^•b • S>2^' e>G» (^i^«K) FOR THE PEOPLE FOR EDVCATION FOR SCIENCE LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY potmrfan [ < r> f t *,■ >^ BIRD-NOTES. Till-: JOfKNAI, OF THK I-OKKICX BIKl) CLUB, |-()F{ line STVUV ()!■ ALL Sl'I'X:! liS Ol'^ MIRDS ix I'KKKiJo.M AXiJ CAi'TiviTV : : : : : : VUIA'MI'. \1I1.— XI':\V SERli^S. />'v unitiiiil cull lid cncc and iniilinil aiil. iireat deeds iire dene and s^rcat disccn'crics made." I'niTKI) I'.V WESLEY T. PAGE, F.Z.S., M B.N.H.S. .•\lTHfiK Ol •■ /\\1\KII-.S AND A\"I\K\' I . I !• I- . " IvrC ASHilOl-RXK. li. I iKN.ST<>( K. "AVIAX PkKSS. g.Ti ioS-Wcv\'k Contents. Hi Contents. Title Page i. Secretary's Report iv. List of Plates v. Illustrations in the Text vi. Index to Contributors vii. The Magazine i. General Index 276. Index to Genera and Species 283. Inset Pink Pages. iv. Secretary's Report. Secretary's Report. With this issue Vol. viii, N.S., of Bird Notes is com- plete. Owing" to the war the usual number of coloured plates has been impossible. Members will, we think, agree that the photo-reproductions, both those as plates and in the text, have been freely given and of excellent quality, and reflect great credit on our printer and publisher. In the Journal most inter- esting articles have been published, our worthy Editor, Mr. Page, having spared no pains to keep the issues of 1917 up to the high standard of the past. If more members will contribute articles on their birds, whether breeding results or merel;*^ as collections of birds, we shall be able to look forward to 1918 to be even a better year than any that have gone before. During the past year this terrible war has claimed some of our most liberal supporters, both financial and literary. They will never be forgotten, and we shall always remember they were proud of the Club Journal. We ask you one and all to do your best to make good this loss — we owe it to those who have given their lives in this world-struggie, and who, amid the heat of conflict, found time to contribute to the Journal. To those, one and all, who have suffered bereavement we extend our deepest sympathy. Let us hope that before 1918 closes, peace will again reign, and those scattered in the various war areas will have returned home again, and the next report be written under much happier auspicies than the above. SIDNEY WILLIAMS, Hon. Sec. and Treasurer. List of Plates. V. List of Plates. Opposite Page On Leave — A Rest from tlie Horrors of War i Xesl and Eggs of Sikhim Siskin 14 Xest and Eggs of J51ack-l)rea3ted Mexican Quail 21 J'.kick-breasted Alexican Ql«lil, S 'ind 9 22 Cuvier's Toucan ( R. cin'ien) 41, 43. 4^ Toucan — At Rest 44 Peaceful Doves 47 Cock Masked Dove Incubating 48 Young Diamond Doves 4^ Cacatua galerita and Young 63 Young Sulphur-crested Cockatoos 64 Brush Bronze-wing Doves and Young 68 Green Woodpecker in the Firing-line 85 Orchard Finches and Nest 90 Red-legged Cuban Thrush 93 Young Yellow-winged Sugarbird 106 Nest of Yellow-winged Sugarbird 107 " Bogey " — The Spectacled Owl 109 Nest and Eggs of P. leiicotis 133 Cock (i) and Hen (2) /'. leiicotis incubating 134 Hen /'. Icncofis feeding Young 135 The Curlew 137 Indian Shamah J 150 Young Indian Shamahs 151, 152 Green Fruit-Pigeon and Young 157 Green Fruit-Pigeons and Young 158 Cock Indian Shamah carrying food to second brood 176 Black-tailed Hawfinches attending to young 181 Black-tailed Hawfinches Incubating 182 Black-tailed Hawfinches feeding young 182 Young Black-tailed Hawfinches in Nest 183 Cherry Finches cT and 9 205, 206 Fieldfare's Nest and Eggs 216 Hen l-'ieldf are 217 Redwing 219 The Laughing Jackass 229 Abyssinian Weavers' Nests over the Water 248 Double-banded Finches 253 Mr. v.. R. Phillips' Lorikeet Aviary 256 Half-masked Weaver Nest building 267 Half-masked Weaver Nest building 268 Baya Weaver's Nest 2fe9 vi. Illustrations in the Text. Illustrations in the Text. page Facsimile of Xmas Card from the Front 2 Special Banjo-type Nest Box 15 A Beginner's Aviary — Diagrams and Plans 26, 27. Nest of Indian Golden Oriole (0. o. kimdoo) 34 Himalayan Blue Whistling-Thrush 35 Masked Doves Brooding Young 49 Ground Plan — A Suburban Aviary 53 Section through Bath 55 Cacatua galerita — Nest Site 62 Young Sulphur-crested Cockatoos 63 Diagram — Bottle Water-hopper 74 Diagram — Food Table 75 Diagram — Nest Boxes 75 Long-tailed Grassfinches 124 Yellow-winged Sugarbird and Zebra Finches 125 Device for continuous supply of fresh water 203 Nest of Redwing 217 Laughing Jackass (and mouse) 231 Shaft-tailed Whydah (T. regia) 238 Long-tailed Whydah (D. progne) 242 Red-billed Weavers' Nests used by Zebra Finches 249 Index to Contributors. vii. Index to Contributors. * Denotes Correspondence. An'derson, T. H. * Thrush x Blackbird Hybrids, 200. Baii.y, W. Shore. Hj'brid Breeding, 13. Nesting- of the Black-breasted Mexican Quail, 21. Some Doves I have kept, 47, 68. Nesting of White-cheeked Finch-Lark, 133. Cruise on the S.Y. " Vectis," 140, 176, -jji, i-jt,- Breeding of the (ireen Fruit-Pigeon, 157. Breeding of Black-tailed Hawfinch, iSi. Nesting of the Fieldfare, etc., 216. Weavers, 247, 267. B ARTELS, O. * An Australian Aviary, 131. BKiGitr. Herbert E. Aviary Notes — 1917, 124. 1^1 Nesting Notes-J9i7, 194. Breeding of Hybrid Chestnut-breasted I'inch x Silverbill, 244. Breeding of Hybrid Magpie Mannikin x Silverbill, 245. * Notes of the Season — 1917, 251. Burgess, Mrs. M. A. My Aviary Room and its Occupants, 93. Stray Notes in My Birdrooni, 207. Calvocaresl, p. J. * Device for continuous supply of Fresh Water, 203. viii. Index to Contributors. Chatterton, Mrs. * Yellow Uudgerigars from Green, 251. C'n.wvNEK, Miss E. F. * l!reeding- Yellow-runiix-d Serin X St. Helena Seed-cater Hybrid. 7. Spectacled Owl, The, 109. Cr.'Kbb, G. * Blackbird X Thrush Hybrid, 273. D.\wsoN, Ch.\s., S.J., M.A. (Oxon). liirds of British (iniana. The, 76, 103, 126, 147, 170, 224, 265. Dawson-Smith, Lt. F. Across the Channel — Somewhere in T'rance, no. Some Notes on the Curlew, 137. The Laughing Jackass, 229. Dickinson, Mrs. E. Notes from an Amateur in Ceylon, 187. EurrouiAi.. Nesting of the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, 59. Nesting Habits of the Rain Otiail, 59. Nidification of the Golden Weaver Bird, 59. Index to Contributors. ix. The Green Avadavat, 60. Queen Alexandra Parrakeets, 82, 106. Banded Crake, 82. Some Birds of the Gurdaspur District (Punjab), 83. Obituary, 84, 108, 131, 227, 252. Young Yellow-winged Sugarbird. 106. White-cheeked Fincli-Lark, 130. Nesting Notes, 130. Errata, 131. Doves. 155. Diamond Doves, etc., 155. Young Chaflinches. 156. Cockatoo Hybrids. 156. Zoo Notes, isb, 175. 197, 226, 272. I'.hu- r.udgerigars, 156. Breeding of Shamahs, 176. Yeliow-rumi)ed Tanagers, 197. Retrospect, A. 271. Notice — Post Mortem Reports, 273. iM't.LJAMES. HeN'KV J. * Breeding Song Thrush x Blackbird Hybrids, 198. Gardinkk, Mrs. St.\nlkv Breeding of Sydney Waxbilis, 3 lixKi'iiR, E. W., F.Z.S.. M.B.O.U. Birds Seen in the Suburbs of Calcutta, 159. X. Index to Contributors. Hebb, T P.reeding Notes — 1917, 227. Hoi'KiNSON, Dr. E., D.S.O., etc. * I5];ickbird x Thrush Hybrids, 180. l^ Whydahs, 183, 210, 237, 260. * P>rt'e(Hng of Hybrid Queries, 227. Knobel, Miss E. Maud The Story of Jobo, 95 Le.\ch, C. F., F.Z.S. Some Toucans, 45. Lee, Mrs. M. A. * A Cockatoo Hybrid, 204. Breeding of Hybrid Cockatoos, 232. LoNGDON, Mrs. C. A. My Breeding E.xperiences — 1916, to. * Hybrid Hawfinch x Bullfinch, 39. Perreau, Major G. A., F.Z.S. Bakloh Aviary Notes — 1916, Part iv., 5. Low, G. E. Breeding of the Indian Shamah, 150. * Breeding of Shamahs, 204. Lucas, Dr. N. S., F.Z.S. Bird Life in the Firing Line, 116. Lucas, Miss E. Breeding of Hybrid Finches, 250. Index to Coiitrihuturs. xi. Marsdkx, J. W. * Breeding- Blue Budgeris^ars. bo, 228. Ideas on ()ri.. Ali((' Al . Cook) who has so ably giv( ii efifect to a mere word sketch, and. moreo\er, has done the work gratuitously, for wiiich we owi' and lender her our aj)preriative thanks. Th.e Xinas Card, an original (Mie from the Alacedoinan Front which we reproduce herewith, tells a similar story, and many letters penned amid the stern realities and horrors of the Western and Eastern fighting- lines echo the same refrain, that the home-life, its responsibilities and pleasures, are ever with them, and several most interesting articles and letters in last volume of ' B.N." were penned amid the turmoil of the fighting-fronts of Mesopotamia, France, Flanders, and Siilonika. 1917- c x^s^t z ^ a> c o *^ (/> t/N j^ C/^ Breeding of Sidney Waxbllls. 3 The writer will be very fully occupied during the coming months, and many others will be similarly situated; yet we have only tq meet these claims upon us in the same spirit as those alluded to above, for the volume of " B.N.," commenced with this issue, to surpass the one just completed. The moments left free, by the claims of Home and Country, can well be used in the furtherance of keeping our Club and its Journal going. Undoubtedly many aviaries and collections must, for the time being, be left to the care of others — someone at home or an attendant— these should be asked to keep a diary of all happenings, Avhich could be tabulated for our pages as opportunity offers. Those in happier case, who are able to fulHi the claims oT Country wh-Jt- remnining at home, with all the peace and comfort this means, must feel it incumbent upon them to do the major part of the work (suppUing cojjy, etc.) necessary to keep things going. It IS a most thankless and difficult task to write a forecast at such a time--^murli more might easily be written and written in a fairly buoyant strain too ! It rriight be classed as presumption and out of place, as possibly the above may be ! However this mav be, the writer most certainly offers no apology for pemiing it and hopes that all \vill ( ordially co-operate as far as possible during fne coming year, which will then Tdc a successful one for the> F.Fi.C, and bring us, 'vve hope, -lie PR.ACE we are fighting for. THE EDITOR. Breeding of Sydney Waxbills, By .Mrs. Stanley Gardiner. In response to your request for an account of niy success with 'Sydney Waxbills {Aegintfw temporalis), I only regret that I can supply you with very little accurate in- formation. You shall, however, have such facts as 1 know myseli. My success was due to following that old adage : " Leavi- well alone." 4 Breeding; of Sidney Waxbills. My aviary is unheatcd, and 20ft. long. It consists of a shelter, store-room, covered and uncovered fli.^lits. The floor is gravelled ; there is a strip of grass, but ni> growing- trees. Nesting accommodation is provided by boxes, Ijundles of pea-sticks, etc. I purchased throe Sydney Waxbills in Marcli, 191^. They seemed Very healthy, and after keeping them caged for a m.onth I put them into the aviary. At this period all three were absolutely indistinguishable from each other, and continued so for tjie whole of the year. In the early spring of 1 91 6 one of them developed a curious little black bib, similar to that of a siskin, but this may be only a chance variation. It is the only distinguishing mark I have been able to find. The birds made no attempt at nesting during 19' 5. They wintered out of doors in jx^rfect health, on canary and millet seed al()nt\ without insectile or any kind of soft-food. Early in March (igi6), a grotesquely large nest was built in a bundle of pea-sticks, constructed with hay, canary grass grown the previous summer, and lined with cotton wool. It ^was dome-shaped, with a side entrance. Immedi- ately behind it another similar, but smaller nest was made. Most careful observation convinced me that a'l three birds :-at in both nests indiscriminately, and neithr then, nor since have I 'seen any conduct which indicates se.\ in any of them. Soon after the nest was completed we had a blizzard, which cost me a lovely Aurora Finch, and a Bicheno's Finch, both egg-bound; but the Sydneys flourished as before, except that all interest in the nests vanished. I usually remove discarded nests, and entered the aviary one day with that intention, but some impulse made me leave them alone, antl at the end of May the largest nest was furbished up again, and the birds settled down to breeding. During the whole period all three birds haunted the neighbourhood of the nest, and I never identified the two parents, except tiiat the bird with the bib was 'one. Incubation was less close than with many species, as all three birds were often visible and almost Breeding of Sidney Waxhitls. 5 always in close companionship, and 1 was not sure of my good fortune until the young family was audible, in the montk of June. The young birds were very noisy in the nest, almost like Zebra Finches. All three adults would eat very freely of fresh ants' eggs, and would all disappear in the vicinity of the nest. It was difhcult to see the actual entry into the nest, as these birds were more circumspect in this way than any 1 ever kept. The young left the nest very late, being over a month old, and were strong on the wing at their hrst appearance. Unlike baby Zebra Finches they did not return to the nest after the first day or two. In plumage they resembled baby Zebra Finches very closely, being palish grey in colour with black beaks and feet. The parents actu- ally fed them until the characteristic crimson eye-streaks and red beak began to show, fully three weeks after leaving the nesr. This hrst brood consisted of three birds, all of which which were indistinguishable from their parents by September. A second brood of three emerged from the nest on September 2ist; two of them were killed by owls on October I 2th, at which time they were still being fed by their parents although showing the crimson eye-marks. Three other Syd- neys shared the same fate on that tragic day. I am left witli four survivors, one being the bird witli the bib, and another being the last of the second brood. So 1 have ho[)es for further success in the coming season. Bahloh Aviary Notes, 1916.— Part IV. liV M.AjOK (J. A. i'i,Ki extraordinarily loud for such a small bird, Jerdon. (I think). iKits it as: Too-whii ! Too-whit 1 ;and sometimes VVhii-tool Whit-to ! and that well describes it. When ailling, ihe cock 'ihows two pulled uj- black marks t>n the bides of ihe throat. Willi us the breediiiii season lasts from .\pril lo ,S(.[)kniber ; nesis seem 8 Baldoli Aviary Nofrs—igi6. most common in August (eggs). Tlu- cluich is two or thre ■. I have never found tour in a wild nest, thougli I believe four is not uncommon in the plains. Prlnia sociaUs is a small grass warbler which ,ilso sojmetimes sews leaves together for its nest. A pair oi these 1 took home in 1913. and they went to Mr. Bainbridgc. to whom J jniust apologise for unintentionally calling them Tailor Birds, which 1 then thought they were, not the common one of course. Through the kindness of Mr. Appleby I ^got this pair in Lahore where both species are common and both are called Tailor Birds. They were nice little birds, but not a patch on O. sutorius, and more delicate too, I fancy. Our noisy friend is very hardy and easy to cater for. The pair about our house (one down t'other come on) have always been very noticeable in winter when they seem to subsist chiefl>' on gleanings from the bird table in the verandah and cake thrown out for them, though doubtless they eat wild medlar, and find a few !s|mall insects. At other seasons s'nce we've had a pair in the aviary, the outside pair' have been almost mere noticeable than desiiable ; two pairs talkiag loudly at each other through the wire are a little trying so close to the house. In cage or aviary 1 should almost ..put down cake as their staple diet, not that I'd care to try them, on that alone, but with insect food, of which they eat a deal too, they seem to xetjuire very little live stuff, except, of course, when breeding. They [don't rush for mealworms, though quite glad to hnd one, especially a small one. They like things small, minute crumbs, where other birds iiave carried away fair-sized bits. Our Bakloh pair were caught in December, 1913, when snow Ivvas on the ground. Given sheltered corners and boxes under eaves there would be no danger in keeping tjiem in out -door aviaries at home. This pair have 'been left in charge of a very mdifterent bird orderly, and, as you know, are doing Svcll. 1 fancy they pair ior lite as they are gener- ally seen in pairs at all seasons ; ilie hens being shyer arc sometimes not noticed. A pair round our bungalow in Konat iu the cold weather also liad a liard time. Bird food seeni:; Bakloh Aviary Notes~igi6. 9 scarcer there, the Rulbuls beini< reduced to cabbage or '^hvys- antliemum, and not thriving on it, the White-eyes had Poinset- tia, but all were uncommon glad of cake crumbs. I've never ivnown White-eyes do this before. Yet these Talor Birds did well. I've written more than 1 meant to. but it is a charm- ing little bird. I wonder it is not taken home more often, but those from hot parts are not likely to be so hardy and the hot parts are the most get-at-able, so people may have tried and given up in disgust. Red-billed Babblers {Stachyrhidopsis riiflceps) are about as nice bird for the aviary as one could wish ; though not gaudy they are nicely marked and decidedlj not " sparrow birds," Aft a short distance they look rather like Bib-Finches of a larger size and richer colouring. Sexes are practically alike but when together in the aviary sexes arc easy to tell. 1 don't think I have ever met quite such inquisitive birds. An empty I'rap cage seems about the best trap, though if you have a bird to use as a decoy you will soon catch all the little flock, a pair at a time. They generally seem to go about in little flocks of three to five pairs with perhaps an odd bird. They have two call notes, both carrying a long way. One is a clear loud whistle of a few notes and the other a chirrupy sort of call 1 can't describe. 1 have heard more than I've seen, but they are 'decidedly uncommon uithius. They stem to be very resident, if one maj say so, as one flock has lived in my ..ompound for many years and they don't seem to spread out much to breed, as the pairs seem to collect toiielher even in the breeding season.^ which is curious, as my pairs used to fight fiercely through the wire, both a^ainsi each other and against wild pairs outside. At the end of the season the flocks increase very considerably and then dwindle down to four or live j.)airs again ; apparently the young go off to start flocks elsewhere. I've only tound one nest, and that I left till 1 saw the young fly out. It was about lo ieel uj) in, a scraggy thorny medlar bush (rather a tree> covered wiiii wild "roses and creeper, aiid looked more like a squirrel's nest (slightly gone wi'ong) than a bird'^, 1 climbed up nearly all the way to look at it, when 10 Balloh Aviary Notes—iC)i6. I found it was a bird's nest. It was a large ball of leaves, creeper stems and grass, with a fairly large opening (probably smaller) at the side, rather under tlie rough roof, which seemed to be almost a thatching, and was composed of largisli green leaves. This was early in August. In the aviary pairs are devoted to eai:h other and don't seem happy unless he (or she, but chielly he), sees his mate every minute or two. My old cock practically meated off the 'hen, shewing her what bits of Sthe insect'' food were the best ; for mealworms she wanted no teaching, and it was sometime before the cock would deny himself a )nea?- worm for her. He used to hold the tit -bit in his bill very near the gape, tips of mandibles wide apart, and she'd take it sideways. The [aviary is full of old boxes and cages, and be had a igreat time showing her round. I fancy she took to nesting too soon after troubles of meating oft", and perhaps meating off Unaided by the cock would have been a better one. The other pair seemed well enough and took to food soon, as did the only other one I've had (bar one hen that died with my bird orderly). This one I took home in 191 3, and it wer^i to Mr. Ezra. Nice as single birds., they are undoubtedly iseen at their best in pairs in a roomy aviary ; they should be able to stand winter out of doors at home easily. My Breeding Expenences-1916, By Mrs. C. A. Longdon. I have been asked by the Editor to send an account of my breeding experiences, and though I have told him they are too heartrending to'write h&istill wishes to. have the'm. so I I^Ti complying and hope they may interest some of our mjemberb . Pin-tailed PAKKor-FiNCHES {Erythrura p/asina): In June last, I think it was, I bought from Mr. Arnold two beautiful pairs of this exquisite species ;.a week or two after- wards I noticed one of the hens lying dead on the, aviary floor. I Isejil it to Mr. Arnold and he kindly wrote back that My Breeding Experiences — 191 6. 11 the bird had died of egg-binding and most kindly sent me another hen. In August a pair went to nest in a large fir branch. They built a rather untidy, deep cup-shaped nest and the hen deposited therein four clear white eggs ; she incubated steadily for about ten days and then 1 could not see her in the nest, she simply disappeared a::d I have never found her body — it was impossible for her to have got through the small mesh wire netting I GOULDIAN Finches {Poephila goiildiae) : Every a\i- culturist keeps these exquisite feathered gems of the far away antipodes; but they are the cause of much disappoint- ment, for many bird-keepers have found it difficult to establish and pair such uncertain breeders ; others again have done well with them, and been fortunate enough to secure breeding pairs. Unfortunately my experience with them has been none too happy, but one continues to keep them, in spite of every disappointment, for the sake of their lovely plumage ; they make such a grand show in the aviary. I have a lovely pair of Red-heads, and tbey duly nested, and a clutch of eggs was laid and steadily incubated, but the eggs were infertile. I attribute this to the interference of an unmated Red-headed Finch {Atnadina erythrocephcila), for v/hom I failed to lind a mate. The Gouldians made no further attempt. Cordon Bleus {Estrilda phoenicotls) : These, too, are lovely feathered mites, and the record of tlu-ir doings is a more encouraging one, the bright spot amid a record of failure and disaster, but I can give no details save the fact that five young ones "were fully reared, and a lovc.'y picture they and their parents made in the aviary. Cuban Finches {Pfionipara canota): My hopes were raised, but alas! the hen died egg-bound. AvAi)A\"AT {Sporaeginthus amanduva) : Sold to mc as a pair, but the supposed hen later can.*^' into colour, and I wa.; the p(jssessor of two, Avho could only be ornamental. Rose I. LA Parkakeets [P/a/ycercus exiinius): A very similar result to the preceding account. 1 possessc-d a fine hen and procured a '' warranted cock." Both went to ncst in a large barrel but no result, 1 fjcl sure both art* liens, as there were six eggs and three of tlicun wcix; much smaller 12 ^1y Breeding Experiences— i 9 i 6. than the other three ! My other successes were a brood of Bullfinches, and one hybrid Hawfinch X Bullfinch successfully reared. Mv Last and Worst Tragedy: My beautiful pair of Swainson's Lorikeets {Triclwglossus novae -hollandiae) had nested and fully reared a young one, just ready to leave the nest when one awful stormy night the wind blew the cover olT their aviary, the rain got into their barrel and when I went to feed them in the morning the cock had a fit and died, the young one in the barrel lived till the next day, the hen also died a few days later and I was left lamenting. 1 had got so fond of them, having procured them just before this terrible war broke out; they had become quite tame and never screamed at all. 1 feel heart-broken and ready to sell out and give up! I really love my birds and hope some time to be able to get another pair. Birds Feeding at Night. By M. R. Tomlinson. I am afraid this ( ommunication cannot be looked upon as an important contribution to the sum of knowledge regarding our hobby. However, as our esteemed editor is always asking for copy, I send these notes on the above subject, in the hope that they will be of interest to fellow- meimbers . Some years ago circumstances compelled me to find room in my bedroom for a week or two for a cage containing a paiv of black-headed Mannikins. These birds undoubtedly fed every night when it was quite dark. It was a usual experience for me to. be wakened by the sound of their movements. The cage was a home-made one,— a box with wire-netting front. A seed tin was hooked into the wire close to the end of the perch the birds slept on, in such position that they could feel for it and step on to it without difficulty. They did tins practically every night, the movement being followed by the sound of seeds being cracked, accompanied Dy a little subdued murmurmg as of conversation. Though the birdi were able to step from the perch on 10 the tin, they Birds Feeding at Night. 13 were apparently never able to get back in tlie same way. Probably the i)erch was at a Lower level, but memory is vague on the point. However, the same performance was gone through every night. W'herr the birds had finished their meal they flung themselves down to the floor ot 'ihe cage, and then, getting on to the wire netting side by side, made their way upwards by a series of jerks. There was always a long pause after each little jump, and it seetned a matter of minutes be- fore they got to the level of the perch. Here they apparently felt about till one or tb.e other found it, when they could be heard clambering into their old places and finally settling down with a little shake or two. The same little murmuring notes could occasionally be heard during the birds' upward progress, as though they were encouraging each other. I may say that when I first heard the fluttering and the seed cracking, my idea was that a marauding mouse had got into the cage. This was not the case, however. I got up repeatedly and struck a light, and surprised the birds at various stages in their progratnme— sometimes in the actual act of feeding while perched on the tin, and sometimes at a later stage clinging on to the wire side by side. It would appear from this that some birds will feed in the dark, if the circumstances are favourable to their doing so. The matter is not an unimportant one, from the point of view of those whio keep small foreign birds, which have to undergo an unnaturally long fast during the dark night;; of our winters.. It would be interesting to know whether any other members of the ("lub have any knowledge of similar happenings. Hybrid Breeding. r,V W. SlIORK-n.MIA . The crossing of various kinds of our British Finches will) I he Canary and other Serins, as w,-ll as witii each other, has always been a po])ular and one niiL^lu -^ay a scientific hobby in \\\\^ country. The cross-mating of the Foreign Birds, 14 Hybrid Breeding. usually found in our aviaries, has. on the other hand, gener- ally been arranged by the' birds themselves, and the resultant hybrids have becri *moro or less of a surprise to the owners of the aviaries in which they have occurred. Personally, T very much prefer to try and breed pure-bred birds (species), but, as every aviculturist knows where many birds are kept together fatalities are of fairly frequent occurrence, with the result that an unde-irable number of widows, and widowers, are to be found amongst most mixed collections at the beginning of the breeding season This year as I was unable to find them mates of their own kind, I put np for hybrid breeding Mealy X Red Rosellas, Red-faced X Madagascar Lovebirds, Necklace X Senegal Doves, and House x Cape Sparrows. Of these the Rosellas did not nest, possibly because the hen Rosella had lost the greater part of her beak, and consequently de- pended very largely for food upon what the cock gave her. The lovebirds had eggs which proved to be infertile. The doves were mor? succesjful, fuHy rearing four pairs of pretty young ones. The sparrows also succeeded in rearing a young one, after having failed two vear^ in succession. I cannot give details of tl:c time of incubation, etc., as they had nested so mari\ times without any result that I had given up examin- ing their nests. When I first noticed the young hybrid, it was strong on the wing, and able to fend for itself. In size it wa~> nearly oqual to the mother, which it very closely resembled, but the white patches on cheek and throat were absent. This bird lived some weeks, when it was killed by a cock Mealy Rosella. It proved on dissection to be a hen. The old hen again went to nest, and in August I found a, new-born young one on the floor of the aviary, but a care- ful search failed to find any more in the coco-nut husks used as nests, and a day or two afterwards the hen sparrow was also picked up dead; the victim of another avian Hun. The cock sparrow now turned his attention to a second hen, that was 'in the aviary, and duly persuaded her \o take on household (duties, with the result that, in the middle of October a second hybrid left the nest, This bird was quite Bird Notes. Phutn \V. Shore Hull/. Nest and Kggs of Sikhim Siakin. Hybrid Breeding. 15 different i"n colour to the first bird, br^ing much more ruddy on the back; but for the fact that it was nearly twice as big, it might easily have been mistaken for an adult common hen Sparrow. I am hoping that it may meet witli no acci- dents and turn out to< be a male,, as it might then be a rather pretty bird. Other curious matings here this season were a cock Tovi, with a hen Ring-neck Parrakeet, Three eggs were laid from this union, in one of my special nest- boxes (see figure) but all proved infertile. The cock Tovi, Spefinl H:tn)ii-l\ pe Ntst-lmx. although less than half tlu- size of the Ringneck and Mous- tache Parrakeets in the aviary with him, defended his mate most gallantly. He spent much of his time, whilst th:- hen was sitting, in the mouth of th<' nesting-box. from wh'ch coign of vantage he sallied forth against all and sundry that ventured near, screaming lustily the while. Me regularly fed the hen whilst she was on the nest and it is a great pity that their joint efforts were not better rewarded. 16 Hybrid Breeding. An equally curious marriafj^e was that between a cock Diuca Finch and a hen Bay-wing-ed Cow-bird. In this case I frequently saw the Diuca feeding the hen and mating takin^f place, but unfortumtely, they delayed nesting operations until well into October, and the eggs were consequently infertile. One wonders what the young on<"s would have been like from such a curious union. Their nest was built in a conifer, and dead stalks of wild convolvulus were the principal material used in its construction. The two eggs were of the same size and colour, as those of our skylark. The hen did not sit very steadily, in spite gf the fact that the cock was always in close attendance, so at the end of the month I removed the eggs for my collection. Several years ago another hen Bay-wing Cowbird built a nest here, so it is evident that these birds are not so parasitical* in their habits, as their glossy cousins. Other hybrids bred in these aviaries have iDeen : Greenfinch X SikVhim Siskin— the same hen Siskin reared two fine young ones this year with a male of her own species. Spice Finch x Bib Finch. Squamata X Californian Quail. Olivaceoiis X Golden Weaver. Necklace X Senegal Dove. Accounts of all these happenings have already ap- peared in previous numbers of " B.N." From All Sources. The following interesting cutting from the Sydney Mail, were sent by J Hume, sume time ago, and have been overlooked. — Ed. Wiiru-iRONjiD Chat and Family: E. CM .—Walking along our creek some weeks ago, I saw the hen bird of the White-fronted Chat fly out of a furze bush, and alighting on ihc ground at some distance, simulate a broken wing with much cleverness. Knowing by this worn-out ruse that a nest must be near, I looked, and found it a few feet from the ground i n the golden-flowering bu.h. I', w.i* a deep, cup-shaped struc- ture, neatly woven of dry grasses, and smo'italy lined with fibres and wool. The Bay-winged Cowbird is not a parasitical species. — Ed, w H O Q 5 From All Sources. 17 In it were three pointed eggs, white with reddish-brown spots round the top. Six days later, I found two tiny, naked birds, newly hatched in their cradle; the third egg had not come out. The parents hovered anxiously, above me, uttering their nasal " tomg " as I peeped into their nursery. Another week passed and the two nestlings had become a fluffy mass of grey down, and opened yellow-lined beaks at my approach, and two days later they had already brown wing feathers, white throats, and white-lined tails, and gazed at me with sharp, black eyes. On the following day, a warm, sunny one, the fledglings' had left their nest, and were fluttering gaily, among red-berried svvce -briars, in company with numerous other chats N,ATi\r Hfns. " Lancewood."— Periodically, and yet at no regular times, the HIack-taile i Native Hens {Microtnbonyx ventrulis) come sud- denly in swarms, appearing simultaneously in every creek and waterhole over hundreds of miles of country in the interior, and as suddenly dis- appearing after a sojourn of several weeks' duration, or even a couph; ol months. SomeimRs it ;happens in dry weather, and again in good seasons, so no reason can be found for their migrations. They come in thousands, and a e ve-y tarns, often never rising from the ground if disturbed, merely running across the intruder's path, then standing with their heavy tails bobbing up and down in a curious manner. All day they keep close about the water, camping in ths long cane gras., but in the evening and morning tjiey feed, out in flocks, parhaps a quarter of a mile away. They rarely rise high above the ground in their flight, but run and fly alternate'.y, and o.te wonders if they pursue this inodei of orogression when journeying from distant parts. When in such swarms they do much damage in gardens near the river banks, running over and trampling down all young plants, and in the sime way the vegetation near the wa.er is eaten and destroyed, while shallow watei;-holcs are spoiled and fouled, with their continual bathing and running about in them. Although they seem b; sy running about all day, it is a^^ pight that they are most active, and come farther away from the lajoons. One hear? their heavy flight, then a scurry as they alight in the gardens ; while they of.ei drop on i on-roofed houses, mistaking the whiteness for water in the night (as do also wild duck), and, attracted l>y the lights within, \\\.\ even fly through open windows. In the heat of the day it is amusi ig to watch them bathing. They congregate on a slimy mudbank, ju,t r si ig out of the water; and f.om it they run into shtillows, rolling splashing ana diving ur;tii thoroughly wei, whet» they return to preen and dry eaii feather, while some o:he s start splashing. Then, when thoroughly satisfied— but it may take several dips before this end is reached -the whole group will go to sleep on the little island, heads under their wings ; yei should any bird fly over them in an instant they are on the a lert, and flart for shelter to the reedy banks. .Al- though they arc so aitive on land, they arc strong swimmers, and move quickly througli the water, in spite of having unwebbed feet. Without any warning thcv d:s.ippcar as suddenly as they came, and years may pas- before even an i^o'a'cd flock of thrm be seen agiin. 18 Front All Sources. THE PIRATE OF THE LAGOON. In a valley of the Murrumbidgee there is a sheltered lag'oon, whirh seems to have been specially designed by Nature for a breeding-place for the wild. It is onlya short sheet of water, but it has two islands which ar's gravelly and almost entirely concealed by masses of flowing wattle foliage and other indigenous shrubs ; while all around and over- head spreading gums, which suggest that they have been brooding und whispering over the crystal waters here for countless centuries, ensure privacy, secrecy, and sanctuary for all the wild creatures who would take advantage of it ; and scores of them di:l. Many families of birds made this sweet retreat — still apparently undiscovered of predatory mankind - their permanent home ; others came and went after the manner of the human tourist. Among the former were a pair of exquisitely coloured kingfishers, whose brilliant, steely-blue plumage flashed in the sunshine like tongues of flame, as they darted from a dry branch to the glassy face of the waters, and then rose high into the air with the shrill plaintive note which with this bird may express either victory or de« feat ; a score or more of Wood and Black Duck and Mountain Teal ; a staid family of Magpie Larks, which built their cosy mud nests on limbs hanging over the pools a couple of Black and White Fantails ; and a few of the fantastic Coot-tribe. Many other birds passing high over the favoured spot were attracted to it. After a circle or two in the air, to make sure that this was not an artful decoy, and that no enemy lurked in the inviting cover which fringed the lagoon, they would alight and soon make themselves at home. At nightfall they would probably be there still, and acting as if they had no intention of leaving sui h a delectable home. During the night, as likely as not, the primitive silence which reigned would be pierced by shrill cries of terror— the cries which express the panic created by the attack of a mysterious and unidentifiable enemy — and in the morning the aew-corniMs would have have vanished beyond the ken of that sylvan community. Tha' there was some unknown terror associated with the water was indicated by th.; strange conduct of the permanent residents towards night. If on the water they would appear to be uneasy, alert, and apprehensive ol some threatened dang*;! noi flopped into the water with a swirl which sent the water flying in every di- rection. He was a huge gaunt bird, travel-worn, and obviously just from a long and weary journey across the hungry desert places where such large voraciouj birds are apt to be famished. His great bill was two ^eet long, the blades being hard and wicked looking, and when he opened his horrible red cavern of a mouth the other waterfowl fled, screaming in fear. As soon as he ha 1 bathed himself, and got the dust of travel out of his feathers, the hungry pelican started to skirmish around the lagoon in quest of food, sailing along majestically, for all the world like a v/hile-winged ship scudding gracefully before a half-gale, he would plunge his lop-he.ivy head into the water, s:oop up five or six pounds of mul at a time, and as quick as thought strain it off, retaining only the animal life it might contain. Round and round he sailed, devouring, whatever he brought up with the avidity of a creature that had been fasting for a long time. Presently he paused as if listening ; then his muscular frame stiffened, and, partly rising, he made a mighty rush, and dived into the corner of the lagoon. When he reappeared his great wings wert flfapj-.ing fuvicusl) and bca \\\g the waters into such a flurry of foain that nothing coald be distinctly made out for a time. In about five mm- ute.~ the struggle was over, the bird righted himself, and there was an unmistakable gint of triumph and satisfaction in his eye as he closed his powerful jaws over the m'dd.le of a ten-pound cod. At Inst th? pirate of the lagooi ha.l met his master and his fate. Early Experiences. By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., Etc. I have been strongly urged to write or supply a paper for young beginners, and also, that it may be adaptable to all beginners, especially for those whose space accommodation is only that of the ordinary semi-detached suburban villa. This would have come better from a beginner to a beginner, and several " first experiences " appeared in last volume of " Bird Notes." but, as something more than this is asked for. 20 Early Experiences. and a.5 memory is still green as regards those early days I shall try and recall some of them, and also include others so that my readers need not experience some of the failures which fell to my lot. Usually, when we have wise parents, one is not over- burdened wi'th that necessary adjunct, " coin of the realm,"' but again the wise parent will usually aid the youthful ex- chequer, to any reasonable extent, for what they think is not merely a passing whim; but (whatever the difficulties in this respect^ youthful zeal, energy, and industry usually does and can surmount them. My very early experiences were those gained from grocer's "empties" converted into cages by own handiwork — this takes me back for a longer period than I now care to unduly think about, and I shall not refer to them, save to remark that they were fruitful in experience as to how to trap and keep my captures, which were further aided, as my bent was observed,' by birthday and seasonable gifts of such books as then existed dealing with bird-keeping and money to h_'lp in my projects — with the writer his " fancy " has never wavered and his zeal is as keen, perhaps keener than it was over forty years ago — fhere now, I have " let the cat out oT the bag," well it does not matter, there's nothing to be ashamed about in that fact. Rightly or wrongly I do not propose to make an earlier beginning than for those who are well into their "teens," and who are fairly handy with saw, hammer cUid chisel, willing to do a little thinking for themselves, and avail themselves of any help that comes their way. To clear the way and save words I will here remark that all my earlier aviarie"^ were self erected, aided by the help of parents and other &i the family — for those very fortiinatelv placed a little of one'" oest behaviour and the denying one's-self of the pleasure of youthful pranks, will secure much valuable help from gardener, os .er, etc., enough! ( To be continued) . Bird Notes. Photo W. Shore Baihi. Nest and Eggs of Black-breasted Mexican Qu&il. All rig/iti reserved. February, 1917. BIRD NOTES: THE — JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. Nesting of the Blach-breasted Mexican Quail. By Wm. Shore Baily. In the Spring of 1913 I bought two pairs of this in- teresting species from Fockelmann, hoping to have success in breedii^g them in one !of my aviaries. Although, from time to time, they have built rather neat little nests in various parts of their enclosure, this (1916) is the first year that either pair has actually nested, and I regret very much to have to record a failure in this case also. CoLinus (Oriyx) pectoralis, the Black-breasted Mexican, Colin or Quail, very closely resembles its near relatives, the common "Bob-White" (C. virginianus), and the more fre- quently imported Cuban Quail (C. cubanensis). According to Ridgway there are no less than nine species of CoUnus found in N. America; in addition to these nine other kinds of Crested Quail are also found there, in which are included the Californian, Squamata and Montezuma, all species fairly well known to English aviculturists. The White-cheeked Crested Quail, bred by Mr. W. E. Teschemaker, in 1910*, is found further south, in somie of the Central American States. The hens of Coliiius are very much alike,, and I very much doubt if ths ordinary observer could tell the difference between them. The cock pectoralis differs from virginianus and cabanensis in having much more black upon the breast and low^r parts. The call note is very like the "Bob-White's" well known cry. Like tnese and their Californian cousins, they spend the greater portion of their time running about and perching on the branches of trees. My Blaick-breasts usually roost high up, but not invariably so. Vide •• B..\."' Vol. I , N.S , page 315. 22 Nesting of the Black-breasted Mexican Quail. In spring I. separated them, removing one pair to a large and grassy aviary. The pair left in the old aviary built a nest early in the year, and for some time I daily inspected it, hoping to find eggs, but was disappointed. Since then they have built other nests, but no eggs have been laid. These nests were quite M'ell constructed, being about the size of that of the blackbird. The other pair quickly settled down to their new quar- ters, and about the middle of July I concluded the hen was nesting as I Isiaw the cock bird alone so often. At the end of the month the hen disappeared entirely and I took it for granted that she was now incubating. All attempts at this time to find the nest failed, and on my return from my holiday a further search was equally 'unsuccessful, and I was reluctantly com- pelled to conclude that the hen had died, either egg-bound ior by some other misadventure. The first wefek in September the cock also disappeared. This would be about six weeks from the time the hen was last seen, and I naturally concluded that he had now shared her fate, but to my surprise one morning at the end of the month, after an absence of nearly three weeks, there was Mr. Quail enjoying a sunbath on the top of a pile of faggots. In the evening he was again missing, so that there was only one thing to conclude, and that was. that he was sitting somewhere uipon a clutch of eggs. The next inorning hay aviary-man and self had another good search for the nest, and, just as we were giving up in despair, the bird got up at our feet. The nest was a very pretty one, in 'a clump of grass at the foot of a willow-bush, and it contained eight eggs. The eggs were white, faintly blotched with grey and slightly smaller than those of the Calif omian Quail. They could not be described as fresh, as on my attempting to blow them for my collection they promptly exploded, and I 'Only succeeded in saving one. Of the wild life of this species but little has been published, but I imagine that it differs very little from that of its Arizona and Texan cousins. These are found on the arid prairies, where trees do not exist, and water is very scarce. They depend a great deal upon their legs to escape from their enemies and are difficult to make take wing; but once Hushed Bird Notes. Phntn W. Shore Baih/. Black-urcciBied Mexican Quail, 3 and ? . Nesting; of the Black-breasted 'Mexican Quail. 23 they tak*'. cover under the sage bush, or even squat upon the bare ground, and then give the sportsman some easy shots. I have no doubt that. e\en when found in canons where t'here is an)' timber, they would tree in the same way as thie other American Quail. I have only met with them myself upon the prairies. The Californian Quail I have shot in hundreds, and these when found on the prairies act in just the same way as Colinus. but when in timber always make For the shelter of the trees, selecting evergreen oak for preference, where it is most difhcult to spot them squatting upon the branches. When 1 have been hunting the large and handsome Mountain Quail (O. pictiis) in the Sierras, I invariably found them take cover in the dead branches of the redwoods and other conifers, where they were quite invisible. I believe that it was the b'.rd's habit to roost in the trees, but of this I cannot be certain . Early Experiences. By We-Slev T. Page, F.Z.S. {Continued from page 20). The Aviary : The site, of course, is the first important item, aftei one has considered a little over what one has got, or can get, to spend upon it — I will pause to say, go slow, even if one spends a year upon the construction of the aviary and its fittings, unlimited healthy pleasure is gained in the task and the pleasurable anticipation of the time when it should be filled with occupants, and also the finding out of their re- quirements ; if you, my reader, are prepared to pass through such an experience, you have passed through the first stage essential to make the completed aviary a successful one. Now a word of warning, do not let your own zeal cause you to unduly bore those around you, for there is a point beyond which their interest in you may not carry them. 24 Early Experiences. MATERIALS. Wire Netting: Fr)r I'^jiichcs, Waxbills, etc., tliis must be ot lialf-inrl) mrsh, this i \ ustially sto-^ked in widths of one, one and :< hall, two, three and four feet. S e that you get half-inch nicsh as homc makers' half-inch is fully fis'e eighths of an inch in the mesh. If a quantity is required it is best to order it direc't from tlie maker, and six fe"t wide. Vou can so obtain it in 23 or 50 yard rolls. Framing: For this the required quani'y o'' 2in. x 2in. and 2in. x lin. spruce must be obtni'ied. Shed-walls: Doubh.^ boards w'th felt between of ei'^ber half-inch matchboarding or unpliir.ei spruce boards of same thickness. ' ' Stakes foi- frame uprights and in ernal standards (roof supports) ; chestnut is the be st wood for these as it lasts well, when in the ground. The^e can be cheaply procured froin any inaker of garden rustic-work, pergolas, etc., and shoidd be about four inches in diameter. Corrugated iron sheets: If these are u-e:! !'or founda- tions, such can often be purchased from the lo al builder, second-hand, very cheaply. All wood to go into the gron id must first receive three coats of creoso e or the port'oi o stakes, etc, b?'ow ground level be soaked in it for not less than twenty-four hours. Well, having constilted the " powers that be " and chosen the site, which should have a S. or S.^^^ aspect, the next step is its preparation. First comes the foundation — vermin must be considered, if rats have ever been seen or heard of in your vicinity provision must be made to keep them out. This is not a difficult task ; first dig a trench two feet deep all round the site, and put in wire netting, or better still cor- rugated iron sheets, fi'.l in the trench, not forgetting to rani the soil down firmly ; the netting or corrugated iron sheets must stand at least 3in. or 4in. above the ground level. The next step is to obtain some stakes, chestnut arc best; these should be not less than four inches in diameter, and of a height sufhcient to allow at least a foot above the head of an Early Experiences. 25 adult when in the aviary, say 7ft. above the ground, which would mean that stakes 8Ht. long would be required. If not alread\ stripped of the bark, this must be the first step, the next is to obtain a pail of creosote and place the ends of the stakes that are "to go into the ground therein to soak for about twenty-four hours or more, the pail will not be 2ft. deep, so with a brush you must rub in the creosote, at least three times, to that height ; when dry, the stakes will be ready for use. Dig holes on the inside of your foundation six feet apart, place in the stakes and ram them lirmly into position close against the foundation, netting or corrugated iron as the case may be, and then give them at least two coats of creo- sote. The next step will be to put a skirting board 9in. x I in. all round, the boards hrst having received two coats of creosote, nailing this skirting on thi' outside of the s'takes and covering Xip the portion of the netting or corrugated iron foun- dation above ground with it, next securely nail the netting or corrugated iron, to the skirting board. The next step will be to connect the tops of the upright chestnut stakes together by naiIin,L; lengths of 2in. x 2in. spruce on top of them. Having reached this stage we shall have to consider shelter accommodation, and before proceeding further we had better have one or two plans before us, or the written directions, however simply jiut, may appear complex without some such guidance; and the plans accompanying this instalment will, it is hoped achieve their purpose. It 'will materially lessen cost of the construction if a suitable site can be found against some boundary wall or shed. I 1 The foregoing must be taken as general or rather in- troductory, yet at the same time as necessary and essential for any aviary not erected against boundary walls, and all such aviaries should have the north and east sides solid, that is either of wood, or wood and glass — in all open country rats and similar pests are a possibility, and niust be guarded against as indicated; bther than brick or concrete, corrugated iron sheet? are the most lasting for below ground protection, and even at presen'^ prices are fully as cheap, if not cheaper than thick gauge wire netting. As apology for minute, simple 2e Early Experiences. X c--;?2r---J m O K- -.^ --> "ml ^-^iM <. 5/ ^ < > CO ft:; I— I Early Exiperlences. ^7 Zi Early Experiences. detail, I must stati-e Ltia* J am asked to write so that this series »iiay be useful for youths. I will only add that how- ever simj)le directiojis are, the users must do some tliiiiking for themselvci, or the result is certain to be unsatisfactory. One more word of warning: We have no right to inflict upon other members of the household an ugly structure and if second- hand (old but sound), building material is used, then extra labour should be expended in sorting out and arranging the material used, so that the result shall be NEAT — mere orna- mentation and prettiness too, often spoils an otherwise neat erection. Neatness and harmonising with its environment must be the points to be considered and arranged for, before a start is made or materials procured. KEY TO GROUND PLAN. 0=Privel (evergreen variety) or similar bushes. X=Evergreens (conifers, and aucubas for preference). ■=Framing standards. A BEGINNER'S AVIARY. MATERIALS. 2in. X 2in. spruce quartering for framing. 6in. X I in. matchboarding for shelter shed. Weatlier-boards for roofs. 9in. X lin. for skirting board. Wire-netting of half-inch mesh and of thick wire gauge. All wood should receive two coats of creosote, " Solig- tium " or some similar preservative before use, and a final coat should be given when the structure is complete. A preliminary study uf the plans, shou/d make all clear as to what has to be done. Plans and diagrams have been drawiv to scale, but reduced in reproduction. The lirst step is to cut four lengths of 2in. x 2in., 9ft. long, and then another four, ylh. long. The former are for the back uprights (" iraming standards ') marked A.B.C.D., the latter for the front uprights, similarly marked, and the lengths should be put aside in pairs of a long and Early Experiences. 29 short length, marking up the four pairs A. A.. B.B., C.C., and D.D. Next, you will require another hve pieces of cin. x 2in. each 7ft. loin. long. Put these aside; but note, when marking out for cutting up, a square should be used, so as to insure the cut being perfectly straight and true, thus enabling good joints to be made when fitting together. iVow take tiie pair of lengths A. A., place them side by side, fasten them together temporarily, either by clamps or by nailing two short strips across them; mark oft" and cut out the recesses, 2in. by lin. deep to receive three of the 7ft. I oin lengths, fit and nail together as shown in diagram No. i, then fit on the top sloping piece. A tin of the wood preserva- tive used should be kept to hand, and the newly cut joints brushed over with it, before being nailed together. The leng'ths B.B. must be similarly dealt with, and with two of the 7ft. lOin. lengths, and other lengths cut to com- plete the section as shown in diagram Nu. 2. The lengths C.C. are to be treated as A. A. and B.B., using an 8ft. length of 6in. by lin. board, cutting this into the uprights its full depth, which means cutting a recess 6in. long by lin. deep m the two; uprights C.C, finally add the sloping top-piece (2in. square quarteringj, as shown in dia- gram No. 3. The lengths D.D. are to be similarly fitted, and as this section is a replica of No. 3, with two exceptions, a diagram is not given, the exceptions being that 2in. sc^uare quar- tering is used in lieu of the 6in. by lin. board, and the sloping top-piece does not extend beyond the' front ui)right as in the other sections. In fitting all these skeleton sections together, it will be best to work from the bottom, as the i8in. below bottom rail has, in each instance, to go into the ground. Take the skeleton section A. A., and stretch wire netting (|in. mesh), over the boi.om. i8in., securing same with staples, firmly to the uprights and cross-bar. Now take section D.D. and stretch wire netting over the whole of it. The wire netting is to be on the outside of the sections. 30 Early Experiences. All these sections arc now ready for fixing in position. To do this first dig out a narrow trench to correspond with A. A., and D.D. on ground plan; then dig out a similar trench right along the front, extending from A. to D. on plan; next dig out at the back, against llie wall or building the aviary is benig erected against, three holes i8in. deep in positions to correspond with B. and C. on plan. Next, get a piece of chalk and mark out the positions on the wall for the sections, commencing at the left with A., B. will be 8ft. dis- tant, C another 3ft. farther on, and P. will be loft. distant from C Place the sections in position and tread down a little soil around them to keep them steady; now about twelve inches from the top drive home a six inch cut nail, through the wood into the wall, first boring; a |in. hole through the wood, — at present only put one nail into each section to keep them in place, as the completion of the aviary would shake the nails loose again. Now cut a I oft. length of 2in. square quartering and nail it into position to connect the top of C. and D. to- gether, and then nail a similar length, between the uprights in line with the bottom rail of the sections C. and D.; follow this b> similarly connecting up each of the other sections, And then nail similar lengths to similarly connect up all the sections at the top against the wall. A piece of 2in. square quarter- ing must be fitted as at E. on "Front elevation" sketch; this need not go into the ground, but can be made to fit be- tween the top and bottom rails, and nailed through from the top and below, or can be jointed in as the skeleton, section.^ were. It will 'be best now to stretch the wire net- ting over the roof from C to D, and similarly over the front, carrying the front netting to the bottom of the trench. The netting must be securely fastened down with wire staples; three inches apart will suffice. .. {To be continued). Private Importation of Indian Birds, 191 6. 31 Private Importation of Indian Birds in 1916. Bv Wesley T. Page. F.Z.S., Etc. In the late summer of 191 5. prior to sailing for India, my friend and fellow member, Mr. E. W. Harper, asked mc if I would care to receiv^e and distribute consignments of su :h Indian birds as he was able to secure — the main object of our mutual endeavour being to secure, in pairs, such species as were only to be very seldom obtained on the English market, and to offer them in first instances to the members of the Foreign Bird Club and Avicultural Society. While we were successful in landing many interesting species, most of which found homes in the aviaries of aviculturists belonging to the Societies named above — many specially wanted we were quite unable to obtain — the unsettled times being mainly responsible for this, nevertheless we were able to import the following species : Avadavats. Babblers, Jungle Barbels, Blue-cheeked Barbels, Coppersmiih * Barbels, Green Bulbuls, Black Crested Yellow Bulbuls, While-cheeked Bulbuls. White-eared Burnings, Red-headed Calornis, Glossy Chats. Pied Bush * Choughs, Himalayan * Coucal, Crow Pheasant or Doves , Indian Bronze-winged Drongo, Greater Racquel-lailed * Finch, Afghan Rosy-winged Finch, Nutmeg Fruilsucker. Gold-fronted Fruitsucker, Hardwick's Goldfinches, Himalayan Hornbills, Pied ' Laughing Thrushes, Rufous-chinned Laughing Thrushes, Streaked * Lorikeets, Scaly-breasted. Lorikeets, Swainson's Lory, Yellow-backed Mynahs, Bank Mynahs, Larger Hill Nonpareils. Pintail Nuns, Black-headed Orioles. Golden Orioles, Muroon Parrakeets, Blossom-headed Parrakeets. Javan iMoustache Parrakeets, Slaty-headed Pigeons. Kokla Green Fruit - Pittas, Bengal Quail, Button Quail Button, (Lesser). Quail Jungle Bush. Quail, Rain. Robin, Japanese. Roller, Indian. Shamas. Silverbills, Indian. Siskins, Himalayan. Water-Hens, White-breasted. White-eyes, Indian. Whistling-Thrush, Him. Blue. ♦iJidicates no live arrivals. Only in part was our ideal fulfilled in the above arrivals, nevertheless, some interesting birds have been dis- tributed among our members, and the writeT hopes that some interesting articles conoerning them will appear later in the ^2 Private fmportation of Indian Birds, 191 6. present volume. Some spcrics were not obtiiinablc in pairs, and, as already indicated, many, much wanted, species were unobtainable, but considering^ the unsettled times the result has been fairly satisfactory, and we shall ho]3c t o realise our ideal more fully at the close of this terrible war. I may perhaps add, that all were disposed of privately, excepting a crowd of 500 Avadavats and some Black-headed 'Nuns, Silver- bills and Nutmeg Finches, nearly all of which were disposed of to Messrs. De Von and Co.; the balance going to Messrs. Derry and Toms. I purpose making a few remarks concerning each species and including therewith a brief description and short notes of their wild habits, etc. With the small finches I need not occupy space, as all these are so well known and I shall not include avada- vats, nuns, silverbills, or nutmeg finches in the following notes : Indian White-eyes {Zoster ops palpebrosa) : Of these there were three live arrivals, all in good trim and very fit; they were at once claimed by one of our members,; and are, I believe, still thriving. Several accounts of this species have appeared in back vols, of "B.N.", the writer was suc- cessful in breeding this species in 191 3 and also the follow- nig year, and one (or more) young one was successfully reared in Lieut. Bainbridge's aviary last year. For the bene- fit of nev/ readers I may state that this exquisite species has a wide range in India, but it has been found that those captured among the hills (Himalayas) are the hardier — a pair sent me by Major Perreau in i 913, which were captured near BakLoh, Punjab, passed the following winter successfully out of doors in my aviary at Mitcham. More than once Major Perreau has supplied notes of the wild life and also of them as occupants of his Bakloh aviaries, so I need only add that their wee, slender bodies are clothed with' a garment of pale olive-green and bright yellow and soft grey, and a pure white ring round each eye. Jerdon calls this wee exquisite the White-e)ed Tit. Its beaut}- and interest as an ui.cupant of the aviary cannot be exaggerated. Private Importation of Itidian Birds, 191 6. 33 Himalayan or Red-billed Choughs {Graculiis ere- tnita, Linn.). Six of these were shipped, but "unfortunately not one arrived alive. I was informed by the ship's steward that the extreme heat prevailing at the time was the cause of death. Both the European and Indian birds are considered to be identical though differing materially in size — therefore descriptive notes are uncalled for. Maroon Orioles {OrioLus tralllii). Four of this species were shipped, all in the young plumage, so that it was impossible to be absolutely certain of their sex. There were three survivors of these, and two, believed to be a pair, are now in the possession of one of our members, and will I trust do well with him. The adult male has the plumage mostly glistening maroon-red ; the head, neck, and wings are glossy black. It ranges the Himalayas up to 7,000 or 8,000 feet, but is a rare species and very locally distributed. The nest of this Oriole is of the usual Oriole-type, and the eggs resemble those of O. kundoo. In captivity, I found it to do well on insectile mix- ture, milk sop and fruit, and will take as many insects as one is disposed to supply. I have kept it in a smallish aviary (13 ft. X 10 ft. with a shelter 8 ft. X8ft.) together with Bank Mynahs. Babblers, and Hill Mynahs, and all lived har- moniously together. Indian Oriole {Oriolus kundoo, Sykes). Only one young bird was sent, and this had evidently had its wing broken when captured; it was very tame but unable to fly, and, though living for several months, practically no develop- ment took place and it ultimately succumbed — it was out of doors (August) when death took place. They are most at- tractive and beautiful birds, but must be associated only with birds as strong and agressive as themselves, and the amiable demeanour of Ian isolated, odd bird cannot qualify the above, as in the breeding .season I should consider them as possibly dangerous to birds even larger than themselves, 34 Private importaUon of Indian Birds, 191 6. 8- jiiliiii&fi^feiiiiai'liifm-'irMi;^ Private Importation of Indian Birds, 1 9 1 6. 35 Adnlf (f : Rich yellow, with the lores and eye region black, tail and wings black, with most of the larger feathers tipped or niargined with yellow. Lengith 9.} inches, of which the tail measures 3^ inches. The adult 9 differs from her mate in having the upper parts slightly suffused with green. It ranges over the whole peninsula of India, frequent- ing well wooded districts, gardens, groves of trees and avenues, feeding on fruit (figs and mulberries), caterpillars and all soft- bodied insects. The breeding season is from May to August; the nest is constructed of grass and strips of bark, and sus- pended like a cradle by the sides from the fork of a leafy branch of a large tree. The eggs, three or four, are white, spotted with black or reddish brown. Himalayan Blue Whistling-Thrush {Myiophoneus From life by H . Gaodchild . temminclii, Vigors) : Two young birds of this species were shipped, one of which arrived alive, and in due course passed into the possession of one of our members, with whom it is 36 Private Importation of Indian Birds, 1916. doing well. During the few weekfe it remained with me, it agreed well with Mynahs. Orioles, etc., in the smallish out-door aviary already referred to. The above popular name is not the ^nost appropriate, that used by Jerdon is better, viz.: Yellow-billed Whistling Thrush, which is certainly distinctive. The species has been known to the London Zoo for man)- years and to aviculturists generally, though but few have been imported, and often these have gone begging ! It is not all that have Ithe Accommodation for so large or vigorous a bird. An adult in fine plumage is a sight to be long re- membered especially if seen in an out-door aviary under the play of light — the colour of the whole plumage is rich, very dark blue, except the lores, and forehead, which are black; the fore-crown is cobalt-blue, and the wings and tail arc over- laid with the same hue; each feather of the body plumage is tipped with white; bill yellow, with the base and culmen of upper mandible blackish. Total length 1 3J inches of which the tail measures 5|. Its home is the majestic Himalayas, up to 11,000 feet. It frequents hill-streams and torrents, perching on rocks and crags and feeding largely on snails. It breeds from April to June, constructing a massive cup-shaped nest of roots and moss in a crevice of a rock, or in the rooit df sotnie tree in the river-bed, near or under a waterfall, 'and laying from three to five eggs, which are pale grey or green, speckled with pink and brown, and measure 1.42 by i inch. {To be "continued). ♦ From Far and Near The following cuttings, sent by Rev. G. H. Raynor, are reprinted from The Times tof January loth and 13th respectively, with our compli- ments and thanks to the Editor.— Ed. I A SECOND Yi:.\RS OBSERVATIONS. Letters from men I know, and from ot;hers I do not, have induced mo to write a second article on "Birds at the Front," after another spring- and summer of the war in tin- North of France, where I have met al! my old bird friends of 19 15. a.il two or three fresh ones. I had hoped that liic hazards and hen harriers which wintered in the Pas-de-Calais would stay to nest, but, though I saw some as latq From Far and Near. 37 as May. I never found a nest of either, and am not sure if they bred there. About the middle of March a large migration of waders occurred, all going, of course, north over the Pas-de-Calais uplands. Peewits : golderi plover, curlew, and dunlin could be seen passing, and occasionally rest- ing every day for a fortnight, and also two or three fl above us. I say gamboled, for " that is what they were doing, chasing each other from branch " to branch, and snapping their beaks and making a peculiar rattling " nois'.; in their throats. One would throw a fruit into the air, and "'before it could catch it again,' another would seize it with- "'Dul any intention of swallowing it, but pass it on like boy^ "'would a ball. I have never seen any other birds play together likq "a number of Toucans will, and on many occasions since, I have " watched them doing the same thing. " These birds are also high fliers, and, although they never take ■"a long flight at one time, they generally pass along well above the " tops of the forest trees. They rise in the air, and come down "where they intend settling with a long swoop. The wings look par- "(ticularly short when flying, and bills conspicuous. They go in small ■" flocks straggling one behind the other, the older birds (judging ')y the " Jength of bill), taking the lead. A,s a rule, they are not early bird;^" "at getting up m the mornings, and are late to retire of an evening. " J have often seen them a!)i)ut when it was nearly dark. During th» "hot hours of the day they retire to the shady depths of the forest, ""and are never seen. Those of the genus Rha/ii/ii/ui.^tus are dwellers "" in the highest trees ; while Plcrorr/pssiis may be found in more open " spaces, and often in banana plantations round human habitations. On "lone occasion I saw ,v Ptcioglossiis on the ground eating a fallen 'banana, but a Hharnphasius never. Then there are the little t.reen " Toucans,* Autacorhumpiis. which may be said to live among the under- " (growth of the forests, and are never seen in trees. Tht^se birds seem " to b.; solitary, for 1 ne\'er saw even a pair together. Unless you "Jiappen to see them settle, it is most difficult to detect them in the ^'iforests, for, unlike other Toucans they will sit motionless for 'a long ■" lime. Often 1 have had them pointed out within seven fir eight "'yards of me, and could not detect them sometimes before my gu;de ""'lost all patience. *Most charming aviary birds. — Ed. liiRD Notes. Cuvier's Toucan fB/inir/pJiafitos cuvieri.) Some Tonrans. 4.3 " One lias always read in books that Toucans cat the eggs and " young of other birds. Although it may be true, I never personally ■ saw anything to confirm this. On the coirrary there was a tree just " b.' our hut. at Xanegal. to which the ToU' ans constantly resorted, and "the small birds ne\-cr seemc 1 in the least alarmed at their presence "among them. On the Xaoo I once saw, a flock of Toucans in a. tree, " from every branch of which were hanging the nests of the Cassiciis " pt-rxinis , the latter birds passed to an;l from their nests without " taking any apjiarent notice of the Toucans ; and I never saw a nest " of any of the Ictciidac but which was tar too long for a Toucan's "bill to reach the eggs. I am aware in captivity these birds, as a rule " evince a decided preference for mea% and I have knowit them to kill " and eac a small bird, but it might be an unnatural taste caused by " ixrfinement. My old .Sulphur-breasted Toucan was never a sinner m " this way. His aviary was divided oft from the aviary of the smaller ' fruit-eating birds b\ wire netting; they were constantly clinging to the " wire and, had he been so minded, nothing could have been easier than " for him to have pulled tliem through, but far from doing that, he " used to pick out all the choicest morsels from his food pan, and '' feed them thrcmgh the meshes. I am certain that one Bulbul relied " solely on him for all it ate, and I never saw it feed fromi the pan " itself. Often still smaller birds got into the aviary with the Toucan, "ami whenever they did so he would offer them food." The above fascinating account forms a -fitting tintroduc- tion to our notes of these interesting birds. My latest Toucan was a Lesser Sulphur-breasted (a pair of this species nested in their flight, in the Small Birds' House at the London Zoo and fed a squab for a fortnight or longer, but did not fully rear it), it lived with me for several years at Mitcham, and at the present time is on deposit at the Zoo, pending the completion of my aviary accommodation. I found it a most amusing and interesting bird, it was nicknamed the Parson, from its food table resembling a reading desk, and its habit of perching thereupon and sending forth its harsh braying, trumpeting sort of call. 1 cannot give it so good a character as Mr. Good- fellow does his bird, for in the next flight separated from the Toucan by half-inch mesh netting, were a flock of Redpolls; my Toucan damaged their toes considerably, and one or two which found their way, "W/7 mice burrows, into the Toucan's flight paid for their temerity with their lives, as also did many 44 Some Toucans. mice. I rcmoNccl llu' RotlpoMs .ind put a pair of GoM-frontrd l'"ruilsuckers in the flight, and while the Toucan never molested them, neither did he fraternise with thenii m any way. I'hough tlu'ir call note (song ! ) is not exactly a musical one, more resembling a bray than a song, I did not find it objectionable or very freely indulged in. it was mostly in the evening that he was musically inclined. As regards food; in a state of nature they feed on fruits and berries, but from the fondness of my bird for animal food (mealworms, beetles, etc.) I deduce that they also take any small reptiles and insects available. In captivity ind;\idual birds have very varied tastes, some are omnivorous and lake freely of such provender as boiled rice, minced meat (I do not favour this, except very occasionally ), milk sop, ripe truit of all kinds, especially cherries in the season^ minced plums, bananas, sweet apples, etc. The Sulpfiur-breasted referred to above Was most fas.idious in its tastes, and almost entirely lived upon milk-sop and various fruits as in season, supplemented with currants and sultana rasins — cher- ries were swallowed whole and the stones ejocted afterwards. It did not favour the ground, though it ide:end?d the:e:o when it dropped any of its food to . recover saiij, and spem the bulk of its restful periods perched a: tae top o. i.s fl'ght. It would take as many mealwoimi as J jared to supply; 1 ncv'.r supplied raw meat as its captures of mice kept it going for this commodity. I certainly am locking forward to the lime when it will again be housed in my aviary. iViy bird was kept in a well lighted flight loft. x 4ft., with a height rising from ^hh. to 9T. Here I'h? bird lived all the year round. From November to March inclusive a small " Beatrice " oil-stove burnt in the passage between the flights, but this little heat only just took the sting ofi" the cold and the thermometer was often as low as 2S d-g- 1' • in the early morning, much lower during sharp spells, but my Sulphur- breast had often broken the ice on the water and bad h*is baih befone I -went to feed it. He remained very fit during the years I kept him land was never ailing the w^hole period. His only blemish being two feathers, which would insist on curling' Bird Notes. At Rest. \ Some Toucans. 45 outwards, on one of his winj^s — 'each moult they were so renewed, and if pulled were reproduced in the same abnormal manner. We are again indebted to .Mrs. A. M. Cook for the loan oi the drawings illustrating this article of Rhamphastus cuvicri). In response to my request .Mr. C. F. Leach, who possess a fine specimen of R. ciilminatus a very similar species to cuvicri, has very kindly sent some notes of his bird. By C. F. Le.-^ch. F.Z.S. Rhamphastus cuvieri and R. culminatus . These two species — there are about si.xty species — are almost identical in marking and colouration. The former is much larger :ind has a much longer beak in proportion to its size. Both species have the crown of the head, back, wings, abdomen, and tail black; upper tail-coverts lemon-yellowl; under tail-coverts deep orange-scarlet; feet blue-grey. The beak of R. cuvieri is almost eight inches long and is a brownish colour, with a pale yellowish line along /the top. The beak of R. culmiinatus is only about four inches long and black with rich mahogany-coloured markings, and a greenish-yellow line along the top. The eye is large and blark, and is surrounded by a naked space of highly coloured bluish-lilac. These species are not so noisy as some, particularly R. dicolorus which is one of the commonest and more attract- ive in colour. When alarmed by the presence of strangers they utter sharp, yelping noises which are distracting ; they show no fear of their attendant. When they go toi roost they elevate their tails over their backs. These birds are expensive to house and feed ; they usually have good appetites. •^•*' Some Toucans. Coming principally from the equator, they recjuire an a\!ar> witli a tciiipcra'urc of j-.o! less than 60 ¥ ., and froe from draughts I keep my birds in an aviary heated with hot water pipes, divided off into compartments 8ft. by 8ft.. or 8ft. by 6ft.. with a heig-ht of 7ft, in front, and i ift. at the back, with a corridor in front of the compartments. Each compartment is suitable for one or more of the larger species. It is not advisable to mi.x the species. If kept in la-g^er aviaries, the birds are liable to become very wild and are then likely to injure themselves — I have lost some in this way. In smaller places they lack the opportunity of bathing to which they are very partial. In winter they should not be allowed to have very cold water, as they easily contract a chill, and their recovery is hopeless. In the type of aviary described above the birds be- come exceedingly tame, and allow themselves to be handled, in fact some of them appreciate the attention of their atend- ant. In a natural state no doubt. Toucans feed almost entirely on fruit and berries, but ia captivity this is not practicable especially at the present time in this country — fortunately they take kindly to most kinds of food, they are practically omnivorous. I put aside all faulty and simall potatoes, carrots, and fruit from the garden, not useable for human consuption, which when boiled in their skins and pounded up with a little, soft-bills' mixture is readily eaten ; this, with "house scraps, young mice and sparrows in season, appears to keep the birds in perfect condition. They are ravenous for some kinds of fruit, particularly bananas, grapes and cherries. Bird Notes. Cuvier's Toucan {RdinphastoH CKV/eri. W Eh o Q I— I o A^ Some Doves I Have Kept. 4.7 Some Doves I Have Kept. By Wm. Shore Baily. Many of our members have no doubt had in their aviaries from time to time a larger and more varied selection of the CoUimbi.da.e than the writer has kept and. it is with some hesitation that I venture to send in these few notes on the different species kept here during the last ten years. The first species I obtained were pairs of Brush Bronze- wingf and Auritas. These came from our member Miss R. Alders on The Brush Bronze-wings turned out to be two hens, and both of them laid their rirsl season. Miss Alderson sent m ■ a ( ock in the place of one of the hens, and the other I still have. Soon after Uiis I purchased from Messrs. Payne and Wallace pairs of Bronze-neck and Peace- ful Doves, thus commencing my first year of bird keeping with four pairs of these pretty creatures. Other Doves I have kept are Zebra. Diamond. Cape Masked, Zenaida, White.- vv'inged. Senegal. Necklace. Half-collared, Crested. Bronze- wing. Violet. White-crowned. Bleeding Heart, and lately, through the kindness of our Editor. Indian Green Fruit- Pigeons, and Green-winged Doves. Peaceful Dove {Geopelia tranqiiiUa). These were the first to fully rear young with me. They built their nest fifteen feet from the ground, so I saw very little of the rearing operations. How these birds got their name I am at a loss to understand, as there is nothing peaceful about my birds. My little cock in the breeding season will tackle birds much larger than himself. He has now been with me nine year's. At one time very common and cheap, they are now seldom imported, and I have been unable to secure a hen for several years. Zebra Dove {Geopelia striata). These are very like their peaceful cousins, but are a trifle larger. They can be easily distinguished by the absence of the chestnut-coloured 48 Some Doves I Have Kept. underwin? roverts. These little birds have bred with me, and also nested high up. On one occasion they used the mouth of one of my Parrot nesting-boxes as a site for their flimsy nest. The young ones reared did not live long with me. I fancy that they must have been injured in leaving the nest. A drop of fifteen feet is rather serious for such tender little creatures. Zebra Doves are usually easily procurable at a low price, and are quite worth keeping as they are very pretty. Two years ago I mated a hen Zebra to my rock Peaceful thinking that such closely related birds would, be likely to pro- duce fertile hybrids, but unfortunately the hen did not lay. Bronze-neck Dove. Another pretty Eastern bird, whose scientific name I do not know. They are about half as big again as the Zebra and Peaceful, which they very closely resemble *'in general colour. Both male and female have a band of iridescent feathers around the neck of the same copper shade as the wing feathers of the Australian Bronze- wings. These birds nested with me and two or three pairs of young ones were fully reared. They resembled their parents in all respects except their neck feathers, "which lacked the brilliant copper colour. Dr. Butler inentions a Bronze- neck Dove {Zenaida aiiriculata) in his book, which comes from South America, but this is a 'totally different species. I can find no mention of my birds in his book, or in that of Miss Alderson, so I take it that they must be very rarely imported. ;'.'.* y ' Diamond Dove {Geopelia cuneata). This delight- ful little Australian is my favourite amongst all the Doves, Their attractive colouring and pretty ways always attract the notice of visitors, few of whom can believe that such tiny birds can be Doves at all. With me. they always nest very freely, but isome years with better results than in others. I think that care should be taken that an occasional change of blood is introduced. It is also very important to see that they have no nesting material in the winter and early spring, or losses of hens from egg-binding will result. It may even be better to separate the sexes. These birds may be allowed to winter out, if the aviary has a good slicher, but personally I prefer Bird Notes. Pl,nh> ]V Sinur Ilnilll. Cock ]\r;iskeil Dove lucubatiiii;. Phuto \V. Shore Baihj. Youna Diaaioiul Doves, Some Doves I Have Kept. 49 to bring them indoors as they seem happ'er than they are in an out-door aviarv \\lien the weather is \ erv cold and we't. /•//-,/ds. While at tiTnes it sounds rather melancholy, still it is a more perfect song from a musician's view than that of any other bird. No artist on his flute can produce a clearer, sweeter note than can this gifted songster. Tlu song consists mainly of six notes, the lirsi generally low and the remaining ones of higher pitch. He seems to delight in seeing how many variations he can get on these notes by changing the length and key. During a warm shower in spring, when the other birds are silent, you will see him perched on one foot in a Low bush, with tail drooping, and head up. merrily giving voice to his welcome carol. But they cannot tarry long as they must hurry to their nesting places, so that they may be ready to i^eturn again in. the fall, before the weather is too, severe. [The above species is the least known of the Song Sparrows to private aviculturists, but a pair has recently; h}^ Private IniporiaUou of Indian Birds in 1916. come iiitm'b(^r .Mr. Bri^'ht, with, which wc hope he may have breeding- luck in the coining, sciiHon, and an inieresting article about his success tor our Journal, -Ed., "B.N."]. Private Importation of Indian Birds in 1916. Bv.Ueslkv 'J'. Page. F.Z.S.. .Etc. {Continued from page 36). Blue-cheeked Barbet {Cyanops asiatica. Lath.). Jerdon calls this sfJe.cies the Blue-throated Barbet, but it is generally known in this country as above. Of some live specimens received, I only succeeded in establishing two, both of which are, I think, doing well in two of our members' aviaries. They are beautiful and mteresting birds, but when caged, their cage needs frequent attention \o keep it clean and sweet. Descript'on. — Mainly green, but above the green is overlaid with a ruddy-coppery sheen, paler below, frontal occiput, and a patch at each side of base of foreneck bright c.i'imson ; bands across the crown and above each eye .black ; cheeks, ear-coverts, moustachial streaks, throat and fore neck bright bluie. Bill greenish yellow, tipped with black ; iris ruddy-hazel ; bare skin round eyes orange ; legs and feet — a shy-green. Total length 93in., tail 3in. This species is found throughout Lower Bengal, ex- tending through \h^ sub-Himalayan region as far as theDehra Dhoon, also Assam and Sylhet it is rare in Arakan. It, is common above Calcutta to Barrackpore. It is also found in some of the warmer valleys in the Sikhim Himalayas. {To be continiisd). Editorial. 59 Editorial. Nestinc; oI' -i hk Si iiMii i<-( kksiki) Cockatoo (Cac~ atua oalerita). -.Mi-. Whitley lias aL;ain succeeded in rearing two young birds of this species during last season in a state of controlled liberty. The young birds arc still doing well an illustrated article of this inter.-sting c\ ent will appear in our ne.xt issue. Nesting Habits of the JIai.\ Quail {Coturtiix cor- omatideUcas . — In an interesting letter in the "Journal of the Bombay iNatural H'istory Society," Vol. XXIV., No. 4, Capt. J. A. Budden, describing the n'sting of this species in the Central Pro\inces, states : " riic R^iin C^uail pair prupiirmory to nesting in ihe Uiicr halt of " I-'cl luary. By the middle ol .Maicli, sonu'times befoie, should the hot ' wcitluT he .Khiuning prematurely, nests are to be found. These ■ iiri; generally in the grass, toounding water nullahs. The > hu.ks are " about in the early jiart of .\pril and by the time of the monsoon '"has set in (fir-.i t)r setond week in .June) the chicks are big enough " to withstand liic torrential rain. .\s soon as the rains diminish in ' September, the parent birds nest again, chicks being about early in "'October. The possession of a good pointer enabled me to make the " foregoing observations with some degree of accuracy . . . she stood " to Quail on nests when taken for runs over the grass lands during the " nesting season. The bird would sit within; a foot of her nose and I, ' on several occasions, walked quietly up behind (he dog and observed the " bird on the nest. I found, a Quail never rose directly from the nest, *' bu' always ran several yards before rising. . . . The chicks were *■ marked with the usual game-bird chick marking." NiDIFICATION OF THE GOLDEN WEAVER-BiRD {PlO'C- ella javanensis). — In the same Journal (B.N.H.S.), Mr. J: M. D. Mackenzie gives the following interesting account: "yWhen on tour in the Sittang delta (June 30th to ,luly 4th) I "found Plocclla javaiunsis breeding in considerable numbers. . . , . " The nests were placed from 3 to 12 feet from the ground, generally " about 8 or 10 feet. They were mostly built in a thorny " bush, locally called ' Kathit," at the extremities of the branches, sup- " ported by the twigs being worked into their structure : the support came ■ indiscriminately from above, below, or all round the nest. I found a " few nests (mostly unfinished) in elephant grass, but 80 per cent, were " in small trees or bushes." 60 Editorial. " In all cases tlie iiirds had apj) ircntly exercised care m the " selection ol the site. All colonies found in treci (with the exception "of 5) were in Kathii or Zee. hoth of them tliorny, and must unpleasant "to deal with. (M tlic live eKceptions, four were huilt in thornless trees> whicli contained hornets' nests, a:Kl the Hfth wis in a tree in- tested by a very large ani with a fearsome bit(;. My inan liad a " badly swollen hand as the result ol getting eggs from the last colony." I found one or two cluti hes ol three eggs, say 5 per cent., but th& "great majority were two only. J he nest reminds one more of that of " a Munia than a P/orciis." " In grass, 1 only found 3 or 4 nests together, but in trees the " tolonies nunibere into the flight, where "the photograph (frontispiece) was taken. / now foujid tiie young were; capaofe of eating soft bread, whicli they did from my fingers, not yet having the idea of holding it for themselves. I took ofi' liicir chains, and on their first exit from the box they could lly strongly. The hen did 'most of the incubation, and when .-.itting she sometimes does not appear for two or three days. 1 {do not know whether ifie cock feeds her, as I ne\er observed him doing so, but when she does come to feed she appears to take a fail time off from her duties. Both the youiig are in good healtli and condition at the present time. (March 20, 191 7). The photos of the young birds {vide plate) w-ere all taken on the same day, when they were about five weeks old. One or two points connected with this e\ent interested me greatly, and I should like to know if they have already been authenticated. (i). 1 presume most of the Psittaci mate for life under ordinary conditions; but is it possible — as certainly happened in the case of my pair of birds — that the nesting site i^- habitually prepared in the year pre\'ious to that in which it is to be used? If it is so 1 should imagine it to be a unique characteristic. When my pair of birds set about preparing another iiabitation in 1915, shortly after the young bird could feed herself satisfactorily, 1 imagined they must be double- brooded; this, 1 fancy, cannot be the case, as the present pair of youngsters were fed regularly up to October, and at frequent intervals I heard them feeding in November and December, and I believe once in January this year. (2^. 1 was lucky enough — seeing how busy 1 ]ia\'e Bird Notes. Young Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Btccdliif> Private importation of Indian Birds in 1 9 1 6. brancli tlian lo indulge in much wing (wercise, though it flies strongly and swiftly at intcrxals during the day. It is fond of a log or small barrt-l U) retire to at nights and for a ws//? at mid-day, f.-ailing such a shelter of reasonable size it will cram itself into an ordinary coco-nut husk. I saw it under such conditions in Mr. Scott-Freeland's aviaries and it looked very comical with its bead and beak protuding from the husk ; it was not only a marvel how it crammed itself into the husk, but more marvellous still it nianaged to turn round in the husk, and without any damage to its plumage, tool Their gor- geous plumage makes them conspicuous in the aviary, and in Mr. Freeland's aviary it lived at peace with Sugar-birds, Grassfinches, Fruitsuckers, Thrushes, etc. It is said to live entirely on fruit in its native haunts, but from the great avidity with which it seizes upon all kinds of insects in the aviary, 1 cannot but think, that it must also similarly indulge as opportunity offers in a state of liberty. Grke.x B.arbet {Mc(^cdacina ccuvceps, Franklin). This species was, 1 think, introduix'd to English aviculture by my friend and fellow member Mr. E. W. Harper, who presented a specimen to the London Zoo about ten (or more) years ago, this bird did well and lived for a number of years. Strange to say the specimeut; 1 jecei\ed alive, all hand-reared birds did not do well ; they certainly had a \ ery rough \oyage and arrived in an exhausted condition, and though with infinite trouble and care 1 managed to k^ep se\eral of them alive from six to eight weeks they all went " pot-bellied " and died within a few days of each other — a most disappointing result, for apar;. froin the \alue and interest of the birds, they cost considerable for fruit, insects, etc.. before they succumbed. They are large and beautiful birds, but not so showy as the Blue-cheeked. Description. — Above grass-green; lop of head, neck, and underparts brown streaked with white, the throat and head showing very little while, the former somewhat dusky; abdomen palish dusky-brown with a few obscure whitish streaks; lore-neck and breast brown; bill palish orange- Private Importation of Indian Birds in roi6. (',7 brown; iris ruddy brown; bare skin round eye pale oranj^e; legs and feet pale brownish-yellow. Total length loi in., tail 3', in. Range. — According to Jerdon this species is found throughout the greater part of the Peninsula of India. Habits. — Its call is loud and startling, somewhat similar to a sort of laugh. The call is heard at all hours, very fre- quently on moonlight nights. Its food in a state of nature is fruit, berries, and insects. In captivity they take freely of fruit and insects, also milk sop and a little insectile mixture. In a cage I found them somewhat lethargic, but that was probably owing to my specimens not being fit. When the ban on the importation of birds is remo\ 'd 1 hope to obtain and test a pair of these striking birds in the aviary. Coppersmith or Crimson-breasted Barbet (Xan- tholoentct indica Lath). Neither of the two specimens shipped arrived alivp, but this species has been exhibited on more than one ()( (asion by our member, Mr. C. T. Maxwell. It is a beautiful and small species, but only a very few specimens have reached this country alive. Description, "(irccn above, the feathers of the back and wing covers more or less margined with yellowishi'; beneath yellowish or greenish white, streaked with green ; the whitish predominating on the middle of the belly; broad frontal space, and wide pectoral gorget crimson; throat and around the eye pale sulphur-yellow; below the crimson gorget is a narrow crescent of golden-yellow, a band across the crown, continued round to the yeKow throat, and a moustachial streak, black; a bluish tinge on the occiput and sides of the neck, where the black gradually passes into the green of the back, and also on the margins of the great alars and tail. Luteous varieties of this species occur occasionally. Bill black; irides dark-hazel; nude obitar skin dull crimson; feet coral-red; claws black. Total length 6\ in., tail \^ in." Jerdon. Range and Habits.— This species is found throughout CiR Prh'ciic Impnrtnunn of Incl'inn Birds in igi6. India, t-xct'pt iiv^ the l[iinalaya^ and Punjab. It frequents woods, open spares in jungles, g^ro\"es of trees, avenues and L;ardens it is bold and fearless and ai)]')roarhes close to hous(\^. Some obserxers state that it runs up and down trees like W'oodpccd^ers. but jerdon states that he has never obser\'ed this, and that it ho])s about the branches like other perching birds. Mr. IWyth states that one he kept for some time in captivity would take insects and munch them in its mouth, but did not swallow them and forsook them immedi- ately when fruit was offered. Its chief food is fruit and sometimes perhaps insects (perhaps Mr. Maxwell will kindly give us an account of his bird.— Ed. "B.\."'). Its loud call note is something like /oo/i -/ooX' — tool^ ( ferdOn). and ap- pears to come from a different direction from that from which it realh proceeds. It breeds in holes in trees; the clutch is two (sometimes morel white eggs. It is to be hoped that at the end of this dreadful war this spei i<'s w'ill be more frequently imported, for it is a mosf inte:esting and beautiful bird, in spite of the somewhat startling contrasts of the colour arrangement of its plumage. {To l)c contimicd). Some Doves I Have Kept. Bv \\".M. .Snoki B.Mi.v. {Concluded from page 50). Il.M.i' -c oi.LAREi^ TURTLK IJOVE {'furtur senutorqua- fus). An uninteresting species, closely allied to the common Barbary Do\f. I have liad three or four of these birds and they nested frequently, the eggs always proving infertile. I fancy that they were all hens, as I ha\e ne\cr seen them displaying to each other. They did not live very long uitli me. Ckesif.I) Dovi {Ocyphaps lopliotes). This very hand- some. Australian pigeon iias nested se\eral times with me, but wiithoui success. They look \ery nice in a large aviary and their display is amusing, but as I 'found them rather quarrel- some auL. tiieir rapid and somewhat hawk-like flight seemed p 03 Some Doves / Have Kepi. ^^^ to disturb tlio small birtls in tho ;iviar\ . 1 disposed of them after one season. I believe that these birds have bred freely in this country in a wild state Violet Do\k {Lcptoptila jamaicensis) . Another very striking looking pigeon, not very fre(|uently im]>orted. Habitat West Indies. 1 found them ver)- fi?e brt-eders, but they had the bad habit, eonuuon to some pigeons of leaving their yount2 brfore tl^ey could properly cater for themselves. The few young onr-;, f fully rrared kept in their nest until they were string on the wing. Those that I'^ft the nest, before they could properly fly all died, attt'iupts to hand rear them proving unsucecs ful. 1 think that this bird in a wild state consumes a good deal of lixc food. My birds were \-ery fond of garden worms, and would also lake mealwoiins freely. They spent much of thcii- time upon tiie ground and were very active. \\ HiTF-CK(>v,\i i' I'liii-.i^N (C.olunibri I encore pliahi ) . Another fine biril fiom the West Indies. HtMng black with a while head, it contrasts very strongly with any of th.o doves and pigeons usually ke])t l)y our members. Aly pair of of these birds were intolerably wild, and were the oidy species of the Cojiiinhidae w ith whit h 1 lia\e had any trouble in this respect. When anyone entered their enclosure, they would dash themsehes against the wire in the most stupid manner, and as they vvould soon ha\-e made, the other occupants of their aviary as wild as themselves 1 was very glad to accept some other birds in exchange. They have been bred at the Zoo, but I do not think thai man)- amateurs ha\'e succeeded with them, Bleeding Heart Dovk {Plilogoetias luzou'ica). A well known and very pretty pigeon. I have had three or four ex- amples, but think that tlic)- must have all been of ihe same sex as they made no attempt to nest. \\'hether they were all cocks or all hens I have not the least idea. One would natur- ally think that if they had all been of the female sex, one or mor'. woidd have laid eggs, during rhe two years that 1 kept them. On the other hand, if they were all males, one would have expected to hud them quarrelling occasionally and 70 Some Doves J Ihive Kepi. tliis they nc\-cr did. Xcilhcr did T n1 iiin' lime src tliem dis- playing, nlthougli on rare oci asions f Ivard one of them roo- ipg a truly mournful sound. Tlu'}' spent most of their tune marching around and around at a \cry cpn't k jiare and look- ing as if they had some \-ery imi)ortant business in hand. The blood-red stain on the breast always caused a remark amongst my \isitors, and it was difficult to make them believe that the birds vven^ not injured. \\"h'-n the first pair arrived. I was away from home and my man unpacked them. He promptly sent me word that two pigeons had arrived,^ but ' that they had been badly hurt on the journey, as their breasts were covered with blood. He did not discover his mistake until 1 returned I Bronze-wing Dovi {Plians chaleopicra). This, the well known Squatter Pigeon, is the largest and quite the steadiest doves I have kept. It is a handsome addition to anyone's collection. They are free breeders and very hardy, keeping at it all the year round. A pair of strong young ones left the nest here on Xmas Day, and must havr been rn the nest when the thermometer was registering i6 degree.^ of frost. It is a wise plan to separate the sexes for a month or two in the winter. Like the Violet Doves they will eat earthworms freely, and are very fond of mealworms^ and I certainly think that whilst they have young, a few of these every day are a help. Brush Bronzk-winc; Dove {Pliaps rlesrans}. This pretty bird is a good deal smaller than its cousin P. chalcop- tera, and the sexes are not alike, a great advantage 1 think from an avicultural point of view. They are free breeders, and quite hardy. Unfortunately they have the bad habit of deserting 'their young before they can properly cater for themselves, so many of their little ones perish. I thought my- self lucky last season in fully rearing two pairs out of five that were hatched out. After the little Diamond this is my favourite dove. Green-winged Don i {Cludcopliaps iiuliea). Through the kindness of our Edhor 1 'secured a pair of these lovely Indian doves early last December, and 1 ( annot imagine a more desirable bird for any aviary. They appear to be ab-so- Some Doves; I Have K^pt. 71 lutely indifferent to cold, as the thermometer in their enclosure fell on one occasion to within 4 decrees of zero. A very fine coloured plate by -Mr. GoodchikI of the Australian Green-wing- (C chrysGchlora) appeared in the " Avicultural Magazine" for March, 1914. It dilTcrs from the Indian species principally in the absence of wliite feathers on the head and fac- of the male. To see these birds at their best they should bj kept ui a sunny aviary. Known in India as the Indiar, Bronze-winged Dove. Grfen I'Kun Pi(;r:o.\' {Splirnoccrcus sphcniinis). Once again I am indebted to our I-kiitor for the possession of a pair of these most interesting pigeons. Coming" as they do from the Himalayas, the kind of winter we h;ive had this year suits them admirably, and I t!limk that there should be a reasonable chance of their nesting "this spring. A line col- oured plate of a pair of these birds by Mr. Goodchild ap- pearec, in the '■ A\'icultural ^lagazine " for March, 191 2. In genera.' colour the)- resembh the Indian (ireen Parrots. The covk difling hawks; and chase their prey with vigour, seizing it as it flees, with great skill. They are distinguished by having a notched rnaxilla. To this class belong Kestrels. Hobbies, and the beautiful Merlin. Kites may generally be known by their forked tails. One of the most remarkable is the Swallow-tailed Kite, which as it soars on high after the manner of its tribe, might easily be mistaken for a large swallow. Kites are closely related to Buzzards. Under the term Hawk are included all diurnal raptorial birds that are not Eagles or Vultures. Buzzards, or Kites, Falcons, or Harriers. The word is used in a general sense of all these birds. Harriers were originally 50 named from their habit of harrying poultry. They are distinguished by having a frill something like that of an Owl. In Might they resemble Buz- zards, but walk more quickly on the ground. They affect the open country and prey upon snakes and frogs. The Caracara or Carrion Hawk is a connecting link between hawks and vultures, having the structure of the former with the habits of the latter. It runs easily and quickly upon the ground, a thing uncommon among hawks, and is often seen in company with the Black \'ulture. There are se\"eral other kinds of hawks which have similar characteristics; but not in such a marked degree. Caracaras, when other food fails, will eat insects, worms and seeds. The Blacii \/uilurc, erroneously called the Carrion Crow or Turkey Buzzard, of which there are four species in the Colony is a comixion subject. He may be seen at all limes 80 The Birds of British. Guiana. either .soaring high \\\ the air, or scrummaging around a dead dog or fowl thrown out on the roadside. At a distance these \ultures might easily be mistaken by the uninitiated for small turkeys, hence their alternate popular name. On the ground they move with a hop and a stride. The King Vulture is so dcsignaied from ihe gaudy colours and coruncle thai adorn his bald head, giving him the appearance of being crowned; not from any courageous or kingly qualities. PLagies and large \'ullures huikl their nesls amid rocky ledges on crags in retired places; hawks build nests of sticks in trees, or even utilize the abandoned nests of other birds. The smaller vultures build their nests on .the ground or on low shrubs in retired places. < )n this account, the Black Wdture has been almost exterminated in Jamaica l)y the Mongoose, unfortunately introduced into thai country, for these animals love eggs. Ha^yks' eggs are generally beautiful objects (C)spreys" particularly so), being streaked and blotched with rich red, brown, o.- purple. The cr\ ot hawks and eagles is a pee\ish sneer or Siiarl : that of vultures generally a grunt. Hawks are recognised as enemies by all the feather'-c! tribes and mobbed without mere)- whenever they appear. It is a common sight in Georgetown to see the '"hima-Chima Hawk pursued by Xiskadees or even Swallows. Hawks and Vlltures (Colonial.) Catltartidiformes — Accipitriformes. ]v.ff.'lt' like forms {AqniUnaf — ()-])r.'>' I'r Fishini.' K;iq;le l^'imlmn haluii'ius H;ir|)\ Knylf Thrni^ttix 'iiir/);//(i Crowned Eagle (or liiizzanl) .MnrpJunci ifiiidni')/.^/.^ White-breasted, or t'ro\vi>eil Hawk-eagle S/ir.iartii.^ oy>//rini>ni.< Black Hawk-eagle Spiiia.^tcr tueldnn/curits {'alhuftiflifoniirf— Kino- Ynlturi" (r'l/itarrlin.s fia/m Black-headed \ ulture (Carrion Grow, elf.) Calharii^ta atralui} {uruLu) The Birds of British Guiana. 81 Yellow-liraded Vulture Turkey Vultuie Yi'llii\v-un/i>i/r//p]iiis {( '(itli(uffn) /ifi-yiii/Pi RJiiiinfjriiphux {Ca/lnirfeK) it urn Rli'iin.jriiphiiK hnrroriii/nis Tnchiil r'nncliia iilh/iuini/ntnx T'K'htftriiircliia nbhreriiiluM liiili'dlii linirliijiirn A xhiriita )iiliila HiipiiniU iiiiif/ii/roMlris H fteriixpl'Aitix Mer/i/i'i/ialix /In.idrfilliis niiir'triillix HiilPdyall iiN aeij III unci i all. •! Lfiropli'inix (tlliicnllin iiielaiinjig I 'rul/il.iiiya iirnl/iti/ii/a ,, until jiiriiiii Ivist rh (I III lis .e Mciliii (iir l'>;iri(lii Small .Mfilin (f good hard pecks which were not altogether pleas^ "ant. 1 took four eggs from under her and haviijg examinc'd them, " returned two, leaving her sitting on the remaining five eggs. When I " got home finding that the nidilication of the bird was not-recorded " in th(.- f-iiinia 01 Brit. India, I decided to take the remaining eggs/ " which I did i with tlirte young in a small thorny tree oa the bank " jof the canal on i.,t .August 1914. V peculiari:y in tlie Punjab birds "of this species tliiit I liave sf> far seen is that the cock birds do nor " fippear to ;i^sume the black upper plumige in the hot weather, which " led I regret to say, to my shooting the cock bird in the case of thj above-mentioned wired nest, as I Iiatl no idea that he was breed- ing. However, when I visited the nest a week la'.er all the young " birds were doing well Other notes from this interestmg article will be given in our next issue. 84 Ohiliia)-y. Obituary Lt.-Col. G. a. IM'RKI'.au. It is with mu(-h sorrow that I report the death of one of our most valued members. He was killed in action during the attack on Bagdad. The " AJornint^ Post " of March 20th, gave the following brief biographical note: "Lt.-Col. (lustavus .Arthur Perreau, Indian Infantry "(killed in act'^on), was born in 1873, and received his com- ''■miss"ion in tile Royal Alunster Fusiliers I'n '"MarcTi. 1^94. ■'After promotiion he transferred to the Indian Army in "April, 1898; he was major in March, 191 2, and became "lieutenant-colonel this year." He became a mcml)er of the F.B.C. in 190^, and from tlie beginning was one of its most generous supporters, and a frequent and able contributor to this Journal. His last contribution was penned while on acti\e service in Aleso- potainia, where a most honourable career was terminated on the held of battle. lie had a charming ]iersonality which drew all to him and the writer mourns the loss of a dear friend. He was an ardent aviculturist. and keen bird-lo\er, and imported (when coming home on furloughj, many rare species, and others quite new to aviculture. He will be greatly missed lunong aviculturists everywhere, and many of our members will feel a deep sense of personal loss. To .Mrs. Perreau we extend our deepest sympathy m her great bereavement. W.T.P. Bird Notes. Green Woodpecker in the Firing-line. All rights reserved. May, 1917. BIRD NOTES: THE JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. The Green Woodpecher (Gecintis viridis) Bv Wkslev T. Paok. F.Z.S. This spcrics is, pcrha]:)s, the hanclsomcst, largest and best known of our English Woodpeckers. It is found more or less all over England, but is what may be termed a local species, favouring principally forest and woodland districts, being decidedly scarce in the northern counties. It is fairly frequently met with in all tlv London suburban districts, and is hearr; more oft<'n than seen, but a sight of the male in his gorgeous garb, as he meanders up and down and around the trunk or branch of some tree, is a feast of beautyiand interest indeed, and one which the writer is always willing to take considerable trouble to attain. But our member. Air. Murray Dixon, has depicted him amid \ cry different scenes from those of our peaceful English woodlands, for in our frontis])icce we see him amid the devast- ation and throe, of the. world's greatest war, but the artisf must speak of this in his own words.. On the back of the drawing is the following short note: — " Since I have been in France I have seen many "birds, Hoodies, Carrion Crows, Magpies, and Rooks pre- " dominating, but amongst others of more particular in- " terest : Siskins, Redwings, Fieldfares, Blackbirds, Crested' ■' Larks, Blue Tits, Robins, and Wrens; and in the bay at the " imouth of the Somme, hundreds of Pintail, Mallard, Teal, " Scaup, Tufted Duck, Oyster Catchers, Godwits, Dunlins, " Sandpipers and one wild Swan, which flew so close by me^ '■ that 1 easily made him out to be a Bewick. Close up to 8G The Or ecu Woodpecker. " the trencht's and in No Man's Land I have seen fair sized " covies of partridge, White and Tawny Owls, and many '■ Kestrels, no doubt attracted by tJie numbers of rats and mice, " but I was greatly surprised to see so shy a bird as the "Green Woodpecker right up at the pe:p->tually shelled village "of Rollincourt. He Hew from tree to tree whilst shells burst "at intervals about the place — InU he didn't lauifh ! — O. " Murray Dixon." It is amidst very different surroundings from these that we see and admire this handsome bird, and some of us know him as an interesting cage pet or occupant of an aviary; as the lat/er the writer has seen and admired ihim in the aviaries of Major Johnson and Dr. Gosse, in both places he made himself quite at home, doing no material damage to the woodwork, confining his woodcutting propensities principally to the short tree trunks fixed in the ground for his use. Under such con- ditions no one could wish for or have a more beautiful occu- pant for a suitably fitted aviary, rivalling as he does in his many hued garment the gaily-clad feathered deni..ens of tropical climes. He does not show off so well in a cage, unless it be a roomy one indeed, for he is somewhat clumsy in movement when in conhned quarters, but in an aviary, with other species, he is a creature of grace, elegance and beauty, a continual source of interest and pleasure. He is not difficult to cater for. d(nng well '>n any good make of ins€c:tile mixture— a good one is readily made of crushed dog biscuit and ants' eggs in' equal parts 'J'hei two ingreaients are oest Kept sei)arate ; well soak the crushed biscuit, and then mix in "an equal proportion of ants' eggs. Give in addition a few mealworms, and any other insects ob- tainable. Hand-reared birds are best, and if nestlings can be obtained at about ten days old, feeding them for the first few days (about a 'week), on live insects, such as ants' cocoons, mealworms, spiders, beetles (cut up), wasp grub, in fact almost any larvae and pupae obtainable. Preserved ants' eggs free from rubbish, soaked and then dried in a piece of linen, will answer if live (fresh) ones are not obtainable. After- The Green Woodpecker. 87 wards feed on a mixture of best ants' " eggs," finely pow- dered puppy biscuit, and a few dried flies, made quite moist but not mto a sticky mass; and some live insects I have neither described the plumage of this lovely bird, nor yet its wild life, realising that both are sufficiently well known to our readers. In conclusion 1 must state that the original of our frontispiece belongs to my friend and fellow member, Lt. A. Sutcliffe who has kindly lent it for reproduction. The Blackbird that Blighted My Life Bv B. Theo. Stewart. As a child, nothing pleased me better than to listen to stories of an exiled royal ancestor who was known to his de\'oted followers as the Blackbird* \'ery tenderly would 1 Io\-c and cherish Tardus merula, but alas! he will have none of me. As a youngster I climbed up an ancient ivy-covered well-hous'C (a dangerous spot to investigate), on the top of which a pair of Blackbirds had builded them a nest. I secured a fine cock nestling. There were four infants and I only stole one. Unfortunately the parents saw the theft and they haunted me with their cries of rage. For days after, whenever I appeared, one or other of those wretched birds would pounce down, flying close to my face, and would scream out to all their feathered neighbours "Here is the thief." They followed me about the grounds, making very personal remarks on my appearance un'til I really felt horribly ashamed of myself. They found out where I kept the lost child and at- tacked It violently through the bars of the cage (it evidently shared in my disgrace). I never observed them feeding it, neither did they poison it as country legend hath it, tho' their remarks were enough to poison both of us ! *One of the many nickn.imes of Bonnie Prince Charlie. 88 The Blackbird thai Bliirlitcd My Life\ I reared the young Blackbird and lie had just begun to warble nicely and repay my love and care when his career came to an abru])t conclusion. And his end was horrible I Rats did vou say? Vcs, rats I I In 'the bitterness of my heart I said I would never have another, and for years I kept my word, and then, having growii older and wiser and w(jrse, I listened to temptatic^n. The bait 'was a beautiful Blackbird. "Vou simply must have it " wrote my friend ," it's a lovely bird, so tame; quite a pel; just the sort of bird you like; and a cock, a cock!" " No," I replied firmly " I won't, 1 do no good with British birds and the Blackbird in jKirlicular, I won't have another." Nonsense, you can't refuse this one. He's a perfect beauty, besides," added my friend mysteriously " It's not really a Black-h'wCi, its a white one nearly, and it will bring you luck." That did it. I wanted a swasticka, and here was one, a white Blackbird! How 'charming and original it soimded. Yes, I had it — worse, 1 nave it still~IIe came and the inom.ent I caught sight of his chilling confusion a blight fell on me. | He was very. \ery handsome in a suit of pure white ticked neatly all over with black, e\ en his )'ello\v beak had little black dots on it; his head was pure white and his tail was black. Hi? eyes were reddish with the most coldly fero- cious stare that ever chilled a loving heart. He was quite tame, oh yes! He never dashed wildly about his cage. Would take a mealworm or anything I liilU( co^lul Ijrccdmji ul I'liry^ilu s jinliceti will be luuiul 111 "B.X." Vol. \I.. pugcs i/j-l^- My Aviary Room and Its Occupants, Bv Mrs. AI. A. Burgess. I am only a beginner in I'oreii^n Hircl keepm^ and should not ha\e attempted to pen these notes, but for our Editor's request for copy for the Club Journal. My aviaries are but small and insignilicant, by the side of the beautiful ones that liave been described and figured in ■■ Bird Notes. However, very few. I find. Iceep their birds indoors in a room, and as an in\alid an out-door a\iary is an impossibility to me. Being cjuite a novice I ha\e had to fit up my room according to my views and have arranged it for own pleasure and interest, i may add that it had its begin- ning in a Roller Canary in June 1915, so my experience up to the present is but a brief one, but may be of some little interest to other novices similarly platx-d, M\ BiRDROOM: It has a southern aspect and is sunny and light. It is distempered green, with the ceiling a lighter shade of the same liue, and the window is fitted with curtains. The flights are _ 6ft. by 4ft., and are made to bolt together, so as to be easily dismantled. They arc fitted with boughs of trees to supply perching accommodation, feeding hoppers and nest i;eceptacles. Flight No. I. This is covered with zinc, for the Par- rots are very fond of wood. It contains a pair of Senegal Parrots, Long-tailed (Hossy Starling, Red-legged Cuban Thrush, a very rare Tamaulipas Tawny Tlirush, and an English Starling. These ha\'e all agreed well together, and what an interesting study they are, every bird dift'erent, and the wonderful interest they create i^iakes one think of the beau- tiful, which, m these " times " one certainly needs. Would that Itjie world could only go on as peacefully as these birds' livei ! 94 ^'Jy Aviary Room and Its Occupants. FUghi No. 2: Tliis contains a \cry mixed lot. viz.: Budgerigars (some incubating eggs), p.rit of ("ockateels. pairs Rosella and Tui rarrakcets, Cowbirds. 2 Orioles, sc\eral Weavers, Paradise WHiydali and Ilauiinch. .So far these ha\-e all agreed well together. Flight No. 3. Another mixed rrowd, but all ^mallisii species, as follows: Roller, Lizard, and Frilled Canaries; also a number of small foreign finches, etc. 1 will now make a few obser\-ations of special birds, which \\'ill but faintly indicate the interest I take in them and the pleasure the> give mc. Sexegal I'.ARROTS: Thcy are a charming pair of birds, so beautiful, so wicked and mischievous and such won- derful woodcutters. Their monkeyish behaviour ne\er fails to interest. 1 am hoping that my interest ma}- be still further awakened by the advent of a family of baby .Senegals ! English Starling: This came to me of its own ac- cord, entered the room during the recent cold weather and re- fused to leave. He is perfectly tame and \ery handsome — how beautiful the common starling is when examined standing quietly on a near-by perch — how beautiful are the changing hues of his sheeny plumage under the pla)- of light, and how under such conditions one admires his beautifully bespangled garment I Red-Legged Cuban Thrush: WH-iat- a beautiful crea- ture he is, and how beautifully his red legs contrast with the soft and exquisite harmony of the blues of his body plumage. Our Editor promises to hgure him in colour, when coloured plates are again possible, then my readers will be able to share iniy appreciation of his beauty; at present we ha\e to be con- tent with an illustration of him in black and white. Budgerigars: How I admire these beautiful, little Austialian Lovebirds, they are so energetic and vixacious, and charm one generally with their beautiful flight, generaf charac- teristics and their readiness to breed. My great ambition is to breed Blue Budgerigars I 1 ha\-e a true pair Blue X Green, birds and great things arc looked for from them. 1 am hoping that, even this season, iny ambition may be realised, dream though it be at present. Aly Aviary Room and Its Occupants. 95 Cow Birds: These are beautiful and also very tame, very readily taking mealworms from my hand. This, I believe, is not a general experience. Canaries: I nm \-ery fond of these, and for an ,Tina- teui have been very lucky indeed with tlieni. They ha\:; had quite a large show season, and have ne\-er failed tu brini; home first, second or third prizes, generally rirst and second. The Lizards are very beautiful and elegant and are c|uite the favourites with me. In conclusion 1 would add a word of thanks to the many kind friends and fellow members .1 have bought birds from and who have so willingly helped me with kind advice from time to time, and if this little account is of any interest I shall be pleased indeed. My birds are q hobby and the greatest joy to me, the only trouble being, that like man\- others, I am afraid I am too often tempted with the beautiful. Great things are looked for in my small flights this season. The Story of Jobo. By E. Maud Knobel. About two years ago I was looking through some of the back volumes of " Bird Notes," and in the July number for 191 1 I came across Dr. Hopkinson's article, on "Birds of Gambia," where he gi\es a delightful description of the Senegal parrot. He says — " The Senegal parrot is my ideal pet in the parrot line . . . easi'ly tamed, 'quiet and in- telligent. It makes no difference whether it is taken old or young, in three or four days it is practically tame, and in a week obviously delights in being scratched, and shows every sign of enjoying the attentions and presence of its owner." Having read this I made up my mind that this bird above all others was the very pet for me, for I love a thing that is tame and likes to be handled and })etted. I paid a visii to the Zoo. and inspected the specimens there, and found them perfectly tame and charming^ birds. Then I made various? enquiries and watched thie advertisemetits, hoping that 96 The Story of Jobo. I inij^dit soon hear of one, but I had to wait some weeks. At lasl one day I chanced to i^o to (damage's, and great was my joy when I Jound thx^'y had just received a consign- ment of Senegal Parrots. 1 selected, what looked a nice iu\althy bird and judging by the jjale colour of the eye and beak and the pinky tinge of the feet, I llK)ught he must be quite young. I carried him home in triumph and expected in a week to ha\c " My ideal pet." IIowe\er. I was doomed U) disappointment. Whenever I entered the room Jobo squeezed himself into the furtherest corner of his cai^e, remainin^^ per- fectly still and terrihed with his fiead down. It is quite true that at the end of a week he condescended to take a piece of apple from my hnger, but that was as far as we got and we remained at that point for many months. I have kept and tamed many birds — Parrots in particular, and flattered myself 1 was rather good in this respect— but Jobo took all the conceit out of me. I tried letting him out — he dashed wildly all over the room, into pictures and vases in the most distressing manner and I was forced to catch him and cut a a wmg. After that he was only able to run about the door, or climb up and down a heavy dog chain that hangs from my ceiling but as to allowing me to scratch his head or touch him, it was impossible — he just went for me and my hands were covered with nips from his sharp little beak, tlowever, they say all things come to those who wait. One day I went in,to my room — one of my Amazon Parrots was sitting on the top of a chair close to Jobo's cage. As 1 passed the Amazon I stopped to kiss hinl and he put his head down to be scratched, and great was my surprise on looking up to see that Jobo had come to the side of his cage as near to me as he could get and had put liis head down to be scratched. I put up my finger and gently rubbed the top of his head — from that moment the trick was done — but i consider he is one of the hardest birds I have ever tamed. Now, of course, he fulfils all Dr. Ilopkinson prophe- sied and is absolutely the " ideal pet " and one of the nicest birds 1 ha\e ever possessed, but it look about eight months of patient work to accomplish it. The Story of Jobo. 97 Ho thorout^hly enjoys life and will j^lay lik.' a kiUen for hour>. pullini^ himself about on his baek alon^ the bottoni of his cage and playini^- with his toes or a piece of wood, and then all of a (sudden he will catch hold and pull himself up into his swing' where he will perform all sorts of acrobatic fcats^such as swinging head down with his wings spread out and screaming with delight — or holding on with one foot while he plays with the other. During the past year I have had to undergo two severe operations and spent many weeks in bed Jobo has been my constant companion and helped me through many a weary hour, for one could not be dull with such a charming playmate. He has most amusing and engaging ways and when his cage door was opened he would climb carefully across the bed until he reached me when he would snuggle down into my neck so that I could just kiss the top of his head and stroke him gentlv on the back, and he would remain thus as long as I chose to have him. He is not a great linguist, and has only learnt to say two words — " Pretty " and " Winnie " — the latter being^ the name of a Roseate Cockatoo that I am taking care of while its owner is in I-'rance, and who at intervals during the day calls out in a loud and penetrating voice — "'Winnie, Winni- P'^g-" Jo^'^ hates him, and it is funhy to see this small bird. " go for " the great pink thing whenever he gets a chance. When Jobo is specially pleased to see me or very much wants me to take him out of his cage he slightly opens and quivers his wings showing the beautiful yellow-orange under- neath, at the same time makingi a chirruping noise to attract attention. Having written this little account of my Jobo, what I should like to ask is: Are newly caught birds more easily tamed than those that have been caged a feAv months — or was it due to my stupidity that I failed so miserably and took so long to tame my Senegal Parrot? 9S The Story of J oho. Private Importation of Indian Birds in 1916. Bv Wesi.f.v T. Pa ok, F.Z.S., Etc. {Continued from pcii^e 68). Erratum: Mr. E. \\\ Harper points out to me an error I unwittingly made in my notes on the Indian Oriole in stalii^i^: " il had a tlamaL;ed wing, evidently injured at time of catching." He points out that he was careful to accept from the catchers only perfect birds in every respect, so "tftat the injury to tlie wing of the bird in question must have occurred during transit. Larger FHli, Mynah {Eulabes intermedins) : This is a very handsome species, but is somewhat heavy and sluggish in movement, though in a roomy flight this does not show when on the wing, but is very noticeable at times — the plop when they alight on the ground or perch is dis- tinctly audible. It is intelligent and interesting, and many individuals become quite talented talkers. I well remember one they bad at the Zoo, in the days wlien the Insect House was the reception house for many species needing warmth at first, I think he was called Jack —his speeches were very numerous : "I'm surprised at you," " How are you .' " "What are you talking about?" etc., all uttered with start- ling clearness. I remember on one occasion being the only visitor in the house, 'and having quite a long talk with the keeper about his charges, and Jack, evidently ill-pleased at not being noticed, kept uttering in his loudest voice " What are you talking about? " and kept to this one saying till we went to lake a littl' interest in him. W'lien the Small Birds House was completed he migrated there and continued to surprise and interest visitors there for some years till his time came to " go west." Eight of this species were shipped, all young birds, and of th( se o;i!) two arrived alive; this pair stayed with me for se\eral months, when they went to ojie of our members, with whom they were doing \\(>11 wiieii 1 last heard of them in th(; early part of this year. I am in hopes that they Private Importation of Indian Birds in iqi6. Of) may breed witli him this season. Th^'v are too well known to need description, so { will merely describe them as glossy black, variegated with glistening areas of purplish and steely- green, with a white wing-bar; the bill, eye and face wattles and feet are orange-chrome. In its native haunts it frecjuents forest regions, and is usualh met with in small companies of about six individ- uals and at others in quite large flocks. It feeds almost exclusively on fruit and berries, and also insects, that is judging from the a\-idity with which it takes these in captivity. It breeds in holes in trees and the season extends from March to October. Its song contains rich and varied notes intermingled with short harsh periods. Thk Rank Mv\.\h {Acridoth^res frin^inianus) : This is distinctly a ijleasing and interesting species, and I was very surprised to find that they did not appear to appeal to avicul- turists — true several aviculturists. to whom this class of bird appeals, have closed down their aviaries till the end of the war, or are merely keeping them going for what birds they have and arr- not adding thereto — but even in moderate-sized aviaries they seldom bully the smaller inmates, and are distinctly pleasing birds (in the writer's opinion), and nearly always in the picture. I think eight were shipped and thib number arrived alive — four of them were in vigorous and robust condition, the others much less so, being apparently very livery. The former have- thri\en and are now perfect and fine specimens. afte;- spending th? v\ inter out of doors; the others died off at intervals during the autumn and winter. Instead of writing further about these birds myself I purpose rejM-inting my friend. Mr. Douglas Dewar's, account of them from his " Glimpses of Indian Birds," a book which should be read again and again by all lovers of Indian birds. "The bank Myr.a > Ac/iJol/u-rr- '^in^inianus \, like the Indian '■ corljy iC-oiviis inacrorhynrhus, is a bird th.-it has suffered neg'lecf at the hands of tliose \vh(j write about feathered folk. The reason for this is ofjvious. Even as the h(juse crow iCorvus splctidens) "overshadows the corby, so does the common myna i.A. irisiis) al- " most eclipse the bank myna. So familiar is the myna that all books 100 The Birds of British Guiana. " oil Indian birds deal with liini. They discourse at length upon his " Icharai'ter and habits, and then proceed to dismiss the bank myna. with " tlic remark that iis liabits are those of his cousin. " The bank myna is a Jnyna every inch of him. He is a chip " of the old block ; there is nt mistaking him for anything but what he " is. So like iiis cousin is he that when 1 first set eyes upon liim I " took him for a common myna freak. And I still believe I was not " greatly mistaken. 1 submit that the species larose as a inutation from " .1 iristis. " Once upon a time a pair of common mynas must have had " cause to shake their heads gravely over one or more of their young- " stars who ditf'ered much from the rest of the brood. .^.s these young- ''ster. grew u]), the differences became even more marked; they showed '■ themseh'es slaty gi'ey where they should have been rich lirown, " iind pinkish buff v\here white feathers ought to have appeared, and " the clima.v; mu>t have been reached when the youngsters developed " crimson patches of skin at the side of tl^e head, instead of yellow* " ones. Probably the other m\na^ of the locality openly e.vpressctl " iiheir disapproval of tlicse caricatures of the species, for mynas do not " kee]> their feelings to themselves. As likely as not they put these ' new-fangled creatures into Coventry, for birds are as conservative as " (iIlI maids. " Thus these myna freaks were compelled to live apart, but, " being strong and healthy, they throve and either paired inter •.(', or "managed to secure mates among their normally dres.sed fellows. In " .either case, the off-spring bore the stamp of their abnormal parents. " It is a «.UrLous fact, and one which throws much lighl on the " process of evolution that abnormalities have a \'ery .strong tendency to " i)er|>etuate themsel\-es. Thus ua^ lirought intcj bein,g* a new species, " and as there were in those times no ornithologists to shoot these' " freaks, and as the\- passetl with credit the test ])rescril)ed by nature, " the species has secured a firm footing in India. This hy|ioihesis ac- " counts for the comparatively restricted distribution of the bank myna. ■' It does not occur south of the Narbada and Mahanadi iugh '■ the hekls of Allahabad, l.ucknov\-, or Fryzabad, one meets with thou- " sands of bank mynas. There seems to be evidence that this species " is e.xtending its range both eastwards and westwards : and one of these " tLays a southerly advance may he made,, so that e\-entuall\' the bank " myna may form an attractive addition to the birds of Madras. " This species goes about in flocks of varying numbers, after " the fasjuon of the common myna. It comes into towns and villages, " but is much less oi a garden bird than its familiar cousin. It is in/ " the fields, especially in the vicinity of rivers, that these birds oc3 .ry to shoot dozens of the bird.s and carefully examine the con- " tent.s of their stomachs. This kind of thing I leave to the econ- " omic ornithologist. I admit that bank mynas are very partial to " fields of millet, and other tall grain crops, but I am persuaded " that they visit these for the insects th*t lurk in their spikes. ' Grasshoppers *re to the common myna what bread and meat " are to the Englishman, the pieces dc rcsisldiicc of the menu. This " is why mynas always affect pasture land, where it e.xists, and keep " company with cattle, the sedate march of which causes so much con- " sternation among the grasshoppers. Bank mynas eat grasshoppers, but "seem to prefer other insects, especially those which lurk underground* " Certain it i s that wherever they occur they keep a sharp look-out for the ploughman, and follow him most assiduously as he turns up the soil by means of his o.xen-drawn plough. The house crows also attend this function. The other species of myna follow the plough, " but not so consistently as the bank myna. The pied starling, although " it does not disdain the insects cast up by the plough, seems to prefer* " to pick its food out of mud. One often sees a flock of these birds paddling about in shallow water, as though they were sandpipers. " It is amusing to watch a flock of bank mynas strutting along a newly turned furrow. In upper India it is usual for two or more ploughs to work together in Indian file a few yards separating them.;i The mynas like to place themselves between two ploughs, an'd so fearless are they that they sometimes allow themsenlves to be trodden 'on by the team behind them. Altohugh the progress of the oxen'; is not rapid, it is tioo fast for the mynas, who find themselveiii con-.: tinualh dropping behind, and have every now and again to use their wing to keep pace with them. At intervals, the whole following, or a por- *Since the above was wriiten, C. W. Mason has published a paper entitled The Food of Birds in India. In this he shows that eight stomachs of the bank myna contained io6 insects. His researches show that this species is very partial to the caterpillars of the common castor pest iOplitiisa melicerte. [Vide Memoirs oj the Dept. of Aiiiieiiliurc in India [Entomo- logical Series] Vol. III.) 102 Private Importation of Indian Birds in igi6. tion (jl it takes to its wind's and indulges in a little flight purely for the fun of tire thing. Tlie llock sumetimes returns to tlie original " plough, at others transfers its attentions to another. Thus the flocks are continually changing in number and personnel, and in this respect are \'er\- difterent from the com])anies of se\-en sisters. The latter appear to be dehnile clubs or societies, the former mere chance Collections ol individuals, or probably pairs of indi\'iduals 15;ink mynas arc so calletl because they invariably nest in sandbanks, in the sides of a well, or some such locality, the\- them- selves e.\c;u'ating the nest hole. Like sand martins, bank mynas breed in considerable companies, but they are not so obliging as re- " gardi- the season of their niditication. They usually select sites which arc not only a' n d.ist.ince liom human h iljiations, but difficult ol ai'cess, and, as the birds tlo not begin to nest until well on in "May, when the weather in u|)pcr India i^ too hot to be described in "literary language one doe.s not often line a chance of seeing the birds at work. Their nesting passages do not necessarily run inv\'ards in a straigh' line. The result is that neighbouring ones often communi- cate Ca-it otif snake skin is a lining ])articularly sought after. Mr. " Jessr informs us that from one of these nests in the bank of the Goomti, near LiK'knou-, he extracted part of a Latin exercise and some arithmetic questions. The owners of the nest were not going in for highci education : it wa-^ merely a cas'e of jjutting a tiling to a use for which it was never intended, a feat at which both birds and Indian servants are adepts. Notwithstanding the fact tliat the egg'^ are laid in dark places, tlicy are blue, like thi>se of the other mynas. 'S'oung bank mynas of all species have a rather mangy ap- pearance. Like port wine, they impro\'e with age.'' To the above vivid chapter of Indian Alvnn life I will only add. that in the aviary their strutting and e.Kritcd i;;iT'''d- ousness is certainly l^oth interesting and anuising. While they will take as many insecTs as you care to supply, but will e\isl and thrive without — the individuals noted in these notes ha\e not had any, save such as they captured for themselves in the aviary , They certainly show a preference ftjr ground larvae, and arc at once busy when a patch in the aviary is turned over for their benefit, not even despising earthworms, though large ones as a rule are left severely alone. With me their principal dietary has been insectile niixture, fruit, ami the stiff portion of the milk sop put in for- other species. I ha\-c not observed them at the seed pans. As lalready stated all four birds are now in \ery tine form, and I shall hopie to describe more t)f their doings and characteristics in captivity in a later issue. (To be continued). The Birds of British Guiana. 103 The Birds of Britisli Guiana. By Chas. Dawson, S.j., .M.A. (Oxok.) This ariiclc is rf|)iiiuc(l IK'in ilu- " .Iniirr.al of the iioartl of Agriculture of Brit. Guiana." \vi:h our aiH)!(i,.,Mc-. and tliaiiivs to the lidilur, Author and I'roprieiors. — Editor " Bird Notes." II. {Continued from pa^rc 82). Owls. — Like Hawks, thcst- hircLs lia\.' powerful uilons. hooked beaks and an erect carriage. Ihe beak, htnvever, is not sc powerful, for whereas Hawks tear their prey to pieces before deNouring it, owls generally swallow it whole, and after- wards eject the bones with fur or feathers, in the form of pellets. They may be recognised at once by their cat-like visagf and forward stare. The face is surrounded by a frill, generally of wliite f -athers; the feathers of the head are loose and duMy. and in consequence it looks much larger than it reall) is. As they are, with few exceptions, nocturnal in their habits. Nature has provided them with specialized eyes, highly de\ eloped ears to catch the slighte .t sound, and soft feathers to ensure a noiseless tiight. Some arc adorned witli tufts of feathers on the head that look like horns or ears; but these are of no importance in determining Orders or species. There is a general uniformity in the plumage of owds ; none are highly coloured; browns, dull yellows and buffs, with white, and occasionally black markings are the prevailing tints. The iris of their abnormally large eyes is bright amber, which gives them a malignant look. Owls are divided mtt) twcj distinct families, differing from each other in the structure of the sternum or breast-- bone Slriglnae, including the Screech Owd, and Bubonidac, including the Tawny Owl of England; nearly all the species in this Colony belong to the latter family which is further distinguished by having a reversible outer toe, like that of the Osprey. This, at will, it can turn right back as it generally does in .perching. The Screech Owl is cosmopolitan, being found in almost all countries of the world. It is the Barn- Owl of England. The cry of owls is strange and weird; sometimes a screecli, sometimes a wail as of someone in pain, 104 The Birds of British Guiana. and at othei times a bark or "woof." They build their nests in holes of trees, or make no nests at all, simply laying their eggs 'on the decayed wood. The eggs are glossy white and spheroid in shape; the young are covered with down. Hawk-Owls are diurnal and have lost to some degree their owl-like peculiarities, the facial disc, and prominent eyes ; and their flufty feathers. The Hawk-Owl of the Colony, Cic- caba hiilula, is noticeable as having hawk-like plumage. Burrowing Owls, found in both North and South Am- erica, are also mainly diurnal in habits. They live in warrens, either made by themselves or, as it were, rented from otiier animals with whom they live in perfect agreement. In North America they may be seen living in harmony with prairie- dogs, rats, squirrels, or badgers; in this colony, with armid- illos, large 'lizards, and even rattle-snakes. They seem to have established a mutual truce. They feed on small mam- mals, birds, reptiles, and insects. They have almost lost their frill or rufl'. There are twenty genera and more than three hundred species. Tke Oil Bird. — Intermediate between Owls and Night- jars is placed the Guacharo or Oil-Bird, now said to breed in this colony. About the size of a crow and with a similar beak, it has stiff bristles in each side of the gape, its plumage being chocolate and grey, barred with dark brown or black and spotted with white. The legs are feeble, but the wings are large. It inhabits dark caverns, congregating in large numbers, and only issuing forth at night to feed on oil nuts and fruit. It builds its nest of clay, wherein are deposited about four white eggs, often very dirty. The young are so fat that the Indians take them for the purpose of extracting their oil, which they use for lamps, etc. In this way thou- sands are slaughtered. In some places the young are esteemed as, a delicacy, though their odour is said to be that of cock- roaches. Only one species of this bird is known. I'heir cry is a loud, croaking, rasping utterance. Niglit-Jars or Goat-suckers are partly owl-like in struc- ture and partly like swifts, having affinities to both. Needless to say, their second name is founded in a fiction. Like Owls, The Birds of British Guiana. 105 they arc chiefly nocturnal in their habits. They make strange noises; sometimes with a harsh, metallic ring, hence their name. Strangers co the bush are sometimes surprised at dusk by hearing voices calling from all sides in mournful tones. "Who are your" This is the N yctidronuis aibicollis, which is very common in open places. Night- Jars frequent the open, laying eggs on the bare ground. There they crouch during the day and will almost allow themselves to be trodden upon before moving off. They do not perch upon trees, but will lie along the branches. Their plumage is soft, and moth-like in colour. Their eggs are mottled with purple. They feed on moths and' beetles which they pursue with open mouths; their gape is enormous and- is generally beset with strong bristles. Certain species o'f the genus Chordiles are semi-diurnal and may sometimes be seen chasing their prey with vigour in in broad daylight. There are twenty-three genera and one hundred and forty-nine species. The Jay is our solitary example of its kmd and has no affinilies in this colony. Its habits are not known. The European Jay feeds on berries, fruit, young birds, and eggs, and in England has almost been exterminated on account of the depredations it inakes in orchards and pheasant runs. It builds its nest of twigs and roots and therein lays from four to seven eggs of a light green colour closely freckled with olive. Uur Colony Jay has probably similar habits. Of the Crow tribe, there are some forty genera and some two hundred and eighty species, of which about sixty species belong to the New World. 0\\ Ls (Colonial; . Strigifonnes. Owls— Large eared Owl Bubo vii gin.anui. Small-eared Owl A>^'(0 rlamator fSharp-bighted Owl. /'ii/satnx perspicillata Collaied Owl I'lilsaliix torpyL:;u. Flecc) .\igl)t-jar I'Dduj^cr nacunda. .Schoinburgh's .\iglii-jar (water- scissors ) 1 1 ydr(ipsati\ schninbii r^lii . W'iutf-Odllared Nii.'li:-iar Liiionilis ^ciuitariiiiitiis. Willi .irc yau: Night -jar i Night ■ flyer' \ yrtiditunii- iilhtrdllis. Guianr. Xighl-^ai > nHrrow-laci'd i Stciiopsi> cuycnnrnsib. ^jRed-nccktci Nighi-jar ,, lu/iccn-ix. .Smal" Black Night-jar (api i miilgiis iu<;rescens. Smai: Red Night-jar ,, nijiis. Crcw =. {Corvidae)— The Guian;i Jay Cyanocoras cayuiitis. *PurpU .Jay ^r ,^ violacciis. ( To be continued) . Editorial. Queen- Alexandra I'akrakkkts: Corrigenda. -Our note upon this species was made almost meaningless by the omissior oi part of a sentence —owing" to the exigencies oi time we were unable to read revise proofs and thus the error remained uncorrected. In line 7 of this i)aragraph. after " avicultunsts " msert has tended to prove that the majority of Australian psittaci arc quite hardy, but this winter. We may further add thai the;, out? lime consideied d'.-licate liourke's Parrakeel is also hardy and can i)c successfully wintered out of doors. Uf i ourse it is ()b\ ious that all new acquisitions should be nursed into a state of good he.illh before being turned out. VOLNO Vi:i.l.u\v-\\ iNcii- 1) SiOARBlRD : \\"e reproduce photos of a young Coercba eyanea and the nest it was reared in; takeii in the aviary of Mias Ji. h' . Cliawner, ull U was fully Bird Notes, Yduni^- Yellow-wino' BuL^arbii'd. IUrt) Notes. Nest of Yellow-wing Sug;u'l)ird Editorial. 107 fledged, l)ut dietl before it 'was able to fend for itself. It was indccvl hard lines to ha\-e com'.' so near to sureess, and yet to fall jusi short of it. WV' sym])athist' with her in the keeri dj^aI)p()intn^('nt which nuisl ha\'e been hers, when this young bird died, but she has the satisfaction of knowing that she has got nearer to complete success than any other a\iiulturist hitherto. At the moment of going to press we are giwn tlv" following details: The young Sugarbird was hatched on July 29th. left the nest on August 8th, and died on August 31st. It lived to feed itself but could not be called fully reared. This l:)ird came from the second nest, the first brood died ]ust after lea\ ing the nest. The nest was built of tow and paper sha\ ings, chiefly the latter, in a fork of a cypress bough. The eggs, two in number, were large, and bult- coloured. with a few spots and marking> at the larger -..'nd. W'l regret to learn that the parent birds ha\e suc- cumbi ci to the long and trying winter, so there appears to be no pro!:)ability of com])lete success being attained with this species during the present season. Correspondence. TO ABOLISH RATS AND MICE. Sir.- Somu three )c-ars agu I eiectc-d an uur-door a\iary which >oc)ii aUiJClcd large numbers of mjoe and some ral=. Vox a considerable nnii- 1 wa- qinti- nonplussed *^ tc how to gel nd ot ihcs-^ pests, but on the advK (.- oi a nied.cai In-.-nd 1 procured a bo.v ol a certain patent ]iiii>-()i; railed I'.xtirmo uhich 1 ha\, e louiul so effectual that 1 haven't .i Miigie mouse or rat lett. uuloors or out. This is saying a great] deal, for prc\ii.u_-l\ my ^jtable, larmsard and fowl-house were so infested with rats thai they got ne.irly all my young chicken-.. The poison is m the form of a i)aUe, and all one ha- to ilo is to spread some on a slice, of new bread rut halt an incii thick. .\fter covering this with a coat- ing o! flour, cut It into two-inch squares, and ai ilusk lay these square* about on the ground mosijy frequented by the rats. .\e.\t morning move the pieces not consumed. Lay dow;r a fresh .sujipl)' ea( h night until the last rai is accounted for. For mice instead of bread use small pieces of sweet biscuit. The way in uhich the poison is said tio act is that if establishe-, a bk-.iching ;iction which consume.^ the flesh and organs antil nothing is left save the dry pell in a completely inoffensive condition. 1 may say tha; my experience of it completely bears out this assertion, lor no offensive results have ever ensued from the use ot it about my premises lOS Obituary and British Bird Calendar. I shall be dolif^'lufd lo imparl the address of the makers of ICxtirmii tn ilmse ol ynui' readers wIid care to send me a stain[)rd and ;iddiessetl ])()siiard. Hazeleigl! Rectory, Mald.in GILBERT K.\\Ki)[< Obituary. Dk. IIf.nrv IIirn.EY, J. P. -We regret Iiaving to an- nounce the death of Dr. Pietley. a valued member of the Club and it; Council, who passed away, at his residenc-e, I'pper Norwood, on April 13th. He h)ecanie a member in 1908. and two years later was elected to the Council. He was keenly .interested in feathered and all wild life. His principal suc- cesses were the successful br:'eding of Crimson and Ringed t" inches in cages, his successes with these two species being the first and we believe, the only times these two species have been bred in cages. He was in his 66th year and will be greatly missed by a Large circle of fanciers and aviculturists. To Mrs. Hetley and family we tender sincere sympathy hi their y reat bereavement. British Bird Calendar April 19. — \\iyneckj Maldon. 22. — Cuckoo, Hazeleigh, Wind X . 10 a.m. ,, 23 — Swallow, Danbury, Wind E. 6 p.m. ,, 26. — ChilT-chalT, Hazeleigh, Wind N. 3 p.m. ,, 26. — Nightingale, Hazeleigh. Wind N. 5 p.m. May 4. — Spotted Flycatcher, Hazeleigh, Wind S., 11 a.m. „ 5. — Garde'n Warbler; Hazeleigh. Wind X.E. 9 a.m. 5. — Tree Pipit, Hazeleigh. 10 a.m. 9. — Blackcaj), Hazeleigh. Wind E. 11 a.m. ( )wing to the severe weather most of these dates an* later tlian usual, the onh remarkable fact being that the cuckoo arri\'ed rtrst of all, except tlu- Wryneck. (-i.H.R., Hazeleigh, May 5-'i7- -•Vprd iC. — Cuckoo, Lingtield Common, noon. lO. — \\'ryneck, Lmgfield Common, 9 a.m. A.T., Lingfield, April 20-'i7. 17. — Cuckoo, l.ingfieltl \'illage, 9-30 ;i.m. 18. —Tree Oeeper, Lmgfield X'illage, 10 a.m. 20. — Swift, Lingfield X'illage, S a.m. ,, 20. — Chif^'-chatT, Lingfield Village, noon. , 24. — Garden Warbler, Lingfield Village, 10 a.m. Heard or seen in my garden. W.T.P. Lingfield, Bird Notes. gQ,4EY "'—The Spectacled Owl. •1// rights rcscnrd]. [June, 1917. BIRD NOTES: THE JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. The Spectacled Owl. Syrnhim perspicillaiuvt. By Miss E. F. Chawxer. Last July I received a specimen of this fine Owl, which n:)w is not often imjiorted to tliis country, tlioiigli at one time it was well known in the Zooloi;ical ( iardens of London, and called there the Downy Owl. This name does not well de- scribe it, for several other kinds of owls have a more downy a])perirance than this rather close-feathered bird. The .Spectacled ( )wl is widely spread over Central and Xorthern .S. America and is a purelv tropical species. It has the re])utation of bein^- naturally tame, which my bird fully l)ears out. The day after his arrival he sidled along his perch and held down his head, as a Parrot does, when inviting a friend " to scratch a poll " and with the same object, for no- thing gives him greater pleasure than to have his head scrat- ched witli a finger or a bit of stick. He is absolutely fearless and perfectly gentle, and has evidently been much petted. When he arrived he was in good plumage but his first wash showed that he had a good deal of dirt to get rid of. He uses his bath freely, and has a curious haljit of dipping his face into water after feeding His voice is gruff, something Ijetween a growl and a hoarse chuckle; combined with his oddly maiked face and big yellow black pupilled eyes the effect is rather startling, and makes one feel that his name " Bogey " is well bestowed. The photograph gives such a good idea of his appear- ance that T need only say tliat his back is not black, but the shade known as " tctc dc iicgrc,'' and his breast and under no Across the Channel. parts tan. lie was annoyed at l)ein^ made to pose and would not stand np, so the ])hoto>4rapli does not show his heii^'ht ; he stands rather higher than om' Tawny ( )wl and is rather a lar- ger Ijird. His Across the Channel. Su))ie7i'he)'c Ui Fnuice. Bv LiKL'T. 1'"raxk Dawsox-Smith. 1 am scribbling- a few notes how and when I can, just to show 1 have not forgotten my " Bird Notes " among other other pleasant items left behind in Blighty. As it is all written more or less under difficulties I nmst rely upon you to excuse any defects of composition or rounded periods. 1 am not going to write about the war. In the first place it is a forbidden subject, and also you can read all about it in your daily paper better than I can describe it in this. Xo, I am going to tell you about the myriad birds 1 have encountered since I came out to the front. 1 wish I could make you visual- ize the tremendous contrasts one is brought face to face with when marching long distances. The contrast, for instance, between the war-scarred areas, and the little villages which lie like jewels, in the emerald setting of spring, far from the voice of the guns. And the variety of birds make a strong appeal to an aviculturist like myself. Magpies are extraordinarily common, particularly in a certain place which has been utterly destroyed by the Huns, not a wall left standing now ! Round here the long-tailed black and white magpie met us at every turn, and his nests of sticks were prominent objects in tree and hedge. I climbed up to several nests which contained eggs, the old bird sitting very close, and evidently understanding that I came as a friend meaning no harm. One nest I had under observation for quite a long time as it was in a tree close to my billet — a ruined barn. 'I'his. by the way, was quite "ban/' except one night wlien a thunderstorm let loose a torrent of rain, waking me out of a deep sleep and a dream of " Blighty." Across ihc Chauncl. in X oi a pleasant experience! However, I stumbled up and dragged an oil sheet over myself, and waited until 1 could slumber again. Little worries like that are common enough just now. and no one bothers. It's all in the day's work, so let's carry on with the birds. Of course rooks and crows are nuich in evidence, and can be seen picking up their food in the fields while their grey-headed relative, the jackdaw, abounds also. ( )f the game birds there are numerous partridges about. almost always in couples, and evidently paired off for the breed- ing season, the cock's voice being heard calling vociferously. About the end of April I saw the first swallows, rather late this year, but always welcome as harbingers of spring, their forked tails and graceful bodies speeding through the air as they sought their insect food. Martins, the white on the rump and under- parts rendering them conspicuous. ap])eared in the early part of May. and they soon got to work building their nests when they found a suitable spot. Kestrel hawks are not uncommon, and I have often observed them hovering overhead in their characteristic style. The ubiquitotis sparrow, and the familiar robin with his scarlet vest, were everywhere. Larks sang their glorious p:-.ean of song as they rose higher and ever higher and thrilled one with the sudden thought : — " Hark, hark, the lark at Heaven s gate sings, '^ heedless of the roar of the guns not far away where grim war is making hell in the fair land of France. Just here I saw an- other kind of bird — a (German aeroplane — come to earth! hiving high it was struck by an anti-aircraft shell and came toppling down, turning over and over in its descent, and taking a long time on the journey, because of its great height from the earth when struck. Then again, we received orders to shift to fresh quar- ters. For a fortnight we passed through villages unspoilt by the Hun. staying for odd days at farm houses on the way. Our march lay principally through glorious woods, dressed in dif- ferent shades of green, cool and inviting, bathed in sunshine, making a picture such as only Nature herself can print. How glad everything seemed! Never a sound of guns or warfare: onh' the carolling of birds. Every step of the way, unlike the war-blasted area, was lined with blossom, apple and pear, &c. 112 Across the CJiainid. And nirircliin^- tlirou^ii the i^reen, smiling- country with new life I)n(l(lin,!4' e\-erv\vhei"e, one's tlion^lits Hew to those other yoini,^' h'\es, planted in the i^ronnd with myriad crosses to mark tlie spot where some .i^allant lad lies in his last loni^' slee]). ha\in^' made the ,L;'reat sacrifice for Kin^;' and coimtrv. Lie green itf^on tlieir grai'es. 0 haf^f^y shri)ig. /■(>!■ iliey 7cere eager, young, and fitll of life.'' I don't know the author of those words but, to me. tliey are very l)eautiful. I>tit, to the birds a,^"ain. The harsh cry of the jav minyled with the clear melody of the thrush as we marched. The soml)re-hued blackbird, and the chaflfinch with cheerful soni.;" proclaimed " (iod's in His lleaxen. all's rii^ht with the world." I found the nest of a chaffinch, in a low tree, with eg'i^'s in it. TJie small, elei^ant structure, matched the colottr of the bark. Our next halt was in a \'illa,ii"e. a .Ljeiu set in the midst of excpiisite woodland. My billet was in a little thatched cottai^e, quite En,t^iish-lookin,t^'. My room opened on to the most de- liiniitful ,^"arden ima.^inable. It stood, secluded, in a sort of holy calm, a haven of rest and peace amid birds and flowers. A bi,^' apple tree flottrished and its blossom ran riot over the branches. At the far end was a tiny copse where a Xi.^htin.^ale lived and san,u" his lone souths. T have heard many Ni,!^htin.iL;ales otit here, but in the little cottai^e where 1 sat in the evening" the trills of tlie little l)rown bird, seemed more gloriously melodiotis than ever before. During' the day a ctickoo was insistently repeating' his name. lie was ne\'er visible to me. btit sometimes (piite near and then farther. .And, as if to com])lete the choir of .Xatnre. a wood pigeon was cooinj.^' to his mate, in harmony with all. f en\ied the possession of this Eden-like i^arden. which was owned and tended by the t^ood old h'rench woman who li\ed in the cottage and went about her daily duties so ([uietly and contentedly. By and by. when the sun had sunk, and the shadows L;rew, when the bird voices were silent and Nature slept, then the moon rose like a si.^nal for the tawnv owl to be.q'in his nis^i^htly serenade of " hoo-hoo-ini^." " //'(• f:noa' not alzcay i^'lio are tlie fnngs of flie day But tlie king of tlie night is tlie bold brozvii oicl." Across the Channel. I13 Marly next iiiorniiiL; we were aroused and marched to another \illa,L;e. passinL;" throu,L;li a splenchd wood en rv.de. It was a feast for tlie artistic eye, IjrilHant in its sprint;" dress of myriad hues of .L^'reen, l)lendin^' with anemones, violets, hyacinths, and some horse chestnut trees in full blossom. We halted outside the wood near an orchard, and here I cauj^iit sis^lu of a wry- neck tryiuii;" to keep out of sig'ht. A couple of blue tits were busy in the branches of a tree, turnint;- ni)side down and clinging" to t\\ igs in all sorts of fantastic positions. A spotted flycatcher, fr(jm a point of vantage, took many short flights, returning after having accounted for his insect prey. In a cage a greater whitethroat, was threading its way, its brownish back and whitish underparts being easily seen. Here also we heard the somewhat harsher note of the missel thrush, a common bird out liere. When we continued our luarch, a swallow-tailed butterfly settled quite close. J'his was the first living example of the species I ha\e e\er seen, l)ut it was unmistakable. I saw birds of many kinds all through the march. The '' laugh " of the green wootlpecker was frequent, and the bird itself once flew across our i)ath, as if to show us its undulating flight, l^ied Wagtails walked about seeking their food on the ground, and looking graceful, as always. And. as if to introduce an added touch of colour, a pair of yellow hanmiers perched on the top of a bush, a position which shewed otT their golden plumage to advantage. We passed through many other villages in the days that followed and. gradually growing louder and more sinister came the sullen roar of the guns, and then once more we were in the midst of the sights, as well as the sounds of war. So you see. each day brings some interest to the observant eye. Some- times peaceful scenes and sometimes the reverse. Nature takes little notice of war. and carries on in sublime optimism. One comes across rookeries where shells hurtle daily, the birds apparently indifferent. Perhaps one of the most striking facts is the unconquer- able cheeriness of " Tommy Atkins " under all circumstances, lie may be tired to exhaustion, footsore and weary, and abso- lutely " fed up " after a hard day of physical and mental strain, but he is never too tired or depressed to appreciate the humour of son:c subject. He can always find something to make hini 114 Birds of Oncciishnui. keep smiling'," or to help a niarcli on by liis lusty sins^'in^' of some popular melody such as " The Broken Doll " or " Tennessee." I am .L^iad the club ma,q;azine is still carryin.^' on despite the manifold difliculties which must be encumberin.^' editor and printer. I always dc\'our its pai^es when 1 ^et home on leave, and look up the back numljers which ha\'e accumulated in my absence. And now, having;' come to the end of my time, and perhaps yours, too, I wmII conclude and, in Tommy's vernacular say, " Dear "Sir. Editor, this comes hopin.i;' you are quite well. as 1 am about the same — and in the pink." <^h^- Birds of Queensland. The following interesting' notes of the birds and other fauna of Oueensland are from the pen of Mr. A. Weston, of Brisbane. There are about 740 different l)irds in Australia, and of those there are over 600 in (Jueensland, including;' a number un- known in the other states. In the crocodile and cassowary we have the larj^est ani- mal and bird on this continent, and we are the sole owners of the two finest rifle birds and three bower l)irds. Oueensland alone receives the annual mii.;ratory birds from New (iuinea, the Torres Straits pigeon, the silver-tail kingfisher, and the metallic starling. T have seen these landing at Cape York on their way south in hundreds and thousands. Very singular is the distribution of many of our birds. The cassowary comes south to the Herbert River and stops within 50 miles of Cape York. The wonga pigeon is not known north of Alackay. and Broadbent, the best of all our bird authorities, told me he had never seen one north of liroadsound. 1^he scrub turkey ranges from the scrubs of Illawarra right to Cape York, a distance of over 2.000 miles. The emu is everywhere in Oueensland, and I saw six of them within three miles of Cape ^'ork. h'rank Jardine told me the kangaroo was not seen within 60 miles of the Cape. The Birds of Qiicciislaiid . 115 plain turkey is also everywhere, from the far west ]ilains to the islands aloni;' the co.lst. and north to Cape ^'ork. I have seen thetn south of the Kower Paroo, and north of the Duchess River. The native companion, jabiroo. nankeen heron, the redbill, the black and white .s.;ooda extend from south to north. ( )ur friend the laui^hiiiia jackass is unknown in far western Oueensland, and so are the bandicoot and kant^aroo rat. The swan is not seen north of the Burdekin, but he i^oes west into the lakes of Central .\ustralia. We have only one of the three lyre birds (Mciiitra .Mbcrti). and 'he is not reported north of Tambourine Mountain, thouii'h blacks have told me he is in the scrubs of the Bunya Mountains. He is the shyest of all our birds. The black, and wood ducks, the whistler, and the piji^my .^"oose .^o north to near Cape York. The first Ouensland bird killed by a white man was a bus- tard, wei^hiuij;' \y lbs., shot by one of Captain Cook's men a Bustard Head in 1770. The South (Jueenslantl rifle bird is unknown in the north. The X'ictoria rifle bird is not found south of the Her- bert River, where I shot a cou|)le for the Museum in icSr/j. 'The stone plover (ni^ht curlew I, and sjiur-win^L;' ])lover arc from south to north. ( )nly in the Museum can the vast majority of the people see the Queensland birds, as they ha\e no chance of seeing' more than a fraction of them alive. Most mournful of all is the in- evitable fate of our scrub birds, which have to perish with the scrubs. The scrul) turkey, the wonga, and all the fruit-eating pigeons are doomed, except where they may be preserved by protection in bird reserves, and we want these reserves, numer- ous and extensive, and under laws mercilessly stringent. The Lamington Plateau reserve of 40,000 acres is a noble beginning, and should be followed at once by Stradbroke, I'raser's Island, and the South Keppel. \'ery singular is the fact that the wonga and the scrub turkey are unknown in the magnificent scrub on Fraser's Island, though common on the adjoining mainland. The mound building scrul) hen of Xorth Oueensland is unknown anywhere south. The Torres Straits pigeon has been seen south of Broadsound. ii6 /)//"(/ Lijc III the Firing Line. I'rascr's Island, witli its 050 square miles, wtmld form a splendid and ideal sanctuary for oiu" native birds and animals. It wotdd lirst be necessar}- to exterminate the din.L;oes wliich are everywhere, the true ori,L;inal bushy-tailed. |)ointed-eared. yellow-skinned " warrii^al.'" Xe\v Zealand's chief bird and animal preserve is on an island. There are many wallabies, btit no kaui^aroos on I'raser's Island. All the explorers — Leichhardt, Cires^ory. jardine, Lands- l)orotii4'h, Hodg"kinson, J. G. M'Donald, and ilume — record incredible quantities of j^'ame. A surveyor named I'rancis Cirundey was surveying- at the mouth of the Brisbane River, in 1851, and in liis highly interesting;- book he mentions the whole river and shores of the bay, and the fiats near Fisherman Island, as covered with myriads of dticks. i^eese. and swans, and the " ducks rising- in clouds which darkened the sun." ^^M^ Bird Life in the Firing Line. By Dr. N. S. Luca.s, R.A.M.C I had your last number of " Bird Notes " out here and saw in it your urgent appeal for more copy. To-day (May 25, 1917), is the anniversary of my having" seen service in h'rance for two months ; if that can be an anniversary, and if my bird ex- periences during- that period are of any general interest you are at liberty to publish them. I ai)pend a list of the birds 1 luue seen myself during- that period and a few others which have been seen by reliable people in that time. Most of the birds were seen near Peronne. those observed since are marked with an asterisk, though I cannot tell you where. First I had better give you a description of the country near Peronne. The town itself is mostly ruins. It is situated by the Somme. which is a peculiar river, in that it meanders about through marshes. There is a great deal of flood, too, owing to the canal bank being- broken. On the outskirts are a lot of small gardens, with birds, of course, and beyond, the river jtretches of what was once corn land but is now covered with roug'h long grass. When T arrived at Peronne the weather was verv cold iSird Life In the Fir{]ii^ Line. ii7 with frequenl snow storms, wliicli was not i^ood either for birds or bird w atchiiii;'. AmonL; the lirst birds I saw were a thrush, the onl\- one 1 have seen, a robin, to which the same remark apphes, blackbirds, and starhni^s. and of course tlie ma,^pie. 1 sav " of course " l)ecause the ma.^i>ie is one of the commonest birds abcnu. It would be \'ery easy to ,L;et a nestling;" and l^rini;- it ui). but they are dirty l)irds, and as an M.( ). 1 ha\e to set an example in sanitation, so, I fear, it is no i^ood. They olten build \-ery nutch lower than they do in ]'",nL;iand. sometini -s not p;ore than S feet from the ground. 'idle first bird which w^as in the least out of the ordinary, which 1 saw was a fine specimen of the .t^reen wood])ecker. He was in a little copse by the ri\er. I saw him on the same day as 1 saw the lirst of the, migrants, which was a pair of chiff- chaffs. They were in the same coj)se. The fields beyond the river contained ])artrid,qes in lar.ge numbers, and many kestrels, also skylarks and pipits, f have foimd the nest of the former. The wheatears were also seen there. 1 saw the owl, in broad dayli.ght. tiopi)in,L; about round an apology for a hedge in one of the fields. I think it was a tawny owl. btit I cannot be stu^e. as my horse suddenly broke into a fast canter and demanded my full atention past some old shell holes. The hooded crow I did not see i' Peronne, but appropriately in most desolate country, devastated in the push last autumn. The conniionest water bird is the coot, which are to be seen in parties of twenty or thirty. The dabchick was only seen once. The black redstart was building, high up in a ruined house in Perotme. The wdiole of one side and most of another had been blown out and the birds were building- in a niche in one of the ruined rooms. I could not actually see where, as I had no glasses with me. Reed warblers are very conunon round Per- ronne, with their funny mixture of song and croaks. Unfor- tunately T left too early to find the nest ; the army has really no consideration for a keen ornithologist ! It was the greater reed warbler. I do not think I ought to leave out a few remarks about the swallows, martins, and swifts. Last year you published an article dealing with them, I fully bear out the opinions of the ii8 f^ird Life In the Firing Line. writer, whose name I unfortunately for,i;et. The swallows and n'.arlins make the fullest use of the nestiuij^ places afforded by the ruins and are very numerous indeed. They are very tame and come into such houses as are left, and build there freely. In the mess-room, (a fonuer stable) of some officers, whom 1 visit daily, there are four ]>airs of swallows in various stag'es of buildini,^ and sitting. They pay no attention at all to people cominj^' in and out; the room is. of course, used in the evenini:;'. This morniuti^. however, I am told one family took it into their heads to throw out their ei^i^s. Unfortunately it was the nest aboxe the breakfast table, the time breakfast and the eg'gs hard set! It could not have been any disturbance as they promptly hei^an to nest a.^^^ain. This, unfortunately, is common enou.^h in the aviary but I have not heard of it before with birds at liberty. .Swifts were conuiion in Peronne but not here, where there are no tall buildings. I am attached to the Divisional R.E. and in one of the field companies are two members of the k'.B.C. Messrs. Henderson and Bassett. of Tonbridge. I am glad to say that they are both fit and well. We talk " bird " together vigorously. The sergt. major of another company is a keen naturalist both with re- gard to birds and butterflies and moths. He showed me the nest of a garden warbler, containing two eggs, also the bird oi'iv this morning, nnd the rest and eg;.;-; of a common redstart in the wall of his billet. So T am among congenial people. I am sorry to have to state that E. P. Card, who used to look after our birds at Braml)lehurst. died as a prisoner of war during the winter. In the following list of birds wdiich I have seen, those marked (*) at Peronne and elsewhere, and the few marked (I) were seen by other reliable oljservants. Ke.'^tre' Wren Lesser Kestrel F^edsje ."Sparrow Crow W'heatear •Hooded Crow Willow Wren Magpie. Chiff Chaff Jay. I'haffinch Owl. Tawny .skylark Coot \\'hitethroat Moorhen *(]ardcn Warbler Dabcliick Rood \\'ar!)ler Wild Duck Yellow Hammer Early Experiences. Ii^ Sandpiper. Linnet Partridge Black Redstart Swift Spotted Flycatcher Swallow *I'ied Flycatcher Martin Wood Pigeon Yellow Wagtail Turtle Dove I'ied Wagtail Woodpecker S])arrow ^Nightingale Thrush tGreat Tit Robin I:Longtailed Tit I'.lackhini XMissel Thrush Starling ^Little ( »\vl Early Experiences. Bv W'ksley T. Page. F.Z.S. Etc. (Coni'uuted from poi^c 7?). Foods: Insects — In the early days I knew nothing of nieahvorms, live ants' eg'g's. gentles, etc.. save as e.xisting in a state of nature, to he sought for and collected in a semi-rural garden, and the nearest hedgerows. Most of my insect jn'oven der at this jieriod was collected by means of an entomological sweei)-net and nuich was the heterogeneous collection of larva? and insects enjoyed by the birds, and with what avidity they ran- sacked the rubbish (bits of grass, herbage, etc.) amid which the nisecrs were concealed, when a handful was placed in cage oi aviary; out as time went on and the e.xchequer grew larger and ni V imie more hlled u[). 1 learned of commercial supplies and pr ; ctu'ed these, but I must admit that my breeding successes were not as nmnerous (mostly British species kept in these days) as when tney were fed with freshly collected wild live food. For those living in the country, or having the range of a large gar- den, probabilities of sticcess will be greatly enhanced, if tht mealworms, etc.. of commerce, be supplemented by the sweep- ing net and hand gathered larvae and pup^e and imagos of all kinds ot insect pests that infest our gardens. Blight. green-fl\ and the like, is easily gathered trom bushes and herbage. Tj\ brushing it into a small box. or bottle containing a few Icavc. with a small mo]) camel-hair brush. In these days, with the short- age of all commercial supi)lies of live insects, dwellers in the fio Early Experienced. country should be quite independent of sucli supplies, as in ad- dition to the sources indicated above, i^entles and mealworms may be bred, also clothes and similar moths — the last named can be bred anywhere, as also can mealworms, as with care the process occasions no offensive odour, but the reariui^' quarters of the first named must be situated at some distance from the dwellini^-housc. or frecpiented L^arden paths. I'erhai)s I had better .i^ixe Ijrief methods of procedure before connnentini;' on other foods. Hrccdiiig (ioitirs : The brcedins^' recej^tacles should be of metal — emptv biscuit tins make .L;ood store boxes — a sanitary dust-bin makes a i^ood hrst receptacle. ( )ther utensils required will be. a couple of (i. I. pails, a box larj^e enough for them to stand in and a cover for this l)ox, consisting" of a light wooden frame to ht it like a lid. o\er which half-inch mesh wire netting is to be stretched; also a hne mesh sieve. Stand the box in a sunnv out of the way corner of the garden, then procure suffi- cient meat, jjoultry, game, and fish offal to fill one of the pails, place it in the box and put on the netting covered lid: three days later procure offal for the second \):u\ and put that with the iir-;t. .\^ -oon as the first hlled i)ail is alive with gentl-fs tak. ii out. 'I'he dust-bin will now be required, put six to twelve inches of sand in the bottom, place the coarse sieve over the top, and etnptv the gentle-filled offal into the sieve; in a short time the gentles will have passed through the sieve into the sand at bottom of dust-bin, the process can be aided by tmaiing- over the offal occasionally. The pail should be refilled with offal and placed back in the proi)ag"ator. The offal when all the g^entles have passed from it, should be buried where it will help to fertilize growing" croi)s. The gentles in the dust-bin should be left for a couple of days, when they should be sifted from the sand and put into the store tin.s in fresh sand, sifting" them into fresh sand again every other day— when the g'entles are white right through they are ready for use. The store tins should l)e kept in as cool cpiarters as i)ossible and will not now bt offensive. By so treating" the i)ails in rotation a continuous su])i)lv can be easily maintained, and the operation is not nearl) so formidable in practice as it appears on paper. Breeding MealwoDiis : — I'rocure either some fully grown EarJv Fxl" eric II CCS. 121 mealworms or beetles, and put them into some metal receptacle, which has ])een pre\iouslv prepared by beint;' one-third filled with waste seed and bran, and then on top of this some loosely screwed up newspaper and folded pieces of sacking' (the latter slii^htly damped with porter). If the l)in is placed in some warm (lr\- jilace, where the temperature does not fall l)elow 60 des^'rees l\-ir.. propaij^ation will be fairly rapid, and all that will be needed will be the addin.;^'^ ot more bran — say monthly. As soon as it is established there will be plenty of mealworms amonti" the sackinj^- and paper, from which they can be easily picked for daily supplies. If the meal at bottom of the bin be not disturbed it will be i)ro(luctive for some years. If the su])ply recpiired be Uir^e it will be best to have two or three bins to use in rotation. The process is not an offensive one. if the bins are kept in a warm dry room — biu if cool and damp the contents of the bin. sweat, ferment, and become foul and rotten. The lid ot ordinary dust-bins is sufficient to confine the mealworms and u ;ually lea\'es them all the air required. Breeding Motlis:- Place some skins, fur and maize, in metal boxes, with their lids open, where moths frequent, until they l)ecome thorou.L^iily moth eaten, or ma.ij^i^-ots freelv a])pear, then remove the bo.xes and close their lids and in a short time you will have a liberal suiiplv of ma.i^-.^-ots. and the boxec continue productive for two or three vears. or lon.L;er. No (offensive odour is ,ij;iven off. Ilrrcding Flics: — (iet some wide necked t^lass bottles. or jars and place one or two over-ripe sjilit bananas in each; leave them standint^- in tbe sun in some flv-frequented spot for a few- days, then cover the mouths of the bottles with fine butter- muslin. keepin.L^ them in a sunny position. As soon as flies appear therein, the bottles can bp placed in ca,q"e or aviary, the nmslin covers remo\ed. and as the flies escape from the bottle? they are captured by the birds; as soon as all the flies have es- caped replace the covers on the Ijottles. and the next day these will a.^-ain be full of flies, and usually continue productive throui^hout the season. There is no offensive odour, even if the bottles be kept in the bird-room. Our member Mr. A Ezra adopts this method for securiui^- flies for his humming birds. 122 Early Experiences. In the dahlia season earwigs should prove a valuable adjunct to the live food menu. They are also valuable, being so easily tra|)ped. killed by sudden immersion in boUhii:^ water anj then stirred into the moistened insectile mixture. hiscctilc luivlnrc (Soft-food) : In the early days this was very i)rimiti\e. I made " (ierman Paste " according' to the recognised tormula. and supi)lemented this with moisteneo^ bread and cake crumbs, covering same with plant lice, little maw seed and captured insects killed in boiling water. Ordin- ary sweetened boiled bread and milk also formed part of the ■nenu, and all through my avicultural experience, T have been and still am, a great believer in its merits, as one of the indis- pensible items of the menu for both hard-, and soft-bills. Latet on I boug^ht some of the ready-made insectile mixture, l)ut did not follow this practice for lc)ng', soon commencing to ])rei)are my own on the more modern lines. For the basis of the mixture 1 have used either crushed dog-biscuit, or finely grotind g'ame meal, changing them about, and used to add to these tinelv ground crissel and ants' " eggs." As time prog-ressed other things were added thereto, fruit essence, dried flies, ground inipae meal; but all through 1 have adhered to the practice. whenever possible, of adding a portion of Ireshly killed insects to the su[)ply of moistened mixture. A good present day mix- ture, naming only items stocked by most dealers, consists of: 2 parts (by measure only) crushed dog biscuit (best ol)tainable) and one part of dried flies, ants' eggs, ground silkworm pupae and finely ground crissel — this mixture will keep indefinitely if jnit into a dust tight receptacle and stored in a dry place. h'or use take the required portion, add from ten drops to one teaspoonful of cod-liver oil emulsion according to quantity to be mixed, then sufficient boiling water to make the whole crumbly luoist. A four-pronged fork makes an excellent mix- ing utensil, (irated cheese is also a wholesome item to add after the mixture has been moistened, and cake crumbs may be similarly added. For the more delicate and purely insectivorous species, increase the bulk of dried flies and ants' eggs in the mixture. Milk-sop •• — Old time method was to boil fresh milk and bread up together in a pannikin, then pour into a dish and stir Early Rxpniciiccs. 123 into a little honey: now I coarsely crumb bread or sponj^e cake into a basin, add one tablespoonful of condensed milk, one tea- spoonful of lioney, and then lill up the basin (me(liuni size) with boiling water, and well stir, and sui)ply to the birds while luke- warm. Seeds: — I have always .supi)lied three mixtures, but sometimes have cond^ined the three in one mixture, thoui^h, e\».ept with cashed birds the former practice is the more prefc i.( [i:s. — Avadavats. Three-colour Mannikins. MaLabar Mynali'-, ( loldfinches. etc., are either building or sit- ting. The ( ioldlinches, both pairs, are feeding their respective mates, and 1 think. ba\e nests but 1 cannot see them actually at work, thouL;]i they keep about all the time. The llimalayan i'nlt'mches are in line form l)ut not nesting up to the present (May 4th I. .Ai-RK'ws. 1 have tpiite a numl)er of these, all of which are looking very tit and have come through the trying winter Aviary Notes of iQi/. 12 = well in their unheated room. Black-faced Quail Finches are very interesting;-, they have bnilt nests and laid e^'i^'s with me on several occasions, but have not. as yet. attained complete success. This year they have built an excellent nest, in a nice dry spot on th top of a bank. The nest is built entirely of old dry ,iL;-rass with a lon.^' domed entrance, they are now busy carryinj^- in feathers so hope they will soon lay. l^lrefinches, ]\la,!ni)ie Mannikins, and others are also building'. DovKS AND Pigeons. — Diamond, Peaceful, \iolet, Brush r)ronze-\\in,i4', Talpacoti, and Plumed (iround. are all incubatins^: clutches of eg'gs. Cieoffrey's have young ones. Red Mountain Doves and (ireen I'ruit Pii:;eons have not yet nested. The I'ruit-pii^eons will not eat fruit, but take freely of boiled rice, staked maize and L^rey peas, also small dry seed and come on Yellow-winqed Suy-nr-ln'rd and Zelira Finches. ihe .ground to feed quite often. The cock is cpiite tame and may be handled without moving;-, but the hen is wilder. The Indian ( ireen-win;^' Doves have, as yet, shown no si.s^ns of nestiuij;'. South Amp:ricans and Others. — Cuban Finches are buildin,^', as also are A'irginian and Pope Cardinals. The Red- crested Cardinals commenced nest construction, but as they were always trying- to fight the Popes through the netting dividing the two aviaries, I thought it wiser to remove them. luiler's and I'ileated Finches are doing nothing so far. The r.'ue jays are still building, and I hope eggs and young may follow in due course. The Song Spar- 126 77; (' Hirds of Ihitish Cu'iaiia. rows liave not commenced Ijin'ldin^' yet. but one pair, the \vliite-eyel)ro\ve(l. t^o about to^^etlier and tlie hen cliases lier mate al)out, but Hies al)()ut witli him, so perliaps there is a prospect of tliem nestinj^- wlien tlie pri\el, laurel, etc.. are in full leaf, and the ,L;"rass well ^rown. The Jun,L;ie and Button Ouail are always tos^'ether, and the jun,^ie cock is rather fond of rushing;" after the Bronze-win^ l)o\es and drivini;' them from his particular corner, so I hoi)e. perhai)s. tliey may l)reed this year — last year they took no notice whatever of each other, and 1 never saw the cock chase anytliin,i;' before. I'srriwci. — There are i)lenty of youui;' Bud,^'eriL;ars. also yoimi4' Cockateels. Peach-faced and Black-cheeked J.ovebirds are sittinj^'. 1 ha\-e penned the above jottin,^"s. after spendin,^' the week-end amoni;' the birds, watching' their doini^'s. so that if copy is still short the editor may be able to make extracts there- from. ^-M^ The Birds of British Guiana. Bv CiiAs. n.wvsox. S.J.. M.A.. (Oxox). (C'o)itiinii-(l fro)}i Poi^c 106). Tyrant Birds. Thfse birds bclont;- to the great Order of Passeriformes A\u\ arc tlius distantly related to the Colony Jay. They are only found in the New World. The name appears to have been first given to the King-bird of North America on account of its boldness in attacking hawks and even eagles and driving them otT. h is hardly applicable to many of the colony species, though our Kiskadee certainly merits the title. In habits, some of these birds resemble the European shrikes or butcher-birds; others, the tly-catcdiers ; and one at least (the Cotton Bud) the wagtail. The faiuily comprises many dif- ferent forms, but all are insectivorous, some varying their diet with fruit, and the larger forms with eggs, young birds, and small lizards. None are gaudily coloured; ; brown, red, giey, dull-yellow and in the Pyocephalus nibineiis with bright scarlet. The Scissor-tailcd ly rant- Bird is remarkable for its long, forked, tail and the Royal lyrant-Bird for its half- The Birds oi British Guiana. 127 moon, crown-like, crest. The note oF these birds is generally loiul and harsh; there are no songsters among them. The Kiskadee (sometimes written Qu'esf-ce-qu'il-dit lron\ a tan (led resemblance of its loud note to these words) is, \\\ this colony, facile princeps of his Order. He is the ad- monitoi of birds generally, and is in evidence e\'eryvvherc. He must not be mistaken for the Slender-billed 'J'yrant JJird which is tin same in colour and markings, but is smaller, nor yet for ihv liroad-billed Tyrant-Bird which is larger and has a v(My broad bill; this bird, however, is seldom seen, being very shy and solitary. The Orange-crested 'l\vrant-Bird -is also marked the same, but is smaller than the Slender-bUl. All tl esc birds have orange-coloured, silken feathers beneath the black feathers on the top of the head and all show them occasionally; but the latter named more than all. hence its name . The Figmy lyrant-Bird, or Pipitorie as it is called from its persislr^nt note, is like a tiny Kiskadee. but has no corona. The Fork-tail was once a common object iii (ieorge- town; the Cotton Bird is still to be seen along the trenches^ tfie Grey-headed, and the Kustic 'Fyrant-Birds are \ ery com- mon. There are some eighty genera and about four hunched and sixty species. Ptsierijomes — Kiskadee Tyrant-Bird Slender-billed Tyrant-Bird •Sniall ,, , ; Broad-billed ,, , ; Orange-crested ,, , ; V'ellow-breasted ,, , ; Pale - yellow - vented 1 yrant- Bird (•■; Muff lyrant-Bird Grey-headed Tyrant-Bird Scissor-tailed ,, , ; Brown-tailed ,, , ; fSolitary ,, , ; Scarlet-breasted ,, , ; Rustic. ., t\\ liite-cappcci ,. , ; fOlive brown ,, , ; f'ita/igi/s siilphraliis. ,, Uctor. ,, parvus. Meguthyncus pit an gu a. Myo/zctclr.'i caycnncnsis. ,. sill pluireiis I yruuMiis rosirutiis. lutcivcnlns. melancholic Miiscivora tyraiinii.'i . ■iWyi iodyiuistes aiidux . ,. solilariiis Pyioce phaliis ni binriis . tlainea pagana ,. al biceps. ,, otivina. I2t Tlic Birds of f-Sritish (iiiiaiia. VVliile-hcadiil 1 y ram-Bird Small-brown ,, . , Black - and - Wlutc 1 yr:im- Bird (Cotton Birtl) Pigmy Tyrant-Bird ''tOrnate Tyrant-Bird, fbpottcd Tyrant-Bird ''tWhilc-brcwed Tyrant-Bird (Rur- aima) t'l'he Sea-shore Tyrant-Bird TThc Sprightly Tyrant-Bird. -j-Tlic Aloustached Tyrant-l'.ird -fRcd-tailed Tyrant-Bird *tVelluw-vented Tyrant-Bird. tStnpe-t'aced Tyrant-Bird. fRuddy Tyrant-Bird (Roraima i ■j-Helmeted Tyrant-Bird. *tStripe-Capped Tyrant-Bird. tBeautiful-breasted Tyrant-Binl fDarkheadcd Tyrant Bird. *tBlack-tronted Tyrant-Bird fFly-eatmg Tyrant Bird fRucldy-capped Tyrant Bird fDusky Tyrant Bira *tHarmIess Tyrant Bird ftierce Tyrant Bird (?) *i'Superb Tyrant Bird fSlender-looted tyrant Bird fShort-billed Tyrant Bird. [:) fW lute-necked Tyrant Bird King Tyrant Bird (or Royal i fBearded Tyrant Bird •tRuby Tyrant Bira Roraima Tyrant-Bird (red streaked head; tFreckled Tyrant Bird fOlive Tyrant Bird if). tFlammg Tyrant Bird tl'he Swarthy Tyrant Bird i'The Tly King Tyrant Bird flhe Bold Tyrant Bird i.';). tTht; Grey tyrant Bird. tThe Striped tyrant Bird. •Swallow-tly Tyrant Bird. *Asn-coloured Tyrant Bird. .1/ iindinicola IcucAiccphula. Miunectcs oicaginm,. I inviculu pica. 1 udiiosii mil cine re II /ii. J oi/ii (isiniin piciiiin. I Ili IN CAGE, ETC. Sik, — Some of our members have, like myself, to keep their jiels in cages and possibly the following may pro\e of interest to such. .Mv Magpie (hen), which I have had for several years, has been ke]il ni a cage, which cannot be called a very large one, but which, nevertheless, supplies si)ace for moderate mo\-ement without damage to her tail. There is i)nl\- one perch in the cage as two jiarallel ones left too little space for her caudal appendage. She laid several eggs last year and I regret so far having been unable to make arrangements to accommodate her with a mate. l.Ip to the present she has laid six eggs this year and sits about on the door of the cage a good deal, but b\- no means covering the eggs, for these ])ast few da\ s. .She keeps in beautiful plumage and condition, is very gentle and in- telligent. .\lv (ire\ W'a.xbill still Hourishes and is now on its fourth year of cage life. I ;ini h;ippily placed here as regards feathereil life- — one sees the Heron, Snipe, Owls. ;ind manv feathered \\";irblers : the voices of the green Wood- pecker, \\'r\nccl< and Cuckoo are common sounds. .\t night the melody of the .Xighting.aK- charms the e;ir. also the passing of wild geese and others of iiociurnil habits keejis one's interest alive. The Tree Sparrow seeius absent hereabouts. New >"i'"lton. June ist, 1917. J. WEIR. British Bird Calendar. April 25. — Saw Fieldfares. .May 2. - ,, Winchats. 7. — .. Blackcap and Nightjar. S. — ,, Turtle Dove and Sedge Warbler. 18.— ,. Red hacked Shrike. IQ. — ,, Young tjrey Wagtails about a week old. J2. — .. .\ Shrike's nest containing four egfgs. Have met with all the migrants now. but the above interested me most J.S.R., Caterham, Surrey, May 23, 1917. ;^ Ml rights reserved.] [July, 1917. BIRD NOTES: THE JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGIST BIRD CLUB. The Nesting of the White-cheehed Finch-Larh. By W. Shore Baily. Pyrrliulauda Jeitcotis is a pretty, and fairly freely imported African bird, but, as far as I know, tliey have not previously reared yonnLi- in this country. My pair. althou,£^h they had nested with their former owner, Or. M. Amsler, made no attem])t to do so in my aviaries last year: this year they have behaved better. Early in May I noticed the cock chasing" the hen. a sure sign that tliey were tliinking of housekeeping', so on Sunday afternoon. May 6th, I planted a seat near the entrance to their aviary and settled myself comfortably to watch them with a view to locating the nest. Both birds seemed very uneasy and several times came flying in my direction. At one time the hen had her beak full of dry grass, but after watching" theni for more than an hour I quite failed to obtain any idea of the whereabouts of the nest. The aviary is a large one. about 150' x 75', so I decided to take my stand at the other end; no sooner had I done so than the cock bird alighted where I had previously been sitting, and as he did not re-appear I concluded he must have run on to the nest. After a careful stalk I flushed him, but it still took me some time to find the nest. When I at last saw it. I congratulated myself that I had not accidentally put my foot upon it. It wason the bare ground at the foot of a willow stump, and not three feet from where I had been sitting" for over an hour. A slight cup-shaped depression had been lined with dried grass and this contained two eggs, very similar in colotu" to those of the English Skylark, but of a much smaller size, 134 Ncsti)ig of the JJliitc-chcckcd finch-lMrk. I cannot say whether tlie e^.u^'s liad been incubated or not when found on May 6th, l)ut ten days later one e,u:i^ hatched out, the other havini^ disappeared. The newly hatched chick was dark chocolate in colour. It grew very fast and at three days old its body and wings were outlined in a buff-coloured fluff. WHien a week old it began to feather, and on the twelfth day it made its exit from the nest , being then fully feathered, except that its tail and flight feathers were not fully grown. In colour it was a dark chocolate, very evenly barred wMth a lighter l^rown. For two or three days I saw it no more, but on June ist f caught sight of it in the potato patch — I am growing potatoes in some of my aviaries — it ran very swiftly and took cover under a potato leaf, just like a young partridge. Both parents took part in the duties of incubation; the cock bird by day and the hen by night. They also divided the duties for catering for their little one, which was fed, so far as I could see. entirely on live-food, grubs and caterpillars being apparently most favoured : mealworms when provided were also much appreciated. When the baby Lark was about a week old it had a narrow escape from sudden death, as a grass snake, about four feet long found its way into the axiary. The reptile took a nest full of eggs belonging to my redwings, and if I had not seen it when I did, there would undoubtedly have been other equally vexatious losses. The colour of the adult l)irds. in 1)oth sexes, is attractive and pleasing, and, as they are not shy. they are mostly on view, which is not always the case with many species of larks. Like my Indian Lark {.Mauda aJauda) P. Iciicotis fre- quently selects the top of a dead tree from which to pour forth his song, but T have never heard it singing while on the wing, as it is said to do in its native haunts. There appear to l)e several other s])ecies of finch-larks, both in Africa and India, and from an aviculturists' point of view, they would seem to be well worth importing. Bird Notes. Photos \V. Share Ba/h/. Cock (1) Hen (2) of P. leacotis incubating. w b p 5>. C Private Importation of hidian Birds. 135 Alas ! Since writing the above notes I have to record the death of my httle larkHng.* He fell a victim to an avian Hun as have several other birds this season. It is strans'e what delight some birds take in strafing any new-comer in their aviary; whether introduced or born there seems to make no difference. Unfortunately in a large aviary nothing can be done to prevent it, as it is impossible to catch up any individual bird, and one hesitates about using a shot gun, where many valuable birds are about. The Finch-Larks, at the time of writing (June 20th) are I believe incubating another clutch of eggs, but I have not yet located the nest. ^»<^ The Private Importation of Indian Birds. By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S. Etc. (Continued from page 702). Fruitsuckers : Of these, three species were imported alive, namely the Gold-fronted, and Hardwick's, also the Black- crested "^'ellow Bulbul, most of whom did well, though there were several Hardwick's which arrived in very bad condition. These, in spite of every care, succuml)e(l though lingering on for some weeks. Gold-Fronted Green Fruitsucker : (Chloropsis auri- frons) : This species is gloriously beautiful; it is also of a tame and confiding nature and makes a delightful pet. It is a well known species and has been illustrated in colours in a back num- ber of " Bird Notes." Once established, it is hardy, and can be successfully wintered out of doors during any ordinary winter. Eight of this species arrived alive with different consign- ments, and of these six have found homes in the aviaries of members. Description : Forehead and fore-crown rich orange-yel- low; lores, eye region, ear-coverts and lower throat black; chin, cheeks, moustachial streaks, and upper throat rich purplish blue; lesser wing-coverts and bend of wing intense verdigris- blue ; remainder of plumage brilliant green, tinged in parts with old gold. Beak black; feet plumbeous. *The young bird was fully independent of its parents before the tragedy. 136 Prk'ufc Iiiiportafiou of Indian Birds. Range and Habitat.: Sii1)-nimalayan tracts from (iar- wlial to Dibrii^arh in .Assam, and liastern Ben,L;al. The birds do not vary in size much according- lo locality, but those from Knmaiin are lari^er than those from the other parts of the extended range of this species. It extends into Cambodia. Captivity Notes: My lovely male presented to me by the late Lt.-Col. Perreati early in 1908, when ftilly adtilt. died in the early part of this year, showing signs of senile decay: he was evidently one of the largest and most brilliantly coloured speci- mens I have seen, and T have seen many. He was tmcommonly tame, came to hand at once and did not object to being handled --his heart ptilsating not one whit more when he was gri]j])ed in the hand, than when perched on one's tlnger- — tossed into the air he returned to hand or shoulder at once, and this in a large flight 15' hi.gh, thick with growing trees and bushes. He dwelt there amicably with other species — waxbills, weavers, finches, tanagers, ouzels, and thrtishes-— spending several severe winters out of doors. In khj I succeeded in getting a mate for him and never will I forget the display he made when she was turned into his flight — the then Major Perreau was present and said he had never seen anything to equal it — wall-creeper- like, he clung to stem and wall with wings outspread — the in- tense verdigris-blue of the l^end of the wing now a Imge patch — making a feast of beaut \- !)evond the power of words to describe; now he has " gone west " and alas! his donor also. vStrange fatality, I lost the hen also this year-her end was tragic, she fell a \ictim to a marauding rat wdiich obtained entrance into the aviary. Numerous and gorgeous as are the feathered aliens which reach our shores, none are more attract- ive or beautiful than the Gold-fronted dreen Fruitsucker. Added to these qualities must be that he is a fine songster and possesses no mean powers of mimicry. Hardwick's Grf.kx I'"RinTsucKi-:R (C. hardwickii) : An even more beautiful species than the i)receding species in the eyes of some aviculturists, l)ut not in tlie writer's opinion, nor yet is it as robust, hardy or confiding as aitrifrons. After all we each have our opinions and are differently pleased: with me at any rate the Gold-front stands first. Bird Notes. Plmtox F. Datrsmi Sntitli. The Curlt'w. So}iic Xofcs On flic C iiiictc. 137 Good luck did not attend the li\in,Lr arrivals of this species which came to hand in fair feather, bitt bad condition, and thou.^'h receiving- careftil nursing" and liiii^ering' for some weeks, all but one ultimately succumbed — this solitary survivor, a hen, is thriving' in the bird-room of one of our members. Idiis specie^ also has a tine sons;" and a very fine apjiear- ance, but is not, in the writer's opinion, so hardy as anriirons, bnl lie enriches any collection. Hur member Mr. Scott-Free- !and has kept both this species and the (iold-front in the same ^aviary (at Tonbridg'e ) all the year round. Dcscript'w)}. Male- .Above .L^reen, head and neck ting'ed with yellowisli. and lirilliant smalt-blue moustachial streaks; wiuLi^s and tail ptu"ple-\iolet ; throat and fore-neck l)lack. passing" into dark flossy purple on the breast ; abdomen rich cadmium- yellow: l)eak black; feet ])lmnbeous. The female is paler and lackinj.,'- the black neck and throat, her moustachial streaks are paler, and the under-parts much suffused with !j;"reen. f I obits. — It ran.-^es the Hinialavas and their leases, from Mussore to r3ibru,yarh in Assam; Khashi Hills; Manipur; Tocu.g'ri.goo Hills; Karence. Maleyeil Mountain in Tenas- serim ; and Perak Xi'tus in the Malav Peninsula. The nest is said to be shallow and cup-shaped, con- structed of veg'etable fibres, tine roots and stems of weeds. Eggs, usually two, of a whitish ground colour marked with black or dark brown. (To be Continued) . ^-M^ Some Notes on the Curlew. By Lieut. Fra.vk Dawsox-Smith. Practical aviculture is rather a " wash-out " with me just now, but my interest never flags and I hope some day, when the war is a thing of the past, to carry on my study of bird-life again. Just at present I am in a " rest billet " behind the tiring line, after a most strenuous and exciting period of adventure — ■ 138 Some Noics (hi flic Curlew. " alarums and excursions " in the thickest of the fray. I am writint^- these notes in a beautiful and peaceful spot, where there is only the sound of birds — the exquisite song- of a hidden war- bler right overhead, wdiere I am sitting at the top of a hill, looking" down on a picture of perfect and serene beauty. What a contrast to what I have left ! And my thoughts go wandering- back to other scenes, when I went exploring in the wilds for the study of bird life. And that brings me to a vivid remembrance of the Highlands. Few places excel in beauty the lochs of the North West Highlands of Scotland. These lochs are of two kinds; salt w'ater and fresh water, and both are strikingly beauti- ful. A medley of colour in summer, and impressive and wild in their winter grandeur. Here the Curlew finds a congenial home. Along the sides of the sea-loch fringed with forests, and with great rugged mountains surveying it the Curlew seeks his food, giving frequent utterance to his wild, wailing^ cry, which somehow, appears to blend with the wild beauty around. Most people know^ the Curlew, as it is quite a common bird in most coastal districts, and the sight of the long curved-bill bird is as familiar as its call. But one can best appreciate its wild desolate cry on a lonely coast. It is rather a ditificult matter to get near a Curlew, as they are very shy, as anyone who has attempted to stalk them will understand. A pair of glasses are necessary to observe and study them properly. In the winter Curlews may be seen walking sedately along the shore, probing in the sand and mud with their long bills in search of food, wdiich consists of worms, mollusca. small crabs and tiny insects which they can catch. A close study is rarely possible; at least that is my experience. I tried it several times, but never really succeeded, as the bird instinctively rose and then flew off with loud cries of alarm and warning. The cry of a Curlew is un- forgettable when once heard. I think it an extremely attractive cry! This Ijird is a resident species and inhabits the coast for the greater part of the year. It is not popular with the wild- fowler, as it acts as a sentinel and alarms his quarry — the ducks and geese, and consequently is often the cause of a blank stalk. My temper has often been sorely tried, when I have been after wild-fowl, and the sentinel Curlew has brought to naught all Some Notes On the Curleiv. i39 my care and trouble, just when it seemed hoimd to succeed! his alarm note upsettint^" all my calculations and arran,i;ements. The bird does not make very j^ood eatin.i;', althou.^h it is relished by some i)eoi)le, — chacuii a son gout. It is. perhaps, as well for the Curlew that it does not make a dainty dish or it might con- ceivably be a rarer bird than it is! In the sprins.^" the Curlew's " fancy lightly turns to thoughts of 1o\t,"' and he then forsakes his winter quarters on the shore for more suitable spots where he may bring up his family. Hence in spring and summer one hnds many Curlews on the Scottish moors, wheeling in the air and uttering their plaintive cries. Among the heather the fe- male deposits her four eggs, well hidden and difficult to find as the eggs so resemble the heather and ground in colouring". The eggs are pointed at one end, the shape of the common lap- wings, and are olive in colour with brown markings. The l)arent birds e\'ince great concern when a human approaches the vicinity of the nest, flying round in circles with loud cries of distress. If the eggs are hard to discover, the yoimg birds are equally so. or even more difficult to see. They can run as soon as they are hatched, and, when danger approaches, do so in all directions, and then crouch down in the heather or grass with which they blend and harmonize so completely as to baffle the seeking eye. The baby Curlew does not possess the long curved bill of the adult bird and is altogether a queer-looking little chap. These waders are quite easily kept in 'captivity. I have owned several in pre-war days. Despite of their shy nature in the wild state, they soon became very tame. They always kept themselves in a spotlessly clean condition, and made a most at- tractive addition to the large waders aviary where 1 kept them. Their food consisted of barley meal, puppy meal, bread, boiled rice, and strips of raw meat added to the mixture. And, very important, as many worms as could be obtained 1 found that plenty of worms were not only regarded appreciatively but also beneficial. The Curlew in the photographs sent with this, was a very tame specimen, and he was allowed a considerable a- mount of freedom. He did not approve, however, of being- snapped," and it was only after a good deal of patience and perseverance that I fmally made him understand that my camera was not an instrument of torture; in the end I managed to secure 140 A Cruise on flic S.V. " Vcctis.^^ the results wliich ^ci with this article. I think most i)eople will a.i^ree with me that the Curlew's cry is a most pleasing- one, whether heard on the coast or the moorlands. I trust that these notes of the l)ird may l)e of some interest to the readers of "Bird Notes." Before conclndinn' I should like to make a few remarks about the WHiimbrel, a bird very similar to the Curlew, Init of smaller size. Whimbrels are birds of passage, appearini;' on our coasts in s]>rin,<.i" and autunm. A few of them remain all thrcni.gh the sunnner, but these are l)ir(is in innnature plumaij^e. They are not so shy as the Curlew's and are therefore easier to study. In September they may be seen associating- with Red- shanks and other small waders, and are also often found with Curlews. In flight and food they resemble their larger relative, and their nest is also similar — a shallow hole in the ground, but the eggs are, naturally, smaller. A few pairs breed in the Ork- ney and Shetlands. but the chief places are Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and other places in the Arctic. In captivity the habits and food of the Whimbrel are the same as the Curlews, and it is cpiite as attractive, the smaller size of the former being, prac- tically, the only difference here! That is about all I can write now. I am hoping to get off another article before returning to the front line again, and I know our esteemed editor is some- times hard up for copy in these troublous times, so I want to do my bit to ease him as far as I can. Good-bye and good luck to him and my fellow members of the F.B.C. M-K A Cruise on the S.Y. " Vectis." By W. Shore Baily. When this dreadful war is over and conditions are once more something like normal, many of us wdio have been making munitions, or have been engaged on other work of national importance frequently under very diflficult conditions, will admit that we are entitled to take a reasonable holiday. To these I would say try a trip through Norwegian Fjords, and you are not likely to repent it. If you are an ornithologist, you will constantly be kept in sight of birds of many kinds. If a botanist, A Cruise on the S.)'. " P^cctis." 14I many rare plants are sure to l)e met with. Whilst if neither of these hobbies interest you. the constant ohans^es of place and scenery cannot fail to jilease. The following;- account of a trip taken in July. 1904. will |L;ive some idea of what one mav expect to see. The .S.\'. N'ectis. the vessel on which my pal and self decided to book passaij;es was a P. & (J. liner of 6.000 tons, and this was her first trip as a pleasure yacht. The cruise was to take 28 days and was to include a visit to Spitzljer.^en and the Polar ice-pack. It was with considerable excitement that we left London in a special train for Tilbury Dock, on the mornin.s^ of the 6th July. Some of our fellow fiasseni^ers looked decidedly weird in their travellini;- costumes, and speculations as to what they would be like to live with for a month were min.^ied with doubts as to whether our bagg'age would or would not turn up on the yacht. When we reached Tilbury we were all taken to the I'cctis in a tender and after the usual flurry and disorder we were at last installed in our cabins. My pal and I had selected cabins amidship. the most desirable i)osition on. the vessel. It was his first experience of travel and he was rather inclined to grumble at the size of his cabin. I had to point out to him that he could not expect on board ship to find bedrooms as large as those hewas used to at home As a matter :of fact, when Ave got used to them, we found them amply big enough and most conveniently fitted up. Being on deck, we were able to sleep with our doors open at night, and so got plenty of fresh air, which is not always to be obtained in the cabins on the lower deck. Early in the afternoon, we got under way, and were followed down the river by a large flock of Lesser Black-headed Gulls, so well known to Londoners. At the mouth of the river most of them left us, to return uji-stream. Their place was taken by a few Herring Gulls, which followed us nearly all the way to Norway. At dinner in the evening we met our table companions for the voyage, and we thought ourselves lucky in being billeted with such charming people. The dining room on the J'ecfis is alarge well-appointed saloon, and it has the great advantage of being roomy enough to seat all the passengers at the same time, thus doing away with the necessity of serving the meals in relays, always a source of strife amongst the pas- sengers on vessels with less dining-room accommodation. 14^ A CrusJc on the S.V. " j'cctis." After a capital dinner, and a short stroll on deck, we adjourned to the smoke-room, in the oi)inion of the male passengers the best appointed room in the ship. Here drinks and smokes of all kinds could be obtained, and a couple of pleasant hours were s[)ent before turning in. Reveille sounded at 6-30 next morning, and we awoke to find that we were sailing or a sum- mer sea, with little or no motion on the vessel. After a salt water bath and a walk around the decks we were able to do justice to a most excellent breakfast. The catering on the I'cctis was, we found, one of the features of the cruise. The forenoon we spent in examining the yacht, making the acquaint- ance of our fellow passengers, and in compariuin our tield- glasses. Most of the men carried high power Zeiss or Ross glasses, but knowing how dil^cult it is to keep these steadily on an object when in a moving boat, the writer had provided himself with a pair of low-powered glasses, with large object- ives. With these he found that he could easily pick up birds on the wing, when with the high-powered glass it was very difficult to do so. \"ery few birds were seen this day but I w^as able to identify a few Gannets in immature plumage. After lunch the vessel was stopped for a life-saving practice. A dummy was thrown overboard, and a lifeboat was lowered to effect a rescue. Everything was done in record time, and we were all very much interested. I was very much surprised at noting the extreme shallowness of the water, as when the screw was restarted the sand was very much churned up, and we left a sand-coloured wake behind us as far as the eye could see. We had expected to find a lot of fishing boats on the Dogger Bank but the only vessel we saw was a Norwegian barque, wdiich came close enough to be photographed. We probably passed the fishing fleet in the night. The next day we awoke to find a fresh breeze blowing and on tumbling out of our berths found that we had by no means as yet acquired our sea legs. The saloon at breakfast time was not very full ; what it was like at lunch time I do not know, as by that time I had lost all in- terest in food-stuffs myself, and I could not be persuaded by a kind-hearted steward to leave my chair on deck before bed- time. After a fair night's rest 1 essayed the dining-room for breakfast, but am bound to admit that it was not a success- A Cruise oil the S.Y. " J^ectis. M3 Judging from the number of empty seats, mine was not the only appetite that had gone astray. However, on going on deck the distant view of the Norwegian coast Une put a Httle courage into our hearts, as we knew that we should soon be in smooth water. Birds now began to be more numerous and (Guillemots, Razor-bills, Puffins, and Cormorants, were to be seen on both sides of the yacht. Many of the passengers liad never seen these birds before and were much interested. As we approached the land we were again met by Black-headed (lulls, and they accompanied us to Bergen. As we drew in behind the islands, the water became quite smooth and our ship once more assumed an even keel, a great relief to those of us who had been suffer- ing from iiia]-de-iiiar. As we wound our way in between the numerous islands, we every now and then passed so close, that we could have literally thrown a biscuit on shore. The sea-fowl were extraordinarily tame, and one Razor-bill, that perched upon one of our boat davits, enjoyed quite a cruise with us. It was much admired by the passengers most of whom, now we were in smooth water, had issued from their cabins. Some of them thought it was a duck, whilst others judging perhaps from the size of its bill put it down to be a Hawk or bird of prey. It is astonishing what ignorance of bird life there is amongst our town dwellers. For three or four hours we meandered slowly through the fjords, until on rounding a point Bergen, our first port of call lay before us. And very pretty it looked in the sun- light. After anchoring the steam launch was lowered, and we were very soon taken on shore. We found Bergen to be a charming old town. Quite the most interesting thing we saw in Norway was the fish market here. This consisted of a long series of wooden troughs, through which a stream of salt water flowed. In these the fish were kept alive. Wlien the Norwegian housewife goes shopping, she selects her fish as it is swimming around in the trough. There were many different kinds, a~ mongst which I noticed cod. pollack, and whiting. One variety, which I understand is taken in the fjords at a great depth, had their eyeballs protruding, and looked rather horrid. They were swimming about with the others, and apparently were not suf- fering in any way, although I take it that they must have been quite blind. Keeping fish under these conditions ensures their 144 ^ Cruise on the S.Y. " Vcciis." nrrixal to the consumer in a i^erfectK' fresli condition, and does away with the necessity of ice: l)iit I iniaL;'ine tliat the Herring' (inlls that were perched ui)on tlie near-by houses occasionally .yet a free meal. After havinj^ thorouLihly ex])lored the town. ^^•hich, by tlie way, contains some very line jewellers" and furriers' shops, we took a drive into the country and ins]:)ected an old wooden church of a typical Xorwe.gian style of architec- ture. xMy recollection of the interior is that it contained a very ancient and fish-like smell. ])robably due to the pickle used in preser\in,g- the wood. 1 should not like to have to sit out a lon.y sermon in it. I noticed several of our Ent^lish sing'ini;" birds here, including the Willow Wren and Chiff-Chaff. and of course otu" Blackbird, Thrush, and Kobin were also in e\idence. The most conspicuous bird was the 1 looded Crow, which we fountl very common throughout southern Norway. On retiu'ning on l)oard to tea. we were surprised to see that the Kaiser's yacht, the H ohoizullcni, had come in and anchored close to the ]' ceils. After tea we hired a l)oat and rowed around it. It looked nearly as large as the X'ectis. A large cruiser and several torpedo boats were in attendance. The next morning the writer his pal and another friend, through slackness in getting- ready, were left behind, when the launch took the rest of the passengers on shore. Whilst we were kicking' our heels on deck, we noticed a commotion on the Hoheiicolleni and shortly afterwards a boat left the \essel for the i'ccfis. As we were speculating as to who were its occupants, our German courier told us that it was the Kaiser Wilhelm. This was quite enough for us. as none of us had e\ev seen a real live Kaiser, so we promptly stampeded for the gang; way. and arrived just in time to salute him as he came on board. It may have been due to the odour of sanctity in which regal persons are supposed to be wrapped, or it may have been the gracious manner in which he returned our salutes, but I am bound to say that the impression he left upon our minds at the time was an entirely favourable one. When shortly afterwards we met our fellow passengers on shore, most of them were ver\- disapiiointed at having' missed seeing his lm])erial Majestw The llritish nn'ddle-class ])erson dearly loves a lord, and simply worships anything" in the shape of a king' or kaiser. We three slackers were in great demand A Cruise on the S.Y " J'ectis." T45 for a time among'st the ladies, who wanted a detailed de-;cripiio"i of the Kaiser's appearance and manner. Little did any of tis think, at that time, what a cold-hlooded murderer he would in a few years prove to he. His visit to the / 'ccfis nmst ha\e heen quite an unusual event, and I helie\e tliat lie made quite a thoroiig"h inspection of all parts of the vessel. In the afternoon we divided forces, about half of us taking- an overland tri]) to Ciudvan.^en. the others g'oin,!,;' through the fjc^rds in the X'ectis. These o\erland excursions were arrani^ed by " C"ook " and were extremely well done. ( )ur courier was one of their best men. A year or so 'previously he had engineered and conducted the Ivaiser's celebrated trip to I'alestine and the Kast. We left Bert^en by rail and after several !i(jurs' trxellitii;' thrcni^ii moun- tainous and well wooded cotmtry. we left the train at a little l)lace whose name 1 now forg;et. We were accoiumodated at ri lar,!4e wooden hostel, on the borders of the lake. It reminded me in a way of some of the wooden hostels I had stopped at in various parts of Western America. After our luxurious fare on the / 'cctisi some of us were inclined to L^rumble at the cater- in;^', and they were still more astonished at the scanty way in which their liedrooms were furnished. Most of us, however, thorou,;:;'hly enjoyed the novelty of the surroundings, and as for the fare, lumber is after all the best sauce, and as the keen moun- tain air liad ^iven us useful aj)petites, the hotel authorities hadn't mtich reason to complain of our eatin.i;' powers. 1 was aroused very early in the morning- by the chatterinj:;' of mag'pies, and on looking' ottt saw two perched on a nei;,.;"hbourin,i^" window- sill, and several more foraging- in the hotel courtyard. It was a lovely morning, and although it was still two or three hours off breakfast time, I decided to ttirn out. A walk along the shore of the lake proved most interesting. The water in places alongside the path was quite deep, and many trout were to be seen, some of large size. Excellent fishing is to be had here, principally by trolling from boats. In one marshy spot I sprung a couple of snipe, and from their slow and steady flight I judged them to be young birds, and I have no doubt they were bred close by. Far out on the lake my attention was at- tracted by a pair of divers. The sun was behind them and I couldn't see them very closely, but I think they were Grebes, 146 The Birds of British Guiana. possibly the Slavonian. This lake was singularly free from any rushy growth, the water around its shores being too deep, consequently I saw none of the common inland water-fowl such as coots and moorhens. Ducks were also conspicuous by their absence. Hooded Crows and Magpies were numerous. After breakfast our party set out for Stalheim in stoljaerres, our first experience of the national vehicle. Each stoljaerre takes two passengers. The driver sits behind. They are quite comfort- able, and of course by this arrangement one's view is quite unimpeded. The Norwegian ponies used in these carts are splendid little creatures. As there were about fifty of us in our party we made quite a cavalcade. Our way led up a valley, which in parts was fairly thickly wooded, principally with silver birch. It looked a likely country for Woodcock. Houses were few and far between. At one place we passed a mill of sorts, at the junction of two mountain torrents. I couldn't help think- ing what an enormous amount of power might be developed upon these rivers. Later on we passed a long narrow lake. Here there was a patch or two of bullrushes, and the young of ducks and coots could be seen swimming in their vicinity. We were too far off to be able to identify the species. (To be Continued). ^-M^ The Birds of British Guiana. By Chas. Daw-son, S.J., M.A., (Oxon). This article is reprinted from the "Journal of the Board of Agriculture of Brit. Guiana." with our apologies and thanks to the Editor. Author and Proprietors.' — lulitor " Bird Notes.'' {Continued tro))i fage 128). Barbets Ax\d Pui-f-Birds. — These birds derive their name from the barbs or bristles with which their mouths are beset, though they are by no means tlie only birds thus armed. The Barbets of the colony may be compared with the Kiskadee in size and form, and also as regards their powerful beak; but they belong to a different order, namely the Coraeiiformes. There are two different families : the Biieeoninae or " Puff TJic Birds of Rritisli Guiana. 147 Birds." which are nearly related to the Jacamars, and the Capituiiidac or " Bi,2;--heads," related to the Toucans. The former belons^' entirely to the New World, tlie latter are also found in Africa, India, and the East. The feet of all these birds are zygodactyl. that is to say, 'ihere are two toes before and two behind. Barbets feed on fruit and berries w'ith occasional insects. They build their rests in holes of fruit trees which they themselves, if necessary, excavate in the decaying" wood. They lay white, shining eggs. Their note is generally long, loud, and ringing. A species in India is called " Copper-Smith " on account of the resem- blance of its interminably repeated note to the sovmd of a ham- mer striking metal. The plumage is often brilliant with con- trasts of scarlet, purple, yellow, or blue, bright green often prevailing. They are shy, arboreal birds, seldom appearing in the open. There are twenty-eight genera and about two hund- red and eighty species, of which forty-five Capito}iidac and sixteen Bucconinac belong to America. Barbets — (Colonial). Bucconinae — Collared Barbet or Puff-Bird Buco coUaris. *Lone-billed Barbet or Puff-Bird ., iiiacrorhviichiis. ♦Dyson's Barbet ., d\soni. Large-billed Barbet. ,. hypcrrh\eriod varyin.c: from 111014 days. The majority of the young- hatched out were fully reared, most of which were prohtably disposed of. In only one instance did a pair have a second brood, but considering the primitive character of their quarters, mostly overstocked, the marvel is that any were reared. From later experiences I deduce that in most instances two broods would have been reared had I removed the youn,^- as soon as they could fend for themselves. BuLLFixciiES : Another beautiful British finch and a general favourite with all bird-lovers. I was very successful in breeding this species, rearing quite a number of them in those early days (over forty years ago), and I attribute that success entirely to keeping them supplied with their natural wild food— - unlimited greenfood, twigs with buds on, fruit, berries, and fresh seed of indigenous wild plants: as when feeding young they partook very sparingly indeed of the usual dry seed Jiioiii. I may state that they eat freely of unripe privet and elder berries, also the unopened flower buds of same. I should also state that all the finches got a handful of stuff from the entomological sweep-net once or twice daily and thus secured many insects. The proportion of fully reared young to those hatched out was less than with the other species: but certainly sixty per cent of thein reached maturity. I am often tempted to renew my acquaintance with British species- especially considering the dearth of foreign species in these war days, but my aviaries were not completed in time this season for me to arrange. Siskins : Another British species which rivals many foreign species in beauty of plumage, while for interesting de- meanour and general deportment in the aviary it is second to none. In only two instances did I succeed in rearing young, the last time being in 1886, when two young birds were fully reared: four eggs were laid, one was infertile, and three sisklings were hatched out, one disappearing on the third day. Their menu and general treatment was the same as that given to my gold- finches. I have omitted to state that this species built only in the twiggy branches: except one pair which occupied a canary breeding-cage, but though a nest was built and completed they did not lay. Incubation period thirteen day.s. Early Experiences. 155 Accentors (Hedge Sparrows) : Tliis very attractive but plainly clad species only once reared youn.^- (two) in my aviaries, and it is one of the most pleasin,^- events 1 recall from those early times (thirty-six years ago). In a greenhouse, 12' x 8', which with the roof glass white-washed, and the whole interior 'ined with netting and fitted with twiggy branches round its sides and one end; also one or two dead heather and gorse bushes in the corners. In one of the corners, in a dead heather bush, only just above the ground, a typical hedge-sparrow's nest was built and I can, even now. visualise the charming picture of the nest and four beautiful blue eggs, and also recall my delight as I watched them, from the appearance of the first tg^ to the hatching of two callow young and after. They practically had the full menu mentioned in these notes, but these young were mainly reared upon the contents of the sweep-net for the first fourteen days, after which the parents began to give the general provender of the aviary. I have no record as to when they left the nest, but for some days after their exit they did not fly, but skulked under the heather and dusk found them in the nest again. They soon learned to forage for themselves and lived with me for over two years. I forget their ultimate destination, but believe they were given to a youth just starting the hobby of bird-keeping. This species of plainly coloured plumage yet possesses a quiet beauty of its own — the perfect harmony of its browns and brown-greys leaves nothing to be desired. (To be Continued). ^-♦-fO Editorial. DfU'ES : Mr. W. Shore Baily informs us that he has yoimg of Bronze-wing, Brush Bronze-wing and Masked (Cape) .Doves on the wing; also a hybrid Peaceful x Zebra Dove. Diamond Finches, Etc. : Mr. H. Bright informs us that, in spite of many very promising nests, and much activity among the pairs, the only young birds {i.e. linch-like birds) fully reared are l^iamond Finches and Pope Cardinals. The White-eye- browed Song-Sparrows have a very promising nest in one of his aviaries, and a clutch of eggs is being steadily incubated. Cocks of White-throated Song-Sparrows and Juncos, the latter 156 Editorial. especially so. have proved very disturbing- and combative in the aviary and one or two tragedies have resulted therefrom. Young Chap^finches : In Mr. Page's garden, nests and voung of this species have been very numerous this year, one of which nests happened to be over the two pheasant runs, into which two young birds drop])e(l and hopped about quite uncon- cernedly, feeding on the j)lieasatits' soft food They remained in during the whole of the day and were there the next morning, had become quite tame. He feared that as soon as they left the ])heasantry (covered with 2in. mesh netting) that they would fall a prey to some maurading cat. so he caught them up (with his hand), and put them in a smallish aviary with some Austra- lian grassfinches. etc.. and tliey did well. For the first fortnight they fed on nothing but moistened insectile mixture, then began to take seed and to forage for insects, etc., among the tangle of wild growth in the aviary. They still take some insectile mix- ture. Mr. Page opines they left the nest prematurely, and so far as his observations went, the parent birds never visited their young either in the pheasantry or aviary, so presumably they were only part of the brood. Cockatoo Hybrids: (Jur member. Mrs. M. A. Lee. has a brood of hybrids between the Roseate (Cacatua roscicapUla) and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (C. galcrita) all but ready to leave the nest. These should prove very handsome hybrids. The instances of cockatoos reproducing their kind in captivity are not numerous, and we congratulate Mrs. Lee on this suc- cess. F\n"ther details will appear in a near issue. Zoo Notes: The species reported as " Bred in the men- agerie " in the Zoo lists for April and May are as under: — I Green White-eye (Zosterops 'i'ircns). I Grey Sinq-ing Finch {Crithagra viusica. 1 Pileated Song-Sparrow (Zoiwtricliici pUcata). 2 Auriculated Doves {Zenaida aurirulalu). 2 Southern Triangular-spotted Pigeons iCi^htniba phaeonata). Blue Budgerigars: ( )ur member Mr. J. W. Marsden has already two of this lovely variety among his young birds this season; also one young ])arti-coloured bird, green with numerous blue areas. This makes the third season Mr. Marsden has procured some blues from cross-bred parents, i.e. bred from the green, blue, and pale yellow varieties; the green and blue bloOd predominating. O 2 Q o 4// righis reserved. August, 1917. BIRD NOTES: THE JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. The Breeding of the Green Fruit Pigeon. Sphenoccrcns sphenums. By W. Shore Daily. A few ^veeks ago I sent you a few notes on my Green Fruit Pigeons, and remarked therein that I had neither seen them on the ground, nor drinking water. Since writing those notes, my birds have, strange to say. elected to go to nest on the ground, and are regularly seen at the water vessel Of course the conditions at the present time are as different as possible to what they were in the winter. Xow the weather is extremely hot. and. besides that, they have a hungry young one to feed, so a certain quantity of water is necessary to them. but. I still think that in cool weather they can do very well without it. At the end of April the hen began to do a good deal of singing, to which the cock by no means responded, so. as our Editor was at that time advertising an odd hen, I decided to secure it. and see what a change of wives would do. The advent of the new bird caused considerable excitement in the aviary. Both birds and especially the hen. bullied the newcomer terribly; so much so in fact, that I had to remove her. The new hen. although not such a fine bird as my first female, was wonderfully tame, and would come on my hand when called. She was evidently most anxious to go to nest. so. as the other two still disagreed, 1 decided to substitute her in the place of the other hen. This substitution scheme worked a good deal better than some of those arranged by our i)resent military authorities. As soon as the new hen was introduced to the cock, she made most violent love to him. and mating at once took place. The'next day they selected a building site and the day after an tgg was laid. The 158 Breeding of the Green Fruit Pigeon hen now became still more familiar, and greeted me every time I visited the aviary, by alighting;- on my head, and once, when I took my brother, who belongs to the hatless brigade, in to see the nest, she pitched on his head also. As his natural head covering is now a little thin on top, and the Dove's claws were almost as sharp as needles, the attention was not appreciated. An attempt at this time to photograph her on the nest failed, as she would persist on pitching on the camera and trying to swallow the lens. Whether this attempt at photography dis- turbed them, or whether they were annoyed by the mischievous attentions of some Conures which evidently wished to share in the duties of incubation, I don't know, but the hen refused to sit and the cock, after sitting a few days alone, also gave it up. I removed the Conures, and a few days afterwards saw the hen Dove again carrying sticks. To my astonishment, she selected as a site for her nest, a corner of the flight in which a bed of nettles was growing, and here she built it upon the ground. Both birds sat very steadily, easily scaring away a pair of Chukor Partridges if they ventured too near. Just fourteen days after the first egg was laid I saw an egg-shell outside the nest. The eggs, by the way, are very small for the size of the bird, and not much more than half the size of those of the Australian Bronze- wings, birds of about the same w^eight. On the sixth day the little Pigeon was feathering rapidly, and on the twelfth day I found it roosting on a branch with its parents. It was then fully feathered except for its wings and tail, but, in spite of tlie shortness of its flights, it was quite able to fly short dis'tances. The hen now became quite fierce, and most violently attacked the hen Partridge. It was most amusing to watch the hen waddling after it at a great pace, all the time grunting fiercely. Had there not been plenty of natural cover in which the Part- ridge could take shelter, it would have fared badly. I hope that when the Chtikors' own eggs hatch, they will not turn the tables on the Pigeons. In colour the young Pigeon closely resembles its mother, but the green body colour is duller, the under parts are dirty white instead of pale chrome-yellow, and the wing coverts are edged with white. The bill is greyish brown instead of bright blue. It was fed principally upon banana, but milk-sop, boiled rice, and soaked maize were also BTin> XoTKs. Phnto^ W. Shore Baihj. Green Fi'iiit-Pigeons and Young. Birds seen in the Suburbs of Calcutta 159 eaten by the parent birds. When it was a fortnight old, the supply of bananas failed, owin,*;- to the sinking- of fruit boats by enemy submarines, but our Editor and one or two other friends came to the rescue, and I was able to carry on. On June 22nd, the hen again laid, using the same nest, so there is every chance of my getting one or two more little ones this season. July 4tli.— Since writing the above, the hen has again refused to sii. The cock after sitting night and day for a week gave it up in despair. The eggs were both fertile. I have now removed the hen and the young one, and shall give the cock back his original wife. He may now perhaps treat her better. <0-M^ Birds Seen in the Suburbs of Calcutta. Bv E. W. H.ARPER. ALB.O.U. To those who have not had an opportunity of visiting India perhaps a short account of the wild birds seen during an early morning stroll rotind one of the residential suburbs of Calcutta may not prove uninteresting. It is the end of May, our " hot season," at Calcutta, and the temperature has recently been as high as 103° in the shade. Although up-country a higher reading occurs (115° to 120°) yet the heat there is dry, and not so enervating as the damp heat of Calcutta. We will commence with the House Crow (Corvus splen- dc}is) chiefly because of his numbers, but also on account of his intelligence and audacity. Unfortunately, he bears a very bad character : Dewar in his Bird Calendar for Northern India refers to the Crow as " that arch villain"; and Finn, in his Garden and Aviary Birds, calls him a "grey-headed scoun- drel " ! The Crow is extremely omnivorous : a canary dragged from its cage in the verandah; food snatched from the dining table; grain dropped from a passing bullock cart on the round; locusts; a dead rat lying in the gutter — all are ravenously de- voured by C. splendens. l6o Birds seen hi flic Suburbs of Calcutta At the present time crows are engaged in the important duty of rearing a family. Some are building, some sitting, and others feeding their fully-fledged young after leaving the nest. Looking up into a large tree overhanging the road, we see a young speckled Koel — Black Cuckoo — (Endyuamis honurata), fully fledged, sitting on a bough with wings quivering, crying for food. A few feet away, one on each side of it, sit its foster- parents, two crows. They seem now to realise how ihey have been duped in rearing a bird of another species. They look first at the quivering w'onder, then at each other, and we can almost fancy we hear one of them say " Well, of all the ," to which the other replies quietly, " Never mind, we won't tell anybody ! " The modus operandi of the jiarent Koels is for the male to go near the Crows' nest and persuade the owners to give chase; the female then slips in and deposits her egg. The Koel's name is derived from its call, " K6-el, Ixo-el," repeated many times, with the accent upon the first syllable. When pursued by its host, the Crow, the Koel's cry takes the undignified form of " Kuk. I\uk." As a cage-bird the Koel is a favourite with the natiA'es ; and is so hardy that it will thrive upon a diet of plain boiled rice. A party of Jungle Babl)lers (Crater opus caiiorus), after busily turning over leaves on the ground, fly lazily into a tree overhead. The native name for the bird is Sath Bhar. literally " seven brothers." The plumage is dust-coloured, and the feathers are often raised in an attitude inviting feather-preening, as they " snuggle " close alongside each other. An isabelline freak of this species is sometimes met with. Walking about a cricket ground in true starling-like maimer are two species of Mynah, viz. : the Connnon Mynah ( Acridothcrcs tristis) and the Pied Alynah ( Sturnopastor contra). The former is one of the conunonest birds of the plains, and is often kept as a cage-bird by the natives; the latter bird is more insectivorous than tlie former. A stranger would naturally ask, " What is that metallic sound, ' Tonk, Tonk, Tonk," " uttered so monotonously and so persistently? It is the voice of the Coppersmith Barbet {Xan- tholccma luonatoeeplnila ), a l>rightly-coloured green bird, about Birds seen in the Sitburbs of Calcutta l6l the size of a l)nlltiiicli. with forehead l)reast, and feet red, and face yellow. Like all Barbets, its toes are in pairs. Its beak is large and i)Owerful, to enable the bird to cut a round hole, the diameter of its body, in a tree for nesting purposes. Unlike the little boy who was told to be " seen, but not heard," the Copper- smith is continuously heard l)Ut seldom seen, owing- to its pro- tectixe green colouring. Kipling speaks of " Koel, little Keel, singing on the iris bough," but it seems likely that he meant the Coppersn.ith. A bird the size of a pigeon and nearly half a yard long can hardly be referred to as " little!" ()verhead, wheeling, and soaring, or perched on tall trees or the to])s of houses, are numbers of Kites (Milviis guv- inda). Their native name cJiccU like that of so many Indian birds, is derived from their cry, cli-c c-c-c-l, drawn out almost to a sciueal. The kite is, alas! little more than a scavenger; it fre- quents slaughter-houses and meat-markets, and follows rubbish carts. Meat exposed in a basket on a coolie's head as he walks home from market is sure to be seized in the talons of a far- seeing kite. Soldiers used to catch Kites by spreading a blanket on the grounil. and tying a piece of meat in the middle of it. A Kite swooping down at the meat would entangle its talons in the blanket, and before they could be extricated the bird was captured by hand. To show that the kite responds to kindness, the following true tale will prove. About twenty years ago, wdien the writer was staying" up in the Himalayas at about 7,000 feet altitude, he found an exhausted Kite one morning, blown in his verandah during a terrific storm. After a feed, the Kite was tethered by a leather strap to a wooden stand. The bird was fed daily, and after a few weeks the strap was removed and the bird liberated. To the writer's astonishment, the bird showed no inclination to depart. Every day the Kite would go for a fly, always returning to the verandah in which its stand was kept. This went on for some months, until the Kite was ex- changed with a friend for a large Owl. Thousands of feet up in the blue sky the Vultures soar for hours, without a beat of the wings. At that great height they look like mere specks in the heavens. Revolting creatures are vultures ! Some years ago when the writer was visiting the i62 Birds seen in the Suburbs of Calcutta Salt Lakes near Calcutta, where rubbish is dumped, he expressed surprise at the numbers of vultures gorged so that they were unable to ^y. Hundreds of others were in the air. To show- the rapidity with which these birds perform their ghastly duties, the body of a dead horse was brought out for them. In about twenty minutes the bones were all picked clean ! Other birds w^ere seen and heard ; but time and space only permit of the mention of one. namely, the House Sparrow (Passer doinesticus). He is just as confiding here as in Eng- land, though less numerous. Probably on account of Crows and other big birds which keep him in his place, he is neither so mischievous nor so harmful to more useful birds, as he is in England. The writer respects the Sparrow's confidence, by allowing him to nest and rear his young inside the bungalow unmolested. <-H^ Foreign Birds. THEIR ADAPTABILITY AND INDIVIDUALITY. By J. A. Swan. [The following article, reprinted from " Bird Notes," February, 1902, is so crammed with interest as to call for a second appearance, especially as the vol. in which it appeared is now out of print. It will also serve to remind present members that we are getting quite an old society now, and have quite a lengthy past to be proud of ; also that such back vols, as yet remain in print are well worth a place on the l)Ookshelves of our newer members. — Ed. To the thoughtful and studious aviculturist there are few phases of bird-life more interesting and lovable than that of the readiness of most of our foreign friends to adapt themselves to the altered conditions under which they must necessarily live in captivity, and the many distinct and charming little ways they possess, which often enable us to recognise them when other means fail, even when in the midst of a number of their fellows. Examples of most species of foreign birds have, at some time or other, endured captivity, and in some instances they have taken so kindly to the loss of freedom as to live with us for a number of years, cases being on record in which they have Foreign Birds 163 even exceeded the probable ai^e they would have reached in their wild state. I do not myself hold with the general opinion that this is entirely due to the intelligence and knowledge we ourselves show in dealing with our captives. That we have discovered and use food which is suitable for them is an undisputed fact; but that this is a natural food can easily be disproved by a little investigation into their habits in a wild and captive condition, and the question then, is why do we not supply them with their proper food ? It is because, in a measure, of our ignorance as to what comprises their natural nourish- ment, and also because when we know the right food we are unable to supply them with it. Take almost any species of what we call seed-eating birds, and it will be found that by far the larger part of their natural food consists of insects. We are, therefore, at a great disadvantage in keeping such birds in the best condition; but nevertheless, most of our seed-eating birds so readily adapt themselves to circumstances, that they often become as well nigh perfect in health and plumage as it is poss- ible for them to be. Let me instance the Weavers, which are pre-eminently seed-eating species according to our most learned writers: " Only needing a few mealworms now and again to keep them in condition." This we know to be true, yet I have times without number seen my Weavers making ftmceasing efforts to catch the common hotise fly. and woe betide the unwary insect which ventures within the wires of the aviary. I have also seen them minutely examining the crevices in the wall, and the leaves of shrubs, while now and again they leave their perch for an instant to dart seemingly into empty space, then wheel about and return to their resting place ; the only indication of the purpose of this apparently useless effort being the satisfied manner in which they open and close their beaks for a second or two. And if these birds are so keen over in- sects in captivity, surely with no less avidity they make them their principal food in freedom. Respecting insectivorous and fruit-eating birds. We are able, to a very great extent, to supply the needs of the latter with natural food, which is probably the reason why many of these delicate creatures are more hardy, when acclimatized, than some of the seed-eating species, which often suffer from consti- 164 Foreign Birds pation and liver disease. Willi other soft-billed birds, which should require a large number of insects to keep them in good health, we again labour under our inability to supply them with natural food — yet soft-billed birds, generally, are not more diffi- cult to keep in captivity than fruit-eaters proper. Some may find the reverse to be the case, in fact; but just consider for a moment what we offer most to these species: fruit. correct : bullock's liver, scraped beef, bread, potato, grated carrot, egij;. and sometimes a heterogeneous mass of heaven knows what, called " Insectivorous food!" If from the latter we subtract a few dried flies and some ants " eggs " or cocoons, how much of the foregoing can the birds obtain in a state of liberty ? The longevity of our pets in captivity is of course con- siderably influenced by their constitution when captured, and general hardiness as a species. Climatic conditions, while guid- ing us in their treatment, are by no means an infallible test as to the amount of heat or cold a given bird will stand with health and safety to itself. To the uninitiated it is a matter of surprise to be told, when seeing a bird in good condition, that its original home w^as in tropical Africa, or the forests of South America. And perhaps few of us realise wdiat an immense difference exists in a bird's mode of life when transported from such a land to a small prison in our bleak island. And now first let me pass to the other and perhaps more popular side of a bird's nature, viz., its individuality. To the vast majority of people, who are not aviculturists. a bird is simply a bird. To those, however, who find keen enjoyment in the company of birds, they are personal creatures, each with ideas and manners peculiar to itself. To thoroughly grasp and appreciate this fact needs a close and watchful eye on their actions; and in a large aviary, containing a proportionate num- ber of birds, it is almost an impossibility to learn their respect- ive characteristics, unless one has special reasons to single out and mark the doings of any particular specimen. But if, owing to circumstances or choice, some have their pets in their own rooms, this pleasant feature of bird life is easily and quickly noted. Each have their little traits which are often sufficient to distinguish them from their cage-mates. Of course in some Poreign Birds 165 birds these traits are more pronounced than in others, and where we fail to notice any it is simply because the little manner- isms are too minute for our eyes to note ; but they are undoubt- edly prominent to their feathered companions. The most prominent distinctions by which we know our birds, are those of plumage and tameness, and it generally re- quires but little observation to identify them by these means, unless several of the same species are in the aviary together. Then it is that our close observations stand us in good stead and enable us to identify them with certainty. Among the more common and more easily noticed actions is a liking for a par- ticular perch by one bird, another has a pronounced peaceful or pugnacious disposition, another is full of energy, while others may be just the reverse: yet another may delight in. or have a marked antipathy to, bathing, and I have known some birds have a preference for one particular seed pan. No doubt a few minutes' reflection will readily recall to our minds some of the pretty little ways by which we learnt to love and remember our tiny friends. Personally I can remember many of my pets now, alas ! no more, by the intelligent little mannerisms they had. Particularly do I recall a certain cock Zebra Finch. Within a short time of coming into my possession this engaging mite would always fly to meet me whenever I went near his house, and, getting on the perch nearest to me, he would chatter away like an M.P. Then hop, skip, and away for a seed or a drink, and back again more voluble than before. Many a long discussion did we have, and I had hard work at times to get a word in edgjeways, for he would not be talked down. And if T learnt nothing but a deeper and more affectionate liking for the whole feathered race, and himself ui particular, I consider my time as by no means illspent, for was I not conversing with nature through that small bundle of feathers ? I used to look forward to these little chats, and so I think did he. for he never disappointed me. and now — poor little " Imp " has gone. One might compile a book respecting this individuality in birds, but a few more instances among my own friends may suffice. Weavers are great favourites of mine, and, I think, possess intelligence in a marked degree : who can see their nests i66 Foreign Birds and doubt it ? But I am dealing; with matters whicli are not al- ways intelligible to ourselves. For instance one of my Orange Bishops has a trick of closing the eye which is turned to the front of the aviary. At first I thought it might be a cold — but no - he turned round soon after and closed the other. Then, thought 1. he closes them both; but like the stag in the fable. he keeps his weather eye open, and knows all that goes on among his friends. Another C)range Bishop has stich a sleek and prosperous air, and a decided disinclination for too much exercise, that he passes for the " Alderman." A Crimson-crowned IJishop is a very good nattired fellow, and is quite content to jjass his time laying the founda- tions of new nests — and there he leaves them and starts another. A Napoleon, appropriately enough, tries to accomplish the task of completing these many pieces of architecture, but never has time to finish one on account of the many that recjuire his atten- tion. Another Crimson-crowned Weaver has a shocking temper, and a short time ago his head and neck were almost bare of feathers through his successive " mills." As he finds he doesn't always get matters his own way, he has quieted down consider- ably lately, and seems to be reflecting on the situation. And perhaps it is time, when a small Zebra Finch gives him a good thrashing first, and then lectures him on his conduct afterwards ! Then there is a Saft'ron Finch who is a confirmed " tippler," though seemingly in the best of health. And why should a certain Black-headed Mannikin prefer to have a shower bath when his companions bathe, rather than do as they and have a bath of his own? Or a Bengali distinguish himself and get dubbed " Diogenes," simply l)ecause he chose to pass his time in an ornamental straw nest ? Or a — but no. T must not trespass further on our limited space, beyond congratulating Miss Alderson on her Shamah. which is certainly a very good mathe- matician, and another instance of individuality in birds. One more instance, and this time a perfectly understand- able one occurs to me. Why should one of my Grey Singing Finches always sleep leaning against a perch, or the wires of the aviary? And the reason in this case is because he has only one leg — and a very good reason too, don't you think ? Early Experiences 167 Early Experiences. By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S. Etc. (Concluded from page 145). Erratum: In the last instalment on page 153. line 12, a few words slipped out of type at the moment of going to press. " S," should read " So freely did they." My successes with the Lesser Redpoll (this species 1 also bred in 1915 from birds presented to me by Capt. J. S. Reeve), and Linnets bear so strong a family likeness to those already given that they may be dismissed with this bare mention, save to add that in each case I had only one success after several fail- ures, and that in each instance two young birds were reared to maturity. I may also say that with regard to foreign species, a list of my successes has been already given and brief notes concern- ing them have been, or will be, given later when my article " The Endurance of Birds " is resumed, I hope in our Septem- ber issue. I only propose to give an account of my success with RiBBOX FiNXHES ( Amadina fasciata) here. I only gave 3/6 for my pair of birds, and fortunately they proved not only to be of amiable disposition (not always the case by any means), but also a " breeding pair." so I had no cause to regret my bargain. As they were in ciuite a small aviary, which provided accommodation only for about a dozen birds, yet contained over thirty, and, strange to say, I never had a larger percentage of successes, speaking comparatively of the number kept, in any one season than I did in this very much overcrowded and arti- ficially fitted little aviary. They were put out. straight from the travelling-cage, in the month of June, and after the customary excitement, which always follows the introduction of new comers, had settled down and I was able to observe them a little I was delighted with my new acquisitions. For a few days they had rather a rough time with the larger of the other inmates of the aviary, notably Java i68 Early Experienced Sparrows. Bramble and Greenfinches. Soon, however, they settled down, and then were more than able to hold their own, though I never discovered them as being the aggressors in the many squabbles that occurred in the aviary. Within a week of their arrival they were busy examining the various nesting boxes with which the aviary was abundantly furnished, visiting almost each one in turn. Then began a frenzied carrying of ne.sting material into the one of their choice, but only to give it up and repeat their operations in another box ; and similar procedure occurred with a third receptacle, only to be given up in its turn; then they turned their attention to the middle section of a three compartment nest-box, the side sections of which were occupied by pairs of Silverbills and Java Sparrows respectively. They carried in a huge amount of material, almost closing up the entrance to the box. so that a peep inside was impossible. While these operations were going on the excitement of Mr. Ribbon Finch was immense, and I can well recall that my own was scarcely less. Suddenly he sobered down, and except when feeding spent the whole of his time'either in the nest or entrance of same, scaring off any other bird that dared to approach by his simply unprintable language. Then after a short interval one mornmg pandemonium reigned supreme in the aviary and by careful li.'^tening I heard faint hissing sounds from the nest, and the excitement of Mr. Ribbon Finch was at fever-heat, and his visits between the nest-box and food \'essels were very fre- quent, while I did not glimpse his wife the whole day. The next morning I had a shock, for. on visiting the aviary, benealh the nest-box there lay Mr. Ribbon dead. Very sadly I picked him up and carefully examined his body; his plumage was as tight, brilliant, and silky as it was possible for a Ribbon Finch to be: he was plump, and no sign of injm-y was visible — his skin is now in my cabinet — in the light of later experience I have concluded the cause of his death was cerebral hemorrhage following the excitement of the appearance of a family of young Ribbon Finches in the nest. I was very sad, as I saw my hopes of rearing the young Ribbons shattered. Mrs. Ribbon, however, had other views, and instead of wasting her time in useless grief she set about Early Experiences 169 satisfyitii^" the wants of her famliy, but, I noticed, she did not seem entirely satisfied with either the seed or the soft food so I scattered on the ground some dried ants' " eggs," she went to these at once, ate a lot, then went to the nest and came out again for another supply — four times daily I scattered a handful of these ants' eggs on the ground (fortunately the other birds ignored this provender), and she seemed satisfied. All went well and she not only fed her babies (I did not know how many, but sound proclaimed more than one), but successfully defended her nest against all comers. About fourteen days after Mr. Rib- bon's death she triumphantly led forth three young Ribbon Finches out of the security of the nest, and did not allow the other inmates to interfere with them. The voung consisted of one male and two females, and the rubv throat band of the former was very brilliant and full size on the morning he made his exit from the nest. A little later both the Silverbills and Java SjKirrows brought forth families from the compartments on either side of the Ribbon Finches" nest. The young Ribbon Finches were reared to maturity, and the young male mated to his mother brought several families into the world the next season, in the same aviary. Since those early days I have bred successfully quite a large number of foreign species, including some softbills, yet I cannot recall that in any after event was the pleasurable excitement so great as in the common-place event re-told above; for it was my initial sttccess with foreign species. With this little yarn 1 do not think I can do better than conclude, at any rate for the present, these " Early Experi- ences," or title and matter will not agree. Penned by request, and to fill up a gap during shortage of copy, the writer hopes that some of the yoitnger and newer recruits to aviculture may derive some little help and encouragement therefrom. ^0»<> • 170 Birds of British Guiana , The Birds of British Guiana. By Chas. Dawson, SJ., M.A., (Oxon). This article i;; reprinted from the " Journal of the Board of Agriculture of r.rit, Guiana," with our apologies and thanks to the Editor, Author and i'roprielors. — Editor " Bird Notes." PARROTS. Under this head are inchided the following : — Macaws, peculiar to the Neo-Tropical regions; Cocka- toos, peculiar to the Australian regions; Nestors of New Zealand, including the Kea, which has recently become carnivor- ous, making havoc among sheep by digging into their kidneys for the sake of the fat; Lories of New Guinea and the Malay Archipelago ; besides Parrots proper, Parrakeets and Love-birds found, with few exceptions, in all Tropical regions, though each with its peculiar orders and species. Parrots are the most intelligent of all the feathered tribes. Possessing proportionately more brain than all the other birds, easily domesticated, prettily or even gaudily coloured, knowing in their ways, and with a wonderful capacity of imi- tating sounds and even the human voice, they are everywhere popular as pets and familiars. Characteristics of the whole family are: round heads, zygodactyl feet, a highly dilatable iris, a fleshy tongue, and (what is common to no other bird), a pincer-like beak with a luoveable maxilla (upper beak) and the use of the foot as a hand. We may also add " powder-down patches "' which give to certain parrots when in good health the appearance of being covered with bloom. There are in all seventy-nine genera, in- cluding five hundred and seventy species, two hundred of which belong to the American Continents; one species, the Carolina Parrakeet being found in the United States. The food of parrots consists of fruit, nuts, berries, and seeds. Lories feed on honey which they extract from flowers with their brush-tipped tongues; the Kakapo or Owl parrot of Xevv Zealand will add lizards to its bill of fare and the Nestors, insects and their larvse; while certain Cockatoos will dig in the the earth for roots and tubers. Birds of British Guiana 171 Parrots pair for life, but congregate in great numbers at their roosting- places where they make a deafening noise. The sexes are generally alike, the males being larger and more brightly coloured; but in one species, the Electus of New Guinea, the male is green with red sides, and the female has head, breast, and upper parts bright red. Parrots generally make their nests in holes of trees which they will whittle out with their powerful beaks. Therein are laid the spheroid eggs, white or with a greenish or bluish tinge. They are long-lived. Parrots— (Colonial). Psittacidae. Red and Yellow Macaw Red and Blue Blue and Yellow *Green ,, Eta tRed - fronted Green Macaw (Hahn's) Brown-throated Parakeet ♦fScarlet-tipped Parakeet (bright- eyed) Kissi-Kissi Parakeet Golden-fronted Parakeet '^calv-breasted Parakeet Red-winged Parakeet *tAll-Yellow Parakeet (Roraima Mt.) * (human-voiced) Golden -winged Parakeet tGreen red-rumped Parakeet J51ack-winged Parakeet t Purple-clad Parakeet Amazon Parrot Yellow-cheeked Amazon (Screecher) Blue-cheeked Amazon (Culu-culu) Green Amazon (Saurama) * Red-backed Amazon White-capped ,, Blue-headed Parrot Dusky ,, f Fan-crested, or Hawk Parrot (Hya-hya) Ant luacao. „ chloroptera. ,, ararauna. ,, severa. ,, macavaanna. Iialmi. L\>iiunis acniginosus. IcucopJithalinas. ,, solstilialis. ,, mircus. Pyrrhura picta. ,, egregia. Bolborhynchiis panychlorus. Brotogcrys tirica. clirysuptcrus. tuipara. U rochraiiia cingnlata. piirpurala. henti. Aiuazoiia ochrocephala. amazonica. ,, dufresneana. farinosa. ,, bodini. ,, f estiva, aestiva. I'ioniis incnstruus. ,, fuscus. Deroptyus accipitrinus, iy2 Birds of British Guiana R lack-headed Parrot Pionopsittacus caica. W'liite-breasted Parrot (seven- coloured) Pionites melanocephalus. *tAll-green Love-bird Psittacula modesta. Guiana ,, ,, gtiianensis. f Sparrow ,, ,, passerina, TOUCANS. Toucans or Bill-birds, as they are called in this colony, are easily recognised by their enormous beaks. What particular end these strange beaks serve were difficult to say. but it may be remarked that toucans can pick off a small berry or fruit with the greatest precision. The beaks, though so large, are of feather weight, being composed within of a delicate net-work of a light bony substance with air-spaces. They are generally notched or serrated and the tongue, which is long and arrow- like, has feather-like margins. In some species they are glossy black with margins of delicate blue or yellow; in others, bril- liant red, golden yellow, or faded green are the predominant tones. The prevailing colours of the plumage are black or dark green above, white throats or gorgets, with bands or markings of gaudy reds and yellows. The orbits are bare, the skin being delicately tinted with blue, red, or lilac. In sleep, the long square tail is turned over the back and the great bill rested upon it. The feet are zygodactyl. Toucans are forest birds and generally to be found on the tops of trees. They feed on berries and fruit, with lizards and and small mantmals, or birds, which they tear to pieces before swallowing. They will fling the morsel in the air and catch it with open mouth. They make their nests in holes of trees and lay white eggs. They are easily tamed and make amusing pets. Their cry is as strange as themselves: some croak with heads thrown back, others yelp like a dog; their note of anger or alarm is like a wooden rattle. They are awkward on the ground, hopping in an ungainly fashion. Their flight is somewhat la- Ijoured and undulating, the bill thrust forward. There are in all sixt\- species, all confined to the Neo-Tropical regions. Tlie (ireat Toucan (while-breasted) RluDiiphaslos toco . Red-beaked Toucan. ,, erythrorhynchus. *tThe Kissi-Kissi Toucan ,, osculans. Saffron-breasted „ vitellinus. jTwo-coloured Toucan. ,, dicolorns. Birds of British Guiana 173 t Red-cinctured Toucan Pteroglossus aracari. *t Letter-billed Toucan ,. inscriptus. IMany-banded Toucan ,, pluricinctus. Green Toucan ,, viridis. jEar-tufted or Black-breasted Tou- can (pepper-eater) Selenidera piperivora. t Many-coloured Toucan ,, nattereri. tSea-green Toucan (Whiteley's) Aiilacorhamphus zvhitclcyamts. tFurrow-billed Toucan ., sulcatus. t Double ring-necked Toucan .. bitorquatus. CUCKOOS. Cuckoos have affinities to Parrots and are placed by some ornithologists in the same order. Outwardly, however, they are very different and agree only in having zygodactyl feet. The beak is generally long and curved, and in the "( Jld Witch" the maxilla is raised in the form of a keel. The plumage also differs much from parrots, in being of sombre hue, brown, greys, or buffs being the prevailing tints, with sometimes bars or spots of white or black. In all there forty-six genera and some two hundred species, of which about thirty species belong to America. Guckoos differ from other birds in being promis- cuous in their intercourse, polyandry being generally practised, but the habit of the English Cuckoo of laying its eggs in other birds' nests aqd thus relieving itself of the burden of domestic life, is not common to the order. Most other Cuckoos build their own nests and raise their own progeny. In the case of the "Old Witch," however. one large nest serves the purpose of several females who sit side by side and share in common the duties of incubation. The food of Cuckoos consists of cater- pillars and insects generally ; some will eat fruit and berries ; others lizards, small snakes, and even birds and mice. Their cry is loud and shrill, but none in these regions utter the note that has given the name to the whole family. Some species have striped, hawk-like breasts as also a hawk-like flight, and are in consequence often mobbed by other birds. In this colony the Cuckoo's habit of depositing its eggs in the nests of other birds is taken up by the Lazy-bird, and its affinity, the great Corn Bird, both belonging to the Order "Icteridae," q.v. 174 Birds of British Guiana \ Cuckoos — (Colonial). Cuculidac. Black-billed Cuckoo. Coccyzits inclaiiDcorypIiKs. Grey-breasted Cuckoo. ,, ii)iicrici.iiius. (lesser) Cuckoo ,. minor. * Cnckf)o (Tuiler's) ,, ciilcri. Brown ,, I'uiya cayaint. Rcd-billcd Cuckoo (black-bollicd ) .. )ucJa}ioiHistra. Small Ijrown Cuckoo ., iiiiinila Red-winged ,, (scale-nosed) Keoniorf^lnis nifipcnuis. Spotted Cuckoo (or wife-sick bird (large-winged) Piplof'tcnis mc'iiis. Brown-Headed Cuckoo peacock- like) nroiuococcyx pa^'oniinis. t Keel-billed Purple-black (Gt. Old Witch Bird) Croiophaga major. Keel-billed. Smaller-l)]ack (Old Witch-Bird) , , ani. |k'urrow-billed Cuckoo ., siilcirosfris. WOODPECKERS. These birds are found all over the world except in Aus- tralia. Madagascar, and Egypt. They niay be recognised by their large heads, often decorated with a scarlet tuft, their wedge-shaped and powerful beaks, their necks, spiny tails and zygodactyl feet. Browns, greens, yellows, with markings of scarlet and spots or bars of Ijlack and white are the prevailing colours. They are rightly called " scansorial " for they ascend the trunks of trees with great agility either using their claws or. if the trunk is slender clipping the trees, as it were, astride. With their powerful beaks they can easily chisel a hole in the hardest wood; and with their highly protrusible, worm-like tongues, which are tipped with a barbed spine, they extract in- sects and their iarvas from narrow holes or crannies. Their loud and rapid. tapping may be heard for a mile. They make their nests in dee|) holes of trees which they hollow out with great precision and symmetry; here they lay white, glossy, oval eggs. When at work, they rest back upon their hard, spiny tails, and as easily descend as ascend, preserving their upright position. They are shy birds and so not often seen ; but their loud note, or derisive laugh, ringing through the forest, when once heard is not easily forgotten. Their thght is swift and undulating. There are fifty genera, including four hundred and forty species of Birds of British Gniona 175 which about lialf are ])eciiliai" to the New Workl. VVooDPPXKERS. — (Colonial ). I'icidac. t Head-streaked Woodpecker Cliloro>icrpcs capistrnliis. '• 5fellow-throated Woodpecker ., fliwi^^uln. Red-cheeked Woodpecker ,. ntbii^inosus. *tS])eckled-throated Woodjjccker Clirysopliliis pnncligitla. t Blood-crowned Woodpecker (Yel- low-naped) Mclaiicrpcs cniciitatus. t Rub »--f routed Woodpecker (Les- ser Black) ,, rubrifroiis. Ruddy Woodpecker VoiUioniis saugn'nieus. *tSparro\v Woodpecker ,, passerimis. jHelmeted Woodpecker (?) ,, cassini. Rcd-rumped Woodpecker (Kirk's) Yellovv-ci'ested Brown W'oodpecker hirki. Celctis rcichcnbachi. Fine-spotted yellow-lirown Wood- pecker (?) ., cicgciiis. Red-cheeked Woodpecker (?) Jiiiiniiia cicgaiis. Brown Woodpecker ,, ntfiis. fStriped Woodpecker ( ?) ,, graiinnalica. Brown-breasted Wood-pecker (col- lared) Ccrcliucipiciis torquatns. Yellow Woodpecker Crocotiiovphiis flai'its. f Scarlet-headed Woodpecker (red- necked) CuDipo pliilus ntbricollis. Black-throated Wood-pecker ., mclanolcuciis. Scarlet-crested Wood-pecker (stripe-breasted) Ccophlocus liiicatus. Piciimninac — Pigmy Woodpecker or Piculet (spotted-bellied) Piciiiiuiits spilogastcr. jPigmy tufted Woodpecker ,, cirrhatiis. f ., scaly ., (?). ,, lepidotus. Small ,. ~ ,. iiiiimtiis. f Wavy-striped ,. ,, iindulatns. (To he continued). ^-M-^ Editorial. Zoo XoTES : The June " Report of Additions to the Menagerie " contains the following' breeding' successes among the birds : 3 Chestnut-eared Finches (Taeiiiopygia casldiiotis). 2 Southern W'hite-cheeked Finch-Larks ('Pyniiitlanda stiiitlii). 176 Editorial 4 Carolina Ducks ( Lanipronessa spovsa). 2 Diamond Doves (Gcopelia cinicata). 1 Crested Picjeon ( Ocyphaps lophotes). 2 Soiitliern Triantjular-spotlcd Pigeons (Cohiinba phaeon'ota). 'I'he most notable event among the above is the successful rearint^' of the youn,^" fmch-larks, as this species has not previ- ously been bred in ( Ireat Britain. Brekkdixc. ov Shamahs : In our last issue we published a most interesting;' article from the pen of INIr. G. E. T^ow. givint;' an account of the rearing" of the first brood. He further reports the successful rearing' of the second brood, two fine young birds being the result — we reproduce herewith a photo showing Mr. Shamah taking food to his two babies — the hen (July 27) is engaged incubating her third clutch (six) of eggs. Truly a prolific pair. We wish our member every success with the third brood. We think it will be of interest if we give an extract from ]\Ir. Low's letter of July 24th. " 1 have two young Shamahs in the second brood. " pretty strong on the wing now. and the hen is now sitting " on five eggs. The four young Shamahs of the first brood " are doing well, and entirely on ordinary insectile mixture.'" ^-M^ A Cruise on the S.Y. "Vectis." By W. Shore Baily. (Coniinucd from page 146). At noon we reached another hotel, also on the borders of a lake, and halted for lunch. It was a picturesque place, and an ideal spot for trout fishers, as the lake simply teemed with large fish. I guess that tliey probably took a lot of catch- ing, as the water was as clear as crystal. T was very much interested here in some large globular nests in a silver birch tree. They must have contained a bushel or more of twigs. They reminded me of the wood-rat nests I used to see in Cali- fornia. I dont know whether Norway possesses any similar animals, but I can hardly think that these could have been built by any bird of my acquaintance. After lunch we continued on our way. sometimes through picturesque canyons, lined with silver birch — quite the commonest tree in this part of Bird Notes. Photd (t. E. Lou:. Cock Indian Shamah carrying food to second brood. A Cruise on the S.Y. Vectis 177 Norway — and sometimes throus^h wide open valleys, sparsely covered with brush, the probable home of the Ryper, or Wil- low Grouse. I should have much liked to have met with a covey of these birds, but we saw no traces of them. Just about tea time we arrived at the Stalheim hotel, which was most charmingly situated at the head of the valley of the same name. Immediately below the hotel, the river which flows through the valley we had ju.st traversed leaps over the edge of a cliff in a tremendous fall. From the courtyard of the hotel we saw it meandering down the valley, a thousand feet below us. After having had tea and despatched sundry picture post cards, several of us decided to walk on towards Gadvangen, leaving our stoljaerrcs to overtake us. The river now becomes a salmon river, and a good many large fish could be seen at the foot of the fall, which of course they are quite unable to ascend. Our walk down the river was most enjoyable, the scenery being very line, reminding me in places of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, in the U.S.A. Of new species of bircis seen, the Ring Ousel and the Dipper were the most noteworthy. The Scandinavian Dipper is said to differ from the English bird, but this is certainly not apparent when the bird is in flight. After a walk of about five miles our stol- jaerres overtook us. The country here was more thickly populated, and we passed several small farm buildings. The farm-houses are in many cases built over the barn or stable and admittance is obtained by a ladder which gives them a rather curious appearance. We were also much amused by the way the Norwegians make their hay. They prepare a series of rough racks, something like wooden horses used in English nurseries for drying clothes, and on these the hay is placed in layers. This, of course besides clearing the ground for a second crop, keeps the hay off the wet soil. It entails a lot of labour, but this appears to be done by the women and children. We saw very few men about, and conluded that they were either away at the fishing or else in the lumber camps. About 7 o'clock we reached Gadvangen and found the Vectis lying out in the fjord. The trip had been a very enjoyable one, but we weren't sorry to get back to a good English dinner again. We had sampled three different Norwegian hotels, and hadn't been at 178 A Cruise on the S.Y. Vcctis all impressed witli tlieir menus. I'he next day we went on to Mundal, where we visited some fme i^iaciers. ( )ne of these periodically goes through the operation of what is called " calving," and we were rather lucky to see this. .\ great mass of ice and snow breaks away from the main glacier and tinnl)les into the abyss. It looks just like a waterfall, when it is falling, and we didn't at first realize what had happened. We now know what an axalanche looks like. In the afternoon we called at Balhomen, a very pretty little place in which a good many English tourists spend the sunmier. As it was a hot afternoon, the writer and another passenger decided to have a swim. We had to borrow bathing dresses from the hotel, and when the young lady brought them out to us, we found they had been designed for the female figure. She knew no English, and we were equally ignorant of Norwegian, so we had some difficulty in understanding her directions for putting them on. However difficulties were made to be overcome, and we finally managed to get into them, and queer looking objects we looked. Our fellqw passengers were very much amused. We dived off the pier, aiid found the water like ice. Xeedless to say we didn't stop in very long. It appears that the waters from a glacier empty into the fjord close by. A brisk walk soon restored otu* circulation. This was quite the most fertile bit of Norway we had yet seen. Well planted orchards lined the roads, amonst which many of our English birds were singing. A family party of Siskins especially attracted my attention, a bird I had never met with in the wild state at home. .\ few Bramblings were also seen. In the evening we again moved on. reaching Laerdalsoren before nightfall. We spent a day here and went for another long drive into the country, but I have no especial recollections of the trip. The next evening, after steaming all day in the fjords, w-e reached Naes. On the way we passed through some very fine scenery, and there was something of interest to look at all the time. The ornithologists amongst us were interested in the Black-throated and Red-throated Divers. Several j)airs of both species were seen with their young. I have no doubt that these birds breed in some of the land-locked indentations of the fjords through which we were passing. At Naes we put in a whole day, driving up the Romsdal Valley, quite one of the A Cruise on the S.Y. Vectis lyg finest valleys in Norway. A magnificent salmon river empties into the fjord here, the fishing- rig-hts on which are generally let to Engiishnien. who live in the neighbouring- farmhouses for the season. In some places it widens out into large pools, where the fishing is done from boats; in others it runs over shallows from wliich it is possible to fish by wading. Here and there sandy islands appear, some covered with scrub willows, others mere collections of stone and gravel. On one of these I noticed a pair of Sandpipers, which I was unable to indentify. Curiously enough very few Waders were seen on the trip, although we must have skirted many hundreds of miles of coastline. One of the features of this valley are the mountains on each side of the river, which are a favourite resort of Alpine climbers. The Romsdal Horn, although not very high as mountains go, would, I should imagine be quite, a difficult climb, and one not to be attempted without guides, ropes, etc. Amongst the numerous connnon l)irds noticed in this trip were a pair of Ravens. Several Hooded Crows and Mag])ies were also seen. In the evening v.-e left Naes for Trondheim, calling at Levanger on the way. I have no recollection of Levanger, but Trondhiem, at which place we spent a whole day, is quite a nice town. The Cathedral, a sixteenth century edifice is the finest church in .Scandinavia and is well worth seeing. In the afternoon we walked out to a waterfall on the magnificent river that debouches at the town. The road on each side was bordered by pines of different kinds, and in one of these we found a nest of hungry young Fieldfares, nearly ready to fly. The next was very like that of the Missel Thrush, a bi'rd we did not notice in Norway. I took one or two photos of the nest but they were not very successful. In the evening we again set out for Narvik, calling at the little island of Torghatten on the way. When landing here we passed two or three broods of Eider Ducks, the first we had seen on the cruise. (To be Continued). i8o Correspondence Correspondence. bri-:eding notes— 1917. SiK, — My l)reeding results have not been very great, as I have only a very few birds, viz : I pair each Stanley and Many-colour Parrakeets, and a pair of Zebra Finches and several odd cocks, the war having effectually stojiped any chance of fresh acquisitions. I'our vcrv tine young Stanley Parrakeets made their exit from the nest about a month ago, but I found two of them dead one morning last week — . 1 think they must have been sleeping in the open flight and either owls or cats scared them, because one was injured, though the other showed no signs of outward injury. I did not send them for post mortem examination because, in these war times, we seem unable to get reports of same. My old cock Many-colour Parrakeet died early in the year, and the hen did not take kindly to her new mate ; later five eggs were laid and fully incubated, but four were infertile and the other contained a dead chick — from their behaviour I do not anticipate any success with them this season. Kendal. July J9, 1917. J. SMITH. BLACKBIRD x THRUSH HYBRIDS. Sir. — There is at present in the Small Birds' House at the Zoo a l'>lackbird X Thrush hybrid (or, is it Thrush x Blackbird?), one of those recently bred in an aviary in this country. I believe. I remember that a good deal of controversy arose about the event, and should be obliged if some reader would give me the references to the original account of the breeding and incidentally also answer the question enclosed in the brackets above. This cross, Blackliird X Thru.sh. is introduced in the list of Hybrids in Vale's " Hybrid liirds," first published in the m'neties, but several times reissued. M\ copy is the seventh edition (enlarged and revised) dated 1903. Another earlier reference of interest in this connection is the following from Rowley's Ornithological Miscellany. \''ol. i (1876) p. 65 : " The Blackbird will pair with the Thrush. A mule of this kind is " mentioned at the Crystal Palace show {ride " Times " Feb. 10, 1872.) " A third antl last enciuiry : Can anyone who has access to old C. P. Show catalogues say whether this particular bird w-as Blackbird X Thrush o-r Thrush x Blackbird, and whether bred in confinement or wild caught ? E. HOPKINSON. <^^-¥^ Bird Notks. Ph<^tn \V. Shnrr Biih/. Black-tailed Hawfinches attending to young. All rights reserved. September, 1917. BIRD NOTES: THE JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. The Breeding of the Blach-tailed Hawfinch. Bv W. Shore Baily. Last year I sent you an account of the nesting of my Black-tailed Hawfinches (Eophona mcJannra.) This season they have again nested, but although this time a young one actually left the nest, I am still unable to lay a claim to an F.B.C. medal. Early in May the hen hawfinch commenced singing, and I frequently heard her answering a thrush whistling in a neighbouring shrubbery. At this time the cock hawfinch took very little interest in his mate, but towards the end of the month he awoke to his responsibilities and took his part in the frequent birdy concerts. Their song is short and monotonous, and cannot be compared wth that of the nearly allied Japanese species. Early in June the Blacktails were frequently to be seen chasing each other around the aviary. By the end of the month they had completed a neat but rather small nest in a dead tree that was thickly covered with a wild creeper. The position was an admirable one, as it was perfectly sheltered from wind and rain, and I had great hopes that this time I should be successful in rearing some young ones. On the 19th the first egg was laid, followed on the succeeding days by three more. These were of the same type as those of our own Buntings, bluish white, streaked and lined with various shades of brown. The hen alone incubated, and on July 2nd. the first young one was hatched, two more hatching out the next day. I had previously removed one egg for my collection. The incubation period was eleven days. Both parents fed the young ones from the crop, using what insects they could catch and mealworms, which were freely supplied. The little ones were covered with grey down, and as they grew this developed into a large tuft on each side of the* i82 Breeding of the Blaek-taUcd Hazvfineh head. !-;"ivin_q" tlieni a rather extraordinary appearance. When they were a week old the first disaster occurred; the old birds standini^- on the ed,^'e of the nest to feed the younjj;" caused it to colla])se and one of the little ones fell ont and was devoured by a mouse. Its ]Mn feathers were then just beginning" to show. I fixed up the nest, all went well for a day or two, but on going into the aviary on the morning of the i2th. the old birds greeted me with disconsolate peets instead of with their usual cheery song. On examining the nest, I found one of the young ones dead, with its abdomen punctured. It was well nourished and nearly completely feathered, and 1 am at a loss to know what caused its death. The hen hawfinch did not go near the nest again and did all she could to prevent the cock frcfm doing so, making most violent love to him. However, he resisted all her blandishments and fed the surviving youngster with the greatest assiduity, and at this time I had every expectation of fully rearing it, as it looked very strong and vigorous. Its voice could now be heard at quite a distance. Whilst it had a compan- ion in the nest, it had been silent. On the 15th. it left the nest, but although it could climb very well, it was still unable to fly, its flight feathers not being fully grown. Its colour was dark grey with breast, two wing bars, and tips of flights white. Legs and bill flesh coloured. The cock still fed it almost entirely on mealworms. Although gentles were supplied, these were appnrently not much relished. A little hempseed, a food of which the parents are very fond, was also given. It was still fed from the crop, which seems to me rather unusual, as most other young birds of this age would be getting unbroken insects etc. Just at this time my supply of mealworms began to give out, so I was unable to supply them so freely as I could have wished, but luckily there were a good many moths and similar insects al)out, with which the cock did his best to satisfy the voracious appetite of his offspring. I also noticed the hen catching and feeding the cock with them, thus giving the youngster a double supply. Alas! the old fellow's efforts were in vain. On the evening of the i8th. the young one left its shelter, and selected the highest and most exposed part of the aviary to roost in. I suppose that I ought to have replaced it. but it looked so satisfied with its perch, putting on quite an ' I'm the King of Bird Notes. Phdto W. Shore Buily. Black-tailed Hawfinch Incubating. Bird Notes. Photo W. Shore Baily. Black-tailed Hawfinch feeding young. Bird Notes. Al 6 'iS's* H\ ^ Plintii W. Shore B Whydahs. By Dr. E. Hopkinson. D.S.O. The Whydahs form a well-defined group of birds, if, as I think we must, the Combasous are included therein. In the Hand List it is true this genus is still isolated away from the Whydahs proper somewhere between the Firefinches and Mannikins, but Shelley and other recent authorities agree in considering the Combasou a Whydah. With this I think that all aviculturists will concur, for in its habits, except that its nests are more or less Sparrow-like, — untidy collections of material in holes in walls and roofs, not woven structures low down amidst the grass, — it agrees with the other Whydahs, while its colour changes are on the same lines, though no lengthening of the tail accompanies the donning of the breeding dress nor is the uniform black set off with red or yellow. In both these points, however, some of the more typical Whydahs follow the Combas- ou; as regards the tail, in Urobrachya there is but little if any elongation of this appendage when the colour change takes place, while as regards the uniform black nuptial plumage, this character is shared by Coliostruthus concolor, the wholly black race, variety or sub-species of C. ardens, and Drcpanoplectes too 184 Whydahs in full colour is also practically all black, as except for its brown fli.^iits and win.^-coverts there is no other relief to the black. One of the chief characteristics of the Whydahs is this change at the breeding- season from the plain lark-like plnniag'e of the rest of the year to the very varied ornamental plumage of h)ve. a change in which not only the colour of the feathers is involved, but in luany genera the shape as well, at any rate as far as the tail is concerned. Not only is this lengthened, — in some genera as a whole, in others only the four central feathers. Imt various other alterations in the shape of the feathers take place, narrowing, broadening, curving etc. as the case may be. This colour change occurs also of course in a great many other riocciilac, and is particularly Whydah-like. (except that the tail is unaffected) in the Bishops, (Pyromchina), which, with the allied genus OucJca, Shelley unites with the Whydahs and Combasous to form his sub-family ]^iduinoc. The males when in full colour are attended by a regular harem of females, for polygamy is the rule among these birds. To these mates they show off or display in various ways, and as regards some species, regular courting dances and dancing- places are described, of which more will be said later on in the proper place. These birds, and particularly their breeding in confine- ment have been so much to the front in the last year or two in the pages of the Magazine, that I think a resume of our knowledge of the group will be of interest. Although I know some species quite well both at large in their native coimtry and as cage birds at home, I have nothing new to say about them and therefore must draw on previous writings for my material. On the habits of a few species ciuite a lot has been recorded, but in most there is but little known, of others nothing. At this I do not much wonder, at any rate as regards the birds which inhabit Tropical Africa, for there the breeding and most interesting period is for these and most other birds the rainy season, when wet and insects are the chief characteristics of the country and when most of the " bush " is a mass of lush tick-breeding vegetation almost impassable except by cutting. One sees the birds con- tinually, conspicuous as they are in their breeding dress, but finding the nests is f|uite a diflFerent thing, especially when they Whydahs 185 are situated in the swamps, as is the case with most of those made by Whydahs. The best way it seems to me of utiHsing" the available material will be to take the list (that of all the species at present known) in the British Musetmi Hand List and under each species to give the information most likely to be useful aviculturally, and not to waste time and paper in copying' out descriptions of plumage and accounts of habits, except in so far as they " suit my book". Now that so many Whydahs have joined, or look like joining, the ranks of those which have bred in conlinement, descriptions of their nests and eggs are well worth collecting into one place, so that these will form the chief part of what I shall find to say about the different species, and to this will be added references to the literature dealing with these birds, where all that is known about them may be found by seekers after more information. In these references 1 shall try to give as many as possible to coloured plates, as these are so helpful in identifying any birds one has never seen before. Where I know of plates, the books containing them will head the lists of references. Another matter which with foreign birds is always a source of trouble and confusion is Nomenclature, for. as time goes on. names (both popular and scientific), change like the fashions, so that what is one bird's name to-day ma} to-morrow have been shifted to another, or one name be shared by two or more birds, although I do not know that this occurs often among the Whydahs; but the opposite is of course a widely spread evil, — that is one bird being burdened (or honoured, if preferred) by a multitude of appellations. As a guide through this maze of names I am heading each account with two lists of the principal names which have been applied to the species under considera- tion. The first will contain the English names (other than that which heads the article), the quite obsolete ones being disting- uished by an asterisk (*) and the others arranged more or less in their order of merit as suitable names. The second will deal with the scientific names; this comes straight out of the British Museum Catalogue (vol. xiii.), from the synonymies of which I have tried to skim the cream, supplementing it where necessary from more recent sources, that is the other authorities I quote. iS6 Whydahs The names in the first List have been collected from time to time for a i^ood many years from many sources. While on this subject a few words on the name " Whydah " itself will not be out of place. This appears to be the most generally used and the best name for these birds, though " Widow", " Widow-bird " runs it a good second. Professor Newton in the ' Dictionary of Birds ' supported (p. 1030) the use of the latter name, as the earliest, having been introduced in 1745 by Edwards, who wrote (I quote from the Dictionary) that " the Portuguese call this bird the Widow from its colour and long train". Whydah " on the other hand is a name of Latham's, first used in 1783 (Sh.iv.13). In spite however of " Widow's " priority, I prefer " Whydah ", not only because it has the majority of modern supporters behind it, but also for its African origin and sound, which seem to fit the birds so much better than does the rival name. The following is a list of the chief modern works in which the Whydahs are dealt with and to which I shall so continually be referring, as too I hope my readers will also. After each I give in brackets the abbreviation used in my references. Shelley's Birds of Africa, vol. iv. 1905. (Sh.). — Deals with all Whydahs. St.\rk .\nd Sclater's Birds of South Africa, vol. i. 1900. — The South African Species. Butler's Foreign Finches in Captivity. iSp.^ (Butler. FF.).- — Six of the best known as cage birds, with life like coloured plates. Butler's Foreign Birds for Cage and Az'iary. part. i. 1906 circa. (Butler). — All known as cage birds. British Museum C.\talogue. vol. .xiii. 1890. (BM. Cat. or C.\i.) British Museum H.\nd List. vol. v. 1909. (H.L.v). The list of species here is the one 1 use, and from it I also take the habitats of the different species. The abbreviations, A.M. and B.N., I need hardly say, refer to the Avicultural Magazine and Bird Ncites respectively, and Ibis needs neither abbreviation or explanation. Other older books to which references appear are Gedney's Foreign Cage Birds, — the Foreigners by Wiener — (CassellJ, Swainson's Birds of West Africa (Sw.) and the two German works of Russ (Die Fremdldndisclien Stubenvogel. vol. i.) and Reichenbach (Die Sing%'dgel), the latter valuable for its numerous and in most cases good coloured figures, the former the well-known compendium of all things avicultural. These appear as (Russ) and (Singv.) Another atuhority, a recent one, is also German, but it I have not seen and therefore give no references. This is Reichenow's Die Vogel Africas. (1901-05), (To be continued). Notes froDi 0)1 Amateur in Ceylon 187 Notes from an Amateur in Ceylon. Bv Mrs. W. G. Dickinson. 1 wonder if a few notes on our avi^iry and wild <."eylon bird neighbours would be of any interest ? The climate we live in is the damp, low country, with heavy rainfall at intervals, and occasional spells of dry heat, the tisual temperature in the bungalow being from about 78° to 82°. This is evidently very trying to birds from dryer regions, although Indian and other Eastern birds seem to do very well. 1 collected one year about forty birds, principally Munias, Java Sparrows. Ceylon Bulbuls and a few other Indian birds, the most " distinguished " of which, to my mind, were two beautiful birds called " Nepally Shamas " by the Indian bird seller. They were evidently Shamas, but with a shorter tail, with no wdiite on them, and a wide open crest, only raised when they were excited or pleased, not very pointed. Their handsome colouring of rich chestnut and skining black was very striking. I also had a nondescript kind of bird, evidently some kind of Babbler : a most amusing tame little chap, with faintly pencilled feathers of a slaty general colour, and a handsome and tame thrush, also of a grey-blue tone, with' exqtiisitely pencilled feathers. He and one Shama came to sad ends during my enforced absence, but the other Shama and Bansee, the Babbler, were my great delight for over two years, when a careless cooly gave them a chance to escape, and alas! I was not at home to recapture them, which I think would have been easy, as they were so tame. The Australian Grassfinches I was able to bring back here did not do well, alas ! The Crimson Finches died on arrival; one Bicheno's Finch pined for its mate, who escaped on the jour- ney; my Gouldians, after beginning to nest, gradually suc- cumbed to the damp, their end hastened. I fear, by the impossi- bility of procuring millet sprays. The Long-tailed Grassfinches did best, living for about two years, but without breeding. I fear the aviary is too small for the mixed crowd who inhabit it, being only about 12ft. by 6, comprising a shelter and high open flight, with a fountain-bath, and shrubs in it. My 188 Notes from an Amateur In Ceylon principal breeding successes are, alas ! only with the duller types of birds, such as Miinia malacca, Bengalee and Java Sparrows; of the latter an old white hen who was given me when at least four years old, mated with a young grey cock, rearing suc- cessfully several broods, she dying at the ripe age of eight years. A little light-pied Bengalee hen, has reared several broods, having for her mate a Spice Finch ( Munia puiictulata), curiously enough everyone of her children, and also the white Java's are of the duller colouring of their respective fathers, showing no white. This Bengalee hen is very ridiculous when " broody," hastening to get her bath and feeding over, suggesting an hysterica] moth. 1 am very disappointed that so far the Pekin Robins, Red-vented Bulbuls and Weavers (these being Bayas, Madagascar cock and Napoleon hen) have never bred. These common Bulbuls are the greatest friends with all their wild brethren who court them, or have furious battles through the wires, and make their own nests within a few yards. The Cingalese consider these birds as select as Mynas because they talk so well; I was rather astonished to find this is true, although my own do not talk, having too many other interests I suppose. My two handsome Red-whiskered Bulbuls do not breed, and cannot be a pair I fear; I hope to get some more from a friend in the Nilgiris Hills. I had a pair of white Eye-browed Bulbuls (Pyciioiiotiis lutcoliis), olive green birds with a pecu- liar loud cry; they proved to be most truculent inhabitants of an aviary, I was quite glad when one died, as the solitary one is more subdued. It seems impossible to procure or catch the many really lovely birds which one often sees, such as Malabar Fruit- Suckers, Orange Minivets, Paradise Flycatchers. Black-capped Green-Bulbuls and other gems; it makes one rather long to have some of them, although being so beautiful in their wild state, one would be grieved if captivity harmed or killed them. I have been brought at various times many kinds of birds, of wdiich some were Sunbirds, young Red Woodpeckers and a family of (lolden Orioles; but I have successfully kept but few, many being temporarily injured, or unable to learn to feed in captivity, in spite of all I could do — so I release most Notes from an Amateur in Ceylon 189 of thein. 1 do not even know the family of the i^lorious Orange Minivet, large tiocks of whom often visit us, tlie l^ame and black of the larger and the flame and slaty-grey of the smaller species, is exquisite; they are grace impersonified, iind tame fearless birds to boot, who take good care of our fruit and flowering" trees. They are called locally Sultan Birds as one cock usually is seen with two or more hens — possibly his latest family. No amount of offered rewards can urg'e the natives to find me where they breed, locally, so I fancy it. must be either in higher altitudes where one often sees them too, or in other countries, as they are migratory. The hen's colouring- is bright canary-yellow in place of the orange of the cock and I some- times see both sexes, when out of colour, an undetermined washy grey in the brightly coloured parts. The Paradise Flycatcher is a most interesting- and very lovely Ijird. The young cocks and the hens are rich light chest- nut, all but a white shirt front, with shining black head and neck to the shoulders. The crest is erect and pointed; at about two years the cocks grow long chestnut tail feathers about ten or twelve inches in length, and in their fourtli year their whole plumage, long tail and all, becomes snowy white except the black head and cape. They are a beautiful sight in flight in the open with their fluttering long tails. Although the bird is quite plentiful I cannot tind its nest locally either. We are constantly brought young Barbets to rear l)y hand; they really are most amusng birds, although the Common Green Barbet is very ugly. The smaller si)ecies, called locally Painted Barbet. is much neater, and a nice pet, their colouring- being beautiful. They are very noisy in the house, and dirty too, but become very tame and friendly in an assertive sort of way — when you approach they begin their loud strident call, which continues for about two minutes, during which time their wind- pipe expands into a sort of bubble full of air, which shows quite bare through the feathers. I found them the most frail birds for their size and strong appearance, they constantly broke limbs, tore their mandibles, and came through terrible experiences, so I have given up keeping them till I can make a large aviary for bigger birds; nevertheless they are amusing and very friendly — if they had not this habit of " going bad " as my 190 Notes from an Auiatcur in Ceylon friends call it. They are plentiful locally, eating- quantities of l)erries and fruit. About six weeks ag^o a beautiful (Joklen Oriole was brought to me, who seemed very dazed and poorly, her captors saying they could bring two young like her. I aske 1 them to bring these younsters. On their arrival, some time after, the Oriole proved to be their mother, who faithfully began feeding them at once. Shortly after, the father was brought to me, and I had great hopes of successfully keeping this beautiful family, as they are apparently very unexcitable birds, and started feed- ing freely at once. The cock bird fed his mate in the most touching way, and the hen continually fed the young, although to my sorrow I found her back had been injured and I hear she was kept too long without food. The second day she died, after having fed her babies to within five minutes of her death, and within another twelve hours the cock died too. I wish now I had released him. I do not know if he pined, or if I was giving unsuitable food (not enough berries, and too much insect food). He was absolutely unable to grasp the idea of feeding the young ones, a curious thing, as he had been so unfailing in feeding his mate. The poor little things clamoured round him, much to his nervous discom- fort. I am glad to say we have reared these little orphans, so far )nost successfully; principally on fruit, peameal, white ants and their eggs. They are now l)eautiful birds, rapidly attaining full plumage, but still flecked with brown and lacking the brilliant ruby eyes of the adults, and are delightfully tame. When they first came they could fly a little, but must have been quite young, being half their full size, and with very young birds' beaks, and bare heads and beaks ; they were already yellow with dark wings, but mottled all over the yellow areas with brown. At that early age they often sang a note or two. They did not feed themselves for nearly a month after I got them. I shall venture to put them in a very small birds' aviary, and watch results, soon. They have no fear of being handled, and their parents, when first caught, showed no actual fear of people only dazed distress at captivity, hopping about, but never flopp- ing against the bars. The Cingalese believe these birds to Aiotcs of the Season 191 bel'^i'L; t(' a very lii.^H caste, and say they will not thrive in Di.- hrm e c a low caste man, unless he makes them eat food sue: as pork, which ' Breaks their Caste ' — perhaps my pair needed some such treatment. Last week I was given a youni; hlack bird with an aston- ishing big " gape." 1 took him for a nightjar at th-st, but now believe him to be a young Kowal, or Ulack Cuckoo, lie appear.=; willing to live on any diet, and 1 hope to rear him to maturity; he is a most confiding and absurd bird; nearly as big as a young- jackdaw. I will try to sketch or photo him later. He is shiny black with buff flecks at intervals on tip of wing feathers his peculiarities being thick grey-black feet, short legs, and huge ' gape,' and a little turn down end to his bill. ^-hh^ Notes of the Season. By the M.arquis of Tavistock. The severe winter passed with the loss of only a single bird and that of no value to speak of. But from March onward I have a great rim of ill-luck, the majority of deaths occurring during perfect weather. First I lost three acclimatized White-browed Amazons (Clirysotis albifrons) from lung trouble : then a Guiana Parrot- let from ovary disease. I also lost a consignment of Red Shining Uvean Parrakeets. these were all unacclimatised birds, but I never expected to lose the lot in spite of every care. Septicaemia also carried off two Yellow-bellied Parrakeets (Platyccvcus floviveiitris) — this mysterious disease makes it almost impossible to keep certain parrakeets in the Isle of Wight — notably Many-colours, Blue Bonnets, and apparently Yellow-bellies. It appears to be non-infectious and generally ends fatally after a few hours' or a few days' of painful illness, marked by convulsions. Heat hastens the patient's end, but the disease can occur in winter as well as in summer, and there seems no prevention or cure. My New-Zealand Parrakeets (Cyanurhcniiphus novac- zealandiae ) quarrelled badly, although they were brother and sister, and had never been separated. I therefore parted them 192 Notes of the Season aiul turned the lien into ;in ;i\ iary with my old euek. A fortni_i;ht later lie innrdered her and some weeks afterwards tlie secontl cock died —apparently from pure cussedness, as nothing could be found tlie matter with him. About the same time a hen Many-colour ( I'sc/^Jiofiis niiillicolor ) was killed by her Red- rump ( I'sepliotiis !iaeiiiato)iotHs) inate. and a cock Bourke's (Neoplieiiu! buiirkel) died of injuries apparently inflicted by ffyin:..;' ai^ainst the wire netting.* Voiw pairs of (irass Parrakeets were turned out on the eve of a severe thunderstorm, which so terrified them that two killed themselves during" the night in the same way as the Bourke's. Bitter experience has taught me that it is unsafe to keep any parrakeet of the genus NeoplieDia in an aviary unprotected with a lining of string netting.* to prevent suicide. As a palliative to the above tale of woe I have a few breeding successes to recount and some failures. Hooded Parrakeets (Psephotus dissimilis). As my pairs will persist in sticking to Australian seasons, generally dying egg-bound in October, and moulting all the spring and summer, I put them in a warm indoor flight at the end of Septem- ber 1916. One hen had a weak leg and I thought her useless, but as not infrequently happens with a crippled bird, she proved better than 1 anticipated, laying and incubating a full clutch of eggs, which unhappily proved infertile. The other hen got no further than inspecting the nest-box. Guiana Parrotlets (Fsitiaeiila gitianensis). A pair of this species reared three young, in a cage, up to the age of three weeks and then murdered the lot. A second nest proved a failure. This species is now nesting again. A hen Blue-faced Lorikeet (T. hae))iatodus) paired to a Swainson's (Trichoglossus szvainsoni) laid two eggs, both of which were infertile. Having learned by experience that it is almost useless to expect young parrakeets unless the male birds, at any rate, have had abundance of flying exercise during the whole of the winter * A thick screen of hraiiclies would l)e hetter, as there would be consid- erable danger of the Ijirds gelling entangled in the string netting. — Ed. Notes of the Season 193 previous to the breeding season, I kept the cocks intended for the Indian and African kitino Ring-necks, and the lutino Blossom-liead out of doors in a large flight; the hens occupying small indoor flights. In March the cock Indian Ring-neck (Palaeonus t or quota } gave evidence of being in breeding con- dition by trying to kill his African companion, who was only rescued in the nick of time. The Indian Ring-necks, after being paired up, nested and the hen produced, in the place of five infertile eggs in 1916, seven fertile eggs, all of which had chicks dead in the shell. The African Ring-necks seemed on good terms, but did not even enter their nest-box. The hen Blossom- head (P. cyanocephala), who in 1916 laid three eggs but refused to pair, this season varied her conduct by pairing but refusing to lay. Having failed for three years to get anything but infertile eggs or weak embryos from Stanley (P. ieterotis) Barraband's (Polytdis harrahaiidi ) and Pileated Parrakeets (Porphyroceph- alus spuriits) which had been caged during the winter, T decided last autumn to risk the weather and leave the whole lot out, as well as a newly acquired pair of Queen Alexandras ( Spat ho p- tcrtis alexandrae) . All came through successfully, and three pairs of Stanleys, the Pileated, and two of the four pairs of Earrabands' went to nest as usual, and not as usual all hatched out something. The Stanleys reared ten young birds between them without loss. The Pileateds hatched out two fine chicks from four eggs, but unluckily lost both when half grown, apparently through feeding them on some indigestible food — I fear strawberries. One young Barraband's was hatched out by each pair. One was reared, but the other was squashed by its parents, who were clumsy and very wild. A pair of Red-rumps (P. hacmatonotus) reared four young, but my last pair of Bourke's got no further than inspect- ing the nest box. Three pairs of Blue-winged Grass Parrakeets (Neophema venusta) — or more correctly speaking a cock Rock Grass Parrakeet, (N. petrophila) and two cocks and three hen Blue- wings all went to nest. The hen who paired with the Rock had her eggs broken by her lady companion and therefore decided that it was ' up ' to the latter to make reparation by allowing 194 Nesting Notes, iQiy her to share her own nest — an arrangement which for a time worked amicably, though in tlie end she laid again in her own b )x. I fear, however, that there is not Hkely to be any result, as all previous clutches have been infertile, owing, no doubt, to the necessity of caging these rather delicate birds during the cold weather, and so im])airing the fertility of the cocks.* A lien f'anksian Cockatoo (Calyf^torJiyuchiis banksii) paired to a cock Western Black Cockatoo (C. stellatits) laid one or two eggs last year, which failed to hatch. A pair of C. stellatits are now feeding each other and destroying many barrels, but do not show any immediate intention of settling down to business. The great difficulty with black cockatoos is to prevent the males becoming too fond of their owners and ignoring their mates. Even when they start by being timid and are never encom^aged or petted, they usually, if young, begin to show a marked preference for human society in a year or two. Old birds, however, are almost untameable, but they are difficult to come by, as they are seldom taken alive and still more seldom survive capture. O^^h^ Nesting Notes, 1917. By Herbert E. Bright. A few notes of the recent doings of my birds may prove of some li' tie interest and encouragement to my fellow members. ( )n my return here (Aug. 7) I found the following fully reared and others nesting, etc. Diamond Sparrows ( St egano pleura guttata). Two broods were on the wing; four in the first brood, the second brood an unknown quantity as they are not long out of the nest and keep to cover. The first brood moulted very quickly and make a pretty picture on the small lawn in the aviary — six to eight may be seen feeding at one time with other species, and they are amiable — in a smaller place I have found their pug- nacity a perfect nuisance. I'oPE Cardinals (I\voay\a larvata). There are three fine * Since writing the above one pair of Blue-winged Parrakeets have hatclu'd \oung. Nesting Notes, ipiy 195 young birds on the wing, the outcome of two nests. BiCHENo's Finches (Siictoptcra bichcnovi). There are a few young on the wing, but I am not sure of their number; thev are only just out of the nest and it is hard to find them together. Hybrids. A hybrid (reared here last season) Greenfinch X Himalayan Siskin cock, mated to a Greenfinch hen, have nested and fully reared two young hybrids; these are a pair, the hen of which is much the same as an English greenfinch hen, but the cock shows considerably more colour. A Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (Mitnia castanclthorax) paired with a hen Silverbill ( Aidcmosync cauians) has fully reared four' ,young hybrids — at present they resemble their mother, except for their black beaks. The parent birds are incubating another clutch. A Magpie Mannikin ( AmaurcstJics iringlUoidcs) mated with a hen Silverbill have nested, with the result that several young left the nest, but owing to the interposition of wet weather only one bird has been fully reared, but it is a very strong youngster. The old birds are sitting again. Diamond Dove (GcopcJia cuncata). There are two young of this exquisite species disporting themselves about the aviary. Later (Aug.24). Two more of this species are on the wing. Violet Dove ( Lcptopiila jainaicciisis ). Two young of this species are also on the wing and fending for themselves. Talpacoti Dove (Chamacpclia talpacoti). Two more young (first brood still living) are on the wing. Cape (Masked) Dove (Ocna capcnsis). One young bird of this species was hatched out, but the parent birds failed to rear it. Himalayan Bullfinch (Pyrrhula crythroccphala). These are unsatisfactory nesters, they are so easily disturbed, and though on several occasions during the past two seasons they have caused me to hope that they would successfully rear young. I have been disappointed — they are so easily disturbed. This season they have again built a nest, but allowed themselves to be driven off by two Parson Finches, and so far they have not constructed another nest. Later (Aug. 24). A second nest has 196 Ncsfi)ig Notes, iQiy been built, a very j^ood one, but no eg'.q's have been laid at present. Himalayan Goldfinches (Cardnclis indica). My two pairs are now moultini;', so I siipose they are not Hkely to go to nest this season. Ani.;". 24. One pair have buiU a nest in the sheher-shed and rather look like business. (iki:i:\' Fruit-pkikon (Sphcnoccrcus sphcmirus). These look in i^rand condition, l)ut the cock is lethargic; the hen is anxious to nest, but the cock will not respond, though I have seen them mating. Later (Aug. 24). The cock has become more active, now all but through the moult, so there may be a chance of them nesting this season, late as it is. C )Ckaii:i:l (Calopsiitacns novac-hoUandlac) Three young of tin's well known but pretty crested parrakeet are fully reared, and their parents are nesting again. Later (Aug. 24), the second brood are fairly numerous judging by the noise they make cabling for food. Pkach-fackd Lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis). These have nested and have young in the nest, but I do not know how many. Long-tailed Grassfinch (Pocpliila acuiicauda). At present I have only noticed two young birds about, but I think there are more. Gottldtan Finches (PocphUa gouldiac). One pair are incubating a clutch of eggs, and two other pairs are building. Later (Aug. 24). All three pairs sitting 1 think, certainly two pairs are. They are all in the same aviary, there was some scpiabbling at first, but they soon chose their respective nests and settled down. W^ni n;-KNEP,RowED Song-sparrow* (Zonotrichia leuco- Mii'ys). These nested with the result that one young bird made its exit from the nest, and was nearly fending for itself wdien it suddenly disappeared, so, I fear, it lies dead amid the herbage of the aviary. Malai'.ar Starlfngs (PoJiopsar malahayica). For some mysterious reason my pair, though in faultless condition, have not nested. Peaceful ami Plumed (iround Doves, also Brush Bronze- Synon3'm : Wliite-crowned Song-Sparrows. Editorial 197 wing, and Geoffrey's Pigeons have all nested and hatched out, but from one cause or another have failed to rear any young — possibly adverse weather at the critical moment is the most probable cause. Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristato). My pair of this grand species, after building two nests, have moulted and apparentlv given up all thoughts of nesting. O-M-^ Editorial. Zoo Notes. — During a recent visit to the bird section of the Menagerie we noticed many interesting birds in the Small Birds' House, all in excellent condition. The Summer Aviary has been much improved, and has now been made into one huge natural enclosure, with a wire netting tunnel through the midst of it — this enables the visiting public to get a better view of the birds and under fairly natural conditions — with a small party of members and the keeper we wandered through it, and noted many interesting nests and young birds. We did not make a list, but these included young Orange Weavers. Pileated Song-Spar- rows, several species of Doves and Pigeons — a second nest of Orange Weavers contained eggs and a young chick; also a nest of the Lesser Double-collared Sunbird containing eggs — we hope to refer more fully to some of these interesting episodes in a later issue. In the Parrot House, in one of the large cages, two fine hybrids have been reared, as the result of the mating of Red-naped and Blue Mountain (Swainson's) Lori- keets. The young birds show distinctly in their plumage a pleasing combination of both parents. Hybrids from such closely allied species should be fertile. But few game birds and water-fowl have been reared this season owing to the food regulations. Yellow-rumped Tanagers. — We are informed that our member Mr. E. J. Brook has had young of this fine species (part of the Ecuador consignment) successfully reared in his aviaries, and we heartily congratulate him upon a notable suc- cess; and hope he will send details for publication in our journal. 198 Correspondence Corr espondence. 15REF.D1NG SONC'. THRUSH x RLACKIHRD HYBRIDS. Sir. — fn reply lo the eminiiv in the August issue of I'lUD Notes signed V.. i iopkinson, I have pleasure in forwarding the first account of breeding liv1)rids lietwcen the Song Tin-ush and Blackbird. The account is from Civ^c Hirds June 12th 1915, and is by the l)rceder, Mr. T. H. Anderson, Darvel, .\yr. Tlie male parent of tiie hylirids was a Song Tiirusli, and tlie female a Blackbird. Later in the year, Mr. Ander.^in sent one of these hybrids to the offices of Coi^c Birds for examination with the view of its being granted the medal offered l)v that journal for the breeding ot rare hybrids. After careful examination, it was decided that the bird was bred as claimed, and the medal was awarded. In due course one of these hybrids was exhibited in hybrid classes at various shows, and it was awarded prizes liy some judges and disqualified by others as not being a genuine hxbrid. Then, at the joint show held in the Autumn of 1915 at the Holborn Hall, Mr. Anderson exhibited, under Mr. John Robson of London as judge, all three of these hybrids, but the judge refused to accept them and gave his opinion that they were nothing else but slightly melanistic Thrushes. In the next season, igi6, Mr. Anderson again succeeded in breeding voung from the same two birds, and this time the young birds showed more of the Blackliird side of their parentage. He sent one of these hybrids to a meetiu'^i^ of the British B)ird and Mule 'Club Committee and claimed the Gold Medal of the Society. The Blackbird parentage of this bird was shewn so distinctly that the medal was awarded. Subsequently, after having been exhibited at a show, the bird died on the way home. The body was sent to the Offices of Cage Birds, and by us was forwarded, on behalf of Mr. (i. Cralib, the President of the London and Provincial ().S.. to the Taxidermist with ;i view to its being set up as a specimen and added to the Society's collection of stuffed specimens. As will be seen in the account enclosed, taken from Cage Birds March loth, 1917, this preserved specimen was sent to a scientific meeting of the Zoological Society and was accejjted by them as being a true hybrid. .Another one from the same nest was purchased by Lord Rothschild and deposited at the London Zoo, auvl this is the bird mentioned by vour correspondent. Considerable discussion took place in the columns of Cage Birds and elsewhere as to the authenticity of the [jarcntage of the hybrids of 1915, and throughout that discussion we upheld our decision that the hybrids were as represented. It was of course a matter of sincere gratification to us when Mr. Anderson was able lo repeat his success and to breed young birds about the parentage of which there could be no possible doubt. HENRY J. FULLJAMES. Editor, Cage Birds. Correspondence 199 LW'e are greatly obliged to tlie Editor of Cage Birds for kindly supply- ing till- aliove and following information in resiionse to Dr. I lopkinson's 4Uory. antl tiMulcr our best thanks. — lidilor, Uikd NotksJ. From Cage Hlrds io-iii-1917. " At a scientific meeting;' of the Zooloi^ical Society, held on l""ebrnarv 6lh, Mr. Gerrard exhibited, on behalf of Mr. (i. Crabb, a mounted specimen of a Hybrid between a Song" Thrush and a Blackbird. The bird is one of those bred last summer by Mr. Anderson, of Darvel, from parents which he said had also reared a nest of three in the previous season. This year the young" birds showed their Blackl)ird paren- tage more distinctly than those of last year, and there could be no doubt of their being as claimed, namely. Hybrids between a Song Thrush and a Blackbird. This one arrived home dead after a show, and Mr. Anderson kindly sent us the body with a view to its being preserved and added to the collection of prize winners belonging to the London and Provincial ().S. The collection of stuffed specimens to which this bird forms so interesting an addition will shortly be deposited at the People's Palace, Mile End Road, where it will be on view. The Palace is within a short walk from Stepney Green station, and the motor omnibuses from the Mansion House pass the doors. The photo reproduced is by Mr. D. Seth-Smith, of the Zoological Society, who sent a copy also to " The Field," w^ith a letter of which the following is an extract. The note of the Editor of " The Field " is also appended: — "The bird exhibited, and of which a photograph is here- with reproduced, proved by dissection to be a male. Both in plumage and measurements it corresponds more closely with the Song Thrush than the Blackbird, and it might, in fact, be mistaken for a dark variety of the former species. Its general colour, however, is of a much darker hue than that of the Thrush. The ear-coverts are very dark brown, and the buffish-white eye stripe characteristic of that bird is absent. The chin, which in the Thrush is generally devoid of spots, is in this bird spotted. The throat, breast, and fianks are spotted like those of a Thrush, but on a darker ground. The upper mandible is black, the lower blackish at the tip and yellow at the base, and the leg's and feet are intermediate in colour between those of the two parent species. 200 Corrcs(^undcncc 1 am not sure whether tliere^are any properly authenti- cated records of wild Hybrids of these two species, but it is evident from the appearance of this captive bird that such Hybrids mii2:ht be easily overlooked; that is, if the male were the Song" Thrush. It would l)e interesting to see the reverse cross, i.e., from a male Black])ird and female Song Thrush, which might be much more like the Blackbird." D. Seth-Smith. [The interbreeding of Thrush and Blackl)ird has been frequently reported, although not always on such good evidence as in the present case. The earliest of such records as we have noted may be found in Loudon's Magas'uic of Natural History for 1834. Macgillivray has alluded to it in his article on the Thrush, and Newton in the first volume of Yarrell's British Birds (page 282) states that the Blackbird will breed with the Song Thrush, and in one case on record (i.e., Loudon's) Hybrids were produced from sucJi a union in two successive years. In Harting's Handbook of British Birds (second edition, p. 39), after quoting Loudon and Macgillivray, several references are given to such Hybrids reported in the Zoologist (1883, p. 123; 1884, p. 140; 1892, p. 270; 1895, p. 22,2,), and Transactions of the Norfolk Naturalist Society (vol. iii, p. 588]." From Cage Birds i2-vi-i9i5. "As promised in my letter in Cage Birds of May 29. 1 will now try to give an account of my experience with my birds, and especially with the breeding and rearing of the Song Thrush-Blackbird Hybrids. It is now about nine years since I began keeping cage birds, and while I am by no means an authority, perhaps my experience may encourage others in the Fancy. I have been fairly successful in my attempts, though I have never done much at show^ing, unless at our club shows, where I have been able to secure some points at times. Aly first attempt was with two pairs of conunon Canaries, from which I had two or three young. This was not much, yet even such a small success encouraged me. and gradually my Corrcspo)idcncc ' :20l aspirations i^rew. 1 then tried a few j)rize-l)re(l Borders with fairly L;ood rcsuhs, l)ut later Norwich Canaries claimed my attention and favour. I have to thank my friend Mr. Jas. Brown for introducini^' me to Norw'ich, which were his favourites, too, in the old days, when he did a i;ood bit of \^•innini;• in many parts of Scotland. At present I have about a dozen hens breeding', and my tirst young ones are just getting on the sticks. About seven years ago I got built a good sized garden aviary, of which I will try and send you a photograph later. In this I have gradually got together a nice collection of Britishers, with a few^ hardy foreigners to give colour and variety. .Some people say they will not do together, but I have never had any trouble with them so far. My aviary is composed of three sections. The first is quite enclosed, and in it my Norwich Canaries are kept in box cages which can be made into long flight cages by drawnng the movible partitions. This part is lift, by 9ft. The sec'ond section is enclosed on three sides and roof with a net wire front, and measures lift, by 5ft. At one end of this there is a large flight w^here 1 can keep Hybrid pairs for breeding, and I find they do well. This flight will be about 5ft. by 4ft., by 5ft. high. The third section is quite open, except a little bit of roof covering about 5ft. or so, and this open flight, in which I have a lot of dead trees and shurbs (because the birds won't let live ones grow), is lift, by 15ft. It is in the latter section that I keep most of my Britishers, including the Thrush and Blackbird which have bred and reared the Hybirds this year. In this there is a Thrush that has moulted seven times, and he is as fresh to-day, and singing as a young one. Last summer I got another young Thrush which I took to be a hen and showed as such at our club shows. However, as the season advanced and the spring weather came on this young bird began to sing. This was quite a disappoint- ment to me, for I thought I had got a mate for the old one, and expected to breed some young from them; I had no thought that there were better than young .Song- Thrushes to come. At»out the middle of April the Blackbird hen, which has been in the aviary for three years, beg-an to build her nest in her usual way, laid three eggs and began to sit. Not expecting anything but the usual empty eggs, I merely took note of the 202 Correspondence date oil the rei^ister. and paid liltle more attention, and so you may understand my suri)rise and pleasure to find two newly- liatched chicks in the nest on the morniui^' of the fourteenth day after. I soon i^rocured a lot of small earthworms wdiich 1 put in a ])an with some soil in it, and was rewarded by seeini;' the mother hirtl i^et down almost at once and Ije.^in feedins;' the youni^'. This was on May 3, and from tlien until now, June i, it has been a constant hunt for earthworms and s1ul;s to keep these hungry youngsters going. On May 16 they left the nest, and the same day the Blackbird began making up the nest again. In two days she had it plastered and lined, and laid her first egg again on the 20th. This time she has laid four eggs, and if fertile they should hatch out by the end of this week I think. On May 20 the young were showing" an attempt to pick at food, and on the 22nd could kill and swallow small earthworms. The hen still kept feeding them, and even up till May 31 I saw her feeding. She has been a very busy bird. Regarding feeding the young, the mother bird has done that entirely herself. We always kept a supply of worms and slugs in the pan, and it was no easy task during such dry weather; then we had soft bread always handy, and lastly, oatmeal made into a paste with water, sometimes mixing a little finely chopped raw* meat with it. This was all she got except whatever she could pick up in the aviary herself. I noticed she was very fond of the oatmeal paste to feed them with after they were up a bit. I trust this may encourage others to try for this or other rare crosses, for we never know when success may come our way I find Hybrid breeding very interesting, and, though attended by many disappointments, T have found it very encour- aging. In the last three years I have been able to breed the following: two Linnet-Bullies, two Redpoll-Goldfinches, two Linnet-Greenies, and one Redpoll-Greenie, all of which, except the Redpoll-Goldies, were successfully reared. In closing I should like to thank the Editor of Cage Birds for his kind letters of encouragement, and wish Cage Birds the success it so well deserves." — T. H. Anderson, Darvel. Correspondence 203 A DEVICE FOR CONTINUOUS SUPl'LY OF FRESH WATER. Sir. — As a coii.stant supply of fresh water is so important for the health of the occupants of our aviaries, I think that a descrij)tion of an arrangement I have made in my small aviary may be of possible interest to some of my fellow memliers, as the contrivance attains the desired object with a minimum of trouble. My very rough sketch shows a vertical section of the water-trough with the inlet and outlet pipes as follows : E. C H. A. Ivilet Pipe. The flow of water is regulated by a tap outside the aviary. B. Perforated pipe across the middle of top of the trough. As the perfora- tions represent less than the section of the inlet pipe, the water comes through them with a greater pressure and gets well sprayed all over the trough and its contents get properly stirred up. Outlet Pipe. Bent as shown in .sketch, so that the top of the bend should be a little lower than the top of the trough ; this level (D) prevents the latter overflowing when the j^i'essure is turned full on. Is the level corresponding to the lower part of the bend of the outlet pipe. When the water is allowed to trickle slowly through pipes A and B it will overflow slowly also, and the level of the water in the trough will keep at the level of the said point C, while being constantly renewed. The continuation of the ♦outlet pipe must be brought, say a couple of feet below the level of the trough. When the water is allowed to flow through A and B fast so that it should rise to level D, the air is driven out of the bend, pipe H acts as a syphon and the whole trough empties. It will continue working through till the tap is closed ; if the tap is set at a certain point — which experience quickly shows — the trough will automatically fill and empty itself continuously. At this point a small pin hole is made in the lead exhaust pipe ■ its function is to ensure the air being driven out and the syphon acting, and also to help the continuous filling and emptying. If it gets choked, the syphon, once started, is apt to continue even with very little dripping into the trough, too little water to make the syphon act if the trough is already at level C. Liverpool, August 20, 1917, P. J. CALVOCORESSI. 204 Correspondence A COCKATOO ITYr.RID. Sir. — I am niucli tlirillcd at tlic appearance of tlie liy1)n'(l T told you had lieen hatclu-d out in tlie aviary. It came out of the hok' in tlie roof, where the parent birds made the nes', yesterday (Au^-ust 13th). The parent birds were a cock Roseate and a hen T-esser Lemon-crested Cockatoo. The vounq; bird is fully fledged, and is a lovely pearl-grey all over the back and wings; the crest is not round like its father's, but is more horse-shoed in shai)e when erected, as the bird seems very fond of doing. The inner part of the crest is a buff-yellowy-pink shade, and this colour is repeated on the throat, a round patch on the cheeks, and a band across the chest. I think the bird will develo]-)e a deeper colour in time, as all the colour shades are very pale as yet. The bird is (luite unlike anything I have ever seen at all in parrots before. It is very tame and does not mind one going close to it. If further particulars are required T sh.all l)e pleased to supply all details I have noted. Hartwell House, Aylesbury. August 14, 1917. (Mrs.) MABEL LEE. [Mrs. Lee will be entitled to a medal for breeding this hybrid if she will send in a full detailed account of this success. We congratulate her thereupon. — Ed.] THE BREEDING OF SHAMAHS. Sir. — As iiromised I am sending you a few later notes of my Shamahs. From the third brood 1 have five lusty youngsters, which should make their e.xit from the nest either lo-morrow or ne.xt day. If these prosper, as appears verv probable, thai will make eleven young Shamahs from the one ])an- this season. There were six eggs in ihe last clutch, but one failed to get out of the shell; I tried tf) help it out, but the hen did not fancy my handiwork! They consume enormous quantities of live food. Both jiarents are looking fine, but I am going to take away the nest- box and materials as soon as the young have made their exit. Of the six young birds of the first two broods I have disposed of twcj up to the ])resent, but the others and most of the last brood are already be- spoke. The remaining four youngsters are in a division of the aviary next to their parents. One cock is growing the black feathers on head and neck, and the three hens spcnil most of their time chasing each other, one of them being rather a bully. Kingstown. ,'\ugust i.|, 1917. G. E LOW. I'.iiM) XoTi: Clien-y Fii.clirs S k 5 AidcDiosyiic ))iodcsta. All rights reserved. October, 1917. BIRD NOTES: THE JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. The Cherry Finch. AIDEMOSYNE MODEST A. By Wesley T. Page. F.Z.S. In April of this year our member, Mr. R. Arnold of Streatham, received from a friend an advice of the shipment of 48 Australian finches, viz : Cherry, Bicheno's, Crimson, and Crouldian Finches, which, after much correspondence he w^as permitted to clear under conditions. Two pairs each of Cherry and Crimson Finches were kindly presented to me by Mr. Arnold, and from this arises the present article, and another to follow on the Bicheno's Finch. The Cherry Finch has been known to aviculture for a lony" period, but is one of those species which have appeared on the Fnj^lish bird market at fitful periods and mostly in limited quantities, beini^" at times really rare and mostly uncommon. The illustrations were kindly drawn for us (g'ratis) by our member Mrs. A. M. Cook, from studies which she made of the 1)irds from life in Mr. Arnold's aviaries — the study of the birds and nest were made by her from very rough diagrams supplied by the writer of this episode in his aviary and are true to life in every respect. The Cherry Finch agrees almost in every respect in de- meanour, contour and general characteristics with its near rela- tive the Silverbill (A. cantans), and like that species the hens are subject to egg-binding during wet, chilly weather, of which we have had much in this county (Surrey) this season. The Cherry Finch is most decidedly a pretty and also a handsome bird, and, if not clad in tropical colours, its colour arrangement is most pleasing, contrasty and the harmony is 2o6 The Cherry Finch. perfect. It is vivacious yet amiable, very clieery and constantly utterinsj;' its merry little lay, and is in every way an acquisition to the finch aviary. It has moreover the advantage of being easy to breed, sexes easy to distinguish, the one drawback being the liability of the hens to cliill, during chilly wet periods, and conse(iuently dying from inability to pass the egg unless dis- covered in time. Description. Male. — Upper ]iarts lirown, the rump is barred with wliitc and the upper tail-coverts spotted with the same colour ; tail blackish brown with white terminal spots on the outer feathers; wings brown, flights dusky- brown with ]^a1er outer margins ; inner secondaries with terminal white spots : crown dark brown, with the fore portion plum colour; eye region and ear- coverts white, the latter barred with brown ; underparts white, with a l)lack gorget and the sides of neck and flanks barred with brown ; beak black ; legs dusky flesh colour ; iris deep chestnut. Fonalc. — General colour arrangement similar to male, but the plum coloured patch on the fore-crown is smaller, the white of her underparts distinctly greyish, and she has no black gorget. Habitat, Etc. — It ranges over the wide Bay region, N.S. Wales, Victoria and Southern Australia generally. It builds its nest amid tallish ground herbage or in a low bush, and the clutch usually nimibers five white eggs. In Captivity. In this country this pretty species is also known as the Pkun-headed, and Modest Grassfinch. but the name at head of this article is the one in most general use. I have said this species is easy to breed and while this is quite true, it is such a nervous little bird, usually leaving its eggs as soon as anyone enters the aviary or passes near it outside the aviary, consequently very few young have been reared by aviculturists in tliis country; also its liability to egg-binding in damp chilly weather renders the prospect of successfully rearing" young even more remote. I have found in my aviary that though it mostly adheres to its wild habits, and either makes its nest amid ground herbage, or in a low bush — the nest figured on our plate was placed in a small leaved Berberis eighteen inches above the ground, nevertheless there are exceptions to this rule, and this season two nests have been constructed in my aviary, amid wild convolvulus, six feet above the ground, but alas! though at least six nests have been ])uilt no young have been reared. The pair figured on our plate nested within a fortnight of arrival, but the hen died with her fourth egg. The other pair have been Bird Notes. Cherry Finches and Nest. The Cherry Finch. 207 nesting- on and off the whole season. Two cocks and one hen are still aHve and thriving, and mostly show themselves whenever the aviary is visited or passed. Beyond snapping up an occasional insect, and eating freely of the growing herbage in the aviary, their diet with me is an entirely seed one. Mr. J. Cronkshaw was the first to rear this species in this country (1895), when one young bird was fully reared. Since the initial success other aviculturists have been successful in breeding the Cherry Finch, but, though easy to breed it certainly is not a prolific species in captivity. My readers must not infer from the above that the species is a delicate one, quite the reverse, but like many other species of hardy birds, the hens cannot stand cold wet periods at the time of egg laying. Much more might be said of their mannerisms at various periods of the year, but space and paper are precious in these times; moreover I do not desire to exhaust the subject, as I hope other members will send in articles upon this pretty little finch. <^^-^ Stray Notes in My Birdroom. By Mrs. J. H. Burgess. The following notes cover the whole of this season up to August 29th. My birdroom and indoor flights were described in an earlier issue of Bird Notes, so I need not refer to these again. Zebra Finches. — These charming mites constructed a really wonderful nest of grasses, etc., in a Hartz travelling-cage suspended in their flight. The nest is built inside the cage, but all round the outside it is stuffed with all kinds of grasses and it is impossible to see the nest proper without entering the flight and making a close examination; then one sees a round long- shaped nest, running from the front to back of cage like a tun- nel, and right at the back sits Mrs. Zebra incubating a clutch of eggs. So far no young have been reared, though several clutches of eggs have been laid. The cock bird carried all materials and worked as though his life depended upon it. Small as he is, no other bird dare go near his nest — quick march is the word to all intruders. 2o8 Stray Notes in My Blrdvoom. They have carried on this unsatisfactory behaviotir rig'ht uj) to (late, seeming- to love egg laying as a hobby! They nev- er sit out the full incubation period. Rkd-napkd LoRiKKKT.-Tle is a lovely Ijird but I have been unaljle to get a mate iov liim, and lacking one of his own kind paired up with a hen Rosella Parrakeet, who forsook her own mate for him. For a time they searched the interiors of all the nest barrels, linally settling on one; several eggs were laid, w hich always disappeared, eaten I suspect by the Red-nape. Cutthroats. — These also have laid numbers of eggs without rearing any young. They forsake the eggs to consruct another home, on the last occasion leaving six eggs in a husk to construct another nest in a box. The cock carries all the mat- erial ; I have never seen the hen carry any. Later : These have another clutch of eggs, but after nearly sitting oitt their time forsook them — in fact their record in this respect is very similar to that of my Zebra Finches. Budgerigars. — Both Yellow and Greens (3 pairs) are sit- ting in their husks, the cocks keeping guard on the top of their respective households, which look very fimny: when my Lady's head appears at the front d'jor what a chattering and hissing there is ! A wonderful (so it appeared to me) thing happened to a ( ireen hen ; she somehow fell and broke her legs and damaged her wings, for she could not fly, while at home a clutch of five eggs were awaiting incubation. Ilie cock was in a sad state, while the hen made attenijjt after attempt to reach her husk, she was quite imable to get a hold over a piece of wood that was in her way. The cock bird seeing her predicament came down to her assistance, and side by side another attempt was made, the cock supporting and helping his mate, and when they came to the piece of wood the cock got right beneath her so that she could rest one leg on his back and at last after a big effort both arrived safely at the husk. To me this appeared very w'onderful. Later : There are now quite a number of young birds .-'bout, both Greens and Yellows; also some from the Blue-bred pairs, but alas ! no Blues among them ; all are Green, but T hope yet that there may be at least one Blue one this season. Rkd-riixf-D Wkavkrs. — These spend all their time weav- Stray Notes in My Birdrooin. 209 inj;- about the wirework. The httle Avauavats 1 see little of as they spend nearly all their time in a rush nest. A Silverbill has paired with a Bexualkk but there has been no result so far. Later: Now sitting- on a clutch of eggs and 1 hope the result may be favourable. Tui Parrakkkts.- -My pair are most interesting. They seem greatly interested in the Budgerigars in the nest, and feed the sitting Ijirds assiduously, but later they settled down to do- mestic duties on their own account and are now incubating a clutch of eggs. Black-faced Loveuirds. — A pair of these charming and interesting birds are incubating a clutch of eggs and my hoi)es are high. Cockateels. — Again a case of no young reared, but the hen is a very funny bird with a strong individuality of her own. She apes death, mostly when eggs are due, and many times I have picked her up believing she was dead, but her beak soon convinced me otherwise. She has laid many eggs, but they have either been infertile, thrown out, or she failed to sit the full period. At the end of ]\Iay she died and her husband is discon- solate. He patiently sits all day and his cries are pitiful in the evening when he seeks to call her to her duty — I must get an- other mate for him. Fortunately I soon found one and ]\Ir. Cocky was soon happy again and mutually incubating the eggs of the late departed one. Canaries. — I must put in a word about my Roller Can- aries, I am greatly interested in them and usually have good luck with them. Some yoimg are already on the perch and pro- mise well. Later : The season has been a really good one and many young have been fully reared and are now singing grandly. I have five crossbred Roller x Lizard Canaries and their parents are sitting again. The young birds are very handsome and sing grandly. ^ Golden Oriole Weavers. — These are most fascinating, handsome and interesting birds, I could watch them all day weaving their wonderful nests; how interesting their display is ! What wonderful energy is displayed as they cling to their nest with wildly flapping wings, trilHng forth'their harsh song for all they are worth. The nest was the work of the cock except the 210 Stray Notes in My Birdroom. inner lining- which was the work of the hen bird. After the nest was complete the hen spent most of her time therein and the cock, now in full colour, a[)pears to have gone singing-mad. They have a clutch of eggs and are sitting well — if 1 have any luck I will send you the details. On June i ith a lady friend brought me a young bird, crow she thought it was, it turned out later to be a Jackdaw. It was quite a baby, found it in her garden — how it came there, unable to fly and no high trees in or near the garden, is a mystery. It is perfectly tame and follows us all about. We have called it Jimmy. We still feed him from a spoon and his noisy cawing at this time is not pleasant. He is very playful and very fond of bright things. Later : Jimmy is still alive, getting very big, a most amusing" pet and a more pleasant companion now he has lost his noisy baby caw. Quite a recent acquisition is a pair of Alexandrine Parra- keets. These have proved quite friendly with the other birds in their enclosure. They are very tame and friendly, their pink beaks look quite formidable, but I have found them most gentle. I trust these stray jottings may interest some of my fellow members. I should say that while cleaning operations are on all the birds fly about the room together, going back to their own enclosures afterwards. So far they have been quite amiable while thus flying together. ♦-♦-H) Whydahs. By Dr. E. Hopkinson. D.S.O. (Coiiti)iucd from page i86). (For definition of abbreviations used in this list vide page i86). SPLENDID BLACK WHYDAH. Vidua hypocherina. H.L.v. 408. Synonomy. I Resplendent Whydah. " Long-tailed Combasou." II Vidua hypocherina. Vevr. 1856. and Cat, xiii 208, V. re. plendens. Reich, 1879. Whydahs. 211 REFf:RENCEs. I""orbes. P.Z.S. 1880. 457. Plate. 47. figs. I and 3. Sh. iv. 14. Bntler. i. 187. Singv. 61. Range. N.E. and E. Africa. (S. Abyssinia to Somali Land and Ugog-o). The plate in the P.Z.S. was drawn from a living specimen then in the Zoo. In the note accompanying the plate we are told that the bird was received out of colour on the 17th of July, 1878, that it came into colour in the following sunnner and died moult- ing and in a poor condition in March, 1880. Nothing is known of this bird's nest or eggs, and indeed but little of any details of its w^ild life. As a cage bird it is distinctly rare. In the A.M. for 1899 there are letters on two examples imported at that time, and it has since been occasionally brought in. Mr. Allen Silver in the A.M. for 1917., p. 89 says that some were offered for sale in 1914, all of which, however, he believes were really Ultramarine Combasous. See below under this bird. In the previous year (1913) I bought a male of this species, or at least a bird described as such by the seller. It was coming into colour when obtained, but died about 5 weeks later " all black and with the long tail feathers just appearing " say my notes made at the time. Its red beak and the general shape, that of a Pin-tailed Whydah rather than a Combasou, make me feel certain that this bird was what it purported to be, a Splendid Black Whydah. although it did not survive long enough to grow a full tail. -0- PIN-TAILED WHYDAH. Vidua scrciia. (H.L. v. 408.) Synonomy. I Vidua hypocherina. (H.L. v. 408). Vidua hypochcrina. Verr. 1856. Cat.xiii.208. References. Forbes. P.Z.S. 1880. 457. Plate. 47. figs, i and 3. Sh. iv. 14. Butler, i. 187. Singv. 61. Pin-tailed Widow Bird. Common Widow Bird, (the English in S. A. /St.), 212 Whydahs. Principal Whydah-Bircl occasional book name. White-breasted Whydah, ditto. Red-billed Whydah, ditto. * Vida finch, occasional old book name. * Dominican Bunting (Lth). * Dominican Widow Bird, * Dominican Whydah Bird. * Long'-tailed Sparrow (Edw.), * Long-tailed Bunting (Lth). * Variegated Bunting (Lth). " Koning Roodebec " Dutch V. in S. A. " Kaffir-fink," Local V. in the Transvaal, /Kendall (Sh). II Euibcrica scrciia (Linn. 1766). I'y'nigilla scrciia (Vll. 1817). Vidua soma (Cuv. 1827). ridcstrclda scrcna (hdih. 1850). Einbcr'iza vidua (Linn. 1766). E)}ibcrica principalis (Linn. 1766); Vidua principalis (Cuv. 1817). B.M. Cat. xiii. 203. Friugilla supcrciViosa (VII. 1817). Vidua crythrorhyncha (Sw. 1837). J'idua fuliginusa (Licht. 1854). Vidua decora (Hartl. 1868). Estrclda carmclita (Hartl. 1868). References. Butler. F.F. 279. PI. d & 9. Cassell. 401. PI. S. Sw. i. 176. PI. 12. Russ. i. 208. PI. 7. Singv. 60. PI. 25. B.S.A. i. 145. Butler, i. 187. Gedney. ii. 121. Sh. iv. 16. Range. Tropical Africa. This well-known cage-bird has a very extensive range. but, in spite of this, most modern authorities consider that there no necessity for the division of the species into geographical races. South African birds are generally rather larger than those from West, but the same applies to many specimens from East Africa as w^ell. and anyhow there is perfect graduation from the largest to the smallest. At the present day there is considerable doubt about its breeding h bits, which we will hope Aviculture will soon help to settle, up to date there is only one recorded instance of this bird's breeding in confinement, and this is so vague as to * The asterisk denotes an obsolete name in this and the other lists. Whydahs. 213 tlirow no li-lit on this point, (see B.X. 1909. 257 & A.M. 1910. 254). Until quite recently it a()pears to have been generally held that in this respect the l^in-tailed Whydah was normally behaved. The nest is described by a South African writer as a somewhat openly woven domed nest of tine grass suspended between the stems of a thick grass tuft a few inches off the ground, the ends of the growing grass being tied together over the nest to conceal it. This writer (Ayres) did not know the eggs, as the only nest he had seen (he says) contained young birds. Shelley, however, from whom the above is taken, in the following paragraph describes the eggs (without any note of doubt, as Butler remarks) as glossy greyish white with under- lying violet marks and clear black or dark brown elongated surface-marks evenly distributed. In igo6 or 1907, however, another South African writer, (Austin Roberts, in the Journal of the S.A. Ornith. Union) stated that he had found this bird to be parasitic in its breeding habits. At first he thought that its victim was another Whydah, the Red-collared, but later decided that the eggs were laid in Waxbills' nests (E. astrilda). Butler considers these notes o! Mr. Roberts' " far from conclusive," but on the other hand the Editor of the Ibis in a notice of one of Mr. Roberts' papers says (1914. p. 528), " we can see no valid reason for doubting his words." There the matter stands for further investigation and evidence. Unless one can believe that the bird is sometimes a parasite and sometimes not, it is clear that there must have been a mistake somewhere. Personally although I know the bird well in W'est Africa, I have no knowledge whatever of its nest or breeding habits, but from my general experience of how easily one can be mistaken on such matters, I should be all in favour of going by the more recent observations. The original description, it must be remembered, was that of a single nest, — the only one the describer had seen, — while the observations of Roberts appear to ha\e been numerous and spread over some years, and to have therefore much more certainly excluded the chances of error than one single que could do. How easily mistakes can and have been made, when opportunity for fre- quent investigation is wanting, can be seen from the paragraph with which Stark closes his account of this very bird: " A nest 214 Whydahs. broii.yht to Heu.L;lin in Abyssinia " (he writes) and ascribed by him to the present species is, " from the description, obviously that of one of the African Tailor-birds. Since the above was written more light backed by more fact has been thrown on the question of this bird's parasitism by some recent observations by Mr. van Someren in British East Africa. These, which would seem to settle the question once and for all, are contained in a letter to the A.M. for 1917. (p. 2il from the small fire-finch, Lagonosticta ruberrima. At this ve-y " moment there are two young Pintails being fed just outside my aviaries '^v a pair of waxliills. In my aviaries these birds have deposited theii " eggs in a nest of the African sparrow. Passer rufocinctus, but this is no " doubt due to the fact that no other birds except the sparrow and the " pintails were nesting at the same time. " Did Mrs. Anningson's birds build a nest of their own, were the eggs " laid in another bird's nest, or did Mrs. Anningson find them on the floor f)f ti'e cage and put them under another bird to be incubated? " The voung of V . principalis do not resemble the adults in any way. " They are uniform hair-brown above, buff below, and with blackish-brown " bills." In the same letter the writer says that he has kept four other East African Whydahs and that they have nested in his aviaries, but owing to over-crow'ding have never been able to incubate or rear their young. He says all are easily caught and travel well, so should be introduced to home aviculture without much difficulty. These are Coliustnithus coiicolor, hartlaubi, and cqiics. and Diatvopiira progne. (To be continued). The Blue Mountain Lorikeet. 215 The Blue Mountain Loriheet. In The Eimt for July 1917. \ol. 17. pa.i^e 13, appeared a most interestiiiij;' account of tlie above species in a semi-wild state, by Messrs. Campbell and Barnard, the well known Austra- lian ornitholoi^ists, in their article entitled Hinis of North Oitee)ishiiul. It interested me so much that I thou.i^ht it a pity that the meml)ers of llie Foreign Bird Club who are not mem- bers of the Royal Australian Ornitholoi^ists' Union should be deprived of the pleasure of reading- it. I therefore have copied out the paragraphs referring" to this well known Brush-tongued Lorikeet and I hope in so doing I am in no way infringing on the copyright of the authors, and if so I trust they will accept my apologies. T RIL HOG LOSSUS SEPT ENTKI ON ALLS. NORTHERN BLUE-BELLIED LOR! K1-:I':T. " A common bird on the coastal country and the table-land, feeding in tile Howering eucalyptus, chietly the so-called " blue gum " (E. teretlcornis) in llie former locality and the poplar-leaved gum (E. platyphylla) in the latter. These Lorikeets were also fond of fossicking the red " bottle- brushes "of the CnllislciJions that llouered bv the streams." the flowering eucalyptus ch'efly, the so-called " blue gum " (E. tereticornis) the hollows of the trees. They appear to use hollows to repose in as well as to breed. Off and on during the night you can hear the birds " talking " in their hollows, when to sleep, instead of perching, as do most other birds, they lie down or coil up, resting their heads on the inside bottom of the hole. This we judged by analogy by seeing pet birds sleep on the bottom of their cages instead of on perches." " Whether about a home or in the bush wilds, the " Blue Mountain Parrot " is a great favourite. We were fortunate in observing a tame bird, in shining plumage, at " Fringford." One wing was clipped, but by the aid of bill and claws it climbed everywhere in the house, and outside to the tops of trees, where it would cackle in imitation of the fowls, and make other extraordinary calls. The bird was four year^ old, and was brought in by the blacks from its nest and reared by Mrs. Butler." " Regarding " Blue Mountains " in the bush, there is a remarkable picture by Mr. E. M. Cornwall in The Emu (vol. x. pi. xij shewing Mrs. Innes, of Pratolina, near Mackay, surrounded by a feathered crowd of her bush pets." * " Mr. T. R. Gardiner told us of a similar experience which he had when in charge of the telegraph station in the Walsh River, North Queens- land, 1891 — 1905. The surrounding timber was chieiiy " box " and blood- wood (eucalypts). At first Mr. Gardiner had a young caged bird that enticed 2i6 The Blue Mountain Lorikeet. a wild liird, wliirli was rapluri'd. ( )ii arcdUiil nl its hrilliaiil ]ilunia,i;e it was called •• Kcddx " and. aftrr lii'in,i;- feasted on suijar and oIIkt dainties lor alioul six months, was set at liberty a.yain." •• Reddv," mindful of '• liome eoiufoils " (,re;isionall\ rt'lurned willi a mate, and suhseiiuentlv with \oiin.L; ones, all of which Mr. ( .ardiner contin- ued to feed with su.^ar and water. 'I'lien. ,is if imiiosinj.;- on good natures, scores of l)irds came, and finally hundri-ds at a time I Sncli a screeching- and scoldinj,--— an awful noise — esi)eciall\ at early morn. If aiiythin.<;. the birds were thickest about 4 o'clock in the .afternoon. I'.ut birds were always about, pi'fchin.i;- on the wire, under the verandah, or were bathin.q'. The birds became so common that even the cat treated them vvitli contempt. To feed this most iiUeresting- feathered family it cost \\v. Gardiner, for seven vears. the v.alue of five bays of suiL,Mr per year." " When .Mr. ( iardiner was readinj.;- or reclinius;-, numbers of his leath- ered friends would climli all over hiiu. and were fond of running- his hair through their bills, liut, strange to say. the birds would i-iot alight on his man or his man's wife, although Ijoth Used to feed the liirds in Mr. Gard- iner's al)sence. Often when Mr. Gardiner was returning home tiocks of hungry fluttering Lorikeets would meet hiiu at the slip-pannel, 100 yards away from the house." " We took eggs on tlie table-land of 7". scptcutio)ialis, whicli ap])ears to be a good northern variety of the " I'due .Mountain " Parrot of southern l)arts. it is a pretty sight to witness these birds bathing amoug the Ijranchcs that hold the niiii or the copious dewdrops of the night. How- they flutter their wings and revel in the exercise I" With the help of Seth-Smith'.s heautifnlly iUustfated book- on Parrakeets one '^an easily visualize the above depicted scene. The flutterin!^- crowd of perhaps the most brightly coloured birds in the world round Mr. Gardiner as he fed his feathered friends in the brilliant sunshine of North Queensland, must indeed have 1) cii a si.Mii' for ilie gods, for 1 tliink the Lorikeets are easily gi\en the first place as regards variety of colour in the large and varied family of Parrots. W. H. WORKMAN. M.B.O.U. ^ ♦^M-^ The Nesting of the Fieldfare, etc. By W. .'^iioKK Bailv. There arc two birds on the British List that I ha\e always had an aml)ition to breed. These are the Fieldfare and the Redwing. Neither bird has, I believe, been bred in England in captivity, and it is very doubtful whether the former bird has acne so in the wild state, and I think that there are very ley o Q w h O Q '■c m Nesting of the Ficldfair, Etc. 217 authentic cases of the nesting of the Redwing. The Fieldfare, ahhough not so large as the }*lissel Thrush, is in my view, the handsomest of the British thrushes ; moreover, as an edible l)ird, he is l)y no means to be despised. What sportsman is there amongst our readers, who has not at one time or another, when game was scarce, and a flock of these birds has passed high over his head, tried to rake down one or two. The writer when, in his young days, he was wont to pursue the wily (lolden Plover, has often added a few plump h'ieldfares to his bag. and he must confess that he would 'nt in the least mind doing so again. But in these parts they are by no means a connuon bird even in hard winters. The Fieldfare. — Their nearest breeding ground is in the Norwegian pine forests. Here they are said to breed in colonies. The writer once found a nest near Trondheim. his attention Nest ol Redwing-. [By IV. Shore Baily. being called to it by the squalling of the hungry young. There may have been other nests in the neighbourhood, but we hadn't much time for bird nesting and consequently didn't see them. I'^or several years I had two of these birds in my aviaries, but 2i8 Nesting of the Fieldfare, Etc. my efforts to l)ree(l them were not successful, which is perhaps not to 1)0 wondered at, as both birds turned out to be males. The sexes are very much alike, bu' the male is darker and a trifle lari^'er, and is an altoi^ether handsomer bird than his mate. I do not think that I should have any diflficulty in sexin.s^- them now, at any rate in the breedinj^" season. My pair first shewed sii.vns of nesting' in June. The hen, a very tame bird and usually mute, at tliis time i^'reeted me, when I entered the aviary, with a low and p!ainti\e whistle. I at first thoui^ht that she was ailing", as she looked very mopish and kept a good deal to the thick cover. A careful watch she\vcd that the cock was paying her a good deal of attention, and one day I was very pleased to see her carrying building material. She selected, as a site for her nest, and old Doves' nest in a dead spruce fir. ( )n this she built a large nest, mainly composed of dry grass, fibrous roots and lumps of hair. When to all appearances it was completed, she started in to line it with mud, bringing lumps in her l)eak from the banks of the pond, as large as a walnut. When she had covered the bottom ,'ind sides with this to hei* satisfaction, she lined it with fine grass, and then laid four eggs. These I had expected to find similar in colour and markings to those of the Missel Thrush, for this is how they are described in one of my bird books, but they were really quite different, closely resembling the eggs of the Black- bird. They were slightly smaller than those in the nest of the latter bird in one of my other aviaries, and were of a darker shade of green; still I believe that in my Ijoyhood days T took blackbirds' eggs that could not have been distinguished from them. The cock fieldfare took no part in the nest building opera- tions, bttt guarded the nest in the absence of the hen. He is naturally a very wild bird, but he now became comparatively tame. Unfortunately an indiscreet action on my part caused the hen to desert the nest. Thinking that, as it was very much ex- posed, it would be well to provide some artificial shelter, I had niy man place a sheet of galvanized iron on the netting, immedi- ate'y over the nest, but this well intenti-Mied action was resented, and the hen did not go near it again. [ lowever, within ten days she was again nesting, this time in a box suspended from the roof of the aviary. She now became qtiite fierce. Evidently her first failure had soured her temj^er. On one occasion when b p 5 Nesting of the Fieldfare, Etc. 219 showintj the nest to my father-in-law, who is a member of the \ . T. C she flew straig'ht at liis face. It was most amiising to see him evade the attack, and I con^'ratiilated him on the efficient way in which he carried ont the instructions of his officers as to taking cover when in face of the enemy. At another time when 1 was passini^' near the nest, she pitched on my bare head and went for me tooth and nail. I thou.^ht from these demons- trations that she would be sure to prove a good mother. But alas! the contrary was the case, for. after a.gain laying four eggs, she declined to sit at all. In justce to the bird, I must say that on the day she laid her last egg, we had no less than 35/j inches of rain in the twenty four hours, and this I think gave her a chill, as she looked very ill for several days after. A week or two later both birds went into moult. The Rkdwixg. — Their closely allied congener the Red- wing is a much shyer bird, and it spends most of its time on or near the grotmd. They visit us in the winter in very large num- bers, and, to the castial observer, are simply rather small thrushes. However, a closer look shows them to have a very much shorter tail than the Song Thrush. In the winter the so called redwing, which is really a red flank, is only noticeable when the bird is flying. Their breeding grounds lie still further north than those of the Fieldfare, many of them bringing up their young in the treeless districts of the far north. Their nests there are built upon the ground. The writer saw young birds in I>apland in the month of August, that had evidently l)een bred in a thicket of dwarf willows. In my aviary my birds nested early in June. Unfortunately, I can give no particulars, as they must have gone about their building very unobstrusively. My atten- tion was first called to them one morning by seeing the old birds flying about a spruce fir, in a state of great agitation. I arrived just in time to see a large snake disappearing into the grass. I then found the nest placed low down ii>the tree. It was empty, the snake having evidently robbed it. It was a good deal smaller than a thrush's, and not mud lined, being finished off in this respect like a blackbird's. It was unlucky that I did not find it eadier, as I should have liked to have been able to describe the eggs. I hoped that they would have again gone to nest, but they did not do so, although I frequently saw the cock 220 Nesting of the Fieldfare. (lisplayinM' to tlie hen, which he did hy contracting" his wince's, so as to sliow his flanks, which at this time are a rich red. These l)irds are not so omnivorous as the iMeldfares. Tliey maintain themselves in my aviary very larg-ely upon i^Tound insects, a lars^e patch of ])otatoes provin<^- a happy huntini^ ground for them. Still, I think that if they were to have youn.g", they would be fairly easy to rear. TriK Ctri, Buntixg. — My next failure was with one of our resident birds, the Cirl Bunting-. Although this bird breeds in the southern counties, it is by no means common and I cannot recollect ever having met with it. This spring I was offered a cock and two hens, and thinking that I shotild like to get a few photos of their nesting arrangements, I secured them. Early in tlie spring the cock started singing, choosing the highest point in the aviary from which to pour forth his song. The hens were very retiring little birds, spending" their time for the most jiart near the ground, but early in June one of them respon- ded to the cock's vocal appeal, and was evidently willing to take on housekeeping. The cock was the sole architect and builder of their new home, selecting as a site the lower part of a cjuick- set hedge. Ilere he l)uilt a very neat little nest of bents, dried grass and hair. The hen took possession, but before she had completed her clutch she was foully murdered by a brute of a P^ramble finch cock, who the next day also killed a cock Sikhim Siskin, before I could get to liis rescue. The male bunting now made love to the remaining hen. and gave her no peace imtil she consented to do her duty. He built her a nest in the same hedge, but this time at the extreme top, but fairly well protected against ordinary rainstorms. Fjut this year the rainstorms have been anything but ordinary, and the same downfall that spoilt my Fieldfares' nest ruined this one also. The hen had laid foiu" eggs, like the Yellow Hammers in colour, but smaller and more spherical. Just about the time that T was going for my holiday, I saw the cock again carrying building material, but I did not locate the nest. I take it that this must have been a failure too, as I have seen no young ones about. This bird has, I believe been bred more than once in^ captivity, but T think that I shall try them again next year, as a photo or two of the birds feeding young, incubating, etc., would be of some interest. A Cruise on the S. V. Fectis. 221 A Cruise on the S.Y. ''Vectis." By W. Shore Baily. (Continued from page i/§.) Tori^hatten Island is a mountain rising out of the sea with a very curious hole through its top. It took us about an hour to climb to this, but we were rewarded for our exertions by a splendid panoramic view. There were a few native women a- waiting us with bread and goat milk for sale, they also had a few simple curios and some Eider-duck eggs, the latter evident- ly here an article of commerce. The only birds I noticed on the Island, besides a few gulls, were some Lapland Buntings, which looked as if they might have been nesting near. Early next morning we found ourselves at Narvik. This is the terminus of what was at that time the most northerly railway in the world. Since the war the Russians have built one for military purposes at a still higher latitude. The Xarvik railway was built to carry the ore from some important iron mines, just inside the Swedish frontier. After breakfast a trip was arranged to the border by this railway. My recollection of this is that it was an intensely cold expedition, as at the latter end of the journey snow was falling heavily. On the Swedish frontier the weather brightened. Here there is a series of large lakes. On one of these I noticed a flock of Sandpipers flying, but was too far away to indentify them. Possibly they w'ere Little Stints or Curlew Sandpipers, both of which are said to nest in these latitudes. I also saw with some Lapland Buntings some birds I took to be Snow Buntings. The botanists amongst our party were in their element here. We were told that forty different varieties of alpine plants could be collected within a mile of the railway station. All the next day we steamed through the fjords, passing close to the Lofoten Islands, the centre of an important codfishing industry. Amongst the splendid mountain scenery, our attention was called to a range called the Seven Sisters, seven peaks of apparently about equal altitude adjoining each other. Numbers of Gulls were now again follow'ing the ship, and amongst them we noticed a few of the large White-winged Burgomasters, a Gull that sometimes visits the English coast in hard weather. We also saw two or three family parties of the Great Northern Diver 222 A Cruise on the S.Y. Vectis. They were not at all shy and the old birds looked very hand- some. In the evenini4" we reached Tromso and spent the whole day there. A visit to a i.ap encampment proved most interesting'. It had been arrani^ed that they should drive up their herd of Reindeer for our inspection, and this they endeavoured to do. They appeared to have several hundred of these animals, and it took a small army of Laps and dogs to round them up and drive them towards us. When they were within half a mile of the camp, the deer refused to face the music and stampeded. Dozens of the little Laps were overturned in their rush, causing great amusement amongst the spectators and themselves. The only vegetation we noticed in this part of Lapland was some scrub willows, amongst which the Redwings were nesting, and we saw several young birds not yet strong on the wing. In the afternoon the yacht was boarded by yet another Royalty; this time the Due d' Orleans, the heir to the French throne, whose yacht we had seen in the harbour. We were not at all impressed by either his appearance or his manner. Later in the day, as we were leaving for Hammerfest, the S.S. Ophir steamed in. She was about 2,000 tons larger than the " Vectis," but did not look nearly as smart and yachtlike. After leaving Tronso we were soon once again in the open sea, which we were extremely glad to find was reasonably calm. We arrived at Hammerfest, the most northerly town in the world, early the next morning, and found that the " ( )phir " had also come in. This town owes its existence to the whale and cod fisheries. The whole place is saturated with fish oil. \ have seen many queer and undesirable towns, but this one is the limit, and it is one of the few places in Norway that I have no wish to re- visit. Whilst walking back to the quay, my friend met one of the passengers on the " Ophir " with whom he was acquainted, and we were invited to visit the ship, so in the afternoon we hired p. b'jat and rowed across to her. The " Ophir " was the vessel in which our King when Prince of Wales visited India with his staff, so we naturally expected to see a well appointed yacht, and in this we were not disappointed. The principal feature on the " ( )i)hir " was its dining saloon, a large and lofty room with beautifully decorated walls and ceiling. The other accommoda- tion was, in our perhaps biassed opinion, not so good as that on the " \^ectis," but what interested us most was the passengers. A Cruise on the S.Y. Vectis. 22^, They were a most cosmopolitan lot. I should think that every country in Europe was represented on the passeuijer list, and as many of them w'ore their national costume, they looked most weird in their present surroundings. We were told that they were a very happy family, and that dances and other entertain- ments were of frequent occurrence on board. They certainly looked an interesting crowd. In the afternoon we steamed away for the North Cape which we reached soon after dinner. Those of us who were energetic enough were taken on shore in the launch. This short trip was hardly a picnic. Most of us got wet, and quite a few of us lost our dinners. However, once on shore we were all right. The climb to the top was a stiff one. I should think that it must be at least 1,500 ft. above sea level. The nature of the ground on the summit reminded me of the more barren parts of Dartmoor. There was really very little to see, and but for the fact that it is the most northerly point in Europe, it would not be worth a visit. A few Lapland Buntings were the only birds noticed. The " Vectis " was now headed for Spitzbergen and the northern ice. All kinds of sea fowl were very numerous. Razorbills, Guillemots and Puflfins were always in sight upon the water, and many Gulls kept flying around the ship. About midway between the Cape and Spitzbergen we sighted our first whale, but it was at a considerable distance. We also now began to meet with large seals. To what particular variety they belonged I cannot say. They were larger than the seals usually found around the English coasts, but were not so large as the Sealion found in California. A very common bird now was the little Black Guillemot. The only place I had met these birds previously was the Isle of Man, where many years ago I shot a pair in their pretty spotted immature plumage. They were evidently breeding on the Spitzbergen coast. Unfortun- ately we were prevented from landing here, as a fog sprang up. We " lay to " all day off Bell's Sound, with our Siren going We were joined later on by the " Ophir.'' As she had twm screws, they decided to try and find their way in, but our captain wouldn't risk it, and gave orders to continue slowly to the northwards. Whilst we were " lying to " birds were continually flying over and around the ship, and, had the light been good, many fine photos could liave been taken. Later in the day the 224 Birds of British Giiiaua. foi^' lifted, and we L;'ot a fine view of the north-western sliores of the Island. The mountains were snow-covered right to the water's edge. A grand l)ut inhospitable looking coast. (To he continued). <>- ■ The Birds of British Guiana. By Chas. Dawson, S.J., M.A., (Oxon). This article is reprinted from the " Journal of the Board of Agriculture of Brit. Guiana," with our apologies and thanks to the Editor, Author and Proprietors. — Editor " Bird Notes." ANT-THRUSHES. These birds were so named on the supi)osition that they feed as thus signified. But they are not known to eat ants and probably none of them do so. They may be seen pecking among fallen leaves where ants abound, btit they are in search of other insects. Few, if any, birds feed on ants, except, perhaps, Woodpeckers. Ant-Thrushes are generally the size of Thrushes, hence their second appellation. They are shy birds, hiding among shrub and bushes, consequently their habits are little known. Their colours also aid them in their obscurity, browns and reds with bars, stripes, patches or spots of black and white being the prevailing tones of the colonial species. The sexes are much alike, but in those which are black or grey, the females are correspondingly rufous. Their voice is loud and shrill, the same note being repeated in a long metallic trill. The common Check- bird may be taketi as typical. Not quite the size of a Thrush, it has a sturdy body, a fairly long, stout, beak and simple square tail. In colour, it is dull black with narrow, regu- lar, stripes of white; the hen is similar but rufous. Many of these birds build nests of fibre and swing like hammocks among the branches. Gnat caters. — It will be convenient to group with the Ant- Thrushes the two examples of " Conopophagidac " (gnat- eating), the Conopophaga aiirita — " the eared gnat-eater "; as also Corythopis antJwidcs, " the crested gnat-eater," both of which may possibly be found in this colony. Their habits would Birds of British Guiana. 225 seem to l)e unknown. Like the Ant-thruslies they are prohably insecli\orous. They have lonj.;', loose, rump-feathers. In ah there are thirty-ei,tj;ht i^enera of these useful birds, includiui:;" some three hundred and forty species; all are peculiar to the New World. ()f Cjnat-eaters there are two i^enera and sixteen species. Axt-Thrushks. — (Colonial) I'onuicayiidcc. Striped Ant-Thrush Grey Bush Shrike White-breasted Busii Shrike Grey-lilack ,, ,, tStarred ,, ,, (?) *f Mouse-like fFreckled ., ,, *f Red-necked ,, ,, t Night-grey ,, ,, tlJeautiful ,, ,, Black-breasted ,, ,, Common Check-Bird ,, Bush (grey-marked) Ant-Thrush " (cloven)" t Ruddy-red Anti-Thrush tBluish-grey Bush Sprite *Pigmy Ant-Bird * fSpotted Ant-Bird *tSpeckled Ant-Bird tFire-spttted Ant-Bird ( ?) tHooked-(billed?) Ant-Bird *tLong-winged Ant-Bird *tUnadomed Ant-Bird fAsli-vented Ant-Bird fSpotted-backed Ant-Bird t Pearl-grey Ant-Bird Coal-black Ant-Bird (?) *t Smooth-ashen-feathered Ant-Bird fWhite-vented Ant-Bird tCollared neo-crooked Ant Bird *tGrey Spotted-tailed Ant-Bird *tWood Spotted-tailed Ant-Bird *tTyrant Spotted-tailed Ant-Bird fWhite-crested Ant-Bird *tRed throated (bare) f Black-throated (bush-lover) Cviiibilaiiiits liiica/its. iliiiiiniopliUits 7'iridis. major. ciiiereo-iiigcr. stcllari.i. iniiriiiiis. imc7'in.s. ni fie oil is. ,, ciiicrci)iiiclia. ,, iiisignis. cirrhatus. doliatus. DysitJianmus spodiouotits. ,, scliistacciis. ardesiaciis. TliaiiiiioiiuDics glaiicits. Myniwthenda pygnica. ,, surinanicnsis. ,, guttata. ,; giitttiralis. pyrrlionota. ,, a.villaris. lougipciinis. ,, inornatns. itnlcolor. ,, cinere'n':ntri.. Cuban Finches ( Plionjpara caiiora). ,, 1. Plicated Song-Sparrow (Zonotrichia pilcata). ,, 3. Budgerigars f Mciop.'iittacus unditlatus). ,, 6. Carolina Ducks ( Lanipronessa sponsa). ,, I. Mandarin Duck ( .icx galcriculafa ). ,, 3. G. Black-backed Gulls ( Larns mar'uius). ,, I. Barred Dove (Gcopelia striata). ,, 2. Diamond Doves ((/. ciincata). ., 2. Buckley's Grourid Doves (Cliaiiiacpclia bucklcyi). ,, I. Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps hphotcs). August. 2. Chestnut-eared Finches (Tacniopygia rastanotis). „ 3. Parrot Finches (Erythrura psittacea). Editorial. 22^ Au.sfiist 3. Pileated Song-Sparrows (Z. pileata). 2. IJernicle Geese (Branta leucopsis). I. Muscovy Duck (Carina moschata). ,, 2. Auriculated Doves (Zenahla auricitlata). ,, 1. Diamond Dove (G. ctincata). 6. Common Pheasants (Phasianits colcliicus). ,, 4. Silver Pheasants (Gcnnacits nyctltements). I.N. American Turkey (Mcleagris americanci }. ,, I. Hybrid Sonnerat's — Red Jungle-Fowl (GaUiis sonncniti x G. galliisj. Obitu.arv. — We niiicli re.^ret to liave to announce the death of another youni;" member, viz; Lieut. C. R. S. Tyson, killed in action. To his bereaved family we tender our sincerest sympathy. <^>-f^ Correspondence. BREEDING OF HYP.RID QUERIES. Sir — Many thanl.s to Mr. I-ulljamcs for his full record (on page 198 of the SepKnihcr numiur) o! the THRUSH x BLACKBIRD Hybrids. I have a lot more queries of Uiis sort pending which I hope will receive as i^erfect answers as has this one. Just at present the reported crosses between members of the families Fringillidae and Ploceidac are interesting me. Can Mr. Fulljames or r,ther readers give any further information on these and the records as shown in the list below? 1;I':NGALESE x canary. Reported in Cage Birds. ORANtiE BISHOP x CANARY. Reported in The Feathered World LINNET X CUTTHROAT. 11. N. 1915. 261. AFRICAN SILVF.RBILL x OLIVE CUBA FINCH. B.N. 1910. 230 r.righton, September 17, J917. E. HOPKINSON. BREEDING NOTES, 1917. Sir.- — I have been fairly successful with my parrakeets this season, but have had very little luck with my doves and finches. Four very fine Pennant's Parrakeets were fully reared, but unfortunately one of them caught its foot in the netting and broke its thigh, so I had to put it out of its misery. The other three are now splendid birds. This is the first time this species has been successfully bred in my aviaries, have had manv eggs during past seasons, but never any young hatched out previously. 22S Corvcspovdcncc. Vom nice young- Black-faced l.ove1)ir(ls have been fully reared and are now very fine and handsome birds. Last season ( i()i()) I had very good luck with Peach-faced Lovebirds (Agaponiis roscicollis ), but this season have had no luck at all with this species, most probablv owing to mv having three jjairs in the same aviary. ']"he\ have nested and hiitched out cjuite a lot of chicks, none of which have been reared. Thev piroved very combative and interfered considerably with each other's nests, and I think only one pair of such quarrelsome species should l)e kept in each enclosure. i have had (juite a prolific season with Cireen and Yellow Budgerigars. No luck with finches or doves — Diamond Doves have nested several times, but, owing to the nests being placed in very awkward positions, the eggs were ujjset out of their very small nests — I hope for better luck with them next season. Luton, SepteiTiber 8, 1917. T. HEBB. BREEDING BLUE BUDGERIGARS. Sir. — /v*!- mv article in Se]nend)cr tqt6 Bird Notes on lireeding Blue Budgerigars: I should like to add thereto, as it may be of interest to members and especiallv to those who h;ive bought my young birds. This vear 1 turned into the breeding aviary all the young birds, except those from the jiale yellow hen and the half 1)lue-half green (first cross) ; I am not breeding from these l)irds this year, because, as far as my experience g;oes, I find vou cannot get blue from blue-bred greens until the third generation of inbreeding to one particular blue bird; even from a blue and a half l)red I do not think vou can breed a 1)Iue, but their young paired together would be nearlv sure to throw some Blues. Last ve.ir a cock jiaired to his half sister bred three blue ones in each nest, and this same cock's two nest brothers paired with two half blue-half green hens (first cross) and not related produced only green young this year, some of these young ,-ire lireeding Blues. I have not reared any Blues from my Blue birds this year (each paired to a green, of course blue bred), several, which I think would have been blue died in the husk. The three young- Blues flying are from three different pairs of greens, out of seven pairs of greens ; three pairs have bred a Blue and four ])airs have bred ,dl Greens. One of the three pairs has four young in the husk now, ail nines (\ am very anxious about them). I have had a bit of bad luck. for yesterday morning T found the Blue cock dead ; there are four young in his nest, too young yel to tell colours. 1 hoi-)e the hen will bring them up. Harrogate, Se].leml>er 2j. 1Q17. JOHN W. MARSDEN. l5[Ri) Notes. Phntn Fniiili DawgoN-Smith. The Laugliinir Jackass. ( Dacelo (jigas.) All rights reserved. November, 1917. BIRD NOTES: THE JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. The Laughing Jachass. By Lt. F. Dawson-Smith. Some birds there are wliicli, once seen, can never be forsj;otten. Prominent amont^" them I place the Laughing" Jack- ass ( Dacclo glgas) or giant Kingfisher. It is really quite unique. The general appearance and shape of the bird is so quaint, added to which, nobody could forget its " laugh " when once heard. These birds (there are several species) hail from Austra- lia, that land of strange shapes and forms of the animal kingdom. It is, I believe, found in the greatest numbers in New South Wales, where, although not associating in numbers, it is certain to be found in most places, and, in consequence is well known. It has a variety of names, of which, perhaps, " Kooka- burra " and " Settlers' clock " are the most familiar. The latter title is bestowed for its habit of "laughing" at regular intervals. It is a very handsome bird and, in appearance, like a very large kingfisher. It possesses a strong, straight and powerful beak, a kind of crest which it raises when interested or excited; short rounded wings and a rather long" tail. It is not a timid or shy l)ird and it is possessed of an inordinate curiosity, evincing the liveliest interest in anything" that may strike it as being unusual, which occurs in its vicinity. On such occasions it does not fear to approach mankind, and watches what is happening with keen interest. Few people are aware of the presence of the bird unless it happens to " laugh," in which case they are forcibly aware that a Kookaburra is " watching out." It need not be troubled by scarcity of food, as it has a very varied diet. Small animals such as mice, small snakes, lizards, insects, small rats and birds are quite ordinary food. I am sorry to record the fact that the 230 The Laughing Jackass. Laughing" Jackass is an extremely unpopular nei.ghbour in the small bird and animal world, so it perhaps is fortunate that the jackass is not a common Knglish bird! It is a species that, besides partaking" of a variety of food, is able to adapt itself to varied localities. Any place becomes home, whether forest or moimtain sides, but the most frecjuented places are in the thick Australian Bush, with a river handy. It is also to be foimd in the coastal reg'ion. In these places it finds its varied food and lives its somewhat solitary life. The months of August and September are chosen for breeding" and the spot selected is a hole in a tree, usually a gum tree. The nest is practically nothing" at all; the female jackass deposits her white egg's on the rotten wood at the bottom of the hole in the gimi tree. Woe betide an alien bird that approaches the nesting" tree. The jack- ass is a most jealous guardian, and will attack a human being who tries to filch the eggs or young. A warm reception would meet the feathered intruder, with probably a fatal result. The Laughing Jackass is not often imported to the British Isles. I have often tried to obtain a pair, without success, and it was only after an immensity of trouble and wearisome waiting that I eventually managed to secure o)ic bird, and had the satis- faction of at last owning a really tine speciiuen. From the very first it proved to be remarkably tame, not only taking food from my hand, but allowing me to scratch his head and offer other caressing" attentions w^ithout " getting the wind up." The bird reminds one of a toucan in many ways. In the first place it has a large beak, and. secondly, its tail keeps moving up and down in a kind of see-saw movement similar to the toucan's. It is interesting and amusing to watch my kookaburra, when handed food. He takes it gently from the hand, holding" it plumb in the middle by his beak; then he makes a funny sort of " kissing " sound and chuckles, especially if the morsel happens to be a mouse. Then whack! — he bangs it on the perch first to the right, then to the left, either in order to " kill " it. or merely to l:)reak the bones before swallowing. He serves every kind of food in the saiue way, but his favourite is a mouse. He crunches the head first with his beak, pressing gently but firmly, and anparently with no effort; you merely hear the " crack " of the skull ! Then he squeezes the body to break any bones and thus The Laughing Jackass 231 renders it an easy moiUliful to swallow. After completing these preliminaries, the great kingfislier tosses his victim in the air, and adroitly catching it by the head swallows it entire, the tail being the last to disappear. If not ])articiilarly hungry, he will hold the mouse in his l)eak for some time the while he sings it a song of love as exemplified by kisses and laughter. His laugh is a most extraordinary sound. He lets fly with this startling cachinnation at all hours of the day, but the early morning is most noticeable. Tt conunences with a pectiliar kind of rattle which continues for some seconds and then rises on an upward note in gathering crescendo to a demoniacal " Ha. ha, ha, ! Ho, ho, ho! " It is quite impossible to adequately describe it in writ- Photo F, Dawson Siiiilli. Laughinc( Jackass (and Mouse). ing. I could manage to convey a feeble idea of it vocally, but I cannot aspire to rival my "kookaburra" on his top notes. Simply it cannot be forgotten when once heard. We had an Australian staying with us on leave last year. He was considerably startled to be greeted by " Jack's " laugh. " Hullo!" he exclaimed, " a I^aughing Jackass licrc ! " And he felt at home at once ! 232 The Laughing Jackass. My specimen keeps himself clean and spotless by frequent baths and sometimes sits in beatific ease fully exposed to a drenching delu.i^e of rain. Once he caugiit a mouse on his own, and appeared delighted with his skill. He would certainly make short work of any weaker birds which happened to enter his aviary. 1 fear the only laughing would be done by the jackass ! I remember reading somewhere about an aviculturist who kept a laughing jackass, which was allowed loose in the garden, with one wing clipped. It took possession of a dog kennel from which point of vantage it would suddenly spring out upon any unsuspecting birds that came near. The owner, if I remember rightly, found sundry feathers of small birds all around the kennel, and it did not need a Sherlock Holmes to assign the deaths of various small birds to the old rascal who dwelt in the kennel. Jack is a very easy subject to photograph as he sits so still Consequently I have taken quite a number of " snaps " in vari- ous positions as can be seen from the accompanying illustra- tions. " Jack has been in my possession for some time and has proved a most excellent and amusing pet. It is, undoubtedly, a very hardy species. My bird has lived in an unheated outdoor aviary ever since he came to me, summer and winter alike. It is also a bird of lengthy life. I do not know the age of mine but his former owner had him for two years and he was not young then. I can account for four years and goodness knows how many preceded that ! He is hale and hearty now and I hope he will " carry on " for many years to come. To me, personally, when I go home on my rare spells of " leave," I find it most exhilarating to hear his hearty laugh. I feel sure, if he were asked that classic query " Are we downhearted ?" Jack's answer would be a cheery and most emphatic " No ! " ^4-H> Breeding of Hybrid Cochatoos. By Mrs. M. A. Lee. I find it very difficult to start this article, telling, so far as I am able, the details which culminated in the successful rearing of a hybrid Roseate (Cacatua roseicapilla) x Lemon-crested (C. sulphurea) Cockatoo. Breeding of Hybrid Cockatoo. 233 Owing" to the \ast amount of war-work on hand daily, I have had but little time to watch my birds, and in consequence I am unable to supply any satisfactory data respecting" this most interesting" nesting episode. I had noticed that they became very savage to the other inmates of their aviary, which usually is the forerunner of nest- ing activity, but I thought nothing" nuich of this, as the birds did try last year with no result. This year, however, they settled the matter for themselves by gnawing" a hole through the ceiling and going up under the floor of the room above and nested there. I noticed the hen Lemon-crest spent a great deal of her time above the ceiling, but we really never thought seriously about it, until one fine day we heard the unmistakable sound of young birds being fed and we w^ere most anxious to investigate and ascertain particulars as to the nest, etc., but short of ptilling up all the. floor of the room above we could arrive at nothing. I cannot say how many eggs were laid, but last year two formed the clutch; these were white in colour and of a long oval shape. I cannot give incubation period nor the age when the young birds left the nest ; the episode was a very great surprise to us and this must be our excuse. The aviary they nested in is part of an outdoor compart- ment-aviary, the shelters of which are formed by a building at the back of the flights, these are heated by hot-water pipes during the winter months and the birds now have their division to themselves. The parents of the hybrid were a cock Roseate and a hen Lesser Lemon-crested Cockatoo. The father has a very dani- ciged beak, but is perfectly healthy and fit withal. The hen bird mostly seemed to feed the young one, but I do not kno'v v.hcther this was because of the male bird's damaged beak or not. I regret the lack of details, but I have given all I can, not only because of war-work, but mainly owing to the whole episode occurring" out of sight above the ceiling until the young bird made its exit from the nest. I am not good at describing plumages : the young bird is a lovely pearl-grey all over the back and wings ; the crest is not round like its father's, but is more horse-shoed in shape when 234 ^ ^'^ Nesting uj the Brambling. er rected, as the bird seems very fond of doing; the inner part of the crest is a buff-yellovvy-pink shade, and this colour is repeated on the throat, a round patch on the cheeks, and a band across the breast. AH tiie colour shades are rather pale at present, and will probably be nuich more intense as the bird matures. It is very handsome, also very tame and does not mind one going close to it. ^M^> The Nesting of the Brambling. (Fringilla montifringilla) By R. Suggitt. It is chiefly as a winter visitor that we in the British Islands know the Brambling, but there is some reason to believe that odd pairs have remained to breed in suitable localities in our Northern Counties. Several specimens have been noted in Eng- land in mid- April and early May, and one male has been observed in Yorkshire, as late as June 28th. This bird was probably one of a pair, nesting somewhere in the vicinity. I had the good fortune, on June 14th, 1903, to watch for about an hour, a female, w^hich had been attracted to the garden by a pair of Bramblings in the aviary. It may be that these very late occurrences were " es- capes," but I think it is more probable that they were nesting birds. Several instances of nests having been discovered in Eng- land are recorded, but most of these records are regarded as untrustworthy. A genuine nest was found in 1866, in Scotland. The quarrelsome disposition of the Brambling. when as- sociated with other birds, is his gravest fault as an aviary bird, and in summer, when he has attained the full beauty of his black, brown and white plumage, he is at his very worst, some individ- uals being simply murderous. There are exceptions to this rule however, and the pair I now possess proves that the Brambling can behave himself, even in summer. This pair someone had turned into the aviary, without my knowledge, in the late autumn of 1914. I expected that I The Nesting of the Brambling. 235 should have to remove them in the foUowinj^' spring, but they did not become in the least aggressive, on the contrary the cock was terrorised by a White-throated Finch, who spent all his leis- ure chasing tlie poor Brambling round and round the aviary. On June 8th. 1915. I saw the hen toying with nesting material, and two or three days later she was attempting to build a nest with hay. whicn I saw at once was unsuitable. I supplied her with cotton wadding, pulled into small pieces, which answered the purpose admirably, and a most beautiful nest was soon completed. It was built on the very highest branch in the aviary, immediately under the wire netting, and about nine feet from the grovmd. With the exception of a few pieces of wool and hay. the nest was built entirely of cotton wadding, and lined with feathers. The first egg was laid on June 20th, and from that time onwards, the hen spent a good deal of time on the nest, so that it is difficult to say when incubation commenced in earnest. Five eggs were laid altogether, very much resembling those of the Bullfinch, blue, sparingly spotted with reddish-brown. ( )n the morning of July 2nd two of the eggs hatched, fourteen days from the laying of the first one; a third hatched the following day. and the remaining two were infertile. If we take from thirteen to fourteen days as the incubation period, it does not leave much margin for error. Both the old birds protested very strongly against the tiny nestlings being examined, but the hen went back to the nest to brood immediately after I had left it. The skin of the newly hatched chick is deep pink in colour, the down pure white, long and profuse; the inside of the mouth is pink, the spurs of the tongue paler, the corners of the mouth are white. 1 pin my faith to spiders as the best food for nestlings that require to be fed on live-food, but they are very difficult to collect in any quantity before the middle of August, and I had to eke out the supply with tiny mealworms. It is quite easy to provide against other birds stealing all the live-food, by placing what you are able to collect, in a small box, fixed as near to the nest as possible, and perhaps this is the only way of insuring that the proper birds get a large share of it. 236 The Nesting of the Branibling. I climbed on to the top of the aviary to peep into the nest on July iJtli, and found only one young' one remaining, it was feathering nicely and appeared to be strong and healthy, but on the 15th a Guan flew rather clumsily upwards, struck the wire near the nest, and frightened the young Brambling out. It flut- tered to the foot of the tree without injury, but it either could not or would not perch. The hen tried most anxiously to per- suade it to perch in the bushes, but it remained on the ground until the 17th, when torrents of rain fell, and I picked it up, satu- ratd with water, and completely exhausted. It revived a little when warmed, but soon collapsed again, and the hen abandoned it. The young bird resembles the hen in plumage. The top of the head is mottled grey and black; back brown; middle of lower back white; throat and chest sandy-rufous; remainder of underparts white; tips of wing-coverts sandy, forming two wing bars. No further attempts were made to nest that sunnner, both birds falling into moult shortly after the last young one died. On June 8th, 1916, the hen commenced to build on the identical site she chose the previous year for her nest. The nest was completed on the 12th. It was built largely of cotton wad- ding, but other materials were more freely used than w^as the case in 191 5. The first egg was laid on the 14th, and the hen incubated for short periods that day. On June 29th I found that three eggs were hatched and in the nest were two others, which afterwards proved to be infertile. These three young ones grew and thrived wonderfully. They all left the nest on July 12th. and could fly and perch witli ea.S!', The cock was quite as devoted to his offspring as the hen herself, and hunted incessantly for insects to give them. I gave them their liberty last spring. ■^>^H^ Whydahs. 237 Whvtiahs. By Dr. E. Hopkixsox. D.S.O. (l""or llic iiK-aiiiny ol abhrevialions Used in lliis li^t I'ldc payc iS6) (Continued froDi f^agc 214). Errata. In last montli's in.sialincnt under " I'lX-T.Ml.ED WHYDAH," p. Jii. ilclete the four lines, "■ lidiia hypticlicrina Singv. 6l." Tliey belong to the previous si>ecies. cj. v. SHAFT-TA11,KI) W U\1)AH. Tctraciuira regia. (ILL. v. 409). Synonomy. I Shaft-tailed Widow-bird. * Shaft-tailed Buntinij;- (Lth). * Shaft-tailed Finch. Queen Whydah, Queen Widow. King' Whydah-bird. (occ). II Eiiibcrica regia. Linn 1766. Iringilla regia (VIL1817). I'ide Es- trelda regia (Lafr. 1850). Tetraenura regia (Reich. 1881). Cat. xiii. 209. ridita paradisea (Barratt. 1878). error. IvKFERENCES. Singv. 6i. PI. 26. B.N. vi. 5. uncol. figs. c? ?. A.G.B.i.i88. Sh. iv.2i. B.S.A. i. 148. Russ. i. 2r2 ■ Raxge. South Africa to Bcnguela and Zambesia. This species is the southern representative of the Pin- tailed Whydah; the ranges of the two birds overlap in Cape Colony. As a cage-bird it is (or rather was before the war) becoming rather better known with the somewhat more frequent importation of South African lairds. Of its nest and eggs Shel- ley says nothing, but Stark writes that, although he had never found a nest, he believed that each female built a separate one in the long grass, the cock not interfering, beyond keeping watch and ward. Mouritz. who in the " Ibis " for 1916 (p. 556) describes the birds of the Matopos, speaks of each male going about with 10 to 12 dusky followers. He also failed " in spite of diligent search " to find any nests and asks whether this species may not share the parasitical habits of the Pin-tailed Whydah. 238 Whydahs. Sliaft-tailed Whydah ( Tetrae>mra irgia). Why daks. ztj^j Mr. Tescheniaker in A.M. 1910. writes (p. 90J that he had been informed that this species had been bred in confinement by a (jerman residing in Sydney( AustraHa). -^ FISCHER'S SHAFT-TAILED WHYDAH. Linura fischeri. (H.L. v. 409). Synonomy. II L'lnnra f.schcri. Reichen. 1882. Vidua fischeri. (Shelley. 1886). Range. N.E. and E. Africa. Referknci.s. Reiclieiiow. I. fur Ornith. i^'Sj. PI. ii. fig. i. Sh. iv. 13. This Whydah appears to be unknown as a cage-bird and I also find but little recorded on its wild life, — of the nest and eggs, nil. Its chief difference from the Pin-tailed and Shaft- tailed VVhydahs is that the four narrow elongated tail feathers are in this species buff, not black. -^ PARADISE WHYDAH. Steganura paradisca. (H.L. v. 409). Synonomy. I Paradise Widow. * Widow of Paradise. Whidah Bird (Lth). * Whidaw Widow. * Widah Bunting. * Red-breasted Long-tailed Finch (Edw). Broad-shafted Whidah Bird. * Broad-shafted Whydah-finch (Sw). " Shaft-tailed Whydah," occ. dealers' name, teste Gedney. 240 Whydahs. II Emhcrica fa'-adisca. Linn. 1766. Friiigilla paradisca (\"11. 1S17). Stci^iDiiira f^ardisca. (B.p. 1850). Cat. xiii. 211. /■/(/(' Estrcldii paradisca. (Lafr. 1850). Stcganura .s-/i//i'//Hr(/. B.p. 1850. Stcgannra vcrreanxi. (Antin. and Salvad. 1873). Rkfkrkncks. Butler. V .V . 2^2. Plate. 6 ?. Cassell. 400. Plate. J. S\v. i. IM. II. S . Riiss. i. 202. PI. 7. c^ S^n,^•v. 63. PI. 2^. Sli. iv. 25. B.S.A. i. 149. Butler, i. 188. Gedney. ii. 128. Range. Tropical Africa generally and south to Cape Colony. This freely imported and well known bird is. I think, the showiest of all the Whydahs I know. When in full colour the males both wild and in cage or aviary are as noticeable and striking as any bird, with their long flaunting tails and ruddy collars and breasts. Many (too many) years ago I remember being much impressed at one of the Shows by seeing 25 males -"V- in full plumage and in perfect condition exhibited all together in one large wire cage. In the Gambia they are quite common and I have brought a good many home at different times. In the rains they are very noticeable, but at other seasons, when they have shed their breeding plumage, they have to be looked for. Specimens from South Africa are as a rule rather larger than those, the most commonly imported, from West, and also are rather lighter in colour as far as the ruddy collar and throat is concerned; such birds when imported are sometimes advert- ised as " Golden-collared-Whydahs," though the actual colour scarcely suggests that metal. This \ariation in size and colour is, however, not distinct- ive of S. African birds, for in the Ibis for 1905, (p. 317) similar "yellow-collared" birds are described from the Egyptian Sudan. Apparently every grade of variation is to be found, and division into sub-species of the birds from different parts of Africa has not yet been considered necessary. The nest is not known, but the egg is described by Shelley as " grey, so very closely spotted with black that the pale ground colour is scarcely visible," The only record of its- breeding Whydahs. 241 is that of Russ. on which Stark writes, "Dr. Russ succeeded " in getting it to breed in confinement, by turning a cock with " three hens into a large room. In November a sort of double ■■ nest was built on the wire bottom of a high hanging cage " . . . The first nest when examined contained three dead " young ones, the other a single living one, which was fed by " two females. The male did not trouble himself about either " nest or young. "" A fuller account of this event will be found in Butler's " l-'oreign Finches." 0 LOXG— TAILED WHYDAH. Piatropiira proguc. (H.L., v. 410). . Synonomy. I Long-tailed Widow-bird; Long-tailed Weaver. (jreat-tailed Whydah, Great-tailed Widow-bird, Kaffir Great- tailed Whydah. " Kaflir Chief " (Eng'ish in S.A.); " Kaffir Fink " occasionally. " Isa-kabuli," the Zulu name; " Sakabula Bird." the common .S. African corrujition of this name. Giant Whydah. Twelve-tailed Whydah, occ. dealers' name. Brown-shouldered Whydah, Orange-shouldered Whydah, Epau- let Whydah-bird. * Caffrarian Cirosbeak. * <^ )range-shouldered Bunting. II Einbcrlza procnc. Bodd. 1783. (" progne. Bodd " /Shelley). Chcra prucnc (Gray. 1849), and B.M. Cat. Chcra procne (Layard. 1867), Vidua progne (Schl. 1872). Coliuspasser procne (Shelley. 1886). Coliipasser procne (Sh. 1896), Coliopasscr procne, (Stark, 1900). Coliuspasser progne (Sh. B. of Afr. iv. 1905). Diatropura progne (Reichen. 1904) and H.L. v. 1909. Loxia caffra. Gm. 1788. Fringilla caffra (Licht. 1823). Chera caffra (Cab. 1850). 242 JVIivdahs. 1788. Fr'uigilla longicauda (VII. Russ. i. Sh. iv. 213. 32. Hnibcrica loiii^icanda. (Ini. 1817). Vidua longicauda (Cuv. 1817). Embcrica impcrialis. Shaw. 1796. J'idiia phacnicoptcra. Sw. 1837. References. Bntler. F.F. 286. Plate. S. Q . PI. 7. 6. Singv. 65. PI. 29. B.S.A. i. 139. fig. Butler, i. 189. Cassell. 401. Gedney. ii. 130. Range. S.E. Africa (E. Cape Colony to Transvaal). In the genera so far dealt with the lengthening of the tail is confined to the four central feathers, but in this and all the others in which elongation occtn-s the whole tail is affected, though the central ones become the longest, the length of the rest dimin- ishing regularly and gradually from within outwards. A good deal more is known about the breeding habits of this Why- dah than is the case with most of its re- lations, and it has also been bred in captivity, the first breeder being Mr. Tescheniaker in 1909, who gives a full account of his success in A.M. 1910. p. 81. In this case the male by force of circumstances had only one wife, but this departure from the normal did not interfere with the result, three fine young liirds. The nest (Mr. Tesche- niaker writes) was cup-shaped and placed on the ground well-hidden in the foliage growing in an artificial mnrsh which had been arranged in the aviary. The male did not attempt to feed the female while she was sitting, but the breeder thinks that he did take some share in the feeding of the young after they were hatched. The whole account, however, should be read. Commencing from the very start every episode is chronicled, the mating, the love-song and dance, in which the Whydahs. 243 male poses " erect and on tip-toe before the female, the long " feathers of the neck erected as a hood, and emitting- that " weird long-drawn note which I can only describe as a combina- " tion of hissing and spluttering." This quotation having hope- lessly broken the thread of the sentence. I will leave it as it stands and go on to the accounts of the nesting habits in a wild state. Of these Stark gives full details and describes the nest as " an oval domed structure, with a wide side entrance, roughly " woven out of tine grass lined with the flowering tops of ** grass or reeds. It is generally placed a few inches off the " ground, in the centre of a tuft of grass, attached by its side^ " to many grass stalks, the blades and tops of which are bent " down and tied together to form an additional concealment ■' and protection." The eggs, as described by Stark, are white or bluish-whi'e closely marked with small spots and dashes of dark brown and slate-grey. Shelley quotes another similar des- cription bv Mr. Haagner. Mr. Teschemaker also describes the eggs laid by this bird, and his description agrees well with pre- vious ones by South African observers. ♦ DELAMERE'S LUXCi-TAILED WHYDAH. niitrut'iiya dclamcrcl. (H.L. v. 410). Synonomy. Coliuspasscr dcJamcyc'i. Sh. 1903. and B. Afr. iv. 35. Diatropiira prognc dclamcrcl. (Reichen. 1904). Range. Equatorial Africa (Kikuyu and Kenia). This race of the Long-tailed Whydah is to be chiefly distinguished from the typical form l)y the much longer tail feathersof the male when in full colour: up to 23 inches, as against an average 18 and maximum 19.5 in D. progne. It is so far unknown to British aviculture, as is also the next, the third and last member of this genus given in the Hand List. BENGUELA LONG-TAILED WHYDAH. Diatropiira ansorgci. Neumann. 1908. fH.L. v. 410). Range. S.W. Africa (Benguela). (To be cor\tiniied). 244 Brcrdijig of Hybrid Forcii^ji Finches. Breeding of Hybrid Chestnut-breasted Finch X Silverbill. By Hkrrer'i- E. Bright. At the request of onr b^ditor I am writings; a short account of tlie successful breeding;- and rearin:^- of four young- Hybrids, the result of the matint;- of an Australian Chestnut-breasted Finch (Mii)iia ca>stanciihorax), and an Indian Silverbill hen (Aidonosyiic malabarica). It was quite an unexpected event, as the Chestnut-breast was an old bird that I have had four or five years and he did not seem very lively, in fact I thought this sum- mer would probably be his last. He had moulted rather badly, coming- quite dark on the underparts below the breast and looked a most dilapidated specimen and certainly a most unlikel^^ breeder. However, he went through a complete moult after being turned into a large out-door aviary in the spring and smartened up considerably. The next I saw of him he was following about an unniated Silverbill hen that had been kindly given to me with some Avada- vats by a fellow member, Mr. Calvocaressi. She had not long- been turned out and had numerous admirers, the most persistent at that time being- a Tricolor Mannikin, though she had previ- ously deserted a Magpie Mannilcin. Eventually the old Chest- nut-breast won the day and tlu-}- l)iiilt tlie usual domed nest in ir apple-tree against the back wall of the a\iary. Eggs were laid and all went well as I soon heard a chorus of young voices calling for food. Eour young were succesfully reared, the last young one leaving the nest two days after the first one appeared. They were pretty little birds resembling the Silverbill in appear- ance at first except for tlie linge of red in their tails. Now (Oct. 29th) tliat they have nearly completed the moult they have chang'ed considerably. Two of them have deve- loped a mark like a Cherry Finch underneath the beak and have cream breasts lightly laced with red-brown markings and almost red tails on the upper side. ( )ne has only a faint bib mark, but has deeper breast markings .-ind (piite red tail; the fourth has no breast markings, being light fawn-color from the bib down- wards. Low-er breast and underparts are cream color in all of them. The heads, necks, and sides of wings are nuich the same Breeding of Hybrid Foreign Finches. 245 as the Silverbill. but rather deeper brown. The young were reared ahnost entirely on grass seeds and green food, mostly fine grass. The old birds used to come down and pick amongst the grass but seldom took the live ants' eggs which were thrown down for general use. The parents looked after them for a long- time after they were reared. Quite late they started nesting again, and. I thought they were sitting as the hen had laid, but one very cold wet morning I picked her up off the ground almost dead and egg bound, and unfortunately she died before we could do anything for her. I was very sorry as I had hoped for some more of these pretty little birds. The old Chestnut-breast is quite lively and I will try and provide him with a similar mate next year. He used to dance and sing to one of his own young ones later on. -<^ Breeding of Hybrid Magpie Mannihin X Silverbill. By Herbert E. Bright. At one time, a year or so ago, I had bred so many Magpie Mannikins that I got rather tired of them and disposed of all but one pair. That winter the hen died, so, not wishing to be entirely without a pair, I bought a hen, which I saw advertised, and turned the two birds out in the large aviary in the spring expect- ing to breed a lot more. They went about together at first, but a little later joined company with a hen Silverbill and a hen Bronze-wing and there was a great deal of nest building and squabbling, in which all four used to take part, both the hens and both the cocks disput- ing for possession of the various nests, so that I thought nothing could come of it all. My man told me one evening he thought he could get me a Silverbill cock so I told him to go and bring it. Next day we turned it out and waited to see what would happen. The Silver- bills took no notice of each other and I began to fear we had made matters worse and introduced further complications in the shape of another hen. This proved to be the case, as I later on 246 Breeding of Hybrid Foreign Finches. saw both silverbills and l)ronze-\vin,i;" all .^oinq' into the same nest and sitting- there, but they soon \^ot tired of playing" at nestin.g and drifted a])art ; eventually a Mai^pie Mannikin fAmanresthcs friiigilloidcs ) and Silverl)ill (A. cantaiis), the other Magpie Mannikin and Bronze-wing, and a Chestnut-breast and Silverbill all going to nest properly. The Magpie Mannikin and Silverbill built a neat well hidden domed nest in a thick growth of hops, just by a pair of Diamond Sparrows, who never interfered with them in any way, though both had young at the same time. The young were reared almost entirely on grass seeds and green- food, as were the four young Chestnut-breast x Silver])ill hy- brids, although plent yof ants' eggs were supplied. They seemed to be very fond of sprouting grass seeds which were thrown on the ground. I very nearly lost the young by frightening them out of the nest before they were ready to leave, and only one actu- ally lived, though two flew out. I was pruning some privet which had grown through the top of the aviary wire, not think- ing the young were nearly ready to fly. I suppose I went too near the nest and the noise frightened them, anyhow two, not fully fledged young birds, went fluttering out right to the far corner of the aviary. There was nothing to be done but "wait and see" if the old birds would find them, which they soon did. and tried hard to induce them to come back nearer the nest, but they remained where they had landed in some bushes and after a very wet niglit I hardly expected to see either of them again, but discovered one the next day, the other had disappeared. The young one had a somewhat precarious existence for some time, as it used to persist in following the four young Chestnut-breast hybrids about, and they resented its presence, making things .very unpleasant for it for a day or two. They were considerably oVler and stronger. The cock Magpie Mannikin fed it for a day or two and then left it. and in the end it used to chase the old cock Chestnut-breast about and called so loudly for food when he was feeding his owm young ones, that I have seen him feed it several times after trying to drive it away at first. At a very early age it used to feed itself on seed and somehow managed to thrive and grow into a strong bird. It does not resemble the other hybrids in the least, not being nearly so pretty and much darker in colour. It has now Weavers. 247 moulted out and improved somewhat in appearance. The head, back, sides, and tail are dark brown, almost black; underparts, and breast creamy-white; it has a curious band of light brown, which runs from the side of the neck and breast round to the thighs on both sides ; otherwise it is not a striking bird in any way. The beak is black and much smaller than a Magpie Man- nikin's, and it is much smaller in body also. This pair nested again, but, although 1 think they had young I have not seen any result, which is hardly to be wondered at considering the cold wet and stormy weather we have had. <^ Weavers. By W. Shore Baily. Among the most interesting of our aviary birds are the Weavers and Whydahs. Either group has a great deal to recommend it, and to those aviculturists, whose aviaries are large enough to give these birds a chance of breeding, I know oi none so desirable. The long flowing tails of the male Why- dahs and their curious courtships would probably attract some ol our members, whilst the brilliant plumage and vivaceous ways of the cock Weavers would perhaps equally appeal to others. I hardly know which is my favourite group. I have succeeded to some extent in breeding some species of both groups, but have also had numerous failures. These failures have probably added to my interest in them. One never prop- erly values what is easy to come by, and no one can say that it is always an easy matter to breed any of the Weavers and Why- dahs. Many nests may be built, eggs may be laid and young ones hatched, but to get them reared to maturity is a very differ- ent matter. In ten years, from a dozen or more varieties of Weavers, I have, 1 believe, fully reared eight young ones only. Nearly all of the species kept have nested, nine different species have laid eggs, seven have hatched young, and four have brought their young ones to maturity. Their willingness to attempt to breed is. I think, to the aviculturist, one of their chief charms, as even after repeated failures with them, one continues to hope for success. The following description of the 248 IV e avers. nests and eggs of those that have nested here may be of interest. The ViDUiNE Weavers are in my opinion the handsomest and at the same time the most free breeders. It is difficult to imagine more beautiful birds than male Crimson-crowned and Orange Bishops. 'Hie Napoleon Weaver (Pyromclana afra) probably the easi- est to breed of all the weavers, builds a nest in a bush (vide B.N. vol. vi., N.S.). Selecting a fork it connects the two twigs with stout grass, and from this weaves a purse-shaped nest of no great depth; the front is left entirely open and is generally a true circle about two and a half inches in diameter. Four eggs are laid, white with a few brown spots. Dr. Butler, probably quot- ing from Russ, describes them as pale bluish green, which is certainly a mistake, as I have white-spotted eggs in my collec- tion from several hens. riie closely allied Taha Weaver (P. taha) builds a simi- lar nest (see B.N. vol. vi., N.S.) l)ut suspends it from growing- reeds — where these are available ; the material used as with the last variety, has been, with me, long grass, and no lining has been added. The eggs are similar to those of P. afra but slight; / larger. Another closely allied species is a bird, that for want of knowledge of its true name I call the Spotted-winged Weaver. Tliis bird, when mated with a cock Taha, built a typical nest in a wild convolvulus (see B.N. vol. vii, N.S.) and she has since Ijuilt similar nests in a clump of ivy, and in a box bush. Her eggs, three in number on each occasion, were similar to those of the last two species, but were about one third larger, the bird itself l)eing" considerably larger than either the Taha or Napole- on hens. The Orange Weaver's nest is, as a rule, much more flimsy in construction, and more globular in shape. I have seen these nests so loosely woven that the eggs fell through the bottom. These are generally two in number and are a rich glossy blue, looking almost as if they had been varnished. They have not hatched young with me (see B.N. vol. vii, N.S.). The Crimson-crowned Weaver (P. flammiccps) has not nested with me, but last year a cock mated with a hen Whydah (see B.N. vol. vii, N.S.). I can't say whether the cock was the architect and builder of this nest, but it is quite possible, as it was much of the same type as the other W'eavers, Bird Notes. Photo W. Shore Baihj. Abj'ssinian Weavers' Nests over the Water. Boyers House Aviaries. Weavers. 249 The Grenadier Weaver (P. oryx) I have never been lucky enough to possess, but its nest and eggs are described in B.N. vol. iii, N.S., by Mr. de Ouincey Quincev who was success- ful in breeding it that year. The Ri:d-hilli;i) VVeavkr (0. qiiclca ) probably the most freely imported of all the Weavers, has built scores of nests with F/iofn W. Shore Baily. Redbilled Weaver's Nest used by Zebra Finches, me, but, as far as I know, has not got as far as eggs. This is rather a timid bird, and allows itself to be driven from its nest by birds much smaller than itself. For instance, this summer a Zebra Finch twice laid eggs in one of their nests and brought off a troop of young ones. The nest is usually hung up between two twigs, and resembles a tea cup on its side, and is about the same size. A slight depression at the back keeps the eggs and young from falling out. (To be continued). 250 Breeding of Hybrid Finches. Breeding of Hybrid Finches. By Miss E. Lucas. The followins^^ account of my one and only successful breedini^^ experience may be of interest. To bet^in at the beginnini^" ! About two and a half years ago 1 bought a pair of Bar-breasted Firefinches ( Lagonosticta rufopicta) for a few shillings as the hen had a broken leg. I put them in my avairy and nesting operations were commenced at once, several clutches of eggs were laid, but all were infertile. Early last summer the cock bird died. This year I was not able to turn my birds out till early in July, as I had them all the winter and spring in a birdroom in London. As soon as 1 put them in the aviary the hen Bai- breasted h'iretinch and a " widower " Common Firefinch ("L. soicgala) started breeding in a nest box in my aviary shelter. The hen laid twice, but the eggs were infertile. At the beginning of September she laid again; about a fortnight or three weeks .ater 1 thought 1 would remove the eggs, as the weather being very chilly I was afraid the hen might take cold if I let her sit 1 3.iger. On putting my hand into the nest 1 felt, to my surprise. ..j.nething moving and found two youngsters, hatched I should say two days before. In spite of all the damp and cold they ha\e, so far, done well and are now (October 14th) flying about the aviary, having left the nest about a week ago. No special food was supplied, and all the parent birds had access to were the usual seeds and what insects they could cap- ture in the aviary. At present they resemble the Common Firefinch when young — pale fawn, w'ith some bright crimson at the base of the tail. If they continue to do well I will state a little later how they develop. C^4^^> C orrcsapondencc . 251 Correspondence. RKARINd OF P.LUF.-WIN(;ED (iRASS PARRAKEETS, ETC. Sir. — Mas the Ulue-winged Gras.s Parrakeet (Neophcvia irniista ) been lire;! before? I liave four fine younjj bird.s fully reared. I had rather bad luck with Hooded Parrakeet, as the hen died suddenly when the two younsf were only half grown. Fortunately the cock is still feed- ing tliem, and I have two other j^airs nesting. The Ciiuana Parrotlets' eggs vanished : whether they or the mice ate I hem, I tlo not know. Any of our members, by the way, who have Grass Parrakeets of any species should take the greatest possible care of them, and give them every oi)portunity for breeding. All the members of the family are becoming rap- idly extinct, and if aviculturists are not more awake over them than they were over the Turpuoisine and P. piilclicrr/iiius they will go the same way. Mavant. October _'8, 1917. (The Marquis of) TAVISTOCK. [iV. vcnusta has been bred, prior to 1914 we think, but at the moment of going to press are unable to give details. — Ed.] NOTES OF THE SEASON, 1917. Sir.- — Since the last report of the doings of my birds, a few more young have been reared, but the weather is now really vile ! cold, wet and very stormy, and I am putting the birds into their winter quarters. Three more young Long-tailed Grassfinches are on the wing, and one young Gouldian Finch was similarly exercising itself yesterday. Two more young Diamond Doves (six in all from one pair this season) are well reared. Another young Talpacoti Dove, and also a Red Mountain Dove are fully reared. One young Peach-faced Lovebird is on the wing and I think there are others still in the nest. The Cockateels also have fully reared three more fine young birds. A cock Zebra Finch has mated with a hen Red-headed Finch, and they are incubating a clutch of eggs, but I fear it is too late for any result. Cressington Park, October 12, 1917. H. BRIGHT [Extracted from a private letter. — Ed.] YELLOW BUDGERIGARS FROM GREEN, ETC. Sir. — I have recently had two young Yellow Budgerigars from a pair of Green parents. They are very fine young ones too, a very clear yellow, 252 ' Obituary. From a doni cock mated to a Yellow hen I liave liad several broods, all Greens, this I can quite understand, as 1 llnnk its usual, but not the former. I, too, am a little puzzled over (ine of the hybrid St. Helena Seed-eater X Canary bein<:^ pure fjrev in colour just like ;i (irey Siniclit. 1854. Pentlictria hartlaubi. Cab (nee Boc.) 1883. References. Butler. F.*F. 290. Plate, d. ?. Singv. 61. PI. 26. Sh. iv. 40. B.S.A. i. 147. Butler, i. 189. Russ. i. 216. Svv. i. 174. Range. S.E. Africa. E. 'Africa to Victoria Nyanza. S.W. Africa, R. Congo to Damaraland. Specimens of this species are often found in which the red of the throat is replaced by yellow or orange. This variation is not in the same category as that found in the preceding all- black C. conculor, where a whole race occupying a certain definite area is affected, but is an instance of that individual colour-variation to which the Whydahs as a whole, as well as some of the Weavers, seem particularly liable. Such variations do not indicate any specific difference, but are merely individual aberrations, probably depending, as Captain Shelley says, to some extent upon the constitution of the individual bird being affected by the change in the flora and insect fauna of the large area over which they are distributed. The Red-collared Whydah was bred in captivity first in 1909, but no details are available about that event ; see B.N. 1909 p. 257. In B.N. for 1915 a recent success is described (p. 239) by Mr. Shore Baily, who also succeeded in the following year in breeding" a hybrid between this Whydah and a Crimson-crowned Bishop, (Pyyoniclana fla))ii}iicc[>s), the male parent being the Bishop. See B.N. 1916. p. 237. Descriptions of the nests and eggs are given in some of the authorities cited, but the fullest I find is a more recent one in the Ibis for 1907. p. 40. This, which is by Mr. Swynnerton and refers to Southern Rhodesian birds, is as follows: " The " nests are placed three feet or so from the ground in long " grass or weeds, and are built entirely of grass, the " finest portions consisting of the heads stripped of their seeds Whydalis. 261 fonniiig the interior; the loose ends, ])eing- brought forward " in a bunch over the top, act as a lonj^- fuzzy canopy to ward off the sun and rain. One specimen, which shows signs of " inexperience or haste in its construction, practically lacks ' this canopy, and has a small aditional entrance in the side. The eggs are three in number and glossy; they vary from dull bluish white to pale greenish blue, spotted, blotched " and mottled all over with ashy grey and brown of different shades, and much resemble a certain type' of egg of the English Tree-Sparrow." Mr. Shore Baily in the account he gives of his Whydahs' successful breeding says that the two eggs of the first clutch were white and rather large, but those of a second, pale bluish green thickly mottled with brown. This article (B.N. 1915 p. 239) besides an excellent plain plate of the male Red-collared Whydah is also illustrated with some photos of the nest and eggs. In the following year he narrates his success in breeding the hybrid already mentioned and gives several more most interesting photos from the aviary. ColiostnttliHs tropica. Reichenow. 1904. H.L. v. 410. Coliuspasser ardens tropica (Van Someren. Ibis. 1916. 417). Range. E. Africa (Zambesi northwards). S.W. Africa (Angola). Of this race of the Red-collared Whydah Mr. van Som- eren writes in the paper just mentioned, that they " frequent the grass and swamp country and are fairly common. (He is speak- ing of the Uganda). They nest in the tall rank grass. The eggs, from two to three in number, are of a greenish ground with ash-brown spots and blotches." He saw and obtained specimens of both forms, red and yellow-collared, another instance of the individual variation already mentioned as is often occurring in the Whydahs. ^ RED-NAPED WHYDAH. CoIiostrutJuts laticanda. H.L. v. 411. Synonomy. I Crimson-naped Whydah; Crimson-ringed Whydah. Broad-tailed Whydah; Broad-tailed Widow-bird. 262 Whydahs. II Fringilla laticauda. Licht. 1823. Vidua laticauda. (Gray. 1849). Penthcria laticauda (Bp. 1850). Pcnthctria laticauda (Cab. 1850) and B.N. Cat. 218. Coliuspasser laticaudus (Blanf. 1870) and Sh. iv. 38. Colinspasser torquatus. Riipp. 1835-40. References. B.N. 191 1. 297. Plate. 6 . Singv. 62. PI. 27 Sh. iv. 38. Russ. i. 220. Range. N.E. and E. Africa (Abyssinia to Kilimanjara). This species which appears to have been first imported alive obout 1910 is still very uncommon in captivity, as is on'y natural considering the distance its haunts are from the ordinary track of trade. An excellent plate of this bird has appeared in our Magazine (see above) which shows well the difference be- tween this and the last species; in this the red encircles the whole face and is not merely confined to the chest. In the paper which accompanies the plate the Editor gives a general account of the species and notes from the Ibis thereon, while in the following year Mr. Shore Baily writes about a cock and two hens he obtained in 1914, illustrating his paper (B.N. 1916. 279) with photos of the cock in display and of one of the nests the birds built, without unfortunately doing anything further in the breed- ing line. This is as far as the species has got towards reproduc- ing itself in captivity. This is one of the Whydahs which makes regular " play- grounds," by wearing away the grass in one place by its love dance and display, leaving only a central tuft untrodden down by its gyrations and jumps. Shelley gives us Fischer's description of the eggs, " strongly glossed, whitish, with reddish brown and violet-grey spots, most numerous at the thick end," and quotes Mr. Jack- son's (the first) account of the " play-ground." A more recent note on these birds appears in the Ibis for 1916, where Mr. van Someren writes (p. 418) as follows: " Common in the grass " country of British East Africa. Nests were found in grassy " patches in the scrub and by the swamps. The nest is con- " structed of grass. The grass-blades in the actual nesting " site are first woven into a ring and the body of the nest Whydalis. 263 " built out of this. The nest is very frail and usually remains " unlined until the first egg has been deposited. The eggs " are bluish or greenish, with numerous spots and blotches of " ash-brown and darker brown. Two is the usual clutch, but " as many as four have been found." ^ HARTLAUB'S MARSH-WHYUAH. Coliostruthits hartlaubi. (H.L., V. 411). Synonomy. Penthetria hartlaubi. Bocage 1881. and B.M. Cat. 219. Coliiis- passer hartlaubi. (Sh. 1886). and Sh. iv. 54. Range. Equatorial Africa (Upper Kir). S.W. Africa (Angola). S.E. Africa (N.E. Rhodesia). Nyassaland. This rare Whydah is, when in full colour, black with orange-yellow wing-patches, a colour pattern which approaches that of the Yellow-shouldered \Vhydah of the next genus, Pcnthetriopsis. 4 Coliostruthus huuicralis. H.L. v. 411. Synonomy. Pcnthetriopsis hu)ncralis. Sharpe. 1901. Colius passer hartlaubi humcralis (Reichenow. 1904). Coliuspasser hartlaubi. pt. Sh. iv. 54. Range. Equatorial Africa (Mt. Elgon to Wakkala). This race of the preceding is not considered distinct from it by Captain Shelley, but appears as a separate species in the Hand List. -<^- FULLEBORN'S MARSH-WHYDAH. Coliostruthus psammocromia. H.L. v. 411. Synonomy. Penthetria psanuuocromia. Reichenow. 1900. Coliuspasser psammocroniius. Reich. 1904, and Sh. iv. 53, where a reference to a plate in the third volume of Reichenow is given. Range. Ukinga, N.E. Nyasaland. This apparently very local race or species is another of 264 The Birds of British Guiana. the Yellovv-sliouldered Whydalis. As is also the case with the two preceding" they are unknown to avicidture, and very Httle is on record as regards their wild life also. (To be Continued). ^ The Birds of British Guiana. By Chas. Dawson, S.J., M.A., (Oxon). (Continued from p. 22/). WOOD-HEWERS. IVood-hezvers, like ant-thrushes are a large and little- known family, and like them, are peculiar to the New World. There are no less than fifty genera and four hundred species. They do not precisely "hew" the wood and would be better called "wood-peckers" were this name not already in possession of birds that might lay better claim to theirs. They might be better named "woodpeckers," for they run with great ease about the trunks of trees picking out insects and their larvae from holes and crevices. When the trunk of the tree is slender they will ascend or descend, sitting as it were astride, and clipping the tree with the sides of their feet with great adroitness, much in the manner of wood-peckers. They vary in size, the largest being a foot long; but generally they are only half that size. Red, rufous, or chestnut, are the prevailing colours, while the head and neck may be streaked or freckled with light hufi or white, and there may be white or black patches on rump or throat re- spectively. The tail feathers, generally rounded, have in many cases projecting spines, like those of wood-peckers, which mat- erially assist the bird in ascending or descending" trees; and on them it can rest back during its "wood-hewing" operations. The beak may be long and curved, in one species, Xiphorhynchus procurvus, enormously so. They build their nests, sometimes great structures, in trees and shrubs or in holes of trees or banks. The sexes are similar. The voice is sometimes loud — the note being rapidly repeated in a descending trill — and sometimes ras- ping or chattering. The Birds of British Guiana. ^65 Wood-Peckers or Wood-Hewers. colaptidcB. -(Colonial). Deudro- White-faced Wood-Hewer ( ?) (earth chit) *Coppicc Wood-Hewer (wood) Fronted Wood-Hewer (social) Brown-tailed Wood-Hcwer Whitish Wood-Hewer Guiana Wood-Hewer Rootie or Red Wood-Hewer *Swarthy Wood-Hewer (Roraiina) Thrush-like Worm-eater ( ?) White-throated Worm-eater * (Sclater's) *Fire-rose Water Worm-eater Red-tailed Water Worm-eater Spotted-breasted Worm-eater ( ?) Cheek-bearded Worm-eater *Sharp-tailed Worm-eater Wedge-billed Worm-eater ♦Long-tailed Wood-carver Resplendent Worm-eater Olive Worm-eater *Merle Worm-eater Spotted Wood-Bird *Pale-billed Wood-Bird Pard-spotted Wood-Bird *Much-spotted Wood-Bird Much-speckled Wood-Bird White-throated Tree-weaver Wood-hewer ( ?) Thick-billed Wood-hewer ( ?) Spot-headed Wood-Bird White-lined Wood-Bird *Long-beaked Wood-Bird Cu-ve-billed Wood-Bird ♦Slightly Curved-bill Wood-Bird Large Wood-hewer Broad-billed Wood-hewer *Bar backed Wood-hewer Geositta leucopus. Lochniias ncmatura. Sy iiallaxis fro ntalis. ,, bniiineicaiidalis. ,, albescens. ,, gxiianensis. ,, cinnamomea. adusta. Autfliiioliis turdinus. ,, albigtilaris. sclateri. Pliilydor pyrrhodes. ,, erythrocercus. cen'icalis. Xowps genibarbis. Sclentnts caudacutus. Glyphorhynchiis cuneatus. Dendrocichhi longicauda. >> gulginosa. ,, oUvacea. merida. Deiidroruis guttatoides. ,, rostripallcHs. ,. pardalola. ,, polysticta. ,, nutltiguttata. DendropJex picits. Dendrexetastes temmincki. Hylexetastes perroti. PJcolaptes pjinciiceps. alboUneattts. Nasica longirostris. Xiphorhynchus trocliilirostris. ,, subprocurz'irostrts. Deudrocolaptes plagosus. ,, certhia. ,, radiolatus. SUGAR BIRDS. These charming birds were so called from their habit of fearlessly visiting- sugar factories in pursuit of the flies that swarm in such places. In outward appearance, with their long 266 The Birds of British Guiana. beaks and forked totignes, they resemble humming-birds; their [)lumage liowever, thoui^ii very beautiful, lacks the metallic lustre of TrochiVuicc. They number sonie twelve genera and upwards of a hundred species, all peculiar to Neo-Tropical and Sub-Tropical regions. In company with Humming-Birds they probe flowers for honey, or like fly-catchers, dart after flies on the wing; or like tree-creepers, search the bark of trees for insects. Velvet-like or purple, relieved by brilliant patches of sky-blue, white, or yellow, are the prevailing tints; while the hens are often dull olive or green. From their note they have acquired the colloquial name of Quit-quits. They build a rough, domed nest of grass, moss, roots, etc., and deposit therein from two to four white, or greenish eggs, with blotches or specks of rusty-red. They are easily tamed, and from their fear- less nature and pretty plumage, soon become great pets; but on account of dif^cult feeding they do not ordinarily live long in cages. Sugar-Birds or Quit-quits. — (Colonial). Cocrchidcc. f Blue-capped Sugar-Bird Coercba (Ccrtliiola) giiia>ieiisis. Yellow-breasted Sugar-Bird ,, ,, cliloropyga. Hook-billed Sugar-Bird Diglossa major. Blue Sugar-Bird Dacnis cayana. f Angelic Sugar-Bird ,, angelica. Purple-blue Sugar Bird (?) ,, analis. Black-headed Sugar-Bird Clilorophancs spiza. fPurple and Black Sugar-Bird Cyaucrpcs (Cocreba) cacntlcus (To be coiitiinted ). <> Weavers. By W. Shore Baily. The Yellow or Hyphantornine Weavers are a very numer- ous family and great nest builders, many of their nests being quite works of art and very durable. The trouble with these birds is the difficulty of identification. With the males it is pos- sible to pick out the different varieties, although this is by no means easy, but with the hens it is practically impossible to do so. Their eggs vary to an extraordinary extent. o W Weavers. 267 The Abyssinian Weaver (Hyphantoruis abyssimcus) is the larg-est and handsomest of the group, and is a great nest buil- der. Dr. Butler in his Foreign Bird Keeping confuses it with the Black-headed Weaver (H. melanocephaJns) a bird not much more than half its size. Dr. Russ also api)ears to mix it up with the Rufous-necked (H . cncnllatus). T\\q Abyssinian Weaver is bright yellow and black, and has no chestnut colour about it whatever. It builds a large snail-shaped nest, over water where this is present ; the entrance hole is at the bottom; this is length- ened out when the hen is incubating, forming a neck two or three inches long. Three eggs are laid, these being white thickly sprinkled with pale pink spots, but I have no doubt that they vary very much with different hens. A young one was hatched here, but was not fully reared. (B.N. vol. v, N.S.). The Rufous-necked Weaver, a bird of equal size, having the nape and back of neck chestnut, but without the black on the back, so striking a feature of the Abyssinian, builds a similar nest. I have never succeeded in getting hens for my males. The Olivaceous Weaver (H. olivaceus) an equally large bird, has the face brown, but no black or chestnut about it. Its eyes are white, whereas the iris in the last two birds is red. This bird built many very finely woven nests in one of my aviaries, and finally mated with a small hen, rearing two hybrids in 191 3 (see B.N. vol. iv, N.S.) I think that it is an extremely rare bird. The Black-headed Weaver (H. mclanoccphahis), a very common bird, is much smaller. It is a greenish yellow in colour with a black head and no chestnut; iris red. The hen is of a much darker green than any of my other small weavers, its iris also is red, all the other hens having brown eyes. These birds have twice nested over the water in my aviary, the nest being shaped like those of the larger weavers. The eggs, two in num- ber, were buff, resembling miniature partridge eggs. On each occasion they proved to be infertile. This bird has bred in captivity, but very few particulars were published. The Golden Weaver (Siiagra galbula) a denizen of the Cape, is a very brightly coloured bird, having the crown of the head, breast and lower parts bright yellow; forehead and throat black. These nested two or three times with me, the nest being 26^ Weavers. of the usual type. Each time three eggs were laid. These were large for the size of the bird, olive green in colour, heavily marked with small red splashes and spots. The Short-winged Wp:aver (H . brachyptcriis) is barely distinguishable from the last named bird. It is a good nest builder, but I have never been able to secure breeding hens. The Half-masked Weaver (H. viteUhms) is one of the most attractive of the group : the male has the crown of the head and lower neck rich chestnut; the forehead and throat black. It is an indefatigable builder. Sometimes it will choose for a site the extreme end of a branch of some tree; at other times it will be content to suspend its home from the wire roof of its aviary. In the latter case it threads several long blades of grass, through meshes two or three inches apart. Grasping two or three of these in each claw, it hangs from the netting and ties them together with its beak. It then stands on the loop thus formed, and quickly roughs out a more or less globular nest, leaving an entrance from below. When nearly completed, working from the top side of the nest, it weaves in some wider grasses, so as to stiffen the whole structure and at the same time render it waterproof. If lie succeeds in getting a hen to occupy it, he lengthens out the entrance hole, giving the nest the appearance of an abbreviated retort. Should his mate disapprove of his efforts, he promptly pulls the nest to pieces, and probably starts another one the next day. The eggs vary more than those of any other bird that I have kept. I have eggs in my collection, white with large crimson spots, white with faint red markings, and pale blue without any spots. Once only a young one left the nest here, and this did not survive (see B.N. vol. vii, N.S.I. The Dwarf Weaver (Sitagra Jut cola ) is a charming little bird, about the size of our Willow- Wren, which the young birds in their nestling ]ilumage very much resemble. The cock has a l)lack forehead and throat, the remaider of its body being greenish-yellow. It is a great weaver, and prefers a building site over the water where this is present. Unlike the preceding bird it does not destroy its nest when built, but uses up its energy in building a series of them in close proximity to each other. At the present moment there is a group of ten over a small pond in one of my aviaries, all built by the same bird. They are similar in O P -/\ 1 yi ^ 3 M u' !■ ^ .^^^^^^^^1 1 ^ 1 IjIrd Notes. Photo W. Short' BaUif. Baya Weaver's Nest. Weavers. 269 shape to those of the other Hyphaniormnes, but have a longer entrance funnel. This is not wide enough to admit of the en- trance of two fing'ers. The egg's, two in number, are white. Young birds were successfully reared here in 1914 (see B.N. vol. V, N.S.). The Bav.\ Weaver (PIoccus baya) belongs to another group, and my experience with them is extremely limited. My cock. I have no hens, built himself a tent-like shelter in a faggot pile early in the year, in which it spent the night, but made no attempt at nest-building until the end of wSeptember. He then took possession of a derelict Abyssinian Weaver's nest that was hanging from the wire netting by a thread. Attaching blades of grass to the foiu^ corners he carefully fastened them to the wire netting and then wove a very strong, but somewhat shape- less nest, leaving the original entrance for the Abyssinian. He arranged two openings on the other side. For what purpose these were required I don't quite know — unless it was to allow him to escape more easily in case of attack by the larger and stronger bird. As far as my observation goes both birds occupy their own quarters quite peacefully every night. No account of the breeding of this species in captivity has, I believe, been pub- lished, but one of the large London dealers was advertising this autumn young ones said to have been bred by a gentleman at Bayswater. The principal difficulty in doing so would be, I think, that of securing breeding hens. The Red-headed Weaver (Qucica erythrocephala) is a rather uncommon bird, about the size of the Red-billed Weaver, the males having a bright red head. This species has made no males having a bright red head. This species has made no attempt to nest with me. Although I have had a cock and two hens for some years, I have never seen them carrying nesting material. They are not a very attractive species. ■>*-K>- 2/0 Editorial. Editorial. A Retrospect. — This is only a pleasant task when all thinj^s are favourable, nevertheless, however adverse the cir- cumstances, it should prove profitable if these be boldly and squarely faced. " The times " could not have well been worse, and the year has been a difficult one indeed — there also has been a needless drain upon, not only the resources of the Club, but also upon the time of the honorary ofificials, owint;" to the slack- ness of some members in the payment of their subscriptions, omittini^' those who have been called to the colours. Nevertheless, in spite of all difficulties, the volume, com- pleted with this issue, is only behind its predecessors in bulk and the lack of coloured plates; in all round worth, we think, all will aj^Tee that it well holds its own. and we con,2^ratulate the mem- bers, especially the contributors, upon what has been achieved, in the face of almost insuperable difficulties. A glance throtigh the volume will show how much we owe to Mr. W. Shore Baily, who has contributed articles and photos to almost every issue, also to Mrs. A. M. Cook for her beautiful drawings which she has given gratis to the Club, as her part that this feature of the Magazine might be maintained. To Dr. Hopkinson we are also indebted for able and comprehensive articles on certain groups of birds, and before leaving for Gam- bia he prepared and left copy for the coming volume, which will be the first of a new series; and the same must be said of the Marquis of Tavistock, also of every contributor and of those who have so generously contributed to the Deficit and Illustra- tion Funds, and none have need to regret their efforts and sacri- fice in the light of what has been accomplished. The awful World-War is still raging, and many of those on our roll have made the supreme sacrifice and fallen gallantly on the various fighting fronts in the cause of liberty. King and Country. Of the coming volume we will not speak in this tissue, but if the same spirit prevails as during the past year, combined with a determination to remove what has hampered and made more difficult the work of this year, whatever the difficulties we may be called upon to encounter they will be overcome, and a Editorial. 271 successful aviciiltnral year's work accomplished. It is too early yet to make any statement as to strength of membership, but after thorough revision of the roll, we be- lieve, our members will not be less than in the previous year. We have the pleasure to state that the same ofificials and Council will serve us in the coming" year, and feel assured that every member will give them their utmost and cordial support and co-operation, that the present position may be more than maintained. Zoo Notes : In the September and October " Reports on the Additions to the Menagerie," the following" breeding suc- cesses are included : 5 Avadavats (Sporaeginthus amandava). 4 Chestnut-eared Finches (Taeniopygio castanotis). 2 Indian Palm Doves (StigmatopcUa cambayensis). 2 Buckley's Ground Doves (Chmnaepelia buckleyi). I Angolan Singingfinch (Serimis angolensis). 1 Hybrid Lorikeet (Trichoglossus novae-hollandiae x T . rubritorques). also. — 2 White-necked Cranes — Bred in Northamptonshire — (Pseudogeranus leucauchen). ♦ Post Mortem Reports. Important Notice : In consequence of the pressure of War Work our Hon. Vet., Mr. H. Gray, M.R.C.V.S., has been unable to send in the usual Report, and he now is compelled to relinquish the office of Hon. Vet. for the time being". We beg in the name of the Club to render Mr. Gray our sincere thanks for the valuable service he has rendered to the club since March 1907 and our regrets that the " times " compel him to lay it aside. As soon as other arrangements can be made for the continuance of this important feature of the club's work it will be resumed, of which due notice will be given. In the meantime Post Mortem examinations are sus- pended. 272 Corrcsf^ondence. Corresjiondence. BLACKBIRD x THRUSH HYBRID. Sir.- — In reply to Dr. Ilopkin.son's enquiry in J').N. August last; my friend Mr. T. Heath, who I believe has all the C.P Cats, from the beginning, informs me that the entry in the C.P Cat. of February, 1872 is as follows : " Mr. A. Skinner, Blackbird x Thrush, cock, age 16 months, price £2 5s. " Exhibition address: " 121, West Street, Faversham."' The entr}' would indicate^ that the Blackbird was the male. This bird was awarded one of the three prizes, and the Judge marked the judging-sli-) • A very good class " (13 entries). One would think the exhibitor bred the bird, as he gives its age. Hampstead, N.W., November 24, 1Q17. G. CRABB. COCKATOO NESTING NOTES. Sir, — I am afraid I haven't very much to report to you in the bird- breeding line this season, as my time is too fully occupied to attend to the birds myself and all my capable men — where live-stock are concerned- — have joined the colours. Consequently I have very few birds at the present time. My old pair of Cacattta galcrita went to nest again this year and commenced sitting. After a short time I noticed that the hen bird only came down to feed, and as this continued for a few days I caught her up and visited the nest. The latter was deserted, as I feared, and I can only presume the cock fell a victim to some neighbouring " sportsman." I also had misfortune in attempt- ing to breed the cross of Cacatna leadbcatcri x C. i^alcnta. I wintered a l^air of these birds together in a cage, and in the spring put them out in a flight. The hen duly laid, but about this time I had urgent business to attend to on an outlying farm, which necessitated my absence from home for a few days.. I On my return I found the cock bird — the Leadbeater'.s — crawling mis- I crably about on the floor, and on picking him up found he had a badly broken wing and that this had become mortified. I did my best for him, but, as I anticipated, he was dead the next morning. Apparently he had become aggressive, and the attendant, valuing his own skin more than any prospec- tive hybrids, had felled him with a broom handle with the above unfortunate result. 1 have a young hybrid (Tiiftitr risorious x T. scnegalensis) just able to teed itself. On consulting your interesting book " Species which have reared young, etc.," I was surprised to see this cross was not included. Can this be an oversight ? * Paignton, October 17. 1917. H. WHITLEY. =* We CO not know of any record re this hybrid. If any member knows of any previous instance of this cross being successfully reared we shall be oleased to receive details. — Ed, A Cruise on the S.Y. " Vectis." 273 A Cruise on the S.Y. "Vectis." By W. Shore Baily. (Concluded from page 224) The next morning we found that we were again out of sight of land. During the day two more whales were seen, and two or three of the passengers had a good view of a walrus that showed its ugly head witnin easy rifle shot of the vessel. At din- ner the same evening our steward told us that the ice pack was in sight, and shortly afterwards the yacht stopped, within about two miles of a solid barrier of ice. Here and there on detached fragments little flocks of Black Guillemots looked like black spots against the white surface, but except for a few Gulls these were the only living things to be seen. It was a dreary outlook and many of us wondered how any one could find any attraction in Polar explorations. We didn't tarry here long, and few of us regretted that we were once more bound for warmer climes. Much of our time on the return journey to Norway was spent in the smoking room and saloon, and nothing of interest oc- curred until we reached Bird Island. Here a gun was fired and myriads of sea fowl at once took flight, and were soon all around the " A^'ectis." Besides many hundreds of the birds already noticed in this paper, we saw several of the Greater Black- backed Gulls, and a little flock of Brunick's Guillemots. These differ from the conmion Guillemot by having a white eyebrow- streak, but in all other respects look exactly similar. We were soon once more within the fringe of rocky islands that are found nearly the entire length of the Norwegian coast line, and, little as had been the motion in the Arctic Ocean, it was a com- fort to some of us to be in dead smooth water again. Our course was now shaped for Molde, and for two days we steamed steadily along between the Islands and the mainland. f)assing similar scenery to that which 1 have already tried to describe. All Norwegian scenery is beautiful, but it is not easy to convey an adequate idea of it on paper. Birds of one kind and another were continually in view. In the shelter of one low-lying island I spotted a large flock of Wildfowl. With the glasses I could make out Long-tailed Ducks, Pintail, Mallard and 2/4 A Cruise on tlic S.V. " Vectis. Widgeon, .'iml of course there may have been other varieties. These were the only game birds seen on the trip, and they reminded the sportsmen among. it us of some of our wildfowhng excursions. We reached Molde at breakfast-time the next morning, and were dehghted with our first view of the place. It was, 1 think, quite the prettiest little town we saw in Norway. From the luxiunance of the vegetation I imagine that it enjoys a milder climate than many places further south. In one of the churches here there is a magnificent picture of the Resur- rection. It takes the place in the church of the coloured east window, usually found in our English churches. In the after- noon the " Hohenzollern " entered the harbour, followed in line by eight battleships and several cruisers, destroyers and torpedo boats. We had a splendid view, as they all passed the " Vectis " within easy range. One wqnders whether the Kaiser will be ever again so popular in Norwegian waters, after the ruthless way his submarines have torpedoed their shipping. After another full day's steaming, most of the time through the magnificent Hardanger fjord, we reached the little town of Odde. Here again we got mixed up with royalty. On attempting to land at the steps of the principal Hotel, we were peremptorily ordered off. We found that the late King of the Belgians had hired the whole hotel. We didn't see his Majesty, but some of his lady friends were very much in evidence, and were apparently amused at our discomforture. Here w^e once more hired stoljarres and drove out to see two very fine waterfalls. With one of these is connected a tale of the Kaiser's ruthlessness. The story goes that a young ofilicer of the " Hohenzollern " in a tit of passion struck the Kaiser in the face. The penalty for this Icsc majcstc was death. The mode of his execution was an original one. He was taken to the top of the mountain, placed blindfolded upon a bicycle, and made to ride over the edge of the fall. In the magazine in which this story appeared the Kaiser and his staff are depicted gloating" over the perform- ance. A few^ years ago one wouldn't have believed this story for a moment, but after what has happened in Belgium and Servia it is possible to believe that it may be true. The volume of water tumbling over these falls doesn't compare with that of the Trondheim fall, but the height is very much greater. I should A Cruise on the S.Y. " J'cctis." 275 think that the lake into whicli these rivers empty must be at least 2000 ft. bejow the top of the mountain. Whilst looking upwards I saw an Eagle circling over the head of the fall. It was at a great height, and identification was difficult, but I have every reason to believe it was a Golden Eagle, a bird I have frequently met in California. None of the other passengers had ever seen the King of Birds in a wild state. On the opposite side of the lake is one of the largest snow-fields in Norway. Many of us would have liked to visit this, but time unfortunately did not permit, as our trip was now drawing to a close. The next morning found us at Stavanger. where we dropped our two Xorse pilots. A^ery decent fellows they were, and always ready to answer questions as to their country, of which they were justifiably proud. Three days later we again entered the estuary of the Thames after crossing the North Sea in really delightful weather. In these notes I have not dwelt very much upon the social side of the trip, but I can assure my readers that this also was most enjoyable. The dances arranged by the genial young officers, and the game tournaments got up by the passengers' sports-committee were always successful, and I have no doubt that, if any of my fellow passengers should chance to see these lines, they will well remember the great victory we scored over the ships' officers and staff at cricket. 276 General Index. General Index. -<>^-K^ A. Accentor. Hedge, 155. A-cross the Channel, no. Amazon-Par/ot, White-eyebrowed, 191 Ant rhriishes, 224, 225. Avadavats, 11, 31. Green, 60. Aviaries, 19, 23, 51, 73. Aviary, An Australian, 131. Bakloh, 5. ,, Beginner's, A, 28. Notes, 124, 131- Room and its Occupants, 93. ,, Suburban, A, 52. B. Babblei, 187. ,, Jungle, 160. Red-billed, 9. Bakioh Aviary Notes— 1916, 5. Barbet, Blue-cheeked, 31, 58, 65. ,, Coppersmith, 31, 66, 160. Green, 31, 65, 189. Painted, 189. Barbets, 146-7. Bengalese, 188. Bicheno's and Ringed Finches, 254-6. Bill-Birds, 172. Birds Feeding at Night, 12. Bird Life in the Firing Line, 116. Birds at the Front, 36. of British Guiana, 77, 103, 126 146, 170, 224, 265. ,, of Queensland, 114. ,, Seen in the Suburbs of Calcutta I.S9- Blackbird Hybrids., 180. that Blighted my Life, The, 87. Breeding Experiences — 1916,10. ,, Notes, iSo, 227. Breeding of Blackbird X Thrush Hy- brid, 180. ,, ,, Black-tailed Hawfinch, 181 ,, Blue Iiudgerigars, 60, 129, 228. ,, Brambling, 234. ,, ,, Chestnut-breasted Man. X Silverbill, 195, 244. ,, ,, Green Fruit-Pigeon, 157. ,, ,, Hybrid Cockatoos, 204. 232. ,, ,, Hybrid Finches, 250. ,, ,, Indian Shamah, 150, 176, 204. ,, ,, Magpie Man. x Silverbill, 195. 245- ,, ,, Song Thrush x Blackbird Hybrid, 198, 202. ,, ,, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, 61. ,, Sydney Waxbills, 3. ,, ,, White-cheeked Finch- Larks, 133. ,, Y. R. Serin x St. Helena Seedeater Hybrid, 72. British Bird Calendar. 108, 132. Budgerigars, 94, 126, 208, 226, 228. Blue, 60, 129, 156, 228. Yellow from Green, 251. Bulbul, Black-capped Green, 188. Ceylon, 189. ,, Red-vented, 188. Red-Whiskered, 188. White-cheeked, 31. White-eared, 31. White-eyebrowed, 188. lUillfinch, 31, 154. Himalayan, 195. Bunting, Red-headed, 31. Rush-Chats, Pied, 5, 31. Buzzards, 78. C. Calornis, Giossy, 31, General Index. ^77 Canaries, 209. Caracara, 79, 81. Cardinal, Pope, 125, 130, 155, 194- ,, Red-crested, 125. ,, Vir^finian, 125. Chaffinch, 150. Chat, Pied Bush-, 5, 31. „ White-fronted, 16. Cherry Finch, The, 205-7. Chough, Himalayan, 31, ^^. Red-billed, S3- Cockateel, 126, 196, 209, 251. Cockatoo, Banks-an, 194. Hybrids, 156, 204. Nesting Notes, 272. Roeate, 204, 262. Sulphur-crested (Lesser) 204 232. ,, Western Black, 194. Cockatoos, 272. Conure, All Green, 130. Cordon Bleu, 11. Correspondence, 39, 60, 107. Coucal, Indian, 31. Crake, Banded, 82. Crow, Indian House, 159. Crow-Pheasant, 31. Crows, 106. Cruise on the " S.Y. Vectis." 140, 176, 221, 27 s- Cuckoo, Black, 160, 191. Cuckoos, 173-4. Curlew, Some Notes on the, 137. Cutthroat, 208. D. Device for Supply of Fresh Water, 203 Dove Auriculated. 156, 226. ,, Aurita, 50. ,, Barred, 226. ,, Bleeding-heart, 69. ,, Bronze-necked, 48. ,, Bronze-winged, 70. ,, Brush Bronze-wing, 125, 132. ,, Buckley's Ground, 22&. „ Cape, 49, 195. Dove Crested, 68, 176, 196, 226. ,, Diamond, 48, 125, 176, 195, 226, -^37, 251. ,, Green-winged, 31, 70, 125. „ Half-collared Turtle, 68. ,, Ind. Bronze-wing, 31, 70, 125. ,, Necklace, 50. ,, Peaceful, 47, 145, 196. Plumed Ground, 135, 196. ,, Red Mountain, 125, 251. ,, Senegal Turtle, 50. ,, Talpacoti, 125, 195, 251. , Violet, 69, 125, 1913. ,, White-crowned, 69. ,, White-winged, 50. Zebra, a^, . ,, Zenaida, 50. Doves, 47, 68, 155. ,, and Pigeons, 125. ,. Some, I have Kept, 47, 68. Duck, Carolina, 176, 226. ,, Mandarin, 226. ,, Muscovy, 227. Drongo, G. Racquet-tailed, 31. E. Eagle, Hari)y, 78. Eagles, /S, 80. Early Experiences, 19, 23, 51, j;}, 118, 152, 167. Errata, 98, 131, 167. F. Falcons, yS. Fieldfare, 195. Finch, Afghan Rosy-winged, 31. African, 124. Australian, 124, 187. Bar breasted. Fire-, 250. ,. Bicheno's, 124, 195, 254. Black-tailed Haw-, 181. Bramble. 234. Bull-, 39 154. Chaff-, 156. Cherry, 124, 205-7. ,, Chestnut-breasted, 124. 278 General Index. Finch Chestnut-eared, 175, 226. Cuban, n, 125, 130, 226. Diamond, 124, 130, 155, 194- ,, Euler's, 125. Fire, 250. Gold— 153- Gouklian, 11, 132, 196, 251. Green-, 153. „ Grey Singing, 156, 252. ,, Haw-, 39. Himalayan Bull—, 195. Gold-. 31, 196. Hybrids, 39, 72, 195. Larkb, 130, 133- I75- Long-tail Grass-, 124, 130, 19 251. ,, Masked Grass-, 124. ,, Nutmeg, 31. ,, Orchard, 90. Parrot, 124, 226. ,, Pileated, 125. ,, Pintailed Parrot, 10. ,, Red-headed, 251. ,, Ribbon, 167. ,, Ringed, 254. ,, Rosy-winged Afghan,, 31. ,, Rufous-tail Grass-, 124. ,, South American, 125. ,, Spice, 188. ,, Yellow-rumped, 124. ,, Zebra, 124, 207, 251. Finches, 250. Firefinch, 250. Bar-breasted, 250. Finch-Lark, White-cheeked, 130, 133. (S'th'n.), 175- Flycatcher, Paradise, 188, 189. Foreign Birds — Their Adaptability, etc. 162. From .\11 Souces, 16. Far and Near, 36. Fruit-Pigeons, Green, 31, 71, 125, 157, 196. ,, ., Kokla Green, 31. Fruitsucker, 135. „ Gold-fronted, 31, 135. Fruitsucker Hardwick's, 31, 136. Malabar, i88. G. Goose, Bernicle, 227. Gnat-Eaters, 224. rioat-Suckers, 104. Goldfinch, 153. Himalayan, 31, 196. Goshawks, 82. Grassfinch. Long-tailed, 124. 130, 196, 251. ,, Masked, 124. Rufous-tailed, 124. Greenfinch, 153. Green Woodpecker, The, 85. Gull, Black backed, 226. H. Harrier Montague's, 38. Harrier's, 78, 79. 81. Hawfinch, 39. Black-tailed, 181. ,, Hybrid, 39. Hawks, 78, 79, 80, 81. ,, Harrier, 78, 79, 80, 81. Hobby, 82. Hornbill, Pied, 31. Hybrid, Blackbird x Thrush, 180, 198, 202. ,, Breeding, 13. ,, Cockatoo. Roseate x L. Sul- phur-crest, 204, 232. Dove, Necklace x Senegal, 14 ,, Finch, Haw- x Bull-, 39. ,, ,, Yell.-rumped Serin x St. Helena, 72. Bar-breasted Fire- x Firefinch, 250. St. Helena X Grey Singing, 252. Jungle-Fowl, Sonnerat's x Red. 227. ,, Lorikeet, Red-collared x Swainson's, 197. General Index. 279 Hybrid Mannikin, Chestnut-breasted Lory, Yellow-backed, 31. X Silverbill, 195, 24a. Lovebird, Black-cheeked, 126, 209, 228. Black-faced {vide Black- cheeked). ,, Guiana, 19, 192, 251. Peach-faced, 126, 196, 228, ,, Magpie x Silver- bill, 195, 245. Queries, 180, 198-200. 227. Sparrow, House x Cape, 14. Thrush, Song Thrush x Blackbird, 180. Ideas on Breeding and Origin of Blue Budgerigars, 129. lora, Common. 83. J. Jacamcars. 148-9. jay, Blue, 125, 197. Jays, 105. Jungle-Fo\^l Hybrids, 227. K. Keeping Magpie, in Cage, 132. Kingfishers, 147-8. Kiskadee, 126-7. Kite, Indian, 161. Kites, 79, 81. Koels, 160. Kowal, 191. L. Lark, White-cheeked Fincii- , 130, 133. ., S. „ „ „ 175- Laughing-Thrush, Rufous-chimed, 31. ,, ., Streaked, 31. Jackass, The, 229. Linnet, 167. Lorikeet, Blue-faced, ]9_'. ,, ,, Mountain, 215. ,, Red-collared, 197, 208. ,, Red-naped {z'ide Red-col- laredj. ,, Swainson's, 72, 31, ,92, .-.97, ^57- Lord Lucas's Bird, Preserve, 39. M. Macaws, 170. Mannikin. Black-headed, 3, 188. ,, Chestnut-breasted, 195, 244. ,, Hybrids, 195, 244, 245. ALigpie, 195, 245. Minivet, Orange, 188. Mot-Mots, 148. Mynah, Bank, 31, 98. ,, Common, 160. ,, Larger Hill, 31, 98. ,, Pied, 160. N. Native Hens, Black-tailed, 17. Nesting Habits of Rain Qtiail, 59. ,, Notes, 130, 194. ,, ,, Cockatoos, 272. ,, of Black-breasted Mex. Quail. 21. ,, ,, B rambling, 234. ,, ,, Fieldfare, 216. ,, ,, Redwing, 219. ,, ,, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, 59- ,, ,, White-cheeked Finch- Larks, 133. Nidification of the Golden Weaver Bird 59- Nightjars, 78, 104, 106. Nonpareil, Pintail, 31. Notes from an Amateur in Ceylon, 187. in Hjy Birdroom. Stray, 207. Nesting, 130, 194. ,, of the Season, 191, 251. ,, on the Curlew, Some, 137, ,, Zoo, 156, 175, 197, 226. 280 General Index. O. Obituary, 84, 108, 131, 252. Oil-Bird, 104. Orchard Finch, The, 93. Oriole, Golden, 31, 188, 190. ,, Indian, 33. Maroon, 31, 33. Ouzel, Grey-winged, 130. Owl, Burrowing, 104. ,, Downy, 109. ,, Hawk-, 104. ,, Spectacled, 109. Owls. 78, 103, 105. P. Parrikeet. Alexandrine, 210. All Green, 130. African Ring-neck, 193. Barraband's, 193. Bourke's, 192. Blossom-headed, 31, 193. Blue-bonnet, 191. -winged Grass-, 193, 251. Hooded, 192, 251. Javan Moustache, 31. Many Colour, 191, 192. New Zealand, 191. Pennant's, 227. Pileated, 193. Queen Alexandra, 82, 106, 193- Red-rumped, 192, 193. Ring-necked, 193. Rock Grass-, 193. Rosella, it. Slaty-headed, 31. Stanley, 180. Tui, 209. Turquosine, 251. Uvaean. iqi. Yellow-bellied. 191. Parrot, Amazon, (vide under A.) Senegal, 94, 95-7. Parrots, 170-2. Parrot-Finch, Pintails, 31. Parrotlets, Guiana, 191, 192, 251. Pheasant, Common, 227. ,, Silver, 227. Pigeon, Bleeding-heart, 69. Crested, 68, 176, 196, 226. Geoffrey's, 125, 197.. ,, Green Fruit-, 31, 71, 125, 157, 196. ,, Kokla Green Fruit-, 31. S. Tri. -spotted, 156, 176. ,. White-crowned, 69. Pirate of the Lagoon, The, 18. Pitta, Bengal, 31. Private Importation of Indian Birds, 31 59, 65, 98. 135. Prospect-1917, The, I. Puff-Birds, 146. Q. Quail, Black-breasted Mexican, 21. Bob-White, 21. ,. Button, 31, 126. Cuban, 21. Jungle Bush, 31, 126. Lesser Button, 31. ,, Rain, 31, 59. White-cheeked Crested, 21. Queen Alexandra Par'kts. 82, 106, 193. Quit-quits. 267. Rats and Mice. To Abolish. 107 Redpoll, Lesser. 167. Robin. Japanese, 31. Pekin, 188. Reviews, Menagerie Club. Y.B., 1916, 40. Roller, Ind., 31. General Index. 281 s. Seed-Eater, St. Helena, 72, 252. , Hybrids, 252. Serin, Yell.-rumped, ■/2. Sliamah, 31, 150, 176. J04. ,, Nepally, 1S7. Silverbill, 195. Indian, 31. Siskin, Himalayan, 31. Siskins, 154 Somewhere in France, no. Song-Sparrow, Pileated, 156, 197, 226, 227. White-throated, 56, 155. Song-Sparrows, 125, 155. Sparrow, Java, 187. Hybrids, 14. ,, Pileated Song-, 150, 197, 226, 227. ,, Song, 125, 155, 156, 197, 226, 227. White-throated Song, 56, 155. Spectacled Owl, The, 109. Starling, 94. Metallic. 196. Story of Jobo; The. 95. Stray Notes in my Birdroom, 207. Sugarbird, Yell. -wing, 106. Sugarbirds, 266, 267. Sultan Birds, 189. Sunbird, Less. Double-collared, 197. ,, Purple, 130. T. Tailor-Bird, 7. Tanager, Yell.-rumped, 197. Thrush, Ant-, 224, 225. Him. Blue Whistling, 31, 35. Hybrids, 189, 198-202. ,, Red-legged Cuban, 94. ,, Rufous-chinned Laughing, 31 ,, Song, 180, 198-202. ,, Streaked Laughing, 31. Toucan, Cuvier's, 45. ,, Less. Sulphur-breasted, 41, 43. Toucans, Some, 41. 172. Trogons, 149-50. Turkey, North American, 227. Tyrant-Birds, 126, 127. j_'8. U. Lfvaean Parrakeet, 191. V. Vulture, Black, 79. Indian, 161. Vultures, 7S, 79, 80, 81. W. Warbler, Grasshopper, 39. Water-Hen, Ind. White-breasted, 31. Waxbill, Sydney, 3. Weaver, Abyssinian, 268. Baya, 188, 270. Black-heaed, 268. Crimson-crowned, 166, 248. Dwarf, 269. ,, Golden, 59, 268. ,, ,, Oriole, 209. ,, Grenadier, 249. Half-Masked, 269. Hyphantornine, 267. ,, Madagascar, 188 Napoleon, 188, 248. Orange, 197, 226, 248. ,, Olivaceous, 268. ,, Red-billed, 208, 249. headed, 270. ,, Rufous-necked, 268. ,, Short-winged, 269 Weavers, 163-6, 188, 247-9, 267-70. Whistling-Thrush, Him. Blue, 31, 3s. White-eye. Indian, 31, 32. ,, ,, Green, 156. 282 General Index. Whv dah, Benguela Long-tail, 243. Cassin's Black. 260. Crimson-ringed, 262. Dtlamere's Long-tail. 243. Fischer's Shaft-tailed, 239. Fulleborn's Marsh-. 264. Giant, 241. Hartlaub's Marsh-, 264. Long-tail, 241. Paradise, 239. Pin-tail, 211. Queen, 6, 237. Red-collared, 260. ,, naped, 262. Splendid Black, 210. Whydahs, 183-6, 210-4, 237-43, 260-4. Wood-Birds, 266. Wood-Hewers, 265, 266. \\'()()(l])ockcr, Green, 85. Red, 188. Woodpeckers, 174-5, 265. Worm-Eaters, 266. Y. Young Yell. -wing Sugarbird, 106. Z. Zoo Notes, 156, 175. 197, 226. Index to Genera and Species. 283 Index to Genera and Species. <^4-f^ A. abbreviatus, Tac. 81 abyssinicus, Hyp. 268 A ccipUcr bicolor, 82. pileatus, 82 ,, stibniger, 82 ,, tjnus, 82 Accipitrifonnes, 80 accipitrinus, Der. 171 acre. Orn. 128 Acridotheres ginginianiis, 99 ,, tristis, 160 acnhcanda, Poe. 196 acut'ipennis, Clio. 106 adiista, Sya. 266 .4^'Ha capensis, 49 Aegintha tiphia, 83 Aeginthus temporalis, 3 aequinoctialis, But. 81 aeruginosus, Cir, lyi aestiva, Ama. 171 /4^jr galericulata, 226 a/ra, Pyr. 248 Agapornis roseicolUs, 196 Aidemosyne cantons, 195, 246 ,, malabarica, 244 ,, modesta, 205 albescens, Sya. 266 albicaudatus, Tac. 81 albiceps, Ela. 127 albicollis, Leg. 128 ,, LfM. 81 ,, A'^3;c. 106 ,, ZoM. 56 albifrons, Chr. 191 ,, Pj7. 225 albigularis, .-int. 266 Fa/. 82. albirostris. Gal. 149 albiventris, Rha. 225 albolineatiis. Pic. 266 alcyon, Cer. 148 alexandrae. Spa. 82, 193 aniabilis, Zen. 50 Aviadina fasciata, 167 amandava, Spo. 11 .Amauresthes fringilloides, 195, 246 amanrocephalus, Lep. 128 amasona, Cer. 148 Amazona aestiva, iji ,, amasonica, 171 ,, bo dim, lyi ,, dufresneana, 171 ,, farinosa, 171 ,, f estiva, lyi ,, ochroccphala, 171 amasonica, Ama, 171 americana, Cer. 148 Mt/. 227 amcricanus, Coc. 174 /i'y. 81 analis, Dae. 267 angelica, Dae. 267 owi, Cro. 174 ansorgei, Dia. 243 anthracina, Uru. 81 anthoides, Cor. 226 .4ra ararauna, 171 ,, chloroptera, 171 ,, hahni, 171 ,, macao, 171 ,, macavaanna, lyi ,, sivera, 171 aracari, Pte. 173 ardens, Col. 260 ardesiacus, Dys. 225 //or. 128 Arundinicola leucocephalus, 128 asiatica, Cyn. 58 ajzo, ^co. 105 ^«"o clamator, 105 Asiur pectoralis, 82 Asturnta nitida, 81 o^er, Z&y. 81 atrata, Cat. 80 284 Index to Genera and Species. atricapilla, Sco. 105 airicolHs, Tro. 150 atrothorax, Dry. 226 audax, Myr. 127 Aulacorhamphus, 42 bitorqnatits, 173 ,, sill cat us, 173 „ wliitelcyana, 173 aura Cat. 81 ,, Rhi. 81 aurantius, Fal. 82 auratus. Cap. 147 aurea, Jac. 149 aureus. Con. 171 auricnlata, Zen. 156, 227 aurifrons, Chi. 135 aurifa. Con. 226 ,, Zew, 50 Automolus albigularis, 266 ,, sclateri, 266 tjirdinus, 266 axillaris, Myr. 225 B. baiiksii, Cal. 194 barbatus, Myi. 128 barrabandi, Pol. 193 ' i?flV^. ^/o. 270 bicheiiovii, Sti. 195 bicolor. Ace. 8' bid. ntatus, Har. 82 jitorquatus, Aul. 173 bodini, Ama. 171 Bolborhynchus panyclilortts. 171 Brachygalba lugubris, 149 brachyura, But. 81 bourkei, Neo. 192 brachyptera, Hyp. 269 Branta leucopsis, 227 brasiliana, Sco. 145 brevicauda, Gra. 226 brevirostris, Emp. 128 Rrotogerys chrysopterus, 171 ,, tirica, 171 ,, tuipara, 171 bntnneicaudalis, Sya. 266 /)H^o I'irginianus, 105 biickleyi, Clia. 226 /?»fo collaris, 147 dysoni, 147 ,, hyperrhynchus, 147 ,, macrorhyuclnts, 147 ,, ordi, 147 ,, tamatia, 147 ,, tectis, i^y biirrovianus, Rhi. 8t Busarellus nigricollis, 81 Buteogallus aequiiwctialis, 81 Buteola brachyura, 81 c. Cacatita galcrita, 59, 61, 272 roseicapilla, 232 ,, stilphurea, 232 Cadbeatcri, 272 Cadheaferi, cac. 272 cachinnans. Her. 81 caerulescens, Ger. 81 rajco, P?o. 172 calidris, Tot. 234 Calopsittacui novac-hollandiae , £96 Calyptorhynchus banksii, 194 stellatus, 194 Caiiipophiliis mclanoleucus, 175 rubricollis, 175 caniceps, Meg. 66 canora, Pho. 11, 226 canorus, Cra. 160 cantans, Aid. 195, 246 cant at or, Hyp. 226 capensis, A en. 49 rapistratits, Chi. 175 Capita auratus, 147 niger, 147 caprata, Pra. 5 Caprimulgus nigrescens, 106 ,, rufus, 106 Carduelis indica, 196 CarinQ, moschata, 227 carip emits, Ste. 106 Index to Genera and Species. 2»5 cassiui, Vet. 175 castaneithora.r, Mun. 195, 244 castaiwtis, Tae. 175, 226 Catharista atratus, 80 ,, xtrbu, 80 Cathartcs aura, 81 pernigcr, 81 CathartidifortneSy 80 caudacutiis, Sel. 266 rayawa, Z?ac. 267 cayanus, Cya. 106 caycniicnsis, Lep. 81 ,, M^/r. 127 Kog. 8r ,, 5/e. 106 Cclcits elegans, 175 ,, reichenbachi, 175 Ccophlocus lineatjis, 175 CerchneipicnJ torquatus, 175 Ccrchiiis isabellina, 82 ,, sparvaria, 82 Cercomacra cinerascens, 225 ,, napensis, 225 ,, tyraiDiina, 225 certhia, Den. 366 CertJiioIa, 267 ccrvicalis, Phi. 266 Ceryle alcyon, 148 ,, amazona, 148 ,, aniericana, 148 ,, iwrfo, 148 ,, stictopteia, 148 ,, superciliosa, 148 ,. torquata, 148 Chalcophaps chrysochlora, Ji ,, indica, 70 chalcoptera, Phaps. 70 Chamaepelia buckleyi, 226 ,, talpacoti, 195 Chamaeza fnhescens, 226 Clielidoptera tenebrosa, 147 cherhvay, Pol. 81 cfiiina-chima, Mit. 81 Chloronerpes capistratus, 175 ,, flavigula, 175 ,, ritbiginosus, 175 Chorophanes spisa, 267 Cliloropsi.s- aurifron.t, 135 liardzi'ickii, 136 cliloroptera, Ara. 171 chloropyga, Coe. 266 clirysoptcnis, Bro. 171 Chrysoptilus punctigula, 175 CItrysotis albifrons, 191 ,, aiitasonica, 171 ,, dufreseaua, lyi ,, f estiva, 171 ,, ochrocephala, 171 Ciccaba Itulula, 106 ,, virgata, 105 cineracea, Say. 128 cinerascens, Ccr. 225 cinercinncJia, TIta. 225 cinero-niger, Tlia. 225 cinernientris, Myr. 225 cineremn, Tod. 128 cingiilata, Uro. lyi cinna>iiomea, Dry. 226 , , i'jio. 266 Circus maculosiis, 81 cirrliafus, Pic. 175 T"/ja 225 clamator, .Asia. 105 Corr_v2/(i- americanns, 174 ciileri, 174 melanocoryphus, 174 ,, -minor, ly^ Coereba cacriilea, 267 chloropyga, 267 ' cyanea, 106 ,, guianensis, 267 colchicus, Pha. 227 Colinus cubanensis, 21 pccf oralis, 21 virginianus, 21 Coliostrufhus ardens, 260 ,, concolor, 260 ,, hartlaiibi, 264 ,, laticauda, 262 ,, psammocromia, 264 coilaris, Biic. i^y ,, Rha. 225 286 Index to Genera and Species. cohna. For. 226 Coloptcnts galeatus, 128 Colitiiiba kucocephala, 69 ,, pfiaeonota. 156, 176 Coliimbidae, 47 concolor, Col. 260 Conophaga aiirita, 226 consobrina, For. 225 contra. Stu. 160 Conurus aeruginosus, 171 ,, Icucoptliahints, 171 ,, solJtiHalis, 171 Copiirus Icuconotus, 128 coromandelka, Cot. 59 Corvus splendcns, 159 Cor\thopis antlioides, 226 Coturnix coromandelica, 59 Cratcropiis canorus, 160 crissaHs, For. 226 cristata, Cya. 197 Crithagra 'iiiustca, 156 Crocomorphus flaznts, 175 Crotophaga ani, 174 major, 174 s%ilcirostris. 174 cruentatus, Mel. 175 cubanensis, Col. 21 cticullatus, Hyp. 268 cuneata, Geo. 48, 176, 195, 226, 227 cuneatus. Gly. 266 -yanea, Coe. 106 Cyancrpes caeruleus, 267 ^ vanocitta cristata, 197 C_vflHOfora.r favanuj, 106 violaceus, 106 Cyanorhamphus novae-sealandiae , 191 Cyanops asiatica, 59 Cymbilanius lineatus, 225 D. Dacelo gigas, 229 Dacnis analis, 267 ,, angelica. 267 ,, cay ana, 267 delamerei, Dia. 243 Dendrexetastes tenimincki, 266 Dendrocichla gulginosa, 266 longicauda, 266 merula, 266 olivacea, 266 Doidrocolapies certliia, 266 ,, plagosus, 266 ,, radiolatus, 266 Dendroplex picus, 266 Dendrornis guttatoides, 266 ,, multiguttata, 266 ,, pardolata, 266 ,, poly Stic ta, 266 rostripallens, 266 Oeroptyits accipitrinus, 171 Dialropnra ansorgei, 243 ,, delamerei, 243 ,, progne, 241 dicolorus, Rita. 172 diodon, Har. 82 Diglossa major, 267 Diplopterus naevius, I'ji, dissimilis, Pse. 192 doliatus, Tha. 225 dorsimaculatus, Myr. 225 Dromococcryx pavoninus, 174 Drymophila atrathorax, 226 ,, cinnamomea, 226 ,, pelzelni, 226 ,, swains oni. 226 diifrcsneana, Ama, 171 Dysithamnus ardesiacus, 225 schtstaceus, 225 spodionotus, 225 dysoni, Buc. 147 E. egregia, Pyr. 171 Elaine i albiceps, 127 ,, olivina, 127 ,, pagana, 127 Elanoides furcatus, 81 Elanus leucura, 81 clegans, Cel. 175 ,, C/m. 70 ,, /mw. 175 Index to Genera and Species. 287 Empidagra brevirostris, 128 Empidochanes salvani, 128 Empidonax olivius, 128 Empidonotniis varius, 128 Eophona nielanura, 181 eremita, Gra. ^^ erythrocephala, Pyr. 195 ,, Que. 270 erythrocercHs, Phi. 266 erythroptera, Phi. 226 erythrorhynchiis, Rha. 172 Erythmra prasina, 10 ,, psittacea, 226 erythrurus, Myi. 128 Estrilda phoenicotis, 11 Eulabes intertneditis, 98 euleri, Coc. 174 Euplectes franciscana, 226 eximius, Pla. 11 F. Falco albigularis, 82 ,, auraufins, 82 ,. fusco-cacnilescens, 82 farinosa, A ma. 171 fas data, Ania. 167 ferox, Myi. 128 festiva, Atna. 171 fischeri, Lin. 239 flammea, Stri. 106 flammiceps, Pyr. 248 flavescens, Hyp. 226 flavigula, Chi. 175 flaviventris, Pla. 191 i?/f3;. 128 flavus, Cro. 175 Fluvicoia pica, 128 Formicarius cohna, 226 ,, cr-issalis, 226 ,, nigrifrons, 226 Formicivora consobrina, 225 ,, grisea. 225 formosa. Sfi. 60 ' franciscana, Eup. 226 Fringilla niontifringilla, 234 fringilloides , Ama. 195, 246 frontalis, Sya. 266 fruticeti, Phr. 90 fulvescens, Cha. 226 fiircata, Ela. 81 fusca, Mai. 147 F us cart hunts ntssatiis, 128 sosterops, 128 fusco-caeridescens, Fal. 82 fuscus, Pio. lyi G. gaimardi, Myi. 128 galbula. Sit. 268 Galbula albirostris, 149 ,, leucogaster, 149 ,, ruficauda, 149 ,, viridis, 149 galcatus, Cal. 128 galericulata, Aex. 226 galerita, Cac. 59, 61, 272 Callus gallus, 227 ,, sonnerati, 227 Campsonyx swainsoni, 81 Cecinus viridis, 85 genibarbus, Xen. 266 Cennaeus nycthemerus, 227 Ceopelia cuneata, 48, 176, 195, 226, 227 ,, striata, 47, 226 ,, tranquilla, 47 Geositta leucopsis, 266 Ceranospisias caerulescens, 81 ,, gracilis, 81 gigas, Dae. 229 gilvicollis, Mic. 81 ginginianus, Acr. 99 ClaucJdium phalaenoides, 106 glaucus, Tha. 22^ Glypkorhynchus cnneatus, 266 gouldiae, Poe. 11, 196 govinJa, Mil. 161 gracilipcs, Tyr. 128 gracilis, Ger. 81 Craciilus eremita, 1^2, Grallaria brevicauda, 226 ,, macularia, 226 288 Index to Genera and Species. GraUaria varia, 226 Grallaricula nana, 226 graiiiiiiaiica, J tun. 175. graiidJs, Nye. 106 grisca, For. 225 guatemalae, Sco. 105 guianensis, Mor. 80 ,, Psi. 172, 192 ,, Sya. 266 giilginosa, Den. 266 guttata, Myr. 225 ,, Ste. 194 guttatoides, Den. 266 giitturalis, Myr. 225 Gyiimopithys rufigula, 225 Gyparchtis papa, 80 H. Habrura pectoraUs, 128 haematocephala, Xan. 160 haematodus, Thi. 192 haematonotus, Pse. 192, 193 halini, Ara. 171 haliaetus, Pan. 80 Haplocercus striaticeps, 128 Harpagus bidentatiis , 82 ,, didon, 82 harpy gia, Tha. 80 /jenij, L''ro. 171 Herpetheres cachinnans, 81 Heterospisias meridionalis, 81 Horisopus ardesiacus, 128 hulula, Cir. 106 Hydropsalis schoviburghii, 106 Hyle.vetestes perroti, 266 hyperrhynchus, Buc. i^y Hyphantornis abyssinicus, 268 ,, hrachypteriis, 269 ,, cucullattis. 268 ,, Diclauocephalus, 268 ,, olivaceus, 268 ,, vitelliniis, 269 Hypocncinis cantator, 226 ,, plavescens, 226 ,, lepidonota, 226 ,, leucophrys, 226 Hypocncinis inelanopogon, 226 ,, poecilonota, 226 Ibyctcr anicricaniis, 81 a/fr, 81 Ictcndac, 43 " icterutis, Pla. 193 Ictinia phimbea, 81 i«(io, Cer. 148 indica, Car. 196 ,, XoM. 67 iiicrnie, Orn. 128 inornatus, Myr 225 inscriptus. Pi- . 173 insignis, Th i. 225 'udcrmedius, Eul. 98 isabellina, Cer. 82 riw. 82 J. Jacamaralcyon tridactyla, 149 lacamerops anrca, 149 jainalcensis, Lep. 69, 195 .Vjc. 106 javcnsis, Pla. 59 Jiwiana elegans, 175 ,, gramniatica, 175 „ ri(/Mj, 17s ^'zVfej, ^<7/. 175 kundoo, Ori. t,2, K. L. I.dinproncssa sponsa, 176, 226 Liini.i: niar'uuis. 226 'anvta. Par. 194 laticauda, Col. 262 Lcgatiis albicollis, 128 lepidonota, Hyp. 226 leptdotus, Pic 175 Index to Genera and Species. 289 Leplodon cayennciisis, 81 Lcpfflpogon ainauroceplialus, 128 nigrijrons. 128 Lcptoptila jamacensis, 69, 195 U'ucoccphdia, Ani. 128 ,, Col. 09 icncogastcr, Gal. 149 leiiconotui. Cop. 128 IcHcoplirys, Hyp. 226 ,, Zc». ig6 Iciicopsis, Bra. 22} Icucoptcra, Mel. 50 Leuccpternis albicollis, 81 ,, melanops, 81 leucopthabuHs. Con. i-ji leitcopygd, Nye. 106 Icucopygiis, Ros. 81 leucostigma, Sel. 226 leueurus, Ela. 81 Victor, Pit. 127 lincatiis, Ceo. 175 ,, C3'»2. 225 Linura fischeri, 239 lit t oralis, Och. 128 Lochmias nematura, 266 longicanda. Den. 266 iongicaiidatus, Nye. 106 longipcnnis, M'yr. 22^ longirostris, Nas. 266 lopliotcs, Ocy. 68, 176, 226 litgitbris. Bra. 149 Lurocalis scniitorquatus, 106 liiteiventris, Myr. 127 luteola, Pyc. 188 lusonica, Phi. 69 M. niacao, Ara. 171 inacavaanna, .Ara. 171 viacrorhynelins, Bite. 147 luaciilaria, Gra. 226 uiaciilatiim, Tod. 128 iiiaculosus, Cir. 81. iiiagiiirostris, Ritp. 81 major, Cro. 174 major. Dig. 267 r/(a. 225 nialabariea, Miin. 196 „ .-IJc?. 244 Malaeoptila fiisca, 147 inarinits, L. 226 Meeoeereulus leucophrys, 128 Megalaema canieeps, 66 Megarhynehus pitangua, 127 inelaleucus, Spi. 80 Melanerpes criientatus, 175 riibrifrons, 175 'nelaucholius, Tyr. 127 nielanoeephalus, Hyp. 268 P/o. 172 melanocorphus, Coc. 174 melanoleiicus, Cam. lye, Mic. 81 melanops. Leu. 81 nelanoptera, Hyp. 226 F/a. 174 mclauura, Eop. 181 nelannriis, Tro. 150 Meleagris americana, 227 Melopelia leueoptera, 50 Melopsittacus undulatus, 226 menstriius, Pio. 171 meridionalis, Het. 81 Tro. 150 Mentia meritla, 87 incrula. Den. 266 M^r. 87 r»r. 87 Micrastur gilvicoUis, 81 melanoleucus, 81 ,, mirandollei, 81 ,, riijicollis, 81 Microtribonyx ventralis, 17 Milc'iis govinda. 161 minor. Coc. 174 miiiuta, Pia. 174 minutus. Pic. 175 Mion-e'ctes oleaginus, 128 mirandollei, Mic. 81 Mitvago cliima-chima, 81 mocinno, Pha. 150 ^9C> Index to Genera and Species. modesta, Psi. 172 Momotus momotus, 148 Monasa nigra, 147 niontifringilla, Fri. 234 Morpheus guianensis, 80 multicolor, Pse. 192 multigutiata. Den. 266 Munia castaneithorax, 195, 244 ,, tnalabarica, 244 ,, punctulata, 188 Muscivora tryannus, 127 musica, Cri. 156 Myjarchus fcrox, 128 ; pelselni, 128 ,, phaeonotus, 128 ,, tyrannula, 128 Myiobius barbatus, 128 ,, erjthrurus, 128 ,, Moez/JMJ, 128 ,, roraimiae, 128 Myiophagus gaimardi, 128 ,, ruficeps, 128 Myiophoneus temeinincki, 35 Myiopatis sctnifusca, 128 Myozetetes caycnncnsis, 127 ,, luteiventris, 127 ,, sulphureus, 127 Myriodynastcs audax, 127 ,, solitariui, 12/ Myrmoiherula axillaris, 225 ,, cineriventris, 225 ,, dorsimaculata, 225 ,, gutturalis, 225 ,, guttata, 225 ,, inornatus, 225 ,, longipcnms, 225 pygmea, 225 ,, pyrrhonota, 225 ,, surinamensis, 225 ,, unicolor, 225 mx^taccus, Pla. 128 N. nacunda, Pod. 106 naevia, Scl. 226 naevius. Dip. 174 iV/vJ. 128 ,, r/io. 225 Ma«a, Gra. 226 napensis, Cer. 225 Nasica longirostris, 266 natteri, Sel. 173 nematus, Loc. 266 Neophema bourkei, 192 ,, petrophila, 193 ,, venusta, 193, 251 Neomorphus rufipennis, 174 niger. Cap. 147 nigra, Mon. 147 nigrescens, Cap. 106 nigricollis, Bus. 81 nigrifrons, For. 226 L(?/). 128 nitida, Ast. 81 novae-hollandiae , Cal. 196 ,, ,, Tri. 12 ,, -zealandiae, Cya. 191 nycthemurus. Gen. 227 Nyctidromiis albicollis, 106 Nyctibius grandis, 106 jainaicensis, 106 ,, longicaudatus, 106 Nyctiprogne leucopyga, 106 0. ochrocephala, Ama. 171 C/tr. 171 0 chthornis Httoralis, 128 Oc);o capensis, 49 olcaginus, Mio. 128 olivacea, Den. 266 olivaceus. Hyp. 268 olivina, Ela. 127 olivus, Emp. 128 Onychorhynchus rcgia, 128 orrff, Smc. 147 Or^oi};^: pictus, 21 Oriolus kundoo, 2,2, ,, trailii, 33 Ornithion acre, 128 „ inerme, 128 Index to Genera and St>ecies. 291 Ortyx, 21 pect oralis, 21 p ictus, 23 oryx, Pyr. 249 osculans, Rha. 172 P. pagana, Ela. 127 Palacorms cyanocephala, 193 torquata, 193 palpebrosa, Zos. 32 Pandion haliaetus, 80 panychloris, Bol. 171 /'a/>a, G)//*. 80 paradisea, Ste. 239 L'^ro. 149 pardalota, Den. 266 Paroaria larvata, 194 parvus, Pit. 127 passerina, Psi. 172 passerinus, Vei. 175 pavoninus, Dro. 174 pectoralis, Ast. 82 ,, Co/. 21 //aft. 128 perlata, Sir. lob pelzelni. Dry. 226 A/3/i. 128 perniger. Cat. 81 i?/ii. 81 perroti, Hyl. 266 personatus, Tro. 150 perspiciUata, Pul. 105 perspicillatuni, Syr. 109 pctrophila, Neo. 193 phaeonota. Col. 156, 176 M3)i. 128 phalaenoides, Gla. 106 Phaps chalcoptera, 70 ,, elegans, 70 Phasianiis colchicus, 227 Philydor cervicalis, 266 ,, erythrocercus, 266 ,, pyrrhodes, 266 Phlogoenas luzonica, 69 Phlogopsis erythroptera, 226 phoenicotis, Est. 11 Phonipara canora, 11, 226 Plirygilits friiticcti, 90 Piaya cay ana, 174 ,, melanogastra. 174 ,, niinuta, 174 /»/ca, /^/j(. 128 Picolaptes alboHneatus, 266 ,, puncticeps, 266 pictum. Tod. 128 Picnmnus cirrliatus, 175 ,, lepidotus, 175 ,, Diinutiis, 175 ,, spilogaster, 175 ,, undiilatus, 175 picus. Den. 266 pileata, Zon. 156, 226, 227 pileatiis. Ace. 82 Pionities vielanofephalus, 172 Pionopsittaciis caica, ij2 Ptonus fuscus, 171 ,, menstriius, 171 piperivora, Sel. 173 pitangua, Meg. 127 Pitangus lictor, 127 ,, parvus, 127 ,, sulphuratus, 127 plagosus. Den. 266 Plane hesia fusca, 128 Platyccrcus eximitis, 11 ,, flavivcntris, 191 ,, icterotis, 193 Platyrhynchus mystaceus, 128 Ploccus baya, 270 ,, javanensis, 59 pluinbea, let. 81 pluricinctus, Pte. 173 Podagcr macmida, 106 poecilonota. Hyp. 226 Poephila acuticauda, 196 ,, goiddiae, 11, 196 PoUopsar malabaricus, 196 Polyborus cheriway, 8t tharus, 81 polysticta, Den. 266 Polytelis barrahandi, 193 P orphyrocephalus spurius, 193 pranna, Ery. 10 Prafincola caprata, 5 292 Judex to Genera and Species. Pscphntiis dissimilis. 192 ,, luiniuitoiiotns. iqj, i(),^ niulticolor, JQJ ,, pnlclicrriiinis. jy psitfacca, Ery. 226 Psi/tacidac. \~i I'sitlaciila ^itldHcnsis. ijj, i()-' ,, iiiodt'sta, \~z pa sscri nil, lyj Ptcroi^lossus, 42 ,, iirarari, 173 inscriptus, 173 „ pliiripunctiis. 173 ,, z'iridis, 173 pulchcrrnnits. Pse. 251 Ptilsatrix pcrspicillala. 105 iorqnata, 105 puncticeps, Pic. 266 puncligiila, Chr. 175 punctiilata, Miin. 1S8 pnrpuratd, Uro. iji Pycnonotns liiteola, 188 pvgiuca, Myr. 225 Pyrocephaltts riibineiis, 127 Pyromelana afra, 248 ,, ftammiceps, 248 ,, oryx, 249 fa/;a. 248 pyrrliodcs, Phi. 266 pyrrlionota, Myr. 225 Pyrrhula erythrocephala, 195 '''yrrhitlauda, leucotis, 133 smithii, 175 Pyrrhura egregia, 171 ,, /'ifio, 171 Q. Quelea erythrocephala, 270 ,, qiiclca, 249 R. radiolatits, Den. 266 Rallina superciliaris, 82 regia, Ony. 128 ,, Te^ 237 rciclicnbachi, Cel. ly^ h'hiimphasto.s', 42 ,, cuh)iiiiatus, 45 ,, cux'ieri, 45 dicolonts, 172 ,, crythrorhynchus, 172 ,, oscnians, 172 ., /ofo, 172 ,, vitcllitms, 172 Rhainpliocacniis albii^eiitris, 225 ,, collar is, 225 y?/jfa danvini, 219 Rhinogryphus aura, 81 „ burrovianus, 81 perniger, 81 Rhopoterpe torqiiata, 225 Rhynchoclus -fiaviventris, 128 ,, ruficaiida, 128 li.Korioits, Pur. 2^2 Rogcrhinus cayouieiisis, 81 iiiici)iatii.<, 81 rorainiae, Myi. 128 .9fo. 105 roscicapilla, Cac, 232 roseicollis. Ago. 196 rostratus, Tyr. 127 Rostrhavius Icucopygtis, 81 ,, sociabilis, 81 rostripallens, Den. 266 riibiginosus, Chi. 175 rubineus, Pyr. 127 rubricollis, Cam. 175 rubrifrons, Mel. 175 ruficaiida, Gal. 149 i?/i3;. 128 ruficeps, Myi. 128 ,, i'/o. 9 ntficcrvix, Sta. 106 nificullis, Mic. 81 r/(a. 225 rufigtila, Grym. 225 riifipemiis, Neo. 174 nifiis. Cap. 106 /»;;;. 175 Riipornis maguirostris, 8r ntssatus. Pus. 128 Index to Genera and Species. 293 S. salvani, Em p. ij8 sanguinea, Vei. 175 saturata, Sri. 226 Sayornis c'meracca, 128 schistaceus, Dys. 225 schombiirghii, Hyd. 106 sclateri. And. 266 Sclatcria leucostigma, 226 naevia, 226 ,, saturata. 226 Scops asio, 105 ,, atricapilla, 105 ,, brasUiana. 105 ,, giiatcmalae. 105 ,, rora'imuc, 105 Selenidera nattcrcri, 173 ,, pipcrivora, 173 Selerurus, catidacittns, 266 seniifusciis, My;. 128 semitorqiiattis, Tttr. 68 senegalensis. Tar. 50, 272 septentrionalis, Tr'i. 215 severa, Ari. 171 Sitagra galbula, 268 ,, luteola, 269 smithii, Pyr. ly^ sociabilis, Ros. 81 solitarius, Myr. 127 solstitialis, Con. \yi sonnerat:. Kal. 22y sparvaria, Ccr. 82 Tn;. 82 Spathoptcrus alexandrae, 82, 193 Speotyto CHuicularia, 106 Sphenocercus sphoiunts, 71, 157, 196 sphenurus, Spit. 71, 157, 196 .<;fUogaster, Pic. 175 spisa, Chi. 267 Spisiaster melanolciiciis, 80 ,, tyrannus, 80 splendens. Cor. 159 spod'wnotus, Dys. 225 spodioptila, Ter. 225 sponsa, LuDi. lyh, 226 sptiriiis, Por. 193 Stachyrhidopsis ruficeps, 9 Steatornis caripoisis, 106 Steganoplcura guttata, 194 Steganura paradisca. 239 stellaris, Tha. 225 Stenopsis cayennensis, 106 ruficora.v, 106 stictoptera, Cer. 148 Stictoptcra annulosa, 254 ,, bichenoini, 195, 254 Stictospiza formosa, 60 striata, Gc. 47, 226 striaticeps. Hap. 128 5/rJ.r fianimea, 106 ,, pcrlata, 106 Stuniopastor contra, ibo subniger. Ace. 82 sulcatus. .iiil. 173 sulcirostris, Cro. 174 sulphuratus. Pit. 127 siilphiirea, Cac. 232 ,, A/yr. 127 supcrciliaris, Ral. 82 superciliosa, Cer. 148 siiprocnrvirostris, Xip. 266 Surinam ensis, Myr. 225 sutorius, Ort. 7 swainsoni. Dry. 226 Tri. 257 Synallaxis albescens, 266 ,, adiista, 266 bnmyieicaudalis, 266 cinnamomea, 266 frontalis, 266 ,, guianensis, 266 Syrnium perspicillatum, 109 T. Tachytriorchis abbreviatus , 81 ,, albicaudatus, 81 Taeniopygia castanotis, ly^, 226 i. 80 U. uncinatus. Rag. 81 luidulatus, Mel. 226 P;V. 175 unicolor, Myr. 225 Urochroma cingulata, 171 ,. henti, 171 ,, pitrpurata, 171 Urogalba paradisca, 149 Urubitinga anthracina, 81 ,, urubitinga, 81 urubu, Cat. 80 i V. varia. Gra. 226 varius, Enip. 128 Veiliornis cassini, 175 ,, /;/r^i, 175 ,, passerinus, 175 ,, sanguineus, 175 ventralis, Mic. 17 venusta, Neo, 193, 251 Vidua hypocherina, 210 Index to Genera and Species. 295 Vidua principalis, 212 ,, Serena, 211 violaceus, Cya. 106 virevs, Zos .156 virgata, Cic. 105 virginianns, Bub. 105 Col. 21 viridis, Cal. 149 „ Gee. 85 „ Pte. 173 ,, Tha. 225 ,, Tro. 150 vitelliniis. Hyp. 269 „ Rha. 172 W. whiteleyanus , Aid. 173 X. Xantholoema haematocephala, 160 ,, indica, 67 Xenops gcnibarbis, 266 Xiphorhynchus subprocurvirostris, 266 ,, trochilirostris, 266 Z. Zenaida amabilis, 50 ,, auric iilata, 156. 227 ,, aurita, 50 Zonotrichia albicollis, 56 ,, Icitcophrys, 196 ,, pileata. 156, 226, 227 ::osterops. Fits. 128 Zosterops palpebrosa, 32 ,, virens, 156 296 Index to Inset. Index to Inset (Pinh Pages). Bird Market, 15 ,24, 25, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 37, 40, 42, 44. Breeding Medal Regulations, 21. Changes and Corrections of Address, 23, 29, 33, 36, 41, 44. Committees, 17. Correspondence, 39. Club's Breeding Medal, 43. Correction, 43. Donations, 15, 23, 25, 28, 29, 32, 33, 35, 37, 40, 41. Illustration and Deficit Funds, 15, 23, 25, 28, 29, 32, 33, 35, 37. 40, 41. Is the Pintail Whydah Parasitic ?, 39. Members' Roll, 2—14. New Members, 15, 24, 25, 27, 29, 32, 33, 35, 37. Notices to Members, 15, 22, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, ^y, 39, 41, 43. Obituary, 24. Officers of the Club, i. Rules, 18 — 20. Show Rules, 20 — i. Index to Genera and Species. 29S s. salvani, Emp. 128 sangtiinea, Vei. 175 saturata, Scl. 226 Sayornis cineracea. 128 schistacens, Dys. 225 schombiirghii, Hyd. 106 sclateri, And. 266 Sclateria Iciicostigiim, 226 ,, naevia, 226 ,, saturata, 226 Scops asio, 105 ,, at ri cap a la, 105 ,, brasilia>ia, 105 ,, guatcmalae. 105 ,, rorainiac, 105 Selenidera nattcreri. 173 ,, piperivora, 173 Seleruriis, tmidacutus, 266 semifuscus, My J. 128 seniitorquatnj, Titr. 68 senegalensis, Ttir. 50, 272 septentrionalis, Tri. 215 severa, Ari. 171 Sitagra galbula, 268 ,, luteola, 269 smithii, Fyr. 175 sociabilis, Ros. 81 solitarius, Myr. 127 solstitialis, Con. 171 sonneratl, Ral. 227 sparvaria, Cer. 'S2 Tin. 82 Spathopterns alexandrae, 82, 193 Speofyto cunicularia, 106 Sphenocercus sphenurus, 71, 157. 196 sphenurus. Spit. 71, 157. 196 .iloga!!ter, Pic. 175 spisa, Chi. 267 Spisiaster melanoleucus, 80 ,, tyranmis, 80 splendens, Cor. 159 spodionotus, Dys. 225 spodioptila, Ter. 225 sponsa, Lam. 176, 226 spiiriiis, Par. 193 Stachyrhidopsis riificeps, 9 Steatornis caripeiisis, 106 Stegano pleura guttata, 194 Steganura paradisea. 239 stellaris. Tha. 225 Stenopsis cayennensis, 106 ., ruficora.v, 106 stictoptera, Cer. 148 ■Stictoptera anntdosa, 254 ,, bichenovii, 195, 254 Stictospiza formosa, 60 striata, Ge. 47, 226 striaticeps, Hap. 128 ^S^n'-r flammea, 106 ,, pcrlata, 106 Sturiiopastor contra, 160 subniger, Ace. 82 sulcatus. Aid. 173 sulcirostris, Cro. 174 sulphuratus , Pit. 127 snlphiirea, Cac. 232 Mj'r. 127 siiperciliaris, Ral. 82 siiperciliosa, Cer. 148 suprocitrvirostris, Xip. 266 surinamensis, Myr. 22^ siitorius, Ort. J szvainsoiii. Dry. 226 ,, Tn. 257 Synallaxis albescens, 266 adusta, 266 ,, brimneicaudalis, 266 ,, cinnamomea, 266 frontalis, 266 ,, gidanensis, 266 .Syrmiim perspicillatiuu, 109 T. Tachytriorchis abbreviatus, 81 ,, albicaudatus, 81 Taeniopygia castanotis, 175, 226 /a/; a, P3»r. 248 talpacoti, Cha. 195 294 Index to Genera and Species. tamatia, Buc. 147 tectis, Buc. 147 iemmincki, Den. 266 Myi. 35 temporalis, Aeg. 3 tenebrosa, Chel. 147 Terenura spodioptila, 225 Tetraenura regia, 237 Thamnomanes glauctis, 225 Thanmopliilns cinereinucha, 225 ,, cinereo-niger, 225 „ cirrhatus, 225 ,, doliatus, 225 ,, insignis, 225 ,, major, 225 ,, m,urinus, 225 ,, naevins, 225 ,, riificollis, 225 ,, stellaris, 225 ,, viridis, 225 iharus, Pol. 81 Thraetus Iiarpygia, 80 tigrinus, Tur. 50 Tinmtnculits isabellina, 82 ,, spari'aria, 82 iinus, Ace. 82 tiphia, Aeg. 83 tirica, Bro. \yi toco, Rha. 172 Todirostrum cinereum, 128 ,, maciilatum, 128 ,, pictuin, 128 torqnata, Cere. 175 ,, Cery. 148 ,, Pa/. 193 ,, Fj//. 105 torquatus, Rho. 225 trailli, Ori. 33 tranquilla, Geo. 47 Trichoglossus haematodits, 192 ,, novae-hoUandiae, 12 ,, sepeutrionalis, 215 ,, szva'nisoni, 192, 257 tridactyla, Jac. 149 tristis, Aer. 160 trochilirostris, Xip. 266 Trogon atrieollis, 150 ,, melanurns, 150 meriodiovalis, 150 ,, personata, 150 7'iridis, 150 titipara, Bro. 171 turdinus, Aut. 266 Turdus merula, 87 Turtur risorious, 236, 272 ,, semitorquatus, 68 ,, sencgalensis, 50, 272 ,, tigrinus, 50 tyrannina, Cer. 225 Tyranniscus gracilipes. 128 Tyrannulus elatiis, 128 tyrannnlus, Myi. 128 Tyrannus melancholius, 127 ,, rostratus, i2y tyrannus, Mus. 127 ^/)i. 80 U. uncinatus. Rag. 81 imdulatus, Mel. 226 Pic. 17s unicolor, Myr. 225 Urochroma cingulata, 171 ,. henti, 171 ,, purpurata, 171 Urogalba paradisea, 149 Urubitiiiga anthracina, 81 ,, urubitinga, 81 nntbu, Cat. 80 i V. varia, Gra. 226 varitis, Emp. 128 Veiliornis cassiui, 175 ,, ^jV^J, 175 ,, passerinus, 175 sanguineus, 175 "i'cntralis, Mic. ly venusta, Neo, 193, 251 Vidua hypocherina, 210 Index to Genera and Species. 295 Vidua principalis, 212 ,, serena, 211 violaceus, Cya. 106 virens, Zos .156 virgata, Cic. 105 virginianus, Bub. 105 Col. 21 viridis, Cal. 149 „ Gee. 85 ,. Pte. 173 ,, Tha. 225 ,, Tro. 150 vitellinus, Hyp. 269 „ Rha. 172 W. whiteleyanus, Aid. 173 X. Xantholoema haematocephala, 160 ,, indica, 67 Xenops gcnibarbis, 266 Xiphorhynchus subprocurvirostris, 266 ,, trochilirostris, 266 Z. Zenaida amabilis, 50 ,, auriculata, 156, 227 ,, aiirita, 50 Zonotrichia albicollis, 56 ,, leucophrys, 196 ,, pileata, 156, 226, 227 zosterops. Fas. 128 Zosterops palpebrosa, 32 ,, virens, 156 296 Index to Inset. Index to Inset (Pinh Pages). I5ird Market, 15 ,2.^, 25, 2S, 30, 32, 34, 36, 37, 40, 42, 4.4. Hrec'din<;- Modal Kcjj^tilalions, 21. Cliang^cs and Corrections of Address, 23, 29, 33, 36, 41, 44. Committees, 17. Correspondence, 39. Club's Breeding Medal, 43. Correction, 43. Donations, 15, 23, 25, 28, 29, 32, 33, 35, 37, 40, 41. Illustration and Deficit Funds, 15, 23, 25, 28, 29, 32, 33, 35, 37, 40, 41. Is tlie Pintail Whydrdi Parasitic?, 39. Members' l\oll, 2 — 14. New Members, 15, 24, 25, 27, 29, 32, 33, 35, 37. Notices to Members, 15, 22, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, ^y, 39, 41, 43. Obituary, 24. Officers of the Club, i. Rules, 18 — 20. Show Rules, 20 — I. JANUARY, 1917. The Foreign Bird Club. President : The Lamy Dr\r,KAiii. Vice Presidents : H. R. Fir.r.\fER E. Hopki.vsox. D.S.O., M.A.. M.B. E J. Brook. F.Z.S. Council : The CouNTKSfi or Win( hilsk.v Dk. H. Hetley T/ADY KAiin,Ei:\ PiLKixaiox Lr. L Lovell-Keays, M.B., R.A.MC, F.Z.S. The Hon. Mrs. G. Bourke Dk. N. S. Lcoa^^ Mrs. C. Anxingson Dk. J. E. R. McDonaoh Mrs. a. E. H. Hartf-ey Di!. J. Ea.SHaRE, Boyers House, Westbury, Wilts. (June, 1009). BAINBRIDGE. Lieut.. W. A., Hazelwood, Thorpe, Chertsey. •Sc!)tcmber, (1912). • ( BAINES, R., 6 Toronto Street, Monk's Road, Lincoln. (February, 1916). BAKER, Mrs H. G., Brookfields House, Swinton, Yorks. (December, 19120- BAMFORD, WM., (The Coppice, Werneth, Oldhgm. (June, 1904;. 3 BAMFVLDE, The Hon. Mrs., \\'hitechapel Manor, South Melton, North Devon. (July, 1911)- BARLOW-MASSICKS, ^rs. C, Dormant. (November, i9")- HARNBV. M' \riv;nv o,.,;^. [ ,,.|._. . m;,.,..,,,. Southampton. 'Aupiis' 1912). l^ARNARD I. I , kcinpston Hoo, Hodiorii 'uiiy. I0I5)- BATTY Lieut.. W. R. 15, Alexander Road, Southport. (October, 1015). PF.ATY S., Siiatlinarn, Kim Grove. Alderley Edge, Manchester. (March, 1908). HI-,A/.()lN Rev.. .J I A l.n\'F.I.l , n , -clescombe Park, Ilfracombc. (April, 191 1 ). I HEEBE, C. W., Curator of Ornithology,' New York Zoological Park, New York City, U.S.A. (.July, 191 1). HENTLEY, ERNEST E., St. Mary'.s Lodge, louth. (.March, ivm BLISS, H. E.. fh'iv. !i Si.t.Tt. Middleburg. r, -/onv, S, \i,'-a. .',I,-.iui- ary, 1903'*. ' ■»NKOTF .1 I I -, M \ I /S 1; Aoo, Cair... Egypt: (May, ic.16).'^ , BOTTING H., .\ddres:i unknown. (IJecenibci. 1008). BOURKE, HON. Mrs. GWEXDOLE.N', Hitcham \alc. Taplow. .M.rdcnhead. and 7:;, Gloucester Place, Portmaii^ Square. London. W. il)i,-rnmlwi, 1909). KOUSFIELD. Mi^s M., .Avon Cnmi. Souihhornc Ko.t.i, RournemO;iit|li ^January, 1908). , iWERMAN. ]■'., 12, Wellington' Street, Swindon. (September, iii4 BOWRINC Miss CLARA. .Ascot Heath LorlRp. Ascot, Berks. (".July, 1914^- BOYD, HAROLD. Box 374. Ketowna, Brit, Columbia. Canada. 'April, 1903)- |;R.\NF(')r)T. B.. Dormant. (November. i';i2 BRIGHT. HERBERl', Lyni,.n Eaton Road. Cressington Park, Liverpool. (October 191 1). { BROOK E J.. F.Z.S.. Hoddam .Castle, Ecclefcrhan. (March, 1908.. BROWN, Mrs. C, Dormant. (May, 19T0). BRO\\NING, W.. H., 16, Cooper Square, New York, U.S.A. (February, 1910). BROWNE, Capt. A. E., Belmont, Muree, Punjab, India. (March, 19121. BRLCE. Mis.^ A.. Chevet Park, Wakefield. (March, 1909). BUFTON, REGINALD P.. Caerhyn, Llandrindod Wells. (January, 1913. BURGESS. Mrs., Kingsweir, 52, Clarendon Road, Redland.s, Bristol. (Sep- tember. 1915). \ ( I , BURNHAM JOHN B., President A.G.P. and P. Ass., Trhiity Buildings. Ill , Broadway, New York, U.S.A. (March, 1913). BUSH. W., The County Bor. of Newport School of .Art, Clarence, Street^, Newport, Mon. (May, 1909). fALVF.RT, Mrs. H., The Ridge, Kasuli, Punjab, India. (July, 19T5). ^LVOCARESI, P. J,, Holme Hay, Croxteth Drive, Liverpool. (Oct.; 1916). CAMPBELL Mrs., Constance. 192, Walpole Road, Wimbledon, London. S.W. CAMPS, H. T., r.Z.S., Linden House, Haddenham, Ely. (Orig. Men,.): CAFERN, F., Lewin's Mead, Bristol. (October, 1907). CARR. F. J., St. Aldan's. Aln\vi( k, (April, 1914). CARR J t. . Blythewood, Deramcnv Drive, Malone Road, Belfast. (Septem- ber. 19J2). CARTWRIGHT, Mrs. E., Bretton Lodge, Wakefield. (January, 1912^. CaSTELLO, p. M., 20. Clialfont Court, London, N.W. (November, 1916}. CASTLE-GANT, Mrs. A., Park Lodge, East Hoathly ; Halland ; Sussex. (June 191 5}. CHAXNING-PEARCE. J., M.D., etc., Moniague House, Ramsgate. (Janu- i>ry, ir-i^ CHAPLIN, Mrs. DRUMMONI), Government House, Salisbury, Rhodesia. (July, 1914). f CHAPLIN, E. W., The Firs, (ircai Amwell ; Ware. (Sept.; 1903). CHAFLES, J., Stone House, Doncaster. (February, 191-))- CHARLESWORTH. Miss AUDRV VLiriihull Rectory, Scurminster Newton. Dorset. (July, 1914'. CH.-\TTERTON, Mrs., u, Fairfi. i,i Road. Crouch End, London, N. (Janu- ary, 191 5). • CHAWNER, Miss E. F., Forest B.ink, 'Lyndluirst, Hants. (July, 1910). CHICK, HERBERT J., 39.^., Radford Road, Nottingham. (March, 1914)- CHRISTIE. Mrs. G.. Newton House, Elgin. (.January. 1913). CLARE. Miss LYDLA,, The Hollies, 194, Coombe Lane, Wimbledon, London. S.W, (March, 19 Jo). ' CLARK. W. G., Hummers Knott, Windsor Road, Slough. (January, 191 5). CLARKE, S., I nces., Scaynes Hill, Hayward's Heath. (.August, 1911':. CLEEBERG, CHAS., junr., 16 I.ockerhje Road, Dumfries, N.B. (Dec, 1916). , CLIFTON, Lord. Dormant. (October, 1905). COLTON. R., 9, Birkendale Road, Sheflicld. (February, rnji CONNELL, Mrs. KXATCHHCIL. Tlie Orchard, Brockenhurst, Hants,' (July, 1912). CONSTABLE, Rev. W. J., Dorm.mt. (February, 1912). • COOK. Mrs. A. M.. 21, Oxford Ro.ad, Kilburn, N.W. (February, 1916). CROKER, Chas. IC., Burrow Inch, .Lower Bourne, Parnham. (October, 1911). • CRONKSHAW. J... Red Croft, HoIIin's Lane. Accrington. (Nov., 1901). CROSS, R., Northumberland Park. Tottenham. London, N. (January, 1914)- I , CROW, C. P.. LiTidsey Bank House, Grimsby. (October, 1915). CURRIE. J., 128, Willowbrae Road, Edinburgh. (August, 1913). CUSHNV. Charles, c/o Messrs. Neish, Howell, and Haldaae, 47, Watling Street, St. Paul's, E.G. (Orig. Mem.). DARRELL, Dr. H. W., Adelaide ■ House, All Saints' Green. Norwich. (Sep- tember, 1908. \ DAVIDSON, Mrs., Dormant. (April, 1911). i)AVIES Mrs. M. H., Daresbury Hall, near Harrington. (January, 1914). DAWSON -SMITH, Lt. 1-^ Nash Rectory. Stony Stratford, Bucks. (March, 1912) DELL, C. E , 12, High Street, Harlesdcn. J.nnrlon, N.U . ^^.lanuary, 1914). DENNIS, Mrs. HAROLD. St. Leonards Park, Horsham. (.lanuary, 1004). DEWAR. D., LC.S., F.Z S., 33. Sheepcote Road, Harrow. (June 1907) DEW.\R, J. F., 2, St. Patricks Square, Edinburgh. (Orig. Mem;. DE YARBURG-BATESON, The Hon. LILLA, Heslington, York. ..Inn.-, 1903)- DITCHFIELD, F., 37, Nugget Street, Oldham. (April, 1914^- DOBBIE, J., Waverley Works, Leith. Edinburgh. (April, 1906). DOBSOX \V. I! C, I indoun, Hampton Wick. (.April. 1914). DRUMMOND Miss,' Mains of Megginch, Erroi, Perthshire. (November, 1907) DL'NKLEY Mrs. H. F., Dormant. .(February, 1915). :DUNLEATH, The.L;idy, Ballywater Park, Ballywater, co. Down, (.\uveiii- ber, 1901). DUTTON the Hon. and Rev. Canon, " Mosborouyli,"' (jralton Road, Cheltenham. (May, 1906). DYOTT, Capt. R. A., Freeford, Lichfield. (November, 1912). EARLE J. HUDSON, Newgate Hou.se, _Cottiuham, Hull. (.Man li 1 1 1 .[ . EBRILL WM., 14, Victoria Terrace, Limerick. (April, 1906). EDMUNDS, W., Coombe Farm, Langton Matravers, Wareham. (November, 1909). ELMS, E. F. M., Rosebank Cottage, Carslialton Road, .Sutton, Surrey. (.lunc, 1910). E'ZRA A., F.7.S., no. Mount Street, Grosvenor Square, London (Jan- uary, 1911). EZRA, D., 3, Kyd Street, Calcutta, India. .August, 191.2) FALKNER, GUY, *rhe Cottage, Belton, Uppingham. (November, 1916). FASEY, WILLIAM R., The Oaks, Holly Bush Hill, Snaresbrook, N.E. (January, 1903). FERRAR: B. B., F.Z.S., Dormant. (December, 191 J . FISHER, W. "H., The Bush' Hotel, Farnham. (May, 1908). FlSHER-ROWE, H. M., St. Leonard's Gran.tre. Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hants. (January, 1911,. FLANNERY, M. J., Dormant. (January, J909 . FLOWER. Capt. S. S., F.Z.S., M.B.O:U:, Keedah House, Zoological Gardens, Gizeh, Egypt. (March, 1909), FLOWER, iNIrs. STANLEY, LongSeld, Tring, Herts. (July, 19101. FORSTER, W. L., Smithfield, Orange Free State, S. Africa-. >(May, 1914). FOSTER T., Fairlight, Babbacombe, Devon. (March, 1914). FOSTER, Miss E. M., 35, High Street, Huntingdon. (January, 1909). FOWLER-W.ARD, Dr. F., 40, Berners Street, Ipswich. (Oct., 1913). FREELAND, SCOTT, Hill Rise, Quarry Hill, Tonbridge. (July, 191 2). .FR.EVILLE Miss X'l. N. de, Neuchalel, Neboda, Ceylon. (January, 1916). FROST, W. J. C, 13, Fairlann Anx-iuu', Cliiswick Park, London, \V . (August, 1913)- ! FKOSTICK. J., 303, Higli Road, Stieatham, London, S.W. (Dec, lyoy). GALLOWAY, Mrs. E. Fernville, lortis (Jrecn Road, East Finchley, London, N. (January, 1908). (;ALL0WAV, p. F. M., 22, Rciioty Road, Caversham, Reading. (Xovenil-(;r, 1907). GARCKE, Mrs. C, Wye Lodge, -Maidenhead. (June, 1916).. GARDINER, Mrs. STA.NLEY, Biedon House, Selvvyn Gardens, Cambridge. (January, 1913). • GERRARD. Miss M., 31, Via Sario Spirito, FJurcnce, Italy. (.June,,' 1914) GGDRY, EDOUARD, Dorniuni ^January, 1912)).' GOODACRE, HUGH, Ullesthorp<', Lutterworth. (May, 1912J. GOODCHILD, H., 59, Leslie Ko.kI, East Finchley, London, -\ . (.July, 1903). I GOODCHILD, J., Clare, Suffolk. (January, 1913). GOODFELLOW, W., The Popla.s, Kettering, ((')ciober, 1908). GORRINGE. The Rev. REGINALD, Manston Rectory, Sturminster Xcwton, Dorset. (Deceml er, 1902 1. GOSSE, Capt. PHILIP M D., M.ii.n.u., Curilemead, Beaulieu. Brockenhu s , Hants- (April, 1910). GOURLAV „ H., Penshurst, Shortheath, Farnham, Surrey. (November. 1907). GRAHAM. JOHN, Rainbow Hotel, KendaL (February, 1911)- GRAY, 11.,- M.R.C.V.S. (f/o/t. \eteiinary Surgeon). 23. Upper PhillHnote Place. Kensington, London, *W. (May. 1906). GREENALL, Miss SUSAN, The Manor, Carlton Scroop. Grantham. (May, 1914). GREEVEN Miss M., c/o Mrs. Green, 41, Clanricarde Gardens, Netting Hill Gate London, W. (October, 1907). GRCSSMITH. J. L.. The Grange. Bickley. Kent. (January, 1913}. GURNEY. G. H., Keswick Hall, Norwich. (June, 19.13). HAGGIE, G. E., B.A., Brumaombe, Foscombe Hill, Oxford. (Feb., 191c;. HALE, CLIN'ION B., Pedrogosa and Laguna, North West Corner, Santa Barbara, Calfiornia, U.S.A. (April, 191 1). HALKES, T. C, The Limes, 141 "Monks Road, Lincoln. (July, 1916 . FIAMILTON. H. \'., The Rest-un the Hill-side, Hythe, Kent. .(April, 1910 . HARBORD, Miss ^I. L., Lorton Park House, Lorton, Cockermouth. (April, 1916). HARCOURT, The Rt. Ron. LEWIS, P.C, 14, Berkeley Square, London. W . (April. 1914). ; .-.» HARPER E. \V., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U :, it-19, Old Court House Street, Calcutta, India. (October, 1907). HARRIS CHAS., 114, Bethnal Green Road, London, N.E. (.VprU, 1910). H.ARTLEY Mrs- E. .\^, Lvnchfield, Bishop's Lydeard, Taunton. (Septem- ber, 1907). ; • ■' ! ■ HAR\EV P T., 5S 5- Albans Road. Spvcn Kings, Essex. (June, 1915). HAICHELL, D. G.. c/o. rarrv and Co., Madras, India. (December, 191 11. HAWKE The Hon. M. C, c/o Miss B. Harrison, Manor House,. Ottoii, Tad- caster. (November, 1902). HAWKINS, J. E., Belvedere, Streetley Lane, Foui Oaks, Sutton Coldfieid. (April, 1915). HAWKINS. L. \V., Estrilda, New Clive Kua.l, W c-i Duhvifli. (Original Member). HEBB T . Bifoklea, The Downs, Luton (August, ijij HENDERSON. Mrs-, ^^". F., Moorfield, l'|ipcr Claremont, Newcastle-on- Tyne. (November, 1908). HENDERSON, J. ALEX, Dormant. 'August. 1913), HENS'J'GCK J. 11., Ma.-kc; Place, A^hbouino, Derbybhiie. (March, 1907). HERBERT, EDWARD GREVTLLE, Hemingford -Abbotts, St. Ives, Hants. (January, 191 5). HETLEY. Dr. HENRY. Beaufort House, 114. < hurch Road, Norwood, S.E. (January. 1908). HEWITT F. ^V. G., The Old Hall. Weelsl)y, firinisby. (April, 190U . HINCKvS, MisS £. M., Baron's Down. Dulvertun. Somerset. (December, 1904). HODGKIN. Mrs., Sedbergh House, Kew Green, Surrey. (February. i(;o8i. HOI. DEN, RALPH A., F.Z.S., 5, St. John Street, Bedford Row, London, V\"iC.. and Harpenden, Herts. (July. 191 iL HOLLINS, Miss, C reyfriars. Preston. (February, 1906). HOLLINS, Miss, Greyfriars, Preston. (Febru.iry, .1906), » HOILINS Mrs , 1 he Aviaries, Coppice Drive, Harrogate. (-May, 1903 \ HOOPER. Miss G. M., Lansdown, West Derby, Liverpool. (Febru.iry, 1915). HOPKINSON, EMILUS, D.S.O., M.A., M.B., Oxon, South Bank, Bath- hurst. Gambia, West Africa. (October, 1901I. HORTON, Miss M., Mascalls , Brentwood, Essc.k. (.November, 191 5). HOUFION- Miss K., Dormant. (April, 1914). HOULTON. CHARLES, Laburnum House, Denton's Green, St. Helens. (Ncvember, 1901). HOWE, FRANK, 54, Thomas Street, Wellingborough. (February, 19021, HUBB.^RD, Mrs. D. L., Dormant. i.Ianuary, 1905;. HUME, .JAMES, Hepscott, Morpeth. (June, 1903], HUMPHRYS, RUSSELL, Present address unknown. (July, 1903;. HURND.\LL. 'Mrs R., Ditton Hill Lodge, Ditton Hill, Surbiton, Surrey. (April, 1913)- HYDE WALTER, Kempton Park, Sunbury-on-Thamcs. (June, 191 5'). ISAAC, CH.AS., Brockley House, Slough. (March, 1911). JAMRACH a. E., 180, St. George's Street, London, E. (July, 1909"). JARDINE J,, Castle Inilk, Lockerbie, N.B. (August. 1913). JEAKINS. A. E., Winscottie, Simla, India. (April, 1916), JENKS, H., dc-rmant. (August, 1913). JERSEY, THi: COUNTESS OF, IMiddleton , Park, Bicester. (November, 1912). ' ' ' . ' JOHNSON, Miss L., STURTON, Oiotava House, Ore, Hastings. (Septem- ber, 1910). JOHNSON, Major F., Melroie, W ilbury Road, Hove, Brighton. (August, 1911). JONES W., V.ARWORTH, Villa d' Arno, Kingston-on-Thames. (August, 1915)- JORDAN, W., Hill House, Palmer's Green, London, N. (April, 1916). 1913)- ' t ' if:' KENNEDY, Capt. G., c/o Mrs. Kennedy, 7, Albion Road, Sutton, Surrey. (May, 19C8J. KENWORTHY. J. M., Meadowcroft, Windermere. (June, 1909). KING, FRANK, Dormant. (March, 1909). KING, H. T., II, ^Im Tree Avenue. West Bridgford, Nottingham. (April, 1914)- i KITE, E., BAGSHOT, Hames Hill jHouse, Taunton. (February, 1912). KNOBEL, Miss E. MAUD, 32, Tavistock Square, London, W.C . (December, 1911). KOMYAKOFF, .\LE.\IS, TS'ovinsky Boulevard, 109, Moscow, Russia. (Dec, 1912), LAMB, E. J., Alverstone, Thetford Road, New Maiden, Siyrey. (May, 1906). LEACH C. F., Vale Lodge, Leatherhead. (July, 1914J. LETL, Mrs. E. D. Hartwell House, Aylesbury. (September, 1910 LEGH DE lIgH, Dr. H., Redcar, Yorks. (April, 1911). LILFORD, The LORD, Lilford Hail, Oundic, .Norihant.s. (.January, 1914^ LONGDEN, Mrs. D. A. S., Dormant. (February, 1914)- LONGDON. Mrs. C. A.^ Arreton. Epsom Road, Guildford. (February, 1909). LOVELL-KEAYS, Lieut.. L. F., Endsleigh, East Hoat],]y, Halland, (.March, 1913)- LOW, G, E., 14, Royal Terrace East, Kingston. (May, 19141- LOWE A. J. C, Present addjress unknown. (January, 1912). LUCAS, Miss EMMA, Bramblehurst, East Grinstead, Sussex. (Sept., 1913). LUCAS N S., M. B., F.Z.S., 19, Westbourne Terrace, Hyde Park, London, \V. (January, 19 14). ^ LYNAM C. C, M.A.. B ardswell Road, Oxford. (September, 1913J. LYTHGOE G. W. F., Camlyn. Cromwell Road, Stretford, Manchester. McCULLOUGH, JOHN, Dormant. (Januarv, 1914). McDONAGH, J E.' R., M.R.C.S., I..R.C.P., F ./. S . ;, LIS,,, 4, Wimpole Stieet. London, W. (January, 1903). McDONALD, D. D., Alholl .A.rms Hotel., Blair Aiholl, N.B. (Oct., 19151. MACKNESS, Mrs. N., Cypress Road, Church End, Finchley, N. (June, 1916). I : .' , I MACREADY, F. W., 39, George Street, Stranraer. (July, 1916). MALDEN Viscountess EVELINE, Great Bookham, Leatherhead, (August, 1909) I MALLLll E. A , M.A.. Great Wishford, Salisbury. (September, igti). MAXXERIXG, R., Knoll Cottage, Noah Hill, Essex. (February, 1912). MAPPIN, S'lANLEY, 12, Albert Hall Mansions, Ken.sington Gore, South Kensington, London, S.W. (February, 1911). MARMONT. W. B., The Firs, Amberly, Stroud, Glos. (October, 1908). MARSDEN J., Thornhurst, Tevvit Park, Harrogate. (March, 1914). MASON. D., The Maisonette, Broadstairs. (April, 1914). M.ASTER. G,, M.B., B.C., 86, Guildhall Street, Bury St. Edmunds. (Nov. 1903)- MAXWELL-JACKSON, Miss M., Cowhill, Rutland Road, Harrogate. (Janu- aiy, 1913) MAXWELL, C. T., i, Shardcroft Aven, Heme Hill, S.E. (December, 1908). MEADOWS, J. C. W., 19, Cardiff Road^ Luton. (February, looS). MEAKIN. H., 16, Dormant. (January, 1904). MILLER Mrs K. LESLIE, Dormant. (January, 1903). MILLSUM O., The Firs, Westwood, Margate. (July, 1907). MINCHIN. Mr., Dormant. (July, 1914). MITCHELL. H., Haskells, Lyndhurst, Hants. (September, 1903). MONEY 5ir L.G. CHIOZZA, M.P , Tlit; Grey House, Hampstead Lane. London, N. (October, 1910). MONTAGUE, G. R., 63, Croxted Road, Dulwich, S.E. (February, 1909). MONTGOMERY, W. O., c/o. Mrs. Hulse, Alexandra Road, Hornsea, Hull. (January,, 1913). MORRISON The Hon. Mrs. McLAREN, Queen Anne's Mansions, St. James' Park. London, S.W. (November, 1906). MORTIMER Mrs. Wigmore, Holmwood, Dorking. (Original Member). MUNDY. Miss SYBIL, Shipley Hall, Derby. (Augu.st, 1911). ML'RTON MARSHALL, Osborne Villas, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. (August, 1913)- NAYLOR. Mrs. F. M., " Vermont," Grappenhall, Warrington. (Oct. 1915). NELSON Mrs. L., The Wych, Sandbanks, Parkstone, Dorset. (September, 1916). NEWLEY, R A., Dormant, (December, 1902). NEWMAN, T. H.i F.Z.S., M.B.O.U ., Newlands> Harrowdene Road, Wembley ; Middlesex. (July, 1903)- OAKEY, W., The Anglers' Inn, Pole Street, Preston. (Original Member). OBERHOLSER, HARRY C, i,444, Fairmont Street, .N.W., Washington; D.C.. U.S.A. (December, 1903). O'DONNELL, O., Hyntle Place, Hintleshara, Ipswich. (.Au gust, 1912). O'DONNELL, Major-Gen. H., C.B., D.S.O., '..Earl, Soham, Suffolk. (October »9i3)- . O'REILLY NICHOLAS, S., 144, Eastern Road, Kent Town, , Brighton. (Grig. Member). \ 0N5'L0W, The Couniesh- of, Dormant. (April, 1913). iyi6). P.\GJ', W . T., F.Z.S. {Hon. Ediior), Langstone, Lingfield, Surrey. (May, 1905). PAINTER. V. KENYON, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. (November, 1910). I .aRMLNTER, Miss B. S. P., Didgemere Hall, Roydon, Essex. (Dec, P.\TER?ON, Rev J. MAPLETOFT, Hopewell, Srinagar, Kashmir, India, (Ncvcmber, 1908). PAUWELS, ROBERT, E., (September, 1909). PELI.EY, HENRY LE, L.C. 4^ M. Bank, Guernsey. (Oct., 1916). PENNANT. Lady EDITH DOUGLAS, Soham House, Newmarket. (July, 1908) PERCIVAL. W. G. N'anga, Chani.i H.idge, British East Africa. (January 1915). PERKINS, E., Chester Hill, Wood, hester, Stroud, Gloucestershire. (Feb., 1903)- PERREAU, Major G. A.. F.Z.S. . 2-4 Gurkha Rifles, Bakloh, Punjab, India. (December, 1903). PERREAU Mrs G. A., Bakloh, Punjab, India. (September, 1916). PERRE.A.U, Mrs R. A. D. Address unknown. (September, 1908). PERRING C. S. R., Claremont Avenue, New Maiden, Surrey. (October 1902). PHAIR. H. J., Broad Street, Aires ford, (January, 1912^ PHILLIPS, E. iR., 12. \A'altham Terrace, Blackrock, Ireland. (September, ,1915). PICKARD H. K-., 298, West End Lane, Kilburn, London, N.W. (Oct.; 1901). PICKLES, W H., Stonyhurst, Morerambe, Lancs. (May, 1904). PIKE. L. G., P'.Z.S., King" Barrow, Wareham. (December, 1910). PILKINGTON, Lady KATHLEEN, Chevet Park, Wakefield. (September, 1908). POLTIMORE. Lady, Poltimore Park, Exeter. (August, 191 1). POND, Mrs., T.. 174, Upper Parliament Street, Liverpool. (November, 1902). , . _ POPE, Mrs. Howden, Tiverton, Devon. (P'ebruary, 1914). POWELL, Miss M. M., Hawthorn House, Oakhill Park, Old Swan, Liver- pool. (May, 1914). , PUCK, OTTO, Darenth Lodge, Chingford, N.E. (May, 1912s. PULLAR, 1LAWRENCE_^, 'PI. F., F.Z.S., Dunbamie Cottage, J3ridge of Earr Perthshire. (October, 1913). QUINCEY R. de QUINCEY, Inglewood, iChLslehurst, Kent. (August, 1910). RATHBORNE, H. B., Dreenan, Letter, .Co, Fermanagh. (November, 191511 KAlllGAN G. E., Lanarkslea, Cornwall Gardens, London, SA\'. (March, 1909). RAVEN W. H., 239, Derby Road, Noitingham. (October, 1909). RAYXOR. Rev. G. H., M.A., Hazeleigh Rectory, Maldon, Essex. (Dec, 1909). REEVE, Capt J. S., Dunheved, Caterham, Surrey. (March, 1908) RESTALL, J. A., 82, Cambridge Street, Birmingham. (November, 1903). RICE, Capt. G., Clayquhat, Blairgowrie. (July, iyo2j. ROBBINS. H., 37, New Oxford .Street, London, VV. (October, 1908). ROBSO;, J., 28, Camden Grove, Peckham, S.E. (December, 1909). ROGERS. W. T., 21, Priory Villas, New Road, Brentwood. (October, 1907). ROGERSON, Mrs. Fieurville, Cheltenham, (February, 1903). ROTH, FRED, G. R., Sherwood Place, Englewood. N.J., U.S.A. (Nov.; 1908). ROTHWELL, JAMES, E., 153, Sewell Avenue, Brookline, Mass. ; U.S.A. (February, 1911)- ROUTH, CoL J. J., 2, Beechworth Villas, Cheltenham. (January, 1912). ROW, C. H., Chapel House, . Long MeJford, Suffolk. (December, 1905). RUMSEY. LACY, 23, Rua de Terpa Pintu, Villa Nova de Gaya,, Oportu, PortugaL (October, 191 1). RYAN,— G. E., (Bar-at-law ),Hintlesham Hall, Ipswich. (Noi'ember, 1913;. SAMUELSON, .LADY, Hatchford Park, Cobham, (Surrey. (July, 1916). SCHUYL, D. G., 12^ Toe-Haringylist, Rotterdam, Holland. * (January, 1914). SCOTT, Lieut. B. HAMILTON, Hamildean. I,pswich. (July, 1910). SCOTT, A H., Waterside Copse, Liphook, Hants. (October, 1915). SCOTT, J. EASTON, M.B., Birdhurst, Woodcote Road, Wallington, Surrey. (March. 1908}. SCOTT. Mrs. J. EASTON, Birdhurst, Woodcote Road, Wallington, Surrey. (March. 1908). SCOTT-MILLER, R., Greenoak Hill, Broomhouse, 1 Glasgow. (May, 1913). SEBAG-MONTEFIORE, Mrs^ East Ciiffe Lodge, Ramsgate. (IVIay, 1914). SHERLOCK, Rev. W. J. R., Dormant. (Jan., 1916). SHILTON. A. J., 71, Cloudesdale Road, Balham, Lon'don, S.W. (April, 1913)- SJCH, H. L., Corney House, Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London, W. (June, 1908). SIDEBOTTOM, Mrs. E. HARROP, Etherow House, Hollingworth, Cheshire. (February, 1908). SILLS. ARTHUR, 260, Loughborough Road, Leicester. (January, 191 1;. SIMPSON. R. E., I, Highthorne Grove, Ridge Road, Armley Leeds. (December, 1907). SLADE, G. J., 34, Milton Road, Fitzhugh, Southampton.' (February, 1915)- I - ' SMITH-RYLAND, Mrs. Harford Hill, Warwick. .(April, 1909}. SMITH-, J., Woodlands, Kendal, (January, 1910). SMYTH. Miss ALFREDA, 27, Haverfield .Gardens, Kew Gardens, Jiew. (January, 1911). ' SNAREY, H., 21, Leamington *Road, Blackburn. (March, 191 1). SOAMES. Rev. H. A., M.A., F.L.S., Lyncroft, Bromley, Kent: (Rejoined January, 1914)- I SCMERS, Lieut. F. W., A.V.C., T.F., 66, Francis Street, Leeds: (Jan : ; 1907). SOUTHCOMBE, S. L., Highlands, A-li, Martock, Somerset. ( September, 1910) SPEAKER Mrs. ALICE, Gitiford Lodge, Twickenham. (April, 191 5 j. SPRANKLING, E., Brookland Cottage, South Road, Taunton. (February, 1908). SPRAWSON. Capt. E. C, R.A.M.C., 68, Southwood Lane, Higfligate, Lcndon N. (October, 1913). SPROSTON Mrs., The Elm House, N'antwich. (January, 191 1). STEAVENSON, Mrs- PAGET, Cross Bank Hill, Hurwood-on-Tees, Darling- tor. (January, 1915). ' STEED, B., 22, North Street, Sudbury, Suholk. (May, 1914)- STEINSCHEN, W. E., The Bungalow, Contanchey,' Guernsey. (February, I9I4). ; STEPHENS, A. J,^ Argyle Road, Ilford. (February, 1914)- STEWART, B. T., Glenhurst, The Crosspaths, Radlett, Herts. (February, 1914). STONEY, Mrs STELLA, 38, Campden , House Court, Kensington, London, W. (August, 1 91 2). STOREiY Mrs. A., Summer Hill, Tarporley, Cheshire. (November, 1912). STOTT, A. E., 15, East Parade, Leeds. (January, 1915). STREET, E., The Poplars, Oatwoods, Anslow, Burton-.n-Trent. (May, 1909) , STRICKLAND, E. A., 16, Alma Road, Windsor. (May, 191 2). STRONG HERBERT, Redlands, Chislchurst Road, Bickley. (April, 1913). SUGGITT, R., Suggitt's Lane, Cleethorpes, Grimsby. (Jan., 1915). SUGGITT W. E., Suggitt's Lane, Cleethorpes, Grimsby. (Jan., 1915). SUTCLIFFE, ALBERT, Fairholme, Welholme Road, , Grimsby. (May, 1907). SWAYNE HENRY, A., 29, Percy Place, Dublin. (January, 1913). SWAYSLAND, W., Dormant. (Original Member). SYKES J., 16, Shorthope Street, Musselburgh. (January, 1912). TAINTEGINES, BARONNE LE CLEMENT DE, Cleveland, Minehead, Somerset. (August, 19 13). TAVISTOCK, The Marquis of, 19, Hanover Square, London, W'! (January, I913)- TEMPLE. W. R., Ormonde, Datchet, Windsor. (December, 1908). TESCHEMAKER, W. E., B.A.. Ringmore, Teignmouth. (March, 1907). THOMASSET, B. C. F.Z.S., The Manor House, Ashmansworth, Newbury. (July, 1912). '3 THOMPSON, M.. 4, William Street, Roslyn. Dunedin, New Zealand. (June; 1911). THORBURN, Miss C. W., 99,. Edge Lane, Liverpool. (March, 1910). THORNILEY, PERCY \V., Shooter's Hill, Wem. Shrewsbury. (May, 1913). TMWAITES, Dr. GILBERT B., 94, Beaconsfield Road, Brighton. (May, 1910. TIDEV. J \\ ., Dormant. (January, 1912). Til LEY, G D. F., New York, Z.S., Darien, Connecticut, U.S. .A.. (January; 1013) TOMASSI BALDELLI, LA COUNTESSA G.,; 4. Via Silvio, Pelico, Florence, Itc.l\'. (December, iqoiV TOMI IN.SON, MALCOLM R., Shepherd's House, Invercsk, Midlothian. (April 1913;. TOSSIZZA. BARON M., 15. Rue de Lubeck, Paris, France. (March, 1916). TOWNSEND S.M., {Hon. tlxhibitional Secretary), 3, Swift Street, Fulham, S.W. (Original Member). TRACY Mrs. A. L., Halsham, Shaldon, It-ignrnouili. (February, 1914)- TRA\ERi Mrs JOHNSON, Fern Hill, Clonakilty, co. Cork; (December, TR.AVIS, Mrs., Pedmorc- Grange, Stourbridge. (January, 191 0- TURNER HERBERT J., Tremadoc, Keyberry Road, Newton Abbot. (Feb- ruary 1915) ^ TURNER-'! URNER. Mrs., .\bbey Spring, Boaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hants. (NcAcnTiber 1910). TYSON, C. R., 169, Sloane Street,, Chelsea, London, S.W. (February, 1911). URWICK. D R., St. Cross .Mill, Winchester. (March, 1913s. V.ALE. LEWIS, 8, Broadway, Woodford, London, N.E. (May 1913)- VALENTINE E., 7, Highfield, Workington, (December, 191 iT. VERSTRANTEN, Mons., Augusta House. Belle V'ue Road, Ramsgatc. (April, 1916). VOLLMAR P., 8, George Street, Minories, London, E.C. (February, 1909). WADDELL, ^liss E. G. R. PEDDIE, 4, Great Stuart Street, Edinburgh!, (Febiuary, 1909). ' WADE. L. M., Oakhill Road, Ashstead, Surrey. (September, 1913). W.AIT Miss L. M., .St. A., »2, Rosary Gardens, South Kensington, London, S.W. (Dectmber, 1907) WALKER. CARR, Tyrie, West Park. Headingley, Leeds. (March, 1916). WARD. Hon. (Mrs. SOMERSET, Greenmount. .Newcastle, co. Down. (Oct- ober, 1905) WARD ALE. H., Dormant. (May, 1903). WATSON, S., 37, Tithebarn Street, Preston. (September, 1910). WATTS, RUDOLPH, Sunnyside. St. Peter'.s Road, Huntingdon. (November, 1906) WEBB. Miss K.ATH.'\RINE, Emery Down, Miilington Road, Cambridge. '^ (July. 1909) WEBSTER. Lady, Powdermill House, Battle, Sussex. (February, 191 1). 14 WEDGE, E., Kingscote, Trinity Road, Wood Green, London, N. (Febru- ary, 1915). Weir, J.. Dcuglas cottage. Upper Ashley, New Milton, Hants. (December, 1912) WESTACOTT, II., Wellington Hotel, Minehead, Somerset. (September, 19C7). e published in Notices to .Members : and on such notice being published he shall cease to be a member accordingly, but his liability for overdue subscriptions shall continue. 3. New Members shall be proposed in writing by a Member of the Club ; and the name and address of every person thus proposed, with the name of the person proposing him, shall be published in the Notices to Members. Unless the Candidate shall, within fourteen days after the. publication of his name, be, objected to by at least two Members, he shall be duly elected. If two or more Members shall lodge with either of the Secretaries objections to any Candidate, he shall not be elected, but the signature to the signed objections myst be verified by jthe Scrutineer. The Secretaries and the Scrutineer shall not disclose the names of the objectors. 4. Any member wishing to resign at the end of the current year of the Club shall give notice of his intention to one of the .Secretaries.' before the 31st of December, and in default of such notice he shall Aie liable to the following year's subset iptioji. 5. The Officers of the Club shall be elected from the Members, and shall consist of a Preitident, one or more Vice-presidents, and Auditor, a Scrutineer, one or more Secretaries, a Treasurer,; a Veterinary Surgeon, a Council of Twenty-four Members, and such number of Judges as shall from time to time be determined by the Council. The Editor, Secre- taries, Treasurer, and Veterinary Surgeon shall be ex-officio members of the Council. , Three Members of the Council shall retire annually by seniority, but are eligible for re-election. The Editor. .Secretaries, and Treasurer shall be elected trienially. The Council and Judges shall be elected in a manrier hereinafter provided. The other officers shall be elected annually at a meeting of the Council, immediately after their own election. t9 6. The election for the tftree annual vacancies on the Council, and the Judges, shall take place every year between the 15th November and the 5th December. The Secretaries sTiall ascertain which of the Memberi are willing to stand for election to office, and shall send to each Member of the Club on or about the ifih of November a voting papei containing a list of all such members, showin^f the offices for which they are respect- ively seeking election. Each Member shall make a (X) opposite the names of thos'i for whoo> he desires to vote, and shall sign the paper at the foot, and send it in a sioaled en\'elopc to -the Scrutineer, so that he may receive' it before 5th December. The Scrutineer shall prepare a return of the Officers elected, showing the number of votes recorded for each Candidate, and send it one of the Secretaries for publication in the Notices to Mem- bers for December. The Scrutincc-r shall .not reveal to any person how, any Member shall have voted. In the event of an equality of votes the president shall have a casting vote. 1 . Dealers in birds shall not be eligible for election to any office in the Club, except that of Judge. For the purpose of this rule, any Mem- ber who habituall)- buys birds with the intention of selling them again, shall be deemed a bird dealer. Before the annual election of officers, thu Sec- retaries shall submit to the .Council the list of Members willing to stand for election to the Secretaryship, the Treasurership, and the Council ; and the Council shall remove from the list the name of any Candidate who shall be, in the opinion of the Council, a dealer in birds, within the mean- ing of this rule. The decision of the Council or of any C.'ominittee to whom the Council shall delegate its power under this rule, j-hall be final. \Vhie(n a dealer is proposed as a Member of this Club, the fact of his being a dealer shall be stated in the Notices to Members. 8. It shall be lawful for the Council to delegate any of its powers to a committee. , 9. The Council may appoint an Arbitration Committee, which may decide questions at issue between Members, when requested to do >o by both parties. Any decision of such Committee shall be final. Ivvrcpt to the extent permitted by this rule, the Club and its officers shall decline to concern themselves with disputes between Members. ID The Council shall liave power to alter and add to these Rules, but shall give to the members notice ol xny proposed alti/ration oi add- ition, and in the event of six members obj c ing thereto ,within fourteen days, the proposed alterations o r additions shall be submitted to the votes of the Members. Failing such objection the alteration shall date from its adop- tion by the Council. t2.— Neither the office of Scrutineer nor that of Auditor shall be held for two consecutive years by the same person. The Scrutineer shall not be a Candidate at any Election at which he acts as Scrutineer. / i3- — If any 'office becomes vacant at any time other than the end of the current year of the Club, the Council »haM have power to appoint any Member to fill the vacancy. J4. The decision of the majority ot the Council shall be final and binding on the Club, Hux a resolution passed by the Council shall not be •cted upoii unless there be an absolute majority of the Council (and not merely of those voting) in its favour. Rules Governing Club's Patronage at Shows, The patronage of the F.B.C. is given at all OPEN SHOWS, provided the following conditions arc observed. (a) At least three classes must be provided for I'ORF.IGS BIRDS (excluding local and members' classes, in which no bird competing for F. M.C. patronage may be shown). ib) The classification and name of the judge, must be »ub- mitted by Show Secretaries, when applying for patronage. (c) Those societies obtaining patronage, must print in the schedule that the section is under the patronage of the F.B.C. {d) That no alteration (amalgamation or cancellation) of clssei ' must be made, or the judges changed without giving notice to the Hon. Show Secretary of the F.B.C, in which case the original pat- ronage does not hold good. All MEDALS are awarded to BEST BIRDS (but the Committee have The right to award extra medals for special purposes) and no silver medal is granted where less than six classes are provided. Members of the F.B.C. must place F.B.C. after each entry on entry forms, and should request show secretaries to print these initials in their catalogues. No Member can win more than two medals in a season, i.e.; one silver and one broni^e, or more than one medal at the same show. The London Silver Cup is offered for competition at all Shows under patronage in the London Postal District, where ten or more classes are given, and the Provincial Silver Cup at shows outside this area, for points gained throughout the season. by nominated birds. Thi»c Cups become the property of those who have won them three times (not necessarily in succession), and only three birds at each Show can be nominated, which is done by writing the word " Cup " after the entries on entry form. If members nominate more than tltree birds they will be disqualified for that show. 'Diese conditions only hold good where Show Societies and Members observe the rules. Failure to conform annuls all offers, and the birds of a merpber whose subscription is unpaid at the time of making an entry are ineligible to compete. Points for the Cup to count as follows : ist, 7 points ; 2nd, 6 points ; and one point off for each lower award. Should a tie take place, the member taking the most prize money to win. Any item not herein provided for, may be dealt with at the discretion of the Show Committee. Rules re Breeding Medals. I The F.B.C. Medal for Breeding a Species or Hybrid for the first time in captivity in Great Britain, will be awarded on the following! conditions only : (a) As detailed an account of the success as possible must be •ent for publication in " Bird Notes," as soon as the young can fend for themselves. (b) The Awards Committee, whose decision shall be final, to make the awards from the Secretary's data, and the published articles recording isuccesses. (c) The awards will be made, and the medals distributed at the close of each successive season, or as soon afterwards as the publication of said articles permit. 3. SPECIES: The young must be reared to be independent of their parents, the record is not eligible for the medal ; except in, the parents, the record k not eligible for the medal ; except in tho case of parasitic species. 3. HYBRIDS,: For any cross not previously reared in captivity, between any two species — the domestic Canary as one of the parents alone being excepted. A cross between any two species is only once* recogf- nised, e.jg., Parson Finch X Long-tailed Grassfinch, and Long-tailed Grassfinich X Parson Finch are reckoned as the same Hybrid for the purposes of this award, and -whichever was secured first would hold the record. The feggs must be incubated and' the young reared by the pair of birds producing t he eggs, or the record will not be eligible for a medal. Notices to Members Breeding Medals: The Awards Committee have passed the fol- lowing claims for medals : — SPECIES: Bramblefinch (Fringilla mo/itif/U'iif^il/a). — Sergt. -Major R. Suggitt. Jackson's Whydah {DrcplanoplccfC' jacksoiil). — W. Shore Baily. ♦Pied Bush Chat (Praiincola caprata). — Mrs. G A. Perreau. ♦Tailor Birds {Orthotornus siitoriiis). — Mrs. G. A. Perreau. ♦These two medals to bear the inscription : Awarded to Mrs. G. A. Perreau, for breeding in Capitvity the Pied Bush Chat at Bakloh, India. HYBRIDS : Cape X House Sparrow (Passer arcuatus X domesticus). — W. Shore Baily. Crimson-crowned Weaver (Pyromelana flammiceps X Penthetria ardens). — W. Shore Baily. Parson — Longtailed Grassfinch X Ruficauda Finch (Poeplula cincta-acuii- cauda X Bathilda ruficauda). ~^F\.-Lt. R. S. de Q. Quincey. St. Helena Seedeater X Yellow-rumped Serin (Serinus jLaviventris X ortgo- lensis). — Miss E. F. Chawner. The above medals have been put in hand and as soon as received received from the medallist will be duly despatched. Mr W. R. lomlinson appears to be entitled to a medal for breed- ing a reputed hybrid Rosefinch X Greenfinch, but the committee are with- holding this for a time, as the exact parentage is not clearly establii^hed,, though a new hybrid has undoubtedly been reared, and we hope Mr. Tomlinson may be able a little later, when the bird is fully adult, to definitely establish his claim thereto. Secretary and Correspondence: The Hon. Secretary asks the forbearance of Members for any delay there may be in acknowledging letters, receipts, donations, etc. ; or for the incompleteness of notices ; lists ; etc., in any one issue, owing to the claims of business (Wanking), anc having to train with the Volunteers (even his Sundays are claimed) ; bul there will be no avoidable delay and in idue course all will be acknowledged and all donations, etc., duly published. Co-orERATiON : In societicb such as ours nothing can Xia achieved without it — the coming year is sure to be the most difficult ever experi- enced in the history of the club, but by it we brought last year to a successful close, and thi*. ;tar will be one of picgress and success, not- withstanding the unprecedented difficulties of the " times," if similar co- operation be maintained. The Hon. Editor apologises for the space he has occupied in this issue, and solicits articles upon any and every topid of aviculture — ^by co-operation we have won through in the past, and if this be forthcoming, as we are confident it will, then the result is already) •assured; but there must be prompt payment of subscriptions, and do- nations to Deficit and Illustration Funds, and also all must have a part in supplying copy for the Magazine. ' WESLEY T. PAGE, Hon. F.ditor. SIDNEY WILLIAMS, Horn Secretary and Treas. Deficit and Illustration Funds. These funds need the best h<'Ip members' can give them. The Com- mittee acknowledge with best thanks the following donations : Baily W. Shore o lo o Browning, W. H i o o Bruce, Miss A. o lo o Hewitt, T. o II o Kennedy, Captn. G o lo o Marmont, W. B o lo o Macready, T. M. (overpaid subscription) o o 6 Marsden, J. o lo o Miller, H. Scott o lo o Mundy, Miss S. o lo o Page, W. T. (towards postage account) 200 Phillips, E. R. c ic o Pike, L. G. o 10 o Pilkington, Lady Kathleen o 10 o Pullar, L. o 10 o Sich, H. L. o 10 o Strong, H. o 10 o Sutcliffe, Lt. A. o 10 o Wait, Miss St. A. o 10 o Walker, H. Carr o 10 o Windybank, L. A. 050 Changes and Correetions of Address. Mrs. G. Christie, Kellas, by Elgin. Mrs. A. L. Tracy, Halsham, Teignmouth^ Devon. *4 Roll of Honour. Sec.-Lt. J. Norwood Ryan, killed in action in Egypt, September, 1916. New Members Elected, Murray, Dixon, Proposed for Election as Member. The Hon. Norah M(5gareI-Hogg, 53, Lancaster Gate, London; W. By ilu Hon. Mrs. G. Bourke. The Bird Market. MIMBERS' SALES EXCHANGES AND WANTS. FOR SALE . Silver Pheas.ints ; 2 cocks, and i hen, vigorous birds of the year, full grown ; or would exchange tor other species, Gold alone, excepted. — Page, Langstone, Lingfield, Surrey. FOR SALE: Fine Yellow Budgerigars, los. per pair; also an adult pair of prolific breeders, 15s.; and one hen Cockateel (breeder), 12s. 6d. — Mrs. Wethey, Lehden, Catham, Redcar ; Yorks. FOR SALE : Acclimatized pairs of Bank Myhahs, 42s., and Malabar Starl- ings. 50s. per pair. Cock Zebra Finches, aviary bred, 6s. 6d. each. W. T. Page, Langstone, Lingfield, Surrey. WANTED Cock White Sparrow, also thirty square yards, ^in. mesh wire netting. — A. H. Scott, Waterside Copse, Liphook, Hants. FOR SALE : 3 pairs Green Budgerigars (adults), in fine breeding con- dition, los. per pair; also two pairs of young ditto at 7s. 6d. per, pair WANTED : A good pair of Yellow Budgerigars, must be proved breeders ; also 2 hen Zebra Finches ; would exchange for above. — Mrs. Mackness, 22, Cypress Road, Church End, Finchley; London, N. FOR SALE : Pair Red Ground Doves, 40s. ; pair Golden Pheasants, 1916, 17s 6d. ; cock Californian Quail 5s. — R. Suggitt, Suggitt's Lane, Clee- thorpes. WANTED: Quantity of wire netting iin. or |in. mesh, in good condition; also a hep Yellow- winged Sugar-bird. — Apply W. T, Page, Langstone, Lingfield, Surrey. I 25 Notices to Members. Thf Mac;az[.n£ : Any curtailment made as to plates or bulk, is made chiefly with the object of meeting the shortage of paper difficulty, as we feel it incumbent upon us to assist all we can in this direction. The Hon. Editor solicits copy upon any and every topic of aviculture, covering all species (both British and Foreign) of birds; also upon details of aviarjr •management, methods of feeding, etc. Subscriptions : All these became due on January ist last, and it is pressed upon those who have not yet remitted same, that they remit the amount at once to the Hon. Secretary and Treasurer,, as it will greatly assist the officials at the present time, although this notice should not be necessary . Hon. Srckftakv's Corrkspondence : Re any delay in acknowledging remittances, etc., members are referred to the notice in inset, page 22 ( pint pjigesl of our last issue. 1 here will be no avoidable delay. SirRFiARv'.« Addre.ss: To comply with the new London postal regulations, members are requested to use the following address : .S. Williams, OakJeigh. rio R verway. Palmer's Green; London; N.13. SIUNEV WILLIAMS. Hon. Sec. and Treasurer. WESLEY T. page, Hnn Editor. Deficit and Illustration Funds. 1 hese two funds need all the help members can give them ! The I ommirtc acknowledge with best thanks the following donations : • . £ s. d. Mi-.^ M. Gerard o 10 6 Proposed for Election as Member. Miss Paget. 39 Berkley Square, London. W. By Mrs .M . Lee. Mrs A Avery, t>;, \\ indsor Road, Forest Gate, S.E. By Mrf. Chatterion. New Members Elected, The Hon Xorali Hogg, 53, Lancaster Gate, London : W.2. The Bird Marliet. MIMBERS' SALES EXCHANGES AND WANTS. FOR S.ALE Mrs. Miller has for sale Blossom-head, Parrakeet for good home in aviary only. Can be seen by appointment. — 4 Cardinal Mansions, Carlisle Place, London, S.W. FOR .SALE . Acclimatized pairs of Blossom-headed, 40s., Ring-necked, 3Ss. ; and Rosella Parrakeets, 50s. per pair : also two Peach-faced Love- birdf 35s. each, believed to be hens ; all in out-door aviary. — E. R. Phillips, 4 Waltliam Terrace, Blackrock, co. Dublin ; Ireland.- 26 FOR SALE: OR EXCHANGE: Hen Bullfinch, large bird, H.M. and winner, cock Yellow-hammer, winner of Firsts, sell los. WANTED : Yellow, and Green Budgerigar hens, must be show birds. — Shipfon, 71 Cloudesdale Road, Balham, London, S.W. FOR SALE : Acclimatized pairs of B ank Mynahs, 42s., and Malab,ar Starlings, 50s. per pair. Also the following odd birds, hen Green Fruit-Pigeon, cock Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, cock Black Tanagcr, hen Crimson-ringed Whydah, cock Silky Cowbird.— Page, l.angstone, Ling- field, Surrey. FOR SALE : Acclimatized pair of Orange-flanked Parrakects, absolutely finger tame and perfect in every way, £5. — Apply, Capt. J. S. Reeve, Dunheved, Caterham, Surrey. FOR SALE r Pair Red Ground Doves, 40s.; cock Californian Quail. ;s. — R. Suggitt, 6 Suggitt's Lane, Cleethorpes. WANTED : Quantity of wire netting ^in. or |in. mesh, in good condition ; also a hen Yellow-winfed Sugar-bird. — Apply \V. T. Page, 1 angstone, Lingfield, Surrey. W.A.NTED: Hen Bib Finch.— iMiss C. Bowring. Asrnt Heath lei Berks. WANTED: Cock White Sparrow; pair of Desert Trumpeter Bull-liuche.^ : pair of Diamqnd Doves ; cock Yellow .Sparrow, and about 50 square yards of | m. mesh wire netting. — A. H. Scott, Waterside Copse. I.iphook, Hants. 'FOR SALE : Cock Purple Sugarbird and cage, £3 103. ; cock Zebra Finch, 7s. 6d. ; cock Scaly-headed Finch. WANTED: Parrakeets. — MisS Clare, 194 Coombe Lane, Wimbledon, London, S.W. 19. FfH< SALE : Yokohama (Japanese Long-tailed) fowl eggs. This strain took two-thirds of the prizes last year, 21s. per dozen. Sebastopol (P'rizzled i Goose eggs, 2s. each; and when ready Californian Quail eggs 5s. dozen. Rhea (South Am. Ostrich) eggs, 5s. each, easily hatched under Turkeys ; money refunded for infertiles retui-ned!— Scott-Miller, Green- oakhill, Broomhouse, Glasgow. FOR SALE . Cocks, Bronze Abyssini;in, 30s., atid Rutous-necked Weavers . los. ; should like to exchange for pair of Tovi, Blossom-headed or similar Vmall Pa'^rakecti. — S. Will ams, Oaklegh, no Riveiway, Palmer's Cireen, London, N.13. WAN TED . Cocks Masked and Diamond Doves ; also to exchange a hen Pintail Nonpareil for a cock. — H. Bright, Lynton, Eaton 3R.oad, Cres- singtor. Park, Liverpool. '^■'INIED: Pairs, various: also hexis of Gouldian and Fire Finches: \\hiie Java Sparrow, and Zebra Dove. Cocks, Golden-breaued Waxbill and Grey Java Sparrow. — Scott-Miller, Greenoakhi'.l, Broomhouse, Cilasgow. FOP. SALE- I pair and one odd hen Stanley Parrakeets, rea-ionable price. W.-^NTED : Hens Fire and Zebra Finches. Will F.\-<-hange hen Turtle Dove for cock. — Smith, Woodlands, Kendal. April, 1917. THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. Notices to Members. TiiF. Macazim: : Aviary records and descriptions, articles on all -,|Kiir^ n\ birds kept by our members are much needed, if our contents are to l)c' kept as varied as your Editor would wish. Our) lady members. are earnestly urged to do tlieir utmost in this respect, while the manhood •I our roil is manning the various fighting lines of this awful war. The ditor greatly regrets that so much from his pen has filled the space of recent issues,' and considers that it will ■ not tend to the permanent wel- t.ire of our Journal if such has to contmue, — the general e.Kperience and lYort of our members* are necessary to maintain this — also it is ()uiie '-.siljile to impose a great burden than e\en the "willing horse " can, Srn-( RU'TioNS AND DoNATic>\s : The necessity for keeping this matter <-ven ad naiiseiim, is amply demonstrated by the increase in price of all nuwspapers. magazines and periodicals, owing to the increased cost ofi paper, printing, etc., and further reason for its urgency need not be •f given — so we pressingly urge all who have not paid their subscripf- on to remit same sa early as they possibly can. and in like manner press the need of every member sendmg some donation as a help towards the '■■;tra cost ut Heath Lodge, .Ascot, Berks. FOR SALE; Pairs of King Parrakeets -1-14; Brown's Parrakeets Gio: .1 Red-collared Lorikeet £4 ; hen Chinese Painted Quail 25s. AU ac- climatised and in show cnntlition. — Hebb. " Brooklea." The Downs. Luton, Beds. WANTED. Cock Sparrow, albino or variegated; cock Desert Trumpeter;' Bullfinch ; pair Zebra Finches ; pair Diamond Doves. Also ^about 40 square yards of j*in. mesh wire netting. — .A.. H. Scott, Waterside/ Copse,. ■ Liphook, Hants. WANTED; Cock Bearded Tit.— W. Shore Baily, Boyers House. Westburv, Wilts WANTED: Cock Gouldian Fine h or pair.— Hobb. " Hi n iklcn ." Tiii' i )o\\ n -. Luton* Beds. WANTED. Cock Many-colour i'.inakect, will exchange hen Slanler. .Al.^-n want hens Zebra and Fire Finches. — Smith, Woodlands, Kendal. WANTED. Cock Cockateel, over two years old preferred —Mrs. Ch:\tter ton. 11 Fairfield Ro;id. Hornsey, London. N.S. 2q May, 1917. THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. Notices to Members. On'ins to (heir importance, from the exigencies of the *' times " we repeat the Notices given in oilr last issue, pretsing them upon the careful consideration of each member. Thk Magazine : Aviatry records and 'descriptions, artirles on alt species of birds kept hy our members are much needed, if our contents are to be kept as varied as your Editor would wish. Our lady member?- are earnestly urged to do their utmost in this respect, while the manhood of o\\( roll is manning the various fighting lines of this awful war. TIk^ Editor greatly regrets that so much from his pen has filled the space tV recen: issues, and considers that it will not tend to the permanent wel- fare of our .Journal if such has to continue — the general experience and clTort of our members are necessary to maintain this-also, it is quite possible to impose a greater burden than oven the " V'H'nK h:)rse " cm carry. Si^n.scRinioNs and Donations : The necessity for keeping this matter even ad nauseiim, before you, is amply de.nonsiratcd by the increase >n price of al) newspapers, magazines, and periodicals,,owing to the incresed cost ot ,paper, printing, etc.^ and further reason for the urgency need not' b(i given! — so we pressingly urge all who have- not paid their subscript- ion to remit "same as early as they po.^siblv can, and in like manner pre.-;sl the need of every member sending some donation as a hc\p towards the extra cost of production which these war times entail. We must ag.iin point out that the claims of business and National Service keep our Hon. Secretary occupied practically day and night in consequence of which the no/ices and list of donations, etc. in this issue are very in- complete, but this will be rectified as early as possible. WESLEY T. PAGE, Hon. Editor. SIDNEY WILLIAM.S, Hon. Sec. and Treasurer. Changes and Corrections of Address. Dr. E Hopkinson, to 45 Sussex Square, Brighton. Miss A. B. Smyth, to Priory Ho' ui)on the welfare of the club during the course of the year. Nicw Mkmhkrs : In consequence of the claims of " the times " upon the oftccrs of the club, new members are asked to jy:cept receipt of their magazines as notification of flection, and to remit their .subscriptions and enMMiice fee t i_'/6 in all) to the Honorary Treasurer, upon receiving same. SIDNEY WILLIAMS. Hon. Sec. and Treasurer. WIvSLEY T. PAGE. Hon. liditor. Post Mortem Rkports : — None to hand at tirhe of goinp: to Press. The Hon. Editor hopes to be able to make an an- r.ourtccmeut eoncerning these in our next issue. 'r:\E Clcb's Mkdal.s. — The following" .snccessfnl records have been acknowledged- and the medals despatched. We con- gratulate these members upon their successes. S:'KCIKS ; P>ramhiffinch (Fringilla mqntifringiUa). — R. Suggitt. (ackscn's Whydah {Drepanoplectes jacksoni) — W. Share P)aily. *Pied Bush-clwr (Pratincola caprata). — Mrs. G. A. Perreau. ♦Tailor P.ird (Orllwtomus sutornts).- — Mrs. G. Perreau. tSulpliur-crested Cockatoo [Cacatua galerita). Hyi'.RIDS : — Parson-Longtailed x Ruficauda Grassfinch. — R. S. de O. Ouincey. Cape X House Sparrow {Passer arciiatus x P. domesticus). — W. Shore Piri'y. Crim.son-crowned Weaver (F^yriniclaiia fiauuiiiceps) x Red-collared. Whydah (Pcnthetria ardeits). — W. Sliqre Haily. St. Helena Seedeater x Yellow-rumped Serin {Serintts flavivcvtris x .S". angolensis). — -Miss E. F. Chawner. Scarlet Rosetinch x Greenfinch fCarpodacits erithriiius x Ligurinus cliloris). — M. R. Tomlinson. *These two medals bear the inscrijnion " for breeding in captivity at liakloh. India." t'ih's medal bears the inscription " for breeding C. galerita in a state of controlled liberty." *t.\ny member breeding either of these species for the first time in cage or aviary in this country .will be entitled to medals as per rules. The^ above three medals are special awards to mark notable successes. Deficit and Illustration Funds. These two are in great need of all the. help inembers can give them. The committee acknowledge with best thanks' the following donations : ' -E s. d. Browning, W. H lo o o Harbord, Miss M. L 2 j o Perreau, Mrs. G. A i o o Ouincey, R. de 0 10 o o Sidehottom, Mrs. E. Harrop 10 o y New Members Elected. Rev. H. W. Young, Stone Vicarage, Aylesbury, Ducks. 11ie New York .Zoological Society, 185th, Street and Soutlicrn New York, U.' S. A. Proposed for Election as Member. Miss E. Armsby, The Cottage, Silver Field, Harrogate. By J . \V . Marsdcn. Norman H. \ValIace, Ard Brugh, D.ilkey, Co. Dublin. ^V the Hoik lidttor. The Bird Market. MEMBERS' SALES EXCHANGES AND WANTS. i'XJR .SALE : Young Creen Budgerigars, blue bitd, se.x not guaranteeti. 20S. each. They are strong liealthy birds and if paired together next year should breed some I/Slues. — J. W. Marsclen, Thornhurst, Tewit P;irk, Harrogate. FOR S.'\T>E : Male Rosella, sex guaranteed, Australian born, in perfect plumage, from unheated avfary. — W. H. Workman, Lismore, Windsor Avenue, Belfast, Ireland. FOR SALE: Acclimatised pair of Bank Mynahs 42s.: cocks: Scaly-breastetl Lorikeet, Tdack Tanager and Silky Covvbird.- — Page, Langstone, Ling- field. Surrey. FOR SALE for benefit of Bluslraiion I'und. 'M\Iy Foreign Doves and Pigeons " (Miss R. Alderson) and " Our Search for a Wilderness " (Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Beebe), offers to Hon. lulitor, Langstone. Ling- field; Surrey. W.\NTED : Cock Quail Finch or would sell Hen, lireeder ; also to exchange Hen B.H. Gouldian Finch, for Red-headed cock. FOR SALE: Breed- ing pair of Malabar Mynahs. — H. Bright, Lynion, Eaton" Road. Cress- ington Park. Liverpool. , \V.\NTED : Hen Zebra Finches, would give cocks in exchange to \.ilne. — S. c/o Page, Lang.stone, Lingfleld, 'Surrey. W.ANTED : Cock Desert Trumj^eter lUrlllinch : cock White Si)arro\\ f , ij.^.nr dotncstka j or would sell hen White Sjiarrow. 35s.— Scott, Water.side Co])se, Liphooks, Hants. WANTED : Situation as Aviary Attendant, references to CL E. Rattigan, Iv.sq. and Mrs. Lesmoir, fully experienced in the care of birds. At present in hospital, having lost left hand at the fronts but when fitted with arti- ficianiand will be fully competent to di.scliivrgc all duties as above; age -'1.— .'\pi)ly, H. Moore, c/o Editor " Bird Notes." 33 JULY, 1017. THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. Notices to Members. TiiK Magazine : The Hon. Editor requests from members, nestiiifj; anecdotes or interesting episodes which occur in their aviaries — may he be permitted to decide what is merely trivial? Usually what really in- terests ourselves will interest other bird-loveis. Owing to their importance upon the welfare of the Club members are iiskeil to re-rend the Notices which have appeared in the last three issues. SIDNEY WILLIAMS. Hon. Sec. and Treasurer. WESLEY T. PAGE. Hon. Editor. ■<-¥^^ Deficit and Illustration Funds. Tliese two funds nre in great need of all the help members can give them. Tile committee acknow"'ledge with best thanks the following donations : £ s. d. Harbord. Miss M. L. (sale of gold watch) 4 0 0 <^M^ Changes and Corrections of Address. P^rreau, Mrs. R. A. D. to Treffgarne Hall, Tretfgarne, Pembrokeshire. o^-^ — —- New Members Elected, Miss E. Ormsby, The Cottage, Silver Field, Harrogate. Norman H. Wallace, Ard Brugh, Dalkey, Co. Dublin. 34 The Bird Market. MEMBERS' SALES, EXCHANGES, AND WANTS FOR SALE: Young (Jreen Budgerigars, blue bred, sex not guaranteed, 20S. each. They are strong healthy birds and if paired together next year should breed some Blues.- — ]. W. Marsden, Thornhurst, Tewit Park, Harrogate. FOR SALE : Male Rosella, sex guaranteed, Australian born, in perfect plumage, from unheated aviary. — W. H. Workman, Lismore, Windsor Avenue, Belfast, Ireland. FOR SALE : Acclirnati.sed pair of Bank Mynahs 42s. ; cocks : Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Black Tanager and Silky Cowbird.- — Page, Langstone, Ling- field, Surrey. FOR SALE for benefit of Illustration Fund. " My Foreign Doves and Pigeons " (Miss R. Alderson) and " Our Search for a Wilderness '" (Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Beebe), offers to Hon. Editor, Langstone, Ling- field, Surrey. WANTED : Cock Quail Finch or would sell Hen, breeder ; also to exchange Hen B.H. Gouklian Finch for Red-headed cock. FOR SALE : Breed- ing pair of Malabar Mynahs. — H. Bright, Lynton, Eaton Road, Cress- ington Park, Liverpool. WANTED : Hen Zebra Finches, would give cocks in exchange to value.— S. c/o Page, Langstone, Lingfleld, Surrey. WANTED : Cock Desert Trumpeter Bullfinch ; cock White Sparrow (Passer doniesticaj or would sell hen White Sparrow, 35s. — Scott, Waterside Copse, Liphooks, Hants. WANTED : Situation as Aviary Attendant, references to G. E. Rattigan, Esq. and Mrs. Lesmoir, fully experienced in the cafe of birds. At present in hospital, having lost left hand at the front, but when fitted with arti- ficial hand will be fully competent to discharge all duties as above : age 24. — Apply, PI. Moore, c/o Editor " Bird Notes." WANTED : Adult Hen Rosella or Menly Roselln. from out-door aviary. — Carr, Deramore Drive, Belfast. FOB SALE: Black-headed Nun and St. Helena Waxhill. WANTED: Hen Ribbon, or Red-headed Finch, and a cock Goldfinch ; would ex- change if preferred. — Mrs. Chatterton, 11 Fairfield Road, Hornsev. N..8. WANTED : Hen Leadbeater's Cockatoo. FOR SALE : Cock, Indian Purple Sunhird, in perfect condition and song, 3 guineas. — Miss Clare, 194 Coombe Lane, Wimbledon, S.W.-19. FOR SALE: Young green-blue bred Budgerigars, 20/- each or Ex- change small Parrakeets, liOvebirds or Macaw. — John W. Marsden, Thornhiirst, Tewit Park Harrogate. 35 AUGUST, 1917. THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB Notices to Members. Imi'ortant : We again draw our iiiemlitTs' attention to tlic fact thai all papers and periodicals have largely increased their selling price to th' public, owing to increased costs of production in these war times. Birds Notes is affected in a similar manner, and as the war is not permanent we do not desire to increase. sul)scrii)tion rates — even with reduced bulk and no coloured ijlatcs the co.st of production is very largely in excess of normal times — it would be a far better plan if each meinbcr would send a donation to meet this special cost. We press this n}attcr upon tiu- attention of all who take any real interest in the welfare of the club. U.vi-AiD Subscriptions : There are still a number of these outstanding, even after' allowing for those on active service (many of whom have promptly remitted theirs), and we ask all to remit saine at once to the treasurer, reminding them that ours is a .society which spends all its income (not o single official receives payment of any kind zvliatcvcr) on its Journal, Medals and furthering the cause of aviculture. This leaves us with heavy liabilities to meet reguU^rly, and members" subscrijitions are our only certain income, and wlien these are left outstanding, it not only increases the burden of work of our Honorary ofiicials but makes it unpleasant also. New Mkmbkrs are asked to accept receipt of Bird Notes as notification of election and to kindly remit their subscription (lo/-) and entrance fee (2/6) for the current year to the Hon. Treas. at once. SIDNKY WILLI.^MS. Hon. Sec. and Treasurer. \\'\-.>\.V.\ T. I'ACI'.. Hoi:. J-ditnr. Deficit and Illustration Funds. riiese two funds are in great need of all t!ie !ie!p membc^rs tan give them. The (ommittee acknowledge with best tliaiiks tlie following d(matioiis : £ s. d. .\ .Member (Postage account) 440 Proposed for Election as Members Francis Cadogan ; Lt-Com.. F.Z.S., F.R.c;..^., H.M..S. "Marshal Ney," c/o G.P.O., London, E.G.. i., and at Haliicrop Castle, Fairford. Glos. By the Hon. Editor. A. J. Pollack; Loretto House, Heaton, iSradford, By .1 . W . Marsden. T .F, Wilkinson; 1105 Meridan Avenue, South Pa.sadena, California, U.S.A. By the Hon. Editor. A. Home; " Bonii-na-Coille," Murtle, Aberdeen. By Rev. C. H. Raynor and IV. T. Page. Changes and Corrections of Address. Dr. J. E. Scott; to, iiifrons, Albany Road, Fleet, Hants. Mrs. J. E. Scott; to, Bifrons, Albany Road, Fleet, Hants. Mrs. Cartwrig-ht, to. Hawthorns, Tickhill, Rotlierhani. Wm. Ebrill, to, Greenville, South Circular Road, Limerick, Ireland. E. G. Herbert, to, 60 Squadron, R.F.C.. I5.E.F., France. C. R. Ty*bn, to, 106 Grove Vale, l'"ast Duhvich, S.E. The Bird Market. A'Ikmbeks' Rates: Four words a penny; minimum fourjicnce. Xon- members and displayed rates on application. MEMBERS' SALES, EXCHANGES, AND WANTS FOR SALE ; Acclimatised and perfect Red-naped Lorikeet (c(Kk). 80s — Mrs. Burgess, 52 Clarendon Road, Redland. liristolj. FOR SALE : Aviary-bred Zebra Finches at 25s. per pair — P, J. Calvocure>si. "Holme Hey," Sefton Park, Liverpool. FOR SALE : Acclimatised hen Kosella Pa/rakeet — ^Aliss Haggle, Jirum- combe, Foxcombe Flill, Oxford. FOR SALE : Breeding pair of Red-rumped Parrakeets, €5 5s. .'\lso two half- bred Budgerigars — Miss Clare, 194 Coombe Lane, Winibledon, S.\\'.,i9. FOR SALE: Cross-bred Blue x Green Budgerigars, should throw a few Blues each season, or would exchange to value for Military Macaw — J. \V\ Marsden, Thornhurst, Tewit Park, Harrogate. FOR SALE : Acclimatised pair of Bank Mynahs 42s. ; cocks : Sca!y-l)reasted Lorikeet, Black Tanager and Silky Cowbird.— Page, Langstone, Ling- field, Surrey. FOR SALE for benefit of Illustration Fund. " My Foreig'n Doves and Pigeons " (Miss R. Alderson) and " Our Search for a Wilderness " (Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Reebe), (;ffers to Hon. lulitor, Langs-tone, Ling- field, Surrey. WANTED: 2 hen Longtaik-d Grasstinches. 2 cock Gouldian Finches, hen Parrot Finch, and lame cock Common Partridge. EXCHANGE hen Zebra Finch for another, from outdoor aviary, for change of blood — W. R. Temple, Ormonde, Datchet, Bucks. — WANTl'^D : Long-tailed Glo.s.sy Starling — j. Andrews, (lordon House, Cum- berland Stfeet, Woodliridge, Kent. WANTED : Common Green Budgerigar (cock) — Miss Clare. 194 Coombe Lane, Wimbledon, S. W., 19. WANTED: Military Macaw— j. \\ . Marsden, lliornhurst, Tewit Park, Har- rogate. FOR SALE: Hen Avadavat and hen Guld-breasted Waxbill. also hen Grey lava Sparrow, would exchange latter for cock, or sell two cocks in finecondition, also excliange hen Bengalese for hen SiherbilK For sale, hen Black Headed Nun. All outdoor A\iary. .\. Chatlerton, n Fairfield Road, llornsev, N. 8 SEPTEMBER, 1917. THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. Notices to Members. Imi'Oktant: Members arc requested to carefully peruse the Notices in our last issue, as these have an important bearing on the present and future projjress of the club. SIDNEY WILLIAMS. Hon. Sec. and Treasurer. WESLEY T. PA(iE, Hon. Editor. ^^M-^ Deficit and Illustration Funds. These two funds are in great need of ail the help members can give them. The committee acknowledge witli best thanks the following donations : £ s. d. liainbridge. Lieut. W. A 0 lO o Crow. C. E lie Tavistock. The Marquis of lo o o hens), — A. J. Stephens, 22 Coventry Road. Ilford, S.E. 38 WANTED: Lemon-crested Cockatoo, tame, sociable; a young bird pre- ferred.— Mrs. Harrop-Sidebottom, The Neuk, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire. FOR SALE : Crossbred Blue x Green IJudgerigars, should throw a few Bliles each season, or would exchange to value for Military Macaw. — J. W. Marsdcn, Thornhurst, Tewit Park, Harrogate. FOR SALE for benefit of Illustration Fund. " My Foreign Doves and Pigeons " (Miss R. Alderson) and " Our Search for a Wilderness " (Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Beebe), offers to Hon. Editor, Langstone, Ling- field, Surrey. FOR SALE : Budgerigars, Blue-bred 20s. each, Common Greens 12s. Od. pair, Yellows, 14s. 6d. pair. Also acclimatised pairs of Tui Parrakeets and Black-faced Lovebirds, CanarieSj etc. — Mrs. J. H. Buri^ess, 52, Clarendon Road, Redland, Bristol. FOR SALE : Acclimatised pairs of Black-headed Coiiures £3 ; Red-Speckled Conures, £4; Petz's Conures, £4: Moustache Parrakeets, 40s.; Green Fruit-Pigeons, 50s. ; Green Fruit-suckers, £5 ; Jackson's Whydahs, £5. Also 4 young Red-crested Pochards, £3 lot; 5 young hybrid (.h\\\ x English Widgeon, £4 lot. ' All acclimatised and in fine condition. — W. Shore Baily, Boyers House, Westbury, Wilts. FOR SALE : Acclimatised, from outdoor aviary. Hybrid Bib Finch x Bengalese, 5s. pair; also the parents of above. Pair Rniicmdi Fnul.es, several Nuns, etc. — Mrs. Storey, Summer Hill, Tarporley. Cheshire. FOR SALE : Acclimatised pair of Red-spotted Conures, also perfect cock Adelaide Parrakeet ; all from outdoor aviaries, good home essential. — Miss M. Drummond, Mains of Megginch, Errol, Perthshire. FOR SALE : 3 fine young Pennant's Parrakeets 40s. each ; pair Red Rosalias 70s.; cock Crimson-wing, £6; cock Barraband's, £6; cock Cape Dove, 12s. 6d. ; 2 cock Zebra Finches, 7s. 6d. each. — T. Hebb, Brooklea, Do^ft-ns, Luton, Beds. FOR SALE: 5 vols, of " Bird Notes," 35s. lot; " Cage Bird Hybrids." by Houlton, 5s.; "Foreign Birds for Cage or Aviary," part 1, by Butler, 5s.; Wright's Book of Poultry, 7s. 6d. ; all as new. — J. Goodchild, Clare, Suffolk. FOR SALE: Specially prepared and finely ground silkworm pupse meal; for birds or poultry. — W. T. Page, Langstone, Lingfield, Surrey. FOR SALE: Acclimatised Hooded Parrakeet, £10 or near offer; young cock Hooded Parrakeet, £6 10s. ; pair of breeding Red-rump Parra- keets, £5; Champion bred Italian Greyhounds, 5 months old, 2 bitches, £3 10s. each, dog, £4 10s. — Miss Clare, 194, Coonibe Lane, Wimbledon, S.W., 19. OCTOBER, 1917. THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. Correspondence. IS THE PIN-TAILED WHYDAH PARASITIC? Sir. — To Dr. Ilopkinson's implied query vide pages 212-4 of this issue, I can only offer indefinite evidence. I saw the young- Whydah referred to while staying with Mrs. Anningson shortly after it had made its exit igom the nest. Mrs. Anningson was unable to say definitely which nest it had emerged from, but pointed out a nest, the domicile of a pair of Ribbon Finches, as the one, judging from the behaviour of Jhe young bird, it had come from, and as the result of two days observations of its movements, I concurred in her opinion. Both the Pintails watched over it and occasionally fed it, as. also did the Ribboji Finches. This evidence is, I admit, very inconclusive, but it certainly points to the fact of the Pintail as being a parasitic species. It also introduces another interesting feature, that in captivity (in this individual case at any rate), if not in its native wilds, its legitimate parents took an inter- est in their offspring and actually fed it irregularly — at the time I cross- questioned Mrs. Anningson closely concerning the rearing of this bird, but she could supply scarcely any details, as the youngster was ;i 1)rancher before she was cognisant of its e.xistence. It would be of great interest if our members generally would keep this species amid a mixed collection in a roomy garden aviary, till they succeed in breeding it, and thus supply the lacking data. Tliere appears to be no room for doubt that the s]>ecies is parasitic. Lingfield. October 9th, 1917. W. T. PAGE. Notices to Members. Aviary Episodes and Nesting Notes : Very few accounts of these have been sent in this yeiir, which is a matter of regret. It would, add greatly to the interest of the Club Journal if there were many more of these, especially if weather and nature of soil were noted, more particularly with unsuccessful attempts of species to reproduce their kind. New Members: As we are rapidly nearing the end of another ckil) year, the present is a good time to make an effort to increase our roll — bv the time the war ends there will be many gaps to fill — it is only by the united efforts of all our members that any continuous increase can be obtained, and we pressingly urge each member to make the Club and its Objects known to all birds keepers and lovers, whether of British or Foreign species. SIDNEY WILLIAMS, Hon. Sec. and Treasurer. WESLEY T. PAGE, Hon. Editor. 4". Deficit and Illustration Funds. These two funds are in great need of all the help members can give them. The committee acknowledge with best thanks the following donations : € s. d. Henderson, Mrs. o ii o Thorburn. Miss (op. sub.) 020 Urwick, D. .- i o o Wimble, Chas 1 lo 0 The Bird Market. Members' Rates: Four words a penny: minimum fourpence. Non- members and displayed rates on application. MEMBERS' SALES, EXCHANGES, AND WANTS FOR SALE: Bird Notes, Vols. 2 to 8 (ist series), 4 parfls missing; also vols. I to 7 (second series) complete, what ofifers. — E. W. Chaplin, Great Amwell, Herts. FOR SALE : Acclimatised pair of Speckled (Euop's) Conures, also Port Ade- laide Parrakeet. In perfect condition and thoroughly acclimatised. Offers to— Miss M. Drummond, Mains of Megginch. Errol, Perthshire. FOR SALE : Cock Rosella, and hen Blue-winged I^ovebird. Offers to — R. Baines. 6 Toronto Street, Lincoln. FOR SALE : 9 young Green Budgerigars at 5s. each ; and two young Cockateels los. 6d. each. All July hatched, from a heated outdoor aviary, quite hardy. — Mrs. Sebag Montefiore, East Cliff Lodge, Ramsgate. FOR SALE : Crossbred Blue x (ireen Budgerigars, shoukl throw a few Blues each season. — J. W. Marsden, Thornhurst, Tewit Park, Harrogate. F(^R SALE : Specially prepared and finely ground pupce meal; for birds or poultry.— W. T. Page, Langstone, Lingfield, Surrey. I-'OR SALE : Diamond Dove (cock) 25s. : Paradise Whydah (cock), 12s. 6d. ; Orange Weaver (cock, in full colour), 12s. 6d. ; Zebra Finch (cock), 7s. bd. ; very fine Crimson-wing Parrakeet (cock), .£5 Jos., or would exchange for hen. — Hebb, Brooklea. The Downs, Luton, Beds. Fr)R SALE: Very nice small Capuchin Monkey (male), dark brbwn, good coat, healthy and clean, ,€5.— ^Hebb, Brooklea, The Downs, Luton, Beds. I'OR SALE: Young Cockateels ids. 6d. each; also young Budgerigars, 5s. 6d. each, all bred in outdoor aviary. — Mrs. Chatterton, 11 Fairfield Road, Crouch l\nd, London. \.. ect Avenue.- Sontli Pasadena, California, U.S.A. Changes and Corrections of Addre ss Mrs. M. A. Kewley (fornurlx . A l.ee), Batt's Hotel, Dover Str. I.oiuioii. The Bird Market. MiiiiBKKs' Ratks : Four word,- a ijvnnv,;. inii;imum tourpcnce. Xoii iiKiiihers ami disi)layecl rates on application. ' ■ • MEMBERS' SALES, EXCHA,H&jES, AJ4D WA^Tg l()l\ -SALE: I'"ine pair Tyi Parr.iktrts, 50s.; Red-collared Lorikeet, 4u>. ; pair Doves (Necklace cock and Siufgal lien), 20s. the ]>:nv. AH acclimat- ised.— Miss Peddic-Waddcll, 4, (iic.it Stuart Street, Edinburgh. !•' ':' S.M.'"' : Wry line pair Stanley i'arrakeets, own breedinij-, from cnv ]■> -r aviary. — J. Smith, Woodlands, Kendal. tOk S.ALl'l : [heeding- j)air Red-ninip Parrakcels. outdoors, 50s.; mh!- pair, indoors, 30s.; no dealer '' T.ivisiock, Warhling-lon llo'.;-,. Havant, ?Iant. I'OR Sale : Magpie Mannikin, i'lirce-coloured Mannikin, and Spice Einch . or would EXCHANGE for young Zebra Finches — two hens and one cock \v..ntcJ. — Mrs. Chatterton^ 11, Fairfield Road. Crouch End, London, >' S. WANTED: I'.lue Ikidg-erigar. — Hon. .Mrs. (;. Bourke. (irt'cnlani h;mi, I lucks. WjVNTED to EXCHANGE : IncUan Shamah, very perfect, tanle, young, <.\;.ir'/ bied.this \-ear's cock, for another cock, not too old to breed, » introduce new blood.— ( ; 1 14. Royal. Terrace luist, Kingslown. Irel.ind. New Series. JANUAUT* lff'17. Vol vni., M: 1, ^Ni r^ ■'V^ rc-::^ >? t^^-i^ .j^: ri >i^4 All RigK>s ReseTVfcd. Price Ye, AnAaoJ Sahscrjph'o/\. IRD v.^J y>\ :h /A \\\\ ^^ NOTES THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB £d/}'ed i;y6y Wesley T. Pa^e. ?.ZS.^ hi. ASHBODKNE Printed and PrbU^ed by J. B. HUfSTOCK. AviM Prect CONTENTS, 1917 By the Editor. Breeding of Sidney Waybills ... By Mrs. Stanley Gardiner 'Mjn Breeding Experiences— igi 6... By Mrs. C. A. Longden. Baklah Aviary Notes—Part IV. ...y By Major G. A. Perreau, F.Z.S. ; Birds Feeding at Night By R. Tomlinson. Hybrid Breeding -By W. Shore Baily. Frtim All Sources, Early Experiences By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., Etc, Post Mortem Reports. Th» eonditioM npom whieh Umm will b* atd* \j ICr. HT* OBAT, M£.0.V.8., 28, Uppw PMllmen Fl»«, Kea«lmfto», LoadMi W^ »!• M follows:— (1) Tho birds mmt bo oonl immtAimtAy olkr doatk. (2) They mutt bo pookod im a box, (8) Th« Lttttr accompamifmff thtm Miuf vox h» phtti Im tk$ ioa mloHg with th« bird, (M.B.— UnlMi tho obovo eonditioai on ooafllod with iko pook- ogoo will bo destroyed withoni oxoaiaotioa). (4) Tho lettor must dotoil at fmr m$ fmikU oil fortioulon (a) Doto of dootk* ih) Loagih of UImso. («) Symptoms of lUa«io« (d) Lodgment aad foodiaf of birds, Mii (e) &peeioUy as t* whether egg food or iagm seed has beoa givoii* (6) The work will be doae grotuitouly, ood o report pub- AMh*A in Bird Notu, but undtr no eircumsUuuu whatm/tr mill a fport h$ tmtt by pott unlttt • ftt of 8s. 6d. teompmitt tht Mtar mnI bird. Pressure of work eompels Mr. Oroy to moke this an iarariablo rolo, end it applies to ail Ifombon, whothor thoy aro forsoaaUz a*^ taakiM with kim or aol, New Series. 3, FEBRUARY, 1917. ■K^,^ Vol. vni., No. 2. ^\^ !\>' 's^;'-c.--^! •^!^^^^ !j^\- ^ l'-^ "'FKiv' 'C< ^ >^ m All RijK>s Reserved. Price Ife, AnnaeJ Sahscrjph'o7\ m\ I VN\''. \.}\. ■WuV, .» J 7- /y .' .V ' % NOTES THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB Wesley T. Pexge, RZ.S.eKv % \\\ w^ ^Vl^./ ^15^. ashbodrnb: Printed «Md PrblJthed by J, H. BKNSTOCK, Avif n Pre«« d6fJfE;NTs, JSesiing of the Black-breasted Mexica?i Qimil By W. SHORE Baily. Earlj^ Experiences By Wesley T. Page; F.Z.S., Etc. Private Importation of Indian Birds in 1916 By Wesley T. Pagr, F.Z.S., Etc. Book Notices and Beviews. From Far and Near. CoRRESPONDtNCE: Hybrid Hmvfinch X Bullfinch; Breedtng Blue Budgerigars. Post Mortem Reports. BH The conditions upon which theie will be made by Mr. HY. iJEAY, M.R.C.V.S., 23, Upper PhiUimore Place, Kengington, Loadoa, W., *r» tM followg : — (1) The birds must be sent immediately after death. (2) They must be packed in a box. {31 The Letter accompanying them tnutt VOT hit plaetd i» the box afong with th* bird» CH.Ii. — Unleaa the abore conditiona are eoir.plied with tXa pfiak- &ge« will be destroyed without examination). (4) The letter must detail oi far a$ pcuibU all partloularB «A to — (a) Date of death. (b) Length of illneaa. (o) Symptoma of illneaa. {d) Lodgment and feeding of birda, ftai (c) Especially aa to whether egg food or inga aeed haa boea giran. (5) The work will be done gratuitooaly. and a report pub- lAahed in Bird Noiet, but under no cireutnttaneeM whatev0r will a rtport b» sent b]/ post unlesa a fet of 2s. 6d. aeeomptmiu th$ Itttf att4 hird. Pressure of work oompeli Mr. Oray to make thia an invariable raU, and it applies to all Members, whether ihey are personalljr ••- ^uaiimlhid with hint or net. ^ '''^^Z '^■^N, Vol. vin., Mo. 3, \f^f. f ^ p c« •^-? J./1-1, ^' ^k mM All Rid Kls Re sewed. Price Vg. Ar\r\adJ Suhscrj'ph'or< IRD / ^ x> ;. ''/VU •^. //' v\\\ NOTES 7/Se c/ociP/M),) ^o/<* THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB }\\, Wesley t. Pavje, F.Z.S.eW K ^im^' ASHBOURNE Printfrf BPd Prblished by J. H. KKNSTOCK, Avian Press GONTENTS. Some Toacans ... B» Wislev T. Page, F.2S., Etc., and G. F. Leach; F.Z.S.. Some Dovet I Have Kept Bv Wm. Smo»e Baiut. Early Experiences Bv Wssunr T. Pack, F.Z.S., Etc. Whlfe-ihroaled Sparrow ... RspkintilD »om " Amkiican Oknitholocy " ro» 1901. I _,■ Editokial. CoRREsroNOENCE : — Breeding Blue Budgerigars. Post Mortem Reports. Th^ conditions upon which these will be made by Mr. HY. GRAY, J|f .R.C.V.S.. 23, Upper Pbillimore Place, Kensington, London, W., are as fotlcws : — (i) The birds must be sent immediately after death. (2) They must be packed in a box. (3) The Letter accompanying them must mot be placed in the b«x along with the birdi (N.B. — Unless the above conditions are complied with the packages will be destroyed without examination). (4) The letter must detail as far as possible rII particulars as to — (a) Date of death. (b) Length of illness. (c) Symptoms of illness. {d) Lodgment and feeding of birds, and {e) Especially as to whether egg food or inga seed has been given. (5) The work will be done gratuitously, and a report puShshed in Blri Notes, but under no circumstances whatever will a report be. sent by post unless a fee of 2s. 6d. accompanies the letter and bird. Pres- sure of work compels Mr. Gray to make this an invariable r\ile, and it applies to all Members, whether they are personally acquainted with him or not. MEMORANDA FOR MEMBERS. Azuaual SubacriptioQ to Members 30g., due on the ist January in each year. A new Volnme commences every Januarjr. All Subscriptions should be sent to the Hpn. Treasurer, SIDN£Y WILLIAMS, F.Z.S., Oakleigh no; Riverway Palmere Green; .London; N.I3 All dead birds for posl mortem examinations should be sent to H. (GRAY, M.R.C.V.S., 23, Upper Phillimore Place, London^ W, AH MSS. for publication in Bird Notes, and Books for Review, Proposals for New Members, Advertisements for " The Bird Market," and claims for Breeding Medals, should be sent to the Hon. Editor, W. T. Page, F.Z.S., etc., " Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All enquiries as to the treatment of Birds should be sent to the following gentlemen: Parrots and Parrakeets, H. T^ Camps, F.Z.S., Linden House, Haddenham, Isle of Ely ; Insectivorous, Frugivorous, and Small Seed-eating Birds, W. T. Page, F.Z.S., " Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All Letters referring to the above identification of birds must con- tain a penny stamp for replf. All applications for Show Medals and enquiries re Shows should be *€nt to Mr. S. M. TOWNSEND, 3, Swift Street, FulhamJ London, S.W, All bther Correspondence, Changes of Address, etc., should be sent to the Hon. Business Secretary, SIDNEY WILLIAMS, F.Z.S., Oakleigh, Jio Riverway, Palmers Green, London, N.13. This Magaxine is printed and published by J. H. HENSTOCK^ "^vian Press," Market Place, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, to whom all orders for ^ack numbers and bound volumes (with remittance) should be sent.^ All correspondence, MSS., etc. (also remittances) relating to TRADE! ADVERTISEMENTS should be sent to the publisher, J. H. HENSTOCK, who will quote rates and transact all business connected therewith. Also all complaints re non-delivery of the Magazine. An Illustration Fund is kept open for the purpose of increasing the number of plates, other than the regular income of the Club providee; for. The smallest donation will be thankfully received for this object by the Hon Treasurer. Ail Members not receiving their copies of Bird Notes by the aoth of each month should at once write the Publisher, complaining of the oimission . BINDING COVERS. A New Binding Case in Art Linen, of Handsome Design is now ready Cases as- 3d. post free. The Publisher will bind the Volume^ complete for 3s. 9d. post free. ,The Publisher undertakes the Binding of Volumes in the Club Cases praiay other style of Binding as may be desired. BOUND VOLUMES OF ''BIRD NOTES.' Volume I. is out of print, Volumcj II. and III., there remains only t f'-u' rnnifs to Members and Associates (each)- 21 ,To Membera (aaoK) IT • To Othera SI 0 fkwa for Binding Vola. 1. %, 8, 4, 5. 6, 7, and 8 nay \» had ptim la. 8d. poit free. Caeei fo- Binding Vols i. a, 3, 4, 5, And 6 (New Seriei^ to be obtained from the Publiiber, la. 8d. poet frae. Wk» Pnbliaher, J. H. Henatock, "Avian Freaa," Aahbourna. wiU h» pleated to Bind Members' Copies at 3a. 3d., Including Caf«r aotf return |)0«tng«« w.r . ■ ' ■•■ ' ■■'■ ' ■ " -.ss. JUST PUBLfSHEO. SPECIES tie Reared Young and HYBRIDS g Been 5red in Captivity in Great Britain. BY WESLEY T. PAGE, F.Z.S., M.B.N.H.S.. Systematically arranged according to Dr. Gadow's Classification slightly revised. ♦ ILLUSTRATED. INTERLEAVED. IN CLOTH. MEDIUM 8vo. 2s. 6d., Net. By Post 2s. 9d. ' ;{ Hbnstock. 'Vvv. .'-IAN Prbs*^ ■■M-, MEMORANDA FOR MEMBERS. Aaaul 8«ki«rifkioB t* IfamUn 10»n Am •> Ik* lit •! JaAmain ▲ N««r Voiaa* Maatows •vaiy Jtavux. ▲11 SatetriptiMf theald b* Mnt to lk« Ho&. 1^>tiir«r, BIDKJR P^ILLIlifS. T.Z.B., Oftkkifh, 110, Birtw^j, P»lm«n Oi««b, IiM)> ▲U dtad birds for |io«/ morl«« •z»miB»tiftBa cboigld b* mbI •• H. 0£AY, If Jl.O.V.8., 3a. Upper PMllimoN PUm. Leadoii. W. All MSS. for pabliMtion ta Btri ifottt, and Book* for RarUv, Propoaals for Nov Hoabtn, AdTtrtiMflMBto for " Tbo Bird Marlnt,'* •ad dkia* for BrMdiag llodali, iboald bo Mat to tbo Hon. Eklitor, W. T'. ?AG£, F.Z.S., etc., " Lanfstone," Linffield ; All oaqtiirioo m to tko trootmoat of Birds ohoald bo ooal It Iko folloviag geatlemea : P»rroU and Parrakaeto, H. T. Oampo, 91.2.8^ Lladaa Houm, Haddenham, IsU of Ely ; InMotiTorooa, VmgiToroas, mm4 SBall 8ood-oating Birda, W. T. Pago, F.Z.8., " Langstone," Lingndd. Surrey. •** All L$tttr$ rtftrrmg t9 tht «(av« UmtifUaUom of Mrli mm»t tenfaMi a pmny tUntp for rtfly. All application* for Show Medals and onqniri** r* Shows *lioaIi ba aaa« to Mr. 8. M. TOWKSBND. 8. Sirift 8tr*et, Fnlhaa, LondM^ t.W.. All othor CorrMpondeno*, CThangaa of Addrass, ato., should bi s«ai to th* Hon. Business Seeretarj, SIDNBY WILLIAMS, 7.Z.ti« Qakloigh, 110 Birerway, Palmers Oreen, London, N. This Magasin* is printed and published by J. H. HBNSXOOl^ '* ATiaa Prass," Markst Plao*, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, to whom all ordan lee bade auabers and bound Tolumas (with remittance) should ba aaniL AU oorrespondenoo, MSB., ete. (also remittanoes) Mlatinf 1% XRABB ADVEBTISEMENTS should b* sent to the publisher, J« H. HSNSTOOK, who will quota rates and transact all business wmn ■aatsd therewith. Also all oomplaints re non -delivery of the Magasia<« An ninstration Fund Im kept open for the purpoae af inareaa^ lag the number of plates, other than the regular income of the 01«H proTida* for. The emallest" donation will be thankfully reoeiTod fei this objeet by the Hon. Treasurer. All members not reoeiWng their copiea of Bird Notts by Hi SOth of each month ehould at ono* write tb* Publisher, oomplaiaiag •d the omission. _ BINDING COVERS. A New Binding Case in Art Linen, of Handsome Design, is now ready Cases 2/3 post free. The Publisher will bind thn Volume complete for 3/9 post free. The Publisher undertakes the Binding of Voluasa in tha OI«li> ar any ather style of Binding as teay be de*irad« r BOUND VOLUMES Of **BIRJ> NOTES.' V«lam« I. is out of prist. •. 4* Volume II. and III., ih«re remaioi o>Ij a (av aopiM, to Members oad Awooiateo (eoeh) tl § Velnmee IV. and V. toith Hand-eoloured PlatMi— To Members ond AaiocUteo (aoeh) 10 i To Other* IB t Voioma* VI.. VII., oad VUI, mth Hand-eoUmrtd Platts:-^ To Member* ond AssoaUtea (each) 16 ^ To Others «0 0 mW SERIES. Volume I. out of print rolimefl n., UI.. IV. and V.— To Members (oatlt) IT C To Othera ,...., S8 Q Omos for Binding Vols. 1. 2, 3. 4, 6, 9, T, and 9 aaj b* had prioo It. 8d. post free. Cases to- Binding Vols i, 3, 3, 4. 5, and 6 (New Series^ to bo obtained fiom ttfc Publisher, is. 8d. post free. tk» Pttbliaher, J. H. Henskock, "Avian Preaa," Ashbourne, vill bo pleased to Bind Members* Copies at 39. 3d., includiag Cover kn4 return t>o«raf e. trr- :: . ' ' - '':',, ■-.■■, ' ..: JUST PUBLISHED. SPECIES tve' Reared Young and HYBRIDS tl? Been Bred in Captivity in Great Britain. BY WESLEY T. PAGE, F.Z.S., M.B.N.H.S., Systematically arranged according to Dr. Gadow's Classification slightly revised. ♦ ILLUSTRATED. INTERLEAVED. JN CLOTH. MEDIUM 8vo. 2s. 6d., Net. By Post 2s. 9d, J. H. Henbtock. Thi Avian Pkbbs," Asubourkb New Series. APRIL, 1917. Vol. VIII., M«. 4. NOTES THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB Wesley T. Pe^^e, F.Z.S.^ Pu&)/sAea a^hJ-Mz /S^^eixcAmondA^ ASHBODUfI rriatcd Mtf P»bU«feed by i. H. HUOTOCX. AtIm PrcM CONTENTS. » . Successful Breeding of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos By H. Whitley. , Private Importation of Indian Birds... B\ Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., Etc. Some Doves I Have Kept By W. Shore-Baily. Notes on Breeding Ye How -Ramped Serin X St. Helena Seed- \eater Hybrid By Miss E. F/Chawner Birds of ' British, Guiana ... By Chas. Dawson, S.J., M.A. (Oxon). I Early Experiences By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S. Editorial: Queen Alexandra Parrakeets; Banded Crake; Some Biras o' Gurdaspur District. Obituary, T>:?r.T. Post Mortem Reports. Thi conditions upon which these will be made by Mr. HY. GRAY, M.R.C.V.S.. 2.3, Upper PhilJimore Place, Kensington, London, W., are as follows : — (i) The birds must be sent immediately .ifter death. (2) They must be packed in a box. (3) The Letter accompanying them must not be placed in the b»x along with tlie birdi (N.B. — Unless the above conditions are complied with the packag^es will be destroyed without examination). (4^ The letter must detail as far ms possible all ^rticulars as t* — (a) Date of death. (&) Length of illness. (c) Symptoms of illness. (^ <^K^< d' i^ ','/' 'scriph'or\. \> IRD NOTES THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB Wesley T. Pev^e, F.Z.S.eH V^S»JJ ASHEOURM2 Printe;^ and Prblished by J. H. HENSTOCK. Avian Pre* CONTENTS. The Greer Woodpecker (Gecinus viridis) ... By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., Etc. TJie Blackbird thai Blighted My Ufe ... By B. T. Stewart. Tfie Orchard Finch {Phrygilus fruiticeti) ... By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., Etc. My Aviary Room and its Occu parity ... By Mrs. IVI. A. BUR(5ESS. The Story of ]obo ByE. Maud Knobel. Private Importation of Indian Birds... B\ Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., Etc. Birds of British Guiana ... By Chas. Dawson^ S.J., M.A. (OXON). Editorial : Queen Alexandra Parrakeet; Young Yellow- winged Sugar-bird. Correspondence: To Abolish Rats and Mice. British Bird Calendar. Obituary. Inset. Post Mortem Reports. Tk^ conditions upon which these will be made by Ifr. HY. GRAY, M.R.C.V.S.. 23, Upptr Phillimore Place, Kensington, London, W., are as foUoms : — (1) The birds must be sent immediately after death. (2) They must be packed in a box. (3) The Letter accompanying them must not be placed in the b»x 4tlong with the birdi (N.B. — Unless the above conditions are complied with the packages will be destroyed without examination). (4) The letter mast detail as far as possible all particulars as t« — (a) Date of death. (b) Length of illness, (f) Symptoms of illness. (d) Lodgment and feeding «f birds, and {e) Especially as to whether egg food or inga seed has been gives. (5) The work will be done gratuitously, and a repert pufilisfaed in Bird Notes, but under no circumstances whatever will a report be sent by, post unless a fee of 2s. 6d. accompanies the letter and bird. Pres- sure of work compels Mr. Gray to make this ao invariable rtile, aad it applies to all Members, whether they are persoaally acquainted with him or n«t. New Series. JDNE, 1017. Vol. VIII., Mo. S. ^? \ iVj... ,v\A'-hr' *^;l#i Ar\r\aeJ Suhscrfph'op< ?o r\0A-/we7r\l>eps,j"'' BIRD / .^ : ^ ' \y '/I 'I, ,n t NOTES THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB Wesley T. Pev^e, F.Z.S.^ A\X, ASHBOUJRHI Printftd and Prblished by J. H. KEMSTOCK. Avian Press CONTENTS. ♦,— - The Spectacled Owl {Syrv Miss E. F. Chawner. Across the Channel By Lieut. F'rank Dawson-Smith. Birds of Queensland By A. Weston. Bird fJfe in the Firing Line ... By Dr. N. S. Lucas. R.A.M.C. Early Experiences By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., Etc. Aviary Notes, iqij By H. E. Bright. The Birds of British Guiana ... By Chas. Dawson, S.J.. M.A. (Oxon). Ideas on Breeding, and Origin of Blue Budgerigars By J. W. Marsden. Editorial : — White-cheeked finch-Lark Etc. : Nesting Notes; Obituary; The Club's Medals. Correspondence: — An Australian Aviary; Aviary Notes; Keeping Magpie in Cage, Etc. British Bird Calendar. Inset. Post Mortem Reports. Th^ conditions upon which these will be made by Mr. HY. GRAY, M.R.C.V.S.. 23, Upper Phillimore Place, Kensington, London, W'., are as follows : — (\) The birds must be sent immediately after death. (2) They must be packed in a box. (3) The Letter accompanying them must not be placed in the box along with the birdi (N.B. — Unless the above conditions are complied with the packages will be destroyed without examination). (4) The letter must detail as far as possible all particulars as to — (a) Date of death. {b) Length of illness. {c) Symptoms of illness. (d) Lodgment and feeding of birds, and {e) Especially as to whether egg food or ing^ seed has been given. (5) The work will be done gratuitously, and a report published in Biri Notes, but under no circumstances whatever will a report he sent by post unless a fee of 2s. 6d. accompanies the letter gad bird. Pres- sure of work compels Mr. Gray to make this an invariable r^Jle, and it applies to all Members, whether they are personally acquainted with hioi or MEMORANDA FOR MEMBERS. ♦ Annual Subscription to Members los., due on the ist January in each year. A new Voiume commences every January. All Subscriptions should be sent to the Hon. Treasurer, SIDNEY WILLIAMS, F.Z.S., Oakleigh no; Riverway Palmers Green; London; N.13 All dead birds for post mortem examinations should be sent to H. ,GRAY, M.R.C.V.S., 23, Upper Phillimore Place, London, W. All MSS. for publication in Bird Notes, and Books for Review, Proposals for New Members, Advertisements for " The Bird Market," and claims for Breeding Medals, should be sent to the Hon. Editor. W. T. Page, F.Z.S., etc., " Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All enquiries as to the treatment of Birds should be sent to the following gentlemen: Parrots and Parrakeets, H. T. Camps, F.Z.S., Lindea House, Haddenham, Isle of Ely; Insectivorous, Frugivorous, and Small Seed-eatinj Birds, VV. T. Page, F.Z.S., " Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All Letters re/erring to the above identification of birds must con- tain a penny stamp for reply. All applications for Show Medals and enquiries re Shows should be sent to Mr. S. M. TOWNSEND, 3, Swift Street, Fulham, London, S.W. All other Correspondence, Changes of Address, etc., should be sent to the Hon. Business Secretary, SIDNEY WILLIAMS, F.Z.S., Oakleigh, no Riverway, Palmers Green, London, N.13. This. Magazine is printed and published by J. H. HENSTOCKy "Avian Press," Market Place, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, to whom all orders for back numbers and bound volumes (with remittance) should be sent. AL correspondence, MSS., etc. (also remittances) relating to TRADE ADVERTISEMENTS should be sent to the publisher, J. H. HENSTOCK, who will quote rates and transact all business connected therewith. Also all complaints re non-delivery of the Magazine. An Illustration Fund is kept open for the purpose of increasing the number of plates, other than the regular income of the Club provides for. The smallest donation will be thankfully received for this object by the Hon Ireasurer. Ail members not receiving their copies of Bird Notes by the 20th of each month should at once write the Publisher, complaining of the omission. BINDING COVERS. A New Binding Case in Art Linen, of Handsome Design is now ready Cases 2s. 3d. post free. The Publisher will bind the Volume complete for 3s. gd. post free. The Publisher undertakes the Binding of Volumes in the Club €hM)S* »raa|r other style «f Bindiag as may be desirod. BOUND VOLUMES OF * BIRD MOTES." Volume I. it out of print. Volumes II. and III., there remains only a few copie* ; to Members and Associates (each) 21 o- Volumes IV and V. with Hand-coloured Plates: — To Members and Associates (each) 10 o Tc other 15 • Volumes VI., VII., and VIII., with Hand-coloured Plates: — To (Members and Associates (each ) 15 o To Others ao o NEW SERIES, Volume I., out of print. Volumes II., III., IV. and V. — To Members (each) 17 i To Others 33 o Cases for Binding Vblg. i, a, 3, 4 ; 5 ; 6 ; 7 ; and 8 may be had at price IS 8d. post free. Cases for Binding Vols- i, 2, 3. 4; 5; and 6 (New Series; to be obtained from the Publisher, is. 8d. post free. . . The Publisher, J. H. Henstock, "Avian Press," Ashbourne; will be pleased to Bind Members' Copies at 33. 3d., including Cover and return f)ostage. JUST PUBLISHED. SPECIES tlf Reared Young and HYBRIDS S Been Bred in Captivity in Great Britain. BY WESLEY T. PAGE, F.Z.S., M.B.N.H.S., Systematically arranged according to Dr. Gadow's Classification slightly revised. ILLUS'I'RATED. INTERLEAYKD. IN CLOTH. MEDIUM 8vo. 2s. 6d.. Net. By Post 2s. 9d. T H. Henstocc The Avian Press," Asiibottrne MEMORANDA FOR MEMBERS. Annual Subscription to Members ics., due on the ist January 4n each year. A new Volume commences every January. All Subscriptions should be sent to the Hon. Treasurer, SIDNEY WILLIAMS, F.Z.S., Oakleigh no; Rivervray • Palmers Green; London; N.13 .Ml dead birds for post mortem examinations should be sent to H. f^RAV, M.R.C.V.S., 23, Upper Phillimore Place, London, W. All MSS. for publication in Bird Notes, and Books for Review, Proposals for New Members, Advertisements for " The Bird Market," and claim» for Breeding Medals, should be sent to the Hon. Editor. W. T. Page, F.Z.S., etc., " Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All enquiries as to the treatment of Birds should be sent to the following gentlemen : Parrots and Parrakeets, H. T. Camps, F.Z.S., Lindea House, Haddenham, Isle of Ely; Insectivorous, Frugivorous, and Small Seed-eatinj Birds, \V. T. Page, F.Z.S., "Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All Letters referring to the above identification of birds must con- tain a penny stamp for reply. All applications for Show Medals and enquiries re Shows should be sent to Mr. S. M. TOWNSEND, 3, Swift Street, Fulham; London, S.W. All other Corre'^pondence, Changes of Address, etc., should be sent to the Hon. Busintss Secretary, SIDNEY WILLIAMS, F.Z.S., Oakleigh, no Riverway, Palmers Green, London, N.i3. Thij. Magazine is printed and published by J. H. HENSTOCKj *' Avian Press," Market Place, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, to whom all order« for back numbers and bound volumes (with remittance) should be sent. AL correspondence, MSS., etc. (also remittances) relating to TRADE ADVERTISEMENTS should be sent to the publisher, J. H. HENSTOCK, "who will quote rates and transact all business connected therewith. Also all complaints re non-delivery of the Magazine. An Illustration Fund is kept open for the purpose of increasing the number of plates, other than the regular income of the Club provide* for. The smallest donation will be thankfully received for this object by the Hon Treasurer. Ail Incmbcrs not receiving their copies of Bird Notes by the 20th of each month should at once write the Publisher, complaining of the emission. BINDING COVERS. A New Binding Case in Art Linen, of Handsome Design is now ready Cases 3s. 3d. post free. The Publisher will bind the Volume complete for 3s. gd. post free. The Publisher undertakes the Binding of Volumes in the Cl«b Cases or a ny other style of Binding as may be desired. BOUND VOLUMES Ol' ''BIRD NOTES," Volume I. is out ol print. Volume;. II. and III., there rcmainb only a few copies; to Members and Associates (each) 21 o> Volumes IV and V. with Hand-coloured Plates: — To Members and Associates (each) *io o- Tc other IS • Volumes VI., VII., and VIII., with Hand-coloured Plates:— To ^embers and Associates (each ) 15 o To Others 20 o- NEW SERIES, Volume I., out of print. Volume.; II., III., IV. and V.— To Members (each 17 6 To Others 23 o Cases for Binding Vols, i, 2, 3, 4 : 5 : G ; 7 ; and S may be had at price IS 8d. post free. Cases, for Binding Vols, i, 2, 3. 4 ; 5 ; and 6 (New Series ; to be obtained from the Publisher, is. 8d. post free. , . The Publisher, J. H. Henslock, "Avian Press," Ashbourne; will be pleased to Bind Members' Copies at 3s. 3d., including Cover and return postage. JUST PUBLISHED. SPECIES tlf Reared Young and HYBRIDS g Been bred in Captivity in Great Britain. UY WESLEY T. PAGE, F.Z.S., M.B.N.H.S., Systematically arranged according to Dr. Gadow's Classification slightly revised. I r.LUS'l'RATEI). INTERLEAVED. 1^ CLOTH. I^IEDIUM 8vo. 2s. 6d., Net. By Post 2s. 9d. ; H JlKNil.VW 1 .' ''i " .'iSHnOURNE MEMORANDA FOR M£MB£RS. Annu&l Subscription to Members los., due on the ist January in each year. A new Volume cvmmences every January. All Subscriptions should be sent to the Hon. Treasurer, SIDNEY WILLIAMS, F.Z.S., Oakleigh no; Riverway • Palmers Green; London; N.13 All dead birds for post rnortem examinations should be sent to H. ,GRAY, M.R.C.V.S., 23, Upper Phillimore Place, London, W. All MSS. for publication in Bird Notes, and Books for Review, Proposals for New Members, Advertisements for " The Bird Market," and claims for Breeding Medals, should be sent to the Hon. Editor^ W. T. Page, F.Z.S., etc., " Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All enquiries as to the treatment of Birds should be sent to the following gentlemen: Parrots and Parrakeets, H. T. Camps, F.Z.S., Linden House, Haddenham, Isle of Ely ;- Insectivorous, Frugivorous, and Small Seed-eatinjj Birds, W. T. Page, F.Z.S., " Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All Letters referring to the above identification of birds must c»n- tain a penny stamp for reply. All applications for Show Medals and enquiries re Shows should be sent to Mr. S. M. TOWNSEND, 3, Swift Street, Fulham, London, S.W. All other Correspondence, Changes of Address, etc., should be sent to the Hon. Business Secretary, SIDNEY WILLIAMS, F.Z.S., Oakleigh, no Riverway, Palmers Green, London, N.13. rhif. Magazine is printed and published by J. H. HENSTOCK^ ""'Avian Press," Market Place, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, to whom all orders for back numbers and bound volumes (with remittance) should be sent. All correspondence, MSS., etc. (also remittances) relating to TRADE ADVERTISEMENTS should be sent to the publisher, J. H. HENSTOCK, who will quote rates and transact all business connected therewith. Also all complaints re non-delivery of the Magazine. An Illustration Fund is kept open for the purpose ©f increasing the number of plates^ other than the regular income of the Club provides! for. The smallest donation wilJ be thankfully received for this object by the Hon Ireasurer. Ail inembers not receiving' their copies of Bird Notes by the 20th of each month should at once write the Publisher, complaining of the omission. BINDING UOVERS. A New Binding Case in Art Linen, of Handsome Design is novr ready Cases 2s. 3d. post free. The Publisher will bind the Volume complete for 3s. gd. post free. The Publisher undertakes the Binding of , Volumes in the Club Cases or any other style of Binding as may be desired. BOUND VOLUMES OF '*BIRD NOTIS." Volume I. is out of print. Volumes II. and III., there remains only a few copies; to Members and Associates (each) ai » Volumes IV and V . with Hand-coloured Plates: — To Members and Associates (each) lo « Tc other 15 • Volumes VI., VII., and VIII., with Hand-coloured Plates: — To ^embers and Associates (each ) 15 o To Others 10 o NEW SERIES, Volume I., out of print. Volumes II., III., IV. and V.— To Members (each) 17 * To Others a3 • Cases for Binding Vols, i, 2, 3, 4 ; 5 ; 6 ; 7 ; and 8 may be had at pric* IS 8d. post free. Cases for Binding Vols- i, 2, 3. 4; 5; and 6 (New Series; to be obtaioed from the Publisher, is. 8d. post free. , i The Publisher, J. H. Henstock, "Avian Press," Ashbourne; will be pleased to Bind Members' Copies at 3s. 3d., including Cover and return postage. JUST PUBLISHED, SPECIES "h'alt Reared Young and HYBRIDS Itf Been Bred in Captivity in Great Britain. BY WESLEY T. PAGE, F.Z.S., M.B.N.H.S., Systematically arranged according to Dr. Gadow's Classification slightly revised. ILLUSTRATED. INTERLEAVED. IN CLOTH. MEDIUM 8vo. 2s. 6d.. Net. By Post 2s. 9d. J. H. HENiToCK ' Th« AriAN Prkss," Ashbourne BIRD NOTES THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB Wesley T. Pevde, F.Z.S.^Ce <'J^\fSt- ASHBOURNE Printed and FKblisheiJ by J. H. iwf.KSTCCK. Avion Press CONTENTS. The Nesting of the White-cheeked Finch- Lark By W. Shore Baily. The Private Importation of Indian Birds By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., Etc. Some Notes on the Curlew. ..By Lieut. Frank Dawson-Smith. A Cruise on the S.Y. ' Vectis " By W. Shore Baily The Birds of British Guiana ... By Chas. Dawson, S.J., M.A. (Oxon). The Breeding of the Indian Shamah By G. E. Low. Early Experiences By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., Etc. Editorial : — Doves; Diamond Finches; Young Chaffinches; Cockatoo Hybrids; Zoo Notes; Blue Budgerigars.. Inset. Post Mortem Reports. Th; condition* upon which these will be made by Mr. HY. GRAY, M.R.C.V.S., 23, Upper Phillimore Place, Kensington, London, W., are m follows : — {\) The birds must be tent Immediattty after death. (a) They must be packed in a box. (3) The Letter accompanying thtm mutt not be placed tn the bits along with the birdi (N.B. — Unless the above conditions are complied with the packafea will be destroyed without examination). (4) The letter must detail aa far at possible all particulars as to — (a) Date of death. (b) Length of illness. (e) Symptoms of illness- (u/' Me 15^ o/^ ^xcA /tkmM* ^■a^.«? ASHSOUSNl Printed gr<3 s'l^-'ished by J. H. ElNr.JOCK. Avien P'-es'; CONTENTS. The Breeding of the Green Fruit Pigeon.... B^f W. Shore Baily Birds seen in the Suburbs of Calcutta.. .By E. W. Hakper, M.B.O.U. Foreign Birds By J. A. Swan. Early Experiences By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S. llie Birds of British Guiana. By Chas. Dawson, S.J., M.A., (OXON). Editorial : — Zoo Notes; Breeding of Shamahs. A Cruise on the S.Y. " Vectis." By W. Shore Baily. Correspondence: — Breeding Notes — ipi/; Blackbird x Thrush Hybrids. Inset. Post Mortem Reports. ♦ ■ Tk> oonditioD* upen which these will b* itiAdc by Mr. HY. CXAY^ lf.R.C.V.S., 13, Upper Phillimore Place, Kentinfton, London, W., u* m folios ■ : — (i) The birds muit be sent ImnuiltUly after death. (%) They must be packed in a box. (3) The Letter accompmnyinf them must not b* pieced In thu bex slong with the birdi (N.B. — Unless the above conditioas ar« complied with the packafoa will be destroyed without examination). (4) The letter mutt detail as /•r' «» passibU all particulars aa t« — («.) Date of death. (b) Length of illness. (c) Symptoms of illness- (d) Lodgment and feeding of birds, and {e) Especially as to whether egg food or ing a teed haa been givMu (5) The work will be done gratuitously, and a report puSlished^ in BirJ Notes, but under no eireumstances whatever will « report 6» sent by post unless a fee of 2s. 6d. accompanies the letter and bird. Prei- ture of work compels Mr. Gray to make this an ioTariable rMie, aad it applies to all Members, whether they are personally acquainted with him or New Series. SEPTEMBER, ldl7. •^-^^, Vol. vni.. Mo. 9. mi m- ■^.hm ■^•-^ ':.-£«\M .4^ ii,^ o ^ --^ ir ei-i^ ,./^: r^ V»\J 'l^'/JC ,\,> >' .\ ) S /^ \\\\ '^i-'^'',: All RidKl-s Reserved. Price 1^. ylnnacJ Sahscriph'oiy ■ S y^ j\oT\-n\en\bers,/5, BIRD NOTES THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB Wesley T. Pev^^, F.Z.S.^ ■j£)/sAe^ s^SotjJ' /^ 15^ ^/^ eitcA n^/^^km^ ASHBOUKM£ Printed and P« bliKhed by 4. H. HENSTOCK. Avian Prrag CONTENTS. >■ The Breeding of the Black-taUed Hawfinch ... •By W. Shork Baily. IVhydahs ... ■ By Dr. E. Hopkinson. D.S.O. Nesting Notes, — ipi;^ By Herbert E. Bright. Noics from an Amateur in Ceylon By Mr.s. W. G. Dickinson. Notes of the Season By the M.^rquis of T.-vvistock. Editorial: — Zoo Notes; Yellow-rumped Tanagers. Correspondence: — Breeding Song Thrush x Blackbird Hybrids; A Cockatoo Hybrid; The Breeding of Shamahs; A Device for Continuous Supply of Fresh Water. POST MORTEM REPORTS. <^M^ The conditions upon which these will be made by Mr. HY. GRAY, M.R.C.V.S., 23, Upper Phillimore Place, Kensington, London, W., are as follows : — (1) The birds must be sent immediately after death. (2) They must be packed in a box. (c.) The Letter accompanying them must not be placed in the box along with the birds. (N.B. — Unless the above conditions are complied with the packages will be destroyed without examination). (4) The letter must detail as far as possible all particulars as to — (,a) Date of death. (b) Length of illness. (c) Symptoms of illness. (d) Lodgement and feeding of birds, and (e) Especially as to wnether egg food or inga seed has been given. (5) The work will be done gratuitously, and a report published in Bird Notes, but under no circumstances whatever will a report be sent by post unless a fee of 2s. 6d. accompanies the letter and bird. Pres- suie of work compels Mr. Gray to make this an invariable rule, and it ;it plies to all Members, whether they are personally acquainted with him or not. MEMORANDA FOR MEMBERS. Annual Subscriptions to Members 10s., due on the 1st January in each year. A new Volume commences every January. All Subscriptions should be sent to the Hon. Treasurer, SIDNEY "Williams, F.Z.S., Oakleigh 110, Riverway, Palmers Green, London, N., 13 All dead birds for post mortem examination should be sent to H. GRAY, M.R.C.V.S., 23, Upper Phillimore Place, London, W. All MSS. for publication in Bird Notes, and Books for Review, Proposals for New Members, Advertisements, for " The Bird Market," and claims for Breeding Medals, should be sent to the Hon. Editor, W. T. Page, F.Z.S., etc., " Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All enquiries as to the treatment of Birds should be sent to the following gentlemen : Parrots and Parrakeets, H. T. Camps, F.Z.S., Linden House, Haddenham, Isle of Ely; Insectivorous, Frugivorous, and Small Seed-eating Birds, W. T. Ps^ge, F.Z.S., " Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All Letters referring to the above identification of birds must con* tain a penny stamp for reply. All applications for Show Medals and enquiries re Shows should be sent to Mr. S. M. TOWNSEND, 3, Swift Street, Fulham, London, S.W All other Correspondence, Changes of Address, etc., should be sent to the Hon. Business Secretary, SIDNEY WILLIAMS, F.Z.S., Oakleigh, 110 Riverway, Palmers Green, London, N.13. This Magazine is printed and published by J. H. HENSTOCK, "Avian Press," Market Place, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, to whom all orders for back numbers and bound volumes (with, remittance) should be sent. All correspondence, MSS., etc., (also remittances) relating to TRADE ADVERTISEMENTS should be sent to the publisher, J. H HENSTOCK, who will quote rates and transact all business connected therewith. Also all complaints re non-delivery of the Magazine. An Illustration Ftmd is kept open for the purpose of increasing the number of plates, other than the regular income of Club the provides for. The smallest donation will be thankfully received for this object by tlie Hon. Treasurer. All members not receiving their copies of Bird Notes by the 2pth of each month should at once write the Publisher, complaining of the omission. BINDING COVERS. A New Binding Case in Art Linen, of Handsome Design is now ready Cases 2s. 3d. post free. The Publisher will bind the Volume com- plete for 3s. 9d. post free. The Publisher undertakes the Binding of Volumes in the Club 'Cases or any other style of Binding as may be desired. BOUND VOLUMES OF " BIRD NOTES." <>-*-K> Volume 1. is out of print. Volumes II. and III., there remains only a few copies; to Members and Associates (each) 21 0 Volumes IV and V. with Hand-coloured Plates: — To MemViers and Associates (each) 10 0 To Others 15 0 Volumes VI., VII., and VIII., with Hand-coloured Plates : — To Members and Associates (each) 15 0 To Others 20 Q NEW SERIES, Volume I., out of print. Volumes II., III., IV. and V.— To Members (each) 17 6 To Others 23 0 Cases for Binding Vols. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (Old Series) may be had at price 2s. 3d. post free. Cases for Binding Vols.,1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (New Series) to be obtained from the Publisher, 28. 3d. post free. The Publisher, J. H. Henstock, "Avian Press," Ashbourne; will be pleased to Bind Members' Copies at 3s. 9d., including Cover and return postage. JUST PUBLISHED. SPECIES tit Reared Young and HYBRIDS tit Been Bred in Captivity, in Great Britain. BY WESLEY T. PAGE, F.Z.S., M.B.N.H.S., Systematically arranged according to Dr. Gadow's Classification slightly revised. ILLUSTRATED. INTERLEAVED. IN CLOTH. MEDIUM 8vo. 2s. 6d., Net. By Post 2s. 9d. •T. H, Hbnstook 'Thk Avian Phkss," Asubourni MEMORANDA FOR MEMBERS. ♦ Ajiaual Subacriptioo to kfembert lot., du« on the lit Jkommtj m cftck T«ai-. A nev y«iaaie oommencea eretj January. All Subacriptions should b« seat to th* Hon. Treasurer, SIDNEY WILLIAMS, F.Z.S., Oakleigb no; Rirerway ■ Palmer* Graen ; L«ndea; W IJ All dead birda for /tost morttm ezaminatioDt ahould b« sent to H. CRAY, k.R.C.V.S,, 23, Upper Philliraore Place, London, W. All MSS. far publication In Bird Notei, and Book* f«r Review, Propveala for New Membera, Adrertiaementt for " The Bird Market/* ma4 claim* for Bre<;ding Medals, should be tent to the Hon. Editor, W. T. Page, F.Z.S., etc., " Lanfstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All enquiries as to the treatment of Birds ahould be sent to the fl»IW«iaf gentleaaen : Parrots and Parrakeets, H. T. Camps, F.Z.S.. Liadea Mewae, UaddenhAm, Isle of Ely ; InscctiTorous, Frugivorous, aad Small 5>a< aaticj Mrdt, W. T. Page, F.Z.S., " Laagttoae," Lingfield, Surrey. AU Letttrs referring ta the ubove Idenii/icaiiom of hirda rriBst eem' teim m pef^i^f itemp for reply. All applications for Show Medals and enquiries re Shows should ka o«it to Mr. S. M. TOWNSEND, 3, Swift Street, Fulham; London, S.W. All other Correspondence, Changes of Addrosa, etc., should be seat •a the Hon. Basiness Secretary, SIDNEY WILLIAMS, F.Z.S., Oakleigh, no Rivcrway, Palmers Green, London, N.ij. Tlu» Magaiine is printed and published by J. H. HENSTOCIy ^ Aviaa Press," Market Place, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, to whom all orders lor back numbers and bound rolumes (with remittance) should be sent. Alt correspondence, MSS., etc. (also remittances) relating to TRADE ADVERTISEMENTS should be sent to the publisher, J. H. HENSTOCK, vJm will quote rates and transact all business connected therewith. Alaa all complaiats re aoa-delivery of the Magazine. Ac Illustration Fund is kept open for the purpose of increasing tbe aamber of plates, other than the regular income of the Club proridao for. The smallest donation will be thankfully received for this object H>y tbe Hon Treasurer. Ail kncmbers aot receiving their copies of Bird Notet by the aotb of each month should mt mnce write the Publisher, complaining of tka oaiissioa. ^ BINDING COVfiRS. A New Binding Case in Art Linen, of Handsome Design is now ready Cases Ss^ 3d. post free. The Publisher will bind the Volume complete for 3s. 9d. post free. The Publisher undertakes the Binding of Volumes in tb« Clab Caaoe or a ay other style of Biadiag as may be desired. BOUND VOLUMES OF ** BIRD NOTES/' Volume I. it out 6t print. Volumes II. and III., there remains only a few copies; Co Members and Associates (each) »i o^ Volumes IV and V. with Hand'colourtd PIoUm : — To Members and Associates (each) i« » Tc other 15 • Volumes VI., VII., and VIII., with Hand-eolomrtd PlaUn:— To ^embers and Associates (each )... 15 • To Others M O' NEW SERIES, Volume I., out of print. Volume* II., III., IV. and V.— To Members (each) 17 * To Others »3 "9 Cases for Binding Vols- i, 3, 3, 4 ; 5 ; 6 ; 7 ; and 8 may be had at prlo% IS 8d. post free. Cases for Binding Vols- i, 3, 3. 4; 5; and 6 (New Series; to be obtained from the Publisher, is. Sd. post free. , . The Publisher, J. H. Henstock, "Avian Press," Ashbourne; will be pleased to Bind Members' Copies at 3s. 3d., Including Cover and return postage. JUST PUBLISHED. SPECIES tit Reared Young and HYBRIDS tlf Been Bred in Captivity in Great Britain. BY WESLEY T. PAGE, F.Z.S., M.B.N.H.S., Systematically arranged according to Dr. Gadow's Classification slightly revised. ILLLSTRATED. IN rERLEAYi:!;. l^' CLOTH. MEDIUai Rvo. 2s. 6d.. Net. By Post 2s. 9d. T T! -IAN E'KLy.S.'' Asiir.(M KNK MEMORANDA FOR MEMBERS. Annual Subicription to Members los., due on the ist January 4b eftch year. A new Volume commences every January. All Subscriptions should be sent to th« Hon. Treasurer, SIDNEY WILLIAMS, F.Z.S., Oakleigb no; Riverway ■ Palmers Green; London; Kij All dead birds for pott tnorttm examinations should be scot to 91. (GRAY, M.R.C.V.S., aj, Upper Phillimore Place, London, W. All less, for publication in Bird Notex, and Books for ReTiew, #i«pMals for New Members, Advertisements for " The Bird Market," tatk claim* for Breeding Medals, should be sent to the Hon. Editor, W. T. Pafe, F.Z.S., etc., '* Langstone/' Lingfield, Surrey. All enquiries as to the treatment of Birds should be sent to th« f«llowiaf gentlemen: Parrots and Parrakeets, H. T, Camps, F.Z.S., Linden H«Me, Haddenham, Isle of Ely ; Insectivorous, Frugivorous, and Small S«ed-«atinj Birds, W. T. Page, F.Z.S., " Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All Lettari referring t» the above Identification of birds mutt c«»i« imtn « penny ttamp for reply. All applications for Show Medals and enquiries re Shows shouM W sent to Mr. S. M. TOWNSEND, 3, Swift Street, Fulhaml London. S.W. All other Correspondence, Changes of Addrsss, etc., should be seat tm the Hon. Basiness Secretary, SIDNEY WILLIAMS, F.Z.S., Oakleifh, II* Rivcrway, Palmers Green, London, N.13. rhi« Magazine is printed and published by J. H. HENSTOCI^ "■Avian Press," Market Place, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, to whom all orders for back numbers and bound volumes (with remittance) should be sent. Ah correspondence, MSS., etc. (also remittances) relating to TRADE ADVERTISEMENTS should be sent to the publisher, J. H. HENSTOCK, who wrll quote rates and transact all business connected therewith. Also all complaints re non-delivery of the Magazine. An Illustration Fund is kept open for the purpose of increasing the number of plates, other than the regular income of the Club provide* for. The smallest donation will be thankfully received for this object by the Hon Treasurer. Ail tncmbers not receiving their copies of Bird Notes by the aotk of each month should at once write the Publisher, complaining of thn omission. S BINDING COVERS. A New Binding Case in Art Linen, of Handsome Design is now ready Cases Ss. 3d. post free. The Publisher will bind the Volume complete for 3s. 9d. post free. The Publisher undertakes the Binding of Volumes in the Clab isramy other style of Binding as may be desired. BOUND VOLUMES OJf "BIRD NOTES." Volume I. is out of print. Volumci II. and III., there remains only a few copies; to Members and Associates (each) 3i o Volumes IV and V. with Hand-coloured Plates: — To Members and Associates (each) lo o Tc other -■ 15 o Volumes VI., VII., and VIII.. with Hand-coloured Plates.— To ^embers and Associates (each ) 15 o To Others 10 o NEW SERIES, Volume I., out of print. Volumes II., III., IV. and V.— To Members (each) 17 6 To Others 33 o Cases for Binding Vols. 1, 2, 3, 4; 5; 6; 7; and 8 may be had at prlc« is 8d. post free. Cases for Binding Vols, i, 2, 3. 4; 5; and 6 (New Series; to be obtained from the Publisher, is. 8d. post free. , : The Publisher, J. H. Henstock, "Avian Pres»," Ashbourne; will be pleated to Bind Members' Copies at 3s. 3d., Including Cover and return postage. JUSt PUBLISHED. SPECIES tit Reared Young and HYBRIDS g Been Bred in Captivity in Great Britain. BY WESLEY T. PAGE, F.Z.S., M.B.N.H.S., Systematically arranged according to Dr. Gadow's Classification slightly revised. ILLUSTRATED. INTERLEAVED. IN CLOTH. MEDIUM 8vo. 2s. 6d., Net. By Post 2s. 9d. J. H. Hbnstock. Tre Ax IAN Prkss," Arhiicurnk New Series. OCTOBER, 1017. Vol. Tni., Mo. 10. All RidKls Reserved. Price Yq. AnnaoJ Sahscriph'ory BIRD NOTES FOREIGN BIRD CLUB Wesley T. Pzj^e, F.Z5.^ ASHBOURNE Printed and Prbliahed by J. H. BENSTOCK. Avian Freaa CONTENTS, The Cherry Finch,.^.,_y,.,. By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S. Stray Notes in My Birdroom By Mrs. J. H. Burgess Whydahs By Dr. E. Hopkinson, D.S.O. The Nesting of the Fieldfare By W. Shore Baily. The Blue Mountain Lorikeet. ..By W. H. Workman, M.B.O.U. The Birds of British Guiana. ..By Chas. Dawson, S.J., M.A., (Oxon). A Cruise on the S.Y. " Vectis." By W. Shore Baily. Editorial: — Zoo Notes; Obituary. Correspondence: — Breeding of Hybrid Queries; Breeding Notes — 1917; Breeding Blue Budgerigars; Is the Pin-tailed Whydah Parasitic? (on page jp of Inset). Inset. — ' ■' . i POST MORTEM REPORTS. ^<>^-K> The conditions upon which these will be made by Mr. HY. GRAY, M.R.C.V.S., 23, Upper Phillimore Place, Kensington, London, W., are as follows : — (1) The birds must be sent immediately after death. (2) They must be packed in a box. (3) The Letter accompanying them must not be placed in the box along with the birds. (N.B.-r-Unless the above conditions are complied with the packages will be destroyed without examination). (4) The letter must detail as far as possible all particulars as to — (a) Date of death. (b) Length of illness. (c) Symptoms of illness. (d) Lodgement and feeding of birds, and (e) Especially as to wttether egg food or inga seed has been given. (5) The work will be done gratuitously, and a report published in Bird Notes, but under no circumstances whatever will a report be sent by post unless a fee of 2S. 6d. accompanies the letter and bird. Pres- sure of work compels Mr. Gray to make tliis an invariable rule, and it applies to all Members, whether they are personally acquainted with him or not. New Series. NOVEMBER, 1917. Vol. rni., Mo. 11. ^\h ^^^, JVV ^''-v, tir %^-^A: .4><4<£-:-:) mm rZ?» "h^v^^ .^^ ^^7i^^ ^^^j -M Jfc^Ji .^' ^^ ^; ^>::3 v^W'^'^ ^ \.y '1,1 ^f.Vi.V' THE ATI RijKl's Reserved. Price l6. }^r\nasJ Sahscri'ph'ory. BIRD NOTES FOREIGN BIRD CLUB Edited Q^y^ Wesley T.Page, F.Z^.dt, ^ \Ui ASHBOURKI Printed tDd PrbHshed by J. H. HENSTCCK. Avian PrMt CONTENTS. ♦_ The Laughing Jackass By Lieut. F. Dawson-Smith. Breeding of Hybrid Cockatoo By Mrs. M. A. Lee. The Nesting of the Brambling By R. Suggitt. Whydahs By Dr. E. Hopkinson, D.S.O. Breeding of Hybrid Chestnut-breasted Finch x Silverbill ... By Herbert E. Bright. Breeding of Hybrid Magpie Mannikin x Silver bill... By Herbert E. Bright. Weavers By W. Shore Baily. Breeding of Hybrid Finches Miss E. Lucas. A Cruise on the S.Y. " Vectis." By W. Shore Baily. The Birds of British Guiana ... By Chas. Dawson, S.J., M.A., (Oxon). Correspondence : — Rearing of Blue-winged Grass Parrakeets. Inset. POST MORTEM REPORTS. <^M^ The conditions upon which these will be made by Mr. HY. GRAY, M.R.C.V.S., 23, Upper Phillimore Place, Kensington, London, W., are as follows : — (1) The birds must be sent immediately after death. (2) They must be packed in a box. (3) The Letter accompanying them must not be placed in the box along with the birds. (N.B, — rfnless the above conditions are complied with the packages will be destroyed without examination). (4) The letter must detail as far as possible all particulars as to — (a) Date of death. (b) Length of illness. (c) Symptoms of iUness. (d) Lodgement and feeding of birds, and (e) Especially as to wnether egg food or inga seed has been given. (5) The work will be done gratuitously, and a report published in Bird Notes, but under no circumstances whatever will a report be sent by post unless a fee of 28. 6d. accompanies the letter and bird. Pres- sure of work compels Mr. Gray to make this an invariable rule, and it applies to all Members, whether they are personally acquainted with him or not. Mew Series. T^ m DECEMBER, 1917. '^^ !iSS?3 rtPs (-t^) vol. VIU., Mo. 12. t}f^ rs .^ i'l^' /^..i 5^ 'C< ^^•^ ^ ?.^>2i ■AVj? .-r^^> v.Hj ')«' ol \'l )1 »1. All RijKls Reserved. Price l'^. AnnaeJ Suhscripb'or^ BIRD NOTES THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB Edited Q^y Wesley T. Pexge, F.Z.S.d«. PuDfsM d>iou)'}M /5^^et^eAmo/M^ A\\u ASHBOURNE Printed and Pirblished by J. H. HENSTOCK. Avian Preaa CONTENTS. • » ■ Bicheno's and Ringed Finches By Wesley T .Page, F.Z.S., ETC. Breeding of Swains on' s Lorikeets By E. R. Phillips. Whydahs By Dr. E. Hopkinson, D.S.O. The Birds of British Guiana By Chas. Dawson, S.J., M.A., (Oxon). Weavers By W. Shore Baily. Editorial: Zoo Notes; A. Retrospect. Correspondence: — Blackbird x Thrush Hybrids; Cockatoo Nesting Notes. Indices to VoL^^^lE. POST MORTEM REPORTS. <>4-¥^ The conditions upon which these will be made by Mr. HY. GRAY, M.R.C.V.S., 23, Upper Phillimore Place, Kensington, London, W., are as follows : — (1) The birds must be sent immediately after death. (2) They must be packed in a box. (3) The Letter accompanying them must not be placed in the box along with the birds. ; (N.B. — Unless the above conditions are complied with the packages ■will be destroyed without examination). (4) The letter must detail as far as possible all particulars as to — (a) Date of death. (b) Length of illness. (c) Symptoms of illness. (d) Lodgement and feeding of birds, and (e) Especially as to wnether egg food or inga seed has been given. (5) The work will be done gratuitously, and a report published in Bird Notes, but under no circumstances whatever will a report be sent by post unless a fee of 2s. 6d. accompanies the letter and bird. Pres- sure of work compels Mr. Gray to make this an invariable rule, and it applies to all Members, whether they are personally acquainted with him or not. MEMORANDA FOR MEMBERS. ^>^^> Annual Subscriptions to Members 10s., due on the 1st January in each year. A new Volume commences every January. All Subscriptions should be sent to the Hon. Treasurer, SIDNEY Williams, F.Z.S., Oakleigh 110, Riverway, Palmers Green, London, N., 13 AU dead birds for post mortem examination should be sent to H. GRAY, M.R.C.V.S., 23, Upper Phillimore Place, London, W. All MSS. for publication in Bird Notes, and Books for Review, Proposals for New Members, Advertisements, for " The Bird Market," ■and claims for Breeding Medals, should be sent to the Hon. Editor, W. T. Page, F.Z.S., etc., " Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All enquiries as to the treatment of Birds should be sent to the following gentlemen : Parrots and Parrakeets, H. T. Camps, F.Z.3., Linden House, Haddenham, Isle of Ely ; Insectivorous, Frugivorous, and Small Seed-eating Birds, W. T. Page, F.Z.S., " Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All Letters referring to the above identification of birds must con* tain a penny stamp for reply. All appUoations for Show Medals and enquiries re Shows should be sent to Mr. 8. M. TOWNSEND, 3, Swift Street, Fulham, London, S.W All other Correspondence, Changes of Address, etc., should be sent to the Hon. Business Secretary, SIDNEY WILLIAMS, F.Z.S., Oakleigh, 110 Riverway, Palmers Green, London, N.13. This Magazine is printed and published by J. H. HENSTOCK, "Avian Press," Market Place, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, to whom all orders for back numbers and bound volumes (with remittance) should be sent. All correspondence, MSS., etc., (also remittances) relating to TRADE ADVERTISEMENTS should be sent to the pubUsher, J. H HENSTOCK, who will quote rates and transact all business connected therewith. Also all complaints re non-delivery of the Magazine. An Illustration Fund is kept open for the purpose of increasing the number of plates, other than the regular income of Club the provides for. The smallest donation will be thankfully received for this object by the Hon. Treasurer. All members not receiving their copies of Bird Notes by the 20th of each month should at once write the Publisher, complaining of the omission. BINDING COVERS. A New Binding Case in Art Linen, of Handsome Design is now ready Cases 2s. 3d. post free. The Publisher will bind the Volume com- plete for 3s. 9d. post free. The Publisher undertakes the Binding of Volumes in the Club Cases or any other style of Binding as may be desired. BOUND VOLUMES OF " BIRD NOTES." — <-M^ Volume 1. is out of print. Volumes TI. and III., there remains only a iew copies; to Members and Associates (each) 21 0 Volumes IV and V. with Hand'coloured Plates: — To Members and Associates (each) 10 0 To Others 15 0- Volumes VI., VII., and VIII., with Hand-coloured Plates : — To Members and Associates (each) , 15 0^ To Others 20 0- NEW SERIES, Volume I., out of print. Volumes II., III., IV. and V.— To Members (each) 17 6 To Others 23 0 Cases for Binding Vols. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (Old Series) may be had - at price 2s. 3d. post free. Cases for Binding Vols.,!, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (New Series) to be obtained frona the Publisher, 2s. 3d. post free. The Publisher, J. H. Henstock, " Avian Press," Ashbourne; will be pleased to Bind Members' Copies at 38. 9d., including Cover and return postage. JUST PUBLISHED. SPECIES tit Reared Young and HYBRIDS g Been Bred in Captivity in Great Britain. BY WESLEY T. PAGE, F.Z.S., M.B.N.H.S., Systematically arranged according to Dr. Gadow's Classification slightly revised. ILLUSTRATED. INTERLEAVED. •IN CLOTH. MEDIUM 8vo. 2s. 6d., Net. ^ - By Post 2s. 9d. .T. H. Henbtock The Avian Press," Ashbcurne MEMORANDA FOR MEMBERS. C-M^> Annual Subscriptions to Members 10s., due on the Ist January an each year. A new Volume commences every January. All Subscriptions should be sent to the Hon. Treasurer, SIDNEY Williams, F.Z.S., Oakleigh 110, Riverway, Palmers Green, London, N., 13 All dead birds for post mortem examination should be sent to H. GRAY, M.R.C.V.S., 23, Upper PhilUmore Place, London, W. All MSS. for publication in Bird Notes, and Books for Review, Proposals for New Members, Advertisements, for " The Bird Market," and claims for Breeding Medals, should be sent to the Hon. Editor, W. T. Page, P.Z.S., etc., " Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey, All enquiries as to the treatment of Birds should be sent to the following gentlemen : Parrots and Parrakeets, H. T. Camps, F.Z.S., Linden House, Haddenham, Isle of Ely ; Insectivorous, Frugivorous, and Small Seed-eating Birds, W. T. Page, F.Z.S., " Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All Letters referring to the above identification of birds must con* tain a penny stamp for reply. All applications for Show Medals and enquiries re Shows should be sent to Mr. 8. M. TOWNSEND, 3, Swift Street, Fulham, London, S.W All other Correspondence, Changes of Address, etc., should be sent to the Hon. Business Secretary, SIDNEY WILLIAMS, F.Z.S., Oakleigh, 110 Riverway, Palmers Green, London, N.13. This Magazine is printed and published by J. H. HENSTOCK, "Avian Press," Market Place, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, to whom all orders for back numbers and bound volumes (with remittance) should be sent. All correspondence, MSS., etc., (also remittances) relating to TRADE ADVERTISEMENTS should be sent to the publisher, J. H HENSTOCK, who will quote rates and transact all business connected therewith. Also all complaints re non-delivery of the Magazine. An Illustration Fund is kept open for the purpose of increasing the number of plates, other than the regular income of Club the provides for. The smallest donation will be thankfully received for this object by the Hon. Treasurer. All members not receiving their copies of Bird Notes by the 20th of each month should at onoe write the Publisher, complaining of the omission. BINDING COVERS. A New Binding Case in Art Linen, of Handsome Design is now ready Cases 2s. 3d. post free. The Publisher will bind the Volume com- plete for 3s. 9d. post free. The Publisher undertakes the Binding of Volumes in the Club Cases or any other style of Binding as may be desired. BOUND VOLUMES OF " BIRD NOTES." <-¥^^ Volume 1. is out of print. Volumes II. and III., there remains only a few copies; to Members and Associates (each) 21 0 Volumes IV and V. with Hand-ooloured Plates: — To Members and Associates (each) 10 0 To Others 16 O Volumes VI., VII., and VIII., with Hand-coloured Plates: — To Members and Associates (each) 16 0 To Others 20 0 NEW SERIES, Volume I., out of print. Volumes II., HI., IV. and V.— To Members (each) 17 & To Others 23 0 Cases for Binding Vols. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (Old Series) may be had at price 2s. 3d. post free. Cases for Binding Vols.,1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (New Series) to bo obtained from the Publisher, 2s. 3d. post free. The Publisher, J. H. Henstock, " Avian Press," Ashbourne; will be- pleased to Bind Members' Copies at 3s. 9d., including Cover and return postage. JUST PUBLISHED. SPECIES tit Reared Young and HYBRIDS tlf Been Bred in Captivity in Great Britain. BY WESLEY T. PAGE, F.Z.S., M.B.N.H.S., Systematically arranged according to Dr. Gadow's Classification slightly revised. ILLUSTRATED. INTERLEAA^EU. IN CLOTH. MEDIUM 8vo. 2s. 6d.. Net. By Post 2s. 9d. T n. Hknptotu The Av(an Press." Ashbournb MEMORANDA FOR MEMBERS. <>^-K^ Annual Subscriptions to Members 10s., due on the 1st January in each year. A new Volume commences every January. All Subscriptions should be sent to the Hon. Treasurer, SIDNEY Williams. F.Z.S., Oakleigh 110, Riverway, Palmers Green, London, N., 13 All dead birds for post mortem examination should be sent to H. GRAY, M.R.C.V.S., 23, Upper PhilUmore Place, London, W. All MSS. for publication in Bird Notes, and Books for Review, Proposals for New Members, Advertisements, for " The Bird Market," and claims for Breeding Medals, should be sent to the Hon. Editor, W. T. Page, F.Z.S., etc., " Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All enquiries as to the treatment of Birds should be sent to the following gentlemen : Parrots and Parrakeets, H. T. Camps, F.Z.S., Linden House, Haddenham, Isle of Ely ; Insectivorous, Frugivorous, and :Small Seed-eating Birds, W. T. Page, F.Z.S., " Langstone," Lingfield, Surrey. All Letters referring to the above identification of birds must con* tain a penny stamp for reply. All appUcations for Show Medals and enquiries re Shows should be sent to Mr. S. M. TOWNSEND, 3, Swift Street, Fulham, London, S.W All other Correspondence, Changes of Address, etc., should be sent to the Hon. Business Secretary, SIDNEY WILLIAMS, F.Z.S., Oakleigh, 110 Riverway, Palmers Green, London, N.13. This Magazine is printed and published by J. H. HENSTOCK, "Avian Press," Market Place, Ashbourne, Derbyshii-e, to whom all orders for back numbers and bound volumes (with remittance) should he sent. All correspondence, MSS., etc., (also remittances) relating to TRADE ADVERTISEMENTS should be sent to the publisher, J. H HENSTOCK, who will quote rates and transact all business connected therewith. Also all complaints re non-deUvery of the Magazine. An Illustration Fund is kept open for the purpose of increasing the number of plates, other than the regular income of Club the provides ■for. The smallest donation will be thankfully received for this object by the Hon. Treasurer. All members not receiving their copies of Bird Notes by the 20th of each month should at once write the Publisher, complaining of the omission. BINDING COVERS. A New Binding Case in Art Linen, of Handsome Design is now ready Cases 2s. 3d. post free. The Publisher wiU bind the Volume com- plete for 3s. 9d. post free. The Publisher undertakes the Binding of Volumes in the Club Cases or any other style of Binding as may be desired. BOUND VOLUMES OF " BIRD NOTES." ^^-M^ Volume 1. is out of print. Volumes II. and III., there remains only a few copies; to Members and Associates (each) 21 0 Volumes IV and V. with Hand-colour'ed Plates.- — To Members and Associates (each) 10 0 To Others 15 0 Volumes VI., VII., and VIII., with Hand-coloured Plates: — To Members and Associates (each) 15 0 To Others 20 0 NEW SERIES, Volume I., out of print. Volumes II., III., IV. and V.— To Members (each) 17 6 To Others ; 23 0 Cases for Binding Vols. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (Old Series) may be had at price 2s. 3d. post free. Cases for Binding Vols.,1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (New Series) to be obtained from the Publisher, 2s. 3d. post free. The Publisher, J. H. Henstock, " Avian Press," Ashbourne; will be pleased to Bind Members' Copies at 3s. 9d., including Cover and return postage. JUST PUBLISHED. SPECIES tit Reared Young and HYBRIDS tlf Been Bred in Captivity in Great Britain. BY WESLEY T. PAGE, F.Z.S., M.B.N.H.S.. Systematically arranged according to Dr. Gadow's Classification slightly revised. ILLUSTRATED. INTERLEAVED. IN CLOTU. MEDIUM 8vo. 2s. 6d.. Net. By Post 2s. 9d. T. H. Hrnstock Twf. Avian Prkss." Ashbourne AMNH LIBRARY 100101806 CI CD -s/ ^' (JD CO ^ ■^^ I o a