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Correspondence



chance of breeding under proper conditions. The locality and conditions could

be the concern of the board in charge of the preparation area in the country

to which the stock is exported.


In this way I feel sure we would often be able to send a few pairs of healthy

stock which, owing to some stir being caused through a badly managed

exportation, come under the general ban, and rightly so ; for public opinion on

cruel exportation is very strong.


But straighten out the whole business, stress the tremendous importance

of propagation as a preserver of the balance of Nature, and the vital necessity

of bird life in the destruction of pests. Then the business man, the farmer,

in fact all, even people who have never kept a bird in their life, will realize

and learn through the publicity that such a scheme would draw, that

Aviculture is an asset to any nation.


Later on I will send some notes on the care and breeding of some of our

native fauna, and herewith enclose a few photos which may be of interest.

All photos were taken on my sanctuary and propagation area at Dromana.


Douglas Picking.


[We shall all welcome further notes from Mr. Picking on the care and

breeding of birds on his Fauna Reserve. It is good to know that there is so

much interest taken in Aviculture in Victoria, and we wish the enterprising

owners of these fine collections of birds the success they deserve in propagating

them.—E. F. C.]



IS YEW DANGEROUS IN AVIARIES ?


Madam, —You mentioned your distrust of yew for birds and I have heard

others remind me of its poisonous nature. Nevertheless I do like it for birds

other than parrot-like. Take the following facts regarding this year alone ;

early in February (9th or 11th), I found several young birds lying on the lawn

under yew trees, evidently young Thrushes, or possibly Blackbirds, killed by the

rather severe frosts. They were well grown and partly feathered. The parents

had nested in yew. A Blackbird’s nest is apparent in another yew close to

our side door, and from the frequent journeyings of the parents, they have

young to feed during the past two or three days. In aviaries and cages I use

yew branches because I have an abundance but I do wonder if there is not

some special virtue in it, possibly good heat-retaining properties on account

of its resinous substance and multiplicity of fine twigs. A pair of Zebra Finches

bought in the ordinary way and chosen more or less at random about the

beginning of December, insisted upon building a nest in their cage, 36 inches

long. To my astonishment three fully fledged young ones flew out on

14th February. Bengalese in a similar cage have gone to nest unusually early,

and hatched young ones about the same day. In both cases there was a

betwigged branch of yew propped up in the corner of the cage. I have noted

a partiality for nesting in branches of yew in other years, and have never

had to blame it for any accidents. I wonder what the general opinion is.


J. E. Haine.


[It is, of course, well known that wild birds use yew trees for nesting in

with impunity. The danger in aviaries lies in the fact that birds living under

artificial conditions do occasionally bite and swallow substances that they

would not touch if they were at liberty. I found one or two bushes of C.

macrocarpa answered the same purpose as yew in my aviaries and had the

merit of being harmless.— Ed.]



