in publications

other than our Magazine, under another assumed name.


[“ An Original Member ” has consented to his name being divulged.

He is Mr. H. R. Fillmer who, in conjunction with Dr. C. S. Simpson,

laid the foundations of the Avicultural Society nearly forty years ago

and laid them well. We all owe him much for what he did in the old

days and are very grateful to him for the above most interesting

account of the Society's beginnings. Some of us remember well those

early days and it is a great pleasure in these later days to occasionally

take down the old volumes from their shelves and read of our first

successes and failures, and to peruse again the excellent and very

instructive articles by those who have now passed away.


There was always a certain mystery about “ Septimus Perkins

His writings were those of an experienced aviculturist, but no one

seemed to know him. Now the secret is out—he was Horatio R.

Fillmer.— Ed.]



