specimens which I have had alive had the bill orange, tipped with dark brown; iris purple, with pale ochreous eyelid; feet pink. In the Bleeding-heart Pigeon the irides have been described as dark brown, but when closely examined they are seen to be plum-coloured.
But it is not only in the soft parts that errors have crept into scientific descriptions and illustrations. The feathers on the head are often taken liberties with. In vol. xiii. of the 'British Museum Catalogue of Birds' the artist has represented the head of the Crested Mynah (Acridotheres cristatellus) with a crest from the middle of the bill to the nape, whereas in life the crest begins at the outer third of the bill, and terminates on the forehead; the feathers of the crown lie perfectly flat and smooth, nor can they be erected.[1] In like manner the plate in vol. xii. illustrating the species of Paroaria is entirely incorrect, P. cucullata being the only Crested Grey Cardinal, all the others, in life, having perfectly smooth heads; moreover, the Crested Cardinal has its crest far more erect in life than in the illustration. I always think it a mistake for taxidermists, when preparing skins of crested birds, to fasten back and dry the crests in an unnatural position; it must be most misleading for artists, if not for describers. I have always insisted upon having the crests of my dead birds left standing as in life.
Touching young plumages and seasonal changes of plumage, with the manner in which these changes are contrived, the aviculturist is in a position to be of great use to the systematist. The young of quite common birds are often wanting, even in the best collections of skins, or are imperfectly represented. Thus I found that my late colleague, Dr. Sharpe, was glad to have young examples of the Saffron-Finch (Sycalis flaveola), with the ages attached; whilst very young skins of the Zebra-Finch (Tæniopygia castanotis) were in great request, the description of the young having been necessarily omitted from the Catalogue for lack of material. I believe that young examples of the Gouldian Finch (Poëphila mirabilis) in the green and grey plumage are still in request, and I hope that any who are successful in breeding
- ↑ Such errors are unavoidable when the skins of crested birds are not left as in life, but are strapped down by the taxidermist.
