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F. E. Thomas—Breeding the Magpie Tanager



crisis to stand up even better than the present-day bungalow, and so

at last—why not an aviary ? How thrilling to keep exotic birds,

particularly those with long tails !


On completion of the aviary, I journeyed to a famous London

bird shop and here I must pay tribute to a most sensible and very

excellent salesman, who simply told me “ not to be too ambitious

at the start ”, and insisted on my commencing with just a dozen

Waxbills and six Finches. That I am grateful for his advice, I frankly

admit, but within forty-eight hours I had lost all my birds ; not that

the sleeping quarters had let me down, but the flight, where I had

foolishly “ planted ” artificial trees, and consequently my first venture

was a complete fiasco.. The post-mortem disclosed arsenical poisoning,

so out came the manufactured trees. Having learnt my lesson and with

that characteristic which is possibly peculiar to my race, I again

visited the bird shop and needless to say still make further calls to this

and other bird shops, which has resulted, so my friends tell me, in

my having a fair collection, ranging as they do from Argus Pheasants

to Zosterops.


My aviaries might be called large, and as their occupants in every

case are “ gentlemen only ”, peace reigns supreme with Pheasants

and birds. I decided at this stage not to attempt breeding, as the

aviaries were considered unsuitable, and instead stocked them entirely

with male birds whom nature has so gloriously and richly endowed.

It is an endless pleasure for me to behold such a galaxy of colour, where

are housed together (and I emphasize living quite happily) Touracous,

Golden Orioles, various Tanagers including Scarlets, Troupials, Hang-

nests, Giant Whydahs, Fruit Suckers, Pittas, etc.


Not infrequently I am asked why I do not show my birds, and

whilst I am not anxious to cross swords with my friends in the “ fancy ”,

I do feel they impose an almost impossible condition at their shows

by insisting that a bird’s chief merit lies in complete steadiness, which

in my opinion can only be obtained by continual confinement in cages,

whilst an enthusiast like myself keeps his birds in spacious surroundings,

and I for one find it utterly impossible to comply with such a ruling.

It is interesting to recall how a few years ago, whilst on holiday, I rang

up an eminently successful lady exhibitor, being naturally anxious



