J. Delacom—American Aviculture



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Peafowl, Blue, White, Black-winged, and Specifer, which are most

prolific in California, even the last named, and are bred all over this

State in numbers, as well as hybrids, which are quite popular.


In the different suburbs of San Francisco one finds many bird

stores. Mr. Mori, a Japanese dealer, usually offers a good selection of

Japanese and Filipino birds, from Cranes to Finches, as well as

Australian and sometimes Indian species. He is now the first importer

on the Pacific Coast. The best shops are on the eastern side of the bay,

near Oakland, some quite far from the centre. These Californian bird-

stores look very nice and different from what we have on this side of

the Atlantic. They consist of a house, usually new and nicely built,

on the road, with the shop in front; at the back there is an extensive

piece of ground where rows of aviaries have been built, usually

very neatly. Canaries, Parrots, and some show birds are kept in

the shop, as well as cages, food, etc.; but the largest number of

birds, including Peacocks, Pheasants, Doves, Parrakeets, etc., live,

and often breed, in outdoor aviaries. The whole arrangement is

far cleaner and more attractive than what we see in the usual

European bird-shops. The best that I have visited are those of Messrs.

Thierry, Poisal, and Julius, the two first of French origin, while

Mr. Brock, a native of Scotland, has several town shops and is very

clever with difficult insectivorous birds. He helped me greatly in the

packing and care of the birds I brought over.


Since a few years, the city of San Francisco has a zoo, situated on

the ocean shore. From the name of its principal supporter it is known

as the Fleishacker Zoo. The present accommodations are temporary

and simple, but quite good, and Carnivora particularly—lions, tigers,

black leopards, pumas, and jaguars are breeding regularly. There are

only a limited number of birds. But a large modern zoo is now being

built: what I have seen of the works and plans shows that it will

become a very fine modem establishment. It is supervised by Mr.

Edmund Heller, the well-known naturalist and explorer, who accom¬

panied Theodore Roosevelt on his African trip.


The climate of San Francisco itself, and between the Bay and the

ocean, is very peculiar; practically even all the year round, never

very cold, never hot, with a lot of fog. It does not seem to be very



