Abstract
Dear Sir:
Concerning the letter of Antonine Gal in the Oct/Nov issue of the Watchbird. The individual is in Massachusetts and you referred him/her to a N.Y. and a Pennsylvania Bird Club.
May I ask why you did not consult your own list of Member Clubs and the list of State Coordinators? Had you done so you could have referred the questioner to the Rhode Island Canary and Cage Bird Club, Mr. Maurice "Whitey" Colpack, 126 Baxter St., Pawtucket, RI. Although it is not printed yet I know that New Hampshire Cage Bird Association has applied for member club status, and Mr. David Levesque, Bigwood Dr., Merrimack, NH, Membership Secretary, would have been pleased to be of assistance. If Antonine Gal is from western Mass., the Western N .E. Cage Bird Society, Mrs. Edward Murray, Chester, MA 01011 could have helped. If from eastern Mass., the Mass. Cage Bird Association, Mrs. Florence Steele, 194 Wampatuck St., Pembroke, MA 02359, is available. The latter two are not affiliated with AF A as yet, but they are available!
And that is why I have written at such great length. Your giving of a NY and a Penn. address to help a person in Mass, gives the erroneous impression that there are no clubs in this area. I simply wish to correct that!
And finally: your list of State Coordinators gives Mr. John Kinsella, 12 Linlew Dr. (Apt. 16), Derry, NH 03038, (603) 434-1751 (a member of N.H.C.B.A.) and Mr. George Barbary, 78 Seven Mile River Dr., So. Attleboro 02703, (617) 761- 5421 (a member of BOTH M.C.B.A. and R.I.C.&C.B.). So you see, we are active in this area.
I am a member of AFA, and would be happy to assist any individual in the Eastern Mass. area, in reaching any of the above clubs, their meeting dates and locations, etc. Since the above address is obsolete as of Dec. 15, you may print my new one if you wish: 30 Plymouth Rd.,
Bellingham, Mass. 02019. No phone number as yet, but a call to (617) 877- 7329 will be referred.
Sincerely yours, David Donovan Framingham, Mass.
I sincerely appreciate the valuable information you included in your letter. I'll use it as a reference directory. Although my face if familiar in various and sundry far parts of the world I have never had the good for tune to travel in the eastern United States. In fact, a few years ago I asked my wife-to-be to accompany me on a motor trip back east. After about a month on the road we reached our most easterly town ~ Gallup, New Mexico, and ran out of time. Some day when I have about eight months available I'll attempt another motor trip to the east.
Gentlemen:
I am writing you in the hopes that if you cannot help me, you can refer me to an organization that can.
I am interested in taking up the breeding of Cockatiels as a hobby. I have found several organizations dealing with Canaries and your organization, that I assume concerns itself mostly with wild birds.
Can you supply me with any information on getting started in this area? We have a female cockatiel who lays eggs regularly. Do they breed well? Where is the best place to obtain a male cockatiel? How much time must be devoted to this hobby? Etc.
I would greatly appreciate any help you can give me.
Thank you, Christine A. Szczap Wheaton, Illinois
The bulk of pertinent details on breeding cockatiels in Illinois can be supplied by an officer of Illinois Game and Pet Breeder's Society. Contact Kai Juhl, 1704 Pickwick Ln, Glenview, Ill. 60025 or Earl Meisinger, 11 S. 767 Book Road,
Naperville, Ill. 60540
Contrary to your first assumption, our organization is vitally concerned with all birds, not just wild ones. We feel that one sure way to protect the world '.s wild birds is to develop successful captive breeding techniques. Think how wonderful it would be if all of the different types of birds in the world could he bred in captivity as easily as cockatiels are. No more species would become extinct.
As I suggested, cockatiels are relatively easy to breed. They will work in a modest sized aviary and are usually good parents raising their own young. Cockatiels are quite often found in pet stores and you might obtain a male through that source although in my experience very tame birds are very poor breeders. The time you devote to the hobby is strictly up to you. A few pairs of cockatiels set up properly can he maintained with about ten minutes work per day. You can set them up so that fifteen minutes every three days will keep them going. I believe, however, that you will want to spend more time with your birds. There may well he a direct ratio between time spent with one's birds and breeding success.
Lots of success to you in your proposed venture.
Dear Editor:
My forty years of practical aviculture prompt me to tell you to please stay away from the involvement of avicultural nomenclature and taxonomy. It is a mire.
E. Necck Los Angeles, CA.
Dear Sir:
With some concern I read the letter from E. Necek (Watchbird Dec. 76/ Jan 77). Aviculturists may certainly have been annoyed by the mysteries of systematics, however, I think their numbers are probably confined to those, whose understanding of taxonomy is limited.
Every species has a bi-nomial latin name ( occasionally a tri-nomial) and usually a common name. The first part of the bi-nomial, Chloebia, refers to the genus - not John Gould's wife. The second part, gouldiae, refers to the species, which is frequently named after its discoverer, in this case, John Gould.
Since John Gould was knighted, he was commonly addressed as Sir John Gould. Correspondingly, his wife was addressed as Lady Gould - a custom dating back to the legendary King Arthur.
Little energy is required to learn first hand this apparently obscure bit of news.
The Lady Gould was removed from the genus Poephila some years ago for taxonomic reasons - not because of new revelations on the virtues of Sir John's wife. The name Chloebia gouldiae is currently used in such credible works as Klaus Immelmann's, Australian Finches; Peter's Check-List of the Birds of the World; Field Guides on the Birds of Australia; and other taxonomic treatises.
Was Gould right? YES. And E. Necek?
Well, you be the judge.