FOR THE PEOPLE FOR EDVCATION FOR SCIENCE LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY T II E sensei flvieqltaral Magazine, BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF FOREIGN AND BRITISH BIRDS IN FREEDOM AND CAPTIVITY. Edited by D. SETH-SMITH, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. VOL- VIII. NOVEMBER, 1901, to OCTOBER, 1902. XonDon : R. H. P O R T E R, 7, Princes Street, Cavendish Square, W. 1902. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Vox.. VIII. Plate A. Australian Crane and Nest .. .. To face page „ B. Miss Alderson’s Aviary .. .. ,, ,, ,, C. Spotted Eagle Owl . . . . . . ,, ,, ,, C*. .Spotted Eagle Owl . . . . . . ,, ,, Parrot Finch .. .. .. „ >, ,, D. Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo .. ,, ,, Immature Bee-eater .. .. .. ,, ,, Adult Bee-eater ,, E. Major Fotliergill’s Rheas .. .. ,, ,, Male Californian Quail August Amazon Parrot . . . . ,, Young Indian Pitta .. .. .. ,, ,, ,, F. Burrowing Owl .. .. .. ,, ,, Brown’s Parrakeet . . . . . . ,, ,, Blue-winged Siva .. .. .. ,, ,, Chrysotis versicolor . . . . . . ,, ,, ,, G. White-crowned Pigeon .. .. ,, ,, i 15 39 40 59 S3 103 105 127 137 151 G9 193 211 243 275 287 REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR 1901-1902. It is with much pleasure that we complete our eighth Annual Volume of the Avicultural Magazine, and present our Report to the Members of the Society. The year bore a gloomy outlook at its commencement, owing to the number of Members who sent in their resignations — for whom we have every respect — and to a not inconsiderable number who “ overlooked ” to send in theirs and allowed their names to remain on the Books of the Society, to whom reference was made at page 240. But the cloud has passed away, the outlook has brightened and continues to grow brighter, and we are able to present to our Members a Volume which we think beats all its predecessors both in quality and quantity. And the List of bond fide Members which will appear in our next issue, and which will be corrected up to the time of going to press, will speak for itself. Thanks to the energy and enterprise of Mr. Seth-Smith, our Honorary Editor, not less than one illustration has been published in our Magazine every month ; and we have not stopped short by confining our energies to the present, but have already several coloured illustrations in hand for Vol. IX.; and it will be our endeavour with Vol. IX. to make a steady improvement 011 Vol. VIII. Next to the illustrations and the increase of the letterpress, an important feature in our issues commencing with December has been Mr. Ginn’s monthly Post Mortem Report. His kind assistance has rendered valuable aid to our Members, and is much appreciated. Another very noticeable feature of the year has been the largely increased sale of the Society’s Magazine to the general public. To this we are greatly indebted to the energy of our publisher, Mr. Porter. On the other hand, we feel that if the Magazine were not of value it would not be purchased, — and therefore that our aim should be to maintain the Magazine at its present high standard, and, as far as practicable, to improve upon it. Report of the Council. The finances of the Society are in a sound state. Not¬ withstanding the heavy outlays on the Coloured Plates, we have no reason for supposing that there will be a deficit when the accounts are closed for the year. In any event, we cannot too strongly urge upon our Members the importance of increasing our Membership, so that, with au increased income, we may be enabled to still further improve our Magazine. We most cordially thank the large body of our Members who have so faithfully supported us through all our difficulties, and the growing number who have contributed to our pages. Highly satisfactory, however, as that number has been, there are many members who could contribute most valuable articles, but whose pens unhappily have been at rest so far as our Magazine is concerned. We earnestly invite all our Members to assist us by sending in their subscriptions before Christmas. By so doing, the}’ will be rendering material help, for they will greatly lighten the never-ceasing burden that hampers our Hon. Secretary, and set him free for more important work. During the past year, quite a substantial number of valuable letters never reached the hands of our Hon. Editor owing to sheer inability on the part of the Hon. Secretary to find time to put them in order for publication. We gratefully thank those who have helped us with illustrations. We ask specially for assistance with suitable bird- subjects. In this connection, we are particularly indebted to the Rev. Hubert 1). Astley, who, notwithstanding serious indisposition, has painted two illustrations for us, one of which has already appeared, the second being in hand. The help rendered by the Officers of the Society and Members of the Executive we most gratefully acknowledge. (Signed), A. G. Buteer, I). Seth -Smith, O. E. Cresswell, Rosie Ai.derson, J. Lewis Bonhote, C. D. Farrar, Arthur Gill, James B. Housden, Russell Humph rys, Wesley T. Page, John Sergeant, R. Piiillipps. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS. The asterisk denotes in the Correspondence Columns. AEDERSON, Miss R. My Latest Aviary ♦Orange-cheeked Waxbills Breeding in Captivity Nesting of the Orange-cheeked Waxbill ♦A Wild Birds’ “ Larder ” Nesting of Californian Quails Notes on Doves Nesting of the White-winged Zenaida Dove .. Arthur, C. P. ♦Identification of Waxbill Ashford, Miss G. ♦Chinese Quails ♦The Counnou Quail Asteey, Rev. Hubert I). Australian Cranes Nesting in England Pittas in Captivity ♦The Hooded Siskin and the Wild Canary Baedeeei, Coutessa Tommasi. ♦Pennant's Parrakeet with Abnormal Plumage ♦The Bluish Finch ; Putting up Birds for Nesting ♦Seeds in Italy Beaauw, F. E. Further Notes on the Racket-tailed Parrot .. BeaThwayT, Rev. F. L. Rambles among the Wild Birds (No. I.) The Common Sheld-duck.. .. .. .. .. .. 251 Bonhote, J. Lewis. O11 the Breeding of the Spotted Ragle Owl . . . . 39 Field Notes on some Bahama Birds. Parti. .. .. 278 ♦The Age of Birds . . . . . . . . . . 302 Boothroyd, A. E. ♦Gouldian Finches .. .. .. .. .. 76 Brampton, Miss E. ♦Linnet in a decline ; Breeding Goldfinches .. .. 12 Notes on Breeding Budgerigars .. .. .. 26 Brooksbank, Mrs. ♦Golden Pheasants with Quails .. .. .. 175 Burgess, H. w. ♦Blue-bird and American Cat-bird .. .. .. 57 Page 15 36 65 79 136 219 295 148 99 234 176 231 237 VI. Alphabetical List of Contributors. Butter, Dr. A. G. ♦Linnet in a decline ; Breeding Goldfinches ♦Mocking-bird with cough, etc. Twin Studies.. ♦Orange-cheeked Waxbills breeding in Captivity South African Cage Birds ♦Blue-bird and American Cat-bird ♦Diseased Beaks ♦Partial Albinism in Blackbird.. ♦The Sexing of Birds . . *The Woodlark as a Cage-bird . . Feathers changing colour *Pennant’s Parrakeet . . ♦identification of Birds ♦Pennant’s Parrakeet with Abnormal Plumage. The Redstart.. ♦American Birds ♦The Common Quail .. ♦Breeding Hybrids ♦Seeds in Italy The Brazilian Hang-nest ♦Weavers Carrick, G. A Trip to Australia Castee-Seoane, C. ♦The Blue Mountain or Swainson’s Lorikeet ♦Toucans Cateeugh, W. T. ♦The Age of Birds in Captivity. . Chawner, Miss E. F. ♦The Prairie or Burrowing Owl Ceayton, C. H. ♦Breeding Java Sparrow and Silverbill Hybrids.. Cressweee, O. E. ♦Mistletoe Berries ♦Gouldian Finches ♦Golden Pheasants with Quails.. CRESWEEE, Dr. W. G. The St. Helena Seed-eater CUSHNY, C. ♦Various Notes and Queries ♦The Severe Weather . . ♦Identification of Birds Duneeath, The Lady. ♦Foreign Birds at Ballywalter Park, Co. Down .. Dutton, The Hon. and Rev. Canon. The Greater Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo ♦Pennant’s Parrakeet .. The August Amazon .. ♦Abnormal Colouring of Pennant's Parrakeet ♦Amazon Parrot with Insects .. The St. Lucia Parrot . . 13 19 36 42, 60, 84 57 97 97 97 101 132 14S 176 176 190 204 234 235 237 293 301 223 173 299 177 55 76 147 216 74 101 175 35 83 J48 151 204 236 276 Alphabetical List o / Contributors vii. Ezra, D. Tlie Emerald Bird of Paradise . . . . . . 245 Farrar, Rev. C. D. Aviculture .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 ♦Breeding Pennants and Bloodwings .. .. .. 13 The Harmless Necessary Dealer .. .. .. 22 The Black Bulbul . . . . . . . . . . 88 Oil the Making of an Aviary .. .. .. .. m O11 the Stocking of Aviaries . . . . . . . , 162 ♦Nesting of the Chinese Painted Ouail., .. .. 206 ♦The Blue Mountain Lorikeet . . . . . . 207, 238 Breeding the Many-coloured Parrakeet .. .. 212 The Nesting of the Cat-bird .. .. .. 226, 285 *“ In Death not Divided.” .. .. .. .. 272 Finn, F. Notes on the Malabar and Gold-fronted Chloropsis . . 86 Egrets’ Plumes and the Ladies .. .. .. 115 Fothergibb, Major H. Rheas in Captivity .. .. .. .. .. 127 Frostick, J. ♦Italian Insect Food for Birds .. .. .. .. 233 Gibbins, W. B. ♦The Red-billed Chough Gibb, A. Post Mot tern Examinations, My First Aviary ♦A Prolific Californian Quail Greene, Dr. W. T. ♦Grey Parrots ♦Diseased Beaks ♦vSexing Birds The Hawk-headed Parrot ♦A Sick Nonpareil ♦Sick Budgerigar ♦Breeding Hybrids ♦Sick Grey Parrot 269 38, 58, 81, 102, 126, 150, 178, 209 242, 274, 306 50 29S 78 122 236 238 273 297 Gregory, Mrs. ♦Cockatoos, Cranes and Rails . . . . . . . . 96 ♦Crowned Pigeons . . . . . . . . . . 99 ♦The Crowned Crane ; Notes on Pinioning .. .. 124 ♦Adventures of a Crowned Crane .. .. .. 172 A Demoiselle Crane .. .. .. .. .. 196 ♦Nesting of Burrowing Owls .. .. .. .. 300 ♦A Lame Crane . . . . . . . . . . 303 HamibTON, Mrs. ♦Pennant’s Parrakeet . . . . . . . . . . 147 Hammond, Hon. Kate. ♦A Sick Nonpareil .. .. .. .. .. 236 ♦Sick Budgerigar , . , , , . . , . . 238 viii. Alphabetical List of C o?i l ri tutors. Harper, E. W. The Yellow-eyed Babbler .. .. .. 108 The Blue-winged Siva .. .. .. .. 243 Notes on the Racket-tailed Parrot . . . . . . 262 Haseope, L. To my Parrot . . . . . , . . . . 230 •Amazon Parrot with Insects .. .. .. .. 235 Hawke, H011. Mary. •Rearing Virginian Nightingales ; The St. Helena Waxbill, etc. .. .. .. .. .. 232 •Breeding Hybrids . . . . . . . . . . 235 HESEETON, H. C. •Parrakeets (Paloeornis) and Nightingales .. .. 237 Hindee, R. Frankein. •Virginian Nightingales .. .. .. .. 34 Husband, Miss Owls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301 Johnstone, Mrs. Breeding of the Black-headed or Nanday Conure .. 45 •Abnormal Colouring of Pennant’s Parrakeet .. .. 204 On the Breeding of Barnard’s Parrakeet .. .. 249 •The Many-coloured Parrakeet . . . . . . 268 Keene, Mrs. •Sick Grey Parrot . . . . . . . . . . 29 7 Lancaster, Mrs. •Outdoor Aviaries . . . . . . . . . . 79 I, AWES, Sir Charees. See Dutton . . . . . . . . . . . . S3 LE Souef, D. The Mutton Bird of Australasia . . . . . . 19S Martin, H. C. •The Passenger Pigeon .. .. .. .. 33 •Long-tailed Partridges . . . . . . . . So Mieeer, Lady. •Breeding Experiences in Outside Aviary .. .. 122 •Weavers . . . . . . . . . . . . 3QI Morshead, Lady. •Breeding Bloodwings and Redrunips . . . . . . 34 •Aviary at Forest Lodge, Binfield . . . . . . 77 Myean, Dr. J. G. •Diseased Beaks ; Medicine for Birds . . . . . . 29S Newton, Professor A. •Mistletoe Berries . . . . . . . . . . 55 Nichoeson, A. E. •Young Gouldians ; Rufous-tailed Finches . . . . 303 Alphabetical List of Contributors ix. OSBAI.DKSTON, W. ♦Notes on Sliamas . . . . . . . . . . 149 The Blue Mountain or Swainson’s Lorikeet .. .. 167 Pearson, A. A. A Dry Bath-Cage; Weavers in Cages .. .. .. 70 ♦The Blue Mountain Lorikeet .. .. .. .. 208 PERCIVAE, W. G. Rearing Ringed Plovers from the Egg .. .. 90 ♦Notes from an Invalid’s Couch .. .. .. 171 Breeding of Slield-Ducks in Confinement .. .. 255 Phieupps, R. The Society . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 ♦Mistletoe Berries . . . . . . . . . . 55 *A Blood-thirsty Mocking-bird, Importation of Foreign Birds . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 ♦Various Notes and Queries .. .. .. .. 75 *Long-Tailed Partridges . . . . . . . . 80 See “ Finn. Chloropsis .. .. .. .. 86 ♦Cockatoos, Cranes, and Rails .. .. .. .. 96 ♦Partial Albinism in Blackbird . . . . . . . . 97 ♦The Sexing of Grey Singing- Finches .. .. .. 98 ♦Cordon Bleus, etc. . . . . . . . . . . 98 ♦Orioles . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 ♦The Severe Weather .. .. .. .. .. 101 The European Bee-eater .. .. .. 103,128,152 The Ringed Finch .. .. .. .. .. 119 *The Hooded Siskin and the Wild Canary .. .. 123 ♦The Crowned Crane .. .. .. .. .. 125 ♦Wintering Blackcaps, etc. , . .. .. .. 147 ♦The Californian Ouail . . . . . . . . . . 148 ♦The Blue Mountain or Swaiuson’s Lorikeet 168, 169, 173, 207, 239 ♦Notes from an Invalid’s Couch .. .. .. 172 * Adventures of a Crowned Crane .. .. .. 173 ♦The Prairie or Burrowing Owl . . .. .. •• 177 The Indian Pitta .. .. .. .. I79> 257 See “ Butler, Redstart ” .. .. .. .. 191 ♦The Wood Warbler or Wood Wren .. .. .. 205 ♦The Parson Finch .. .. .. .. .. 205 ♦Cockroaches : an Appeal .. .. .. .. 209 ♦The Bluish Finch ; Putting up Birds for Nesting .. 231 ♦Rearing Virginian Nightingales ; The St. Helena Waxbill 232 *The Black-breasted or Rain Quail . . . . . . 233 ♦Italian Insect Food for Birds . . . . . . . . 234. ♦Parrakeets (Palceornis) and Nightingales .. .. 238 ♦Breeding of the Ringed Finch . . . . . . 239 The Blue Wren . . . . . . . . . . 246 ♦The Many-coloured Parrakeet. . .. .. .. 268 ♦The Red-billed Chough .. .. .. .. 270 See “ Bonhote, Bahama Birds” . . . . . . 280 The Australian Waxbill .. .. •• •• 289 ♦Toucans . . . . . . . . . . • • 299 ♦Owls.. .. .. .. .. .. •• 301 Portp;r, G. C. Breeding the Ring-necked Parrakeet in an Outdoor Aviary 46 Avicultural Notes .. .. .. .. •• 14° ♦Golden Pheasants with Quails; Wintering Blackcaps, etc. 147 ♦Cockroaches — an Appeal . . . . . . • • 209 X. Alphabetical List of Contributors , Rathbornk, H. B. ♦Mocking-bird with cough, etc. .. .. .. 13 *A Blood-thirsty Mocking-bird ; Importation of Foreign Birds .. .. .. .. .. .. 55 ♦Orioles . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 RoTCH, Mrs. The Wood Warbler or Wood Wren .. .. .. 204 RoThkra, C. L. ♦Dippers in Captivity .. .. .. .. .. 76 ST. QuinTIN, W. H. ♦The Crowned Crane; Notes 011 Pinioning .. .. 124 ♦A Lame Crane . . . . . . . . . . 304 Salt, Dr. E. G. ♦Improvements in the Magazine . . . . . . 304 Sclater, P. L. ♦The Brain Fever Bird . . .. .. .. .. 269 Sergeant, J. Outdoor Aviaries . . . . . . . . . . 47 SETh-SmiTh, I). Note by the Editor .. .. .. .. .. 9 The Crystal Palace Bird Show. . .. .. .. 28 ♦The Passenger Pigeon . . . . . . . . 33 The Illustrations .. .. .. .. .. 54 The Parrot-finch . . . . . . . . . . 59 ♦Aviary at F'orest Lodge, Binfield . . . . . . 77 ♦Long-tailed Partridges .. .. .. .. 80 See “ Crystal Palace Bird Show ” .. .. .. 93 ♦Partial Albinism in Blackbird.. .. .. .. 97 ♦Crowned Pigeons . . . . . . . . . . 99 ♦Chinese Quails .. .. .. .. .. 99 ♦Identification of Waxbill .. .. .. .. 14S The Blue Mountain or Swainson’s Lorikeet . . 169, 207, 239 ♦Pennant’s ParTakeet with Abnormal Plumage .. .. 177 The Burrowing Owl .. .. .. .. .. 193 ♦Breeding Parrakeets .. .. .. .. .. 209 Brown’s Parrakeet .. .. .. .. .. 21 1 ♦Young Birds feeding Young of the same Brood .. 234 ♦The Brain-fever Bird .. .. .. .. .. 269 The White-crowned Pigeon .. .. .. .. 287 ♦Improvements in the Magazine .. .. .. 304 Sharp, Miss M. D ♦Nesting of the Black-lieaded Gouldian Finch .. .. 56 Shepherd, Miss B. ♦Nesting of Virginian Cardinals .. .. .. 11 ♦Diseased Beaks . . . . . . . . . . 96 Sich, H. L. ♦Notes on the Red-backed Shrike .. .. . 206 Simpson, A. ♦The Black-breasted or Rain Quail .. .. .. 232 Alphabetical List of Contributors. xi. Spekd, H. •Birds in Living Rooms .. .. .. .. 77 •The Woodlark as a Cage-bird .. .. .. .. ior Thompson, Lady. The St. Lucia Parrot . . .. .. .. .. 275 West, Miss E. E. •Partial Albinism in Blackbird . . .. .. .. 97 •Cordon Bleus, etc. . . . . . . . . . . 98 •Gouldiau Finches .. .. .. .. .. 146 Whytehead, T. B. •Cockatiel killing mice .. .. .. .. 75 ♦Blue Mountain Lorikeets .. .. .. .. 298 Williams, Mrs. H. Breeding of the Ringed Finch .. .. *239,264 Woods, Miss. The Parson Finch . . . . . . . . . . 205 Xll. INDEX TO NESTING NOTES PAGE yEgintha temporalis 289 anuulosa, Stictoptera 239, 264 Australian Crane 1 ,, Waxbill . . 289 barnardi, Bartiardius . . .. 249 Barnardius barnardi .. 249 Barnard' s Parrakeet .. 249 Bengali .. 232 Black-headed Conure . . •• 45 ,, ,, Gouldian Finch 56 Bloodwings ••13,34 Bubo maculosus . . •• 39 Budgerigars 26, 122 Burrowing Owl.. .. 300 caboti, Tragopan . . .. 73 Cabot’s Trapogan • • 73 califortiicus Lophortyx . , 136 Californian Quail 136, 298 Canary 232, 235 Cardinal, Virginian 11, 34, 36 Cat-bird .. 226, 285 Chinese Painted Quail 206 Columba leucocephala . . . . 287 Conure, Black-headed or Nanday • • 45 Conurus nanday or nenday . . 45 Cordon Bleus 35, 232 Crane, Australian . . 1 Cutthroat Finch 34, 35 Dove, White-winged Zenaida 295 Duck, Sheld- • • 255 liagle Owl, Spotted . . • • 39 Finch, Cutthroat ■ 34, 35 ,, Gouldian • • 303 ,, Green Singing, 122, 232, 235 ,, Nutmeg.. -• 35 ,, Parson . . • • 35 ,, Ringed . . 239, 264 ,, Rufous-tailed . , • • 303 ,, Saffron 35, 122, 232, 235 ,, Spice ••35, 36 ,, Zebra 34 , 35, 232, 234 Goldfinch . 12, 232, 235 Gouldian Finch • • 3°3 ,, ,, Black-headed 56 Green Singing Finch, 122, 232, 235 Hybrids. Canary-Saffron-finch, 235 ,, Greenfinch-Canary 273 ,, Java Sparrow- Silverbill 231 Java Sparrow .. .. .. 231 leucocephala, Columba . . . . 2S7 leucoplera, Melopelia . . . . 295 Lophortyx califortiicus . . .. 136 maculosus , Bubo . . . . . . 39 PAGE Many-coloured Parrakeet . . 268 Melopelia leucoptera . . . . 295 melpodus, Sporcegiuthus . . 65 Nanday Conure . . .. .. 45 nanday , Conurus . . . . 45 nenday , Conurus . . . . 45 Nightingale, Virginian, 34, 232,235 Nutmeg Finch .. .. .. 35 Orange-cheeked Waxbill . .36, 65 Owl, Burrowing . . . . 3°° ,, Spotted Eagle .. .. 39 Palceornis , torquata . . . . 46 Parrakeet, Barnard’s . . . . 249 ,, Bloodwing ..13,34 ,, Many-coloured . . 268 „ Pennant’s . . . . 13 ,, Redrump .. ..13,34 ,, Ring-necked 46, 141 Parson Finch .. .. .. 35 Pennant’s Parrakeet . . . . 13 Pigeon, White-crowned .. 217 Quail, Californian .. 136,29s ,, Chinese Painted . . 206 Red- billed Weaver . . . . 34 Redrunips .. .. ..13,34 Ringed Finch .. .. 239, 264 Ringed-necked Parrakeet 46, 141 Rufous-tailed Finch .. .. 303 Saffron Finch, 35, 122, 232 Sheld-Duck Singing-finch, Green Silverbill.. Sparrow, Java .. Spice Finch Sporcegiuthus me l pod us.. Spotted Flagle Owl Stictoptera anuulosa Stork, White Sydney Waxbill 122, 232 231 temporalis , JEgintha torquata , Palceoniis Tragopan caboti Tragopau, Cabot’s Virginian Cardinal 235 255 235 232 231 35.36 65 39 264 266 2S9 289 46 73 73 ix, 34, 36 239, Nightingale 34, 232, 235 Waxbill, Australian .. .. 289 ,, Orange-cheeked, 36, 65 ,, Sydney .. .. 2S9 Weaver, Red-billed .. .. 34 White-crowned Pigeon . . 287 ,, Stork .. .. .. 266 ,, -winged Zenaida Dove 295 Zebra Finch . . 34, 35> 232, 234 Zenaida Dove, White-winged 295 Avic. Mag., Vol. VIII., PI. The Council arc indebted to the Editor of the “ Field '* for the loan of the block from which the above was printed. T H E flviealtaral Society FOR THE STUDY OF FOREIGN AND BRITISH BIRDS. OFFICERS FOR THE YEAR 1901-1902. president : THE HON. & REV. CANON DUTTON. Dicespresident : MR. AUG. F. WIENER. Council : Miss R. ALDEKSON. The Rev. H. D. ASTLEY. Mr. J. L. BONHOTE. Dr. A. G. BUTLER. Mr. O. E. CRESSWELL. The Rev. C. D. FARRAR. Mr. ARTHUR GILD. Mr. J. B. HOUSDEN. Mr. R. HUMPHRYS. Mr. E. G. B. MEADE-WALDO. Mr. W. T. PAGE. Mr. J. SERGEANT. lEjecutive Committee : The Rev. H. D. ASTLEY. Dr. A. G. BUTI.ER. Mr. O. E. CRESSWELL. Ibon. Secretary : Mk. R. PHILLIPPS, 26, Cromwell Grove, West Kensington Park, London, W. Ifoon. {Treasurer : MR. W. H. St. QUINTIN. lEditor : Mr. D. SETH-SMITH, Glengarry, Canning Road, Croydon. Scrutineer : MR. C. L. ROTHERA. SuDitor : Mr. W. SWAYSLAND. LIST OF MEMBERS. The date following the member's name is the date of his election. “ Orig. Mein.” signifies that the member joined the Society on its formation in October, 1894. The asterisk denotes that the member belonged to the U. K. Foreign Cage Bird Society, either at the time of its amalgamation or at some time before. Abrahams, Mr. Fred. M., Blau ford Cottage, Thames Ditton, and 7, Crown Office Row, Temple, E.C. (May, 1901). Abrahams, Mrs. Joseph, 191 and 192, St. George Street, London, E. (May, 1895). Adamson, Miss, Ruston Park, Battle, Sussex. (May, 1S97). Aggs, Mr. H. Gurney, Pippbrook, Dorking. (Oct., 1897). AiNEEY, Mr. John Wieeiam, 16, Dalton Green, Dalton, Huddersfield. (June, 1S95).* Aedpirson, Miss R., Park House, Worksop. (April, 1896). AeebuTT, Mrs., 24, Park .Square, Leeds. (Jail., 1897). AesTon, Mr. Gavin, Yondercroft, Darvel, Ayrshire. (June, 1900). Anningson, Mrs. C. L-, Walt-ham-sal, Barton Road, Cambridge. (May, 1S99). Arthur, Mr. C. P., Market Place, Melksham, Wilts. , (Jan., 1895). Ashford, Miss Grace, The Birks, Braukstone Wood Road, Bournemouth. (Nov., 1896). Astees, Mr. John, 46, Ruskin Place, Crewe, Cheshire. (Jan., 1S99). AsteEY, The Rev. H. D., M.A., F.Z.S., Beuliam Park, Newbury, Berks. (June, 1895).* Baker, Mr. L. Ingham, Larkenshaw, Chobham. (Dec., 1S96). Bamford, Miss Eeea C., St. Cutlibert Leys, Bedford. (June, 1S95). Barber, Mrs. James, Clarendon Villa, The Hyde, Hendon, N. W. (Jan., 1899). Barnes, Mrs., Bloxholm Rectory, Lincoln. (Nov., 1899). Bateson, The Hon. Lieea de Yarburgh, Heslington, York. (Feb., 1900). BaTTye, Mr. A. Trpivor, 2, Whitehall Gardens, Westminster, S. W. (July, 1S9S). Baxter, Mrs., Ivy House, Abbey Street, Burton-on-Trent. (Nov., 1S97). BeedzeER, Mr. John, 20, Norton P'olgate, London, E.C. (Jail., 1898). Benteey, Mr. David, 80, St Hubert Street, Great Harwood, nr. Blackburn. July, 1895). Beaauw, Heer F. E., Gooilust, ’S Gravelaiul, Hilversum, Holland. (Nov., 1901). Beack, Mr. Staneey O., Minden, Hereford Road, Southsea. (April, 1899). BeathwayT, Mr. A. P., Frogmore. Watford, Herts. (Jan., 1S95). Bonhote, Mr. J. Lewis, M.A., F.Z.S., Ditton Hall, Feu Ditton, Cambridge. (Dec., 1S94). BooThroyd, Mr. Aefred E., 27, Duke Street, .Southport. (Sept. 1901). Bouskiee, Mr. G. E., Romanhurst, Bramall Lane, Stockport. (April, 1896). Bowes, Mr. John, J.P., F.L.S., 7, Marine Terrace, Herne Bay. (Oct., 1890). Brampton, Miss E., The Moat House, Brentwood, Essex. (Feb., 189S). IV. Brodie, Mr. Charles, Thornton Loch, Innerwick, East Lothian. (Jan., 1896). Brookes, Mr. Edward J., Inglesham, Sutton Coldfield. (Feb., 1S99). Brooksbank, Mrs, A. H., Gate Helinsley House, York. (May, 1898). Buerivant, The Rev. Thos. Peeham, Pli.D., B.D., Via di Monserrato, Rome. (July, 1898). Burge, Mr. Samuee, Ivy Cottage, Fairford. (Nov. 1896). Burgess, Mr. H. W., High Street, Busliey, Herts. (Nov., 1900). ButeEk, Dr. A. G., F.L.S., F.Z.S., 124, Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent. (Orig. Mem.) • Camps, Mr. H. H. T., F.Z.S., Linden House, Haddenham, Isle of Ely. (Orig. Mem.) * Careyon, Mrs., Melrose, Lyudhurst. (Dec., 1900). Carnegie, The Lady, Crimonmogate, Lonway, Aberdeenshire. (Feb. 1901). Carpenter, The Hon. Mrs., Kiplin, Northallerton. (Feb., 1898). Carpmaee, Miss, The Ivies, St. Julian’s Farm Road, West Norwood. (April, 1896). Carrick, Mr. George, Strath earn Cottage, Saltcoats, Ayrshire, N.B. (March, 1898). Carter, Mr. Walter L., Summergate Villa, Parkinson Lane, Halifax. (June, 1S95). * Caste lean, Mr. Victor, Hare Hall, Romford, Essex. (Orig. Mem.) CasteE-Sroane, Mr. C. Oat Hall, Staplefield, Crawley, Sussex. (March, 1900). CaTREUGh, Mr. W. T., Clyffe, Richmond Wood Road, Bournemouth. (Dec., 1894). Cecie, Lady Wirriam, Hunmanby Hall, Filey, Yorkshire. (Feb., 1901). Chapman, Air. P. Godfrey, 21, Lennox Gardens, S.W. (Oct. 1898). Charrington, Airs. AIowbray, The Warren, Hever, Edenbridge, Kent. (Ala)’, 1896). Chawner, Aliss, Forest Bank, Lyndhurst, Hants. (July, 1899). Crayton, Air. H C., 3, East View, Pinderfield, Wakefield. (Aug., 1901). COCKSEDGE, Air. E. LE Heup, Beyton Grange, Suffolk. (March, 189S). CONNER!., Mrs. A. KnaTchburr, The Orchard, Brockeuliurst, Hants. (Nov. 1897). Constable, The Rev. W. J., Uppingham .School, Uppingham. (Sept. 1901). Conyngham, The Dowager Alarchiouess, 36, Belgrave Square, London, S.W. (Jail., 1900). Cooper, Air. James, Killerbv Hall, Scarborough. (Orig. Mem.) Cotton, Air. R., 244, Bramall Lane, Sheffield. (July, 1901). Crafer, Air. A., 6r, Ship Street, Brighton. (Dec., 1S94). Creighton, Air. R., Likoma House, Belle Vue Street, Filey. (Sept. 1S97). Cresswere, Mr. O. E-, AI.A., J.P., Morney Cross, near Hereford. (Orig. Alem.) Cresweee, Air. Wm. George, AI.D., Eden Lodge, Kingston-on-Thames. (June, 1900). Cronkshaw, Air. J., 85, Plantation .Street, Accrington. (Dec., 1S94). Cummings, Air. Alexander, 16, Promenade Villas, Cheltenham. (Dec., 1896). Cunriffe, Air. II, J., 20, Eaton Gardens, Hove. (May, 1899). V. Cushny, Mr. Chari.ES, Pain’s Hill, Cobhani, Surrey. (June, 1896). Daey, Mr. Edward D. H., (late I.ieut. Bengal Staff Corps), Cavello Cottage, The Purlieu, Hytlie, Southampton. (Dec., 1895). DEEh, Mr. ChareES, 9, High .Street, Harlesden, Middlesex. (July, 1900). Dent, Mr. C., Old Bank, Scarborough. (Feb., 1899). Devas, Mr. George, Hartfield, Hayes, Kent. (Oct., 1898). Dewar, Mr. J. F., 2, St. Patrick’s Square, Edinburgh. (Orig. Mem.) DOUGI.AS, Mr. W. C., F.Z.S., 9, Trebovir Road, Earl’s Court, S. W. (Nov., 1900). Drewea'TT, Mr. ThoS., Norfolk Dodge, Speen, Newbury. (July, 1901). DruiTT, Mr. C. F., Briglitlands, Sherburn Road, Torquay. (Jan., 1899). Duncombe, The Hon. Mrs., The Grange, Nawton, R.S.O., Yorks. (April, 1S97). DUNEEATH, The Lady, Ballywalter Park, Ballywalter, co. Down, (Aug. 1897). Dutton, The Hon. & Rev. Canon, Biburv, P'airford. (Orig. Mem.) Eaeand, Mr. C. A., The Cedars, Langley, Bucks. (.Sept., 1901). Eeweee, Mr. James E., Bar Cottage, Beverley. (May, 1901). Farmborough, Mr. Percy W.. P'.Z.S., The Public Library, Edmonton. (June, 1896).* Farrar, The Rev. C. D., Micklefield Vicarage, Leeds. (Jan., 1S95). Fieed, Mr. George, Sorrento, Staplehurst, Kent. (March, 1900). Fife, Mrs., Langton Hall, Northallerton. (Oct., 1S9S). Finn, Air. F., B.A., F.Z.S., Indian Museum, Calcutta. (March, 1895). Fothergiee, Major, Copt Hall, Hawkhurst, Kent. (April, 1900). Foueis, Air. John F., Penicuik, N.B. (Dec., 1900). Fovveer, Air. ChareES, 26, Broad Street, Blaenavon. (Dec., 1894). Fox, Air. C. J., 35, Addington Street, Ramsgate, Kent. (Alay, 1S97). Frankein-PIindee, Air. R., 44, Grosvenor Road, Birkdale, Southport. (Sept., 1S9S). Frostick, Air. John, 18, Temperley Road, Balliam, S.W. (Orig. Mem.). * Garrow, Mr. James, 49, East London .Street, Edinburgh. (June, 1900). Gibbins, Air. Wieeiam B., Ettington, Stratford-on-Avon. (June, 1895). * Giee, Air. Arthur, Veterinary Establishment, Bexley Heath, Kent. (Dec., 1899). Geasscoe, Air. George D., 24, Carlton Road, Clapton, N.P). (Dec., 1898). Goddard, Air. II. E., 5, Lachett Road, South Woodford, Essex. (Feb., 1899). Goodfeeeow, Air. W., c/o J. J. Alumford, Esq., The Poplars, Kettering. (June, 1897). Gorter, Airs., The Delta, Walmer, Kent. (Nov., 1901). Goseing, Airs. R. H., Manor House, Waltham St. Lawrence, Twyford. (Alarcli, 1900). Grace, Air. Gustave ee Carpentier, 24, Wood Street, Wakefield. (March, 1896). Green, Air. Aebert, 4, Cumnor Terrace, Bournemouth. (Feb., 1898). Griggs, Dr. W. A., 102, London Road, Leicester. (Oct., 1S9S). Hamieton, Airs., Bannerdown House, Batheaston, Bath. (Feb., 1S95). Hammond, The Honble. K., 26, Eaton Place, S.W. (Aug., 1901). VI. Harbottle, Miss, Meadowside, 12, Victoria Place, Budleigh Salterton, Devon. (Dec., 1S95). Hardinge, The H011. Lady, Petite Duquette, Hyeres, Var, France. (Nov., 1S96). Harper, Mr. E. W., F.Z.S., M.B.O.LT., ia, Carnac Street, Calcirtta. (Feb., 1901). Harrison, 3\Iiss Edith, Waterhouse, Bath. (Sept., 1895). Hartrey, Mrs., St. Helen’s Lodge, Hastings. (April, 1897). Hawke, The Hon. Mary, Wighill Park, Tadcaster. (Nov., 1900). Hawkins, Mr. L. W., Estrilda, New Clive Road, West Dulwich, S.E. (Jan., 1S99). Hemsworth, The Rev. B., Monk Fryston Hall, South Milford, York. (June, 1901). Henwood, Mr. T. E., Auricula Villa, Hamilton Road, Reading. (Dec., 1894). Heseeton, Mr. H. C., 299, Westminster Road, Liverpool. (Dec., 1899). Hett, Mr. Charles Louis, Springfield, Brigg. (Jan., 1896). Hill, Mr. W. S., 14, Thirlmere Street, Hightown, Manchester. (Dec., 1900). Hinckes, Mr. R. J., Foxlev, Hereford. (Feb., 1899). Hincks, Air. J. W. R., Leicester. (Oct., 1S99). Hodgson, Miss, Hernewood, Sevenoaks. (Dec., 1894). * Hopson, Mr. F. C., Northbrook Street, Newbury. (March, 1S97). Horsburgh, Lieutenant B., 4, Richmond Hill, Bath. (Jail., 1898). HoulTon, Mr. Charles, Denton’s Green Lane, St. Helens. (Feb., 1S97).. Housden, Mr. J. B., Brooklyn, Cator Road, Sydenham. (Orig. Mem.) Howard, The Lady Victoria, Charlton Cottage, Malmesbury. (Oct., 1899). Howman, Miss, Sherwood, Essex Grove, Upper Norwood. (March, 1897). Hughes, Mrs., 109, F'reshfield Road, Kemp Town, Brighton. (April, 1895). Humphrys, Mr. Russell, Liugdale, Bickley, Kent. (April, 1896). Husband, Miss, Clifton View, York. (Feb., 1896). Hutt, Mr. Henry T., 24, Cockspnr Street, London, SAV. (Nov., 1896). Ichiquin, The Lady, Moor Park, Ludlow. (Nov., 1897). Jennison, Mr. George, Devonport Park, Stockport. (Sept., 1897). Johnstone, Mrs. M.A., Rougham Hall, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. (May, 1900). Killmistkr, Mr. Geo., Macclesfield, Cheshire. (Aug., 1901). King, Mr. J. B., Anuandale House, Glebe, Kilmarnoch. (Oct., 1896). KEENE, Mrs., Sandlea, Abbotsham Road, Bideford, N. Devon. (Feb., 1897). Kenyon, Lord, Gredington, Whitchurch, Shropshire. (Feb., 1S99). KneEn, Mr. T. E-, no, Harrington Road, Workington. (June, 1S95). * Lambert, Mr. Frank, Langholm, Beverley. (June, 1900). Lancaster, Mrs., 1, Victoria Terrace, Walsall. (Aug., 1897). Landless, Mr. W., Portland Villa, Waterloo Road, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston. (Dec., 1896). Lascellpis, The Hon. Gerald, King’s House, Lyndliurst. (Oct., 1S96). Law, Mr. E. C., 2, Cromwell Road, Teddington. (Dec., 1897). LEEDER, Mr. J. Viner, Dorset House, Bryn Road, Swansea. (Nov., 1899). Leigh, Mr. H. Boughton, Brownsover Hall, Rugby. (May, 1900). Lennie, Mr. J. C., Rose Park, Trinity Road, Edinburgh. (Orig. Mem.) * Vll. Lifford, The Lady, Lilford Hall, Oundle, Northamptonshire. (Jan., 189S). Lynch, Mr. Cyril, 45, Rna Dr. Correa, Cattete, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (April, 1897), Lyon, Miss G., Harwood, Horsham. (Nov., 1S94). Maitland, Mrs. Keith, 2, Douglas Gardens, Edinburgh. (July, 1900). Martin, Mr. H. C., 141, Victoria Road, Old Charlton, Kent. (Jan., 1897). Mathias, Mr. H. W., Doone Cottage, Thames Ditton, Surrey. (March, 1900). Maxwell, Mr. C. T., South Lawn, 24, Acre Lane, Brixton, S.W. (March, 1S96). McCorouodale, Mrs., Gadlys, Llansadwrn, Isle of Anglesey. (May, 1898). Meade-Waldo, Mr. E. G. B., Stonewall Park, Edenbridge, Kent. (Jan., 1865). Metcalfe, Mrs., Gloucester House, Stouebridge Park, Willesden, N.W. (April, 1901). Mitchell, Mrs., Crakehall, Bedale, Yorkshire. (Sept., 1898). Miller, Lady, The Knowle, Bournemouth. (July, 1899). MoERSCHELL, Mr. F., Imperial Hotel, Malvern. (June, 1895). Morshead, Lady, Forest Lodge, Binfield, Bracknell, Berks. (Dec., 1S94).* MorTimER, Mrs., Wigmore, Holmwood, Surrey. (Orig. Mem.) * Mumford, Mr. J. J., The Poplars, Kettering. (Dec., 1900). Newman, Mr. T. H., 20, Montpelier Square, South Kensington, London. (May. 1900). Nicholson, Mr. Alfred E., Emlinville, Coltbridge Gardens, Edinburgh. (Oct., 1896).* Nicholson, Air. W., 1, Ord Place, Gateshead. (Feb., 189S). Noble, Mrs., Park Place, Henley-on-Thames. (Oct., 1900). Norwood, Mr. EiLLE, York. (Aug., 1901). Oakey, Mr. W., 46, High Street Leicester. (March, 1S96).* Oates, Mr. F. W., White House Farm, New Leeds, Leeds. (Oct., 1897). Ogilvy, Mr. Henry S. T. Hamilton, Biel, Prestonkirk, East Lothian. (March, 1900). O’Reilly, Mr. Nicholas S., 9, Royal Crescent, Ramsgate, Kent. (Dec., 1894). OsbaldesTON, Mr. W., 2, St. John Street, Preston, Lancashire. (June, 1895).* Owen, Mr. J. A., 41, King's Road, Brighton. (April, 1895). Page, Mr. WESLEY T., F.Z.S., 6, Rylett Crescent, Shepherd’s Bush, London, W. (May, 1897). Parker, Mr. Wm. E,, Beacon Farm, Overton, Frodsham, Cheshire. (Aug., 1900). Pearson, Mr. A. A., Vesper Road, Kirkstall, Leeds. (Nov., 1S97). PERRING, Mr. C. S. R., 144a, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C. (Sept., 1895). PERRIER, Mrs. LumlEY, Saville House, Twickenham. (Feb., 1S99). Phillipps, Master Noel, 21, Addison Gardens, Kensington, London, V . (Nov., 1901). Phillipps, Mr. R., 26, Cromwell Grove, West Kensington Park, London, W. (Orig. Mem.) * viii. Phieeipps, Mrs. R., 26, Cromwell Grove, West Kensington Park, London, W. (Orig. Mem.) PiTT, Mrs., The Nest, Torquay. (Dec., 1894). Peomeey, Dr. J. F., Knigktrider House, Maidstone. (Feb., 1898). Rathborne, Mr. Henry B., Dunsinea House, Phoenix Park, Dublin. (May, 1901). Reay, Mr. J. H. A., 7, Rosemount, Wallington, Surrey. (April, 1898). Reid, Mrs., Funchal, Madeira. (Feb., 1895). Richard, Mr. K., Hotel Metropole, Brighton. (Orig. Mem.) Roberts, Mr. Norman B., Ashdell Cottage, Sheffield. (Feb., 1S98). Robertson, Mrs. J. P., Bishops Taclibrook, Leamington, Warwick. (Jan., 1900). Rogers, Miss G. CoxwEEL, Park Gate, Cheltenham. (Dec., 1895). Rotch, Mr. Claude D., 3, Beach Lawn, Waterloo, near Liverpool. (June, 1897). RoThera, Mr. C. L., B. A., Hazelwood, P'orest Grove, Nottingham. (July, 1895). Rothschied, The Hon. W., M.P., Tring Park, Herts. (Jan., 1900). Saet, Dr. E. G., 59, George Square, Edinburgh. (July, 1895). Savage, Mr. A., 3, Rue Bihorel, Biliorel, Rouen, Seine Inferieure, France. (April, 1895). Savege, Dr. George, 24, Railway .Street, Beverley. (Oct., 1S96). Scott, Mr. W. E. D., Princetown Museum, Princetown. Newjersey, U.S.A. (June, 1900). Scrivens, Miss, Millfield, Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex. (Julj’, 1895). .Secretary, The, Natural History Society, Rugby School, Rugby. (Orig. Mem.) SERGEANT, Mr. J., 10, London Street, Southport. (Orig. Mem.) * Skth-Smith, Mr. David, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., Glengarry, Canning Road, Croydon. (Dec., 1S94). Sharp, Miss M. D., Spring Gardens, Ringwood, Hants. (Orig. Mem.) Shepherd, Miss B., The Den, Walton-on-Thames. (April, 1901). Sherbrooke, Mrs. K., Keldholme Priory, Kirby Moorside, Yorkshire. (March, 1897). Simpson, Mr. Archibald, 25, Barton View, Beeston Hill, Leeds. (Feb., 1901) Sivewright, Miss H. A., The Rise, Headiugton Hill, Oxford. (Dec., 1895). Seater, Mr. Arthur A., Prescot Road, St. Helens. (Nov., 1894). Smart, Mr. John, 12, Royal Crescent, Edinburgh. (Nov., 1S94). Smith, Mr. II. B., Grangefield, Park Road South, Birkenhead. (June, 1S95).* Smith, Mr. E. E., 133, Alderson Road, Sheffield. (Oct., 1898). Soper, Mrs. Garland, Harestone, Caterham Valley. (Nov., 1899). Speed, Mr. Charles, 42, Garth Road, Bangor, Wales. (Dec., 1S94). Speed, Mr. Hedeey, 12, Victoria Park, Bangor, Wales. (Nov., 1900). ST. QijinTin, Mr. W. II., Scampston Hall, Rillington, York. (Orig, Mem.) Stansfeed, Mr. John, Dunninald, Montrose, N.B. (Dec., 1896). StanyForTH, Mrs., Kirk Hammerton Hall, York. (Nov., 1S97). Stevens, Mr. W. E., Punchbowl Hotel, Lowlher Street, York. (June, 1S99). STORY, Mr. J., 7, Blenheim Terrace, St. John’s Wood, N.W. (Orig. Mem.)* Sturton-Johnson, Miss, Ortava House, Ore, Hastings. (May, 1897). SwailES, Mr. George C., Beverley, Yorks. (June, 1S95). IX. Sways I. and, Mr. W., 47, Oueen’s Road, Brighton. (Orig. Mem.) * Swift, Mr. Donald, 58, Avenue Road, Crouch End, N. (Dec., 1898). Swinfkn-Brown, Mrs. Laura, Swinfen Hall, Lichfield. (Feb., 1898). Tate, Miss M. M., Allerburn, Alnwick. (May, 1900). TaTE, Mr. Alan, 229, Allen Street, Sheffield. (June, 1897). Taylor, Mr.. Wm. C. E,, 34, Queen Street, Scarborough. (Aug., 1901). Thom, Mr. A. A., Birkacre House, Birkacre, near Chorley. (June, 1895).* Thomas, Mr. Henry, 7S, Harlow Terrace, Harrogate. (Jan., 1S95). Thomas, Miss, Hemsworth Rectory, Wakefield. (March, 1899). Thomasset, Mr. Bernard C., West Wickham, by Beckenham, Kent. (July, 1896). Thompson, Mrs. Waldegrave, Forest Lodge, 23, Raveuscourt Park, W. (Dec., 1S95). Thompson, Lady, Government House, St. Lucia. (May, 1900). Thursby, Mrs., Bank Hall, Burnley. (June, 1895).* Todd, Mr. R. A., Honeydeu, Foot’s Cray, Kent. (June, 1895). Topham, Mr. William, The Hill, Spomlon, Derby. (Feb., 1895).* Townend, Mr. Frank H., 26, Dornton Road, South Croydon, Surrey. (May, 1895).* Townsend, Mr. Stanley M.. 3, Swift Street, Fulham, S.W. (Sept., 1898). Turner, Mr. Thomas, J.P., Cullompton, Devon. (Dec.. 1895). Valentine, Mr. E.,-Highfield, Workington. (May, 1899). Verrall, Mr. Claude H., Johannesburg, Streatham Common, S.W. (May, 1897). Ward, The Hon. Mrs. Somerset, Isle o’ Valla House, Downpatrick, Ireland. (Aug., 1897). WALKER, Miss II. K. O., Cheshatn, Bury, Lancashire, (Feb., 1895). Watson, Mr. John, Wentbridge Lodge, Pontefract. (Sept., 1900). WEST, Miss E. E., The Homestead, Hawthorne Road, Bickley Park, Kent. (April, 1898).* WhyTF.head, Mr. T. B., Acombe House, York. (April, 1897). Wiener, Mr. AUG. F., 4, Bedford Place, Russell Square, W.C. (July, 1S96). Wilde, Miss, Little Gaddesden, Birkliampstead. (Dec., 1896). Wilkinson, Miss Beatrice, End Cliffe, Manor Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham. (Dec., 1894). Williams, Mrs. Leslie, 21, Bathwick Hill, Bath. (June, 1S95). Williams, Dr. J. D., 93, Newport Road, Cardiff. (Feb., 1897). Wright, Mrs. G. J., 3. Rose Villas, Picton Road, Ramsgate. (Feb., 1898). Wylie, Mr. A. C., Hillside, Woodspeen, Newbury. (Sept., 1900). Yarborough, Mrs., Campsmount, Doncaster, (Nov., 1899). X, RULES OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY. 1. — The name of the Society shall he “ The AvicueTurae Society,” and its objedts shall be the study of Foreign and British Birds. Poultry, Pigeons, and Canaries shall be outside the scope of the Society. 2. — The Officers of the Society shall be elected annually by the mem¬ bers in manner hereinafter provided, and shall consist of a President, one or more Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, a Secretary, an Editor, an Auditor, a Scrutineer, and a Council of twelve members. The Secretary, Editor, and Treasurer shall be ex-ojficio members of the Council. 3. — Each Member shall pay an annual subscription of 10/-, to be due and payable in advance on the 1st of November in each year. New mem¬ bers shall pay an entrance fee of 2/6. Any member whose subscription or entrance fee shall be four months overdue shall cease to be a member of the Society, and notice of his having ceased to be a member, and of the cause, shall be inserted in the Magazine. 4. — New members shall be proposed in writing; and the name and address of every person thus proposed, with the name of the member proposing him, shall be published in the next issue of the Magazine. Unless the candidate shall, within two w’eeks after the publication of his name in the Magazine, be objected to by at least two members, he shall be deemed to be duly elected. If five members shall lodge with the Secretary objedtions to any candidate he shall not be elected, but the signatures to the signed objections must be verified by the Scrutineer. If two or more members (but less than five) shall object to any candidate, the Secretary shall announce in the next number of the Magazine that such objections have been lodged (but shall not disclose the names of the objectors), and shall request the members to vote upon the questiou of the election of such candidate. Members shall record their votes in sealed letters addressed to the Scrutineer, and a candidate shall not be elected unless two-thirds of the votes recorded be in his favour; nor shall a candidate be elected if five or more votes be recorded against his election. 5. — The Magazine of the Society shall be issued on the first day of every month, and forwarded, post free, to each member. The Editor shall have an absolute discretion as to what matter shall be published in the Magazine (subject to the control of the Council). The Secretary and Editor shall respectively refer all matters of doubt or difficulty to the Council. The decision of the majority of the Council shall be final and conclusive in all matters. 6. — The election of officers shall take place every year between the 1st and 14th of October. All candidates must be proposed by one member and seconded by another member (in writing) before they shall be eligible for election ; but this shall not apply to officers willing to stand for re-election to the same office. All such proposals which have been dulj' seconded must be sent to the Secretary before the 14th of September. The Secretary shall prepare a voting paper containing a list of the candidates, showing the offices for which they are respectively seeking election or re-election, and shall send a copy of such voting paper to each member of the Society with the October number of the Magazine. Each member shall make a cross (X) opposite the names of those for whom he desires to vote, and shall sign the voting paper at the foot, and send it to the Scrutineer in XI. a sealed envelope, before the 14th of October. The Scrutineer shall prepare a written return of the officers elected, showing the number of the votes recorded for each candidate, and send it to the Secretary before the 21st of October for publication in the November number of the Magazine. In the event of an equality of votes, the President shall have a casting vote. 7. — It shall be lawful for the Council to delegate any of their powers to a Committee of not less than three. 8. — The Council (but not a Committee of the Council) shall have power to alter and add to the Rules, from time to time, in any manner they may think fit. 9. — The Council shall have power to expel any member from the Society at any time without assigning any reason. 10. — All members intending to resign tlieir membership at the end of the current year of the .Society shall give notice of their intention to the Secretray before the 14th of October, and all members who do not so give notice shall continue to be members for the year following, and shall be liable for their subscriptions accordingly. 11. — Neither the office of Scrutineer nor the office of Auditor shall be held for two consecutive years by the same person. 12. — The Scrutineer shall not reveal to any person how any member shall have voted. 13. — If any office shall become vacant at any time, other than at the end of the Society’s year, the Council shall have power to nominate any member of the Society to fill the vacancy until the expiration of the then current year. THE SOCIETY'S MEDAL. The Medal is awarded to ever}’ member who succeeds in breeding any species of bird which has not previously been known to breed in captivity in the United Kingdom. Any member wishing to obtain the Medal must send a detailed account to the Secretary, for publication in the Magazine, within ten weeks from the date of hatching of the young, and furnish such evidence of the facts as the Executive Committee may requre. The Medal will be awarded only in cases where the young shall live to be old enough to feed themselves, and to be wholly independent of their parents. The decision of the Committee shall be final. The Medal is struck in bronze, and measures 2J inches in diameter. It bears on the obverse a representation of two birds with a nest containing eggs, and the words “The Avicultural Society — Founded 1S94.” O11 the reverse is the following inscription: “Awarded to (name of donee) for rearing young of (name of species) a species not previously bred in captivity in the United Kingdom. Members to whom Medals have been azvaidcd. Mr. R. A. T ODD, for breeding Poephila acuticauda in 1S97. Mr. GEORGE E. BouSKIEE, for breeding Cyanorhamphus auriceps in 1897. Mr. E. G. B. MEADE-WAEDO, for breeding Excalfactoria chinensis in 1898. The Rev. C. D. Farrar, for breeding Lagonosinta minima in 1898. Mr. R. PHIEEIPPS, for breeding Alelanocorypha yeltoniensis in 1S99. Tim Rev. C. D. Farrar, for breeding Cyanospiza ciris in 1899. The Rev. C. D. Farrar, for breeding Polytelis bartabandi in 1900. xii. The Rules under which the Society’s Medal has hitherto been granted are under consideration and possible revision. By no Society of repute that we are acquainted with are Medals distributed so lightly as our Medal has been in the past ; and Medals that are lightly distributed may come to be lightly esteemed. Nevertheless the original idea in awarding the Medal — that of encouraging aviculture— must not be lost sight of. We hope to be able to print the amended Rules in our next issue. Under the Rules which have been in force up to the end of the avicultural year just closed, the members whose names are given below have reared the young of species which it is believed have not been previously reared in this country. Members and others are invited to examine the list, and are requested to immediately communicate with the Secretary should they be aware of any earlier instance of the rearing of the young of any of the species mentioned. The account of the breeding of each species may be found at the page indicated. These are in addition to those to whom the medal has already been awarded this year. Page 165 — The Cape Sparrow, by Mr. Skth-Smitii. ,, 191 — Leadbeater’s Cockatoo, by Mrs. Johnstone. ,, 192 — The Andaman Starling, by the Rev. C. D. Farrar. ,, 197 — The Black-headed or Pagoda Mynah, by the Rev. C. D. Farrar. ., 217 — The European Roller, by Mr. St. QuinTin. ,, 219 — The Rufous-tailed Grassfinch, by Mr. AeF. E- NiCHOESON. * The Orange-cheeked Waxbill, by Miss R. AedkrSON. * The South African Eagle Owl, by Mr. BonhoTK. POST MORTEM EXAMINATIONS. For a long time the Society has felt the want of some competent person willing to undertake the examination of dead birds, who would report through our columns, for the general good, the causes of the deaths of our feathered friends. Many unsuspected errors in our mode of dealing with our birds are occasionally brought to light by post mortem examin¬ ations, and consequently the lives of the survivors saved and prolonged, other readers likewise profiting by the warnings disclosed. It is, therefore, with sincere pleasure that we are enabled to announce to our members (for the privilege is reserved to members of the Avicultural Society) that Mr. Arthur Giee, a member of our Council, has most kindly offered to step into the breach, and, without fee, make the desired examinations. Our cordial thanks are due to Mr. Gill for this valuable assistance. RULES. Each bird must be forwarded, as soon after death as possible, care¬ fully packed and postage paid, direct to Mr. Gill (Veterinary Establishment, Bexley Heath, Kent), and must be accompanied by a letter containing the fullest particulars of the case. If a reply by post (in addition to any Report that may appear in the Magazine) be required, a stamped and addressed envelope must likewise be forwarded to Mr. Gill. * In these two cases, Medals cannot be awarded unless detailed accounts of the breeding1 are duly furnished for publication in our Magazine. Mr. Gedney states that the young of the Orange-cheeked Waxbill have been reared by his Zebra Finches, to whose nest the eggs had been transferred ; and other cases may perhaps be known to some of our members. THE Bvicultural /Ifcaga^tnc, BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICU LTURAL SOCIETY. VOL. VIII.— NO. 1. All rights reserved. NOVEMBER, 1901. AUSTRALIAN CRANES NESTING IN ENGLAND. By the Rev. Hubert D. Asteey, M.A., F.Z.S. In the year 1852 the splendid Native Companion Crane of Australia, the only species of the Crane family in the whole of that huge continent, was imported into Europe, and since 1857 with regularity. All the principal European zoological societies have kept these birds from that time up till the present, but never, until this year, have any of them been known to make a serious attempt to breed. Mr. Blaauw, in his beautiful “ Monograph of the Cranes,” states this to be the case, and Mr. Tegetmeier confirms it. The late Eord Eilford and other enthusiastic ornithologists and bird-lovers have kept Australian Cranes in private collections under most favourable circum¬ stances, and yet they have failed to obtain even the partial success which I have been fortunate enough to achieve this summer. Mr. Blaauw mentions the fact that an egg was laid in the Zoological Gardens of Amsterdam, but adds that he knows of no instance of this species of Crane having bred in captivity. By this I suppose he means that no eggs have been hatched, and also that none of these Cranes have truly nested. The pair of Australian Cranes that I have, were purchased in 1897, but not until this year have they ever attempted to nest. They live in a part of the park immediately in front of the house, and spend most of their time at the edge of the lake, a piece of water of about 8 acres. They seldom wander to any distance, and, indeed, seem to have marked out a boundary, beyond which they seldom or never pass ; nor will they allow the other Cranes (Manchurian, Siberian, and European) to enter their claimed domain. The male Australian is pinioned, but the female has her full wings, although she does not often make use of them in flight. They are magnificent birds, in colour a fine bright grey, which is enhanced by the brilliant scarlet skin 011 the back of the head. The)' do not stand as high as the stately Manchurian Cranes, nor, again, as the Sarus Crane of India, but they are not far off those species in size, and are taller than the common Crane, a bird of no mean stature. In May last the Australians showed evident signs of an intention to breed, and began to build a nest on the immediate margin of the lake, composed of dead rushes and a few sticks. Bnt the situation did not please them, and they built a second nest a few yards farther along, under the overhanging boughs of a large beech tree, but again close to the water’s edge, though in a less damp spot. The female bird took short flights of a morning when her mate was courting her, and it was a fine sight as the great bird flapped her broad pinions and flew on a level with the tops of the tallest trees, her image reflected in the lake as she passed over it. Towards the end of May she laid her two eggs, the usual complement of all Cranes ; but her possession of them was short, for one was very soon stolen (a Great Black-backed Gull was the supposed thief), and the other, in consecpience of the theft, was removed, to be incubated by a farmyard hen, who, however, failed to hatch it. Bnt in eight days’ time the Crane laid the first of a second batch of eggs in the same nest as before, omitting, as she had previously done, one day between the production of the first and second egg. On this second clutch she sat steadily for ten days, the male bird in the mean¬ while attacking with much fury any human passer-by, and following people for some distance until he saw them safely off the premises. Then, for the second time, the eggs were taken, both disappearing simultaneously. This time suspicion rested upon the Jackdaws ; or it may have been a pair of Herring-gulls, which had till then appeared perfectly innocent of contem¬ plating such destruction. The Great Black-backed Gull had been removed ; in fact, found guilty and imprisoned. In any case, I discovered the skin of one of the eggs in the water of the lake. The loss was all the more aggravating, inas¬ much as the skin was covered with veins, showing that the eggs were fertile, and that young birds were forming in the shells. Two sets of eggs having been laid, I gave tip all idea of any more until next spring, when, to my astonishment, some ten days after, the female bird once more took up her position on the same nest, which she added to slightly and rearranged. In a fortnight from the disappearance of the second clutch, the first egg of a third one was laid, which was again followed by another egg two days afterwards. But, alas, and alas ! after the Crane had sat only a few days, the eggs once more were taken. War had been waged against Jackdaws and Rooks, which had stolen a lot of eggs laid by different species of ducks, but yet either Jackdaws or Rooks were the thieves on this occasion, for the shells of the two eggs were found dropped in the grass, at some distance from the nest, sucked clean, except for a few veins on the skin within the shell, and with tell-tale upon the latter of the blows made by the points of the culprits’ bills before they effected their object, and finally gained an entrance to the contents. Surely that was the end of all things for the first year of the twentieth century ! But in August, about a fortnight after this last calamity, the female Australian Crane was once more to be seen rearranging her nest, and sitting on it. And once more this pertinaceous and prolific bird laid, for the fourth time of asking, two eggs, quite as fine and large, moreover, as any of their predecessors, if not more so. The eggs are about the size of those of a Goose, of a creamy colour, spotted and blotched, chiefly at the thicker end, with dull red and grey. Then I hired boys to watch near by from early morn to dewy eve, and for ten days all went well, except that the female bird seemed to sit less steadily than hitherto. On the tenth day came the news that the eggs had both disappeared between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m.! Culprits this time either rats or Jackdaws, the suspicion resting upon the former; but not the vestige of a shell was discovered. I felt as sorry for the poor Cranes as I did for myself, and they evinced their dis¬ appointment by standing over the nest and loudly trumpeting at intervals. Mr. Tegetmeier wrote in the Field of July 20th. last as follows : “A series of very interesting announcements respecting the nesting of the Australian Crane ( Grus australasiana ) has appeared in the Field during the last few weeks. In the number for June 1st. the Rev. Hubert D. Astley made the important announcement that his Australian Cranes, known as the Native Companion of the Colonists, had nested. . . . This is, I believe, the first example of this species laying in Europe. . . . It is not only of interest to record the breeding of the Australian Crane for the first time in the Northern Hemisphere, but it is also of considerable physiological import to be able to record the rapid production of eggs in a creature that, had she not been molested, would have laid only one pair during the year.” [The above most interesting article appeared in Country Life of October 5th. last, and is reprinted by permission, and the illustration which appears as our frontispiece this month was drawn by Mr. Frohawk from a photograph by Mr. Astley, and is reproduced from the Field by the courtesy of Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier. — Ed.] 4 AVICULTURE. By the Rev. C. D. Farrar. There is a distinct charm in aviculture. It can be carried on anywhere : in a back slum in S. Giles’, in a Belgravian mansion, in a country vicarage, or in a suburban villa — and you will always enjoy yourself ; and what is more important about this enjoyment is this, that you will not embitter your present, nor endanger your future, by getting into a bad temper, whether you are successful or not, provided always that you are a true bird-lover. This, notoriously, is not the case with othei- sports. I have been assured by an experienced man that it makes you feel “awfully bad” when, after a long and weary tramp over the fallows, you at last get a wretched chance at a wild covey — and miss ; and as for football, hockey, cricket, fishing, and golf, I need hardly speak of the uncharitable feelings they engender towards umpires and successful opponents ! When I first went in for birds, I knew no more about them than does a Kindergarten Board School child about South Africa. I did not mention the fact, by the way, and a casual observer might have thought that I had spent my youth in aviculture. The birds “ that caused me to fall ” were a pair of Zebra Finches in a bird dealer’s window. These birds have much to answer for. They cost me seven shillings and sixpence ; but how many seven and sixes have followed that first one I should tremble to say7. I luxuriated in their exquisite beauty ; little thinking or knowing what there was besides beauty, as Allah in mercy hid the Book of Fate. Who would have dared to prophesy that one pair of Zebra Finches would one day^ necessitate the erection of twelve huge aviaries ! I know of no more charming way of spending an afternoon than to sit down quietly and watch the ways of the bird world around y:ou. If you keep quiet, the birds take no notice of you and go on with their ordinary avocations, under your eyes, hunting and playing and feeding and fighting — for sad to relate, in spite of good Dr. Watts, birds in their little nests do not agree, nor out of them either, for that matter — until something frightens them, and then there is a general stampede, a sort of “ general post.” It does some people good to go and see another man’s birds ; it does another a lot of harm. It raises feelings of 5 kleptomania ; lie will go to a neighbour’s aviary, without any intention of coveting, and you will see him go home full of envy hatred, malice, and all uncharitableness. Do not imagine, sister or brother aviculturist, that I am hinting that the gentle art is bad for the moral nature of people like you and me, but it is bad for some people. You or your neighbour, like most of us, can resist any thing but temptation ; he will resist attempts to reform him, attempts to make him tell the truth, attempts to keep him tidy ; he will resist them painfully. But give him a real temptation, breed something that he can’t or hasn’t bred, and he will succumb without a struggle ! From time to time I think that all aviculturists, living within visiting distance, ought to go and see their brother avi¬ culturists ; outlie same principle as led a gloomy government official on the Gold Coast to visit the local cemetery, because, as he said, he wanted to get used to the place before staying there permanently. He used to take his visitor across the well kept grass to the newly dug graves, each covered with a wooden hood, in a most business like way. He said nothing, but waved his hand with a take-your-choice, they-are-both-quite-ready style. “ We have to bring them here very quickly you know.” Well, I always feel like that when I go to see a friend’s aviary. I always want to go and see the cemetery. You always find people deny¬ ing having any deaths, if they can, without committing violent perjury ; if they cannot deny it, they will try and turn the conversation. Some enthusiastic friends, when they come to see me, always want to see the “ pretty nests.” I sternly refuse to gratify what is, no doubt, quite “ natural curiosity.” I know we are told that birds don’t mind it. Mine do ; and so we must diminish dead certainties to the level of sporting chances, or one would never get on. I should say that, on the whole and unless very severely tried, aviculturists are a truthful set of men. I will give you an example. I once, in visiting a friend’s aviary, found a nest which he said he did not blow of : demonstrating that an aviculturist can speak the truth ! Another pleasing trait in my brother aviculturists I find to be that, if there is danger ahead, they wish that I should take first risks. If some particularly delicate and, as a consequence, expensive birds arrive, I have a friend who always strongly advises that I should have them. Much as I once read one 6 late Miss Kingsley’s black fellows did when entering on a dangerous path ; he always urged that she should go up the road — alone — by herself — first — a mile ahead of the part}', and the next time, perhaps, the enemy might not shoot at sight if they happened to notice that she was something queer, and that she might explain things, and then the rest of the party would follow ! ! I have often acted that suggested part in bird-dom ! I suppose that some day the avicultural enthusiast will meet with the sad fate of the pitcher that went too oft to the well ; he will get “stony broke.” My ignorance in birds is still colossal ; and although the vast cavity in my mind is only as yet very partially filled up, it nevertheless contains a great deal of curious information. I say curious, advisedly; for many books on birds seem to suggest that, over the minds of all young beginners, a placard has been set up with a sort of advertisement to this effect : “ Rubbish may be shot here.” On that suggestion they had all apparently acted. I found in these books statements made which subsequent experience has completely falsified ; and, concerning some of the marvellous accounts of nesting and reproduction therein recorded, I hold the opinion that the old Scotch lady had regard¬ ing certain passages in the history of the early Jews — that “it was a long time ago, and habelings it was not true.” Sometimes, you know, a man will say to you, “I’ve done so and so.” Its a bit too large for my belief hatch, but, if you like to get it down yours, you’re free and welcome to ship it. I sha’n’t do that. Mine is a record of actual experience, often bitter and costly ; but, such as it is, I humbly lay it before the reader; and if you ever go to what Aristophanes calls the “ kingdom of birds,” you will find things to be as I have said. I am anxious to make a book that people who do not know much about birds may believe, even if they criticise its points, so I give details that a more showy writer would omit. Aviculture is like the Arctic regions in one particular, that when you have once visited those regions, you want to go back there again. I know there are some who deny this ; but if you were to tell many of those who will, in a fit of the blues, tell you most emphatically that, if they could “ sell out all those beastly birds, see if ever they would go in for them again ” ; and you were to take them at their word, and buy them out — you would find them some fine day, in the not far distant 7 future, sneaking back apologetically to their old love. Brevi spat io interjecto , as Caesar used to say in the middle of a bad battle. I said to a friend once, after a bad loss, “ Now if you want some cheap birds, this is your opportunity.” He smiled derisively.; and, when he came the following week and found me hard at it, he pretended a genuine surprise, but no doubt formed an even higher opinion of my folly than he had before, which is saying a good deal. And now, as the parsons say, one word in conclusion. Whatever aviculture may have to say against me — for my con¬ tinual and unalterable desire for something new ; my intolerable habit of getting into hot water ; or of bringing things into the house which emit unexpectedly and at short notice varied and awful stenches — she cannot say but that I have been a diligent pupil, who has honestly tried to learn the lessons she had tried to teach me ; though some of the lessons have been very costly. One by one I lost my old ideas derived from books, weighed them against the real bird life I saw around me, and, finding them either worthless or wanting, did metaphorically what the Ephesians did of old with their books, “burnt them publicly before all men ; ” and I can truthfully say to-day that what little I know about birds, I have learnt from the birds themselves — they have been my teachers. Those who have loved birds in life will, I fancy, find the ruling passion strong in death. Who does not remember the pathetic tale of the old carter, who lay a-dying. Kindly hands had smoothed his pillow, tender hands had wiped the death sweat from his brow; was there anything else that he would like to have done? There was a wistful pathos in his voice as he gasped his yearning to “just see t’osses once again.” Immediately his bed was moved quietly towards the window, and from stable and pasture all the horses were driven into the farmyard, until the dying man’s eyes rested on the old mare he loved the best. Then, with a faint “Tchk, tchk ! Daisy ! ” he turned away his head and burst into tears. And so he died. But when the hearse came to bear him away to the little God’s Acre, the dead man’s mistress had the undertaker’s horse taken out of the shafts, and Daisy put in to take him to his last resting place. Will it not be so with some of us when the end draws near? We, too, shall want “one last look at the birds,” those feathered treasures we have loved so well — one last look — until we wake up in the Better Land. 8 •“ There are men both wise and good, who hold that in a future state Dumb creatures we have cherished here below Shall give us joyous greeting as we pass the pearly gates : Is it folly that I hope it may be so ? ” PITTAS IN CAPTIVITY. By the Rev. Hubert D. Astley, M.A., F.Z.S. I have been fortunate enough to secure a hand-reared brood of four Pittas ( P . bengalensis ) which were brought from India, and landed on the 19th of September in the London Docks. They seem strong and healthy, and feed well upon an insectivorous mixture (Insectivorous Food Co.) and mealworms. They have also enjoyed ‘ daddy-long-legs ’ whilst in season, which are easily caught of a morning on the outside of window sills, etc. Gould figures and describes these birds (‘ Birds of Asia,’ Yol. V.) as having black bills with fleshy brown bases, whereas my birds have almost entirely red bills with a dash of brown on them, which latter colour has the appearance of fading away into red: the brown tint seemingly being a feature of the immature bird. My Pittas are moulting, the lighter fawn of the breast appearing through the dull brown of the first plumage. The whole colouring is the same as in the adult bird (as figured in Gould’s ‘ Birds of Asia,’) except that it is altogether duller. It will be most interesting to see whether these birds will live well in captivity, and whether it would be possible to breed them in an aviary given up to them only. They are brought over alive only very rarely. For the ■edification of those who are not familiar with the characteristics of this most beautiful family of birds, I would add that in size and shape they are mostly about that of our Water Ouzel (or Dipper) with the same short bobbing tail. The Pittas are all bright and, for the most part, gorgeously coloured birds. The Bengal Pitta has broad longitudinal stripes of dark brown and white on the whole head and face; the back, green ; the wings, black with two large patches of white on the primaries; shoulders, pale blue; throat, white; breast, fawn colour ; under tail coverts and bell}’, scarlet ; upper tail coverts, sky blue ; tail, black at base, blue at the tip. The legs are flesh- 9 coloured, long and slender, as these birds live chiefly on the ground, where the}’ move with great activity, taking long hops. My birds are extremely tame and fearless, and also very pugnacious, tilting and sparring at one another like game cocks, so that in all probability one pair of Pittas in a wild state, would demand a fairly large area to themselves for the purposes of nesting. A pair of Pittas were exhibited at the Crystal Palace Bird Show a few years ago, which, if I remember rightly, were the Hooded Pitta ( P. cucullaiaj . The Pittas known as Elliot’s, Gurney’s, Bornean, Neck- laced, etc., are dreams of beauty, and make one’s mouth water to possess them alive as pets, when looking on their coloured portraits. NOTE BY THE EDITOR. Having undertaken to edit the Avicultural Magazine, may I ask all our members to help me by sending something for publication therein. We have not had much about British birds lately, and I should be very glad if our members would record the result of their observation of anything of interest concerning our native species. I should also be glad to receive accounts of the breeding results of the past season in the aviaries of members. Descriptions of members’ aviaries are always welcome and I should like to receive photographs of birds with a view to reproducing them in the Magazine. May I ask all our members to help to make our Magazine a still further success. D. Seth-Smith. BIRD NOTES. Some discussion has recently taken place in the daily Press as to the damage wrought by birds on fruit. The remedies suggested are many and various, but the concensus of opinion seems to be that the only adequate means of protection to bush- and ground-fruit is to thoroughly net it over. We have often been told that the birds eat the fruit because they require moisture, and if dishes of water be placed about the garden the fruit will not be touched. This theory is, however, exploded by a writer to the Standard, who had most of his fruit taken by the birds although a stream of the purest water ran through his garden. Such fruit as pears and apples is most difficult to protect from the ravages of Tits, who peck holes in it close to the stem, when the io rain and insects get in and it is mined. We have known whole trees of choice fruit spoiled in this way, and growers certainly have just cause for complaint. Valuable pears can be protected by means of discs of cardboard about two inches in diameter, with a hole in the centre for the stalk, and a slit, by means of which it can be fixed on with little trouble. Probably some of the commoner species of fruit-eating birds are too numerous in certain districts, and need thinning down ; but we would prefer to leave Nature to deal with them, as she most effectually does when she sends us a prolonged frost. The case of the House Sparrow is, however, different : and there is no doubt whatever that it is far too numerous in almost every part of the land. We have most of us seen abundant proof of the damage done to the farmers’ crops by this bird : the service it performs by' devouring the insects being more than counterbalanced by the quantity of grain eaten. It is also known to drive away more useful and ornamental species. Were it reduced to one-tenth its present numbers the country would undoubtedly benefit thereby. The occurrence at the mouth of the Thames of five Avocets is of no little interest, seeing how seldom the species is recorded nowadays in our Islands. These were seen on August 16th, on Canvey Island, by a writer to the Field, who mistook them for Oyster-catchers and shot one. We trust the remaining four escaped unmolested. There has recently been some discussion in the columns of the Field as to the mode of progression, under water, of the Cormorant : some -correspondents stating their belief that this species and its allies use their wings to aid them in capturing their prey below the surface. There seems, however, to be no doubt that this is a mistaken notion, the large wings of the Cormorants being adapted only for aerial transit, aud quite unsuitable for movement under water, in which position they are kept tightly folded. A most interesting letter appears in the Field of October 5th, from our esteemed member, the Rev. Hubert I). Astley, on the subject of “ White Storks Remaining in England.” Mr. Astley has for many years been in the habit of purchasing young storks from Holland in the early summer, and allowing them full liberty at Benliam Park and Chequers Court. They have always remained in the neighbourhood (coming daily to be fed in front of the house) until the natural migration season arrived, when they have, in former years, invariably taken their departure. This year, however, Mr. Astley had two adult Storks, one (the female) pinioned, and the other, which rarely left its companion, with full wings. These seem to have acted as decoys to the young ones, which, up to the time of writing, had not left, although in former years the date of departure has never been later than August 15th. It is to be sincerely hoped that they will now remain and withstand the rigours of the winter, and that Mr. Astley may, in due course, realise his long-dreamt-of pleasure of seeing storks on the house-tops in England on their nests.” II We have received a copy of a small monthly called “ Foreign Bird Notes.” It is issued by a new Society calling itself the Foreign Bird Club, and contains several papers relating to the keeping and breeding of foreign birds in captivity. The Editor is Mr. H. R. Fillmer, the originator and founder of the Avicultural Society. We must all regret that Mr. Fillmer has seen fit to sever his connection with the Avicultural Society, and we much doubt the wisdom of starting another bird paper, but we think that perhaps his new cheap monthly may have tapped a new section of foreign bird keepers, who require a popular and unscientific journal, and therefore we hope the new venture will do good work in encouraging the keeping of foreign birds. CORRESPONDENCE. NESTING OF VIRGINIAN CARDINALS. Sir, — In reply to Miss Hawke — My Virginian Nightingales have reared three fine young ones this season. They share an aviary (24 ft. by 6 ft.) with pairs of Cockatiels, Zebra Finches, Cutthroats, White-headed Nuns, Black-headed Gouldians, three pairs Budgerigars, a Blue Robin, Liotlirix, Lavender Finch, and Bengalese. I11 the early spring the Virginians wished to nest; but 110 nest we coidd supply would satisfy the hen, and she eventually laid two eggs in a seed tin : then we hung up a wire basket, stuffed it with hay, shaping a hollow in the middle, and put in her eggs. She laid another egg in the seed tin, which was just above the basket; we put it in the basket and removed the tin ; she then put a few blades of fresh grass round the edge, laid two more eggs, and sat steadil)' for twelve days, when three young ones were hatched. The food in the aviary is always canary- and millet-seed ; thin lunch biscuit soaked in hot water, squeezed dry and mixed with Abrahams’ yolk of egg (two biscuits and about a dessertspoonful of egg) ; ants’ eggs, cock¬ roaches, scalded bread, and a few white oats. Mealworms we give as required. For the first few days the hen did the feeding; the cock brought the food and was eager to try, but the hen took it from him and gave it to the nestlings herself ; later both birds fed them. The mealworms were bitten up small at first, later they had their heads bitten off and were given whole. Biscuit and egg were given, also green peas and banana, and I think a few fresh ants’ eggs and bits of cockroach ; but I never saw them give dried ants’ eggs. The cock often gave them soaked bread. They feathered quickly, leaving the nest at the end of a fortnight. The parents continued to feed them even after their second nest had hatched, two of which died at the end of a fortnight ; then we put the first youngsters into another aviary. The parents laid and hatched again (two) ; but they fell victims to a hen Californian Ouail which, with nine chicks, we were obliged to put in the Cardinals’ aviary. 12 The Cardinals nested again and hatched three, but failed to rear them, and, as the parents had begun to moult, we removed the cock. The hen, however, laid four more eggs which we destroyed, and removed the nest. She used the same nest all through ; we added a little more hay, and she put in a few blades of grass. She sings beautifully and is very tame. Both the parents would beg for mealworms. The young ones — two hens and a cock — sing well, and are fine birds. BELLE Shepherd. LINNET IN A DECLINE ; BREEDING GOLDFINCHES. Sir, — Will you kindly advise me how to treat a Linnet, which is ailing. It has been in captivity three or four years, the last two in my aviary; but during the last few weeks it has become very thin, and is apparently suffering from a bad attack of indigestion. It has been fed on best Spanish canarv-seed, red rape, and a little hemp occasionally ; with plenty of groundsel, chickweed, and shepherd’s purse. I cannot get it to eat egg-food, or soaked biscuits, or the seed contained in thistle and dande¬ lion heads, though I think these would be beneficial. Yesterday, he wyas so reduced and weak that I gave him five grains of Epsom salts in his drinking water, and he seems better for it; but he has a difficulty in cracking seed, and eats very little else but crushed hemp. Can you suggest any remedy that I can try ? He has fits of great restlessness, when he seems to be seeking something. I would let him fly, but am afraid he might not find food, as he has been in captivity so long. Can you tell me whether it is possible to breed Goldfinches in an aviary ? I have been told it has been done, and should be very glad of any advice you can give me on the subject. Emily Brampton. The following reply was sent to Miss Brampton : I fear that your Linnet is in a decline ; and, if he will not eat soaked biscuit, I hardly see how you can save him. Two or three drops daily of Scott’s Emulsion on biscuit might have done wonders for him. If this were spring instead of autumn, I should think it quite safe to let the bird go : I do not think he would find any difficulty about feeding himself; but, with winter approaching, there would not be much chance for him. I have bred Goldfinches in an aviary. They nested in converted Hartz cages (the pot, trough, and perch removed, the floor made solid with a piece of cigar-box lid, two of the short bars removed and that end turned forward for an entrance) hung upon two nails to prevent swinging. The hen built the first nest, began to lay a day or two later, and began to sit when four eggs were deposited ; she incubated thirteen days, hatched and reared three young: but before the latter flew, the cock built a second nest which she examined and slightly altered. She began to lay the follow¬ ing day— six eggs I think, all of which hatched ; but both this family and a third (of five) were killed by the young of the first brood. I supplied egg and biscuit just the same as for Canary-breeding, and gave plenty of groundsel. A. G. BUTLER. 13 BREEDING PENNANTS AND BLOODWINGS. Sir, — This year I have again to record the nesting of my Pennants, and the successful rearing of a fine brood. The young were marked exactly as all others have been (vide my articles in past numbers of the Magazine). The old birds, as I also said, are quite good to tell apart by their tails. They are, moreover, common or garden Pennants, and not half-bred Adelaides! My Bloodvvings also nested as usual. They laid four eggs and hatched three strong young ones. These lived for ten days ; then one died and poisoned the nest, and the parents would not feed the other two. When I found them the}- were perfectly sweet and not in the least discoloured ; but the other was like Solomon’s love — black — but certainly not comely. Better luck next time ! One never knows what to do in these cases. If you touch the nest the old ones desert; if you leave a dead one in, the youngsters are allowed to perish. I hope next season, if we all live and are well, to be able to record the breeding of several rare kinds of Parrakeets. C. D. Farrar. MOCKING-BIRD WITH COUGH, ETC. Sir, — I have a Mocking-bird suffering from a bad cough, and would be much pleased to have advice. It troubles him in the day, but, curious enough, he never seems to suffer at night. It is quite a dry cough, as if he were choking and trying to get something up out of his throat. He feeds well on soft food and fruit, but refuses all insect food since getting this cold. He is fairly lively, but is getting a worn out look since getting this cold. I have kept him in a dry room, between 6o° and 550, but with no draughts. So far as I can make out, he is Mimus thenca of Chili. He is a much larger bird than the North American, with a distinct eyebrow mark. I have also an Icte>us Hangnest, which was sold to me as the Baltimore Oriole, but, on examination of skins, I should think it is Icterus vulgaris. Is not this the one usually imported ? I examined a number in London the other day, and they appeared to be vulgaris not jamacaii, as mostly stated. I find the Irish climate very damp for foreign birds, more especially in summer, when they are out. Very often in June we have wet days at about 45^. I enclose a photograph of my aviary: the two lower w i nd o ws_sli o w the heated compartments for birds; one for the seed-eaters, the other for insectivorous species. H. B. RaThborne. [We are much obliged to Mr. Rathborue for the photo, which gives a very clear view of his aviary. — Ed.] The following reply was sent to Mr. Rathborue : The cough may be due either to a cold, or to indigestion. You do not say what soft food you give your birds, and there are several worthless ones on the market. I think I have tried most of the foods offered to the public, and I find the best to be that prepared by our member Mr. Fulljames (almost the same as I prepare for my own birds). Some mixtures that are sold as food 14 for insectivorous birds appear to consist of nothing but broken grits aiul lard, whereas oatmeal sometimes is one of the ingredients of a so-called food. An improperly nourished bird naturally is liable to any ailment, is sensitive to cold and has no power to throw one off. You should try ten drops of glycerine and a little gum arabic daily in the drinking-water for a week or so and, if the breathing improves and the coughing abates, give a mild tonic daily for another week — say six drops of tincture of iron in the drinking-water. I think you are wrong about the Icterus being /. vulgaris. Few birds are imported from Venezuelaaud Colombia but many from S. K. Brazil, and I have no doubt that my bird (the common imported one) is /. jamacaii ; but the description of the bill in the Museum Catalogue is incorrect, as it is dark slate colour with the basal half of the lower mandible whitish ; the naked skin round the eye is pale blue and the iris pale clear primrose. A. G. Butler. OUR SECRETARY AND TREASURER. The grateful thanks of the Society are due to Mr. J. L. Bonhote, who, for two years, has held the important and laborious posts of Secretary and Treasurer of the Society. Mr. Bonhote is leaving England for several months, on a scientific expedition to the Bahamas we are told ; but we hope to welcome him back amongst us next summer. Mr. Phillipps takes up the post of Hon. Secretary, and Mr. St. Quintin that of Hon. Treasurer. ERR A TA — THE INDEX. In the “ Index to Subjects ” of our last Volume, — Remove ‘Kestrel — page 232 ’ from amongst the Kingfishers, and insert above them. MISS ALDERSON'S AVIARY. THE Hvtcultural /Hbacjastne, BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICU LTURAL SOCIETY. VOL. VIII 1. — NO. 2. All rights reserved . DECEMBER, 1901. MY LATEST AVIARY. By Rosie Aederson. This aviary, which was built last spring, was at first intended solely for Parrots and Parrakeets, but as yet I have only a few kinds, so it has become the home of many Doves and small birds as well. I think it was after reading Dr. Greene’s “ Parrots in Captivity,” with its attractive coloured plates, that I first began to wish to go in really for Parrakeets. Formerly I had a nervous idea that the aim and object of a Parrot’s life was to bite every¬ body it came across, either with or without provocation. When I purchased my first Parrot, a little Senegal, I do not know which of us was the most frightened of the other, but it was not long before we each found out our mistake and became the closest friends, and I felt that to possess one Parrot was only to long for more. Having decided to realize my ambition and put up a Parrot aviary, the first beginning was to find a site, and the next to draw my plans and write for some estimates. I found a clear space could be made in our old orchard, 32 ft. by 22 ft., the longest side facing south. It is a pretty situation with a tiny artificial streamlet running in front, and a picturesque old spreading apple tree overshadowing the eastern end. I made several plans, but, on the kindly advice of one of our members, I discarded them, and adopted one something like his own, with a few alterations and additions. From my width of 22 ft. I cut off 6ft. (on the north side) to form a passage running along the whole length of the aviary. The remaining piece of ground, 32 ft. by 16 ft., I divided into five divisions, each 16 ft. long by 6£ ft. wide (the centre one being slightly smaller). Each of these five compartments forms a separate aviary to itself, and is divided into a shelter, glass i6 roofed portion, and open flight, and is entered by a separate inner door of wood and wire. From each end of the passage I cut off 6k ft., that at the eastern end for a small seed-room, and at the western end for a small extra aviary (each 6 ft. by 6£ ft.) The latter has a window at one end, and a wood and wire door (the remaining part of this division being also wood and wire) opening into the passage. The seed-room is fitted with shelves for numerous articles, with a curtain hanging in front ; there is also a bin made with five divisions for seed and brushes, rails for cloths, and everything needed for keeping the aviary in order. Like the small extra aviary it has a window at the end ; and an outer wooden door gives entrance into the whole aviary. The seed-room is separated from the passage by a wooden division, and a wood and wire door. The passage is lighted by two windows, and has three large store cages let out on its north side. The idea of having the passage so arranged (with the seed room at one end and the small aviary at the other) was that if need be the passage could be used as an extra aviary, the seed- room acting as a kind of double door, and so making the chance of a bird escaping a very small one. Of the five aviaries in front, all have inner doors of wood and wire, the three centre ones opening into the passage, and the two onter ones into the seed-room and small aviary. The shelters have wood and wire doors opening into the flights ; and wooden shutters, if needed, fasten over the wire part of the doors, so that they can be entirely closed in winter and the shelters kept very warm. The birds are able to get into the shelters (after the doors are shut) through small holes, one in each aviary, with a ledge on each side which will hinge up if necessary. Each shelter has a window ; in the three centre ones in the front part, in the two outer ones at the ends. The glass roof is rather over five feet wide, and is glazed with ground glass, and covered inside with wire netting. In summer I found it got so hot that I was obliged to stretch an awning over it (as will be seen in the photograph) for the birds seemed to feel the heat very oppressive. By this means I kept it quite cool, and on a wet day it is a great advantage to have an open part of the aviary that is dry under foot. My first idea was to have this roof of metal, but I found glass was not very much more expensive, and I think it is a great improvement to having all the flights entirely open. The open part of the flights has a fiat roof of half-inch wire netting, all the netting throughout 17 the aviary being of this size. The front of the aviary, that shown in the picture, is wire to within i£ ft. of the ground. At the ends the woodwork is brought 12 inches higher. The divisions between the aviaries is wood 2^ ft., the rest wire. The roof of the aviary is corrugated iron lined with wood, and is fitted with spouting. The building is 6k ft. high at the eaves and nft. at the ridge. The floor is cemented all over, except in the open flights, where it is sodded with grass, half inch netting being laid under¬ neath as a protection against the inroads of vermin. In the centre of each of the open flights are fixed earthenware glazed baths (such as are used in cottages for sinks) 24 inches by 16 inches and 3 inches deep. I found it would have been better if I could have got them shallower, so to remedy this I cemented some small steps, made of common grey tiles, in each bath. The birds soon learnt to use them, and are now quite fearless in making their ablutions. I was amused the other day to see my hen Barnard’s Parrakeet bathing. She splashed the water all over herself again and again, and made her wings so heavy with wet that when she came out she could hardly fly. All the baths are brushed out, and freshly filled with water, rather over an inch deep, every da}". They are fitted with a plug and waste pipe running underneath the whole length of the aviary, which carries off the dirty water into a dumb well. The passage and small aviary are also each fitted with a bath and waste pipe. Bamboo perches, about 18 inches long, are fixed into holes in different parts of the framework, but I think of trying some perches made of yellow tapped pine, as, though the bamboo are very nice, and are not destroyed by the Parrots, yet I fancy they are rather hard and cold to the birds’ feet. Scotch fir branches are fastened up, with wire and nails, in each of the shelters and glass-roofed divisions. Two metal, painted, boxes are hung up in each aviary for crushed biscuit and grit, and the seed is placed in brown glazed earthenware pans, which fit into a ring of iron screwed to the wood work. The seed-pans can be lifted out with great ease, and have a flanged edge to prevent the seed being scattered. They are very clean looking, and were made, to my sketch, by Air. Branuam at the Barum Pottery Works, Barnstaple, at a very reasonable cost. The outside of the aviary is painted dark sage-green, with the windows, etc., in a much lighter shade. The inside is cream- colour, faced with very pale green. The combination is very is clean and cool-looking, and is done partly with paint, partly with whitewash. The windows, at the suggestion of Mr. Walker, are made in the same way as in hunters’ stables, the top sash pulling forward so that there is no down draught. The part that opens has a casing of wood and wire, so that, even when the window is pulled wide open, no bird can escape through it. Of course it is only in the outside windows that this precaution is needed, though all the windows are covered with wire netting, as a precaution against any bird flying against the glass. The size of each window is 2 ft. 3 inches by 3 ft. 5 inches. And now having given a detailed, and I fear tedious, descrip¬ tion of the aviary, I must give some idea of what it cost. I sent for three estimates, and selected one from Mr. Walker, Meersbrook Bank Works, Sheffield. He had several advantages in his favour, and his estimate was very much less than the other two. lie had previously done work for me that had worn well. Mr. Walker came over from Sheffield and talked things over with me. I found him most obliging and ready with suggestions, telling me clearly the advantages, or the reverse, of each point under discussion. He strongly advocated a wooden lining to the roof; and I am very glad now that I followed his advice, and did not have it only of metal, as I proposed at first. The price of the actual framework was ^46 5s., but to the original plan I added several improvements; and of course this sum did not include the cost of painting, brick foundations, levelling, and cement floor, and the waste pipes and bath arrangements, all of which latter items were done by local workmen. The aviary was made in large sections at the Meersbrook Works, and took only a few days to erect, the rough cement floor, baths, &c., having been put down first. After the aviary was put up the final layer of cement was added, and also anarrow border of it round the inside edge of the open flights, as a pre¬ caution against vermin ; and I should also add the aviary was erected on a loose square of bricks as a foundation. The small wire run at the extreme right hand corner of the picture (which has been reproduced from an amateur’s photograph) is part of a small aviary for my Californian Quails. The principal items in the cost of the aviary were as follows : — £ S. d. Original estimate for aviary .. .. .. 46 5 o Wood lining to roof .. .. .. .. 6 10 o Glass roof and netting lining . . .. .. 546 19 Cages for passage. Shelves for seed-room Spouting Baths (7) Fixing baths, making dumb wells Lead waste pipe Painting aviary Levelling, bricks, etc.. Cementing floor 246 5 18 9 250 10 2 9 1 8 6 12 2 o 200 1 S 6 Total £95 9 6 I should explain that the second dumb well was made to carry off the water from the spouting on the north side, and also partly for the advantage of another aviary a little distance away. Added to these expenses were many small items, such as seed- pots, fir branches, wooden nest boxes for the Parrakeets, etc., so that^roois not too much to put down as the total cost. Of course it seems a great deal to spend, but aviaries are expensive buildings to put up, that is of course if you are determined to make your little prisoners as happy as possible : and surely that is the duty and pleasure of every bird-keeper. I have given many details, thinking they might be of use to anyone thinking of putting up an aviary, as giving them some idea of the cost. Should any of our members be in the neighbourhood I should be very pleased to show them the aviary, or would send them photographs of the back and interior (which would explain it far better than I have done) and also more detailed particulars with a ground plan. I do not by any means set up the aviary as a perfect one, but the birds (who should be the best judges) seem thoroughly happy in it. I should add that it is not heated in any way. TWIN STUDIES. By A. G. Butler, Ph.D. In an article which I published in Vol. IV. of our Magazine (pp. 101-3), entitled “Scientific Aviculture,” I attempted to show how the breeder of foreign birds might render the facts which come under his notice of value to the cabinet-naturalist: but the observations of the breeder by no means exhaust the treasures to which the student of living birds alone holds the key. As I have pointed out in other articles, the aviculturist, in order to be successful in breeding, must learn to distinguish the sexes of his birds whilst yet alive. I11 many cases this can be 20 done by examining the form of the skull, the length and width of the bill, and the comparative length of the longer primaries : thus in my paper “ On Sexual Distinctions, etc.,” (Vol. III. pp. 104-6) I pointed out how various finches in which the plumage showed no marked difference could readily be sexed when taken in the hand and compared side by side, either by looking down at the two heads from above, or in profile. Later, in one or two papers published in the ‘ Zoologist,’ I called attention to the sexual differences in the wings of certain birds, the males of which showed comparatively longer primaries than the females. To these I added a short additional paper in Vol. VI. of our Magazine comparing the wings of various common finches, tending to show that this distinction was one worthy of study. From what the late Mr. Abrahams told me, it seems probable that, in many cases, the males of Parrots may be dis¬ tinguished from the females by the darker colouring of their irides ; but he also put me in the way of discovering another character, which (if constant, as that keen naturalist assured me it was) should prove of even greater value, both to the avi- culturist, and to the cabinet-ornithologist : — Observing that Mr. Abrahams only had to take a parrot in his hand in order to state unhesitatingly to what sex it belonged, I asked him to tell me how he managed it. He replied that it was a secret which it had taken him five years to discover, which therefore he did not care to share with other dealers (over whom it naturally gave him an advantage), but he was willing to enable me to discover it if I would promise not to make it generally known during his lifetime. In order to discover this sexual difference Mr. Abrahams diligently collected hundreds of dead parrots, carefully sexed them by dissection, prepared and labelled the skulls with name and sex ; and, having eventuall}r got together a considerable number of skulls, he set to work to compare the males with the females. He told me that, having, after a careful study of his material, hit upon a well-defined difference, he had destroyed most of the skulls, as having answered their purpose, but he still retained a large box full. Taking down a box from a shelf, my old friend placed side by side on a table the paired skulls of some five or six parrots belonging to widely different groups, and asked me to see if I could discover the character. Of course, as I had been accus¬ tomed to look for the differences in Finches, Thrushes, Crows, etc., in the crown and the upper mandible, I looked for similar 21 differences in the skulls of the parrots, until Mr. Abrahams told me I was looking at the wrong part of the skull ; then, turning my attention to the lower jaw I saw it at a glance : — the posterior angle of the two rami of the lower jaw, was elongated and acute in the females, but comparatively short and rounded in the males. Thus, by taking a parrot in his hand, or even by stroking the side of the head, so as to enable him to feel the back of the jaw, Mr. Abrahams at once decided the sex. A character like the above should certainly be studied, confirmed, or (if not invariably constant) disproved, by the student of dead parrots ; to whom it might prove invaluable. Curiously enough, I was speaking this year to Baron von Plesson (a great admirer of the Psittacidce ) respecting the sexual differences in the Grey Parrot, and he assured me that in Germany they always sexed this bird without difficulty by the form of the naked patch on the face which, in the males, was rounded behind, but in the females pointed. If this is so, it is a curious instance of correlation in form, without any apparent object, between a naked patch on the skin and the bones of the lower jaw. That the bite of a female parrot is often (if not always) more severe than that of a male, will I think be admitted by those who have had much to do with handling them ; and that this is not necessarily due to the more pointed upper mandible will be clear, if it can be shown that the jaw of the female offers a better surface for the attachment of muscle. In studying the sexual differences in the form of the beak, the age of the bird must be taken into account. Thus, if it be a general rule (as I believe it is) that males of the Thrush family ( Tw'didte ) have a longer and narrower bill than the females, one must not conclude that this character will hold good in birds of the year ; because even though (as in the case of the American Blue-bird, Sialia sialis ) the young bird acquires its adult colour¬ ing in the year of its birth, the nestling character of the bill does not attain to its adult form until the bird is fully a year old. I believe it is this fact which has caused the cabinet-ornithologist to disbelieve in the constancy of the sexual characters which the aviculturist accepts. To assert the inconstancy of a character is dangerous; because it may lead the sceptic into trouble. A bird of the year may be, and I believe usually is in the Thrushes, smaller than its parents. I examined all the broad-billed males of Sialia sialis pi the British Museum series, and found them pretty uniform in 22 length, but noticeably .shorter than the narrow-billed males: now if a young bird did not acquire its full adult colouring in any species, and was found to be constantly smaller and with a broader bill, it would not be surprising if it were regarded as a well defined distinct species. So far as I have examined them, I should assume that in the Coi-vidce the form of the bill is the reverse of that in the Turdidce, the male bill being broader and shorter than in the female; whereas in Gymnorhina, the group of so-called Piping Crows, the male has the longer and more slender bill. Aviculture and scientific ornithology should walk hand in hand, as twin studies ; each is of importance to the other. The study of the soft parts cannot be pursued in the cabinet, only in life ; and in many instances the colours of these parts have been incorrectly described ; either owing to the neglect or careless¬ ness of collectors, or to the attempt to reconstruct the living colouring from skins. Perhaps one of the most remarkable of these errors, frequently repeated, is that relating to the colour of the iris in the young and adult of our common Jay ; a young bird which I received as a nestling some years since had pale blue eyes (just as the young of many other animals have) but these changed to vinous brown with the first moult, and are of that colour to the present time : that this is the correct colouring has been since confirmed by the observations of other avi- culturists ; and that this colouring should have been reversed in text-books, is sufficient to prove that the study of living birds is as much a branch of ornithological science, as the study of bird-skins. THE HARMLESS NECESSARY DEALER. By the Rev. C. D. P'arrar. What the dealer wants to be is what they call in Africa “ a devil man.” He must betray no weakness, but possess a character which I should describe as a compound of Cardinal Richelieu, Brutus, Julius Caesar, Prince Metternich, and Mezzofanti : the better to carry on “ the bird dealer language ” part of the business. He must stand no nonsense, and strictly adhere to the motto “No admittance here except on business.” This may cause unpleasantness, but in the end the dealer will flourish and be regarded as “ a devil man.” The shop I have in my mind is a typical one : the space all round the walls is lined with store cages, thus enabling the 23 eye of the master to rove round his treasures, like a hen sitting on her eggs. The floor is — but there, I will not shock your feelings by entering into particulars, but insect life is not absent. Though I cite this particular shop as a typical one, it is, remember, a specimen of the highest class. The owner takes ever)' care, that lies in his power, of the birds that form his stock-in-trade — giving them rations of suitable food and waiter : but this is not so with all firms. I have seen some shops away dowm East where the unfortunate birds are expected to live on anything — an expectation the birds by no means realize — for they usually die. Although, as I have said, the bird shop at its best is a place, as Mr. Tracy Tupmau would say, “ more fitted for a wounded heart than for one still able to feast on social joys,” it is a luxurious institution compared to a home-coming ship. This has one hundred times the danger and a thousand times the discomfort of any bird shop I ever heard of. Any bird living through the horrors of the homeward passage deserves great credit for his courage and enterprise, and may safely be regarded as illustrating Darwin’s theory of the “ survival of the fittest.” Every bird dealer looks down on every other bird dealer, and every other bird dealer looks down upon him. David once said in his haste that all men are liars ; most bird dealers say it at their leisure of each other. I do not think that if the whole of Mr. Pitman’s School of Shorthand were present, they could take down the whole of the crimes which one bird dealer will lay at another’s door. This description certainly hits off the character of an inhabitant of Sodom and Gomorrah : and one could really think that those two historic cities had not been, as the Biblical records tell us — destroyed — but merely removed to East London. I really think that some future Revision Com¬ mittee should substitute the wrord ‘ transported ’ for ‘ destroyed.’ From their own account of the state of trade, and the awful and unparalleled series of losses they have had, you would, if you were of a trustful disposition, regard the bird dealer with an admiring awe — as the man who has solved the problem of how to keep a shop and live on the losses. Nay, not only to live but do well. A dealer I knew once told me he had bred almost every bird I named, “ in his back shop.” It was all peyfectly easy. “ My dear Sir,” he said in his most impressive manner, “ anyone can do it, if he tries.” Mr. Hutchinson, in his “Ten Years Wanderings among the Ethiopians,” tells that, at Fernando Po, 24 Indian corn, planted on a Monday evening, on the following Wednesday morning will be four inches above ground — within a period, as he carefully sa)^, of thirty-six hours! I don’t dis¬ believe him ; but I like to get a great strong man and a Consul of His Britannic Majesty to say it for me. Well, that is how I felt about that dealer’s stories. I am myself, as Hans Bretmann says, “ still skebdigal.” I often stand and admire the marvellous skill which a dealer I know displays in catching Parrots. Now, in parrot- catching there are two players ; and the one wins that gets hold first. I fancy that the golden rule in the game is invincible courage. As Captain Boler, of Bony, used to say, “ Never be afraid of a Parrot if you can help it ; but never show it anyhow.” It is difficult, I grant you, but the only safe road. To be a really successful bird buyer you must have no what our American cousins call “blooming modesty.” When the dealer names a price, boldly make him a bid, but don’t be shocked at what follows. Probably if you turned blue all over, with yellow spots, he would not assume a more astonished look. His feelings will fly ahead of his command of language — great as that is, and he will expectorate with profound feeling and expression ; his expressive countenance will be a perfect battle ground of despair and grief at his being thus asked to lower trade prices, but in the end he will control his feelings sufficiently to meet your wishes, and the affair will be amicably settled. Let me mention a little incident that once happened to myself. I had bought a certain bird of a certain dealer who shall be nameless. It arrived dead. I carefully cut a nick out of its tail and returned it ; at the same time asking for a live one in place of it. Next day I received back what purported to be a new one ; but, on examining it, lo ! it was dead too, and its tail zvas nicked. I wrote to that dealer in a kind and fatherly manner, and the purport of my remarks resembled the words of Bret Harte on a not dissimilar occasion : Which is why I remark — And my language is plain — That for ways that are dark And for tricks that are vain My bird dealer friend is peculiar; Which the same I am free to maintain. Let me give one other very funny scene from dealer life. Some time ago there lived three rivals in the avicultural world. We will call them A., B., and C., and all apparently had more money than sense. Dealers soon got to know their little ways, 25 and pla)Ted them off one against the other. Whenever some rare stuff came in, wires went flying about to all the suburbs calling the three like eagles to their prey. Among the dealers was one very downy one. One day he received three rare Tanagers ; off went three wires, all to the same effect : “ A very rare Tanager has come only one in market. Come at once.” On receipt of telegram, A., B., and C. repaired — fortunately, as the event proved — at different hours to that bird shop. Mr. Dealer had put two of the birds away, only one was on view. In rushed A. : “ Has that bird gone ? if you have sold it to B. or C. I will never buy off you again.” “No, Sir; here it is.” “How much?” Dealer names a stiff price. “ All right, I’ll take it.” Hardly has A. departed when, like Esau of old, B. enters. Mr. Dealer has just got Tanager No. 2 out of concealment. Same scene repeated, and B. departs, happy in the thought that he has circumvented A. and C. Hardly have his footsteps died away when C. arrives breathless from the City. “ I must have that bird ; I don’t care what price it is ; but A. and B. sha’n’t have it.” “All right, Sir,” says Mr. Dealer, “here it is;” producing Tanager No. 3. C. goes off happy and smiling. Next day A., B., and C. meet. They exalt over their enemies. “ I have got the only Blue Tanager living,” says A. “ No, yrou hav'n’t,” says B., “ I have.” “ Why,” says C., “ I have it ; what do you mean?” Tableau! They repair to that bird shop, vowing threatenings and slaughter 011 their treacherous friend. But, as the dealer said to me, with a sly wink, “ I was oiit when they called.” But joking apart: we all of us owe the dealer an immense debt of gratitude. By his means I have obtained birds which I could never otherwise have seen. I have turned up in his shop unexpected and unheralded, and, like Solomon did the Queen of Sheba, “ he has shown me all his royal treasure,” and, like that wise king, he has told me all that was in his heart ; or, at any rate, as much as he thought it would be good for me to know. He has handed down cage after cage under conditions which must have given him very real trouble and inconvenience, and for the sake of an individual that, as an old Hebrew prophet once said, “ could not profit him.” He has often given me good advice, which, had I followed it, would have enabled me to keep out of much hot water. I sincerely hope often to visit him again in the future ; for I have much to learn and he has much to teach : and I say of him what we say up here of our miners, “ he arns all that he gets.” May his losses be few and his profits large ! 26 NOTES ON BREEDING BUDGERIGARS. By Emily Brampton. It has been suggested to me by a member of the Council that I should write an account of my success in breeding Budgerigars. Though they are common birds, and the majority of them will breed very easily under suitable circumstances, success is not universal, and my experiences may serve to encourage others, who have failed so far, to go on and prosper in spite of difficulties. Budgerigars were the first foreign birds I ever possessed. At that time I was not a member of the Avicultural Society, but having read that “ Budgerigars are as easily bred as Canaries,” I was fired with the ambition to try my ’prentice hand. I had already been very successful with Canaries, and pictured myself buying a pair of Budgerigars and seeing nest after nest of young ones climbing and flying about my aviary. Alas! I did not dream of the four years of disappointment that stood between me and success, but “ its dogged does it,” and, when fortune smiled at last, I forgot all previous disappointments. Consulting my authority, I found that she who would rear Budgerigars must procure “ imported ” birds to start with. Strangely enough, the dealer to whom I applied had several “imported” birds in his stock, and I returned home in triumph with two pairs. It was April, so I turned them out into an aviary by themselves, supplying them with everything the heart of bird could desire — and then waited impatiently for the young birds to appear. The aviary was a disused summer house with small flight; — it was liberally supplied with perches, natural branches, and cocoanut husks, and the birds were fed on canary and millet, water and grass; with sand and mortar in profusion. I grudged those birds nothing, and yet they showed the basest ingratitude and would not even look at a nest. They did not seem very clever at flying either, and deep down in my heart was the doubt whether they were as large or as bright in colour as Budgerigars should be. Still the dealer had warranted them “ imported,” so they must be all right, and I preached patience to myself and said, “ Next Spring they will begin ! ” Spring came and went, and I was still hoping; learning slowly and painfully through deaths caused by apoplexy, egg binding and mice, and still buying “ imported ” birds at many times their real value. And so the fourth season came round, and, though I had lost one of my hens, 27 one happy day I found a young bird crouching on the floor. Its mother certainly did not seem so proud of it as I should have expected, or as I was myself ; and, after a week or two, I did wonder whether it was the usual thing for a young Budgerigar to be so long learning to fly, and whether it ought to scuttle away into corners and tumble about as it did ! It was very tiny too, and rather short of feathers, but it was the first, and I was not disposed to be critical. It was not followed by another, and it never learned to fly, but when it died I learned what “ French moult ” meant, and had advanced another step towards knowledge. Before the next Spring, I emptied and disinfected my aviary, and, having lost all faith in my authority, decided to experiment for myself, which I ought to have done long before. Having learned that Budgerigars in their native land are gregarious, I acted on the hint, and in February turned out five pairs of aviary bred birds from a good breeding strain. By this time, although determined to keep Budgerigars until they did rear some young ones, I had ceased to expect success, and was surprised and puzzled about two months later to find a stranger in the aviary. It could not surely be a young one at last, for it was so big and plump, and such a splendid flier, but it certainly had black eyes, and no yellow cap ! Next day, however, it was outside again with two companions, and in the course of a week or so, twelve grand young birds had made their appear¬ ance— and I was happy at last. After this the youngsters came so thick and fast that they overflowed into my other aviaries until all were over-crowded, and still they came ! When the first dozen young ones had moulted and assumed their adult plumage, I returned five pairs to the aviary and they also nested. These five original and five young pairs reared one hundred and four young birds between one February and the next. How they managed it I have never been able to understand ; my success was too precious for me to imperil it by even a peep into the nests — I just kept quiet, supplying food, and removing youngsters, and left the birds to manage the rest themselves ; and they certainly justified my confidence in them. Having reared so many young birds, the difficult}' was to dispose of them all ; but after a good deal of trouble I succeeded in doing so, retaining only two pairs of the old ones, who promptly gave up nesting seriously and only played at it. 28 Therefore it seems almost necessary to keep a number of these birds together, otherwise they become too fat to do any good, and die either of apoplexy or egg-binding. They are very greedy birds and if liberally supplied are apt to eat more than is good for them, especially of millet seed. My experience teaches me to limit the amount of millet, giving it only three times a week when there are no young ones to be fed, and not to be too generous with canary ; then, if the birds have sufficient room for flight, and plenty of grit, and grass pulled up by the roots, with fresh water, the}’ will keep each other in good con¬ dition if there are several pairs in the aviary. I think the young ones should always be removed as soon as they can well feed, as they interfere with subsequent nests, besides beginning on their own account at too early an age. Each pair of birds should have two husks or boxes hung up out of the reach of mice, with a very small entrance hole facing the light. The birds will enlarge it if it be too small, but I always found they disliked too large an entrance. My birds never had sop when feeding young ones, I gave them only white oats. This feeding seemed to suit them, for they grew into magnificent birds, as large and bright as any I have seen. THE CRYSTAL PALACE BIRD SHOW. The sixteenth annual exhibition of the London and Pro¬ vincial Ornithological Society was held at the Crystal Palace, from November 5th to 7th last. In the British and Foreign Sections there was little of exceptional interest or rarity, and the Show was by 110 means up to the average of Palace Shows. No tent was provided, the Show being held in the centre of the Palace, just in front of the Royal Box ; and several of the delicate foreigners suffered severely from exposure to draughts, and on the second day more than one specimen looked as though it had but few hours to live. Commencing with the British Section — there were several nice birds in the Migratory Class, the first and third prizes going to Mr. C. T. Maxwell’s Blue - headed Wagtail and Blackcap respectively. The second prize winner was a lovely specimen of the Black Redstart, exhibited by Mrs. C. Cooper. A nice Cole-tit was shown, but in a most unsuitable cage, without any nest-box, which is so essential to these hole-loving birds. The Mixed Class contained an interestin g collection, the first prize going to a fine Chough, belonging to Mr. W. F. 29 Plumbridge, one of the best we remember to have seen in captivity. The second prize was awarded to a very good cock Mistle Thrush Of the other members of this class, the most interesting were a Greater- and a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, the latter of which looked as though it was not long for this world ; a Golden-crested Wren, a difficult bird to keep success¬ fully; and a Ring-Ouzel. Somebody sent a London Sparrow, for what reason we were unable to discover. In the Foreign Section we passed the Parrot Class without noticing anything unusual or of special interest. The Class for Budgerigars and Love-birds was cancelled. The best bird in the Mixed Class for Parrakeets was un¬ doubtedly Mr. Hawkins’ female Golden-shoulder, but she was in a horribly draughty position and did not look over happy. There was a Class for Waxbills, Mannikins, Combassous, Weavers, and Whydahs, the first prize in which was justly awarded to a very good pair of Batliilda ruficauda. A good pair of Pectoral Finches ( Munia pectoralis ) obtained the second, and a pair of Wiener’s Waxbills the third prize. The Mixed Class for Seedeaters was a large one, the first prize going to a very ordinary pair of Long-tailed Grassfinches, shown by Mrs. C. Cooper, and the second to a pair of so-called White-eared Grassfinches, belonging to Mr. Hawkins, but one was so dark that it struck us as being much more like a hybrid between the White-eared and Masked Finches. A good pair of Olive Finches were sent by Mr. Hawkins. There were two interesting exhibits of Doves in this class, belonging to Mr. W. E. Parker, although neither was in specially good form. One was a specimen of the Violet Dove ( Geotrigon violacea) and the other the White-winged Dove (Afelo- pelia leucoptera) both from the West Indies. The Class for Insectivorous Birds contained some interes- ing birds. Mr. Glasscoe sent two beautiful Wood-Swallows, the Masked (Artamus personaius) and the White-eyebrowed ( A . supercilios7is), and a Sacred Kingfisher ( Halcyon sanctci). Mr. Housden sent a fine pair of South American Rails, and Mr. Gilroy a large Hill Mynah. Quite a new feature in the Show was a Class for Stuffed Specimens, and there were no less than thirty entries. The only exhibits, however, that especially commended themselves to us as being naturally and beautifully set up, were those of Mr. C. Thorpe, of Croydon, whose groups of Puffins and Little Auks were really charming. D. S.-S. 30 RECENT PUBLICATIONS. THE BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA.* The second volume of Dr. Stark’s valuable contribution to the Ornithology of South Africa is at last to hand. We have had to wait some lime for it but it is well worth waiting for, and quite conies up to the high standard of his first volume. The Editor in his Preface reminds us of the tragic and melancholy end of the author in Eadysmith, when the first volume only was in the printers’ hands and the manuscript for the second volume was by no means complete. Dr. Stark’s materials were, however, placed in the hands of Mr. W. L. Sclater who has completed the volume, which deals with the second half of the Passerine Birds, and includes the Bush - shrikes, Babblers, Bulbuls, Warblers, Rock -jumpers, Thrushes, Chats, Robins, Fly¬ catchers, Drongos, Cuckoo-shrikes, Swallows, and Pittas. This work is well illustrated, all the illustrations (with one exception) being by Mr. H. Gronvold. The only direct repro¬ duction from a photograph is most successful and represents a Cape Rock Thrush with nest and eggs in its natural surround¬ ings ; amongst the eggs being one laid by the Solitary Cuckoo. This is a work that should find its way to the libraries of all who are interested in South African Ornithology. THE CAGE BIRDS OF CAECUTTA. A very interesting paper, and one of considerable importance to aviculturists, entitled “ The Cage Birds of Calcutta,” by our valued member, Mr. Frank Finn, appeared in the Ibis for July last, and has recently been reprinted and a copy kindly sent us by the Author. The taste for cage birds in India seems to date back from a very remote period, but we are sorry to find that “ the fancy ” is no longer what it was, although Calcutta still rejoices in a very well-known bird market. The breeding of birds in aviaries appears to be little under¬ stood in India, most species being kept either singly in small cages, or several examples being housed together in larger cages. Insectivorous birds are the favourite cage birds in India, and these are fed for the most part on “ the flour of gram, a •“The Fauna of South Africa” — “Birds”; Vol. IX., by Arthur C. Stark, MB. Completed by W. L,. Sclater, M.A., F.Z.S. I.ondon : R. II. Porti?r. 3i kind of pulse, made up into a paste with ghee (clarified butter). This ‘ sattoo ’ seems to suit them very well ; it is supplemented, in the case of purely insectivorous species, by a daily ration of live maggots and grasshoppers.” The method of obtaining these is certainly most con¬ venient, and many of us would doubtless be glad if similar facilities existed in England. We are told that the breeding ot the maggots and the collection of the grasshoppers forms “ the trade of a number of professional bird-feeders, who, on receipt of a small monthly sum, will call daily at the houses of their patrons and supply insectivorous birds with everything needful.” Although, naturally, the great number of the species seen in the Calcutta Markets belong to the Indian region, birds from almost all parts of the globe seem to find their way thither. Even the lovely Birds of Paradise are occasionally to be seen in Calcutta, although the males only are imported and appear to thrive well in captivity. Mr. Finn mentions nearly every species likely to be met with in Calcutta. Some are well known to us at home, others are very rarely seen here, and many are quite unknown in this country. We would strongly advise any of our members who are likely to visit Calcutta to carefully peruse this most useful paper. The Ibis for October contains papers on : “ The Birds of the Southern Shan States” ; “ An Introduction to the Study of the Drepanididce, a Family of Birds peculiar to the Hawaiian Islands”; “Two recently discovered Additions to the Genus Calliste" ; “ A few additions to the Birds of Lucknow” ; “ On Birds collected during an Expedition through Somaliland and Southern Abyssinia ” ; “ Results of an Ornithological Journey through Columbia and Ecuador” ; and a “ Description of three new Species of Birds of Peru.” There are no less than five coloured plates by Messrs. Gronvold and Keulemans. BIRD NOTES. At a meeting of the Society for the Protection of Birds held on October 25th last, at No. 26, Hanover Square, Mr. Oxley Grabham, M.B.O.U., exhibited a number of lantern-slides from his own photographs, illustrative of Yorkshire bird life, accompanying them with explanatory remarks. All the pictures were good, and some of an exceptionally high order of merit. The nest of a Tree-creeper was shown. After the bird had laid her eggs, a 32 Redstart drove her away, took possession of the nest, and laid her clutch. Both, however, were lost, for neither bird would allow the other to incubate. Most of the birds of the moors, and their nests, were exhibited, and there was a good series illustrating the cliffs and climbers at Flaniborough. The Robin was, of course, included, for it is a universal favourite. Mr. Grabham, however, spoke very plainly as to the pugnacious character of this species ; as he did also ofthe misdeeds of the Sparrow, of which so good an ornithologist as the late Lord Lilford had spoken as Passer damtiabilis. From a scientific point of view, the most noteworthy views were a series showing the nesting habits of the Kingfisher — which Mr. Grabham said was common on all Yorkshire streams — and the young in various stages. But, as pictures, the palm must probably he given to the sitting Black-headed Gulls on a small, reedy island in a placid lake — probably iuvolving no great difficulty, but very effective and picturesque. — Standard, October 26th, 1901. Writing to the Feathered World of October nth last, Mr. D. G. Ricard observes : — “ The two most beautiful birds in South Africa are the Blue Jay and the Emerald Cuckoo ; which of the birds carries off the palm would be hard to say, as opinion is divided on the subject. The Cuckoo, which is about the size of the English bird, is one mass of green and gold, the wings and head being of the latter colour, whilst the breast is a vivid green. The Blue Jay is blue as to the wings and head, but with a golden breast. As these birds fly by in the brilliant sunlight they make a picture such as an artist would like to dwell on. These birds are only found in certain parts of the country, namely, where bush is more or less abundant. They are said to be dying out, the rage for ‘ curios ’ of all kinds no doubt being responsible for this.” Mr. Hedley Speed kindly forwards us the following cuttings from the Liverpool Daily Post, October 21st, 1901 : — “ Bird Song. — Mr. W. E. D. Scott, Curator of Ornithology, in Princeton University, United States, reared two- young Baltimore Orioles away from the old birds and found that they began to sing of themselves when the}' grew older, but the song was their own, that is to say, different from the ordinary song of the Oriole. Other young Orioles reared beside these birds copied their new song. Hence it would appear that while birds inherit the tendency to sing they learn the particular song.” Extract from same paper, October 26th, 1901 : — “ From the statement in the Liverpool Post of the 21st that a distinguished American ornithologist has discovered “ that, while birds inherit the tendency to sing, they learn the particular song ” from their parents, it is evident (writes a naturalist correspondent) that we have still much to learn on this subject. How comes it that young partridges have been heard to sound their familiar call-note before they were hatched — five or six hours before they were out of the egg ? Can they hear before they are hatched, and through the shell ? But I can mention a more puzzling case. Some years ago an Edinburgh bird dealer obtained a fledgling Cuckoo from a Hedge-sparrow’s nest and managed to rear it. Now, in this case, the parents of that bird had left the country before it was caught, and if it heard any “ song ” at all in its infancy it was that of its foster parents. But what was the result ? The young Cuckoo lived through the winter, and in the spring gave out 33 the familiar song-note, “ Cuckoo, cuckoo ! ” It may be added that the bird dealer had no other Cuckoo in his shop. A specimen of the Great Auk’s egg, the last of four belonging to the late Baron d’Hamonville, was offered for sale at Stevens’ Auction Rooms on October 29th last. The bidding commenced at 100 guineas, and the egg was eventuallv knocked down for 240 guineas. Of the other three, two were sold for 300 guineas each, and one for 170 guineas; so that the four eggs have realised ^1,060 10s. CORRESPONDENCE. THE PASSENGER PIGEON. Sir, — I enclose a cutting from the “ Globe ” of 23rd October last regarding the strange and sudden disappearance of the Passenger Pigeon ( Eclopistes migmtorius) which but a few lyears ago, I believe, was found in countless thousands in the United States. The article has a melancholy interest for naturalists, for it would seem to shew that this fine species must be added to the list of those that have been. Can you tell us in the “ Avicultural Magazine” whether this is indeed the case or whether there is any hope that the bird still exists and perhaps stands a chance of becoming plentiful again, for it seems so difficult to find a reason for its complete disappearance in so short a time. H. C. Martin. [We are much obliged for the cutting, which we regret being unable, on account of limited space, to print here. Whether the Passenger Pigeon is actually extinct or not we are unable to sav, but we strongly doubt the fact. There is, however, no question as to the rapid decrease that has taken place in recent years in the numbers of this species. The last nesting of any importance seems to have been in the year 18S1, and, according to Lydekker's Natural History , “in 1886, Mr. Stevens found about fifty dozen pairs nesting in a swamp near Take City.” As late as 1895, the year in which the above work was published, this Pigeon was “by no means on the verge of extinction,” but its extermination was regarded as “ only a matter of time.” The best account of this remarkable species, that we have been able to lay hands on, is that by Wilson, quoted in Selby’s volume of the old “ Jardine’s Naturalists Library,” and the subject is of such interest that we may perhaps be pardoned for quoting at some length. Writing of one of the remarkable breeding places of this bird, he remarks; — “Not far from Shelbyville, in the State of Kentucky, . . . there was one of these breeding places, which stretched through the woods in nearly a North and South direction, was several miles in breadth, and was said to be upwards of forty miles in extent ! In this tract almost every tree was furnished with nests wherever the branches could accommodate them. The Pigeons made their first appearance there about the iotli of April, and left it altogether with their young before the 25th of May. As soon as the young were fully grown, and before they left the nests, numerous parties of the inhabitants, from all parts of the adjacent country, came with waggons, asses, beds, 34 cooking utensils, many of them accompanied by the greater part of their families, and encamped for several days at this immense nursery . The ground was strewn with broken limbs of trees, eggs, and young squab pigeons, which had been precipitated from above, and on which herds of hogs were fattening. Hawks, Buzzards and Eagles were sailing about in great numbers, and seizing the squabs from the nests at pleasure ; while from twenty feet upwards to the top of the trees, the view through the woods presented a perpetual tumult of crowding and fluttering multitudes of pigeons, their wings roaring like thunder. ..... On some single trees, upwards of an hundred nests were found, each containing one squab only.” Audubon, however, states that two eggs are laid, each brood usually consisting of male and female. Writing of one of the vast flocks of these Pigeons Wilson proceeds, “ From right to left as far as the eye could reach, the breadth of this vast procession extended, seeming everywhere equally crowded. Curious to determine how long this appearance would continue, I took out my watch to note the time, and sat down to observe them. It was then half past one; I sat for more than an hour but instead of a diminution of this] prodigious procession, it seemed rather to increase, both in numbers and rapidity; and anxious to reach Frankfort before night, I rose and went on. About four o’clock in the afternoon I crossed the Kentucky river at the town of Frank¬ fort, at which time the living torrent above my head seemed as numerous and as extensive as ever.” Wilson estimated this flock to consist of some¬ thing over two hundred and thirtj' millions, which, he says is “probably far below the actual amount.” The species is found, according to the British Museum Catalogue, in “ North America, from Hudson’s Bay southwards and westwards to the Great Plains, straggling westward to Nevada and the Washington Territory. Accidental in Cuba.” That its numbers should have so rapidly decreased, that, at the present time, it is a scarce species, if not almost an extinct one, is a problem that we admit to being quite unable to solve. — Editor.] BREEDING BLOODWINGS AND REDRUMPS. Sir, — I have bred three fine young Bloodwing Parrakeets — also two Redrnmp Parrakeets, this summer in my garden aviary. They are fine healthy birds, but, so far, do not show by their colouring if any of them are cocks. I have also bred Zebra- fin dies, Cutthroats, and two Red-billed Weavers in another aviary. Sarah E. MorshEad. VIRGINIAN NIGHTINGALES. Sir, — In reply to the Hon. Mrs. Hawke’s letter in the October num¬ ber re the above, I have pleasure in relating my experience with Virginian Nightingales. I have had altogether three nests of these truly interesting birds. Twice the bird built her nest among some dead branches in the outside portion of the aviary, and on the last occasion in a Hartz Mountain cage inside the hut. I may state that the hen bird did practically all the building operations, the cock appearing to take no interest at all. In the first case she laid four eggs, only laying an egg every other day; and, in about thirteen days after the last egg was- laid, I noticed there were young birds in the nest. They were covered with white down. These birds lived only for about two days and then disappeared, and I could find no trace of them. The hen built another nest almost immediately, and again laid four eggs; this .time on consecutive days. As I had a suspicion that the cock knew something about the fate of the last lot of young ones, I caged him up ; but it made no difference, as the young birds only lived as long as the first brood had done. The third time she laid only three eggs. This time I did not trouble her at all until the young had been hatched a little while. They grew splendidly until they were nine days old, when one night the largest one fell from the nest to the ground and was killed. This seemed to dishearten the old hen, as she deserted the remaining two immediately. My birds were fed on ants’ eggs, mealworms, hard-boiled eggs, green peas, raw meat chopped very fine, and plenty of green food, etc. I see that the Rev. C. D. Farrar, in his article on these birds in Vol. V., draws attention to Mr. Gedney’s remark in his book, wherein he states that his bird laid four eggs at intervals during eight days. In my aviary, with the first nest, my experience coincides with Mr. Gedney’s, while in the second and third nests with that of the Rev. C. D. Farrar. R. FRANKIgN-HlNDI.E. FOREIGN BIRDS AT BALLY WALTER PARK, CO. DOWN. Sir, — It maj- interest you to know that my aviary has done very well this year. I have lost very few birds, and those I have are all looking well. They have been out since last Christmas, and have nearly all finished moulting out of doors. I reared a nest of Cordou-bleus ; they built in a little travelling cage box outside and brought out three young ones. When I left for Scotland on August 12th, they were well and flying about, but when I returned in September, only the old birds remained. I have thirty-three young Zebra-finches, two young Cutthroats, two young Spice- or Nutmeg-finches. Is it not rather rare to rear the latter? I obtained the parents in 1896, and this is the first year they have nested. When I came home on September 26th the young ones still had fluff on their heads though flying about out-side. Parson-finches and Saffron- finches both laid but did not hatch. The Scarlet and Superb Tanagers I bought at the Auxiliary Stores last November were put out in May, and are now very nearly through their moult. My losses since last January have been : four Waxbills, five Black¬ headed Nuns — some very old ; two Parson-finches, some Canaries, and two Combassons. I am enlarging my aviary, and hope to have the Popes and Virginian Cardinals separate next year. The following is a list of the birds I have at present : — No. 1 Aviary : Twenty-two Canaries, six Cut-throats, two Pintail Whydalis, thirty-two Zebra-finches, seven Waxbills, four Red Avadavats, three Green Avadavats, four White-bellied Nuns, eleven White-headed Nuns, 36 three Golden-breasts, two Bengalese, four Spice- or Nutmeg-finches, five Parson-finches, two Saffron-finches, one Russian Cock Bullfinch, one Blue¬ winged Love-bird, two Cockatiels, three Java Doves, one Scarlet Tanager, one Superb Tanager, one pair Nicobar Pigeons, one Foutenegra from Madeira, two cock Californian Quails, three Cordon-bleus, one Mountain Finch, one Mannikin. These have been together all the year. Aviary No. 2 : Three Pekin Robins, two Indigo birds, four Weavers, one Green-singing Finch, two Nonpareils, two Teal, one pair Virginian Cardinals, one pair Popes, one Rosella, one Half-1110011 Parrakeet, one Redrum p, one Indian Parrakeet, two Zebra Doves. The Virginians built a nest and laid, but the other birds took their eggs. N. L. F. Duneeath. [We can find no previous record of the Spice-finch ( Munia punctulata) having nested successfully in the United Kingdom, although one young one was reared by Dr. Russ in Germany, and we believe therefore that Lady Dunleath is the first to breed this species in the British Isles. — Fix] ORANGE-CHEEKED WAX BILLS BREEDING IN CAPTIVITY. Sir, — I know as a rule you do not care for seeing dead birds, but I thought the enclosed young Orange-cheeked Waxbill might interest you. The brood was hatched (in a cage) about September 17U1. There are three more young birds ; one is not very strong, but I think will live, the other two are very fine birds. The little one I send had been ill two or three days. Can you tell me what it died of? It seemed getting better, but died rather suddenly this morning. Can you tell me if the Orange-cheeks have been bred in England before ? Rosie Ai.dek.son. The following reply was sent to Miss Alderson : You have been unusually fortunate with your Waxbills ; and to successfully breed the Orange-cheeked Waxbill was considered no easy task even by the late Dr. Russ. This species has on several occasions been bred in Germany, but I do not remember any instance of its being bred in Great Britain. I was interested to see the bird, and hoped the skin might have been preserved; but these baby Waxbills decompose so rapidly that, at the first attempt to skin it, the whole of the feathers came off the underparts. The abdomen was full of blood and water, so that death was probably due to some internal rupture, but I fear I am not doctor enough to tell you more. A. G. BUTXER. THE SOCIETY’S MEDAL. THE REVISED RULES. The Medal may be awarded, at the discretion of the Committee, to any member who shall succeed in breeding, in the United Kingdom, any species of bird which shall not be known to have been previously bred in captivity in Great Britain or Ireland. Any member wishing to obtain the Medal must send a detailed account to the Secretary, for publication in the Magazine, within about eight weeks from the date of the hatching of the young, and furnish such evidence of the facts as the Executive Committee may require. 37 The Medal will be awarded only in cases where the young shall live to be old enough to feed themselves, and to be wholly independent of their parents. The account of the breeding must be reasonably full, so as to afford instruction to our members, and should describe the plumage of the young, and be of value as a permanent record of the nesting and general habits of the species. These points will have great weight when the question of awarding the Medal is under consideration. The decision of the Committee shall be final. The Medal will be forwarded to each member as soon after it shall have been awarded as circumstances will permit. The Medal is struck in bronze, and measures 2\ inches in diameter. It bears on the obverse a representation of two birds with a nest containing eggs, and the words “The Avicultural Society — Founded 1894.” On the reverse is the following inscription: “Awarded to ( name of donee) for rearing young of (name of species) a species not previously bred in captivity in the United Kingdom. Members to whom Medals have been awarded. III., P- 210. Mr. IV., pp. 45 & 77. >’ P- 212. The v., P- I. Mr. P- 165. The P- I69. Mr. VI., P- 217. The 99 P- 270. The VII., P 29. Mr. 9 9 P 32- Mr. 99 P 45- Miss Poephila acuticauda, in 1897. Mr. GEORGE E. BOUSKIRR, for breeding the Golden- crowned Parrakeet, Cyanorhamphus auriceps, in 1897. Rev. C. D. Farrar, for breeding the African Fire- fincli, Lagonosticta minima, in 1898. E. G. B. Meade- Wardo, for breeding the Chinese Quail, Excalf ictona chinensis, in 1898. Rev. C. D. Farrar, for breeding the Nonpareil, Cyanospiza ciris, in 1899. R. Phirripps, for breeding the Black Lark, Melano- corypha yeltoniensis, in 1899. Rev. C. D. Farrar, for breeding Barraband’s Parrakeet, Polytelis barrabandi, in 1900. Rev. C. D. Farrar, for breeding the Indigo-bird, Cyanospiza cyanea, in 1900. L. W. Hawkins, for breeding the Cuba or Melo¬ dious Finch, Phonipara canora, in 1900. V. Hawkins, for breeding the Masked Grass- finch, Poephila personata, in 1900. ArdeRSON, for breeding the Lavender Finch, Lagonosticta ccernlescens, in 1900. pp. 165 & 215. Mr. D. Seth-Smith, for breeding the Cape Sparrow, Passer arcuatus, in 1901. p. 191. Mrs. Johnstone, for breeding Leadbeater’s Cockatoo, Cacatua ieadbeateri, in 1901. p. 192, The Rev. C. D. Farrar, for breeding the Andaman Starling, Poliopsar andamanensis , in 1901. p. 197. The Rev. C. I). Farrar, for breeding the Black-headed or Pagoda Mynah, Temenuchus pagodarum, in 1901. p. 217. Mr. W. H. ST. Ouintin, for breeding the European Roller, Coracias garrulus, in 1901. p. 219. Mr. A. E. Nichorson, for breeding the Rufous-tailed Grassfincli, Bathilda ruficauda , in 1901. 3» POST MORTEM EXAMINATIONS. RULES. Each bird must be forwarded, as soon after death as possible, carefully packed and postage paid, direct to Mr. Author Gill, Veterinary Establishment, Bexley Heath, Kent, and must be accompanied by a letter containing the fullest particulars of the case. If a reply by post (in addition to any Report that may appear in the Magazine) be required, a stamped and addressed envelope must likewise be forwarded to Mr. Gill. Queen Parrot. (The Rev. H. 1). Astley). Both this bird and her mate have died within a few days of each other, after having bred this year, and having been in an outdoor aviary for four years in perfect health. [Your Parrot was much emaciated. There was extensive tubercular deposit in both lungs and liver. The contents of intestines were much too fluid to be normal, and doubtless your bird has suffered from diarrhoea, for some days. Cause of death was syncope (heart failure). No doubt nesting and moulting have been such a strain upon the system of this bird, owing to the tubercular disease (which is of some duration) having reduced its strength considerably, that when diarrhoea set in exhaustion became so extreme that the heart failed to act]. Bicheno'S Finch. (Mr. Glasscoe). Symptoms: — Stretching of the neck when breathing, with more pronounced gasping as death approached. Suggested : — Some formation in the neck. [Death was due to congestion of the lungs, both of which were involved. This condition was brought about by chill. The stretching of the neck simultaneously with each inspiration was merely indicative of an especial effort on the part of the sufferer to inflate the partially con¬ solidated lungs. There was no disease whatever in the throat]. Parrot-finch. (The Rev. H. D. Astley). [Death was due to pressure on the brain from extravasated blood ; brought about, no doubt, by an injury, in all probability by coming in contact with some object when flying]. Orange-cheeked Wax bide. (Miss Alderson). Found dead in aviary, only a few minutes after being seen, apparently quite well. [Your Orange-cheek died from compression of the brain, owing to a depression in the skull caused by some injury. Your suggestion of a peck by another bird is very feasible. The crop was full of seed and the bird well-nourished]. King Parrot. (Mr. H. B. Smith). TC ause of death : Sub-acute enteritis, of some long standing, probably due to injudicious feeding, or want of cleanliness during importa¬ tion. You furnish no symptoms of this bird, but only of the Oueen Parrot which survived. In future kindly notice Rules, as in some cases the symptoms, when given, will save a great deal of time and trouble]. SCARLET Tanager. (Mr. Watson). Showed signs of illness 24 hours after purchase. It was then in a hanging cage out of doors, and after eating voraciously of banana and the usual insectivorous mixture, was found apparently dead. On being thoroughly warmed, and given a small dose of rum, it revived and again fed greedily at 10 p.m. in a warm room. In the morning it was dead. [Your Tanager died of acute inflammation of the lungs, as one might have expected if so injudiciously placed out of doors in such weather]. Grey Cardinal and Black-headed Gouldian. (Mrs. Johnstone). Both found dead, after being in apparently good health a short time before. [The Cardinal died of a fractured skull, and the Gouldian of acute inflammation of the bowels]. Arthur Gill. Avic. Mag., Vol. VIII. PI. C.* SPOTTED EAGLE-OWL (Bubo maeulosus). \vic. Mag., Vol. VIII. PL C. SPOTTED EAGLE-OWL (Bubo maeulosus). Five weeks old. THK Hvicultural flftagasmc, BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICU LTURAL SOCIETY. VOL. VI II. — N O. 3. All r ighls reserved . January, 1902. ON THE BREEDING OF THE SPOTTED EAGLE OWL. ( Bubo maculosus). By J. Lewis Bonhote. I have long had an affection for Owls as aviary inmates, and consequently when, for the fourth month, I saw a pair of Spotted Eagle Owls still confined in the same small cage at a well-known London dealers, apparently healthy but blackened by a winter’s fog, I took compassion on them and purchased them at a price considerably below their value when first landed from South Africa. The Spotted Eagle Owl f Bubo viaculosusj is, for an Eagle Owl, a small bird, being but slightly larger than the Brown Owl of our own country. In colour it is dark sepia brown, mottled and barred with white, and, like all Eagle Owls, has two conspicuous tufts of feathers, erroneously called ears, situated on either side at the top of the head. The only other point to be noticed about the plumage of this species is the patch of white below the chin, which, though more conspicuous in the male, is found in both sexes; but is hardly visible except when the throat is distended as they hoot, and may possibly serve as a dis¬ tinguishing mark enabling the vocalist to be localized. During the first few months, namely the summer of 1900, after their arrival in my aviaries, they devoted themselves chiefly to removing the stains of travel, and both moulted out into a bright and clean plumage ; although unfortunately the female has an injured wing, which prevents her from flying, an injury for which I have since been rather grateful. The aviaries being crowded at the time of their arrival, it was not until last December that I was able to move them to a sufficiently commodious apartment; but, being of a rather sluggish nature, they did not seem to avail themselves of their 40 extra liberty as much as one would have expected, passing most of their time close together on the same perch. About the middle of April I noticed a * scrape ’ in a corner of the aviary. This ‘ scrape ’ was placed in a small recess open only above and at the end, and formed by two sides of the aviary and a box placed to make a low nesting place. Meanwhile, except that they hooted a good deal more, there was but little change in the behaviour of the birds, who were still to be seen side by side on the perch. Nothing further occurred till, on the 2nd of May, the hen was discovered sitting on an egg ; except for the slight depression or ‘ scrape,’ there had been no attempt at the formation of a nest, and the egg was deposited on the bare ground. In two days a second egg was laid ; and incubation was steadily proceeding when, one day, about a week later, both eggs disappeared. The cause of the disappearance is still a mystery ; they were obviously stolen, and not eaten or destroyed by the birds themselves ; but I was unable to satisfy myself as to whether the thief was a rat or human. If the former, they must have taken advantage of the female being off the nest, for she would furiously resent any interference when sitting ; and even had she been feeding, I doubt the rats’ power to remove the two eggs, entire and unbroken, over a clear space of some twelve feet to the nearest hole, without being attacked ; be this as it may, however, the fact remains that, on the 14th May, the eggs had gone, and the female was standing disconsolately a few feet from the nest. By the next day matters were as usual, and both birds seemed to have given up all thoughts of nesting ; I was, there¬ fore, considerably surprised, when passing through the aviary 011 30th May, to see the female once more 011 the nest ; and the following morning I found her sitting on one egg. Two more eggs followed on this occasion, being laid with a day’s interval between each. They are like all Owls’ eggs, pure white in colour and of an uniform oval in shape, and somewhat larger than those of our Tawny Owl. The incubation was entirely carried on by the hen, who, in fact, never seemed to leave her eggs, although I fancy she probably did so in the still hours of night. 4i This time further precautions were taken ; and nothing happened to prevent the successful hatching of two young birds on the 5th Jul)^, after an incubation period of 35 days, or the same as that of our European Eagle Owl. The third egg was addled ; and the second youngster lived only a few hours. When first hatched the young were covered with light greyish down, and were assiduously cared for by the parents, who both became rather savage. The male did not actually attack an intruder, though, after much snapping of the bill and many feints, he would occasionally make for one’s face ; but, on seeing an upraised arm, he would alter his course and settle down again. Not so however the female, who luckily could not fly, for, like a flash of lightning, she would leave her young and attack one's boots and feet, with much energy but little result. Later on, finding that their attacks produced no result, they confined their somewhat rough attentions to snapping the bill ; but on the least sign of intrusion the female would at once return to the nest if she were away, and, needless to say, vigorously protest against any interference with her child. My Owls are always fed 011 lean raw beef, augmented with rabbit, rats, or birds, as opportunity offers, generally about once a week, and with a fast on Sunday ; during the rearing of the young no especial change was made, except that ' fur’ was given if possible three times a week, and there was no period of fast. A few weeks after the young were hatched the male, suddenly and for no ostensible reason, died. I was never able to satisfactorily establish the cause of death ; but, as all his organs were very much choked up with fat, it is probable that he had dined ‘ not wisely but too well ’ on the extra rations provided. And now, as to the baby, who is the j'aisou d'etre of this article. During the first few weeks of its life it grew apace, and at three weeks old the wings were just beginning to grow, although it was not till some time afterwards that the body feathers came. The tufts of down, forerunners of the so-called ears, were noticeable about the fourth week ; and the bird was fully fledged at nine weeks old. Long before this period, how¬ ever, the young Owl was quite capable of living without parental aid, provided food was brought to it ; and probably in a state of nature the young are dependent on their parents for a much longer period, until they gradually become sufficiently adept at catching enough food to render them independent. 42 The baby is now quite grown up, and indistinguishable from his mother. He does not take kindly to mankind, and on their approach lowers his head, fluffs out his feathers, and snaps his bill — an attitude in which he is depicted in the second of the photographs, though luckily for the readers of this article his language has had to be omitted. The bird was about five weeks old when the first photograph was taken. SOUTH AFRICAN CAGE-BIRDS. By Arthur G. Butler, Pli.D. Several of our members, who wish, I suppose, to utilize our South African trouble as a means towards a better acquain¬ tance with the avifauna of that country, have, from time to time, written to various members of the Council asking for an account of the cage-birds either of S. Africa or some portion of that country. After conference with our present Secretary I have decided to make an attempt to supply this desideratum. ( a ). In giving notes on these cage- birds it is not my purpose to include Eagles, Ostriches, or any birds which cannot be kept in a cage. One cannot well ask a friend to bring home a menagerie of bulky birds when he returns from the seat of war, or even from more peaceful pursuits in the colony: indeed to ask so much would probably induce a disinclination to bring anything. My own invariable experience has been that promises were always plentiful, but results nil : yet I never asked for anything either hard to obtain or difficult to import. Commencing wlih the true Thrushes, which appear to have hitherto escaped importation from the colon}’, the species most likely to be secured are the ‘ S. African Thrush ’ ( Turdus litsits- irupa ), which is common in Damara and Great Namaqualand, but appears also to be widely scattered over eastern S. Africa ; the ‘ Natal Thrush ’ (Turdus gyittalus') which seems to be confined to Natal ; and the Olivaceous Thrush ( Turdus olivaceus ), said to be one of the commonest of the Cape species, but having a wide range. The Babbling-Thrushes (including the Bulbuls) seem to offer many more suitable subjects for importation ; yet African Bulbuls rarely find their way into European bird-markets. Some (rt). The nomenclature followed is that of Sharpe and I.ayard’s ‘ Birds of S. Africa,’ whence I have derived my facts. — A. G. B. 43 of the commoner forms perhaps are not attractive as cage-birds — either for plumage or song, — but others sing sweetly and are by no means unpleasing in plumage. Of these birds the easiest to secure would be the ‘Yellow-bellied Bulbul’ ( Criniger flaviven- tris ) which is a common bird about Durban ; the ‘ Cape Bristle¬ necked Thrush’ (Phyllastrephus capensis) said to be plentiful near Swellendam, not uncommon to the east of Grahamstown, and the commonest bush-bird about Durban; the Sombre Bulbul (Andropadus importunus) which is not rare near Cape Town and is known as the ‘ Boschvogel ’ ; the Red-eyebrowed Bulbul ( Pycnonotus capensis) known as the ‘ Kuif-Kop,’ which is common throughout the colony ; the Black-eyebrowed Bulbul ( Pycnono - tus tricolor), a good songster, which is common at East London and occurs at Nel’s Poort and many other places : it is captured with ease when intoxicated through feeding on the overripe and fermenting fruit of the Cape gooseberry. In the Transvaal the Pied Babbling-Thrush ( Crateropus bicolor) is common throughout the North ; Jardine’s Babbling- Thrush (C. jar dinii) also occurs here and on the Tugela river, and is common in the Beclniana and Matabele countries ; Kirk’s Babbling - Thrush (C. kirkii) is common near rivers in the Zambesi ; the Dark-faced Babbling-Thrush (C. mclanops) may daily be met with in Damara Land, is gregarious in its habits, and very confiding. Of the far more beautiful Rock- Babblers, the Rufous¬ breasted Rock - Babbler is said to be widely distributed, frequenting high elevations on stony sides of hills, where it may be seen in small families of three or four individuals. The Short-footed Rock-Thrusli is tolerably common in Damara- and Great Namaqua-Lands, feeding on insects and soft seeds: it is a prettily coloured and rather small bird, 6A- inches in length ; the Cape Chat-Thrush (or Cape Robin) may be abundantly met with in all the gardens in Cape Colony, as well as in the pine woods; it is very confiding and a pleasing songster ; this therefore is a bird which undoubtedly might be freely imported. Among the Chat-like birds the Southern Ant-eating Wheatear is common at Port Elizabeth, but only in the neighbourhood of ant-hills ; it would perhaps not be easy to import, or feed in captivity; perhaps the most suitable of the Wheatears for aviculture would be the Familiar Chat ( Saxicola galtoni), which is widely distributed and to be met with at every farm-house in the colony ; its local name is ‘ Speckvreter ’ ; the 44 Capped Wheatear ( Saxicola pileaia), known to the Boers as the ‘ Schaapwachter,’ which has a lovely song, is a clever mimic, and consequently a general favourite ; it is found throughout the colony. I do not think it would be worth while to speak of the Warblers of S. Africa, as these birds are never easy to keep ; and would, I feel sure, be far less so to import, excepting perhaps in a private steam-yacht; the Sun-birds also may I think be profitably omitted from the present paper, with the exception perhaps of the Tit-like little Cape White-eye ( Zosterops capcnsis ) which is common throughout the colony, and ought to be no more difficult to bring over than the Chinese species : the Tits and Flycatchers may also be passed over. Of the Shrikes, the handsome pied species known as the South African Long-tailed Shrike (Urolcsles me/anoleucus) might, I think, be obtained ; as it has a tolerably wide range, and is generably distributed, though somewhat local, thoughout the bush-veldt (according to Mr. Thomas Ayres) : but undoubtedly every possible effort should be made to secure the gorgeously coloured Natal Bush-Shrike (. Laniarius quadricoloi '), which is not uncommon in the dense bush along the coast : in colouring it surpasses, to my mind, the charming Fruit-suckers of India. Less beautiful, but still a handsome bird, is the Ruddy-breasted Bush-Shrike (. Laniarius rubiginosus ), a most delightful songster, which appears to be common at the Knvsna; the Bacbakiri Bush Shrike (A. gutturalis), which is common at Cape Town and Port Hlizabeth, would also be a desirable acquisition. The Pied Wood-Shrike (. Bradyornis silens) is said to be a sweet singer and clever mimic ; it is common about Rustenberg and occurs less plentifully over the whole of the Cape Colony. The African Drongo {Buchan^a assimilis) is plentiful throughout the coast district of Natal ; it is especially fond of bees, of which it eats great quantities. The South African Black-headed Oriole (Oriolus 1 arvahis ), which is common along the south-east coast of the colony, might perhaps be imported without much difficulty. The Crows of South Africa appear to be neither numerous in species, nor especially attractive. Of the Starlings the abundant and widely distributed Wattled Starling ( Dilophus carunculatus) should make a most interesting cage-bird. As regards the Glossy Starlings, we are all familiar with several in captivity. The Red-shouldered Glossy Starling is abundant throughout the eastern parts of the 45 colony, and is very gregarious ; the Common Spreo (Sfireo bicolor) is found everywhere, and congregates in small flocks; frequenting grazing grounds to feed upon the insects attracted to the dung of the cattle ; and the Red-winged Spreo, or Cape Glossy Starling (Amydrus morio), is equally widely distributed ; it feeds chiefly on fruit, but is said to be also fond of small mollusca aud crustaceans. The preceding are all insectivorous or soft-food eaters ; and I find that the)' have occupied so much space that I shall have to reserve the account of other groups for subsequent papers. A mere list of the birds would I think be of little practical use ; and certainly would not be especially interesting to many of our members. I may mention here that negro boys are the most reliable bird-catchers in S. Africa; and a ‘ lickie' (3d.) is their price for each bird caught : I do not know whether I have correctly spelt the word. BREEDING OF THE BLACK-HEADED OR NANDAY CONURE. f Conurus nenday or nandayj. By Mrs. Johnstone. (Continued from page 215 of Vol. VII). The Nanday Conure is, I always think, an extremely handsome bird ; his jet black head, and tail and wings tipped with black against the brilliant contrast of vivid green, with the scarlet stockings, make him a much admired bird in my aviary. His harsh screaming voice is not attractive, and is his one drawback; for he is most affectionate; and he and his wife are more like the proverbial Lovebird, for they are never separated, and always roost back to back in a hollow tree. They commenced nesting rather late, about the beginning of June, in a log nest composed of a portion of elm log, hollow, and the ends boarded up, leaving a hole at one end. The hen bird was never seen to enter the hole, and the nest remained only conjecture for some time; but the cock always sat some feet away, and screamed lustily if anyone approached. They were much too clever, when the young were hatched, to allow anyone to see them enter the log nest; and at last, assured by my man who feeds the birds that they had not even been near the nest for days, feeling sure they had deserted it, I forced up one of the boards at the end of the nest and discovered 46 four fat young birds, with the quills showing black ends on their heads, and their backs covered with quills with vivid green tips. They were left absolutely alone for some time ; but finding they did not fly I ventured to look in again, fortunately , for one fully fledged young bird lay near the entrance, dead, with its skull crushed by a heavy blow. The three remaining birds flew in a few days, and were carefully fed by the parents. They were taught at once to roost, as the old birds did, in an upright hollow tree ; and it was pretty to see the three young birds slowly lowering themselves into the hollow, evidently hanging by their beaks inside, the old birds occupying another limb of the same tree. They fitted in most neatly ; and, as the tree is hollow to the bottom, with no foot¬ hold for perching, I can only conclude they hang by their beaks. They are now fully grown, and exactly like the parents. I could see no difference between the sexes in the young birds while in the nest. BREEDING THE RING-NECKED PARRAKEET IN AN OUTDOOR AVIARY. By G. C. Porter. Having read that considerable success has been attained by some aviculturists in breeding certain species of Parrakeets, and being very interested in the Parrot family, I thought that I would attempt to follow their example. In January, 1900, I purchased a pair of Ring-necked Parrakeets ( Paltzornis torquata ) and placed them in an outdoor aviary in April. The aviary is a lean-to, about a yard wide and ten feet long, and was fitted with natural branches. I11 this I suspended a four-and-a-half gallon barrel. The hen bird soon began to persecute the cock in a most cruel manner, pulling out most ot his feathers and worrying him from morning to night; “ hen-pecked ” is a mild term to express her treatment of him. O11 May 19th, she had a sharp attack of egg-binding, but fortunately she dropped the egg on the bottom of the aviary. On May 22nd, she laid an egg in the barrel, which she incubated very assiduously, and brought off a fine young one on June 18th. The hen did not exhibit any anxiety when I took it out of the barrel for inspection. Young Parrots, as Dr. Greene remarks, aie extremely ugly little birds, the beak and head being of enormous size in com¬ parison with the rest of the body ; this one was 110 exception to 47 the rule : it made very good progress and is now finger tame, and as large as its parents. During the Winter the hen commenced to persecute the cock again to such an alarming extent that, I firmly believe, she would have killed him had I not interfered. No doubt your readers have noticed the peculiar way the hen scratches in the earth, forming holes and burrows of considerable size. This, apparently, is only indulged in by the hen ; the cock, as far as my experience goes, never does so. Next year the hen laid again, on March 30th, but this clutch of four, although fertile, were killed by a severe late frost. The cock Ring-neck did not assist in incubation, but kept the hen well supplied with food. A small supply of sponge-cake and fruit was given, in addition to hemp- and canary-seed. The hen laid two more eggs, from which two fine young birds were hatched on June 1st, 1901 ; but one, when half grown, crawled out of the hole and fell heavily on to the gravel below, the result being instantaneous death : the other emerged from the barrel in August, and was successfully reared. The hen treated the young, on their entry from the barrel, in the cruel way she treated the cock, so after a few days I removed them to another aviary. These young birds make charming pets, if taken early from the nest and tamed, allowing themselves to be picked up and handled, yet showing absolutely no sign of fear. Contrary to the experience of many writers, I have not found the Ring-neck a very noisy bird ; the only time that they do make a considerable amount of noise is when they see a cat, and then their voices are somewhat penetrating. Altogether, the Ring-neck has many points in its favour, being a quiet, frugal bird, and it quite deserves its present popularity. The young, for the first )rear, are much smaller than their parents. OUTDOOR AVIARIES. By John Sergeant. The shape, size and position of outdoor aviaries are so often governed by the exigencies of space in our gardens that it becomes a matter difficult of solution, what form to adopt in construction. No odd corner, relinquished because one can get nothing to grow there, will do ; the best and sunniest position must be given up, or failure will result. The position should be facing South, or S.-S.-Kast. An aviary I had faced South-East, and I found it successful ; still I think due South is best, unless very well sheltered. There is a diversity of opinion in regard to covering the top of the flight, or leaving it open. I know one owner of a large aviary who has had it roofed over, and vows that his birds are healthier for it. On the other hand, I have never had any of my aviaries entirely covered, and am not aware that my birds suffered through it. The greatest objection, to my mind, to having a roof over the flight is, that you are then unable, without a great deal of labour in watering, to have grass and shrubs and trees, and all the growing things that give to a well arranged aviary the appearance of a woodland glade, and that enhances its attractiveness a thousand fold. Compare a Parrakeet aviary, with its bare whittled perches, to a mixed aviary, containing birds comparatively harmless to vegetation, with ivy-covered walls, lovely green sward and flourishing shrubs and trees ; and you will at once understand what I mean. Of course the former makes up to a certain extent by the brilliance of the plumage of its occupants, but still there is something wanting, and that something is greenery. Make the surroundings of your birds as natural as possible, study their requirements, and success will attend you. I went the other day to look at an aviary recently erected at a cost of over _£ioo by a Corporation, in one of their Parks. The general idea of a long narrow flight, placed against a wall of imitation rock work, down which in one place a small waterfall was made, leading into a pool, was very good indeed ; but the error of having a small dark house or shelter with a low entrance, not half the height of the aviary, was made. I prophesied, at the time, that the birds would not go into it, and have since learned that it is being altered for that reason. The house or shelter is useless as such, unless it is bright and cheerful. The birds, except they are forced, in consequence of the food being kept there, will never enter it, and most certainly will never roost there ; and this will end by deaths amongst the more delicate birds as the nights become colder. The seed should always be kept in the house, as the birds will become familiarised with the surroundings there, and are more likely to roost inside ; but, unfortunately, there are several objections to keeping the insectivorous bird food there, not the least of which is that it becomes sour much sooner in the close atmosphere of the house in summer. I, therefore, recommend a wooden food-holder, made of £-inch pine, the 49 top, or roof, in the form of a pyramid. Underneath, is fixed a square platform to hold the food dish ; surrounded on the four sides by a perch. Mine was suspended from the top of the aviary by its apex, and the pyramidal roof overhanging the food saucer on all sides, the food was kept clean and dry, and — being entirely in the open, though sheltered from sun and rain — very seldom went sour ; and it also had the advantage of being quite inaccessible to mice. To take away from the bareness of this food-holder, and to add to its picturesqueness, the wooden roof could be thatched with heather, and very pretty it would look. The drinking fountain is one of the details, and a very essential one, upon which a great amount of thought can be profitably expended. If you have water laid on and are able to have an outlet to a drain, then the whole thing is at once reduced merely to the question as to what form the receptacle has to take, whether merely a zinc dish let into the ground, a picturesque concrete pool, or a fountain of the conventional type. Whatever you have, or however arranged, try and avoid any possibility of the water becoming foul, have every portion accessible for a good scrubbing periodically, as foul water engenders more disease than any number of damp raw days. In regard to the general arrangement of the aviary ; it is better to have the corners covered in, and packed with pine tree loppings and birch branches, amongst which large pieces of heather can be crammed, making an almost impervious screen from the cold winds. In front of this arrange growing shrubs, to hide the bare branches ; and against the walls in the centre nail small logs and tree branches longitudinally, and train ivy over them. The branches form snug roosting and nesting places, much more so than if the ivy was nailed flat against the wall. The centre of the aviary should be laid down with grass ; and if there is room a fairly large tree might be planted in the middle of the grass plot, but as this would not be required for cover, it need not necessarily be an evergreen ; a pyramid apple or pear would be very suitable. The grass should be regularly mown and swept ; the latter is most important, as it continually freshens the surface and removes all objectionable matter. A gravel pathway might be arranged alongthe front inside, as, besides being beneficial for the birds to peck at, it affords a pretty contrast with the grass. The above few rough notes may perhaps prove of some 50 help to any of our members who are contemplating discarding cages for an outdoor aviary. [The above was written, and in the Editor’s hands, before the appearance of Miss Alderson’s most interesting description of her aviary, in our last number. And I should like to take the opportunity afforded me by the Editor, in the return of the proof for correction, to add this note of appreciation and congratulation. — -J. S.] MY FIRST AVIARY. By Arthur Gill, M.R.C.V.S, Some months ago it was suggested in the Avicultural Magazine that members would be rendering a signal service, to others of our Society who were inexperienced, if the}’ would furnish particulars of the construction of their several aviaries. I have been hoping ever since that some one more experienced than myself, would start what should be a very interesting as well as an instructive correspondence. Doubtless the secret of success in our pastime is the suitable housing of our birds, and I venture to give a description of one of my aviaries, not that I can tell you anything new, but it may lead to criticism and suggested improvements which would be of much use to many of us. I have only taken up the study of foreign birds and their treatment in confinement some three or four years, but must confess my attack of avicultural fever was very acute and has lasted some time now and continues to increase in severity every day. A great friend of mine has to answer for my taking up this hobby, as it was the fact of seeing his birds that made me wish to start an aviary for myself. The Californian Quails were my first favourites, and my friend, seeing how very fond I was of these birds, gave me a fine male, in grand plumage: and as soon as I arrived home I wrote for a hen, which is now so tame that I can pick her up anywhere, and she will follow me like a dog wherever I go. She has reared five broods of lovely birds since I had her, and is now one of my greatest favourites. However, to return to the aviary question : Having the Quails, I set to work to make a home that I thought would meet their requirements and protect them against our variable climate, for, at this time, I was not aware of the hardi¬ ness of this species. I built my aviary as follows : — The outside dimensions are 16 ft. long, 12 ft. wide, 7 ft. from the ground level. The outside 5i flight is 12 ft. by 12 ft., and the covered part 4 ft. from back to front, by 12 ft. wide. The covered part is a lean-to, against a brick wall. The roof is of wood, covered with felt, and has two lights each measuring 4 ft. by 2 ft., which are made of Duroline (a translucent material). The upper half of the ends and front are glazed, the lower of wood. I11 the centre of the front is a window, hinged at the top, which may be closed at will. At the lower part of this window is another small hinged light which is left open during cold weather, the larger one being then closed. The wooden part of the front is composed of four movable sections fixed in position by screw buttons, so that in very hot weather it can be made into practically an open shed. The inside is kept cool during very hot weather by means of a ventilator at the upper part of each end. Against the wall is nailed 2-inch wire netting reaching from the roof to within 2 ft. of the ground, into the meshes of which are inserted small branches which, altogether, make quite a hedge, which is much appreciated by the smaller birds. The aviary is furnished with the usual fixed, and swinging perches, husks, German canary cages, nest pans, boxes, etc., for nesting purposes. The flight has a good sized apple-tree in the centre, with wire work stretched round the tree trunk, and bushes dotted round about at various parts. The earth was dug out to a depth of two feet, the hole being again filled alternately with clinker, the stones sifted from gravel, cinder ash, and sharp sand. This makes the drainage so complete that, an hour or so after even a heavy rain, the sand is comparatively dry. The flight is boarded around to a height of 2 ft. Being anxious to study the habits of the different species I usually buy several, and, when satisfied that I understand sufficiently about them, replace them with others. I feel certain there are many who kill their birds with pampering, and I find the majority do better without heat if they have plenty of exercise. The majority of the commoner species will live well in an aviary such as I have described, providing they have a liberal and varying supply of good sound seed, green food, and insectivorous food (with a fair proportion of hard boiled egg). Although not a very pleasant pastime, I always breed gentles as long as I am able, which, when well scoured, are readily eaten by almost all my birds with benefit. Bread and milk, cuttle fish bone, and above all a plentiful supply of fresh water should always be given. 52 The best thing I ever did during my avicultural career was to join our Society, and I have to thank Mr. Seth-Smith for bringing it to my notice and proposing me. I also take this opportunity of thanking Mr. R. Phillipps and Dr. Butler for the advice they have kindly given me as to the treatment of birds I should certainly have lost, without their sound practical advice. REVIEW. FANCY PHEASANTS* Mr. Frank Finn is well known to our members, and his useful, and interesting articles which have appeared recently in th e Feathered World have been, we are sure, highly appreciated by them. The appearance, therefore, of these papers in book form will be welcomed with much pleasure, as it makes a valuable addition to avicultural literature. The Pheasant tribe contains so many species, most of which are easily kept and bred in captivity, and almost all of which are of exquisite beauty, that it seems passing strange that they are not studied more freely by aviculturists than they are at the present time. We can only suppose that the lack of knowledge as to their many attractive qualities, or of their treatment in captivity, is alone responsible for their neglect by the aviculturist. Mr. Finn’s book, which, by the way, is a marvel of cheap¬ ness, will be found most useful as a guide to the keeping and breeding of all the better known Pheasants, and their allies the Pea-fowl, Jungle-fowl, etc. The illustrations are, on the whole, good; some are excellent, although one or two are poor. BIRD NOTES. Some few years ago the Government of New Zealand decided to set apart a small island called Resolution Island, situated off the South-West of the South Island, as a sanctury for the native avifauna of the country; as many species, especially the remarkable wingless birds, were in danger of rapidly becoming extinct. A caretaker was selected in the person of Mr. Richard Henry, who now lives on the adjacent island, known as Pigeon Island, with an assistant ; although, until a year or so ago, he was quite alone with only the birds as companions. A small steamer visits with supplies three times a year. * Fancy Pheasants and their Allies, by Frank Finn, F.Z.S. London : Feathered World Office, 9, Arundel Street, W.C. Price is. 6d. 53 According to a writer to the Field, Resolution Island has now become a perfect Paradise for an ornithologist. The most numerous birds at the present time appear to be the Kakapo, or Owl Parrot, a species which rarely, if ever, flies, and the Weka-rail. Curiously enough, the Kakapo breeds only every second year, being perfectly unanimous as to the time of laying, no birds breeding in the off-season. The males announce the pair¬ ing time by a peculiar drumming noise. Mr. Henry has found the Wekas great thieves; they become extremely tame and impudent, and some that had been fed on boiled fish were so much so that he had considerable difficulty in driving them away into the bush. The Kaka is said to make an excellent pet, and to be full of tricks. Two were kept by Mr. Henry, each of which knew its name and came when called. Penguins are numerous on the island, as are also Kiwis, Roas, Pigeons, Ducks, Tuis, Thrushes, Crows, and Saddle-backs. Mr. Henry noticed that the native Thrushes, which are very tame, have learnt to shell damp oats like Sparrows. A specimen of the Carolina Crake ( Porzana Carolina ) was shot in Tiree, one of the Inner Hebrides, on Oct. 25th last. This appears to be the third authentic record of the occurrence of this American species in Great Britain. In the Field of Dec. 7th last, appeared two excellent, almost life- size, drawings by Mr. Frohawk, showing very clearly the distinguishing features between this species and the Spotted Crake (P. maruetta). Snow Buntings have recently arrived on our South Coast in some numbers, and the bird-catchers have taken a quantity. The method em¬ ployed in their capture is the same as for other small birds— long nets and a brace-bird. At the commencement of the season, however, there are no decoy-birds to be had, so a difficulty presents itself. We are informed, however, that a whitewashed Skylark is used, and answers the purpose equally as well as a Snow Bunting. THE SOCIETY’S MEDAL. A Medal has been awarded to Mr. Bonhote, for having bred the Spotted Eagle Owl of South Africa, Bubo maculosus. A Medal has been awarded to Miss R. At.derson, for having bred the Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Sporceginthus melpodus, in a natural manner (see foot-note, p. xii. of this volume). A full account of the breeding of this nervous species, and of the labour and perseverance which weie necessary to achieve success, will be published in our next number. At p. 159 of Vol. V., Mr. Meade-Waldo gave an interesting account of the successful breeding of the tiny Scops Owl, Scops giu, in 1S99; and he states that he has bred them ever}' year since. Before awarding a Medal, we invite any member who may be cognizant of the previous breeding of the species in the United Kingdom to communicate at once with the Secretary. 54 THE SOCIETY. An impression seems to prevail amongst our members, and the public, that only those who keep birds in captivity are eligible to join our Society. This is very far from being the case. All bird-lovers are heartily welcome, whether owners of birds or not. Those who study the habits of wild birds are specially welcome. This reminds us that complaint is made that there is not more about our birds in freedom to be learned through the Society. If some of our members will take the hint, and help us by writing about birds, British or foreign, in the wild state, we shall be particularly grateful. On the other hand, it should not be overlooked that, when writing of the birds in captivity, we often bring out details in the nature of species which are practically undiscoverable by the field naturalist, immensely valuable as his observations must ever be. The two studies should march together hand in hand, the one complementing the other, both being steadied aud guided by the work of the scientist. R. P. THE ILLUSTRATIONS. From letters received by the Secretary, it is evident that our members have no idea of the amount of time and work involved in the production of coloured illustrations. Some complain, in a very injured strain, that no coloured plate appeared in the first number of the current volume. We may explain briefly the process adopted for hand-coloured illustrations. The artist (who is often a busy man, and not always able to undertake wrork just when he is wanted) has often to travel some distance to the residence of the aviculturist who owns the subject of the illustration. A drawing often takes several days to complete, and, as the artist is generally unable to devote several days in succession to any one picture, sometimes ten days, ora fortnight elapses before one drawing is completed. When the water-colour drawings are finished, the next process is to re-draw these on stone, a proceeding which again occupies considerable time. It is desirable, for several reasons, that four pictures should be drawn on one stone. The lithographing finished, the plates have to be printed, proofs submitted and approved; lettering put on, and lettered proofs again sub¬ mitted for approval. When these are passed, the whole four can be printed off (500 copies of each). When the printing is done, each plate has to be hand-coloured; and, as the colourists are often busy with work for other scientific publications, it is evident that some time must elapse before the plates are read}' for the Magazine. Since we undertook the arrangements for the illustrations, no pains have been spared, and no time wasted, in pushing the coloured plates forward as rapidly as possible. At the present time we have four lithographed plates printed ; and, il the colourists do not fail us, we hope to publish the first in our next number. It is the intention of the Executive Committee to issue six- coloured plates before November next, if possible. 55 We would remind those members who think we are treating then: unfairly with regard to the illustrations that we have, in three months, issued no less than four black and white plates (two of which appear in this number); and it is our intention to give several more in the present volume, besides the aforesaid six hand -coloured plates. Since the first of November last, the Magazine has also been printed on better paper than formerly. Editor. CORRESPONDENCE. MISTLETOE BERRIES. Sir, — Can you tell me whether caged birds of any sort will eat mistletoe berries? So far as my observation goes, and for nearly forty years I have had exceptionally good opportunities of exercising it, the only one of our wild birds that will take them is the Mistletoe Thrush. Certainly I did once see one plucked by a Redbreast, but it was immediately dropped; while I have known a Blackbird in a state of extreme destitution perch within a couple of inches of a mistletoe berry and not offer to take it. I hope you or some one will try whether any, and if so which, birds will eat mistletoe berries. I think there can be no danger in making the experiment as the Mistletoe Thrushes eat them so largelj' — in fact all they can get; but they will not touch them till they are fully ripe. We have much mistletoe in the garden of this College — mostly on apple trees, but there is some on hawthorns, and two large plants on a sycamore — the first I ever saw or heard of on such a tree . I shall be very glad to learn what may be the result of offering mistletoe berries to birds, but I believe they should be quite ripe — and that they generally are not before the end of January. I think the berries on the mistletoe that is cut for Christmas never ripen at all, but gradually dry up instead of deliquescing as those which are left on the plant do. ( b ). Magdalene College, Cambridge. ALFRED NEWTON. [Perhaps some of our members, especially those who keep British birds, will experiment with the mistletoe berries, and let us know the results. Some writers express a doubt as to the Mistletoe Thrush (or Missel-Thrush as it is often called, a phonetic spelling of Mistle or Mistletoe Thrush) eating them at all freely; but Professor Newton not only tells us that it does, but adds the information that the berries must be fully ripe — the rock perchance over which these writers stumbled. — R. P.] A BLOOD-THIRSTY MOCKING-BIRI) : IMPORTATION OF FOREIGN BIRDS. Sir, — I am quite sure you will be surprised to hear that the Mocking¬ bird that we have had communications about before (see page 13 of current (i) I have some orchards, the trees in which are covered with mistletoe as I have never seen them elsewhere. Mistletoe Thrushes also abound in my grounds. Whether they eat the mistletoe-berries late in the winter I can't say they certainly do not touch them up to Christmas, though they have already December 14th) nearly stripped my Vtws, Irish Yews, and Honeysuckle of berries.— O. E. C. 56 Volume) lias the same blood-thirsty characteristics as Mr. Pliillipps’ Whistling-bird. I had several accidents in the aviary that I could not account for, often finding small birds lying about partly eaten. For some time I kept my Mocking friend all to himself, but, when feeding him the other day, a Goldfinch got in from the other compartment. I went away, and, returning in about an hour, found the Goldfinch on the ground with its head open, and brains completely devoured. I caught the Mocking-bird afterwards chasing the smaller birds ; he darts at them and catches them with his legs, and kills them like a Hawk. He still has the cold ; but I will not despair of him as long as he is able to feed on Goldfinches and Orange Bishops. I wish some of our members would write about the importation of foreign birds, and the various ports they are picked up at, and how and by whom they are caught. H. B. Rathbokne. [Noth. — The question asked by Mr. Rathborne embraces too much ground for any one person to be acquainted with. Hr. Butler’s article in this number deals with a somewhat kindred subject as regards the birds of South Africa. Perhaps some other of our members may be able to give us information concerning birds coming from different parts of the world.— R. P.] NESTING OF THE BRACK-HEADED GOURDI AN FINCH. SIR.— Several of our members have succeeded in raising the beautiful Gouldians, and from time to time accounts have appeared of the nesting. Each record adds somewhat to one's knowledge as to the ways and means by which this happy result may be attained. I therefore take up my pen in the hope that what I have to tell may contain some little hints that may be of use to others. First, it seems to me absolutely necessary that Gouldian-finches should be perfectly strong and thoroughly acclimatized before they are allowed to go to nest, or clear eggs only are the result. 1 tried, and failed again and again with somewhat newly imported birds; but this season I set to work more hopefully, as my two hen Black-heads had been in England over two years. I had a good healthy cock ; and a member of our Society kindly supplied me with another that had been raised in his bird-room. I gave my Gouldians— and a pair of Diamond Sparrows— a small garden aviary to themselves. It was late in May before they were put in, and verv soon after they began to moult. The moulting over, they fussed about so long over the choice of a nesting-place that the best part of the summer passed before any progress was made. For nesting material my Gouldians have invariably chosen a fine sort of grass that grows on heath land ; and without this, it seems to me, they would not build at all— they use this and nothing else. The nests being built, eggs were laid, the sitting commenced, and in due course the sound of chirps from many voices came from both nests. Unfortunately they were too close together, one nest being just above the other : the hen of the upper one began chasing the other, and preventing her from going to feed the young. I hoped the cock would 57 carry them on, lie tried hard ; but I suppose they were too many for him ; and very soon, to my great disappointment, I found that the chirps from that nest had ceased. The others throve without a hitch, and cries from baby Gouldies grew stronger and stronger, until on October 31st two strong little grey birds appeared, and were followed the day after by three more. The plumage of all five is as glossy and smooth as can be, and all were able to fly strongly from the first moment they left the nest. And now as to food — it was simple enough, consisting only of canary and millet seed — the latter being the large white millet, as it is more sustaining than the small Indian kind that is sold in the ear. With these seeds they gave their young a quantity of cuttle-fish, and were liberally supplied, three or four times a-day, with road-side or lawn grass in seed. In the aviary is a lump of rock-salt, and I frequently saw them peck at this. M. D. Sharp. BLUE-BIRD AND AMERICAN CAT-BIRD. Sir, — I have a Blue Robin that has been in perfect health for the last three years, but, since the moult, he has not regained his tail- or wing- feathers, but is, in all other ways, perfect. Will you kindly let me know how best to treat him ? He has been fed on dried flies, auts’ eggs, hard-boiled egg and biscuits, and crumb of bread and a few currants at times, besides other fruits. Since I have noticed that he has not regained his feathers, I have been giving him three mealworms each day, in a cage by himself. I am having an American Cat-bird sent me within the course of the next few days, and should be glad to know how best to feed it, and if this is the correct name. H. W. Burgess. The following answer was sent to Mr. Burgess : All that you can do with the Blue-bird is to keep it warm, give plenty of insect-food, mealworms, cockroaches, (or spiders if you can find any) ; also about eight drops of syrup of phosphates in the drinking-water. I think you are making a mistake in giving grocers’ currants to your birds : theyr are very tough-skinned fruit and difficult of digestion. The American Cat -bird ( Guleoscoptes carolinensis) in its wild state feeds upon many forms of insect life, upon worms, slugs, and snails, also upon small fruits and berries. In captivity it maybe fed like the Mocking-bird, upon ‘ Century food,’ or crushed biscuit, yolk of egg, ants’ eggs, and dried flies, made into a slightly damp or crumbly mixture either with a sprinkling of water, by adding mashed boiled potato, or grated carrot. Sweet-water grapes, orange, over-ripe pear, stewed apple, ripe currants or strawberries when in season, may be given ; and a few meal¬ worms or some other insect food should certainly not be overlooked. A. G. BuTEKR. 58 POST MORTEM EXAMINATIONS. RULES. Each bird must lie forwarded, as soon after death as possible, carefully packed and postage paid, direct to Mr. Arthur Gill, M.R.C.V.S., Veterinary Establishment, Bexley Heath, Kent, and must be accompanied by a letter containing' the fullest particulars of the case. If a reply by post (in addition to any Report that may appear in the Magazine) be required, a stamped and addressed envelope must likewise be sent. BENGALESE. (Mr. A. K. Boothroyd). Found dead in straw nest : has never seemed very well. [Death was due to an abdominal tumour pressing on the artery that comes directly from the heart, which was much dilated. The immediate cause of deatli was heart failure.] Cordon Bleu, female. (Mrs. H. M. Metcalf.) [Apoplexy was the cause of death ; the bird was extremely fat]. Al^RIO Finch, female. (Miss West). Looked ill for some time ; for a few days was better, but had a relapse. Showed signs of loss of breath, puffiness, and weakness. [Cause of death— tuberculosis ; one lung and the liver being full of tubercular deposit.] BENGALESE, male. (Miss Hodgson). Did not seem to ail until a few days before death. [Cause of death — congestion of the liver and bowels, caused probably by chill.] Cockatiel, male. (MissR. Alderson). Had been ill two days, but had not looked very bright for some time. Taken suddenly ill on Dec. 4th ; on the 5th could hardly stand; breathing became gradually more difficult before it died. [Your Cockatiel suffered from cerebral haemorrhage (apoplexy). No doubt he had fits, although you did not see him in them. The last attack of haemorrhage was so severe that it caused death by' pressure on the brain substance, which caused the want of co-ordination of muscular movements]. Pekin Robin. (Mr. H. W. Burgess). [Death was due to haemorrhage from the liver which was ruptured, probably' by external violence. It may have resulted from the bird flying against a perch.] Californian Quail, male. (Miss B. Shepherd). Died suddenly; had been fed on canary- and millet-seed, oats, ants’ eggs, egg-food, and mealworms. [Death l-esulted from acute inflammation of the bowels, probably the result of a chill. I find Californian Quails do best on canary-, millet-, and a little hemp-seed, dari, wheat, and a plentiful supply of green food; preferably, chopped grass. Soft food, with egg and mealworms, is too fattening and stimulating.] Redrump ParrakeeT, male. (Mrs. Johnstone). Was bred in aviary last year; looked a little puffy, which was attributed to severe weather. Suggested malformation of lower mandible, which appeared to protrude beyond the upper when found dead. [The cause of death was pneumonia; there was no malformation of the mandible; the appearance you describe is common with Parrots after death ; it occurs during the death struggle.] Arthur Gill- Av: cuiciira! ,'.{aga.zme. 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