Hk • THE AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIRDS IN FREEDOM AND IN CAPTIVITY EDITED BY DAVID SETH-SMITH, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., C.F.A.O.U., etc, FOURTH SERIES. VOL. VIII. Hertford. STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, Ltd. 1930 STEPHEN AUSTIN AND SONS, LTD. PRINTERS, HERTFORD. CONTENTS PAGE Title-page ......... i Contents .... ..... iii Alphabetical List of Contributors ... v List of Plates ........ xi Officers for the Year 1930 . . ... . 1 l\'0> \ i yi ky At) (P Q -= — List of Members . . . ...... 3 Pules of the Avicultural Society . . . 25 The Society’s Medal ....... 28 Yij. 2 _ _ Magazine ......... 1 Index . . . . . . . .341 ALPHABETICAL LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS Appleby, Joseph. Notes from a Lancashire Aviary, 12. Avicultural Society of New Zealand. Articles on the Commoner Birds Wanted,, 196. Beever, G. Young Pheasants and Ostriches, 221. Best, C. Rings for Lovebirds, 31. Black, Mrs. A. B. Breeding the Green-naped Pheasant Pigeon in California, 158. Blissett, Miss Nellie K. A Tame Torquoisine, 188. Boosey, E. J., and Brooksbank, Alec. Brown’s Parrakeet, 83. Breeding Results at the Keston Foreign Bird Farm, 328. Brown, W. Ferrier. The African Fire Finch, 277. Carlisle, Melville. A Note from South Africa, 224. Cayley, Mrs. Notes from Northumberland, 59. Chawner, Miss E. F., F.Z.S. Unfriendly Crossoptilons, 130. A Few Notes on Pheasants, 212. Davis, Godfrey, I.C.S., F.Z.S. The Breeding of St. Helena Waxbills in India, 289. Decoux, A. The Crimson -rumped Toucanet, 317. Delacour, J., F.Z.S. The Primley Zoo, 259. A Visit to the Keswick Aviaries, 261. Duncker, Dr. Hans, and Cremer, C. H. Origin of Colour Varieties in Budgerigars, 109. Ezra, Alfred, O.B.E. Nesting Notes from Foxwarren Park, 104. Rearing the Formosan Bamboo Partridge, 289. VI Alphabetical List of Contributors Finn, F., B.A., F.Z.S. New Year Notes, 32. On the Position of the Ja§anas and on L’Herminier’s Classification of Birds, 74. The Large-billed Indian Weaver, 112. The Quezal and Cape Sugar-bird, 137. Snowy Owls, 138, 196. Some Larger Birds of London, 190. Touracos, 195. The Case of the Kagu, 249. Notes at the Poultry Congress, 264. Young Plumage of Female Grey-headed Sheldrake, 338. Frost, W. J. C. Nesting Habits of the King Bird of Paradise, 33. Ghigi, Professor A., and Delacour, J. Pheasants, 169, 197, 225. Goddard, E. Kathleen. Longevity, 26. Gurney, G. H., M.B.O.U. Notes on the Past Season, 44. The Plumed Jay, and Other Notes, 184. Two Disappointments, 303. The Plumed Jay, 309. A Murder Case, 310. Hampe, Alex. In Search of Rare Chinese Birds, 142. Harvey, S. Breeding Turquoisines and Elegants, 31. Hopkins, Captain C. Scott. Fancy Pheasants, 161. Hopkinson, Dr. E., C.M.G., D.S.O. Records of Birds Bred in Captivity, 18. Breeding the Twite in Captivity, 338. Senegal Parrots, 338. Irvine, Mrs. Christine. “ Cutty,” 245, 339. Irvine, C. M. Egg-binding, 132. ISENBERGr, A. H. Cuban Todies, 84. Jackson, B. The Nesting of the Golden-breasted Bunting, 306. Knobel, Miss E. M., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. The Story of a Sparrow, 107. Alphabetical List of Contributo vii Laidlay, J. C. Hybrid Guineafowl and Waterfowl, 57. Lambert, P. J. Pheasants, 138. Lort-Phillips, Major F. Origin of Colour Varieties in Budgerigars, 56, 84, 135. Grey wing-blue Budgerigars, 166. Macklin, C. H. , Longevity, 26. Exchange of Birds, 27. Marsden, John W., F.Z.S. Origin of Colour Varieties in Budgerigars, 135. Martin, A. Birds in and around Keswick Hall Gardens, 308. Successful breeding of the Golden -breasted Bunting, 340. Moody, A. F. Notes from the Lilford Aviaries, 101. Moore, H. Hybrid Lovebirds, 30. Birds in the West Indies, 165. Murray, E. Dewar. Homoeopathic Remedies for Birds, 27. Pembleton, Thomas. Bronze-winged Mannikins, 223. Plath, Karl. Trogons, 126. Mr. Karl Plath’s Collection, 134. The Plumed Jay, 250. Porter, Sydney, F.Z.S. Notes on Rare Parrots of the genus Amazona, 2. The Golden-shouldered Parrakeet, 28. Bouquet’s Parrot, 36. The Quezal, 61. Notes on the Birds of Dominica, 114, 146. Live Food on Board Ship, 163. The Birds of a Sicilian Garden, 237. The Spot-headed Weaver, 337. Prestwich, A. A., F.Z.S. Aviculture in America, 29. Brown’s Parrakeet, 59, 83. Foreign Birds at the Crystal Palace, 70. Breeding the Sarus Crane, 140. The New Parrot House at the London Zoological Gardens, 215. Vlll Alphabetical List of Contributors Rothschild, Lord, F.R.S. On the Breeding of the Sarus Crane at Tring, 89. Ryan, B. J. The Sarus Crane in India, 222. Scott, Hamilton. An Early Blackcap and a Late Brambling, 131. A Bing-necked Parrakeet at Liberty, 132. Birds Singing at Night, 164. A Prolific Hen Cockatiel, 224. Seth-Smith, D., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. (D. S-S.) The Blue Touraco, 1. Hemipodes or Bustard Quails, 16. Avi cultural Notes, 25, 54, 78, 108, 129, 162, 194, 247, 334. The White-bellied Touraco, 33. Quails, 50. The Baja Lory, 61. American Quails or Colins, 64. Francolins, 67. Be views — Handbook to the Birds of West Africa, 81. ,, A History of the, Birds of Norfolk, 332. ,, Hill Birds of Scotland, 333. ,, Secrets of Bird Life, 334. Partridges, 91. Grouse, 96. The Purple-throated Cotinga, 113. The Violaceous Plaintain-eater, 141. Feather-plucking in Parrots, 218. The Spot-headed Weaver, 253. Bullock’s Hangnest, 281. Curassows and Guans, 294. Mr. Wilfred Frost’s Importation, 308. The Shama, 313. The Megapodes or Mound Builders, 319. The Tinamous, 323. Shore-Baily, W., F.Z.S. 1929 in the Boyers House Aviaries, 99. Nesting of the Black-headed Grosbeak, Japanese Hawfinch, and the Thick¬ billed Weaver, 314. SlCH, H. L. Black-tailed and Masked Hawfinches, 57. Painted Quail and Bustard Quail, 133. The Nesting of the Black Bail, 270. Stokes, Captain H. S., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., M.C. A Tour in France, 254, 282. Tavistock, The Marquess of, F.Z.S. Some New Arrivals, 48. Precocious Lovebirds, 56. Brown’s Parrakeet, 83. Superb Tanagers, 83. Alphabetical List of Contributors ix Safflower Seed and Feather-plucking, 85, 112. A Clever Grey Parrot, 137. Parrakeet Notes, 163. A Death from Old Age, 167. Barbary Doves at Liberty, 252. Notes for 1930, 267. Feather Plucking, 278. Death of a Well-known Parrot, 311. Sunshine on Nest-boxes : Movable Aviaries, 311. Thomasset, B. C., F.Z.S. } Hen Gouldian Finch in Cock’s Plumage, 59. ' Pileated Finches and Shamas, 280. Thompson, Captain Gr. W. Breeding Green Glossy Starlings, 235, 280. VAN HEYST, A. Pheasant Breeding Results, 85. Waud, Captain Reginald, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. Notes from Bradley Court, 127. Wavertree, Lady. Breeding the Royal Starling and the Black- winged Grackle, 305, 327. Weston, Denys, F.Z.S. Foreign Finches that are Easy to Breed, 272. Feather-plucking in Parrots, 310. Workman, W. H., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. The Barbary Dove at Liberty, 192. Bird Behaviour, 249. Cock Californian Quail Brooding, 274. LIST OF PLATES *Blue Touraco * White-bellied Touracou . Egg of Cicinnurus regius *Raja Lory Sarus Cranes Tree Pies at Nest . *Purple-throated Cotinga ^Violaceous Plantain-eater Green-naped Pheasant Pigeon * Siamese Fireback Pheasant Bornean Firebacked Pheasant . Germain’s Peacock Pheasant White-shouldered Robin-Chat Helmet Shrike ^Lewis’s Silver Pheasant . White-tailed Fireback Pheasant Monaul Pheasant . Rheinart’s Pheasant Parrot House at the Zoological Gardens *Milne Edwards’ Pheasant Sonnerat’s Jungle Cock . Ceylon Jungle Cock Javan Jungle Cock. A Pair of Kagus * Spot-headed Weaver Bird The XVth Century Chateau, Cleres The Old Rose-red Manor House A View from the Chateau Black-necked Crane to face p. 1 „ 32 „ 34 „ 61 „ 89 „ 100 „ 113 „ Ml „ 160 „ 169 „ 182 „ 182 „ 194 „ 194 „ 197 „ 210 „ 212 „ 212 „ 215 „ 225 „ 227 227 „ 228 „ 249 „ 253 „ 254 „ 254 „ 254 „ 254 * Denotes a coloured plate. Xll List of Plates Waterfowl in the River below the Chateau . to face p. 256 Black-necked Swans with Cygnets . . . . „ 256 Emperor Geese by the Lake . . . . . ,, 256 Flamingoes on the Lawn . . . . . . ,,256 *Bullock’s Hangnest ....... 281 Crested Guan . . . . . „ 294 Galeated Curassow 294 Piping Guan . . . . . . ,, 302 Mallee Fowl ,, 302 * Indian Shama 313 Crimson-rumped Toucanet . . . . . „ 318 Young Maleo 322 Rufous Tinamou with brood . . . . . ,, 322 Martinetta Tinamou . . . . . . „ 326 Spotted Tinamou ........ 326 Denotes a coloured plate. JANUARY 1930. • \ * npro FtFTH SERIES. VOL. VIII. No. 1. THE Avicultural Magazine CONT PAGE The Blue Touraco (with Coloured Plate ) . 1 Notes on the Rare Parrots of the genus Amazona, by Sydney Porter . 2 Notes from a Lancashire Aviary, by Joseph Appleby . . 12 Hemipodes or Bustard Quails, by D. Seth-Smith . . .16 Records of Birds bred in Captivity, by Dr. E. Hopkinson, C.M.G. . . . . .18- ENTS. PAGE Avicultural Notes, by The Editor . . . .25 Correspondence : Longevity ; Ex¬ change of Birds ; Homoeo¬ pathic Remedies; The Golden- Shouldered Parrakeet ; Avi¬ culture in America ; Hybrid Lovebirds ; Rings for Love¬ birds ; Breeding Turquoisines and Elegants . . . .26 New Year Notes ... 32 The Price of this Number is 5/-. THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY. FOUNDED 1894 NOTICE TO MEMBERS The Subscription to the Avicultural Society is £1 per annum, due on the 1st of January in each year, and is payable in advance. The entrance fee is 10/0. The Avicultural Magazine is sent free to members monthly. Members joining at any time during the year are entitled to the back numbers for the current year, on the payment of entrance fee and subscription. [j ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO THE HONORARY SECRETARY 1 AND TREASURER, MiSS Knobel, 32 Tavistock Square, London, W.C.l. All Queries respecting Birds (except post-mortem cases) and all other correspondence should be sent to the Hon. Secretary, at the above address. Any change of address should be notified to her. POST-MORTEM EXAMINATIONS. Rule 1. — A short account of the illness should accompany the specimen. All birds to be sent as fresh as possible to Mr. C. H. Hicks, The Prosectorium, The Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8. Rule 2.— -A stamped addressed envelope must be enclosed with the bird. Rule 3. — No body or skin of any bird will be returned under any circumstances whatever. The Magazine is published by Messrs. Stephen Austin & Sons, 5 Fore Street, Hertford, to whom members should address all orders for extra copies, back numbers for 1917 and after, and bound volumes. Cases for binding the Magazine (in art cloth, with gold block on side) can be obtained from the Publishers, post free and carefully packed, at 3/- each ; or the Publishers will undertake the binding of the Volume for 5/6, plus 9 d. for packing and postage. Members are requested to state whether they want the wrappers and advertisements bound in at the end or not. Telephone : 46 Hertford. BACK VOLUMES of the AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE previous to 1917. Application for these should be made to the Editor of Cage Birds , Link House, 4-8 Greville Street, E.C. 1. All Enquiries for ADVERTISEMENTS and TRADE SUPPLIES should be made direct to STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, Ltd., FORE STREET, HERTFORD. All communications intended for publication in the Magazine should be addressed to the Editor : — Mr. D. Seth-Smith, Zoological Society, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8. mW.oi':' ■ Avicultural Magazine; JohnBale.Sons &. Danielsson,!^ Blue Touraco. Corythseola cristate . THE Avicultural Magazine BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF FOREIGN 8c BRITISH BIRDS IN FREEDOM 8c CAPTIVITY Fifth Series- — Vol. VIII. — No. 1. — All rights reserved. JANUARY, 1930. THE BLUE TOURACO The single example of this splendid Touraco, which is scientifically known as Corythceola cristata, now in the Zoological Gardens, has already been referred to in this Journal (1928, p. 186), but it is such a magnificent bird and appears to be so very well suited to avicultural conditions, that the coloured plate, herewith published, will be welcomed by our members. This is the largest of the Touracos, its total length being about 28 inches, and unlike most of its allies it lacks the well-known carmine features in the wings. It inhabits West Africa from Senegambia to Angola and Equatorial Africa, and as with all of the family is very arboreal in its habits, keeping to the forests and rarely descending to the ground. It feeds almost entirely upon fruit. Touracos are nearly always tame when brought to this country, the reason being that the easiest method of obtaining them is by hand- rearing them from the nest, and they certainly respond to this method of treatment well, for they seem to be easily reared and they certainly make most charming aviary birds. Contrary to the general rule, the Donaldson’s Touracos that were imported in considerable numbers some few years ago were not at all tame, and had evidently been captured adult. Touracos build open nests like those of Pigeons, though apparently 1 2 Sydney Porter — Notes on Bare Parrots of the Genus Amazon a better concealed and it is surprising that so few instances are on record of any of the species being bred in captivity. It appears that Turacus persa and T. macrorhynchus are the only two that has succeeded in this direction so far. Touracos appear to be decidedly intelligent birds, judging from the fact that the Blue Touraco which is the subject of our plate always recognizes its late owner when he visits the Zoological Gardens, though he may not have been in the neighbourhood for many months. The bird shows the greatest pleasure immediately his late master calls him, flying down to him. at once and delighting in his caresses. D. S-S. NOTES ON RARE PARROTS OF THE GENUS AMAZON A By Sydney Porter One of the saddest things in the life of a keen ornithologist is to see so many wonderful species of birds being exterminated. Creatures whose development and evolution have taken thousands if not millions of years are now by one stroke, comparatively speaking, swept by the ruthless hand of Man into oblivion. They can never be brought back or restored to their place on the earth. The destruction of a work of art whether wilfully or by accident calls for a great outcry, but no work created by the hand of Man is as valuable as any species created by Nature, no matter how mean it may appear to our eyes, and yet scarcely a voice is raised to protest against the terrible destruction of species which is going on to-day. Why is it that so many species are vanishing ? and why has Man dealt so unjustly with his fellow- creatures ? Sometimes it has been because of the feeble and perverted instinct of sport when it consists of the death of a living creature, sometimes the vanity of savages or of civilized woman, the greed of gain, and perhaps more than anything for food. This especially applies to birds which have been confined to small and isolated islands. Man has taken up his abode on these places and soon the creatures are no more. Many hundreds have gone and a great many are still going. Sydney Porter — Notes on Bare Parrots of the Genus Amazon a B The extirpation of the fine avifauna of New Zealand, the Parrakeets of Australia, the birds of the Galapoges Islands, the game birds of North America, the Pigeons of the islands of the Indian Ocean, and last but not least the beautiful Parrots of the genus Amazona which inhabit the islands of the West Indies, are slowly but surely going and for all these the long list has to be debited against the hand of civilized man. It is to do with some of the nearly extirpated species of the latter birds that I have to speak mainly here. The birds form the remnant of a large number of Parrots which have long since disappeared from most of the islands. Guildings Parrot (Amazona guildingi) Whilst on my way to Barbados I was fortunate in meeting with a gentleman who for many years had been a magistrate in St. Yincent and who knew A. guildingi very well. He stated that it was still found in small numbers in the virgin forests on the mountain tops which are still unexplored. He himself has seen them there. He informed me that the natives sometimes get them by marking out their roosting trees and climbing up at night when the birds are asleep. The birds were not killed by the eruption as many people thought, but quite a few were swept to their doom by a recent hurricane. Their scarcity is not so much due to the fact that the birds are killed but that they are very slow breeders, laying only one or two eggs. The natives are said to climb a tree sometimes if they know where there is a nest and secure the young bird which they hand-rear. I was informed by the said gentleman that it was very likely I could secure a bird or even a pair if I could visit St. Yincent and make a journey up into the mountains with a native hunter. In the island the bird is known as the Bronze Parrot. It was my intention to visit St. Vincent in search of this bird, but owing to my staying for a longer time in the island of Dominica than I first anticipated, the visit had to be cancelled much to my regret. Whilst in Barbados I heard that someone had a yellow Parrot from St. Yincent, but though I made numerous enquiries I failed to locate it. 4 Sydney Porter — Notes on Bare Parrots of the Genus Amazona When on one of the steamers from New York going down the Islands I had the good lnck to meet the new Administrator of St. Vincent going to take up his duties on the island. He was very keen on the protection of the bird and said that upon taking office he would make enquiries into the matter of the bird and do his utmost to afford it all possible protection. There is an interesting article in a paper entitled the Birds of the Southern Lesser Antilles, published by the Boston Society of Natural History, from which the following is quoted : — “ This bird (A. guilddngi) is now decidedly rare on St. Vincent where it is confined to the highest wooded slopes in the centre of the island behind Barrouallie. Some idea of its scarcity may be had from the fact that during a walk from Hermitage, in the upper Cumberland valley, south along the central ridge of the island, only two were met with, although it is in this region that they are said to be most common. I stayed for four days in the Bichmond valley near Morne Garou where many Parrots had previously been obtained, but neither saw nor heard one. Formerly it was very numerous, and was still common at the time of the great hurricane (1898). In that storm many were destroyed ; two were picked up dead on the shores of St. Lucia and a considerable number were disabled and caught by the natives. For days after the storm Parrots would be found in the smaller towns in a more or less helpless condition due probably to hunger, for, as has been previously stated, the woods at that time were practically barren. “ Before the species had recovered to any extent from the effects of the hurricane, the late eruptions occurred and probably killed many of the birds, as that part of the island best suited to them was laid waste. “ . . . Mr. J. T. Thorne, until lately a magistrate in Demerara, who lived many years ago in St. Vincent, told me that a pair of these Parrots nested in an old estate chimney near Kingston and that two young birds were obtained from the nest.” So from that we can gather that the birds only lay a small clutch of eggs. Sydney Porter — Notes on Bare Parrots of the Genus Amazona 5 The Versicolour Parrot ( Amazona versicolor ) During my trip I stayed for an all too short period in the lovely island of St. Lucia, the home of one of the large “ Amazon ” Parrots which some years ago was on the verge of extinction, and it was a great delight to hear from many people that it has now increased and is still increasing fairly rapidly, thanks to the very rigid protection afforded it by the Government of the island. The natives in the country districts are terrified of killing or even owning a bird, the authorities having been able to instil into the native mind a great fear on this question, I wish the Dominican Government would do the same about the Imperial Parrot. I, unfortunately, did not see any wild birds myself, but I was taken into the districts where they lived and found by questioning the natives that the birds were now fairly common. In fact, on our trip one place was pointed out to me, a place where flocks of about twenty Parrots passed each morning to their feeding-grounds, and one fellow offered to go into the woods and shoot me a pair, just wounding them, so that they would live (so he said) on condition I took all the blame if he were found out ! It is needless to say what my answer was, for apart from being against the Law the birds were breeding and no doubt he might have killed a dozen to procure two. I went all over the island trying to secure a tame one but in vain. I had one or two false alarms : in one case I motored to the other side of the island and climbed half-way up a mountain to an isolation hospital, but the bird proved to be a Yellow-fronted Amazon. I spoke to the police sergeant in charge of the district where the birds are found, and he informed me that the natives once kept the birds and even shot numbers for eating, but now they were far too frightened of the severe penalties to touch the birds. All this was a great joy to me, to find that at last one of the very rare giants of the genus Amazona was on the increase in spite of St. Lucia being a very small island with an increasing population. Through the kindness of a gentleman who resided on the island and who asked me up to his place near Castries, I was able to see a very fine pair of these birds, one of which he had had for over sixteen years and the other for eight. They were perfectly tame and had 6 Sydney Porte i — Notes on Rare Parrots of the Genus Amazona complete liberty, and the strange thing was that the hen (the older bird) had forsaken her real mate and had mated with a fine bine and yellow Macaw which was also at liberty. These birds were all perfectly tame, and I obtained many photos of them, but unfortunately they were all ruined owing to keeping them too long in a humid climate. The owner of the birds said that so strict is the protection of these Parrots that he had to obtain a permit from the authorities in order that he might retain possession of them. Twenty years ago the bird was for all intents and purposes practically extinct, and the remarkable increase shows what can be done with the most stringent protection. The Cayman Island Parrot {Amazona caymanensis ) Among the islands of the West Indies which possess a Parrot of their own, the Cayman Islands are the smallest and most isolated group which can lay claim to this distinction. This small group of islands lie over 200 miles north-west of Jamaica and the total area of the whole group is only 89 square miles, which will show that they are very tiny indeed. They are very isolated and visitors are few and far between owing to there being no regular steamer service. Every now and then a few natives of the islands come over in their small craft to Jamaica to trade, bringing with them dried fish, turtles, and sometimes a few of the indigenous Parrots which they have taken from the nest and hand-reared. These birds are much rarer than the Yellow-billed Parrot of Jamaica, and they always command a high price in the Jamaica market, any¬ thing from 30s. to £3 being asked for them, which though seeming to be .a reasonable price in this country is very high for a Parrot in the tropics. A. caymanensis is one of the smaller so-called “ Amazon ” Parrots, but at the same time is one of the most beautiful. In colour it is the usual green, but rather darker than most of the genus, the feathers being heavily edged with black, the front half of the head is white tinged with yellow, and rose-pink on the eyebrows, the cheeks and throat a delicate rose-pink, the wing feathers a bright blue, and those of the tail marked with bright orange-red. Some specimens have the Sydney Porter - — Notes on Bare Parrots of the Genus Amazona 7 breast a rich vinous red colour, but I think this is a question of age as the ordinary ones all have the bases of the feathers that colour, but this is concealed until the bird puffs its feathers out. I picked up a specimen of this Parrot in Jamaica which proved to be very tame but had a bad habit of biting very hard upon occasion. It loved human companionship and would play like a kitten with the sailors on board, but it was very vicious towards other Parrots so had to be caged by itself. Another specimen was offered to me for sale which had the breast almost entirely red. This bird was stated to be a very good talker, but as the price asked was very excessive I did not purchase it. Upon arrival in England my bird was turned into an indoor aviary with other Parrots. At first it lost nearly all its playfulness and became extremely aggressive towards the other Parrots, especially the Imperial, which was at least three times as large. While being quite fearless it refused to be touched, and delighted to creep up behind one and give a nasty nip or pull out a beak full of hair from one’s head. It seemed far more intelligent than any of the other Parrots. It is certainly one of the most beautiful of the smaller Amazon ” Parrots and, unlike the majority of its fellow species in captivity, uses its wings a great deal. This bird, 1 understand, like its congenitors from the other islands, is rapidly on the way to extermination, which is not surprising con¬ sidering that it is confined to the tiny islands, which are comparatively well populated. The wonder is that it has managed to survive so long. Extremely intelligent and inquisitive this Parrot reminds me more of a dog than a bird. As soon as the aviary door is opened in the morning, it will fly out into the birdroom, flying back and forwards until it is tired, when it returns to the aviary. Sometimes it will go round the other cages and aviaries, pulling out wires and knocking down pots and tins, for no matter how firmly a pot is fastened it will pull it out and haul it to the ground. If another aviary door be open it will enter and make a short tour of inspection. It is the only species of “ Amazon ” which I possess which bathes freely. The other birds like to be sprayed, but this one loves to roll in the water pot and get thoroughly soaked. This bird is extremely 8 Sydney Porte?' — Notes on Bare Parrots of the Genus Amazona fond of elder-berries. When I first had it, it would screech terribly if thwarted of anything, but now it seldom if ever uses its voice. The Jamaican Yellow-billed Parrot (Amazona collaria) is perhaps the smallest and among the dullest coloured of the “ Amazons At present, judging by the numbers in the Jamaica market, it is fairly plentiful, which shows that it must have increased of late years, for in Gosse’s time, over eighty years ago, he states that the bird was much rarer than the Black-billed Parrot, a bird which appears to be extinct now. Most of the specimens which come into the Jamaica market are taken from the nest when fledglings and hand-reared by the natives. Gosse says of this bird : “ The Yellow-bill is less common than either of the two preceding but its habits are the same. The same fruits supply it with food, but in addition, it divides the oranges to procure the pips, and even cuts the acrid cashew-nut to extract the kernel, which the others will not do. “ The present and preceding species build in holes in lofty trees ; often a hollow bread-nut tree is chosen, and often the capacious and comfortable cavity chiselled out by a Woodpecker. Pour eggs are usually laid ; and when the green feathers begin to clothe the callow heads of the promising family, they are too often taken by some daring youth, who having watched the parent to her hole, climbs the giddy elevation. He feeds the young with ripe plantain or banana, till they approach maturity and their appetites can digest plainer food, for when grown they will eat almost anything.”. A bird which I possess is a gentle little creature with very large and expressionate eyes but appears shyer and not nearly so intelligent as its relative and neighbour, the Cayman Islander. This bird was in nestling plumage when I purchased it, but it has since moulted into the adult garb. I am endeavouring to get more of these birds, and if I am successful I hope to breed them. The Jamaican Black-billed or All-green Parrot (Amazona agilis) seems to have joined the vast throng of extinct West Indian birds banished from the earth by the cruel and thoughtless hand of Man. Whilst in Jamaica for a short time I made every enquiry respecting it and tried to obtain it, but I got the same answer from Sydney Porter — Notes on Bare Parrots of the Genus Amazona 9 all the natives who traded in birds : “ No Black-bills, Sar, none for years, all gone.” It is sad to think that this species has been exterminated, for in Gosse’s time it was even commoner than the Yellow-bill, a bird which, as I have mentioned before, can still be obtained in the Jamaica market. Though boasting of no brilliant colours like some of the “ Amazons ” it was clad in a very beautiful shade of dark glossy green. I wonder why this bird has disappeared while its near relative and neighbour the Yellow-bill has survived, especially as the latter was more sought after than the former ? Again, at the risk of tiring the reader, I will quote a short chapter from Gosse’s Birds of Jamaica concerning this species, for we might as well give the bird a good obituary notice ! “ All the Parrots are gregarious, cunning, watchful, noisy, mischievous ; and thus are like the Monkeys. This and the following species are so much alike in manners and general appearance that a description of one applies nearly to the other. “ Flocks varying from half a dozen to twenty or thirty fly hither and thither over the forest, screeching as they go, and all alight together on some tree covered with berries. Here they feast, but with caution ; on a slight alarm one screams and the whole flock take wing, vociferous if not musical ; and brilliant if not beautiful ; particularly when the sun shines on their green backs and crimsoned wings. They generally prefer lofty trees except when, in June, the ripe yellow plantain tempts them to descend or when the black berry shines upon the pimento. Of the latter the flocks devour an immense quantity, and the former they destroy by cutting it to pieces with their powerful beaks to get at the small seeds.” Bodin’s Parrot ( Amazona bodini ) Notes on individual birds in captivity, especially Parrots, are liable to be misleading, for specimens differ in their nature as much as human beings do. But seeing that this bird is so very rare, very few skins even being possessed by museums, I may be forgiven for adding a few notes in regard to my pet bird. I picked up this bird when in Trinidad. An old woman had a couple of Parrots, a Yellow-fronted and the Bodin’s ; she was sitting 10 Sydney Porter — Notes on Bare Parrots of the Genus Amazona by one of the docks endeavouring to sell the birds to sailors who passed by. She was very anxious to get rid of the latter bird for it wasn’t in very good plumage and didn’t talk, and when she thought that I wasn’t interested she quickly dropped her price from 25s. to 15s. This bird proved to be a sweet, gentle little creature, perhaps the tamest Parrot I have ever possessed, delighting to come on one’s shoulder, nestling up against one’s neck, and gently playing with one’s ear. She, for it is a hen, never in moments of excitement gives one a good nip like most other Parrots do. She is fond of being put out in the garden on warm days, when she will imitate all manner of animals — cats, dogs, fowls, etc. — and holds long unintelligible con¬ versations with herself. The chief beauty of this bird lies in the lovely crimson back, which can only be seen when it flies. Though the bird is often out in the garden all day it never wanders away. It is very fond of bathing in the wet foliage or of rolling over in the grass during a shower. This bird inhabits some parts of Venezuela, but nothing seems to be known of it in the wild state. The Yellow-cheeked Parrot ( Amazona autumnalis) Costa Pica is said to boast of having the most beautiful women in the whole world, but whether this is so or not is hardly a matter for discussion in the pages of our very respectable Magazine ! Certainly they have the most lovely eyes ! By a strange anomaly the country boasts of one of the most beautiful of Parrots of the genus Amazona, and the most striking feature of this bird is its lovely eyes. They are very large for the size of the Parrot, and are surrounded by a ring of pure white skin and set off by black eyelashes which gives the bird a very soft and gentle expression. In fact, I think that the eyes of A. autumnalis are quite unique. When landing in a strange port I used to make a search for rare Parrots, and the 'way I usually found them was by asking someone if they knew of anyone who had a Parrot for sale, and when I found that it was an ordinary one I would say that it wasn’t the sort I wanted, did they know of anyone else who had one, and so on ad lib. ; and in time I usually found something worth having ! In this way I bought Sydney Porter — Notes on Bare Parrots of the Genus Amazona 11 my bird from a Spanish lady whom I persuaded to part with it. She was not anxious to part with her treasure and demanded a high price for it, but I was so struck by the beauty of the bird that I soon con¬ cluded the bargain and carried my treasure away on my shoulder. This Parrot was living quite at liberty in the courtyard of the house and was in the most wonderful condition. Little or nothing seems to be known of the habits of the Yellow-cheeked Parrot, which is not to be wondered at, for the interior of Costa Rica is almost impenetrable ; luxuriant forest covers the whole of this very mountainous country. Only two roads run for 5 miles on each side of Port Limon, the chief port of the country. Although my bird was very tame it was never familiar like the other Parrots : it always had a superior air about it, but did not object to being picked up though refusing to be petted. I seldom have heard it use its natural voice, but when outside it will imitate a brood of young puppies. Sometimes it wanders away, and is extremely difficult to find when hidden in a bush. It is heavier than any other “ Amazon ” Parrot I have ever handled, but once it seemed to go out of condition and got very much lighter and during this time the brilliant crimson frontal band faded very much ; but after a few weeks the bird recovered and got back to its normal weight and the red assumed its normal tint again. Though rather reserved the bird is not at all lacking in intellect ; it has very little to do with the other Parrots in the same aviary, but will savagely resent any attack made on it by another bird. I consider this to be the most beautiful of the “ Amazon ” Parrots. The Vinaceous Parrot (Amazona vinacea) is a very pretty little Parrot which seems to have been imported more frequently than in former years, but even now it is fairly rare and commands a rather high price in the English market. It differs from all the other “ Amazons ” in having the breast coloured somewhat like a washed-out Imperial Parrot’s, the feathers of the hind neck are lengthened, and as in the latter bird form a kind of hood which can be raised at will. There is something about this bird which reminds me of a Pigeon : perhaps it is the small head. Unlike the other Parrots mentioned above, all of which are rare in 12 Joseph Appleby — Notes from a Lancashire Aviary the wild state, this one seems to be quite common in its native haunts, which are given as South-Eastern Brazil, Paraguay, and the Northern Argentine, so it is surprising that it is so rare over here. A quiet, gentle creature, my bird seems to have no vices, delights in being spoken to and taken notice of, it whistles but seems to make no other noises. It is the gentlest of my Parrots and never resents the attacks of the other birds. I should think that if one could devote time to it and keep it in the house it would become a delightful pet, but I never keep any of my Parrots in cages, for I think it is cruelty, so on that account never bring any into the house. Other writers who have possessed this bird also state that it has a charming character. NOTES FROM A LANCASHIRE AVIARY By Joseph Appleby It is six months since I last sent you a few notes on the birds in my aviary, Mr. Editor. So while sitting in the shelter watching my little friends feed within a few feet of me, this fine sunny November morning, I thought you would perhaps like to hear what had happened in the intervening time. In the first instance, many thanks to Lord Tavistock for putting me on to the Therm X heaters as a method of warming an aviary. I find they are rather expensive to run with Aviation Spirit at 2s. 2 d. a gallon and they have only two speeds, full on and dead slow — in other words they cannot be regulated. In every other respect they are excellent, clean, no fumes, no smell, no danger from fire or explosion, and fool-proof. For a small aviary about 1,000 cubic feet of space, they are most useful. One gallon of spirit lasts forty-five hours and keeps the inside temperature eight or ten degrees above the outside. So what I do is use the oil lamp in the day when I am about, and the Therm X at night when the aviary has to be left to itself. The lighting- up, a simple matter, is done about sunset when the birds are going to roost ; they take little notice of my movements if not left too late, but do not like being disturbed in that half light just before dark, and yet when quite dark I can go in with my electric lamp and there is Joseph Appleby — Notes from a Lancashire Aviary 18 not a movement so long as one goes about quietly. It’s singular how many people wish to see my birds just at this most critical time, particularly in the summer months. I suppose its the time of day most people wander round their gardens, and a very pleasant time too, on a fine warm evening such as we have had quite a number of this year. So I have to say, “ Sorry, but the children are going to bed, come and have a look about noon on Sunday, then you will see them at their best.” The bird lover with the aviary sense will understand what I mean, the other will say, “ What the - is the man talking about ? ” So much for lamps and bedtime. Well, Sir, due to the excellent weather we have had this last six months, my birds have kept in splendid condition, the aviary popula¬ tion increasing by about 25 per cent, unfortunately, like other popula¬ tions, at that end of the scale least desired. However, it is most encouraging after fighting uphill for many years, and goes to prove that most of my troubles have been climatic. The Pekin Robins (Leiothrix) mentioned in my last notes were not successful in rearing any young again this year. The cock built four nests but the hen would have nothing to do with three of them and only laid one egg in one nest and never attempted to sit. So the kind suggestions of Mr. Sich and Mr. Arthur Lewis re ant-eggs and gentles, though of use in the case of other birds, were not employed for the benefit of the Pekin Robins. Zebra Finches, Fire Finches and Grey Singing Finches have all done well. Zebras are now as prolific as Canaries ; a little fresh blood added this year produced fine healthy stock. They build their untidy nests everywhere, but I notice that those nests inside the shelter are most successful in rearing young. They are a quarrelsome crowd among themselves, but do one another no harm and are very tame. Fire Finches seem to prefer cocoanut husks for nesting sites, outside in full sun, the cocks being great policemen when the hens are sitting, no one dare so much as look at a nest, even Javas are sent dying if too near. I have read with interest Mr. Godfrey Davis’ article on Melanism in Ornamental Finches. Has not light as much to do with colour as water ? I notice my Fire Finches ( Lagonosticta senegola) are much brighter crimson about Christmas than in June. This may 14 Joseph Appleby — Notes from a Lancashire Aviary be clue to moult, but may not light have something to do with it ? The sun’s rays being (in this hemisphere) more actinic in spring and summer than in autumn and winter, producing greater black pigmenta¬ tion. It is certainly interesting to hear of Avadavats changing from crimson to brick-red and back again to crimson in a few days. The change of colour in birds is a most interesting study. I have a cock Indigo Bunting just now in what may be termed his eclipse plumage. He moulted his fine blue coat in July- August, and now looks like a Sparrow with a few feathers tipped with blue. In January he will gradually evolve a blue coat — I can use no other word for he does not cast a feather, they simply become blue. The change is as marvellous as that of a Mallard drake. Now the Orange Bishop seems to grow his new orange and black and cast it in January, as also does the Paradise Whydah. Grey Singing Finches, the most charming singers next to a Lark in my opinion, are hardy little birds and make a small neat nest like a Chaffinch in the thickest bush they can find outside. They and the Siskins all roost together in a small flock of eight on the highest and most exposed tree outside, winter and summer alike, consequently they get frights on moonlight nights and knock the feathers off their heads against the wire ; at least some of them do, the older ones seem to have learned a thing or two. Last spring I lost seven birds from causes I could not fathom, serious injuries to the head, in all cases they were birds in poor con¬ dition. I suspected cats, rats, Owls and everyone but the real culprit, a sly gentleman, to wit, a cock Cardinal. I ought to have suspected his Jay-like majesty sooner, but even now the evidence against him is purely circumstantial. I have never seen him attack any bird. However, suspecting his sly manners, I removed him, since when there have been no more deaths by injuries. This move was really unfortunate, for the hen was sitting at the time. I hoped she would continue, for she was well on her way, over a week, but no, she gave up because the cock was not there to feed her : her three eggs were hard set. Of course I knew I was taking a risk. It is a pity, but the Cardinal is too large company for my small birds, and at present I have no accommodation for large birds by themselves so they will have to go. I won’t keep him in a small Joseph Appleby — Notes from a Lancashire A viary 15 cage. The cock is a beautiful whistler, a mixture of Blackbird and Nightingale, and it is only in the breeding season this proclivity to assault other defenceless birds persists. The hen has been along with the other birds all the time, and is a quiet shy bird, quite inoffensive. The cock is now getting through his moult and being fed up and treated with Parish’s Food. The hen got through her moult in August and September and is in perfect condition now. A cock Nonpareil Bunting, also in the moult and nearly featherless, is undergoing generous diet and Parish’s, under cover. Last year he moulted outdoors, but he is so naked this year I feared pneumonia, so am keeping him up until he is through. A cock Rainbow Bunting, having gone through similar treatment when he was moulting six or seven weeks ago, is now in perfect plumage. The generous diet includes a few mealworms for those who will take them. I have caught up all my Gouldian, Long¬ tailed and Masked Grass Finches (ten) for the winter. I always regret having to do so because they are all in breeding condition, but to leave them outdoors in this northerly winter were folly. To keep and breed this class of semi-tropical Southern Hemisphere bird up here one should have at least two-thirds more indoor space than outdoor. In fact I think we all make the mistake of not providing more indoor accommodation than outdoor. Of course, it is more expensive, but I feel sure that with the facilities for using the sun-rav electric lights and other contrivances these particular birds would breed well even in the gloomy northern winter. As it is, they are in pairs, in roomy cages with nesting boxes and materials of which one pair of Gouldians and one pair of Long-tails have made use, and I am living in hopes. And yet, having written the above remarks about North Australian Finches, I wonder why they should not be quite as hardy as the Zebra Finch or St. Helena Waxbill, much smaller birds and both of which have full liberty of both shelter and flight all the year round. The latter built nests, very like our Willow Warbler, on the ground in long grass, but as I have more cocks than hens nothing came of the effort. Well, I may experiment with a pair of one or the other Australian Finches after this winter, as I hope to correct my own mistake in respect of indoor accommodation this next year. We certainly ought to do our utmost for our beautiful and entertaining little proteges. 16 D. Seth- Smith — Hemipodes or Bustard Quails HEMIPODES OR BUSTARD QUAILS By D. Seth-Smith The genus Turnix comprises a group of small Quail-like birds which in structure and habits are very distinct from the true Quails, or in fact to the true gallinaceous birds. They possess only three toes, the hind one being absent. The female is not only larger but, in most species, more brightly coloured than the male. Their breeding habits are peculiar in that the female courts and, if necessary, defends the male, and it is the inconspicuously coloured male that undertakes the duty of incubating the eggs and rearing the young. When the male commences to sit the female leaves him and re-commences her booming call by which she hopes to attract another male. The nest is formed in a slight depression in the ground, lined with grass and often covered by a domed structure of grass. Three or four eggs go to a clutch and the incubation period is no more than twelve to fourteen days. The eggs are of much the same appearance in all of the species, the ground colour being whitish or buff with two distinct sets of spots or blotches, generally an underlying one of pale lilac or brown, with more distinct spots of brown on the surface. The young are covered with down, beautifully marked, and are able to follow their parent in a few hours. The Bustard or Button Quails inhabit most of the tropical and sub-tropical countries of the Old World, being found mostly in dry and somewhat barren country where clumps of grass and low bushes grow amongst rocks and sand. They subsist upon small seeds and insects, and in captivity will thrive in a moderately warm and dry aviary ; and some three or four species have bred in captivity. The Andalusian Bustard Quail ( Turnix sylvalica ) occurs in North Africa and in Southern Europe. The female is about 7 inches in length, the male an inch less. The centre of the breast is russet-red, the sides being pale buff, and, in the female, the nape is dull red. The Black-breasted Bustard Quail (T. pugnax) occurs in India, Ceylon, the Malay States and China. The female is some 6J inches in length, the male fully an inch less. In the female the throat and often the middle of the breast are black, that of the male being white. The upper surface is brown, mottled with black. D. Seth-Smith — Hemipodes or Bustard Quails 17 The Lepurana Bustard Quail (T. lepurana) appears to be a small race of the Andalusian Bustard Quail occurring chiefly in the southern half of Africa. It has been bred in England by Mr. H. L. Sich. The Little Bustard Quail (T. dussumieri) has been frequently imported from India. The female is some 5 inches in length, the male being somewhat smaller. The general colour is huffish straw-colour, the sides of the breast being spotted with black and rufous. The male is less brightly coloured than the female. The Little African Bustard Quail (T. nana) is distinguished from the preceding by having the sides of the breast barred. It is occasionally imported from Southern Africa. The Larger Indian Bustard Quail ( T . tanki) is a very handsome species though rarely imported. The adult female is grey on the back, rufous on the chest and underparts, and during the breeding season has a bright reddish collar on the nape. The male is smaller, brown on the back, and without the nuchal collar. It becomes extremely tame in captivity, and a full account of its breeding by the present writer appeared, with a coloured plate of both sexes in the Avicultural Magazine of August, 1903. The Varied Bustard Quail (T. varia ) is a very handsome bird, inhabiting Australia, the female being fully 7J inches in length, while the male is quite an inch less. The back is black barred with rufous, and the female has a conspicuous reddish chestnut collar on her nape which is wanting in the male. The species is unfortunately very seldom imported, which is to be regretted, as it is a charming bird in captivity and there is no difficulty in breeding it in a suitable aviary. For a full account of its very interesting and curious breeding habits I would refer the reader to the Avicultural Magazine of August, 1905. The Swift Bustard Quail (T. velox). A small rufous-coloured bird, belonging to a small group of this genus possessing very stout bills. It inhabits Australia and has been imported on rare occasions. A pair owned by the present writer showed no inclination to breed. The sexes are similar in colour and markings, the female being slightly larger than the male. The Bufous-chested Bustard Quail (T. pyrrhothorax) is like the last in possessing a very stout bill. Its general colour above is 2 18 Dr. D. Hopkinson — Records of Birds bred in Captivity stone grey, the feathers being marked with narrow cross-bars of rufous and black. The sides of the face and neck are white, tipped with black, and the chest and flanks rufous. The female is about 6 inches in length, the male an inch less. This species occurs in the Eastern parts of Australia. In addition to the above, T. maculosa of Australia and New Guinea and T. nigricollis of Madagascar have been imported. The Collared Plain Wanderer ( Pedionomus torquatus) may be said to be a Bustard Quail possessing a small hind toe, and peculiarly soft plumage. It is found in the dry districts of the interior and southern parts of Australia and has only been imported on very rare occasions. The writer has only seen two living examples, both of which were females. The female is over 6 inches in length, the male being somewhat less. The upper plumage is brown, finely barred with black, and the neck of the female is surrounded by a collar of white-tipped black feathers, followed by a further band of reddish buff on the nape and upper part of the chest. The underparts are buff, barred with black, the chin and throat being white. In the male the collar is much less conspicuous and the reddish colour is lacking from the nape. This little bird has much the appearance of a minute Rhea. It becomes very tame and its habits appear to be similar to those of the true Bustard Quails. There is little doubt that it would breed in captivity. RECORDS OF BIRDS BRED IN CAPTIVITY : ADDITIONS By Dr. E. Hopkinson, C.M.G., D.S.O. Since Records of Birds Bred in Captivity1 appeared in 1926 quite a large number of new records both for species and hybrids have accumulated. A list of the more important of these should be of interest. To save space merely the name and shortest possible note is given here, though for most I have the full record, which may later on be put to further use. 1 H. F. & G. Witherby, 326 High Holborn, W.C. Dr. E. Eopkinson — Becords of Birds bred in Captivity 19 The numbers indicate the position each entry would take in the original list. p. 3. Add No. 10, 1. Lazuline Grosbeak (C. parellina). Was bred in France “some time ago55, teste ' Decoux. p. 181. Siskin X Black-marked Siskin. Bred in Switzerland in 1926, see L’Oiseau, 1927, 62. p. 182. Bed Siskin Hybrids. Sich (A.M. 1928, 300) reports the rearing of further hybrids, i.e. male hybrid X Canary hen. p. 9. No. 39. Black-marked Siskin (S. notatus). Bred in Switzerland in 1926. See D, G. W., 12th December, 1926, and L’Oiseau , 1927, 61. p. 22. Add No. 105, 1. Red-crested Finch (C. cristatus). Bred by Decoux in 1926. See A.M. 1927, 22. p. 23. Add No. 108, 1. Black-cheeked Cardinal (P. nigrigenis). Bred by Decoux in 1924. See L’Oiseau , 1925. p. 31. No. 137. West African Quail-Finch. Decoux, not Delacour was the breeder in 1921 and 1922. p. 32. No. 139. Brown-capped Firefinch. First bred in Germany, 1925-6, and soon after by Decoux in France. See A.M. 1926, 334. p. 32. Add No. 140, 1. Jameson’s Firefinch (L. jamesoni ). Bred by Decoux in 1928. See L’Oiseau, 1929, 34. p. 275. Hybrid note. 159. For “ Three-coloured Mannikin ” read “ Zebra-finch ”. p. 209. Under Bengalese Hybrids add cc. Bengalese X Maja Finch. Bred in Japan, teste Hachisuka. Variation among Birds , 1928, which also records a number of other Ploceid hybrids. p. 42. No. 181. Pe ale’s Parrot Finch. For “ cyanovirens ” read “ pealii p. 49. No. 214, 1. Blue Tanager (Tangara cana). Bred by Abel, 1927. Medal. See A.M. 1928, 52. In Nos. 214-16 for “ Tanagra ” read “ Tangara ” . p. 50. Add No. 220, 1. Yellow-winged Sugar-bird (Cyanerpes cyaneus). Bred in Japan in 1928. See A.M. 1929, 30. 20 Dr. E. Hopkinson — Records of Birds bred in Captivity p. 219. Pagoda Myna x Malabar Myna. Whitley bred one in 1927. They continue to breed and now (1929) he has five of these hybrids. p. 54. No. 240, 1. White-capped Starling. Bred by Ezra, 1929. p. 55. No. 241, 1. Chough. Neunzig includes it among the birds which have bred in captivity. p. 219. Add Burchell’s X Red- winged Starling. Bred by Whitley in 1926. See AM. 1926, 322. p. 55. No. 246, 1. Beechey’s Jay ( Cissolopha beecheii). Bred by Sutcliffe in 1926. Medal. See AM. 1926, 102, 116. p. 56. No. 248. Australian Cat-Bird. Delete last three lines ; it was not bred by Delacour. p. 61. Add No. 269, 1. Pied G-rallina (Grallina picata). Bred by Ezra, 1928. See AM. 1928, 233 ; 1929, 28. p. 65. Add No. 291, 1. Hermit Thrush (T. guttatus). Bred by Amsler, 1926. See AM. 1928, 52 ; 1929, 21. p. 74. Add No. 321, 1. Indian Coucal ( Centrococcyx rufipennis). Shore Baily reports the rearing of one young bird in 1928 (A.M. 1928, 79). Did it live ? E. H. p. 75. Add after Colies. Barbets. No. 324, 1. Abyssinian Barbet ( Trachyphonus margaritatus (Rupp). Eirst bred by Reeve, 1927. See A.M. 1927, 216. p. 76. Add No. 329, 1. Violet-necked Lory (Eos variegata (Gm.)). Bred by Soudee in France in 1926. See UOiseau , 1927, 15. p. 222. Add a. Forsten’s X Red-collared Lorikeet. First breeder, Whitley, in 1927. I saw the young bird in 1928 and 1929. E. H. p. 79. No. 338. Scaly-breasted Lorikeet. Line 1 : for 1895 read 1925. p. 83. Add No. 355, 1. Red-masked Conure (C. rubrolarvatus, Mass. & S). First bred by Shore Baily in 1925. A.S. Medal. p. 83. No. 356. Yellow-headed Conure. Add Has bred at Woburn every year since 1926, teste Moody. A.M. 1929, 8, and success in France is recorded in UOiseau, 1925. Dr. E. Hopkinson — Becords of Birds bred in Captivity 21 p, 84. p. 85. p. 86. p. 87. p. 90. p. 91. p. 227. p. 92. p. 289. p. 92. p. 227. p. 227. p. 93. Add No. 362, 1. Nanday Conure (C. Nandayus nenday (7.)). First breeder, Whitley, in 1928. E. H. Add No. 366, 1. Lucian’s Conure (Pyrrhura luciani (Dev)). First bred by Mme. Lecallier in France in 1918 and else¬ where later. A.M. 1927, 140. Add No. 371, 1. Blue -bumped Parrotlet ( Forpis cyanopygia (Sou)). Bred by Mrs. Goddard. Medal. A.M. 1928, 52. Add No. 373, 1. Orange-flanked Parrakeet (B. pyrrh- opterus (Lath)). First breeder, W. Lewis in 1925. A.S. Medal. Add No. 386, 1. Malabar Parrakeet (P. columboides, Vig.) First breeder, Tavistock in 1927. See L’Oiseau, 1928, 36. No. 389. Black-tailed Parrakeet. This bird had been bred in France many years before 1903. Add a. Crimsonwing X Sula Island Ling Parrakeet. Bred by Tavistock in 1927. A.M. 1927, 259. No. 394. Abyssinian Lovebird. Have been bred in England, France, and Germany since 1925. No. 395. Add and with the male Fischer’s Lovebird. Add No. 395, 1. Nyasa Lovebird (A. liliance , Shelley). First breeder, in the United Kingdom Stokes in 1926. A.M. 1926, 169. Since then commonly bred. Add a. Nyasa x Peach-faced Lovebird. (Whitley, 1st.) b. Nyasa x Peach-face =Nyasa Hybrid. (Whitley, 1st.) c. Nyasa x Black-cheeked Lovebird. (Blanchrad, 1st.) These three crosses have also been obtained the other way, as well as crosses with males of the Masked and, Fischer’s Lovebirds. Add b. Black-cheeked x Nyasa Lovebird. First bred by Whitley. The resulting hybrids breed true inter se, and further crosses have been bred. E. H. Add No. 396, 1. Masked Lovebird (A. per sonata, Rchw). First breeder, Tavistock in 1927, and since freely with 22 Dr. E. Hopkinson — Records of Birds bred in Captivity others. A blue specimen at the Zoo has bred successfully with normally coloured hens for (I think) the last two seasons. p. 228. Add (a.) Masked x Nyasa Lovebird. (b.) Masked x Fischer’s Lovebird. p. 93. Add No. 396, 2. Fischer’s Lovebird (A. fischeri, Rchw). First breeder, Tavistock, 1927. A.M. 1928. 55. Since then by others. p. 228. Add No. 396, 2. (a.) Fischer’s x Nyasa Lovebird. (b.) Fischer’s X Masked Lovebird. (c.) Fischer’s x Peach-faced. See A.M. 1928, and L’Oiseau, 1929. p. 228. No. 397. Pennant X Rosella. Line 2 : for “ erythrop- terus ” read “ erytlnropeplus ”. p. 228. No. 398. Adelaide Parrakeet. Add B. Adelaide x Pennant. Arthur about 1892. p. 94. Add No. 403, 1. Brown’s Parrakeet (P. browni ( Temm )). Was bred a long time ago in Scotland. This was recorded somewhere in the A.M. or B.N. I think. Can anyone supply the reference ? p. 100. No. 425. Budgerigar. Blue and other colour varieties are now breeding freely everywhere. p. 100. No. 426. Swift Parrakeet. Line 2 : for Belgium read France ; and replace last line with Comely and others also bred them. p. 103. Add No. 440, 1. Araucanian Pigeon ( C . araucana, L.). First breeder, Fellay in France in 1922. See L’Oiseau, 1924, 204. p. 104. Add No. 450, 1. Long-tailed Cuckoo-Doves ( Macropygia umchall). Breed freely with Mme. Lecallier in France (M. u. umchall ) and with Mr. Ezra in England ( M . u. minor). See L’Oiseau, 1927, 1928, and A.M. 1928. p. 105. Add No. 451, 1. Socorro Mourning Dove (Z. graysoni, (Lawr). First bred by Gifford in California and since then in England and France. Dr. E. Hopkinson — Records of Birds bred in Captivity 23 p. 234. (b.) Necklace X Senegal Dove. Shore Baily writing in 1926 says that he has bred this cross almost regularly since 1915. The hybrids breed readily inter se and always true to type. I saw some of them at Whitley’s in 1927. p. 234. Add (a.) Bronzewing x Brush Bronze wing. This cross has been bred (both ways) at the Zoo and by Newman. See AM. 1929, 3. p. 113. Add No. 501, 1. Smith’s Bronzewing (G. smithi. (J. & S.). First bred by Mme. Lecallier in 1922. See L’Oiseau, 1923, 234. p. 115. Add No. 505, 1. Wells’s Dove ( L . wellsi ( Lawr )). First breeder, H. Wright in 1926. AM. 1926, 221. p. 116. Add No. 515, 1. Buff-hooded Ground-Dove (G. xanthonura). Gifford has bred it in California and also hybrids with the White-breasted Ground-Dove ( Hachisuka ). p. 116. Add No. 516, 1. Stairs’s Ground-Dove (G. stairi). Gifford in California. p. 118. Add No. 523, 1. Black Kite (Milvus migrans). Bred at the Zoo in 1929. p. 118. Add No. 524, 1. Black Vulture ( Coragyps urubu). Bred at the New York Zoo teste Crandall’s 1927 list. p. 118. No. 527. Snowy Owl. For entry as it stands, read : Bred by St. Quintin on two occasions. See A.M. v, 72, 182, teste the Editor. A.M. 1926, 341. p. 119. Add No. 530, 1. Boobook Owl (Syrnium boobook (Lath)). Bred in Australia in 1926. See A.M. 1926, 339. p. 122. Add No. 548, 1. Abyssinian Blue-winged Goose ( Cyanochen cyanoptera (Rupp)). Bred by Blaauw in 1926. See Ibis, 1927, 422. p. 124. Add No. 563, 1. Bed-breasted Goose (B. rujicollis (Dallas)). First bred at Woburn in 1926 from a pair which had been for years in the collection. See A.M. 1927, 65. p. 140. No. 657. Southern Stone-Curlew. Add Whitley reared one in 1929. Photo AM. 1929, 265. 24 Dr. E. Hopkinson — Records of Birds bred in Captivity p. 140. Add No. 658, 1. Crowned Lapwing ( Stephanibyx coronatus). Three young reared at the Zoo, 1920. They are still flourishing (October), and the mother sitting again (even closer to the wire than before) on two eggs. E. H. p. 142. Add No. 669, 1. Silver Gull ( Larus novaehollandiae). Has been bred at the Zoo and in New York, p. 143. Add No. 679, 1. South American Rail ( Limnopardalis sanguinolenta or rytirhyncha) . Whitley bred these Rails in 1927. I saw the nest which was at the top of a bush close to the wires covering the aviary. I saw the young again in 1928 but I do not think that the parents nested again p. 145. Add No. 690, 1. American Coot ( F . americana). Has been bred at the New York Zoo. p. 147. Add No. 699, 1. Chukar (Alectoris chukar). Ezra breeds them freely at liberty. No. 699, 2. Arabian Chukar (A. melanocephala) . First bred by Whitley in 1927 ; again in 1928, and hybrids with the Chukar. p. 148. Add No. 703, 1. Grey Francolin (F . pondicerianus). Bred by Amsler in 1927. A.S. Medal. p. 149. No. 712. Roulroul. Amend entry as it stands. Whitley bred them with complete success in 1926. See A.M. 1926 and 1927. p. 256. There are a number of additional Pheasant-hybrid records, p. 157. Add No. 761, 1. Ceylon Junglefowl (G. Lafayetti). Bred at the Zoo in 1928 {A.M. 1929, 24). p. 162. No. 792. Black-throated Button-Quail. Add Decoux reared two young in 1926. See L’Oiseau, 1927. p. 162. No. 793. Smith’s Button-Quail. Add Bred for the first time in England by Sich in 1927. A.M. 1927, 254 ; 1928, 52. Medal. p. 164. Add No. 799, 1. Banded Curassow {Crax sclateri). Has been bred at the New York Zoo {teste Crandall’s 1927 List). AVICULTURAL NOTES By The Editor The October number of Aviculture, the journal of the Avicultural Society of America, contains an interesting article, reprinted from The Pan American , in which Mrs. A. H. Bryan, of Canal Zone, describes the successful breeding in captivity of the Marble Guiana Quail, Odontophorus guianensis panamensis, a species that is practically unknown to aviculture. It appears to be a very desirable species for aviculture and one that is ready to breed in spite of much mistaken attention on the part of its owner. The experiment of allowing Weaver-birds complete liberty in a garden during the summer months as described by Mr. Maynard in our December number, is an extremely interesting one and was a very complete success owing to the fact that the birds were content to stay in the neighbourhood of the cage, from which they had been liberated and in which they were regularly fed. There is a feeling amongst certain ornithologists that no species should be liberated that is not indigenous in view of the numerous mistakes, fraught with dire consequences, that have been made in acclimatization in the past. But I have always held the view that providing only species from a warm climate are introduced into a less congenial one, where they cannot survive the colder season without man’s help in the matter of food and shelter, such introduction cannot lead to harm, for the introduced birds are under complete control. The latest number of the Bulletin of the New York Zoological Society is a particularly interesting one, consisting as it does of a full account of Mr. Lee S. Crandall’s recent expedition to New Guinea in quest of Paradise and other rare birds. From it one obtains a very good idea of the difficulties and danger of these collecting trips to countries such as New Guinea, where the comforts of civilization are unknown. On the return trip between Port Moresby and Sydney the steamer ran on to a coral reef where she stuck fast and was pounded by heavy seas, the passengers and valuable collection of birds being transferred to another vessel after five days. However, in spite of many difficulties, the collection reached New York in excellent condition, with forty Birds of Paradise of nine species and some 200 other birds. CORRESPONDENCE LONGEVITY Sir,- — There was some correspondence a short time ago as to the usual length of life of small foreign birds in cages and aviaries. I have just lost a hen Gouldian Finch which I bought in adult plumage in February, 1924 ; she must, therefore, have been at least seven years old when she died. She had two nests each year for five years in my aviaries, and only in her last season failed to rear any youngsters. I wonder what the natural length of life of a Gouldian is in the wild state ? I have several Waxbills living in one of my outside aviaries now which must be “ getting on ” : a cock St. Helena, cock Fire Finch, an Orange Cheek, and two Grey Waxbills all five years old or more, as I bought them early in 1925. These have been outside without heat ever since I had them and are only shut up in their shelter in the severest weather ; they get plenty of greenfly, etc., in the summer, and are always in perfect condition. The oldest bird in my collection is a common Turtle Dove who is twenty-three ! He or she is perfectly tame and answers to the name of “ Daisy She was hand-reared by an old lady patient of mine who died last year and bequeathed her pet to me. For twenty-two years she had lived in a small all-wire Canary cage, and when I first had her she was hardly able to stand and could not use her wings. Now in an indoor aviary, which she shares with a tame cock Pennant who cannot fly, she is full of life and can fly well. She is the tamest Dove I have seen, quite without fear of man, in fact she prefers our company. She bullies the Pennant if he dares to come too near her. C. H. Macklin. Sir, — I have just lost a Purple Sugar-bird that was given to me by the late Mr. Hubert Astley some years ago. He bought a pair in 1912, and he told me they were then adult, so that it is impossible to know really what age my bird was. The little hen died in 1922, and the late Mr. P. F. Galloway, to whom I sent her, asking if he could tell Correspondence 27 me the cause of death, assured me she was in perfect health and that in his opinion had just died of “ old age ”. The little male bird was an inveterate bather, so much so that to-day, seeing he was not quite so brisk as usual, the bath was removed from the bird-room, but so determined was he to have his usual “ dip ” that he bathed in the drinking fountain and fell over dead. I suppose the cold water was too much for the heart. This little bird must, to my knowledge, have been seventeen years old, as he was adult in 1912 when my brother-in-law bought him ; he can quite easily have been eighteen years of age. Surely this is a record for such a delicate specimen ? E. Kathleen Goddard. EXCHANGE OF BIRDS Sir, — The old Foreign Bird Club used to have a Register of members who bred certain kinds of foreign birds and who usually had some youngsters for sale or exchange in the season. Would it not be useful to publish such a list occasionally in the Avicultural Magazine ? It appears that we shall have to rely more and more on aviary-bred birds with all the export restrictions now in force, and one cannot keep a small breeding stock going without exchanges for new blood at intervals. At the present time I should like to exchange a young cock Cockatiel for another and I have small breeding stocks of Black Cheek Lovebirds Nyasa Lovebirds, Zebra Finches, Diamond Doves, and Cockatiels. To keep these going I shall have to make exchanges during the coming seasons. C. H. Mac klin. [Does not the Exchange advertisement column answer the purpose ?• — Ed] HOMCEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR BIRDS Sir, — I have just read Lord Tavistock’s very interesting account of the use of cod-liver oil for birds, and I am writing this to ask if any 28 Correspondence members have ever tried the use of homoeopathic remedies. I may remark I never use any other, first the medicines are perfectly tasteless, easily administered in drinking water, and really very wonderful in their effects. The first time I used any was in the case of a nest of young Black¬ birds, which I found badly affected with small worms. The season was very wet and the old bird was evidently feeding on fruit, such as raspberries. The remedy I used was “ Cince anthelmintica ” (worm seed), 1 drop of 3x potency in 1 teaspoonful water, given in 1 drop doses 3 times a day. This is, of course, for birds being hand-reared. The next and more wonderful medicine is for the prevention of egg-binding. I used it in Scotland where I was trying to breed mules. It is very cold there in the spring, and directly any birds were mated up and looked like breeding I gave this medicine, 3 drops in drinking water every day. It is named “ Comicefuga racemosa ” 3x potency. I shall be glad to hear if any other members have tried these medicines, and with what results and for what other illnesses. E. Dewar Murray. THE GOLDEN-SHOULDERED PARRAKEET Sir, — I thought the following extract from an account of an expedi¬ tion to Cape York Peninsula, Australia, which appeared in the Advertiser , Adelaide, might be of possible interest to readers of the Magazine, for it records a fact which to me appears unique in the annals of natural history. “ On the open plains towards the Holroyd River I had a glimpse of a pair of the Golden-shouldered Parrots, probably one of the rarest and loveliest Parrots in the world. To search for this species Mr. W. McLennan conducted an expedition to Cape York in 1922 for the late Mr. H. L. White. McLennan not only succeeded in confirming the original identification of this Parrot made by Gould in 1857, but obtained one of the most remarkable stories of bird life that has yet been unfolded. Locally the Golden-shouldered Parrot is known as the “ Ant-hill ” Parrot because it breeds in a chamber excavated at the end of a tunnel in an ant-hill. Correspondence 29 “ McLennan found that after the eggs were hatched the larvse of a moth — found to be quite new to science and described by the appalling name of N eossiosynoeca scatophaga — took up their abode in the loose porous floor of the cavity. The extraordinary thing about these larvse was that they acted as scavengers in the nest, living upon the faeces of the birds.” This is surely one of the most extraordinary provisions of nature in regard to “ household hygiene ” ! Sydney Porter. [An account of this interesting re-discovery of Psephotus chrysopteryguis appeared in this magazine of February, 1923. — Ed.] AVICULTURE IN AMERICA Sir, — The following interesting items have been extracted from recent numbers of Aviculture , the monthly magazine of the Avicultural Society of America : — Dr. Leon Patrick, of Orange, California, has obtained a cross between a Stanley (Platycercus icterotis) and a Pileated Parrakeet ( Porpurei - cephalus spurius). The Pileated — one of last year’s home-bred birds — was put in an aviary with the Stanley, merely as odd birds and with no intention of breeding from them. Four eggs were duly laid, one of which eventually proved to be clear, one contained a well-developed embryo, and the other two produced two youngsters which are doing well. Two young Roseate Cockatoos were hatched in the aviaries of Mr. Francis H. Rudkin. They were left with their parents until some six weeks old, when they were removed from the nest by Mrs. Flowers, of the Tropical Bird Farm, so as to rear them quite tame. The authorities of the San Diego Zoological Park have turned their attention to breeding Parrots. The conditions are not all that could be desired for this purpose, but Swainson’s Lorikeets, Cockatiels, Quakers and Bengal Ringnecks have been reared. A pair of Eclectus Parrots (species not stated) caused much disappointment on account of unsuccessful nesting attempts. Two clutches of eggs were hatched. The first couple of youngsters died almost immediately, but the second 30 Correspondence couple lived for several weeks. They were deserted by their parents, probably on account of the excessive heat prevailing at the time, and because they were anxious to nest a third time. Improper feeding would appear to have contributed to their early demise, as the following extract from the report will show : — “ Much thought and time was given to the question of feeding ; quite by accident, it was discovered that other Parrots which had access to meat were eating heavily of it during this same period, while they refused it at other times. Reasoning that perhaps during nesting period the Parrots fed partly upon the young of other birds, it was determined to give them a limited quantity of lean meat, such as the heart muscles and choice bits of the forage meat. The Eclectus ate all of the meat given to them and certainly took the best care of the young ones.” From the above it may be gathered that the feeding methods employed at San Diego differ somewhat from those familiar to avi- culturists in England. The theory that certain species of Parrots partly feed their young on the young of other birds would also appear to be new. Mr. Ansel W. Robinson, of San Francisco, has received recently several Kuhl’s Ruffed Lories (Vini Jcuhli). This miniature Lory has apparently only been imported into England once, and that some fifty years ago. A. A. Prestwich. HYBRID LOVEBIRDS Sir, — In February, 1928, I bred hybrid between Black-cheeked and Masked Lovebirds, and was awarded the silver medal of the Societe d’ Acclimalation de France. All through the past tropical summer I have tried to induce these hybrids to breed and failed, but now that the inclement season is with us I have two pairs nesting and sitting upon eggs. I am extremely doubtful whether any results will materialize. As in the original parents, the hen bird is larger than the male. These hens showed every sign of wanting to pair and nest. The cock birds appeared anxious too, but their actual mating did not appear so satis- Correspondence 81 factory as with their parents, hence my doubts as to favourable results. The climate does not seem to affect them at all (they were hatched when deep snow lay on the ground) and they have nested outside in nest-boxes hung upon the wires of the aviary. Nest-boxes hung up inside the covered portion they treat with disdain. They make a large nest of hay, straw, and twigs, and fill the nest-box nearly to the brim. They are sitting strongly, and can be inspected by any member of our Society who may be passing and cares to see them. H. Moore. KINGS FOR LOVEBIRDS Sir, — In July, 1927, a letter from Mr. M. T. Allen appeared in the Avicultural Magazine warning breeders against the use of aluminium rings for young Lovebirds. He stated that the rings work up the tibia, and swelling and gangrene rapidly set in. I wonder if any of our other members have had any experience in the use of these rings for Lovebirds, as, in view of the warning, I have always refrained from ringing my young Lovebirds, but now find it almost a necessity as I am building up a breeding stock of these birds. I do not think celluloid rings would be strong enough for Lovebirds. Fischers, Masked, and Black-cheeks have all laid here during the first week of December, and I have at present some young Masked which I should be pleased to exchange with other members for a change of blood. C. Best. BREEDING TURQUOISINES AND ELEGANTS Mr. S. Harvey writes from Adelaide : “ My Turquoisines are doing fairly well, one pair having reared one, and another pair three, and both pairs are sitting again, a third pair having started. A pair of Elegants have young.” Both of these Parrakeets were at one time well known to aviculturists in Europe, but are now extremely rare both in captivity and in the wild state. If the Australian Government were to give their aid towards establishing breeding stations under 32 New Year Notes the management of experienced avicultnrists in Australia, it is probable that these and other vanishing species might be saved from becoming extinct. — D. S-S. The Principal of Heythrop College, Chipping Norton, Oxon, is anxious to make a collection of living birds for the benefit of the students. Members who may wish to find a good home for surplus birds, especially waterfowl, might like to present them for this purpose. NEW YEAR NOTES In wildest weather rustics find Gay gallant Stormcock, head to wind, Fluting his fancies to the breeze From tops of tempest-tortured trees ; And, since he is so brisk a boy, Hail him as “ January Joy ” : But, though his minstrelsy so brave is, Poets don’t know him yet from Mavis ! F. Finn. THE AVICULTURAL : SOCIETY : FOR THE STUDY OF FOREIGN & BRITISH BIRDS IN FREEDOM & CAPTIVITY Officers for the Year 1930. President A. Ezra, O.B.E., E.Z.S. Vice-Presidents Her Grace the Duchess of Bedford, F.Z.S. The Lady Dunleath. H. R. Fillmer. E. Hopkinson, C.M.G., D.S.O., F.Z.S., M.A., M.B. Council M. Amsler, M.B., F.Z.S. W. Shore-Baily, F.Z.S. E. J. Boosey. J. Delacour, F.Z.S. G. H. Gurney, F.Z.S. J. Spedan Lewis, F.Z.S. E. G. B. Meade-Waldo, F.Z.S. T. H. Newman, F.Z.S. Lady Poltimore. A. Sherriff, F.Z.S. Capt. H. S. Stokes, F.Z.S. R. Suggitt. A. Sutcliffe, F.Z.S. The Marquess of Tavistock, F.Z.S. B. C. Thomasset, F.Z.S. Capt. L. R. Waud, F.Z.S. Sidney Williams, F.Z.S. Executive Committee A. Ezra, O.B.E., F.Z.S. Capt. L. R. Waud, F.Z.S. T. H. Newman, F.Z.S. The Hon. Secretary and Capt. H. S. Stokes, F.Z.S. Treasurer and the Editor. Hon. Secretary and Treasurer Miss E. Maud Knobel, F.Z.S. Editor D. Seth-Smith, F.Z.S. Pathologist C. H. Hicks. Auditor Hon. Mrs. Algernon Bourke. Scrutineer Miss Chawner, F.Z.S. STEPHEN AUSTIN AND SONS, LTD., PRINTERS, HERTFORD.. List of Members 1st JANUARY , 1930 NOTICE. — Members are particularly requested to inform the Hon. Secretary of any error in the spelling of their names, addresses or descriptions, so that it may be corrected. Abell, Rev. R. B. ; SS. Peter and Paul’s Clergy House, Gloucester Road, Teddington. (Jan., 1926.) Ainsworth, A. ; 7 Samoa Street, Kilbirnie, Wellington, New Zealand. Allen, A. N. ; The Rambles, Salfords, Horley, Surrey. (Sept., 1927.) Allen, Miss Geraldine Russell ; Dabenham Hall, Northwich, Cheshire. (March, 1929.) Allen, M. T., P.Z.S. ; Ravenswood, Northwood, Middlesex. (March, 1925.) Allenby, Field-Marshal the Viscount, G.C.B., G.C.M.G. : Naval and Military Club, Pall Mall, S.W. (Nov., 1922.) American Museum oe Natural History ; 77th Street and Central Park West, New York City, U.S.A. Amsler, Maurice, M.B., F.Z.S. ; Eton Court House, Eton, Windsor. (Dec., 1908.) Andersen, Lector, Pastor ; Kongevejen, 98 Sonderborg, Denmark. (Oct., 1928.) Anderson, Alistair ; Tullichewan Castle, near Balloch, Dumbartonshire. (June, 1923.) Appleby, Joseph; Farnley, Great Crosby, Liverpool. (Oct., 1923.) Arnau, Jose Julia (Ingeniero) ; Plaza Constitucion 15, Binisalem, Mallorca. (Jan., 1927). Arnold, Edward W. C. ; Babylon, Long Island, N.Y., U.S.A. (April, 1928.) Arnold, J. H. ; 4002 Massachusetts Street, Long Beach, California, U.S.A. (Oct,, 1927.) Astley, Mrs. Hubert ; Brinsop Court, Hereford. Auburn, L. W. ; Beech Bough, Barnet Gate, Arkley. (July, 1929.) Bailey, Lieut.-Col. F. G. G. ; Lake House, Salisbury. (Aug., 1926.) Baily, W. Shore-, F.Z.S. ; Boyers House, Westbury, Wilts. (Feb., 1920.) Baker, E. C. Stuart, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. ; 6 Harold Road, Upper Norwood, S.E. 19. (Feb., 1904.) Baldwin-Webb, Lieut.-Col. J. ; Denmark House, Olton, Warwickshire. (April, 1927.) 4 List of Members Bamford, William ; Bridgecroft, Kent Road, Harrogate. (March, 1904.) Bannerman, Mrs. David ; 132 Oakwood Court, Kensington, W. 14. (April, 1928. ) Barclay, Evelyn W. ; Whitwell Hall, Reepham, Norwich. (Aug., 1928.) Barker, Major C. H. ; The Gables, Lvminge, Kent. (Feb., 1924.) Barker, Capt. N. L., O.B.E. ; Chevin House, Otley, Yorkshire. (Dec., 1926.) Barlow, Mrs. ; 45 Bath Road, Swindon. (Sept., 1926.) Barlow-Massicks, Miss F. M. ; Kelhara House, Newark, Notts. (1913.) Barnard, T., M.C., F.Z.S. ; Milner Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa. (Sept., 1919.) Barnes, A. H. ; 2 Carlton Road, Putney Hill, London, S.W. 15. (May, 1921.) Barnes, P. D., M.D. ; Box 353, Loomis, California, U.S.A. (April, 1929.) Barnett, Walter E. ; Red Hall, Croxley Green, Hertfordshire. (Feb., 1927.) B arr- Smith, Mrs. ; Birkegate, Glen Osmond, South Australia. (Sept., 1926.) Barry, David, jun. ; 1001 So La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. (Jan., 1928.) Barrymore, John ; P.O., Box 684, Beverley Hills, California, U.S.A. (Aug., 1929. ) Bearby, W. R. ; 34 Church Street, West Hartlepool. (Aug., 1923.) Bedford, Her Grace the Duchess of, F.Z.S. ; Woburn Abbey, Woburn, Beds, and 15 Belgrave Square, S.W. 1. (Feb., 1903.) ( Vice-President .) Beever, G. ; Brooklyn, Kirkheaton, Huddersfield. (June, 1923.) Bell, W. D. ; Glenrock, Brough, East Yorkshire. (May, 1926.) Benchley, Mrs. Belle ; Zoological Society of San Diego, San Diego, California, U.S.A. (Feb., 1929.) ( Executive Secretary.) Bendall, Rupert P. ; Poplar Hall, Brookland, Kent. (Feb., 1929.) Benjamin, Mrs. ; Yarn Barton, West Chinnock, Crewkerne. (Dec., 1929.) Bennett, C. ; Park Terrace, Parkside, Australia. (July, 1927.) Beresford Webb, G. M. ; Norbryght, South Godstone, Surrey. (May, 1906.) Best, Cyril ; Glengarron, Wood Lane, Hucknall, Notts. (Aug., 1921.) Bigger, Dr. David A., M.D. ; Rock Hill, South Carolina, U.S.A. (Nov., 1927.) Blaauw, F. E., M.Z.S., M.B.O.U. ; Gooilust, ’s Graveland, Hilversum, Holland. (Nov., 1901.) Blackburn, Frank ; 40 Mount Joy Road, Huddersfield. (April, 1929.) Blackburn, H. R, ; The Oaks, Wivelsfield, Sussex. (1913.) Bland, Mrs. G. L. ; The Little House, Wellesbourne, Warwick. (July, 1929.) Blazer, N. V. ; 9 Schiedamschedijk, Rotterdam, Holland. (Aug., 1926.) Blissett, Miss Nellie ; Dover Cottage, Dover Street, Ryde, Isle of Wight. (March, 1928.) Boger, Mrs. F. ; Brookfield, Ryde, Isle of Wight. (Jan., 1930.) Boosey, E. J. ; Brambletye, Keston, Kent. (Feb., 1921.) List of Members 5 Borman, Major F. W., M.B.O.U. ; British Legation, Durazzo, Albania. (Oct,, 1925.) Borwick, Hon. Mrs. ; 5] Charles Street, Berkeley Square, W. 1 . (Aug., 1926.) Bott, William ; Gwent, Walton-by-Clevedon, Somerset. (Dec., 1928.) Bourke, Hon. Mrs. Algernon ; 75 Gloucester Place. Portman Square, W. 1. (Feb., 1911.) Bousfield, Miss ; Hazelgrove, New Milton, Hants. (Jan., 1908.) Boyd, H. Tod ; 69 Castlenau, S.W. 13. (April, 1927.) Boyle, John ; The Farm House, Shirburn, Watlington, Oxon. (Jan. 1929.) Bradshaw, J., M.Sc., A.I.C., F.C.S. ; Ruhebank, Sulby Grove, Bare, More- cambe. (Feb., 1925.) Bradshaw, George ; Ingram Road, Wahroonga, Sydney, Australia. (May, 1927.) Brand, The Hon. Mrs. ; Glynde Combe, near Lewes. (June, 1928.) Bright, Herbert ; Woolton Tower, Woolton, near Liverpool. (June, 1914.) Bright, Mrs. Herbert; Woolton Tower, Woolton, near Liverpool. (Sept., 1925.) Brock, A. E. ; St. Just, Exeter. (Dec., 1929.) Brooks, Rev. 0. E. ; 36 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, W.C. 2. (Jan., 1930.) Brooksbank, Alec ; Brambletye, Keston, Kent. (Jan., 1928.) Brown, W. Ferrier ; 43 Spencer Avenue, Earlsdon, Coventry. (May, 1924.) Browning, William H. ; 260 Fourth Avenue, New York City, U.S.A. (March, 1906.) Bruce, Mrs. A. L. ; Brooke Hall, Brooke, Norfolk. (Feb., 1927.) Brunton, J. W. ; Inveresk Lodge, Musselburgh. (June, 1923.) Bryan, Mrs. A. H. ; P.O. Box 414, Balboa Heights, Canal Zone, U.S.A. (Jan., 1928.) Buchanan, A. ; Viewfcank, 33 Townhill Road, Dunfermline. (Dec., 1928.) Buckle, Frank ; 84 Pitt Street, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia. (Jan., 1929.) Burson, Dr. W . W. ; 981 Magnolia Avenue, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. (Sept., 1929.) Butler, Arthur Larchin, M.Aust.O.U. ; Lower Sandy Bay, Hobart, Tasmania. (July, 1905.) Capern, F. ; Lewin’s Mead, Bristol. (Oct., 1907.) Carpenter, H. H. ; 540 South Hill Avenue, Pasadena, California, U.S.A. (Sept., 1927.) Carr-Walker, Herbert ; Almsford House, Fulwith Lane, Harrogate. (June, 1917.) Carter, Douglas H. ; c/o Messrs. Carter & Co., Ltd., 10 and 11 High Street, Bridgetown, Barbados. (June, 1929.) Case, Mrs. Alice M. ; Bachelors, Ockham, Ripley, Surrey. (May, 1918.) 6 List of Members Cayley, Mrs. ; Carham Hall, Cornhill-on-Tweed, Northumberland. (Jan., 1928.) Chamberlain & Wand, Messrs. ; 97 Park Terrace, Wayville, South Australia. (June, 1929.) Channer, Mrs. ; Webbery, Nr. Bideford, N. Devon. Chaplin, Lady Drummond, G.B.E. ; Noord Hoek, Cape Province. (Nov., 1928.) Chaplin, E. W. ; The Hearne, Great Amwell, Ware, Herts. (Sept., 1903.) Chapman, G. B., F.Z.S. ; 17 Tottenham Court Road, London, W. (Nov., 1922.) Chapman, Miss, F.Z.S. ; 92 High Street, Birmingham. (April, 1927.) Chawner, Miss, F.Z.S. ; Thatched Holme, Wargrave, Berks. (July, 1899.) Cheers, Alec ; 6 Kingston Lane, Teddington, Middlesex. (April, 1928.) Child, F. R. ; Braemar, Down’s Road, Luton, Beds. (March, 1920.) Christie, Mrs. G. ; Kellas, By Elgin, Morayshire. (Jan., 1913.) Christie-Mjller, Miss L. ; Clarendon Park, Salisbury. (May, 1926.) Clark, Mrs. Alfred ; Warren House, Iver Heath, Bucks. (Sept., 1925.) Clayton, Robert A. ; The White House, Adwick-le- Street, near Doncaster. (July, 1925.) Clemo, J. ; 18 Claremont Road, Redruth, Cornwall. (Oct., 1927.) Coates, Sir EdwARD Clive, Bart. ; 14 Sussex Square, W. 2. (June, 1929.) Cockell, N. F. ; Durhungah, Coach Road, Newton Abbot, S. Devon. (1922.) Cohn, L. ; S. Californian Bird and Pet Exchange, 11715 Avalon Building, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. (Dec., 1929.) Coles, Clifford, Cromer, Roseville, N.S.W., Australia. (July, 1929.) Colhoun, Major J., M.C. ; St. Elmo, Shantallow, Londonderry, Ireland. (March, 1929.) Collin, Harry A. ; Tynrodyn, Bangor, North Wales. (May, 1928.) Collins, E. Howard, F.Z.S. ; 45 Parliament Street, Westminster, S.W. 1. (Aug., 1928.) Collinssplatt, Miss Jessie N. ; Brimptsmead, Princetown, Devon. (July, 1927.) Colvile, Miss Cathleen ; Magpie Cottage, Chalford Hill, Stroud, Glos. (Nov., 1928.) Combe, Miss E. D. ; Earnshill, Curry Rivel, near Taunton, Somerset. (Feb., 1927. ) Cook, E. H. ; 33 Nelgarde Road, Catford, S.E. 6. (April, 1929.) Cook, S. M. ; Eastridge, Blackhill, Swansea. (Aug., 1928.) Cooper, Mrs. H. Victor ; Banksia, 2 Vaughan Avenue, bamstel Road, Southchurch, Southend-on-Sea. (May, 1926.) Cooper, James ; Killerby Hall, Scarborough. (Orig. Mem.) Cooper, Mrs. Norah ; Glencairn, Talbot Avenue, Bournemouth. (Jan., 1928. ) Corsan, G. H. ; The Kellogg Estate, Box 75, Augusta, Mich., U.S.A. (Jan., 1928.) Cory, Reginald R., F.Z.S. ; Duffryn, near Cardiff. (August, 1905.) List of Members 7 Cotterell, Richard ; Garnons, Hereford. (April, 1928.) Cottrill, Mrs. H. L. ; Seven Barrows, Lambourn, Berks. (April, 1924.) Cowley, H. ; The Manor House, Bubbenhall, Kenilworth. (Jan., 1926.) Cremer, C. H. ; Am Dobben 130, Bremen, Germany. (March, 1926.) Crofts, Robert T. ; 18 Wheelock Street, Middlewich, Cheshire. (April, ' 1929.) Cummin, Alec ; 16 Promenade Villas, Cheltenham. (April, 1928.) Cura, L., & Sons; Bath Court, Warner Street, Rosebery Avenue, E.C. 1. (Sept., 1928.) Currey, Mrs. ; The Pit House, Ewell, Surrey. (Feb., 1906.) Currie, J. ; 54 Netherby Road, Edinburgh. (Aug., 1915.) Curzon of Kedleston, Marchioness, G.B.E. ; 1 Carlton House Terrace, S.W. 1. (March, 1927.) Cushny, Charles ; Bath Club, 34 Dover Street, Piccadilly, W. 1. (Dec., 1926.) Czarnikow, Horace, F.Z.S. ; Farnborough Hall, Banbury, Oxon. (March, 1924.) Dalrymple, Mrs. ; Bartley Lodge, Cadnam, Hants. (June, 1928.) Danby, Norton H. ; 4 Carlton Road, Ealing, W. (May, 1927.) Darling, P. Stormouth : Blackwood, Fulmer, Bucks. (June, 1928.) Davis, Godfrey, I.C.S., F.Z.S. ; 4 Robin Grove, Westhill, Highgate, N. 6. (Aug., 1927.) Dawson, R. ; Fawley Manor, Wantage, Berks. (May, 1928.) Dayrell-Reed, Miss E. ; Estherwell, West Bay, Bridport. (Feb., 1928.) Decoux, A. ; Gery-pres Aixe, Hte. Vienne, France. (April, 1917.) Delacour, Jean, F.Z.S. ; Cleres, Seine Inf., France. (April, 1916.) Dell, Charles ; Ferndale, Moss Lane, Pinner, Middlesex. (July, 1900.) Denley, Charles F. ; 1508 Eckington Place, N.E. Washington, D.C., U.S.A. (Jan., 1924.) Dennis, Mrs. Cyril; Oakley Hall, Market Drayton, Salop. (June, 1920.) Dennis, Mrs. H. E. ; Holme Manor, Pulborough, Sussex. (March, 1903.) Denny, Mrs. Henry, C.B.E., Staplefield Place, Staplefield, Sussex. (May, 1924.) Devine, F. ; Dunamase, Cross Avenue, Booterstown, Co. Dublin. (April, 1929.) Dick, A. E. ; c/o Golden Hope Rubber Estate, Klang, Selangor, F.M.S. (March, 1929.) Dickey, Donald R. ; California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, U.S.A. (April, 1929.) Dickinson, Mrs. G. W. ; Paal 4, Lernbangweg, Java, Dutch East Indies. (Jan., 1918.) Dickson, Miss V. C. ; Lea Croft, Crawley, Sussex. (Oct., 1927.) Diemont, D. E. H. ; Rynvliet, Oudenryn, Holland. (June, 1927.) Director, The; Zoological Museum, Tring, Herts. (1912.) Donald, C. H., F.Z.S. , Egerton Hall, Dharmsala Cantt., Kangra District, Punjab, India. (March, 1906.) 8 List of Members Donovan, H. B. ; 184 Adelaide Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (May, 1925. ) Dooly, Thomas L. S. ; Whimbrel, Kirklake Road, Formby, near Liverpool. (Jan., 1924.) Dorman, Claude P. ; 1673 Chester Avenue, Bakersfield, California, U.S.A. (April, 1928.) Drake, Mrs. E. T. Tyrwhitt ; Shardeloes, Amersham, Bucks. (Aug., 1929.) Drake, Mrs. F. W. ; Carrick Cottage, Mylor, Falmouth, Cornwall. (Dec., 1926. ) Drake, G. Tyrwhitt, F.Z.S. ; Sandling Farm, Maidstone. (June, 1918.) Drewitt, Frederic Dawtrey, M.A., M.D., F.R.C.P., F.Z.S. ; 14 Palace Gardens Terrace, Kensington, W. 8. (May, 1903.) Dudley, H. D. W. ; Stradishall Manor, Stradishall, nr. Newmarket, Suffolk. (Jan., 1928.) Dunleath, The Lady ; Bally waiter Park, Bally waiter, Co. Down, Ireland. (August, 1897.) Dunmore, Oscar E. ; Saxonholme, 198 Oadby Lane, Wigston Magna, Leicestershire. (Oct., 1922.) Duveen, Mrs. Geoffrey ; Broadway, Limpsfield, Surrey. (Sept., 1927.) Duyzend, W. C. ; 123 Goudsche Singel, Rotterdam, Holland. (March, 1927.) Edwards, Mrs. A. E. ; Three Elms, Kippington, near Sevenoaks, Kent. (Jan., 1925.) Edwards, J. C. ; 629 So, Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. (June, 1926.) Elliott, F. S. ; Westfield, Kelvin Road, Ipswich, Suffolk. (Nov., 1925.) Elphick, George; 118 Harley Street, W. 1. (April, 1826.) Elwes, Mrs. Robert ; Little Congham, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. (Dec., 1926.) Evans, G. ; 85 Parliament Hill Mansions, N.W. 5. (April, 1926.) Evans, Miss Joan; 8 South Eaton Place, S.W. 1. (Jan., 1929.) Evans, R. M. ; Inglewood. Ratcliffe Road, Leicester. (March, 1927.) Evans, Victor J. ; Victor Building, 9th Street Northwest, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. (Oct., 1927.) Eustace, C. H. ; c/o P.O. Box 252, Shanghai, China. (Feb., 1927.) Eyton-Jones, R., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., L.R.F.P.S. ; Holly Lodge, Broadway, Peterborough. (Sept., 1926.) Ezra, Alfred, O.B.E., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. ; (President), Foxwarren Park, Cobham, Surrey. (1912.) Ezra, David, Sir, Kt., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. ; 3 Kyd Street, Calcutta, India. (June, 1912.) Fillmer, H. R. ; Oakfield, Hurst Road, Hassocks, Sussex. ( Orig . Mem.) Filmer, Hon. Mrs. Wilson, F.Z.S. ; Leeds Castle, Maidstone, Kent. (Nov., 1920.) Finn, Frank, B.A., F.Z.S. ; c/o Grindley & Co., 54 Parliament Street, S.W. 1. (Hon. Mem.) Fisher, Mrs. C. A. D. ; The Grange, Sutton Road, Erdington, Birmingham. (Sept,, 1927.) Flower, Mrs. Stanley ; Spencer’s Green, Tring, Herts. (July, 1926.) List of Members 9 Follett, Miss R. ; 2 Alston Terrace, Exmouth, S. Devon. (Oct., 1926.) Fooks, F. G. ; c/o Mon. J. Delacour, Chateau de Cleres, Seine Inferieure, France. (Jan., 1926.) Forester, Mrs. ; Hurdcott House, Barf ord-St. -Martin, Salisbury. (Feb., 1929.) Fox, Mrs. Greta ; Backwoods, Lindfield, Sussex. (June, 1928.) Fraser-Tytler, Major W. T. ; Lodsworth House, Petworth, Sussex. (March, 1929.) Freeman, Mrs. John ; 30 Devonshire Place, W. 1. (Jan., 1928.) Frost, Wilfred ; c/o Chartered Bank of India, Sourabaya, Java. (July, 1908.) Fullerton, Alan ; Polshot Farm, Elstead, Godaiming, Surrey. (July, 1927.) Fuller, Capt. Bernard J. ; Oakfield, Wokingham, Berks. (Sept., 1928.) Furner, A. C. ; Oakdene, Whitaker Road, Derby. (Oct., 1929.) Garcke, Mrs. C. ; Ditton House, Near Maidenhead. (June, 1916.) Gambo, Frank; 5 Broadway, Flushing, Long Island, U.S.A. (Oct., 1927.) Ghigi, il Prof. Allessandro ; Via D’Azeglio, Bologna, Italy. Gibbins, William B., F.Z.S. ; Ettington, near Stratford-on-Avon. (June, 1895.) Gifford, E. W. ; 1650 Vista Street, Oakland, California, U.S.A. (Aug., 1927.) Gilchrist, Mrs. ; Leny Cottage, Burwood, Park Road, Walton-on-Thames. (Jan., 1930.) Gladding, Walter, F.R.H.S., N.R.S. ; Old Mill Gardens, Wannock, Polegate, Sussex. (Dec., 1926.) Glenister, A. G. ; Highcliffe, Clifton Gardens, Folkestone. (June, 1928.) Glick, C. B. ; 11025 Hortense Street, North Hollywood, California, U.S.A. (Nov., 1929.) Goddard, H. E. ; Birchcroft, Fetcham, near Leatherhead. (Feb., 1899.) Goddard, Mrs. ; The Lawn, Swindon. (Feb., 1923.) Goodbody, Mrs. ; 6 Chandos Street, Cavendish Square, W. 1. (July, 1929.) Goodhand, H. ; Ashton, Dudley Street, Grimsby. (June, 1929.) Goodwin, T. J. ; 185 Old Kent Road, London, S.E. (Jan., 1920.) Gosse, Mrs. James ; 9 Park Terrace, Park Side, South Australia. (July, 1923.) Grainger, Capt. Liddell ; Ayton Castle, Ayton, Berwickshire. (Aug., 1927.) Grant, E. R. ; Hotel Roosevelt, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. (Dec., 1927.) Granel, F. ; Lesperon (Landes), France. (Aug., 1929.) Gray, Henry, M.R.C.V.S. ; 1 Redfield Lane, Earls Court Road, S.W. 5. (June, 1906.) Green, Roland, F.Z.S. , 84 Elgin Road, Seven Kings, Essex. Greenshields, J. S. ; 225 East Foothill Building, Pasadena, California, U.S.A. (June, 1927.) Greenwood, Henry R. ; Woodbank, Harden, Bingley, Yorkshire. (Nov., 1928.) 10 List of Members Gregory, Mrs. ; Melville, Parkstone, Dorset. (Dec., 1901.) Grey, The Viscount of Falloden, K.G., F.Z.S. ; Falloden, Christon Bank, Northumberland. (1913.) Grossmith, Mrs. J. L., F.Z.S. ; 10 Lyndhurst Gardens, N.W. 3. (Jan., 1923.) Grove, Hon. Mrs. Julian ; 57 Tregunter Road, London, S.W. 10. (March, 1917.) Groves, Alfred G. ; 5 Upper East Hayes, Bath. (Aug., 1926.) Gubbay, Mrs. Maurice ; 30 Hill Street, Berkeley Square, W. 1. (Feb., 1928.) Guilford, Miss H. ; 23 Lenton Avenue, The Park, Nottingham. (Mar., 1903.) Guillemard, Ladv ; 290 St. James Court, Buckingham Gate, S.W. 1. (Jan., 1928.) Gulbenkian, C. S. ; 51 Avenue d’Jena, Paris xvie Paris. (Dec., 1908.) Gurney, Daniel; The Grange, North Runcton, King’s Lynn. (July, 1927.) Gurney, Miss Dlina ; North Runcton Hall, King’s Lynn. (July, 1927.) Gurney, G. H., F.Z.S. ; Keswick Hall, Norwich. Hall, A. John. (Feb., 1926.) Hall, T. Walter ; 6 Gladstone Road, Sheffield. (Nov., 1926.) Hamilton, Mrs. ; Villa Alexandra, Chernex sur Montreux, Switzerland. Hamilton, Dr. Wm. ; 175 North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia. (Jan., 1928.) Hammond, Capt. E. F. E. ; 52 Cheriton Square, Balham. (April, 1928.) Hampe, Alex. ; c/o Wm. Meyerink and Co., 66 Szechuen Road, Shanghai, China. (Jan., 1927.) Hankey, Algernon A., F.Z.S. ; Badminton Club, Piccadilly, W. 1. (June, 1923.) Hansell, Frank A. D. ; The Croft, Muthill, Perthshire. (May, 1925.) Hargreaves, Miss Molly ; Nazeing Park, Essex. (Nov., 1922.) Harman, Miss Knobel, F.Z.S. ; 27 Grosvenor Street, Grosvenor Square, W. 1. (Sept., 1928.) Harmsworth, Mrs. Cecil ; 13 Hyde Park Gardens, W. 2. (Sept., 1927.) Harrison, T. O. ; 127 Hastings Road, Sunderland. (March, 1918.) Hartley, Mrs. ; Lynchfield, Bishops Lydeard, Somerset. (April, 1897.) Harvey, P. T. ; Farleigh, 170 Kins’s Road, Westcliff- on-Sea, Essex. (Nov., 1926.) Harvey, The Hon. Lady ; Langley Park, Slough, Bucks. (Oct., 1906.) Harwood, Miss K. E. ; The Bungalow, 14 Park Lane, Salisbury. (Jan., 1928.) Hasinger, L. C. ; “Whip Poor Willie” Farm, Indiana, Penn., U.S.A. (April, 1928.) Hawkins, L. W. ; 20 Norton Folgate, London, E. 1. (June, 1924.) Haworth, John T. ; 21 Bridge Street, Congleton, Cheshire. (Jan., 1928.) Hebb, Thomas ; Croft House, Old Aylestone, Leicester. (April, 1914.) Hellen, G. H. A. ; 6 Robartes Road, Bodmin, Cornwall. (Feb., 1928.) List of Members 11 Henry, William ; 329 Webster Avenue, Chicago, Ill., U.S.A. (Aug., 1927.) Heumann, G. A. ; Ramona, Beecroft Road, Beecroft, Sydney, N.S.W. (Sept., 1913.) Hewitt, T. W. G. ; The Old Hall, Weelsby, Grimsby. (April, 1909.) Hewlins, Miss Mary R. ; The Howe, Saint Ives, Huntingdonshire. (Jan., 1927. ) Heydon, C. ; 5 Corvedale Road, Craven Arms, Shropshire. (March, 1927.) Heywood, Richard, P.Z.S. ; Pentney House, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. (Oct., 1911.) Hirst, Albert ; 10 Talbot Avenue, Egerton, Huddesfield. (July, 1923.) Hirst, Arnold ; Sterling, Agnes Street, Strathfield, near Sydney, N.S.W. , Australia. (April, 1929.) Hirst, Robert S. ; The Royds, Cleckheaton, Yorkshire. (April, 1926.) Hoboken, J. H. van ; Rotterdamsche Ryweg, 193 Oberschie, Holland. (Oct., 1927.) Hogarth, Dr. Frederick Whewell, M.B.B.S. (Lond.), M.R.C.S. ; 20 Ewing Terrace, Morecambe. (Jan., 1928.) Hollas, Mrs. K. E. ; Red Scar, Grimsargh, near Preston. (Oct., 1922.) Holmes, Mrs. Carl ; The Node, Welwyn, Herts. (June, 1929.) Hone, Capt. T. N. ; 169d Gloucester Terrace, W. 2. (Nov., 1927.) Hood, Harry S. ; Keith Theatre Building, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.A. (April, 1925.) Hooley, Mrs. B. ; 4 Park Terrace, Grangemouth, N.B. (March, 1927.) Hopkinson, Emilius, C.M.G., M.A., M.B.Oxon., D.S.O., F.Z.S. ; Wynstay, Balcombe, Sussex. (Oct., 1906.) Hopson, Fred C. ; Porchester, Newbury. (March, 1897.) Horne, I. S. ; 924 Loew’s State Building, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. (Jan., 1928.) Horne, Douglas Percy ; Cornwalls, Feldon Lane, Boxmoor, Herts. (Sept., 1928. ) Horsbrugh, C. B. ; Blessington House, Hillsborough, Co. Down. Horsford, D. M. ; Bosvathick Penryn, Cornwall. (Aug., 1922.) Housden, James B. ; Brooklyn, 31 Cator Road, Sydenham, S.E. 26. (Orig. Mem.) Humble, C. W. ; 86 Rundle Street, Adelaide, South Australia. (Nov., 1928.) Humphreys, Walter ; Whitman House, Shottery, Stratford-on-Avon. (May, 1929.) Humphries, H. C., F.Z.S. ; 29 Pearfield Road, Forest Hill, S.E. 23. (July, 1927.) Hunting, T. Carlton; Gaybird Pheasantry, Great Missenden, Bucks. (June, 1925.) Hutchinson, Miss Alice ; address unknown. (Aug., 1907.) Hutchings, Miss Miriam ; Arreton, Layters Way, Gerrards Cross, Bucks. Imai, Setsuji ; 10 Hatagaya, Yoyohata, Toyotama-Gun, Tokyo-Fu, Japan. (Jan., 1928.) 12 List of Members Irvine, W. J. ; 36 Ann Street, Belfast. (June, 1926.) Isenberg, A. H. ; 286 Atherton Road, Menlo Park, California, U.S.A. (Aug., 1926.) Jabouille, M. P. ; Protectoret de L’Annam, Cabinet du Resident Superieur. (Feb., 1927.) Jackson, B. ; 33 Church Street, Bingley, Yorks. (Jan., 1926.) Jackson, Major A. E. Blythe ; Glenholme, Bladon Drive, Belfast. (Sept., 1924. ) Jackson, W. ; P.O. Box 326, San Mateo, California, U.S.A. (June, 1928.) Jardan, I. A. ; Jardan Game Farm, Woodland, California, U.S.A. (Jan., 1928.) Jennison, George, M.A., F.Z.S. ; Barwick Lodge, Disley, Cheshire. (April, 1918.) Joel, S. B. ; Maiden Erleigh, Reading. (Aug., 1927.) Johnston, Robert Percy, Longth waite Road, Wigton, Cumberland. (March, 1925. ) Jopson, D. F. ; Goff Nook, Barrowford, 'Nelson. (July, 1927.) Keator, Beverley, R.F.D. ; 12 Westport, Conn., U.S.A. (June, 1924.) Kell, F. P. ; 32 Grove Street, Unley Park, South Australia. (March, 1928.) Kelham, R. Langdale ; Bourne Lodge, 7 Genoa Avenue, Putney, S.W.15. (Jan., 1930.) Kemp, Robert ; Holne Cott, Stafford Place, Weston-super-Mare. (March, 1926. ) Kerr, J. Ernest ; Harviestoun, Dollar, Scotland. (March, 1927.) Kershaw, Miss Mary E. ; 7 Westcliffe Road, Birkdale, Southport. (June. 1924.) Kewley, Mrs. M. A. ; Barwick House, Yeovil, Somerset. (Sept., 1910.) Kingwell, Miss Frances ; Beechfield, S. Brent, S. Devon. (June, 1929.) Kirk, Laurence ; The Sawyers, Lt. Comard, Sudbury, Suffolk. (March, 1927. ) Knobel, Miss E. Maud, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. ; 32 Tavistock Square, W.C. 1. (Aug., 1916.) Hon. Mem. [Hon. Secretary and Treasurer.) Laidlay, J. C. ; Lindores, Fife, Scotland. (April, 1929.) Lake, Frank ; West Park Road, Cleadon, near Sunderland. (Jan., 1927.) Lambert, Paul ; Nawton, Yorkshire. (Sept., 1929.) Lambrick, Prebendary M. ; Blagdon Rectory, Bristol. (Jan., 1921.) Lancaster, Mrs.; 7 Victoria Terrace, Walsall. (Dec., 1923.) Lauder, P. ; 646 Barker Road, The Peak, Hong-kong, China. Law, Dr. Satya Charan, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., M.A., B.L., Ph.D. ; 50 Kailas Bose Street, Calcutta. (1919.) Lax, J. M. S. ; Southfield, Crook, Co. Durham. (Jan., 1930.) Leach, C. F. ; Vale Lodge, Leatherhead, Surrey. (June, 1914.) Lecallier, Madame, F.Z.S. ; Vilette, St. Pierre-les-Elbeuf, France. (April, 1918.) Legendre, M. ; 25 Rue La Condamine, 17e, Paris. (June, 1928.) List of Members 13 Lemp, Edwin A. ; Cragnold, Kirkwood, Missouri, U.S.A. (March, 1929.) Lewis, Lieut.-Col. F. E. C. ; The Hundridge Game Farm, Great Missenden, Bucks. (March, 1929.) Lewis, James E. ; 1570 E. California Street, Pasadena, California, U.S.A. (Feb., 1929.) Lewis, Arthur, F.Z.S. ; Brambleside, Ferndown, Dorset. (Jan., 1926.) Lewis, E. H. ; Box 192, Avalon, Catalina Island, California, U.S.A.. (Sept., 1928.) Lewis, George ; Morning Side, Stockton Lane, Rural, York. (March, 1927.) Lewis, James E. ; 1570 E. California Street, Pasadena, California, U.S.A. Lewis, J. Spedan, F.Z.S. ; North Hall, Mortimer Crescent, N.W. 6. (Sept., 1924.) Lewis, W. ; 34 Kingstone Lane, Teddington, Middlesex. (Jan., 1923.) Library International Institut d’Agricolture, Villa Umberto, 1. Rome 10. Lienau, C. H. A. ; Newbury, 23 Victoria Avenue, Unley Park, South Australia. (Oct., 1917.) Lightfoot, J. G. ; The Gables, Upton Heath, Chester. (May, 1927.) Lilford, The Lady; Lilford Hall, Oundle, Northants. (Jan., 1898.) Lindley, King ; 1422 E. Palm Street, Pasadena, California, U.S.A. (March, 1928.) Lloyd, Mrs. ; Greenmore Hill, Woodcote, nr. Reading. (Jan., 1928.) Littledale, Mrs. ; Ravenhurst, Pittville, Cheltenham. (April, 1926.) Lockey, R. ; Creighton House, Morpeth. (July, 1927.) Lockyer, Alfred ; High Croft, Eversley Park Road, Winchmore Hill, N.21. (Dec., 1905.) Lodge, B. Howitt, F.Z.S. ; 175 Alexandra Mansions, Judd Street, W.C. 1. (July, 1928.) Lodge, George E., F.Z.S. ; Hawkhouse, Park Road, Camberlev, Surrey. (May, 1923.) Loly, Victor G. ; Box 127, Anaheim, California, U.S.A. (June, 1928.) Longdon, Mrs. C. A. ; Arreton, Epsom Road, Guildford. (Feb., 1909.) Loomis, H. B. ; 464 California Street, San Francisco, California, U.S.A. (March, 1926.) Losky, R. F. ; c/o Commision de Irrigacion, Pimentel, Peru. (Jan., 1930.) Lovelace, The Countess of ; Wentworth House, Chelsea Embankment, S.W.3. (May, 1906.) Lovett, C. ; Glendale Park, Nashville, Tenn., U.S.A. (Dec., 1912.) Lowe, Rev. T. R. ; 35 Addington Square, Camberwell, S.E. 5. (June, 1927.) Ludwig, Herr Otto; Merseburgerstrasse 20, Halle a.d. Saale, Gcrmanv. (Jan., 1925.) Luig, Dr. Bruno ; 7 Avenue Eugene, Peasky, Bruxelles. (Nov., 1924.) Lyon, Capt. the Hon. Michael ; Glamis Castle, Glamis, Forfarshire. (May, 1927.) McAshan, H. N. ; 1144 North Central Avenue, Glendale, California, U.S.A. (Aug., 1927.) u List of Members McCormick-Goodhart, Commander Grander, R.N.V.R. Retd., O.B.E., F.R.G.S. ; Langley Park, Hyattsville, Maryland, U.S.A. McCorquodale, Mrs. ; Cound Hall, Shrewsbury. (Jan., 1920.) McDonald, Miss B. ; The Cottage, Hollington Park, St. Leonard’s-on-Sea. (Jan., 1922.) McGredy, Samuel ; Ashton, Portadown, Northern Ireland. (June, 1928.) McLintock, Miss M. H. ; The Grove, Catton Grove Road, Norwich. (July, 1927. ) Mackay, K. Stewart ; The Manor House, Esher, Surrey. Mackie, Philip C. ; The Brambles, Creskald Lane, Bramhope, near Leeds. (Jan., 1926.) Macklin, C. H., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. ; 23 Church Street, Ampthill, Beds. (May, 1923.) Maclay, Hon. J. P. ; Duchal, Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire. (Dec., 1929.) Maconechy, Mrs. A. C. ; 39 Palliser Road, Baron’s Court, W. 14. (Sept., 1928. ) Mairaux, E. (Ingenieur Agronome I.A.G.) ; 41 Rue de la Ruche, Bruxelles, Belgium. (July, 1929.) Maitland-Wilson, Mrs. ; Little Tew Lodge, Enstone, Oxon. (May, 1929.) Malone, Mrs. M. L’Estrange ; West Lodge, Malton, Yorks. (Jan., 1902.) Manchester Public Libraries ; Reference Library, Piccadilly, Manchester. (July, 1913.) Mander, J. D. ; Ash Ghyll, Bromley Road, Bingley. (Aug., 1927.) Marriott, Mrs. ; 21 Carpenter Street, Edgbaston, Birmingham. (June, 1927. ) Maresi, Pompeo M. ; 36 W. 44th Street, New York, N.Y., U.S.A. (June, 1924.) Marsden, J. W., F.Z.S. ; Bank’s Lane, Heysham Harbour, Lancs. (March, 1914.) Marshall, Archibald McLean, F.Z.S. ; Chitcombe, Brede, Sussex. (Jan., 1906.) Martin, Miss K. ; Oakene, Otley, Yorkshire. (May, 1928.) Matsunaga, Yasumori ; Kashima-Machi, Fujigun, Shizuoka-ken, Japan. (March, 1928.) Maxwell, C. T. ; 1 Shardcroft Avenue, Herne Hill, S.E. 24. (Dec., 1908.) Maxwell, Mrs. ; Ebberley Hill, St. Giles, near Torrington, N. Devon. (Oct., 1929. ) Maxwell-Jackson, Miss M. ; Percy House, Scatton, Knaresborough, Yorks. (Jan., 1913.) Mayer, F. W. Shaw; “ Wulfruna/' 88 Concord Road, Homebush, Sydney, Australia. (Aug., 1922.) Maynard, C. Gordon; Springfield, Northaw, Potters Bar, Herts. (Aug., 1928. ) Meade-Waldo, E. G. B., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. ; Stonewall Park, Chiddingstone, Kent. (Jan., 1895.) Metzger, C. T. ; 6312 So. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, Ill., U.S.A. (1923.) Miller, S. P. ; Northend, Gloucester Road, Teddington. List of Members 15 Minchin, Ronald ; Zoological Gardens, Adelaide, S. Australia. (March, 1929.) Moody, A. F. ; Lilford, Barnwell, Peterborough. (July, 1926.) Moore, H. ; Chapel Road, Tadworth, Surrey. (July, 1928.) Moore, Robert T. ; 1420 East Mountain Street, Pasadena, California, U.S.A. Summer residence till 10th Sept., Guilford, Maine, U.S.A. (July, 1928.) Morgan, Miss C. G. Lorent, 12 Cheyne Gardens, S.W. 3. Morgan, Mrs. F. Lethaby ; 12 Berkeley Square, Clifton, Bristol. (May, 1929.) Moss, Mrs. W. E. ; The Manor House, Sonning-on-Thames, Berks. (March, 1928.) Mott, B. ; 11 Wheeleys Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham. (Dec., 1926.) Mottershead, George S. ; Oakfields, Stock Lane, Hough, near Crewe. (Aug., 1929.) Mountain, Capt. Walton; Groombridge Place, Kent. (Feb., 1923.) Muntz, Major A. Irving ; Ecchinswell House, Nr. Newbury. (Nov., 1926.) Murat, Prince Paul, F.Z.S. ; 68 Rue de la Faisanderie, Paris XVI. (July, 1923. ) Murray, Mrs. Dewar ; The Lodge Farm, Toddington, Bedfordshire. (May, 1929.) Museum of Comparative Zoology ; Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A. Nash, Dr. Ira E. ; 1707 Medical Art’s Building, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A. (June, 1928.) National Zoological Park (The Superintendent) ; Washington, Dt., U.S.A. Nelson, Richard, 735 Holderness Road, Hull. (April, 1925.) Nevill, Capt. T. N. C.. F.Z.S. , 48 Sloane Square, S.W. 1. (July, 1917.) Newman, T. H., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. ; Verulam, Forty Lane, Wembley Park, Middlesex. (May, 1900.) Newmarch, C. T., F.Z.S. ; Carnage’s Ltd., Holborn, W.C. (Aug., 1915.) New York Zoological Society, 185th Street and Southern Boulevard, New York, U.S.A. Nicol, Hamish, F.R.C.S., F.Z.S. ; Hillside, Christchurch Road, Hampstead, N.W. 3. (Jan., 1926.) Nichols, Walter B., M.B.O.U. ; Stour Lodge, Bradfield, Manningtree. (Jan., 1907.) Nicholson, Alfred, E. ; Blenheim, Forthview Terrace, Blackball, Midlothian. (Feb., 1925.) Nops, Ronald A. ; 4 Amherst Road, West Ealing. (March, 1927.) North, W. N. D. ; Meadow Court, Stoughton Drive, Leicester. (Dec., 1924. ) Oberholser, Harry C. ; 2805 18th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C., U.S.A. (Oct., 1903.) Ogilvie, Mrs. Brenda ; Bonaly Tower, Colinton, Midlothian. (May, 1927.) Okada, Mr. Rthei ; 194 Itami-machi, Hiogo-ken, Japan. (March, 1928.) Ormsby, Miss E. M. ; Belmont Bungalow, Forest Lane, Harrogate. (Nov., 1927.) 16 List of Members Ostrehan, Clement ; Kingston Rectory, Worcester. (Jan., 1928.) Otaki, J. T. ; Nippon, 48 Pembroke Road, Seven Kings, Essex. (April, 1928.) Packer, George F. ; 38 Croydon Avenue, Croydon, Sydney, Australia. (April, 1925.) Painter, K. V. ; 3240 Fairmont Boulevard, Shaker Heights, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. (April, 1926.) Palmer, G. E., F.Z.S. ; 83 Park Street, Camden Town, N.W. 1. (March, 1926.) Pam, Major Albert, F.Z.S. ; Wormleybury, Broxbourne, Herts. (Jan., 1906.) Patrick, Leon, M.D. ; Smith Grote Building, Orange, California U.S.A. (Dec., 1926.) Pearse, Mrs. A. A. ; Channel View, Bembridge, Isle of Wight. (May, 1929.) Peart, Miss ; Edgarley, Broomfield Avenue, Palmers Green, N. 13. (March, 1927. ) Penrose, Frank G., M.D., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. ; Woodbury, 9 Grove Road, Eastcliff, Bournemouth. (Dec., 1903.) Pepper, Herbert ; 21 Bromley Road, Catford, S.E. 6. (June, 1928.) Perreau, Mrs. G. A. ; 16 Evelyn Court, Lansdowne Terrace, Cheltenham. (Sept., 1916.) Peters, Mrs. ; Ladies’ Army & Navy Club, 27 St. James’s Place, S.W. 1. (May, 1928.) Peterson, Mrs. ; Applehill, Kelling, near Holt, Norfolk. (July, 1929.) Pettigrew, M. ; 6 Fifth Avenue, Kelvinside, Glasgow, W. (Jan., 1920.) Phillips, Dr. John C. ; Wenham, Mass., U.S.A. (March, 1910.) Phillips, Major F. Lort ; Down Grange, Basingstoke, Hants. (Feb., 1928.) Pickford, Randolph John ; Etherlev Lodge, Nr. Bishop Auckland. (Feb., 1903.) Pike, L. G., F.Z.S. ; King Barrow, Wareham, Dorset. (1912.) Pilkington, Mrs. ; Dean Wood, Newbury. (April, 1927.) Pithie, Miss D. E. ; Bellevue, Green Lane, Hambledon, Hants. (Jan., 1918.) Plath, Karl ; 2847 Giddings Street, Chicago, U.S.A. (July, 1924.) Poltimore, Lady ; Court Hall, North Molten. (Jan., 3926.) Porter, Mrs. G. M. ; Steephill, Farnham, Surrey. (April, 1928.) Porter, Sydney, F.Z.S. ; Selwyn House, Old Normanton, Derby. (April, 1920.) Port, Miss J. ; Twisly, Catsfield, Battle, Sussex. (Oct., 1928.) Potter, Bernard E., M.B., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., F.Z.S.; 17 Portland Place, W. Potter, W. H. ; Whetherill, Fitzillian Avenue, Harold Wood, Essex. (July, 1926.) Pratt, J. Cleveland ; Lansell Road, Toorak, Victoria, Australia. (April, 1928. ) Prentice, Mrs. D. M. ; Leicester House, St. Mildred’s Road, Ramsgate. (March, 1929.) Prestwich, Arthur A., F.Z.S. ; Kent’s Farm, Winsor, nr. Southampton. (Jan., 1928.) List of Members 17 Prestwich, Mrs. Arthur A., F.Z.S. ; Kent’s Farm, Winsor, nr. South¬ ampton. (May, 1924.) Previte, Douglas A. ; Fox Hill House, Keston, Kent. (May, 1928.) Princeton University Library ; U.S.A. Procter, Mrs. ; Cullecoats, The Ridgeway, Asten Wood, Gerrard’s Cross. (Sept., 1926.) Purvis, Mrs. C. J. ; West Acres, Alnwick, Northumberland. (Oct., 1920.) Pycraft, W. P., A.L.S., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., etc. ; British Museum (Nat. Hist.), Cromwell Road, S.W. 7. (Nov., 1904.) (Hon. Mem.) Pyman, Miss E. E. ; West Hartlepool. (June, 1919.) Quincey, R. S. de Q. ; The Vern, Bodenham, Hereford. (April, 1913.) Rae, Samuel ; 134 Byres Road, Glasgow, W. 2. (April, 1927.) Rattigan, Capt. G. E. ; 7a Croft Terrace, Paignton, S. Devon. (Aug., 1908.) Reeve, Capt. J. S., F.Z.S. ; Leadenham House, Lincoln. (March, 1908.) Reichard, M. ; 26 Sandrart Strasse, Nuernberg, Germany. (March, 1928.) Reventlow, Axel ; Koebmand, Stationsvej 36, Odense, Denmark. (Jan., 1928.) Rheam, G. W. ; Yewhurst, Freshfield, Liverpool. (March, 1928.) Ricardo, Mrs. ; Colebrooke House, Aldwick, near Bognor. (July, 1926.) Richards, H. ; 11 Mount Pleasant, Redruth, Cornwall. (March, 1929.) Richardson, C. S. ; 489 Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, E. 10. (April, 1928.) Rieveley, John W. ; St. Oswald’s Gate, Fulford, York. (June, 1929.) Rivers, Major E. R. ; 29 Lansdowne Road, Holland Park, W. 11. (June, 1928.) Roberts, H. ; Bagatelle, Market Harborough. (Aug., 1927.) Roberts, Miss Ida ; Beaumaris, Montpelier Street, Hobart, Tasmania. (Jan., 1923.) Robinson, Miss Elsie ; Oatlands, Camberley, Surrey. (Sept., 1929.) Robinson, John H. ; 23 Cavendish Street, Ramsgate. (Sept., 1927.) Rogers, H. E., F.Z.S. ; Zoological Park, Emswood Road, Mossley Hill, Liverpool. (June, 1919.) Rogers, Col. J. M., D.S.O., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. (late Royal Dragoons) ; River- hill, Sevenoaks. (April, 1907.) Rogers, Mrs.; Keston Mount, Talbot Road, Bournemouth. (Feb., 1925.) Rooper, Mrs. F. ; 11 Maze Hill, St. Leonard’s-on-Sea. (Aug., 1924.) Rothschild, James de ; 46 Park Street, W. 1. (March, 1923.) Rothschild, Lionel de ; 18 Kensington Palace Gardens. (Nov., 1913.) Royal Zoological Society oe Ireland ; Phoenix Park, Dublin. (Oct., 1905.) Rudd, W. A. ; 180 Bishopsgate, E.C. 2. (Jan., 1927.) Rudkin, Francis H. ; R.I., Box 31, Fillmore, California, U.S.A. (May, 1929.) 18 List of Members Rumsey, Lacy ; 23 Rua de Serpa Pinto, Villa Nova de Gava, Oporto, Portugal. (April, 1919.) Russell, Mrs. ; Oaklands, Hook, Basingstoke. CAug., 1926.) Rutherford, E. G. : 1115 Carlford Way, Beverly Hill, California, U.S.A. (Jan., 1929.) Ryan, B. J. ; Executive Engineer, P.W.D. ; Jaipur State, Rajputana, India. (Aug., 1926.) Ryecroft, Mrs. ; Stratton Rise, Cirencester, Glos. (Oct., 1927.) St. Quintin, William Herbert, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. ; Scampston Hall, Rillingon, York. (Orig. Mem.) Salkeld, William ; Ravenswood, Kirkoswald, R.S.O., Cumberland. (June, 1922. ) Sandbach, Miss Violet , 48 Cadogan Square, S.W. 1. (Dec., 1926.) Sawrey-Cookson, Miss June ; 186 Cromwell Road, London, S.W. 5. (Sept., 1923. ) Schmit- Jensen, H. 0. ; Veterinary Research Officer, Experimental Station, Isle of Lindholm, c/o P.O. Box 42, Stege, Denmark. (Dec., 1927.) Schott, Hubert M. ; Denn Brook Lodge, Shongum Lake, Dover, New Jersey. U.S.A. (March. 1929.) Schulz, C. ; Arusha, Tanganyika Territory. (July, 1926.) Schutze, Eduard ; Eystrup, Weser, Germany. (Feb., 1927.) Schuyl, D. G. ; Kralingscheweg 332, Rotterdam, Holland. (Jan., 1914.) Sclater, W. L., M.A., F.Z.S. ; 10 Sloane Court, S.W.3. (Aug., 1904.) Scott, Capt. B. Hamilton; Hamildean, Ipswich. (1912.) Scott-Hopkins, Capt. C. ; Low Hall, Kirby Moorside, Yorks. (July, 1928.) Scribe, Monsieur Rene ; 38 Coupure, Gand, Belgium. (Oct., 1925.) Seppings, Lieut. -Col. J. W. H., F.Z.S. ; c/o Lloyd’s Bank, Ltd., Cox & King’s Branch (K. Section), 6 Pall Mall, London, S.W. 1. (Sept., 1907.) Seth-Smith, David, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. ; Zoological Society, Regent’s Park, N.W.8. (Dec., 1894.) {Editor.) Seymour, Mrs. Charles ; Kilbees Farm, Winkfield, Windsor Forest. (Aug. 1929.) Shakespeare, Walter : Sefton, St. George’s Hill, Weybridge. (Aug., 1926.) Shannon, Mrs. W. J. ; c/o Col. W. J. Shannon, C.M.G., D.S.O., Army Head¬ quarters, Delhi, India. Shenstone, Mrs. ; Chantry House, Hurstpierpoint, Sussex. (April, 1925.) Sherriff, A., F.Z.S. ; Edge Hill, 8 Ranulf Road, N.W. 2. (March, 1923.) Shiers, Mrs. P. H. ; Brookfield, Cheadle, Cheshire. (Jan., 1926.) Shortt, James ; Burwood, Strannullis Road, Belfast. (Jan., 1928.) Sich, Herbert Leonard ; Grayingham, Farncombe Road, Worthing, Sussex. (Feb., 1902.) Silver, Allen, F.Z.S. ; 18 Baneswell Road, Newport, Mon. Simpson, Archibald ; Stone Gappe, Bardsey, Yorks. (Feb., 1901.) Simpson, H. W. ; 6 Barry Road, Stonebridge, Willesden, N.W. 10. (Nov., 1924. ) List of Members 19 Singleton, John H. ; 29 Windlesham Gardens, Brighton. (May, 1928.) Sissons, H. P. ; 8 Potter Street, Worksop, Notts. (April, 1927.) Slade, G. J. ; Shenley, Wilton Crescent, Southampton. (Peb., 1915.) Slagle, Dr. A. I. ; Vendergrift, Pa., U.S.A. (March, 1929.) Sleigh, A. H. ; Denmark House, Holbrook, Ipswich. (Jan., 1928.) Smetz-Mondez, Dr. J. G. ; La Hetraie, Genval, Belgium. (Aug., 1924.) Smith, A. St. Alban, F.Z.S. ; Seletar, Singapore, F.M.S. (Feb., 1929.) Smith, F. S. Le Blanc : Cairns, 7 Laburnham Road, Maidenhead. (Feb., 1927.) Smith, Mrs. R. M. ; 19 Hill Street, Mayfair, W. 1. (Aug., 1927.) Smith, H. B. ; 3 Claremont Road, Redruth, Cornwall. (Oct., 1927.) Smith, Pahis ; 5 Forest Rise, Whipps Cross, E. 17. Smith, Paul H. ; 11 Parkhill Road, Hampstead, N.W. 3. (June, 1927.) Smith, W. Proctor, F.Z.S. ; Moorlands, Broad Road Sale, Manchester. (Nov., 1917. ) Smith, W. W. ; Cranmer, Dower Avenue, Wallington, Surrey. (April, 1920.) Snape, Major A. E., O.B.E. ; Malvern, Lower Walton, Warrington. (March, 1918. ) Snell, Mrs. Norris ; Redcote, Paget Road, Ipswich. (Feb., 1928.) Southoff, George de, C.M.Z.S. ; 9-11 Via S. Spirito, Florence, Italy. (1921.) (Hon. Mem.) Southport Corporation, Curator of ; Hesketh Park, Southport. (Jam, 1904.) Spalding, Mrs. Keith ; Maryland Hotel, Pasadena, California, U.S.A. (July, 1929.) Spencer, Henry ; Yew Court, Scalby, Yorkshire. (Sept., 1928.) Sprawson, Evelyn ; M.C., M.R.C.S., F.Z.S., Cranford, Welcomes Road, Kenley, Surrey. (June, 1923.) Sproston, Mrs. ; Elm House, Nantwich, Cheshire. (June, 1917.) Spurway, N. B. ; Glenwood, Stoneygate, Leicester. (April, 1923.) Squire, Rev. C. ; Warblington House, Havant, Hants. (April, 1927.) Stark, J. ; Woods Cottage, Haddington, Scotland. (Jan., 1924.) Stent, Stirling ; Beechlands, Bedhampton, Havant, Hants. (March, 1924.) Sterrett, H. R. ; Roseway, Hoopern Avenue, Pennsylvania, Exeter, S. Devon. (Feb., 1920.) Stewart, John, M.B.O.U. ; The Hermitage, Elstead, Surrey. (June, 1926.) Stillman, Paul F. ; 25 Ocean Avenue, Seabright, New Jersey, U.S.A. Stocker, Hubert G. ; 16 Basil Mansions, Basil Street, S.W. 1. (March, 1929.) Stokes, Capt. H. S., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., M.C. ; Longdon, Stafford. (Oct., 1922.) Stoney, Miss Irene ; Central Lodge, 55 Central Hill, S.E. 19. (July, 1929.) Storey, Mrs. A. ; Hawling Manor, Andoverford, Glos. (Nov., 1912.) Stringfellow, B. ; 1160 N. Garey Avenue, Pomona, California, U.S.A. (Aug., 1927.) Struben, Mrs. F. ; Spitchwick Manor, Ashburton, S. Devon. (Jan., 1923.) 20 List of Members Sudeley, The Lord ; 8 Rutland Court, S.W. 7. (Dec., 1927.) Suggitt, Robert; Suggitt’s Lane, Cleethorpes, Grimsby. (Dec., 1903.) Sullivan, F. A. ; San Antonio Zoological Society, P.O.B. 857, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A. (Dec., 1929.) Summerskill, C. C. ; 19 Alma Road, Winton, Bournemouth. (March, 1925.) Sutcliffe, Albert, F.Z.S. ; Beechfield, Grimsby. (Feb., 1906.) Swift, Rev. H. ; Heythrop College, Chipping Norton, Oxon. (Jan. 1930.) Sydenham, The Lady ; 101 Onslow Square, S.W. 7. (Feb., 1928.) Sykes, John ; Whitehouse Cottage, Inveresk, Midlothian. (Jan., 1912.) Takano, T. Z. ; Koyama, 28 Asagaya, Soginamimachi Toyotamagun, Tokyo -fu, Japan. (Jan., 1921.) Taka-Tsukasa, Prince Nobusuke, F.Z.S. ; Kamimeguro, Meguro, Japan. (Feb., 1914.) Talbot-Ponsonby, C. G. ; Glebe House, Lindfield, Hayward’s Heath, Sussex. (May, 1927.) Tanner, Dr. Frank L. ; Vanvert House, Guernsey. (Jan., 1914.) Taronga Zoological Park Trust ; Mosman, Sydney, Australia. (Aug., 1913.) Tavistock, The Marquess of, F.Z.S. ; Warblington House, Havant, Hants. (1912.) Tennant, Hon. Stephen ; Wilsford Manor, Salisbury, (April, 1926.) Teschemaker, W. E., B.A. ; Ringmore, Teignmouth, Devon. (May, 1904.) Thom, Alfred A. ; Whitewell Lodge, Whitchurch, Salop. (June, 1913.) Thomas, Henry ; 15 Clinning Road, Birkdale, Southport. (Jan., 1895.) Thomasset, Bernard C., F.Z.S. ; Seend, Near Melksham, Wilts. (July, 1896.) Thomson, Dr. ; Bankstown, near Sydney, Australia. (Jan., 1926.) Thompson, Mrs. A. C. ; Glaisdale, Ely, Cambs. (Dec., 1924.) Todd, Horatio ; Bromic igh, Neill’s Hill, Belfast. (Aug., 1924.) Tomlinson, Malcolm R. ; Shepherd’s House, Inveresk, Midlothian. (April, 1913.) Townsend, S. M. ; 3 Swift Street, Fulham, London, S.W. ( Orig . Mem.) Transvaal Museum ; The Director, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria. (Jan., 1921.) Travers, Mrs. J. ; Windmill Cottage, Mayfield, Sussex. (Dee., 1903.) Turner, H. B. ; Malverleys, near Newbury. (April, 1928.) Turner, Herbert J. ; Tremadoc, Keyberry Road, Newton Abbott. (Jan., 1925). Uppingham School ; the School Library, The Old School House, Uppingham. (Nov., 1920.) Valentine, Ernest ; 7 Highfield, Workington. (May, 1899.) Van Heyst, A. ; Wijk by Duurstede, Holland. (July, 1924.) Venner, Rev. P. K. ; 7 Bisham Gardens, Highgate, N. (April, 1923.) Venning, H. C. ; Willett, Biclmaller, Taunton. (Jan, 1927.) List of Members 21 Vierheller, Geo. P. ; St. Louis Zoological Park, St. Louis, Mo., U.S.A. (March, 1928.) Villiers, Mrs. T. L. ; Steuart House, Colpetty, Colombo, Ceylon. (Feb., 1927.) Vivian, Hon. Mrs. ; Villa les Domes, Rue de Lilacs, Monte Carlo, France. (Aug., 1928.) Vlasto, Mrs. ; Binfield Park, Bracknell, Berks. (March, 1927.) Voigt, Walter ; 13, Feodorastrasse, Jena, Germany. (Jan., 1926.) Vroom, Mrs. Douglas ; 555 South Wilton Place, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. (Jan., 1929.) Walker, Miss H. K. 0. ; Chesham, Bury, Lancs. (Feb., 1895.) Wall, Mrs. ; Meadowside, Marlborough, Wilts. (Nov., 1924.) Warneford, Walter W. H., O.B.E.; The Wyndhams, Torbay Road, Torquay. (Oct., 1926.) Warneford, Mrs. ; The Wyndhams, Torbay Road, Torquay. (Oct., 1926.) Waud, Capt. L. Reginald, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. ; Bradley Court, Chieveley, near Newbury. (May, 1913.) Waxman, A. E. Wright de Berri ; Maitai, Murray Road, Beecroft, N.S.W. Webb, C. S. ; Beechcroft, Sellindge, near Ashford, Kent. (March, 1928.) Webb, Patrick B. ; Barney’s Brae, Randalstown, Co. Antrim, N. Ireland. (Aug., 1929.) Webster, Charles A., the Very Rev. Dean of Ross ; The Deanery, Rosscarbery, Co. Cork, Ireland. (Feb., 1927.) Weston, Denys, F.Z.S. ; 19 Strand, Dawlish, S. Devon, (Feb., 1926.) Westmacott, Lady ; 6 rue Bel Respiro, Monte Carlo, Principanti de Monaco. (Dec., 1928.) Whale, Cyril M., F.Z.S. ; 289 Brixton Road, S.W. 9. (Feb., 1925.) Whipham, Mrs. IT. F., F.Z.S. ; 34 West bourne Park Road, W. 2 ; and St. Loyes, Heavitree, Exeter. (July, 1921.) White, John York ; Celandine, 138 Verdant Lane, Catford, S.E. 6. (Jan., 1925.) Whitley, Herbert, F.Z.S. ; Primley Hill, Paignton, S. Devon. (Sept., 1923.) Whittingham, W. Neville ; Stonefall Hall, near Harrogate. (Feb., 1928.) Wtldeboer, Dr. H. G. ; Burnbrae, Holderness Road, Hull. (1924.) Willford, Henry ; Sans Souci, Havenstreet, Ryde, Isle of Wight. (Nov., 1907.) Williams, Sidney, F.Z.S. ; Oakleigh, 110 Riverway, Palmer’s Green, London, N. 13. (Oct., 1910.) Williamson, T. F. M. ; 2027 Hyde Street, San Francisco, California, U.S.A. (Aug., 1917.) Wilson, And., F.Z.S. ; 233 Argyle Street, Glasgow. (April, 1927.) Wilson, Dr. Maurice A. ; Walton Lodge, Pannal, Harrogate. (Oct., 1905.) Winter, Dwight ; Center and Negley Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.A. (1922.) Winton, Dr. R. M. ; Citrus Exchange Building, Tampa, Florida, U.S.A. (July, 1928.) 22 List of Members Wood, Alexander R. ; 5100 Live Oak Street, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A. (Jan., 1928.) Wood, Dr. Casey, F.Z.S. ; McGill University Library, Montreal, Canada. (Sept., 1922.) Wood, Mrs. Muriel; 8 Lambolle Road, N.W. 3. (July, 1927.) Wood, W. Stuart, B.A., B. Dent. Sc. ; 1 Maison Dieu Road, Dover. (Oct., 1927.) Woodward, Kenneth M. ; Chappaqua, New York, U.S.A. (March, 1915.) Workman, William Hughes, F.Z.S. , M.B.O.U. ; Lismore, Windsor Avenue, Belfast. (May, 1903.) Wormald, Hugh, F.Z.S. ; Heathfield, East Dereham, Norfolk. (Dec., 1904.) Zoological Society of Philadelphia : 34th Street, and Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, Penn., U.S.A. (Jan., 1920.) List of Members 23 THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA List of Affiliated Members Aisbet, W. J. ; Burwood Poultry Farm, Norwood Road, Burwood, Victoria. Bain, J. A. ; 84 Cameron Street, Launceston, Tasmania. Bell, J. R. ; 218 Latrobe Street, Melbourne, C.I., Victoria. Bickerton, Hugh; 21 Stanley Street, Elsternwick, S. 4, Victoria. Borbridge, H. M. ; Yangarnook, Toolern Vale, Victoria. Bray, F. I. ; Chief Secretary’s Office, Perth, Western Australia. Butler, A. R. ; Hopetoun Road, Toorak, S.E. 2, Melbourne. Clendinnen, Dr. L. J. ; (Hon. Secretary) ; 105 Collins Street, Melbourne, C. 1, Victoria. Gumming, W. ; 65 William Street, Melbourne, C. 1. Davies, Dr. F. L. ; High Street, Malvern, S.E. 3, Melbourne. Guest, Mrs. A. G. ; “ Shadford,” St. Ninian’s Road, Brighton, S. 5, Victoria. Harvey, S. ; St. Austell, Burnside Road, Kensington Gardens, Adelaide, South Australia. Hastings, Mrs. ; New Gisborne, Victoria. Jacques, Alan ; Balwyn Road, Balwyn, E. 8, Melbourne. Langdon, W. F. ; Hawthorn Road, Caulfield, S.E. 8, Melbourne. Langley, C. ; Kidds Road, Dandenong, Victoria. Law, J. L. G. ; 306 St. Kilda Street, Brighton, S. 5, Victoria. Luxton, T. ; 329 Glenferrie Road, Malvern, S.E. 4, Melbourne. Muir, E. H. ; Astor Hou^e, 108 Collins Street, Melbourne, C. 1, Victoria. Nairn, Mr. ; c/o Modern Art Co., Field Street, Clifton Hill, N. 8, Victoria. Philp, R. ; Douglas Street, Malvern, S.E. 5, Victoria. Picking, Douglas ; Dromana, Victoria. Pittock, C. E. ; Geelong Slate Works, Ryrie Street, Geelong, Victoria. Pleasance, N. ; Hopetoun Road, Toorak, S.E. 2, Melbourne. Pratt, J. C. ; Lansell Road, Toorak, S.E. 2, Melbourne, Victoria. Stobie, Graeme; 405 Collins Street, Melbourne, C. 1. Tucker, E. R. ; 22 Howitt Road, Caulfield, S.E. 7, Victoria. Weppner, S. ; 84 St. Georges Road, Elsternwick, S. 4, Victoria. Woods, W. Forster ; Kensington Road, South Yarra, S.E. 1, Victoria. 24 List of Members THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND List of Affiliated Members Campbell, Mrs. J. P. ; 15 Arney Road, Remuera, Auckland, N.Z. Clay, R. ; c/o Turnbull & Jones, Wellesley Street, Auckland, N.Z. Corbet, G. M. ; c/o Messrs. J. G. Ward & Co., Box 183, Invergargill, N.Z. Crowther, W. J. ; Remuera Road, Auckland, N.Z. Elliott, J. ; 282 Mt. Albert Road, Auckland, N.Z. Forster, F. ; P.O., Box 132, Hamilton, N.Z. Graveson, T. ; 14 Oakland Road, Mt. Eden, Auckland, N.Z. Griffin, L. T. ; c/o Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland, N.Z. Henley, A. E. ; 66 Victoria Street, West, Auckland, N.Z. Hutchinson, G. Roland ( Honorary Secretary and Treasurer) ; P.O., Box 770, Auckland, N.Z. Kent, Miss T. R. ; 88 Manchester Street, Christchurch, N.Z. Knowles, A. E. ; 55 Hinemoa Road, Devonport, Auckland, N.Z. McKay, D. ; P.O., Box 13, Nelson, N.Z. Paul, G. ; 94 Great North Road, Auckland, N.Z. Pinfold, Mrs. C. H. ; Cr. Victoria and Princes Street, Hamilton, N.Z. Searle, G. ; 43 Virginia Avenue, Eden Terrace, Auckland, N.Z. Sperrin- Johnson, Professor J. C. ; c/o Auckland University College, Auckland, N.Z. Tattersfield, Mrs. E. ; “ Puriri Puke,” Allendale Road, Mt. Albert, Auckland, N.Z. Walker, Reg. ; Fairleigh Avenue, Mt. Albert, Auckland, N.Z. Buies of the Avicultural Society 25 Rules of the Avicultural Society As amended , 6th November , 1924 1. — The name of the Society shall be The Avicultural Society, and its object shall be the study of Foreign and British Birds in freedom and in captivity. Poultry, Pigeons, and Canaries shall be outside the scope of the Society. The year of the Society, with that of each volume of the Society’s Magazine, which shall be known as The Avicultural Magazine, shall commence with the month of January and end on the 31st of December following. 2. — The Avicultural Society shall consist of Ordinary and Honorary Members, and the latter shall be restricted in number to six, and be elected by the Council. 3. — The Officers of the Society shall be elected, annually if necessary, by members of the Council in the manner hereinafter provided, and shall consist of a President, one or more Vice-Presidents, a Secretary, an Editor, a Treasurer, an Auditor, a Scrutineer, and a Council of eighteen members. The Secretary, Editor, and Treasurer shall be ex officio Members of the Council. 4. — New Members shall be proposed in writing, and the name and address of every person thus proposed, with the name of the Member proposing him, shall be published in the next issue of the Magazine. Unless the candidate shall, within two weeks after the publication of his name in the Magazine, be objected to by at least two Members, he shall be deemed to be duly elected. If five members shall lodge with the Secretary objections to any candidate he shall not be elected, but the signatures to the signed objections must be verified by the Scrutineer. If two or more Members (but less than five) shall object to any candidate, the Secretary shall announce in the next number of the Magazine that such objections have been lodged (but shall not disclose the names of the objectors), and shall request the Members to vote upon the question of the election of such candidate. Members shall record their votes in sealed letters addressed to the Scrutineer, and a candidate shall not be elected unless two-thirds of the votes recorded be in his favour ; nor shall a candidate be elected if five or more votes be recorded against his election. 5. — Each Member shall pay an annual subscription of £1, to be due and payable in advance on the 1st of January in each year. New Members shall pay, in addition, an entrance fee of 10s. 0 d. ; and, on payment of their entrance fee and subscription, they shall be entitled to receive all the numbers of the Society’s Magazine for the current year. 26 Buies of the Avicultural Society 6. — Members intending to resign their membership at the end of the current year of the Society are expected to give notice to the Secretary before the 1st of December, so that their names may not be included in the “ List of Members ”, which shall be published annually in the January number of the Magazine. 7. — The Magazine of the Society shall be issued on or about the first day of every month, and forwarded, post free, to all the Members who shall have paid their subscriptions for the year ; but no Magazine shall be sent or delivered to any Member until the annual subscription shall have reached the hands of the Business Secretary or the Publishers. Members whose subscriptions shall not have been paid as above by the first day in November in any year shall cease to be Members of the Society, and shall not be re-admitted until a fresh entrance fee, as well as the annual subscription, shall have been paid. 8. — The Secretary, Editor, and Treasurer shall be elected for a term of five years, and, should a vacancy occur, it may be temporarily filled up by the Executive Committee (see Rule 10). At the expiration of the term of five years in every case it shall be competent for the Council to nominate the same officer, or another Member, for a further time of five years, unless a second candidate be proposed by not less than twenty-five Members of at least two years’ standing, as set forth below. In the November number of the Magazine preceding the retirement from office of the Secretary, Editor, or Treasurer, the Council shall publish the names of those members whom they have nominated to fill the vacancies thus created ; and these members shall be deemed duly elected unless another candidate or candidates be proposed by not less than fifteen Members of at least two years’ standing. Such proposal, duly seconded and containing the written consent of the nominee to serve, if elected, in the capacity for which he is proposed, must reach the Secretary on or before the 15th of November. The Council shall also publish yearly in the November number of the Magazine the names of those members nominated by them for the posts of Auditor and Scrutineer respectively. 9. — The Members of the Council shall retire by rotation, two at the end of each year of the Society (unless a vacancy or vacancies shall occur otherwise) and two other Members of the Society shall be recommended by the Council to take the place of those retiring. The names of the two Members recommended shall be printed in the November number of The Avicultural Magazine. Should, the Council’s selection be objected to by fifteen or more Members, these shall have power to put forward two other candidates, whose names, together with the signatures of no less than fifteen Members proposing them, must reach the Hon. Secretary by the 15th of November. The names of the four candidates will then be printed on a voting paper and sent to each Member with the December number of the Magazine, and the result of the voting published in the January Buies of the Avicultural Society 27 issue. Should no alternative candidates be put forward, in the manner and by the date above specified, the two candidates recommended by the Council shall be deemed to have been duly elected. In the event of an equality of votes the President shall have a casting vote. If any Member of the Council does not attend a meeting for two years in succession the Council shall have power to elect another member in his place. 10. — Immediately after the election of the Council that body shall proceed to elect three from its Members (ex officio Members not being eligible). These three, together with the Secretary, Treasurer, and Editor, shall form a Committee known as the Executive Committee. Members of the Council shall be asked every year (whether there has been an election of that body or not) if they wish to stand for the Executive, and in any year when the number of candidates exceeds three there shall be an election of the Executive. The duties of the Executive Committee shall be as follows : — (i) To sanction all payments to be made on behalf of the Society. (ii) In the event of the resignation of any of the officers during the Society’s year, to fill temporarily the vacancy until the end of the year. In the case of the office being one which is held for more than one year (e.g. Secretary, Editor, or Treasurer) the appointment shall be confirmed by the Council at its next meeting. (iii) To act for the Council in the decision of any other matter that may arise in connexion with the business of the Society. The decision of any matter by the Executive to be settled by a simple majority (five to form a quorum). In the event of a tie on any question, such question shall be forthwith submitted by letter to the Council for their decision. The Executive shall not have power (i) To add to or alter the Rules ; (ii) To expel any Member ; (iii) To re-elect the Secretary, Editor, or Treasurer for a second term of office. It shall not be lawful for the Treasurer to pay any account unless such account be duly initialled by the Executive. It shall be lawful for the Secretary or Editor to pledge the Society’s credit for a sum not exceeding £15. Should a Member wish any matter to be brought before the Council direct such matter should be sent to the Secretary with a letter stating that it is to be brought before the Council at their next meeting, otherwise communications will in the first place be brought before the Executive. A decision of a majority of the Council, or a majority of the Executive endorsed by the Council, shall be final and conclusive in all matters. 11. — The Editor shall have an absolute discretion as to what matter shall be published in the Magazine (subject to the control of the Executive Committee). The Secretary and Editor shall respectively refer all matters of doubt and difficulty to the Executive Committee. 28 The Society's Medal 12. — The Council (but not a committee of the Council) shall have power to alter and add to the Rules, from time to time, in any manner they may think fit. Five to form a quorum at any meeting of the Council. 13. — The Council shall have power to expel any Member from the Society at any time without assigning any reason. 14. — Neither the office of Scrutineer nor that of Auditor shall be held for two consecutive years by the same person. 15. — The Scrutineer shall not reveal to any person how any Member shall have voted. The Society’s Medal RULES The Medal may be awarded at the discretion of the Committee to any Member who shall succeed in breeding, in the United Kingdom, any species of bird which shall not be known to have been previously bred in captivity in Great Britain or Ireland. Any Member wishing to obtain the Medal must send a detailed account for publication in the Magazine within about eight weeks from the date of hatching of the young, and furnish such evidence of the facts as the Executive Committee may require. The Medal will be awarded only in cases where the young shall live to be old enough to feed themselves, and to be wholly independent of their parents. No medal can be given for the breeding of hybrids, or of local races or sub-species of species that have already been bred. The account of the breeding must be reasonably full so as to afford instruction to our Members, and must appear in the Avicultural Magazine before it is published or notified elsewhere. It should describe the plumage of the young, and be of value as a permanent record of the nesting and general habits of the species. These points will have great weight when the question of awarding the Medal is under consideration. In every case the decision of the Committee shall be final. The Medal will be forwarded to each Member as soon after it shall have been awarded as possible. The Medal is struck in bronze (but the Committee reserve the right to issue it in silver in very special cases) and measures 24 inches in diameter. It bears on the obverse a representation of two birds with a nest containing eggs, and the words “ The Avicultural Society — founded 1894 ”. On the reverse is the following inscription : “ Awarded to [name of recipient ] for rearing the young of [ name of species ], a species not previously bred in captivity in the United Kingdom.” The Council may grant a special medal to any member who shall succeed in breeding any species of bird that has not previously been bred in captivity in Europe. LIVERPOOL ZOOLOGICAL PARK (Proprietor: H. E. ROGERS, f.z.s.) Elmswood Road (Lark Lane), LIVERPOOL. Telephone No.: MOSSLEY HILL 106. Telegrams and Cables: “ZOO PARK,” Liverpool. PARROTS, PARRAKEETS. £7 7 0/- to £ 5 0 each. 50/- to £5 ,, . 50- ,, 2 5/- ,s 10/- ,, £90 pair. £2 5 £ 1 each. £6 ,, £ 4 25/- ,, 20/- ,, £12 £7 10/- 1 0/- pair. £4 each. Grey Parrots Amazon Parrots Lemoncrest Cockatoos Bose Cockatoos Macaws . Black Cockatoos Cage moulted Lears Macaw Bingneck Parrakeets Macaws, Ked-blue, Bed-Green Blue-yellow . 1 Severe Macaw Indian Bock Parrots, cocks ,, ,, hens 1 pair very rare Muellers Parrots Blue Mountain Lories, exhibition Breeding Bedrumps . £ 4 Magnificent Bluetail Lories Wonderful talking Grey Parrot, the most marvellous bird in existence, mimics, laughs, sings, and talks excellently ; a constant source of amuse¬ ment and a perfect companion and pet . (Price on application. ) Outdoor aviary-bred Cockateils £4 pair. Magnificent Jenadaya Conures, finger-tame .... 2 5/- each. Blue-crown Conures . .35/- , , Half-moon Parrakeets . .15/- ,, 1 very rare and beautiful hen Turquoisine . . . . £40 AVIARY BIRDS. Senegal Finches, Cordons, Orangecheeks, Bronze Man¬ nikins, Singing Finches, Silverbills , Whydahs, Bishops, Weavers . (Prices on enquiry.) AdultBlue Budgerigars, excellent 4 5 /- pair. ,, White ,, ,, £3 15/- ,, Japanese Haw Finches . 2 10/- ,, Zebra Finches . . . £ 1 pair. 1 pair exhibition Green Cardi¬ nals, breeding . . . £5 1 exhibition Spreo Starling, gorgeous . . . . £ 4 Brilliant Ariel and Greenbill Toucans .... 50/- each. 1 rare Boyston’s Crow . . £7 10/- Magnificent adult Cobalt Bud¬ gerigars . . . £410/- pair. Do. do. Mauve . £5 ,, Young Cobalt Budgerigars . £4 l pair exceedingly rare Apple- green Budgerigars . . 5 0/- Blue and Cobalt-bred Budgerigars 15/— ,, Adultbreeding Green Budgerigars 10/6 ,, Do. do. Yellow do. 12/6 ,, WATERFOWL, WADERS, PIGEONS, etc. Wells Ground Doves Elegant Zebra Doves Yinaceous Turtle Doves Bing Doves arieties £3 10/- pair. . £1 ,, £ 1 ,, . 10/6 pair. 12/6 ., 10/- ,, . £40 ,, . £20 ,, £20 to £2 5 ,, £2 5 to £ 5 0 each. £4 pair. £2 Fantail Pigeons, in Nicobar Pigeons Argus Pheasants Specifer Peafowl Crown Cranes . Cassowaries Cuban Blueheaded Pigeons Half-collared Senegal Doves . 15/- Pied Peafowl. . . .£12 10/— ,, Blue Peafowl . . • . £7 ,, Swans . . . . . £6 ,, Silver, Golden, Beeves, Amherst, Argus and Fireback Pheasants (Price on enquiry.) Demoiselle Cranes . .£1210/- pair. Bald Coots .... 30/- ,, Bankivi Junglefowl . . £2 10/- ,, Silver and Golden Pheasants . £4 ,, Amherst Pheasants . . . £6 ,, Bare Fireback Pheasants . Black Swans . . .£15,, Pelicans . . .£12 10/- each. Curassows .... £ 1 2 pair. Giant Canadian Eagle Owls . £5 ,, African Yellowbill Ducks . £3 10/- pair. Carolina Ducks . . £4 10/- ,, Black-shouidered Peafowl £ 1 2 1 0/- ,, 1 pair very rare and beautiful Blue-winged Abyssinian Geese £ 6 0 Bed-billed Whistling Tree Ducks £5 pair. Yulturine Guineafowl . . £12 ,, Australian Crested Pigeons . 7 0/- ,, ANIMALS, PETS, etc. Tame Leopards, Kangaroos, Wolves, Walla¬ bies, Wombats, Bear Cubs (American and Bussian), Kinkajous, Woodchucks, Mon¬ goose, Apes, Baboons, Bingtail, Mona, Sooty, Bhesus, Calletrix and a number of other varieties of Monkey, Pet Agoutis, W. African Porcupines, White-whiskered Lemurs, Baccoons, Giant Buffed Lemurs, White-whiskered Lemurs, Black and Golden Lemurs, Bingtail Lemurs. REPTILES. N. American Garter Snakes . 7/6 each. Monster Beticulated Pythons £5 0 to £100 „ Bare Australian Terrapins . 5 0/- ,, Alligator Terrapins, etc., etc. Fresh arrivals weekly. l “L’OISEAU.” PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE Societe Nationale d’Acclimatation de France, 198 BOULEVARD ST. GERMAIN, PARIS (VIP) A French Magazine on Aviculture, for the study of European and Foreign Birds in captivity and at liberty. With coloured and black and white plates. ONE YEAR - 75 FRANCS. Medals for first breeding of a species in captivity in France or other countries are awarded if a detailed account is sent to the Society. Now Ready. TO BE COMPLETED IN TWO VOLUMES. VOLUME I. “AVICULTURE” Price 15/- net. Order with remittance to — STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, LTD., Fore Street, Hertford. n CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION. The Marchioness of Londonderry, D,B,E„ Mount Stewart, Co. Down. Proposed by Charles B. Horsbrugh. K. F. Lqsxy, Comision d@ Irrigacion, Pimentel, Peru, S. America. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. Lieut.- Col.. C. Hope Murray, Moriah-ill, Beith, Ayrshire. Proposed by D. Seth-Smith. Norman Sowden, Kirklands, Menston, near Leeds. Proposed by B. Jackson. R. N. Wright, 19 Clinton Road, Redruth, Cornwall. Proposed by H. B. Smith. NEW MEMBERS. Mrs. Benjamin, Yarn Barton, West Chinnock, Crewkerne. F. G. Drasdo, 728 Beverley High Road, Hull. James S. Hine, Ohio State Museum, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. R. Lang dale Kelham, M.R.C.S., 7 Genoa Avenue, Putney, S.W. 15. Mrs. Andrew Kerr, Melbourne Hall, near Derby. Martin Koehler, Orimmitschau 1/Sa, Germany. J. M. S. Lax, Southfield. House, Crook, Co. Durham. Claude. Russell, 23 Cavendish Square, W. 1. F. A. Sullivan, San Antonio Zoological Society, P.O.B. 857 San Antonio, Texas U.S.A. L. P. C. Warren, Dower House, Melbourne, Derbyshire. CHANGE OF ADDRESS. A. JOHN Hall, to Yew Tree House, Ducklington, Witney, Oxon. H. B. Loomis, to 1300 Sunny hills Road, Oakland, California, U.S.A. Mrs. Dewar Murray, to The Lodge Farm, Toddington, Bedfordshire. G. F. Packer, to Roysdene, Croydon Avenue, Croydon, Sydney, Australia. MEMBERS’ SALE AND EXCHANGE COLUMN. The charge far Members’ advertisements is one penny per word, and no advertisement must exceed thirty-six words , name and address included. Payment must accompany the advertisement, which must be sent on or before the 20 th of the month to Mr. T. H. Newman, " Verulam/’ Forty Lane, Wembley Park, Middlesex. All members of the Society are entitled to use this column. SALE OR EXCHANGE. Sale, 1929 Golden Pheasants ; Melanistics, Nepal Kaluges, Borneo Fire- backs, Reeves, Red Jungle Fowl, guaranteed pure. — Scott-Hopkins, Kirbymoor- side, Yorks. Granatine Pitta, £10 ; Black-headed Pitta, £7 ; ditto, injured foot, £4 ; pair Green Broadbills, £20 ; cock, £10 ; two pairs Golden-backed Hanging Parra- keets, £5 pair ; pair Yellow-throated ditto, £4; one ditto, £2; three Guffin’s Cockatoos, £10 each.- — -Chawner, War grave, Berks. Cock Rock-peplar, £5 ; hen, Yellow-bellied Parrakeet, £6 ; pair White- winged Doves, 20s. ; Moustache, 60s. ; Bronze-necked, 30s. ; Diamond Doves, 80s. ; hen, O. caniceps, £5; Rufous- winged Doves, 15s. pair.— -A. Decoux, Gery, Aixe- sur-Vienne, France. For Sale or Exchange, fine pair of exhibition Grassfinches, also vigorous Green Budgerigars (outdodr. aviary).- — Miss Follett, 2 Alston Terrace, Exmouth, oo Exchange a very fine Nicobar Pigeon (cock) for a similar (hen).— G. S. Mottersheads, Oakfields Zoological Gardens, Shavington, Crewe. Mrs. Ryoroft, Stratton Rise, Cirencester, Glos., has some fine early 1929 Budgerigars for Sale ; Blues, 80s. each ; Cobalts and Mauves. £3 each ; all strong and healthy from cold outdoor aviaries-. Budgerigars, early 1929, from large unheated outdoor aviaries ; fine specimens for sale at very moderate prices ; White, Cobalt, Blue, Mauve, and Yellow; inspection invited.— H. Roberts, Bagatelle, Harborough. Budgerigars, Blue, Blue-bred ; very cheap.- — Mrs. Lancaster, Syerscote, Streetly, Staffs. For Sale, hen Virginian Cardinal ; Wanted, hen superb Glossy Starling ; hen Diamond Dove, and pair Royal Starlings ; all outdoor aviary, — McGredy, ■Ashton, Portadown, Northern Ireland. WANTED. 'Advertiser would be glad to purchase the whole or part series of Bird Notes— Sydney Porter, Selwyn House, Old Normanton, Derby. GAMAGES S?P? HAVE ALWAYS A VARIED STOCK OF Foreign Birds, Parrots, Lovebirds, etc. We can now offer .— Zebra Finches, Diamond Doves, Blue and Cohalt Budgerigars, Shamas, Red Crested Cardinals, Spreo Starlings, Peach Face , Blackcheek, and Fischer’s Lovebird, Blue Winged Parrotolets, Scarlet Avadavats, Orange Bishops, Chinese Hawfinches, Pekin Robins, White and Partcoloured Bengalese, White and Grey Java Sparrows, Black Head Mannekins, Gutteral Finches, Shamas, Golden Fronted Bulbuls, Various Parrots, Macaws and Cockatoos. BEST FOODS. Mealworms Spray Millet Ants’ Eggs Dried Flies Pure Egg Yolk . Insectivorous Food Cuttlefish Bone LOWEST PRICES 6/6 per lb. , i lb., , 3/6 Post paid. ) ) 5/6, 7/6, 10/- per bu ndle. . . 3/- per lb. , 41b., 11/- 9 9 . . 1/9 9 9 41b., 6/6 9 9 . . 21- 41b., 71- 9 9 1/6 9 9 71b., 8/6 9 9 1/3 5 9 41b., 4/6 9 9 Specialities in CAGES, AVIARIES, NEST-BOXES and all appliances. GAMAGES, HOLBORN, LONDON, E.C. 1. PHONE : HOL. 8484. DE VON & CO. FOREIGN. Beautiful Saffron Finches 9/- pair. Toucans £ 3 each Magnificent Adult Green Long-tailed Budgerigars 9 /- pair, Young Green 8/-, Adult Yellow 11/- Genuine Finger-tame Green Budgerigars Weavers Silverbills . Combassous Scarlet Orange Bishops Full Colour Bed-eared Waxbills Java Sparrows, beautiful plumage . Spicebirds . Bengalese Finches Cutthroats . Steelfinches Tame Chattering Blue-fronted Amazon Parrots 4 5/- and 5 0/— each. Avadavats in Full Colour 6/- pair. m 7/6 each. 4/- pair. 41- 4/6 8/6 2/6 6/- 6/6 7 6 41- 6/6 GOLD AND FANCY Golden Orfe Dogfish Paradise Fish Catfish Goldfish FISH. 9d. each. 6d. „ 1/6 „ 6d. ,, 3d. to 10/- 1" to 10". All aquatic requirements. FOODS AND MEALWORMS. Large clean Mealworms, 1 Od. oz. ; 4/-£lb. ;s 7/6 lb. ; 5 lbs. 40/-, carriage paid. Best Nightingale and Shama Food, 3/- lb. ; 7 lbs. , 18/6. Best Lark and Thrush Food, 1/3 lb. ; 7 lbs., 7/-. Pure Crop Ants’ Eggs, 2/9 lb. ; 71bs., 17/6. Cuttlefish, 1/8 and 2/6 lb. Indian Millet Sprays, large, 7/6 bdle. 50 sprays to bundle. All postages paid. REPTILES, PET MONKEYS, MONGOOSE, LEMURS, CU3NEAPIGS, etc. Phone: TERMINUS 3959. _ Illustrated Price List issued. 127 King’s Cross Road, London, W.C. 1. SERIES. VOL. VIII. NO. 2. FEBRUARY 1930. THE Avicultural Magazine CONTENTS. PAGE The White-bellied Touraco ( with Coloured Plate ) .... The Nesting Habits of the King Bird of Paradise (with Plate) Bouquet’s Parrot, by Sydney Porter ..... Notes on the Past Season, by G. H. Gurney .... Some New Arrivals, by The Marquess op Tavistock . 33 33 36 44 48 PAGE Quails, by D. Seth-Smith . . 50 Avicultural Notes, by The Editor 54 Correspondence : Precocious Love¬ birds ; Origin of Colour Varieties in Budgerigars ; Black-tailed and Masked Hawfinches ; Hybrid Guinea-fowl and Waterfowl ; Notes from Northumberland ; Hen Gouldian Finch in Cock’s Plumage; Brown’s Parrakeet . 56 The Price of this Number is 2/6. THE AV1CULTURAL SOCIETY FOUNDED 1894 NOTICE TO MEMBERS The Subscription to the Avicultural Society is £1 per annum, due on the 1st of January in each year, and is payable in advance. The entrance fee is 10/0. The Avicultural Magazine is sent free to members monthly. Members joining at any time during the year are entitled to the back numbers for the current year, on the payment of entrance fee and subscription. 1ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO THE HONORARY SECRETARY AND TREASURER, MiSS Knobel, 32 Tavistock Square, London, W.C.l. All Queries respecting Birds (except post-mortem cases) and all other correspondence should be sent to the Hon. Secretary, at the above address. Any change of address should be notified to her. POST-MORTEM EXAMINATIONS. Rule 1. — A short account of the illness should accompany the specimen. All birds to be sent as fresh as possible to Mr. C. H. Hicks, The Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8. Rule 2. -—A stamped addressed envelope must be enclosed with the bird. Rule 3. — No body or skin of any bird will be returned under any circumstances whatever. The Magazine is published by Messrs. Stephen Austin Si Sons, 5 Fore Street, Hertford, to whom members should address all orders for extra copies, back numbers for 1917 and after, and bound volumes. Cases for binding the Magazine (in art cloth, with gold block on side) can be obtained from the Publishers, post free and carefully packed, at 3/- each ; or the Publishers will undertake the binding of the Volume for 5/6, plus 9d. for packing and postage. Members are requested to state whether they want the wrappers and advertisements bound in at the end or not. Telephone: 46 Hertford. BACK VOLUMES of the AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE previous to 1917. Application for these should be made to the Editor of Cage Birds, Link House, 4-8 Greville Street, E.C. 1. All Enquirie* for ADVERTISEMENTS and TRADE SUPPLIES should be made direct to STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, Ltd., FORE STREET, HERTFORD. All communications intended for publication in the Magazine should be addressed to the Editor : — Mr. D. Seth-Smith, Zoological Society, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8. Avicultura] Magazine JohhBale.Sons &. Daniels son, L1? White ~ bellied Touracou . Schizorhis /eucoqaster. THE Avicultural Magazine BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF FOREIGN & BRITISH BIRDS IN FREEDOM 8c CAPTIVITY Fifth Series- — Vol. VIII.— No. 2. — All rights reserved. FEBRUARY, 1930. THE WHITE-BELLIED TOURACO The Touracos of the genus Schizorhis, or Corythaixoides, of which there are some five or six species, differ greatly in appearance from those contained in the other genera of the Family Musophagidae. They are dull-coloured birds, grey or greyish-brown, whereas the others are brightly coloured, green, blue, and carmine-red prevailing. The White-bellied Touraco (Schizorhis leucogaster) inhabits the forests of East Africa, feeding upon various fruits and also to a great extent upon leaves and shoots, while it also probably takes insects to a small extent. It is not often imported and is generally regarded as difficult to keep and somewhat uninteresting in captivity. A pair owned by Mr. Whitley, however, have done extremely well and, seen in an outdoor aviary, give the impression of being handsome, lively, and attractive birds. It is from these that our coloured plate has been drawn. D. S-S. THE NESTING HABITS OF THE KING BIRD OF PARADISE By W. J. C. Frost The mystery of the nesting habits of the little King-bird, Cicinnurus regius, is by way of being solved. Last winter I managed to segregate some half-dozen pairs ? and toward the latter end of March a nest con¬ taining two eggs was discovered in a hole in a small tree, about seven feet up. Owing to the extreme wariness of the hen, I was never able 8 34 W. J. G. Frost — to obtain a snapshot of her entering or leaving, and even at the last moment when collecting the eggs one evening, she managed to slip through my fingers. The cock-bird, however, was always more or less in evidence, cursing and swearing and generally trying to bluff any intruders. The nest hole was small, about 1J in. diameter, and approximately 18 inches deep, but filled to within a few inches of the lip with palm fibre. The eggs, two in number, measuring 27*50 X 21 mm., were of a creamy white, flushed with pink, typically marked and curiously resembling, except for size, those of Paradisea apoda. Enclosed herewith a couple of photos, which may be of interest for the Avicultural Magazine. Owing to the extreme scepticism with which my earlier suggestions (that some of the Paradisidse might quite possibly be hole-builders) had been received, and the fact that I was not actually able to take the female with the clutch, I put the matter aside, pending further corroboration. No further nests were found in that reserve, however. Possibly the other “ hens ” were really immature males, or too young, or still too unsettled in their necessarily more confined quarters, or, even more likely still, a lack of really suitable nesting sites. However, taking a hint from the situation of the nest already found, on my return here to Sourabaia, we at once provided a captive pair (deposited in the Zoo here some two years ago) with a vertical nesting log (inside measurements 5 inches dia., 6 inches depth from hole). These birds had, in company with a pair each of Wilson’s ( Schlegelia ) and Magnifi- cents ( Diphyllodes ), and a few odd Pittas, the run of an open aviary about 12 feet square, planted with palm, lantana, and various small shrubs. No attempt at nesting or even mating had up to then been noticed, although the various cocks danced frequently. Unfortunately I was obliged to leave Java again for some months, and with the usual scepticism, during my absence no particular observation on the nesting log was kept. Even when a few weeks later the hen regius was reported missing, it was merely entered up as escaped or taken by rats. Avic. Mag. 1930. Egg of Cicinnurus regius, Aru Islands, March, 1929. Ground colour creamy pink, size 27 '50 X 21 mm. [To face page 34- The Nesting Habits of the King Bird of Paradise 35 About a month later, however, she suddenly turned up again, and only then was a thorough investigation made, resulting in the discovery of two dead youngsters in the log, apparently about one week old, but badly damaged by ants. On this, it was decided to give the pair another chance, and a larger aviary, with more accommodation in the matter of shrubs, a clump of dwarf bamboo, and a small flat-topped Acacia tree, was allotted to their sole use. The same nest log was also included and hung in the fork of the tree at a height of about 7 feet. They were some considerable time in settling down, but eventually in early September, the hen went to nest again, using the same log, in preference to all the “ spacious and desirable building sites ” we had been at such pains to arrange for her. This time she laid but one egg, and never “ sat ”, climatic conditions possibly, September being at the height of the dry season, and the male being in full moult, may have made a difference. However, the interesting point to me is naturally the definite corroboration by both egg and the choice of nesting site of the authenticity of the clutch taken in the Aru Islands last March. I am hoping by the New Year to be in New Guinea again, when with luck I may be able to collect still more data from the pairs put up last winter. Of Wilson’s and Magnificents I am still without hens ; it is curious how very, very seldom one runs across the females of any of the Paradisidse. Pairs of Uranornis rubra and Seleucides ignotus have been playing at nest building all the year, but with no results. The Rubras are especially tantalizing. I think the cock has tried every possible site, from an empty box to a scrape in the ground, including also a dense bamboo clump and the heart of a tree fern, only sooner or later to have the materials ruthlessly scattered by his termagant little mate. I must get another pair, and try what swapping partners will do next season. 86 Sydney Porter — Bouquet's Parrot BOUQUET’S PARROT {AMAZON A BOUQUET I) By Sydney Porter This beautiful Parrot is much rarer than it is generally thought ; in fact, I believe that it will be exterminated before its near relative A. imperialis is, for the fact is that while the Imperial Parrot keeps to the most inaccessible parts of the mountain forests of Dominica, this bird at certain seasons of the year comes down into the open country — in fact, right down to the sea coast — in search of certain fruits, and is consequently much better known than the other bird, and this would give the stranger the impression that it is the commoner of the two. It is certainly easier to capture or, rather, shoot, but in a few years I am sure that it will pass away for ever. I was exceedingly lucky in getting a true pair of these Parrots as soon as I landed at Portsmouth, a tiny native settlement where I arrived on my way from Roseau to the country of the Imperial Parrot. Asking the driver, who was taking me to the other side of the island, if he had ever heard of the “ Ciceroo ” (A. imperialis) and if it were possible to see these birds in their native haunts or even secure one, he shook his head and said that it was almost impossible either to see or to get one alive, but he thought if I would like one to eat he might be able to get a native to secure a dead one from the forests in the interior ! On the other hand, if I wanted to buy a true pair of the other native Parrots, he had a pair for sale which he had had for twelve months, and which he was hoping to take one day to Koseau for sale. Needless to say that with no arguing the bargain was clinched, but afterwards he said, much to my disgust, that he had to shoot thirty of these birds before he wounded these two so slightly that they lived. I suppose he was trying to justify what he thought a high price, but the tragedy of it ! The natives know that these birds fetch a nominal price in Koseau (the capital), where the residents know no difference between them and the other South American Parrots which are often brought to the island, so they go on killing them in large numbers so that by chance they may wound one or two slightly, which they sell. Of course, the dead ones are eaten, I have even heard of twelve a day Sydney Porter — Bouquet's Parrot 37 being killed by white residents who were fond of eating Parrot-pie. So the crime of exterminating this species does not lie wholly with the black man. In the season when the birds come down from the mountains numbers are exposed for sale in the little settlement of Portsmouth, where, I believe, they are sold for the sum of Is. each. No law or restrictions can stop this, for very few white people live in the part of the island where these birds are found, and nothing will apparently stop the indiscriminate killing until the birds have been exterminated. It is one of the saddest things in the life of a keen ornithologist to stand by helpless and see such a beautiful species as this swept into oblivion. What can be done ? The natives know no better, sometimes when the hurricanes devastate their crops and they are nearly brought to starvation, they shoot the birds either for food or to gain a little by selling them in the town. I certainly think that twenty years or so will see the end of this very interesting species, and A. bouqueti will be, except for a few dried skins, but a memory of the past, mourned for by a few sentimental naturalists like myself, who would rather think of the birds in their native woods than lying in the cabinets of museums. People on the island will tell you that the bird is still common and easy to procure, and that certain people have one for sale, but invariably one finds that the birds which are on sale are those from South America, usually Yellow-fronted and Orange-winged Amazons. There were very few of the native Parrots in captivity on the island besides the ones which I secured ; I knew of three others (but no doubt there were others), one belonging to a gentleman in Roseau who never went anywhere without it on his shoulder ; another belonging to an English lady, who lived in the interior of the island ; and one belonging to a native storekeeper, who refused to sell it because his wife was so fond of it ; but one day he turned up with the bird in a small basket and offered it to me for five dollars, whether he was hard up or had quarrelled with his wife I never knew, but I was very glad to get the bird, as it was exceedingly tame, and proved to be a bird of great character. The only thing that would save this species from extermination would be to capture a fair number (and even then a hundred might be killed in the capturing of ten, for the natives know of no way to 38 Sydney Portei — Bouquet's Parrot procure these birds except by shooting them), and release them on some small uninhabited island, such as Little Tobago, where still live a colony of Birds of Paradise taken there about twenty years ago by Sir William Ingram, and which is owned by an American naturalist. It would be a good work if some wealthy naturalist would collect specimens of the rare and rapidly decreasing West Indian Parrots and release them on such a small island as mentioned, of which there are dozens in the Lesser Antillean group, and maintain them under strict supervision. I feel sure that many of the other islands, such as Guadeloupe, Martinque, Barbados,1 etc., had Parrots which have long since been exterminated (I believe that Martinque had a Parrot, but the terrible eruption of Mont Pelee finished off the few specimens which had still lingered on), owing to the easy access of their haunts. St. Vincent and St. Lucia, which are similar to Dominica in being extremely mountainous, still retain in very small numbers their indigenous Parrots because of the inaccessibility of their haunts ; for why should these islands have them and the others which lie in between have none ? I think that they did, but in the early days of slavery, massacre, and terror, which occurred in nearly all the islands, the birds were killed and eaten for food, which still happens to-day to the birds in the other islands. The Imperial and Guilding’s Parrots are both still served up “ a la mode 55 at the native tables in Dominica and St. Vincent. What a lot man has to answer for ! When my birds arrived from the village, about 10 miles away, I was surprised at their size, for they are very much larger than most of the other Parrots of the genus Amazona, and also at the exquisite violet-blue of the head, face, and throat, which looks in skins and captive birds a dull powder-blue. The hen had the whole of the upper breast 1 In an old and exceedingly rare book, The Natural History of Barbados, by the Rev. Griffith Hughes, a ‘ ‘ Parakite ” is mentioned : “ This is of the frugivorous kind, about the Bignefs of a Thrusfh, having a longer and more crooked bill. It feeds upon almolt all manner of Berries, Popaws, and ripe Plantain, refiding chiefly in inaccefQble Gullies. The bird borrows its name from its refemblance in Make, but not in Plumage to the small green Parakite.” Y et there is no trace whatever of this bird on the island now, no single person to whom I spoke had ever heard of it. Sydney Porter — Bouquet's Parrot 39 a bright red colour. This was surprising, too, for in the skins this part is usually yellow, or has a few scattered red feathers. I rather think that this is a question of age, for I afterwards saw birds which had neither red nor yellow upon the breast, and others which had but a few feathers of either colour ; while, on the other hand, some had the whole of the upper breast either red or yellow. The male had one or two reddish feathers on the breast, he was a much larger bird than his mate, and was, in fact, nearly as large as a small male Imperial Parrot, which is smaller than the female. The tail was also much longer than in the female, in fact, I think that this species possesses a longer tail than any other of the birds of the genus. I soon had my joy turned to sorrow, for only two days after I received the birds I was playing about with them, thinking they were much tamer than they really were, when suddenly the male took flight, and although he had one wing partly clipped, flew into a large lime tree. Thinking that we might capture him, I sent a youngster up the tree, but just as he was about to grasp the bird it flew into a higher tree ; we kept watch until it was practically dark, and then another fellow went up hoping that he might be able to secure it, but it took fright and sailed off down the mountain side. We heard him call for the next day or two, but he eventually disappeared. I only hope that he was able to reach the forests, where the rest of the species lived. This was very disappointing, especially after congratulating myself upon securing a true pair of these very rare birds. I made every endeavour to secure another male. Substantial rewards were of no avail, but some time afterwards the other bird mentioned turned up, an event for which I was truly thankful. Sometime shortly before I left the island I met a native hunter with two of the birds terribly wounded — at least, they appeared to be. They were tied up with rope, many yards being wound round each bird, until they resembled blood-stained packages of feathers ; poor things they must have suffered agony. I asked the man what he was going to do with them, and he informed me that if I didn’t purchase them he was going to eat them, so after telling him about his misdeeds, which didn’t seem to have much effect on him, I bought them. 40 Sydney Porter — Bouquet's Parrot We doctored the birds up, cleaned their wounds, etc., and they turned out to be a couple of hens, one a young bird, and the other turned out to be a very fine specimen. They quickly recovered, thanks, no doubt, to their good constitutions, and soon got tame, though the two birds which I already possessed never had anything to do with them. The greatest trouble was to get the birds off the sugar-cane diet, for, apart from being a poor and insufficient food, it would be impossible to procure it after leaving the island. I starved the birds (for which I felt a brute), but it was of no avail. We tried all manner of things — sweet potatoes, yams, bread and milk, all kinds of fruit, etc. ; but the only thing they would touch was the seeds of one of the huge forest palms, which the natives secured by cutting down one of the trees. The seeds were very much like dari, and these the birds relished, which was only natural, as it forms their chief food during certain seasons of the year, when I am told dozens can be seen on one single spray. One meets with these Parrots right in the heart of the great and magnificent mountain forests, feeding upon the fruits of certain trees, and very beautiful they look as they wheel overhead in the sunshine, much more beautiful than A. imperialis, which looks very dark when silhouetted against the sky. They are apparently never seen in flocks of any size, but in ones and twos, but as I was only there during the breeding season, that is no criterion. I believe that they do go about in flocks in some seasons, for a gentleman who lives in the interior of the island told me that he could trace the passage of a small flock of these birds from hill to hill by the reports from the rifles of the native gunners as they followed the birds from one part to another. The birds are extremely shy and wary, no doubt owing to the constant persecution, but their presence is made known by their loud chattering cries. I hardly felt justified in bringing my four birds away with me, for the race is rapidly approaching extermination, but I couldn’t have released them for their wings were clipped, and if I hadn’t purchased them no doubt they would have been sold to some coloured or Indian person, who would have kept them in a cage suitable for a Canary, Sydney Porter-Bouquet' s Parrot 41 and fed them upon bread soaked in water until in a few months their unhappy career would have ended. The birds were kept in an outhouse, the window being covered with wire-netting, but they were put into the garden every day, where they loved to grub about in the grass, eating various seed-pods. The first two birds did not get on very well when the others were there. If the hen tried to take any food away from her first mate he would let her have it, but these two birds had savage tugs-of-war, which usually ended in one of them taking hold of the other’s head in its claws. Though I questioned very many natives and also white people, and went up myself into the great forests at the breeding season, I never got to know anything of the breeding habits of these birds, but no doubt they differ very little from those of the other Parrots of the genus Amazona. The very tame male which I got from the native storekeeper showed a great interest in the Imperial Parrot which I had, and if I had occasion to touch it (the Imperial), it would give vent to agonizing shrieks. This would bring the bouqueti on the scene, and he would attack me quite savagely, but he took no notice of the two wounded hens. The man from whom I obtained the first pair of birds said that some months ago a Yellow Parrot was seen (a Lutino), which was shot and eaten ! The first two birds grew devoted to each other, and refused to have anything to do with the two hens, even in close confinement, on the way home. At Barbados I took on board about a hundredweight of sugar-cane, and after sealing the ends with tar it was put into cold storage, but fortunately soon after we set sail they began to eat soft fruits, such as pears, bananas, etc., which were smuggled out of the dining saloon ; but it was only after they had been in captivity in this country for some time that they commenced to eat hard seed. This Parrot is not even protected in Dominica, though a Parrakeet which does not exist is protected ! I saw the Commissioner of Police and also the Administrator, and they both promised to get this matter amended as soon as possible, and also issue warning to the natives in regard to the shooting of the birds, but I regret to say that I am afraid 42 Sydney Porter — Bouquet's Parrot the police will have very little power in the remote parts where the birds live. In colour this bird is the usual grass-green of the genus, the whole face, part of the crown, and the throat are a lovely pale violet, which fades considerably when the birds have been in captivity for any length of time. The males and some of the females have the upper breast a bright rose-pink or dull red. Most of the young males and the females lack this, though some have a few scattered feathers of red or yellow on the chest. The male is considerably larger than the female. One very fine male which I possess has the whole of the breast a beautiful shade of almond pink. This bird is extremely intelligent, and loves to be played with. The head of this individual, strange to say, very closely resembles that of its near relative A. versicolor. The little hen referred to earlier in the chapter died shortly after reaching these shores, and a post mortem revealed that a shot had penetrated the lungs and caused pneumonia. I was very sorry to lose her for she was such a quiet, charming, and pathetic little creature. Another of my birds died, much to my regret ; the cause of death was a diseased spleen. How this came about I do not know, but despite every care and attention, the bird just seemed to fade away. Much to my surprise it proved to be a hen, for I had always regarded it as a cock. It was very different in colour from any of the others, being a deep emerald-green, with the upper breast a beautiful rose-pink. The older bird became after the moult a magnificent specimen, nearly as large as a small Imperial. He was the most intelligent Parrot I have ever had, differing in this respect from the others which have been in captivity and whose owners have stated they have proved dull and uninteresting pets. When one enters the aviary he is always ready for a game. Hanging from a slender branch by one foot, he will seize hold of one’s nose, ear, or hair, with the other foot and kiss one’s lips. He loves to tease the other Parrots, especially a large hen of his own species, but he is never malicious, though sometimes when excited he will give an extra hard nip. I have hopes that the birds may breed, but birds which have given Sydney Porter — Bouquet's Parrot 43 their hearts to their human captors are seldom much good for breeding purposes, but at all events I hope that they will live for many years and be a perpetual feast of beauty to the eyes of their owner. I believe Bouquet’s Parrot is the most delicate, in spite of its large size, of all the Amazon Parrots, and needs to be kept in a high temperature or it will soon go wrong. When the thermometer falls below 70 degrees the birds appear dull and listless, but when it reaches 80 or over they soon regain their joie de vive. For food they require an abundance of fresh ripe fruit, such as pears, apples, grapes, etc. ; they are very fond of hawthorn-berries and also elderberries ; I also give the ordinary Parrot mixture. Many years ago the Rev. Canon Dutton possessed an example of this bird, one of the few which have reached these shores besides the two recently at the Zoo, and he said that he thought the bird was an island species of the familiar Blue-front. The only conclusion I can come to is that he had the wrong bird, for not only is A. houqueti half as large again, but it is entirely different in colouring ; possibly he may have got hold of a very young specimen. I only hope that something will be done to preserve this beautiful example of the large island species of the genus Amazona, for unless something is done quickly it will join the ranks of the other West Indian avifauna which have disappeared at the hand of man. Before leaving Dominica I made a point of speaking to the warden of the district, where A. imperialis and A. houqueti are found, and he was anxious to do all possible for the better protection of these two rare birds. He suggested that all guns held by natives should be called in, but the commissioner of police said that this could not be done. This latter gentleman said he would instruct the police in the district to warn all the natives about shooting these birds. When I came back to Roseau I saw the Administrator, who proved to be a very charming gentleman. He was most anxious to get information respecting the birds, and he promised to do his best to stop further killing. Everyone was most anxious to protect this rare and precious species, for if something is not done quickly the birds are doomed to extinction, though a few may possibly linger for some years in the deepest recesses of the mountain forests. 44 G. H. Gurney — Notes on the Past Season I must say that during my search for these birds and the Imperial Parrot I never met with such kindness and consideration from anyone as I did from the white residents of the island with whom I came in contact, especially from the lady and her brother who first induced me to come to Dominica, and it was through them that I was so successful. In conclusion I will quote a chapter from a very rare and quaint book, Attwood’s History of the Island of Dominica , respecting the Parrots, and also the extinct Macaw Ara guadaloupensis, which will explain how the one was exterminated and the others brought to the verge of extinction : — “ The mackaw is of the parrot kind, but larger than the common parrot and makes a dif agreeable harfh noife. They are in great plenty as are alfo parrots in thif ifland ; have both of them a delightful green and yellow plumage, with fcarlet-coloured flefhy fubftance from the ears to the root of the bill, of which colour is likewife the chief feathers of their wings and tails. “ They breed on the tops of the higheft trees, where they feed on the berries in great numbers together ; and are eafily difcovered by their loud chattering noife, which at a diftance refembles human voices. The mackaw cannot be taught to articulate words ; but the parrots of this country may, by taking pains with them when caught young. The flefh of both is eat but being very fat it waftes in roasting and eats dry and inf fid ; for which reason they are chiefly ufed to make fouf of ’, which is accounted very nutritive The italics are mine ! NOTES ON THE PAST SEASON By G. H. Gurney, M.B.O.U. In spite of the wonderfully hot, dry summer we had in Norfolk, I do not think that the past breeding season was more favourable to successes than summers when the weather was not nearly so good. In some cases the great heat affected the birds adversely. A number of common species nested and reared young, but by far the most interesting occurrence here was the nesting of a pair of Buff “backed Herons ; G. H. Gurney— Notes on the Past Season 45 I have three of these most charming little Herons, and when I found that two of them were anxious to nest, I removed the odd bird ; though the aviary, which is a large one, still contained Glossy Ibises, Alpine Choughs and numerous Waders. The nest was made in a large flat basket fixed into the top of a small willow tree, three eggs were laid, and both birds assisted in incubating them. At first I was very nervous of the Choughs and possibly of the Ibises also, stealing the eggs, but when I found what very good parents the Herons were, I risked leaving the other birds, as it would have been rather difficult to have caught them up in such a big place, without unduly frightening the Buff-backs. These soon showed they were exemplary guards, and no other bird was ever allowed anywhere near the nest ; if one attempted to perch near, it was at once driven off by the Heron which was not on the nest at the time. Only two eggs hatched, the third was rotten, and I was away from home at the time, but when I returned the young birds were seven days old, most ungainly looking objects, still quite naked except for various tufts of white down ; all seemed to be going well, and the parents fed them assiduously on small pieces of fish, chopped-up rat, and small frogs. Then one night the tragedy happened : after a fine, hot day heavy clouds came up in the late afternoon, and that evening we had a most tremendous thunderstorm, with an almost tropical downpour of rain, which lasted for the greater part of the night. In the morning I was horrified to find both the old birds off the nest and two little drowned corpses lying side by side. The nest had no protection at all, and the torrential rain must have been too much for the old birds, who deserted the nest and left the young to their fate. The only way one could have prevented such a disaster would have been to have fixed some sort of shelter over the nest : but the storm being at night made it impossible to do anything of this sort. The Razor-bill Currassows again disappointed me by laying two unfertile eggs, for the second year in succession. I have quite a little flock of Helmeted Guinea-fowls, with the six or seven reared last year ; curiously enough, the old birds showed no sign of going to nest again this year. Several unfertile eggs were dropped by Demoiselle Cranes all over the place, one on a gravel path, another in the middle of a paved court, and two others in the centre of a flower-bed ; these were probably all 46 G. H. Gurney — Notes on the Past Season laid, I think, by the same bird ; of my six Demoiselles I fancy only two are hens. A cock Lilford’s Crane mated to a hen Black-necked Crane, were seen to pair, and a rough nest was made in a large patch of nettles, and though both birds spent a great deal of time there nothing further happened. A number of interesting birds have been added to the collection during the summer ; some rare Hawks were acquired, including a pair of Black-throated Buzzard Eagles ( Busarellus nigricollis) and a Harrier Eagle from South America, of whose species I am not yet quite certain ; Mrs. Chapman sent me a very fine adult male King Vulture, and a beautiful pair of nestling Montagu’s Harriers, bred on one of the Norfolk Broads, also reached me. My little Brown Milvago is now in fully adult plumage, very dark brown, almost black above, and creamy white below. I do not remember ever having seen one in this plumage before, they are nearly always in the brown spotted plumage. During a tremendous gale of wind here one night this autumn one end of the Birds of Prey Aviaries was partly blown over, and one of the larger Eagles managed to escape ; it kept about the place for several days, and looked magnificent making short soaring flights, always returning to the trees near at hand. It refused to come down to any food, though I do not think it caught any wild rabbits or hares for itself ; but at the end of five days’ liberty it must have been getting very hungry. Finally it haunted the small pond in the garden, and at first I feared for the safety of the pinioned Ducks there ; but apparently it was very thirsty and sat on the edge of the water, repeatedly putting its head down to try and drink ; owing to the drought the water was very low, and the Eagle was unable to reach it. It was comparatively tame, and allowed us to come to within 20 feet before rising and sailing slowly into a tree ; the difficulty was how to catch it. Finally, with a very long rod, with a line and sliding noose on the end of it, we were able to drop it over the Eagle’s head, a sharp jerk, and the bird was dangling in the air, secured, and the noose cut before it could strangle itself. It appeared to be none the worse for its week’s liberty. San Bias Jays nested for the third year in succession, and as usual ate their young when a few days old. This year I had completely G. H. Gurney — Notes on the Past Season 47 screened the aviary where these birds are, and they had the whole place to themselves and unlimited mice and Sparrows to eat. I am afraid they are inveterate cannibals. A pair of Spreo Starlings laid four eggs, but refused to sit, so I placed the eggs in the nest of a Common Starling, removing her own eggs, although these were almost due to hatch. She did not appear to mind sitting another ten days longer, and eventually hatched one young Spreo, the remaining three eggs being rotten : this we took when it was on the point of flying and reared by hand ; it is now a very fine, strong bird. A friend gave me a pair of Common Mynahs : she brought them over early one morning, and they were ar once liberated into an aviary with other birds. Within an hour’s time they had taken possession of a nesting-box, worked feverishly all day building a nest, and by the following morning the first egg was laid. Very quick work, all things considered. They finally brought off two broods during the summer. A well-known dealer sent me a fine pair of Tiger Bittens, of quite a different species to the two I already have ; the latter are Tigrisoma lineatum, the new ones being T . salmoni, a much rarer species, with the markings quite different. The Tiger Bittens are always amongst the most popular of my birds with visitors. The almost continual booming of the male, with the extraordinary swaying motion of its head and neck, being always a source of wonder and interest. The same dealer sent a beautiful Heron too, with them ; it is Piterodius jpileatus, from South America ; rather larger than a Squacco Heron, it is snow white, the top of the head jet black, with two long white occipital plumes, the sides of the face being sky-blue, a lovely combination of colour. Whether the heat of last summer had anything to do with it or not, I don’t know, but the Scarlet Ibises are certainly much redder than they were : one is almost like a wild bird and the other, which had become a very pale pink, has regained its colour in a wonderful way. In October Miss Chawner came down, bringing with her some of Mr. Speedan Lewis’ birds for me : a pair of Fairy Blue Birds, two wonderful Pittas ( Pitta ellioti and P. granatina), some Boilers and Grackles, and last but by no means least a magnificent pair of Sclaters’ Crowned Pigeons. Now we are busy erecting new aviaries, and taking down some of the old ones which have been up for thirty years or more and had become inconvenient and out of date. 48 The Marquess of Tavistock — Some New Arrivals SOME NEW ARRIVALS By the Marquess of Tavistock These notes are sent in response to a plea made in the Magazine not long ago for more information about birds that are rare, or altogether new to aviculture, whose history after arrival so often appears to go wholly unrecorded. Some, no doubt, pass into the hands of those black sheep of our Society who never give us the pleasure of reading their discoveries and experiences ; while in other cases the birds may die while we are waiting to acquire more knowledge of their habits, and then, if we have prized them greatly, we may feel too sad and disappointed to embark on an obituary notice ! The Sun Conure, although represented by one very old specimen at the Zoological Gardens, has been almost unknown in the English bird market ever since I began keeping Parrakeets. Three, however, arrived a few months ago, two of which I secured for my collection. They were in immature plumage, and had so much green about them that I almost feared they were nothing but Jendayas ; a moult, however, quickly vindicated the judgment of the dealer who first identified them, and they have now assumed the lovely orange and orange-red tints of the typical Solstitialis, together with profuse yellow markings on the wings. It will be interesting to see whether age brings a still further increase of the amount of yellow on the smaller wing feathers. As soon as the birds arrived I turned them into a fairly roomy square cage in the birdroom, and provided them with a sleeping- box of which they took immediate possession. All the small Conures need a box or log to roost in, and are uncomfortable and unhappy without one, and liable to contract chills. I also, with great benefit to their health and spirits, substituted a plain diet of Canary, white millet, peanuts, and fruit for the sunflower seed on which they appeared to have been brought over. It is a great pity that people will persist in giving oily seeds to the South American Parrakeets. Both Conures and Brotogerys are far better without them. Although the Sun Conures are very friendly with each other and show a marked difference in the size and shape of the head and beak, I am a little afraid that they may not be a pair as the smaller one, who ought to be a hen, behaves The Marquess of Tavistock — Some New Arrivals 49 like a cock and is, indeed, quite saucy and impudent, puffing out his feathers if I approach the cage and swaying about in a threatening manner and making it plain that he would go for me if he could only summon up a little more courage ! Like most of their race these Conures have horrible voices of which they make such incessant and deafening use that I am at times obliged to chase them into their dormitory so that I may watch the other occupants of the birdroom in reasonable peace and quiet. Very different to these noisy little monkeys are a pair of green Broadbills from Mr. Goodfellow’s latest collection. A portrait of a cock bird in a recent number of the Magazine renders a description unnecessary ; the hen is a much duller and rather paler green and lacks the black bars across the wings. The Broadbills are housed in a cage about 5 feet long with a perch at either end. They normally occupy different perches and the hen seems a little afraid of her companion, though I have never seen him attempt to molest her. The food consists of banana, not too ripe, chopped into clean cubes about the size of a finger-nail. Other fruit they do not so far touch, but the hen, at any rate, ,is fond of mealworms. Although they do not appear to have bathed, they have smartened up in appearance a lot since their arrival, and look bright and well. When pleasantly excited by the appearance of a dish of mealworms the hen utters a liquid “ Tooit, tooit ” several times repeated, a call sometimes answered by the cock in a higher key. The flight of the Broadbills, as far as one can judge, is swift and direct, and they appear the most strictly arboreal birds I have ever seen and quite incapable of using their legs in any way for progress over a flat surface. If the cock, who cannot fly very strongly owing to broken quills, is frightened off one perch and misses the other, he does not attempt to run or hop but flutters right on to the end of the cage and sits on his tail with his feet against the wire until he can collect himself for a straight dash on to the perch again. I greatly hope that these interesting birds will survive until the summer as, in an outdoor aviary, I do not believe they will prove in any way dull or lethargic. The third pair of interesting new arrivals are a couple of Hanging Parrots, apparently Worcester’s Hanging Parrot from Samoa. They 4 50 D. Seth- Smith — Quails very closely resemble the beautiful Golden-backed Hanging Parrot, but are smaller and not quite so handsome. The Golden-backed Hanging Parrot has a red forehead which is abruptly succeeded by a broad line or bar of pure yellow running backwards over the centre of the crown until it merges in the golden brown of the mantle. In Worcester’s Hanging Parrot the red extends right over the back of the head, the pure yellow being absent. The female differs from her mate in being without the red throat patch and in having her cheeks tinged with pale blue. My pair, which arrived in very good plumage, are at present thriving in a cage in the birdroom, being fed on apple,, sweet grapes and liquid sunbird mixture composed of honey, Horlick’s milk, and Mellin’s Food. The female Golden-backed Hanging Parrot, to my lasting regret, was killed by the substitution of Nestle ’s milk for Horlick’s, an undetected error which cost me several small nectar¬ feeding Parrots. The cock, in lovely condition, is now passing through his second winter in an outdoor aviary provided with a heated shelter. QUAILS By D. Seth-Smith The genera Colurnix, Excalf actor ia, and Synoecus contain what may be termed the true Quails. They are all small ground-birds, which never perch, and feed upon seeds of weeds, green food, and insects. The nest is formed in the grass, well hidden and generally approached by a tunnel formed through the long grass. They are mostly desirable birds for aviculture, providing suitable accommodation can be provided. They must have a large grass run, and the grass, in part at least, be allowed to grow to its full extent. They will only breed successfully if able to completely hide their nests in the long grass. Without sufficient cover many eggs may be laid, but no attempt will be made to- incubate them. The birds should have access to a well-lighted and dry shed, where they can dust themselves. In captivity Quails require only Canary and millet seed, and such green food as lettuce or chickweed during the winter, when the grass- in their enclosure will not provide sufficient green food. D. Seth-Svlith — Quails 51 Quails, especially when first introduced into an aviary, frequently injure themselves by dashing against the wire-netting covering their aviary, and since they never perch, flight is not necessary and is, in fact, a considerable danger to them in captivity. Hence it is desirable that the non-perching Quails should be pinioned. THE COMMON QUAIL AND ITS ALLIES The genus Coturnix contains seven species, one of which, C. novce zealandice, is probably extinct. The Common or Migratory Quail ( C . coturnix) ranges over the greater part of Europe, Africa, and Asia. It is captured in large numbers in the south of Europe and North Africa for the table, and has frequently been kept in captivity, but it is almost always excessively wild in an aviary. The Cape Quail ( C . capensis) is resident in South Africa, and is distinguished from the Common Quail by a more reddish tinge to the feathers, especially those of the cheeks. It is doubtful whether it can be regarded as more than a resident race of the Common Quail, which it resembles in its wild nature. The Japanese Quail (C. japonica) closely resembles the Common Quail, with which it is said to interbreed in its wild state. Ogilvie- Grant has pointed out that in the female the feathers of the chin and throat are elongated and pointed as in none of the other species of the genus. It is not often imported, and has little to recommend it. A white variety has been evolved in Japan, and some have been imported. The Rain Quail ( C . coromandelica) and the next to be mentioned are the two most desirable Quails from the avicultural point of view. The Rain Quail inhabits the greater part of the Indian Peninsula, migrating from one part of the country to another as the rainy season approaches. The male Rain Quail is distinguished by a large black patch on the middle of the chest ; and it is somewhat smaller than the other species of the genus. It is a free breeder in captivity if given suitable accommodation. The Harlequin Quail ( C. delegorguei) has the underparts rich chestnut, with a large black patch on the middle of the breast. The female is considerably darker in colour than that of the other species. 52 D. Seth-Smith — Quails It is an inhabitant of Africa, south of about 15 degrees north latitude, and is a local migrant. It is a handsome species, and usually tame and a free breeder under suitable conditions. The most desirable of all of the genus from the avicultural standpoint. The Australian or Stubble Quail ( C . pectoralis) is one of the largest of the genus, being about 7 inches in length. In the male the sides of the head, chin, and throat are dull red, the feathers of the underparts are white with black shaft-stripes, and there is a black patch on the chest. This is a free breeder in captivity, when the con¬ ditions are suitable, but the species is seldom imported. (For a fuller account of the Quails of the genus Coturnix and their breeding in captivity the reader is referred to the Avicultural Magazine of November, 1906.) THE PAINTED QUAILS The genus Excalfactoria contains four species, one of which may perhaps be regarded as merely a sub-species or local race of another. The Painted Quails are very small, some 4 to 5 inches in length, and the males are beautifully coloured, their upper parts being brown blotched with black, with whitish shaft-stripes to the feathers, the throat marked with black and white, the underparts being slate-blue and chestnut. The Painted Quails are generally tame, and if kept in a well-turfed aviary and the grass allowed to grow will breed quite freely, producing two broods of five or six young in the season. Incubation occupies about fourteen days, and the young, when first hatched, are very minute and will pass through wire-netting of J in. mesh ; they may, moreover, be unable to follow their parent through the long grass, and we have found the safest way to rear them successfully is to confine the mother and chicks in a run of some 3 by 4 feet and 9 inches high, formed with boarded sides and a wire top, half of which should open for feeding purposes. The end of the run should be removable, so that the brood is easily driven in. The run must contain good cover in the form of long grass, and part of it should be covered for protection from heavy rain. The young are best fed on living ants’ cocoons at first, the ants’ nests being dug and placed in the run. They soon pick up yolk of egg, and finally small Indian millet. We have D. Seth- Smith — ■ Quails 58 reared numbers of these Quails as well as three species of Coturnix, one of Synoecus , and two of Turnix in this way with complete success. The Chinese Painted Quail ( Excalfactoria chinensis) is the species most frequently imported, and a most desirable addition to an outdoor aviary. It inhabits the Indian Peninsula, Ceylon, the Indo-Chinese countries, and Formosa. E. lineata , which is found in Australia, the Philippines, Java, Sumatra, and Borneo, is slightly smaller and con¬ siderably darker, the chicks when first hatched being practically black. We once bred this and the last in the same season, and the difference in the appearance of the chicks was very marked. The African Painted Quail (E. adansoni) occurs in tropical Africa, and differs but slightly from E. chinensis . It is said to have been imported, but we have never been fortunate enough to meet with it. THE SWAMP QUAILS The genus Synoecus comprises three species of Quails inhabiting Australia, New Guinea, and the islands of Timor and Flores, though the species from these islands has not been imported. Swamp Quails are generally very wild when first imported, but soon settle down in an aviary which contains plenty of shelter in the form of long grass, and the 'two species that have been imported have bred in captivity, and the young are reared without difficulty. The Australian Swamp Quail ( Synoecus australis) inhabits the whole of Australia and Tasmania, being known there as the “ Brown Quail ”. It is about 7| inches in length, the male being reddish-brown, most of the feathers having greyish centres, and the whole being very finely pencilled with zig-zag black lines. The female is easily distinguished, being chiefly brown, spotted and streaked with black, the feathers of the back being streaked with white. An account of the breeding of the species in captivity will be found in the Avicultural Magazine for October, 1905. The Plumbeous Swamp Quail ( Synoecus plumbeus) inhabits south¬ east New Guinea, and closely resembles the last, from which it differs in being somewhat larger and the males greyer in colour. 54 Avicultural Notes AVICULTURAL NOTES By The Editor Some of the daily newspapers have recently made a great deal of copy out of the so-called Parrot Disease which it would seem, has not confined itself to Parrots, but has been attacking human beings to an alarming extent, especially in the vicinity of Berlin. To read some of the- letters and articles that have appeared is apt to make one wonder how anyone who has kept a Parrot has managed to escape ! The fact is that there is a disease known as psittacosis which occasionally attacks Parrots which are imported under bad conditions. Grey Parrots were at one time sent to this country in a very over¬ crowded and insanitary state. Many died on the voyage and the majority of the survivors lived but a short time after their arrival. The condition in which Amazon Parrots sometimes arrive even to the present day also leaves much to be desired. It is under such conditions that the bacillus of psittacosis may suddenly become virulent, and it has been proved that it can be communicated to man. The effect on human beings is to cause pneumonia, and the fact that in any case this disease is not rare, especially at this time of year, and that Parrots are kept in many dwellings, is apt to lead to the assumption that the disease is caused by the presence of the birds, which does not necessarily follow. While the owners of newly -imported Parrots would be well advised to refrain from fondling, and especially kissing the birds, or allowing them to take food from the mouth, the fact that many people have handled hundreds, if not thousands, of these birds without ill effects f goes to show that the danger is not so great as some would try to make us believe, but that there may be a certain amount of danger must be borne in mind. Avicultural Notes 55 The Pathologist at the Zoological Gardens tells me that he can find no record of a case of 'psittacosis amongst the Parrots at the Gardens, and certainly in recent years every endeavour has been made to discover a case of what is, to the bacteriologist, a very interesting disease. The suggestion made in this Journal (Avicultural Notes, June and August, 1929) that the Mandarin Duck might be naturalized in London, seems to be in a fair way to being put in force, for Mr. Alfred Ezra has recently received a consignment of these birds from China and has given them for the experiment. Some thirty have gone to St. James’s Park, but some of these will eventually be sent to Hyde Park and some to Regent’s Park. They are only wing-clipped, so that after the moult they will have their full powers of flight. Another consignment, ordered some time ago by Mr. Spedan Lewis, is expected to arrive in due course. The Java Sparrow is a species that has been introduced success¬ fully into countries other than its own. Writing on the birds of Zanzibar and Pemba, in the current number of the Ibis, Mr. J. H. Vaughan says of this bird : “ I have been unable to discover when and by whom this bird was introduced into Zanzibar. It is very common in the town area, particularly near the Customs warehouses, where it breeds in holes in the walls of the houses and is very tame. I have not found it breeding outside the town area, but large flocks are met with in the rice-fields and valleys as far afield as Mkokotoni.” Mr. Frost’s discovery that the King Bird of Paradise is a hole¬ breeding species is an event of considerable ornithological interest. It had been thought that all of the Birds of Paradise constructed open nests, and it was Mr. Frost who first suggested that some of them nested in holes in trees. He had evidence that Uranornis rubra at any rate adopted such situations. Now he has proved that Cicinnurus regius undoubtedly does so. 56 Correspondence CORRESPONDENCE PRECOCIOUS LOVEBIRDS Sir, — The Masked Lovebird appears to begin breeding at almost as early an age as the Budgerigar. A cock, reared at liberty and still unmoulted, who left the nest in September, has already paired with a hen older than himself, and is very busy building. I noticed that my hand-reared bird also came into breeding condition before he was six months old. It is a remarkable sight in the dusk of a winter evening to watch these quaint little birds preparing to go to bed in their logs and boxes as cheerful and composed as though they were still in Africa, and equally unmoved by hard frost or a furious gale raging through the branches of the leafless trees. Tavistock. ORIGIN OF COLOUR VARIETIES IN BUDGERIGARS Sir, — It seems to me that before it is too late a record if possible should be made of how the different colours of the Budgerigar were first obtained. We know that in the wild state a yellow bird appeared occasionally amongst the millions of greens. That the turquoise blue was obtained by selection from thousands of imported birds. We also know that the laurel is the crossing of a green and olive ; the cobalt a crossing of mauve and turquoise blue ; the yellow-white a crossing of white and yellow. It would be interesting to know in what way, by whom, and in which year the first olive, mauve, and white birds were obtained. To this foundation record could be added the other colours we now have — apple green, silverwing, etc. — and any colours which are obtained in the future. If your Society would make and keep such a record up to date, it would I think, be of immense interest to aviculturists in years to come. (Major) F. Lort-Phillips. [We entirely agree with Major Lort-Phillips that the origin of the various colour varieties of the Budgerigar should be placed on record, and should be only too glad to publish any facts on the subject that our members can supply. We should like to ask Major Lort-Phillips Correspndence 57 if it is not a fact that the white variety may appear as a mutation of the Turquoise-blue even though the latter has had no white ancestor ? — Ed.] BLACK-TAILED AND MASKED HAWFINCHES Sir, — I have lately bought a pair of Eophona melanura and read a description of them in the Avicultural Magazine for 1924, page 73, and also in L’oiseau , where it first describes E. melanura and next E. personata. The Avicultural Magazine misses out the latter bird, but has put the description of it under the head of E. melanura. The mistake has probably occurred in the translation from the French, as it was written by Mr. Decoux. It is rather late to speak of it, but I think I ought to call your attention to it. H. L. Sich. HYBRID GUINEAFOWL AND WATERFOWL • Sir, — In answer to Mr. Finn’s question re appearance of hen hybrid Guineafowl. It closely resembles a pure Mitre, with a suggestion of the purplish gloss on neck of the domestic species and with horn paler on top of head than pure Mitre’s. The young bred from this bird are not quite full-grown, and are rather difficult to get near, being nervous, but as far as I can see look mostly Mitre. Yes, hybrids often seem to throw to a third species : young bred from a Snow Goose with a Canada looked just like domestic Emden Geese ; though often, of course, the hybrids are very one-sided, i.e. throw directly to one parent. A Rosybilled Pochard X Red-Crested Pochard bred here this season was practically pure Red-Crested to look at, and last year a Common Wigeon X Gadwall appeared mainly Gadwall, and a Falcated X Chestnut-Breasted Teal mainly Chestnut-Breasted. On the whole, it is my experience that rarely are hybrids an improvement on their parents. Two notable exceptions were some Common Wigeon X Falcated we reared in 1926. In 1928 a pair of Egyptian X Ruddy Shelduck which we sold to Mrs. Holmes, of the Node, Welwyn, who, I think would agree with me when I say they are exceedingly fine birds. 58 Correspondence I enclose sketch notes of their colour, which may be worth repro¬ ducing. These colours may, of course, have changed somewhat as they were made in their first year. Bill crimson in male, black in female. Female considerably smaller than male, and marked in a similar manner, but all colours a shade duller. Male,; size of male Buddy. A, a light yellowish grey ; B, faint chestnut merging into pure at E and grey at A ; C, pure white ; D, grey with brown lights throughout ; E, pure white ; F, a dark chestnutty chocolate ; G, bronze green ; H and I, black ; J, light bright pink. J. C. Laidlay. NOTES FBOM NOBTHUMBEBLAND Sir, — As I find “ Notes from a Lancashire Aviary ” very interesting I thought some readers might care about some notes from a “ North Northumberland Aviary”. As. I am able to keep quite small and delicate birds in an outdoor aviary facing south and fairly sheltered, I keep and breed Diamond Doves, Zebra Finches, and, of course, Budgerigars, the latter being almost too prolific, each pair having produced three and four nests, of eight birds in each, last summer. My Cockatiels have wanted to nest but I have never yet found a nest to suit them, they rather fancied a hollowed-out log with both ends open, Correspondence 59 but never really settled down in it, and I should be glad of hints. Also I have an odd Diamond Dove and should like to know how to tell whether it is a cock or a hen. I also keep Nonpariels, Paradise Wydahs, Giant Wydahs, Bronzewings and Bengalese Finches. I find Cordon Bleus are unable to stand the winter here. My heating arrangements consist of a hurricane lamp, the same as we use for our chicken foster-mothers, and all the year round I give my birds a small dish of scalded biscuit meal, dried off with hen meal and mixed with hard-boiled egg, and it is to this I attribute my success,, as the birds get a proportion of insect food in the meal and egg. Mrs. Cayley. HEN GOULDIAN FINCH IN COCK’S PLUMAGE Sir, — A few days ago a Gouldian Finch, which was caged in my sitting room, died after being ill for twenty-four hours. The bird was in perfect plumage, and, to all appearance, a brilliantly coloured male. Mr. Hicks made a post mortem of the corpse, and ho. pronounced that the bird was a hen. The ovaries were active and there was a soft egg in the cloaca. This bird was paired to a hen to which it frequently made court- with the Gouldian’s little song and dance. I do not know its age or history. It was purchased last spring and showed no sign of old age. Until recently the birds were in an outdoor aviary, where they had had several nests. Naturally no young ones were hatched. But for this death I might have wasted another season in trying to breed from two hen birds. B. C. Thomasset. BROWN’S PARRAKEET Sir, — In the January number Dr. Hopkinson voices a query re the breeding of Brown’s Parrakeet. I do not recollect seeing a record of complete success with this species, but, about 1902, the Rev. 0. D. Farrar would seem to have been well on the way in that direction. At that time this species was, as now, something of a rarity. The 60 Correspondence Hon. Walter Rothschild, however, had two pairs, one of which he lent to Mr. Farrar. The worthy Vicar of Micklefield had a flair for inducing birds to take on domestic duties, and it was not long before the Brown’s commenced breeding operations. Three eggs were laid, one of which hatched, the other two being clear. The youngster lived but a few days. Shortly after they went to nest again, and this time three youngsters were hatched. They did remarkably well until about three weeks old, when they unaccountably died. They were very forward and feathering nicely, and had the appearance of being two males and a female. In sexing the youngsters at such an early age, Mr. Farrar apparently relied on their varying size. Any further hopes of breeding were brought to an end by the sudden death of the male. These breeding attempts are described very fully in the Rev. Farrar’s book Through a Bird-room Window. Unless the youngsters hatched in the aviaries of Lord Tavistock (Avicultural Magazine, 1929, p. 234) were reared, it would seem probable that the recent success of Messrs Boosey and Brooksbank (Avicultural Magazine, 1929, p. 310) is the first of its kind in Great Britain. A. A. Prestwich. Now Ready TO BE COMPLETED IN TWO VOLUMES. VOLUME I. “AVICULTURE Price 15/- net. Order with remittance to — STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, LTD., 11 FORE STREET, HERTFORD. MEMBERS’ SALE AND EXCHANGE COLUMN. The charge for Members’ advertisements is one penny per word, and no advertisement must exceed thirty-six words , name and address included. Payment must accompany the advertisement , which must be sent on or before the 20 th of the month to Mr. T. H. Newman, “ Verulam,” Forty Lane, Wembley Park Middlesex. All members of the Society are entitled to use this column. SALE OR EXCHANGE Sale or exchange, Four Cock Californian Quail, outdoor aviary, 1929, 25 s. ; One Hen, 1928, 30s. Wanted, Purple-headed Gouldian, Zebra Finches. — Mrs. Cayley, Carham, Cornhill-on-Tweed. - Hen Sun Conure ; finger-tame ; acclimatized ; gorgeous colours ; £2 10s. to good home. — Colvile, Green Ways, Thornborough, Buckingham. Borneo Firebacks, Elliots’, Lineated, Manchurian Eared, Bels, Melanotte, Swinhoe, Versicolor, Corean Ring-necked, Prince of Wales’s, Lark Pheasants, etc. also Fancy Waterfowl. — Lieut. -Col. Lewis, The Hundridge Game Faim, Great Missenden, Bucks. 1929 Hatched and Pinioned Carolina, 80s. ; Teal, 30s. ; Garganey, 35s. ; Yellow-bills, 40s. ; Falcated, 80s. ; Bahama, 100s. ; per Pairs. Also some adult Reeves, 120s. per Pair ; Silver, 15s. ; and Melanistic, 10s. Cocks only, Geese, etc. — J. C. Laidlay, Lindores, Fife. Splendid Young Ring-doves, tame and healthy, 10s. pair ; pure white Java Doves, 15s. pair. — Miss Frances Kingwell Beechfield, Brent, Devon. 6 Hen Swainson’s Lorikeet, 50s. ; Cock Red-rump, 40s. ; both from outdoor aviaries and in perfect condition. — Mrs. Lancaster, Syerscote, Streetly, Staffs. Blue, Blue-bred, and Green Budgerigars for sale. — Mrs. Lancaster, Syerscote, Streetly, Staffs. Budgerigars, early 1929, from unheated outdoor aviaries ; fine specimens for sale at very moderate prices ; White, Cobalt, Blue, Mauve, and Yellow ; inspection invited. — H. Roberts, Bagatelle, Harborough. Sale, Avicultural Magazine, Vol. II, First Series, £1. Wanted, Avi- cultural Magazine, Vol. I, First Series ; Bird Notes, Vols. i and vi, first series ; Practical Bird- Keeping, Bonhote. — Workman, Windsor, Belfast. Black-throated Crow-Tits (Scoeor hylichus gularis), from a member in China. A few for sale; 50s. pair. — Apply, The CURATOR, Zoological Gardens, London, N.W. 8. WANTED Red-headed Parrot Finches, Rufous-tailed Finches, and Cuban Finches, pairs or singly ; and hens, Gouldians, Shamas, and Blue-headed Parrot Finches. Sale, outdoor Cock Green Cardinal. — P. B. Webb, Randalstowm, Northern Ireland. CANDIDATES FOB, ELECTION. Major A. W. T. Buckland, M.C., Longfield, Lyininge., Kent. Proposed by Edward J. Boosey. Melville Carlisle, P.0. Laboratory, Pretoria, .South Africa. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. Cyril Eric Fabian, 29 Meadowcroft Road, Palmers Green, N. 13. Proposed by S. Williams. Alfred J. Frazer, Old Mill Gardens, Wannock, Polegate, Sussex, Proposed by J. T. Qtaki. Miss Kathleen A. Gamble, 17 Park Hill,' Ealing, W. 5. Proposed by Capt. Hammond. P. H. Hastings, Old Engine House, Milton, , Portsmouth. Proposed by A. A. Prestwick. Miss Gladys M. B. Hollond, 5 Norfolk Crescent, Hyde Park, W. 2. Proposed by B. Hamilton Scott. Mrs. Christine Irvine, 40 Elleray Park Road, Wallasey, Cheshire. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. Arnold McMillan, Ivy House, New Romney, Kent. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. Herbert Norcross, Normanhurst, Mount Road, Middleton, Lancs. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. Windsor D. Parker, The Grange, Woolpit, Suffolk. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. Thomas Pembleton, 89 Park Villas, Watford Road, Wembley, Middlesex. Proposed by Alec Brooksbank. J. E. Pepin, 4044 South Broadway, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Proposed by E. H. Lewis. Capt. G. W. Thompson, Ardwell, Steel Cross, Crowborough. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. Ernest Wilson, 21 High Road, Willesden Green, N.W. 10 . Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. NEW MEMBERS. The Marchioness of Londonderry, D,B,E,, Mount Stewart, Co. Down. R. F. Losky, Coroision d@ Irrigacion, Pimentel, Peru, S. America. Lieut.-Col. C. Hope Murray, Morishill, Beith, Ayrshire. Norman Sowden, Kirklands, Menston, near Leeds. R. N. Wright, 19 Clinton Road, Redruth, Cornwall. CHANGES OF ADDRESS. David Barry, to 942 S. Ridgeley Drive, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Miss Cathleen Colvile, to Green Ways, Thornborough, near Buckingham. Godfrey Davis, to c/o Lloyds Bank (Cox & Kings Branch), Hornby Road, Bombay, India.. Robert P. Johnston, to West House, Wigton, Cumberland. Albert Sherriff, to 5 Downside Crescent, Hampstead, N.W. 3. ERROR IN JANUARY LIST OF MEMBERS. Mrs. Maxwell should be P. H. Maxwell, Esq., Ebberly Hill, St. Giles, Torrington, W. H. Browning Miss Chawner T. Hebb J. Spedan Lewis DONATIONS. £ s. d. 10 0 E. G. B. Meade-Waldo 10 0 Lady Poltimore 10 0 H. Sigh . 19 0 0 E. Valentine £ s. d. 12 0 4 0 0 1 -0 0 10 0 GAMAGES SS2 HAVE ALWAYS A VARIED STOCK OF Foreign Birds, Parrots, Lovebirds, etc. We can now offer : — Zebra Finches, Diamond Doves, Blue and Cobalt Budgerigars, Shamas, Red Crested Cardinals, Spreo Starlings, Peach Face , Blackcheek, and Fischer's Lovebird, Blue Winged Parrotolets, Scarlet Avadavats, Orange Bishops, Chinese Hawfinches, Pekin Robins, White and Partcoloured Bengalese, White and Grey Java Sparrows, Black Head Mannekins, Gutteral Finches, Shamas , Golden Fronted Bulbuls, Various Parrots, Macaws and Cockatoos. BEST FOODS. LOWEST PRICES. Mealworms 6/6 per lb., \ lb.. , 3/6 Post \ Spray Millet Ants’ Eggs 5/6, 7/6, 10/- per bundle. I } . . . 3/- per lb., 4 lb., 11/- Dried Flies 1/9 „ 41b., 6/6 Pure Egg Yolk . 21- ,, 41b., 7/- Insectivorous Food 1/6 „ 71b., 8/6 Cuttlefish Bone 1/3 ,, 41b., 4/6 Specialities in CAGES, AVIARIES, NEST-BOXES and all appliances. GAMAGES, HOLBORN, LONDON, E.C. 1 . PHONE : HOL. 8484. “L’OISEAU” PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE Societe Nationale d’Acclimatation de France, 198 BOULEVARD ST. GERMAIN, PARIS (VIIs) A French Magazine on Aviculture, for the study of European and Foreign Birds in captivity and at liberty. With coloured and black and white plates. ONE YEAR - 75 FRANCS. Medals for first breeding of a species in captivity in France or other countries are awarded if a detailed account is sent to the Society. FIFTH SERIES. VOL. VIII. No. 3. MARCH 1930. THE Avicultural Magazine CONTENTS. PAGE The Raja Lory (with Coloured Plate . . . . .61 The Quezal, by Sydney Porter . 61 American Quails or Colins, by D. Seth-Smith . . 64 Francolins, by D. Seth-Smith . 67 The Foreign Birds at the Crystal Palace, by A. A. Prestwick . 70 On the position of the Jaganasand on L’Herminier’s Classification of Birds, by F. Finn . . 74 page Avicultural Notes, by The Editor 78 Review : Handbook to the Birds of West Africa • . .81 Correspondence : Brown’s Parra- keet ; Superb Tanagers ; Cuban Todies ; Origin of Colour in Budgerigars ; Sunflower Seed and Feather-plucking ; Pheasant Breeding Results • • .88 The Price of this Number is 2/6. THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY. FOUNDED 1894 NOTICE TO MEMBERS The Subscription to the Avicultural Society is £1 per annum, due on the 1st of January in each year, and is payable in advance. The entrance fee is 10/0. The Avicultural Magazine is sent free to members monthly. Members joining at any time during the year are entitled to the back numbers for the current year, on the payment of entrance fee and subscription. | ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO THE HONORARY SECRETARY | AND TREASURER, Miss Knohel, 32 Tavistock Square, London, W.C.l. All Queries respecting Birds (except post-mortem cases) and all other correspondence should be sent to the Hon. Secretary, at the above address. Any change of address should be notified to her. POST-MORTEM EXAMINATIONS. Rule 1. — A short account of the illness should accompany the specimen. All birds to be sent as fresh as possible to Mr. C. H. Hicks, The Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8. Rule 2.— A stamped addressed envelope must be enclosed with the bird. Rule 3. — No body or skin of any bird will be returned under any circumstances whatever. The Magazine is published by Messrs. 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Seth-Smith, Zoological Society, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8. LIVERPOOL ZOOLOGICAL PARK (Proprietor: H. E. ROGERS, f.z.s.) Elmswood Road (Lark Lane), LIVERPOOL. Telephone No.: MOSSLEY HILL 106. Telegrams and Cables: “ZOOPARK,” Liverpool. PARROTS, PARRAKEETS. Grey Parrots . . 70 /-to £5 0 each. Amazon Parrots . 5 0/- to £5 ,, Lemoncrest Cockatoos . . 5 0 - ,, Rose Cockatoos . . .25 /- ,, Black Cockatoos . . £90 pair. Ringneck Parrakeets . £1 each. Macaws, Red-blue, Red-Green, Blue-yellow . . . £6 ,, 1 Severe Macaw . . £4 Indian Rock Parrots, cocks . 2 5/- ,, ,, ,, hens . 20/- ,, Blue Mountain Lories, exhibition £7 10/- ,, Breeding Redrumps . . £4 1 0/- pair. Outdoor aviary-bred Cockateils £4 pair. Magnificent Jenadaya Conures, finger-tame .... 2 5/- each. Blue-crown Conures . .35/- ,, Half-moon Parrakeets . 15/— ,, 1 talking Goffin Cockatoo .£12 10/- 1 talking Leadbeater Cockatoo £ 1 2 10/- 1 pr. Black-headed Caiques, perfect pets, in exhibition plumage . . . .£12 Senegal Parrots . . £210/- pair. Illigers Macaws . . . 4 5/- each. Rare Red-cheeked Palgeornis Parrakeets . . . .70/—,, White-eared Conures . .35/- each. AVIARY BIRDS. Senegal Finches, Cordons, Orangecheeks, Bronze Man¬ nikins, Singing Finches, Silverbills , Whydalis, Bishops, Weavers . (Prices on enquiry.) Zebra Finches . . . £ 1 pair. 1 rare Royston’s Crow . . £7 10/- Blue and Cobalt-bred Budgerigars 15/- , , Adult breedingGreen Budgerigars 10/6 ,, Do. do. Yellow do. 1 2/6 ,, Adult Blue Budgerigars . .3 2/6 ,, ,, White ,, . £3 5/-,, ,, Cobalt ,, £3 5/- ,, Pope Cardinals . . .12/6 each. Pekin Nightingales, cocks . 10/6 ,, Chinese Spectacled Mock Thrushes, wonderful song¬ sters . 3 0/-,, Blue Java Sparrows . . . 6 / — . , Spice Birds . . . . 5/6 , , Various Australian Finches. 2 5/-, 30/-, £2 10/-, £4, £4 1 0/-, £5. 1 pr. Australian King Painted Quail . £5 1 pr. Australian Stubble Quail . £2 10/— 1 ,, Button Quail . £1 WATERFOWL, WADERS, PIGEONS, etc. £12 £2 Wells Ground Doves Elegant Zebra Doves Vinaceous Turtle Doves . Ring Doves Fantail Pigeons, in varieties Nicobar Pigeons Argus Pheasants Specifer Peafowl Crown Cranes . Cassowaries Half-collared Senegal Doves Pied Peafowl . . .£12 Blue Peafowl Swans Demoiselle Cranes Bankivi Junglefowl Silver and Golden Pheasants Amherst Pheasants . Rare Fireback Pheasants . Black Swans Giant Canadian Eagle Owls African Yellowbill Ducks . £3 Carolina Ducks . . £4 Black-shouldered Peafowl £ 1 2 Red-billed Whistling Tree Ducks Australian Crested Pigeons Diamond Doves Java Tree Ducks Mandarin Ducks Formosa Teil . . £2 Falcated Teil .... Mage! Ion Geese . .£12 £ 3 10/- pair. . £1 ,, • £1 „ . 10/6 pair. • 12/6 ,, . £2 10/- „ . £40 ,, . £20 ,, £20 to £25 ,, £2 5 to £ 5 0 each. 15/- pair. 10/- £7 £6 10/- 10/- £4 £6 £15 £5 10/- 10/- 10/- £5 7 0/- 3 5/- 70/- £5 10/- £5 10- Chinese Geese . Crested Screamers . Pair Seriamas, acclimatised Red-legged Partridges Chukar Partridges . Bamboo Partridges . £3 10/- £7 10/— each. £10 9 0/- pair. 90/- ,, £5 ,, ANIMALS, PETS, etc. Tame Leopards, Kangaroos, Wolves, Walla¬ bies, Wombats, Bear Cubs (American and Russian), Kinkajous, Woodchucks, Mon¬ goose, Apes, Baboons, Ringtail, Mona, Sooty, Rhesus, Calletrix and a number of other varieties of Monkey, Pet Agoutis, Giant Ruffed Lemurs, Black and Golden Lemurs, Ringtail Lemurs, Pet Golagos. REPTILES. Monster Reticulated Pythons £50 to £100 each. Boa Constrictors . . £2 10/- Large Anacondas . . . £10 ,, Geometric Tortoises . £2 each. Fresh arrivals weekly. Books for the Avieultiirist BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. By A. H. S. Lucas and W. H. Le Souef. 490 pages, 6 artistic coloured plates and 185 other illus¬ trations. 22s. 9d. post free. HANDBOOK OF THE BIRDS OF WEST AFRICA. By George Latimer Bates. Illustrations by H. Gronvold. 594 pages. 30s. 9d. post free. THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE. By A. S. Leslie and A. E. SHIPLEY. With an Introduction by LORD LoVAT. Coloured Illustrations. Royal 8vo. 15s. 9d. post free. The Avicultural Book Co. (Directed by ARTHUR A. PRESTWICH), WINSOR, SOUTHAMPTON. HM Avi cultural Magazine, Raja Lory . Chalcopsitta ins ignis. JohnBale,Sons & Danielsson,!,1^ THE Avicultural Magazine BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF FOREIGN & BRITISH BIRDS IN FREEDOM & CAPTIVITY Fifth Series— V ol. VIII —No. 3— All rights reserved. MARCH, 1930. THE RAJA LORY The beautiful Lory, Chalcopsitta insignis, whose picture forms the frontispiece of our present number, inhabits north-west New Guinea, and has, apparently, only once been brought alive to this country, an individual having been imported by Mr. Wilfred Frost in September, 1927, which, unfortunately, lived but a short time after its arrival. In its form and actions the Raj a Lory closely resembles the Black Lory ( C . ater). Its prevailing colours are rich purplish-black, interspersed with bright red, dark blue, and violet and yellow. It was described by Oustalet in 1878, and for many years after nothing further was heard of the species, and it was thought that the bird from which the original description had been taken might have been a hybrid between C. ater and C. scintillatus . It is now known, however, to be a good species. D. S-S. THE QUEZAL By Sydney Porter The Quezal or Resplendent Trogon (Pharomacrus moccino) is one of the world’s finest birds (perhaps I should use the past tense, for I believe this wonderful creature is practically extinct), excelling even the Birds of Paradise in beauty ; certainly it is, or w;as,the most beautiful bird in the 5 62 Sydney For ter — The Quezal New W orld. The size of a sm all Pigeon, it is clad in a raiment of scintillat¬ ing golden green which changes according to the light. The head has a fan-shaped crest of hair-like feathers, and the underparts are a rich scarlet, but the chief beauty lies in the upper tail-coverts which are enormously elongated, being about 3 feet or more in length and com¬ pletely hiding the tail. These feathers are remarkably delicate and silky, having the same kind of texture as the plumes of the Greater Bird of Paradise, and they form a magnificent train. The wing-coverts are also lengthened, and are sickle-shaped and almost meet across the breast, both these and the feathers of the train being of the same wonderful golden-green. But this lovely creature must be seen to be fully appreciated. Alas, its beauty has been its undoing, for, during the Victorian days when there was a craze for feathers for women’s headgear and cases of brilliant stuffed birds, both of which crazes are now happily dead, many hundreds of skins of this bird were exported to Europe where they always fetched a good price, and now the birds being so rare the skins command a still higher price ; but I don’t think that any come over now. Whilst in Costa Rica, the home of this bird, I made every enquiry concerning it, but no one seemed to know anything about it, even friends of mine who lived in the highlands of that country knew nothing of ir, so I suppose we can conclude that it has joined the ranks of many other lovely creatures which have been banished from this earth by the greed of men and the selfishness of women. This Trogon was found in the high mountain forests of Costa Rica and also Guatemala, and we are told that the birds went about in small parties of from ten to twelve, feeding upon fruit, especially acorns, which they swallowed whole. In this respect they must differ from the majority of Trogons, which feed upon insects. What a marvellous sight it must have been to see these birds flying about in their native forests looking like some brilliant golden meteor flashing through the gloom with the wonderful train flowing behind. It is a thousand pities to think that they may be no more. During the years when the skins of the birds were in such demand in Europe, over eight hundred a year used to be exported from the country and to supply this number we are told that over a hundred men were busily engaged the whole year in Sydney Portei — The Quezal 63 hunting it, but the number gradually got less and less until the bird was practically unprocurable, which shows that the country must have been pretty well denuded of them. What a wonderful acquisition the bird would haye been to our aviaries for, coming from such a height, three to six thousand feet, it must have been able to stand the cold fairly well, and we are told by M. Adolphe Boucard who, many years ago, sought out this bird in its forest home, that ££ it has been occasionally domesticated and kept for several months in private houses. Sometimes it used to go about the yard with the chickens or it would perch on a branch and stay in the same place for hours. It was fed with seeds and fruit.” We have never seen it alive in Europe which is a great shame, for by the above it would seem an easy bird to keep. Trogons are seldom imported into this country ; I suppose they are difficult to catch and accustom to artificial food. Years ago when I was a child I seem to remember seeing some Cuban Trogons1 advertised in Cage Birds , but I forget the price asked for them. I have often made enquiries but none ever seem to be brought here now, which is a pity for they are lovely birds. Though I have never been able to keep them in captivity I have been fortunate in being able to study them in their native haunts and one species, the Narina Trogon (Hapaloderma narina) which I was familiar with, in the dense African forests, seemed to be entirely insectivorous. In the breeding season the Quezal used to break up its small parties and go about in pairs, when they would find a hole in a decayed tree, usually the old nest of a Parrot or Woodpecker, for they are unable to make a hole themselves owing to their beaks being so small and fragile, where the hen laid one or two eggs about the size of a Pigeon’s and of a pale green colour. We read that ££ the male bird sits on the eggs ; meanwhile the female goes out for food. The position of the bird is then very curious ; its head appears at the entrance of the hole and the long feathers of the tail are spread over its head and are seen outside the nest.” 1 The Cuban Trogon ( Prionotelus temnurus) has been imported on several occasions and was figured in Bird Notes in 1909 (p. 33), and in the Avicultural Magazine in 1925 (p. 192). It appears to be the only species of Trogon that has been imported. — Ed. 64 D. Seth- Smith — -American Quails or Colins In remote times this bird was well known to the ancients and its feathers formed part of the tribute paid to the king Montezuma by the people in the provinces where the bird lived. The feathers were used for making robes for the royalty of those days and very beautiful they must have looked, though not so beautiful as on the living bird. I have a pressing invitation to go and stay with friends in Costa Rica, so one day when the skies of England prove too dull and the call of the South is too strong and my ship comes in again to port, I may take myself hence to the forests where this bird once roamed to see if perhaps the race has not quite perished and to bring back the first living specimens to the Old W orld ; but these dreams are still castles in the air ! AMERICAN QUAILS OR COLINS By D. Seth-Smitii The American Quails, sub-family Odontojphorince , are a large group, distinguished from the Old World Quails by the presence of a serrated cutting edge to the lower mandible. They vary considerably in size, some being as large as Partridges. They are mostly easily kept in captivity, and will breed providing they are given ample covert, but a dry soil is essential if they are to survive for any length of time. Their food consists of small seeds, green food and insects, and the young are easily reared, especially if an abundant supply of living ants’ cocoons is available. Sharp grit is essential for all game-birds. It is not advisable to pinion or to cut the wing-feathers of Colins as they are more arborial than the Old World Quails and roost in the branches of trees or on a high perch at night. Most of the species are inclined to be pugnacious towards other birds in an aviary. The Scaly Coltn (Callipepla squamata) inhabits Mexico, Arizona and Western Texas, its chief colour being grey, the feathers edged wdth black, giving it a scaled appearance. The female differs in having dusky shaft-stripes to the feathers of the throat, and is slightly smaller than the male. Total length, about 10 inches. The nest is made on the ground, the eggs being pale creamv-white, finely spotted all over with reddish. A clutch consists of about twelve. D. Seth- Smith— American Quails or Colins 65 The Scaly Colin was successfully bred in the London Zoological Gardens in 1913. The Plumed Colin (Oreortyx pictus) inhabits the Western States of North America. The sexes are nearly alike, the head being decorated with two long black feathers. In the male the head, neck, mantle and breast are slate grey, the remaining upper parts being olive-brown ; the throat and foreneck deep chestnut margined by a white band. A black patch on the cheeks. In the female the back of the neck is more olive brown than grey. The Californian Quail ( Lophortyx californicus ) is by far the best known species in Europe, as it is a comparatively common aviary bird, and a free breeder. It is, moreover, one of the most ornamental of the Colins, the male having an elegant crest of curved black club-shaped feathers, a black throat margined with white, white eyebrow stripes, the sides and back of the neck being grey spotted with white and margined with black ; the breast buff shading into chestnut on the abdomen and margined with black. The female has a short brown crest and no black and white pattern on the head. The Californian Quail has been introduced into several parts of the world and where the climate is suited to its requirements it has thriven, but in Great Britain its introduction has not been successful, the climate being too cold and damp. In an aviary it will breed very freely, the nest being formed in any hidden corner. From twelve to sixteen eggs are laid and the young are reared without difficulty, both parents taking charge of the brood. In the Western States of North America the species is known as the “ Valley Quail ”. Gambel’s Qltail {Lophortyx gambeli ) is distinguished from the Californian Quail by having (in the male) the back of the head chestnut and no white spots on the back of the neck. The feathers of the breast and abdomen have no black margins. The female is somewhat like that of L. californicus, but has a more developed crest and no black margins to the breast feathers, and the flanks are chestnut. Gambel’s Quail inhabits the Western States of North America:, but is generally found at considerable elevations. It is rarely to be obtained in Europe. 66 D. Seth-Smith — American Quails or Colins The Douglas Quail (Lopliortyx douglasi) inhabits Western Mexico. The male has an upstanding crest of pale rufous ; the throat is black, each feather being edged with white, the upper parts of the body with triangular chestnut spots at the end of each feather, the sides and flanks as well as the breast and abdomen spotted with white. The female has the crest dark brown, the throat white with dark shaft- stripes and the underparts greyish brown with white spots. This is a very desirable species but rarely imported. It has bred freely in the London Zoological Gardens. The Mexican Barred Partridge (Philortyx fasciatus) inhabits Southern Mexico, and has recently been imported. The sexes are alike in plumage. The crest is blackish-brown, tipped with rufous ; the back olive-brown mixed with black, the feathers being margined with buff. Throat white. The under-parts are wdiite barred with black. The Colombian Crested Quail (Eupsychortyx leucopogon) has a crest of brownish-white, in the male, white ear patches margined with chestnut, the chest rufous, barred with black and spotted with white. In the female the crest is dark brown. Barely imported. Sonnin’s Crested Quail (E. sonnini) inhabits the northern parts of South America, and differs from the last in having the ear-coverts dirty white and the chest pale vinaceous, only slightly vermiculated with black. It has been represented in the London Zoological Gardens. Leyland’s Crested Quail (E. leylandi) from Central America has the throat black, the chest vinaceous and spotted with white. The Curacao Crested Quail (E. cristatus) from the island of Curacao and Aruba has the crest, top of the head and throat buff ; a broad eyebrow-stripe and bands on the sides of the throat black. The ear-coverts white. Back of the neck white, spotted with black. The chest and flank feathers rufous, barred with black and spotted with white. The underparts white, barred with black. The female has the eyebrow’-stripes yellow. The Virginian Colin or Bob-White (Colinus virginianus) is the common Quail of the Eastern United States. The male has the chin and throat white, surrounded by a black line. Ear-coverts chestnut, j mantle rufous with grey edges, and barred with black. The middle of the breast and abdomen wrhite barred with black. The female has the throat bright buff. D. Seth- Smith— Francolins 67 This species is rarely imported nowadays, but has been intensively bred in America in pens. It is a prolific species and would breed very freely in suitable aviaries. The following species allied to the Bob- White have been imported. The Cuban Colin (C. cubanensis). The Black-breasted Colin (C. pectoralis) from Eastern Mexico bred freely in the London Zoological Gardens in 1912, twelve young being reared. Ridgway’s Colin ( C . ridgwayi) has been imported. The Montezuma Quail ( Crytonyx montezumce) inhabits Mexico, and is an extremely beautiful species that has been imported from time to time, but has proved to be somewhat delicate in captivity. The male has a reddish-buff crest and the head is beautifully marked with black and white. The body is pale rufous above, barred with black and buff shaft-stripes, the middle of the chest being dark chestnut and the sides dark grey with, white spots. The female lacks the black and white pattern on the head. Length about 8 inches. The Montezuma Quail wTas bred in France by Pichot in 1911. The Guiana Partridge (Odontophorus guianensis) is a rather large species, about 11*5 inches in length. It is a forest bird and has been imported very rarely. The sexes are alike : crest chestnut, mantle grey, mottled with black, rump reddish-brown, cheeks, chin and throat chestnut, wings rufous, with black markings. Naked skin round the eyes bright red. FRANCOLINS * By D. Seth-Smith The Francolins (Francolinus) are a large group of Partridge-like birds inhabiting Asia and Africa. They resemble Partridges in their habits, being frequently found in coveys, and feeding upon seed, shoots of vegetation and insects. Clean, sharp grit must always be supplied in captivity. In captivity in Europe Francolins are hardy but thrive best on a well-drained soil. Some species become very tame and will breed in 68 D. Seth- Smith — Francolins a large aviary if provided with ample covert. From six to eight eggs are laid to a clutch, and the young can be reared without difficulty providing an abundant supply of insect food, such as ants’ cocoons, can be supplied. The Black Francolin (F. francolinus) occurs from Cyprus, Palestine and Asia Minor eastward to India, and is one of the most handsome of the Francolins, and the most desirable as an aviary bird, though, unfortunately, not very often imported. The male is black, spotted with wffiite, on the under-parts and upper back, the lower back being barred with white. On the nape is a wide chestnut collar, and on the hind part of the cheeks, a white patch. The female is much browner, the sides of the face buff dotted with black, and the throat white. The Painted Francolin (F. pictus) occurs in Western and Central India, somewhat resembles the last, the male differing in lacking the chestnut collar. The forehead and sides of the head are reddish ; the under-parts black spotted with white. The throat is rufous spotted with black. The female differs in having the throat whitish . The Chinese Francolin ( F . pintadeanus) from the Indo-Chinese countries. The male has no chestnut collar. The scapulars are chestnut with whitish spots. A black band over the forehead passes behind the eyes, and another across the cheeks. The female has the scapulars black margined with brown and spotted with buff. The Grey Francolin (F. pondicerianus ) occurs from Eastern Arabia and South Persia to India and Ceylon. The sexes are alike in colour, being a mixture of brown and chestnut barred with buff. The under¬ parts whitish buff with wTavy black bars. The male alone carries a pair of spurs. This species is often trained by the natives of India, and tame examples will follow their owners like dogs. They are very pugnacious. This species was bred in 1927 by Dr. Amsler (Avicultural Magazine, 1927, p. 289). The Coqui Francolin (F. coqui) from East and South Africa.. The male has most of the head reddish-chestnut, the sides of the face and neck yellow, the chin white. The upper surface grey and chestnut, with yellowish shaft stripes. The female has black eyebrow stripes and a black band on the throat. D. Seth -Smith — Francolins 69 The Spotted Francolin (F. spilogaster) from North-east Africa, has been imported on a few occasions, and has been bred by Mr. Shore- Baily (see Avicultural Magazine, 1927, p. 220). The Grey- winged Francolin or Cape Partridge (F. africanus), a well-known South African species, has the top of the head black, with rufous edgings to the feathers, the sides of the neck barred with black and white. The sexes are alike, the male only having spurs. Other species that have been imported are the following : — Grant’s Francolin (F. granti) from East Africa. Kirk’s Francolin (F. Jcirki) from Somaliland. Levaillant’s Francolin (F. levaillanti) from South Africa. Jackson’s Francolin (F. jaclcsoni) from East Africa. Schuett’s Francolin (F. schuetti) from West Africa. Hildebrandt’s Francolin (F. hildehrandti) from East Africa. Double-spurred Francolin (F. bicalcaratus) from West Africa. Clapperton’s Francolin (F. clappertoni) from South Africa. Cape Francolin (F. capensis) from South Africa. Natal Francolin (F. natalensis) from South Africa, and the Indian Swamp Francolin (F. gularis). The Bare-Throated Francolins The genus Piernistes contains about ten African species which only differ from Francolinus in having the throat and a patch round the eyes entirely bare of feathers, the naked skin being generally brightly coloured. The colour is mostly brown or grey, the feathers having wide shaft-stripes of black or white. Five species have been imported : — The Cape Bare-throated Francolin (P. nudicollis) in which the bare throat is crimson. Sclater’s Bare-throated Francolin (P. afer) from South¬ western Africa, very similar to the last. Swainson’s Bare-throated Francolin (P. swainsoni), from South Africa, naked skin rose-red. Gray’s Bare-throated Franc oltn (P. leucoscepus) from Somali¬ land, has the bare skin of the throat and round the eyes orange-red shading into yellow. This species was bred by Sir William Ingram, Bart., in 1905 (Avicultural Magazine, 1905, p. 352). 70 A. A. Prestwick — The Foreign Birds at the Crystal Palace THE FOREIGN BIRDS AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE By A. A. Prestwich The Grand National Show at the Crystal Palace on the 6th, 7th, and 8th February was, as usual, a great success. There was a record number of entries — 252 in the thirty-three classes ; but taken as a whole they lacked the rarity which we have become accustomed to expect at the “ Palace ”. There were, nevertheless, some very interest¬ ing birds on view. Mr. Whitley’s team was badly missed, and Captain H. H. Liddell-Grainger did not send this year ; but Mrs. Victor Cooper and Lord Tavistock again sent teams which met with considerable success in their various sections. This year the “ Chapman ” Foreign Bird Trophy was offered for the best foreign bird exhibit, and was awarded to Mr. Andrew Wilson’s Wilson’s Bird of Paradise — this bird just beating Lord Tavistock’s Imperial Amazon. The Crystal Palace Trustees most generously presented three National Foreign Bird Trophies for the best bird in each of the three sections represented by Parrot-like, Seed-eater, and Insectivorous or Nectar-feeding Birds. These trophies were awarded to Lord Tavistock’s Imperial Amazon, Mrs. Victor Cooper’s Violet-eared Waxbills, and Mr. Andrew Wilson’s Wilson’s Bird of Paradise. The hall was rather warmer than last year, but there is still need for improvement ; also the lighting is not as good as one could desire. The show was again under the managership of Mr. A. J. Platon, who deserves the thanks of all visitors for organizing such a large and representative exhibition of birds — there were no less than 4,198 entries throughout the show. The “ Parrot ” classes were considerably better than last year, and contained some fine birds. The class for Lories, Lorikeets, and Hanging Parrots had ten entries, and was won by Lord Tavistock’s Golden-backed Hanging Parrot, in perfect condition ; a good Yellow- backed Lory sent by Mr. G. H. A. Hellen gained second, and third was awarded to a pair of rare Worcester’s Hanging Parrots (Mr. J. Frostick). Lovebirds, etc., was a well-filled class, the best of the sixteen entries being Mr. A. J. Freeman’s Peach-faced, followed by A. A. Prestwick — The Foreign Birds at the Crystal Palace 71 Mr. P. Abrahams’ Abyssinian male, and Mr. W. R. Bearby’s Black- cheeks. The class for Bmtogerys , etc., was a failure, drawing but one entry, a pair of Tovi Parrakeets, sent by Mrs. Hawker. Mr. G. H. A. Hellen won the class for Cockatiels, Bed Rosellas, Common Ring- necks, etc., with a good Red Rosella ; second went to Mr. T. Pembleton for another Red Rosella ; third to Captain E. E. E. Hammond for an Alexandrine. There were but two entries in the class for the smaller Macaws and more common Conures ; Mr. Erostick was first with a good Noble Macaw, and Mr. J. W. Groves second with a pair of White-eared Conures. Common King, Pennant’s, Crimson- winged, etc., was another poorly supported class — only five entries. Mr. Erostick’s Stanley Parrakeet fully deserved its first prize ; the same exhibitor’s pair of Pennant’s gained second, and Mr. Willshire’s Barnard third. The class for “ All other species of Parrakeets ” contained three good birds, by far the best being Lord Tavistock’s Princess of Wales’s (this bird and the one in Mr. Whitley’s collection are the only two in Great Britain) ; second was awarded to Captain Hammond’s Everett’s Parrakeet, and third to Mr. Willshire’s Yellow-bellied. The next class for Grey, Timneh, Senegal, and various specified Amazons provided a win for Mr. Maxwell, his very excellent Rueppell’s Parrot repeating its last year’s success ; second went to Mrs. K. Mearman’s Eestive Amazon ; and third to Dr. G. Elphick for a good Levaillant’s. “ All species of White and Rose-breasted Cockatoos ” gave the Crystal Palace Trustees some little reward for their numerous unsuccessful entries in past years. They were awarded first, second and third prizes for Sulphur-crested, Leadbeater and Sulphur-crested respectively. Another win was recorded by Mr. Maxwell in the class for “ All other species of Cockatoos and Macaws ”, his Hyacinthine Macaw leading his Spix Macaw ; Mr. H. J. Buckland’s Blue and Yellow Macaw was third. The last Parrot class, that for “ All other species ”, provided the section trophy winner, Lord Tavistock’s magnificent Imperial Amazon ; Mr. Maxwell’s Aubrey’s Parrot and Mr. Erostick’s Black-headed Caiques were second and third. Lord Tavistock gained first and second prizes in the class for hybrids and abnormally coloured birds, the leader being his well- 72 A. A. \P re stwich — The Foreign Birds at the Crystal Palace known Crimson-wing x Sula Island King Parrakeet, followed by his White Roseate Cockatoo ; a Common Grey X St. Helena Waxbill (Mr. P. W. Teague) was third, and Mr. Beauchamp’s Red-headed Finch X Ribbon Finch was fourth. In the class for Quails, Pigeons, etc., Mr. S. Kempell was first with a Mexican Quail ; a pair of Madagascar Doves gained second for Dr. Elphick. The next three classes for various common seed-eaters were won by St. Helenas (Mrs. Victor Cooper), Cordon Bleus (Mrs. Victor Cooper), and Rufous-backed Mannikins (Mrs. M. E. Warneford). First and second prizes in the Common Grass-finch class were taken by Mrs. Victor Cooper with a pair of Sydney Waxbills and Bichenow’s Finches ; third prize was awarded to Mr. Beauchamp for Chestnut- breasted Finches. The class for the rarer Grass-finches and rarer Waxbills contained twenty-four entries, and was won deservedly by Mrs. Victor Cooper’s Violet-eared Waxbills (section trophy winner) ; second prize went to Mr. J. Cranna for a Peter’s Spotted Finch, and third to Mr. J. Sleigh for Dufresne’s Waxbills. Mr. T. Goodwin showed a pair of Ruficaudas which took fourth. Mr. Beauchamp won the class for Buntings, Siskins, etc., with a good Red-crested Finch ; Mr. Cranna was second with Red Siskins, and Mrs. A. A. Pearse third with a Rainbow Bunting. All species of Cardinals, Hawfinches, etc., first Mr. Groves’ Siberian Hawfinch, second Messrs. J. W. and H. Underwood’s pair of Green Cardinals, and third Mr. Wilson’s Blue Grosbeak. The Weaver and Whydah class received little support, only three entries, one of which was absent ; first Mr. E. Allison with a Taha Weaver, and second Mr. Abrahams’ Masked Weaver. The class for Common Tanagers was not as good as last year, owing to the absence of the Rev. R. B. Abell’s birds. The premier award went to Mr. Maxwell’s Superb Tanager ; Mrs. M. M. Alexander took second for a Tri-colour and Mr. Beauchamp third for a Superb ; another Superb gained fourth for Mr. Cranna. Amongst the rare Tanagers and Sugar-birds, Mrs. Alexander wTas first with a Rufous-necked Tanager, Mr. Frostick second with a Spotted Emerald Tanager, Mr. Maxwell’s Desmarest’s third and Mrs. G. Terry fourth with a Blue Sugar- A. A. Prestiuich — The Foreign Birds at the Crystal Palace 73 bird. There was but one Sunbird, a fine Southern Malachite belonging to Mr. A. Martin. The Robins were a good pair of American Blue Birds which won first for Mr. Maxwell, and four entries of Pekins, the best of which were those shown by Miss I. Hibbert and Mr. el. E. Shepherd. There were four entries in the class for Shamahs, Mr. Erostick’s bird being placed first, followed by Mr. Willshire’s and Mrs. Mearman’s. The Glossy Starlings and Spreos made a good class ; of the nine entries Captain Hammond’s Glossy — probably Rueppell’s — was far ahead of the others ; Dr. Elphick was awarded second for a pair of Green Glossy (? species), and Mrs. Hawker third for a pair of Spreos. The all species of Mynahs, Eruit-suckers, Starlings, etc., was won by Captain Hammond’s pair of Bald-headed Starlings ; the same exhibitor’s Tickell’s Ouzel being fourth : second was awarded to Dr. Elphick’s Abyssinian Starlings, and third to Mr. Beauchamp’s Golden-fronted Fruit-sucker. Three exhibits were staged in the class for Hangnests, Troupials, etc., the best being Mr. L. M. Sutton’s Yellow-crowned Hangnest ; Captain Hammond was second and third with a Black and a Crested Cassique respectively. Mr. Maxwell won the class for Pies, Jays, Barbets, Toucans, etc., with a splendid Green Toucanette ; pairs of Alpine Choughs and Blue-crested Jays secured second and third prizes for Dr. Elphick. There were three Birds of Paradise, the first prize-winner being Mr. Andrew Wilson’s Wilson’s, adjudged the best foreign bird in the show ; Mr. Wilson’s King was second, and Mr. Maxwell’s Red third. The two remaining classes were for “ All other species of insectivorous and fruit-eating birds c smaller than ’ and ‘ larger than ’ a Silver-eared Mesia ”. The former was won by Mrs. Pearse’s Pigmy Woodpecker ; second went to Mr. Allison’s Bush Chat, and third to Mrs. Warneford’s Japanese Tit. The last class was won by Dr. Elphick, with a pair of magnificent Bare-faced Touracos or Goaway Birds, of the genus Gymnoschizorhis, probably new to aviculture. Mr. Maxwell was second with a Black-throated Tanager, and Mrs. Pearse third with a Bengal Pitta. The foreign section was judged by Mr. D. Seth-Smith and Mr. J. Bailey, consequently there were no possible grounds for adverse 74 F. Finn — On the Position of the Jaganas and on criticism. It was Mr. Bailey’s first judging appointment, and it is sincerely to be hoped that it will not be the last time he will accept similar duties. At the judges’ luncheon, Mr. Seth-Smith was called on to respond to the toast to the judges — an ordeal which he came through successfully with great applause. Concerning the Budgerigars, we do not intend going into details. M. undulatus and its various colour varieties has almost passed beyond the scope of the Avicultural Society. It must suffice to state that there were 345 entries in the nineteen classes provided. An entry such as this leaves little doubt as to the popularity of the “ Buddie Our member, Mr. Allen Silver, had the task of placing the awards in this section. ON THE POSITION OF THE JACANAS AND ON L’HERMINIER’S CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS By F. Finn As an African Jacana ( Acto'pliilornis africanus ) has been for some time on view at the Zoo of late, and as 1927 marked the centenary of L’Herminier’s Classification of Birds, I venture to draw the attention of members to the systematic position of the bird, and to the above classification, as it has hardly been noticed by anyone except by Newton in the Introduction of the Dictionary of Birds , p. 52, and he does not translate the French names of the families. I have been kindly permitted to study the original paper in the Library of the Linnean Society, where alone in London, so far as I know, can the journal containing it be found. This is the Annates de la Societe Linneenne de Paris , and the paper is in Volume Vie des Memoires. Newton gives the journal as Actes, not Annates, but this slip is a trifling flaw in the service he did in drawing attention to L’Herminier’s brilliant work. The paper has four plates, illustrating the breast-bones, etc., of a large number of birds, this and adjacent parts of the bird’s anatomy being the basis of L’Herminier’s classification. It is also the most convenient part of a bird’s skeleton to study : the great differences in the breast¬ bones, etc., of the Fowl and Duck, as seen when they are carved, L’ Herminier’ s Classification of Birds 75 must have struck everyone, and it is easy when a bird dies roughly to clean these bones and allow ants or tadpoles to do the rest of the work of skeletonizing. L ’Herminier, who was most modest, thought it a defect in his system that birds of similar general form and habits were separated by it ; but here I can come to his assistance, for if one studies small details rather than general form, external characters do confirm the findings of anatomy. This can be studied in detail by anyone who has access to my book The World’s Birds, which, though now very scarce, can be seen in a few scientific libraries — those of the Zoo, South Kensington,, and the Horniman Museum. I give many figures illustrating such characters. Like L’ Herminier, I divide birds only into families, though,, perhaps wrongly, I have cut his up as other ornithologists have done,, in many cases ; but the point is, as Newton points out, that his actual grouping was right.1 It seems to me that to talk of “ orders ”, in a class so uniform in outward form and anatomical structure as birds,, is ridiculous ; Ostriches and Humming-birds are far more alike than whales and mice, or tortoises and snakes, or sticklebacks and skate ! L’Herminier’s classification, then, runs as follows : Accipitrines,. Secretary, Owls, Touracous, Parrots, Humming-birds, Swifts, Nightjars, Cuckoos, Trogons, Rollers, Bee-eaters, Kingfishers, Hornbills, Toucans, Woodpeckers, Hoopoe-like birds, Passerines, Pigeons, Gallinaceous- birds, Tinamous, Coots or Water-hens (includes all Rails), Cranes (includes Trumpeter), Heron-like birds (includes Storks and Hammer¬ head or Umbre), Ibises and Spoonbills, Waders (includes Plovers and their allies, Bustards, Japanas and Plamingoes), Gulls, Petrels, Pelicans (includes Cormorants, Gannets, and Tropic- and Prigate- birds), Ducks (includes all Wildfowl), Grebes, Divers, Auks, Penguins. All the Ratite birds (except Apteryx, which is not mentioned) are classed in one family and called “ Oiseaux normaux ” ; he means “ anomaux ”, for he has already called the above other birds “ normaux ”. There are many misprints and a few other such slips 2 1 Newton overlooked his one error — the placing of the Flamingoes alluded to later in this paper. 2 e.g. he says Linnaeus put “ Pigeons ” in Ardea, when he means “ cigognes ”, Storks. 76 F. Finn — On the Position of the Jacands and on in the paper, so that I fancy he could never have seen the proofs ; he says he was just leaving France and might never return. I think every aviculturist who has wandered in modern mazes of museum manufacture will agree that this centenarian classification is admirable ; only one thing appears to be wrong, and that is the classing of the Flamingoes with the Plover-Snipe group — and even here L’Herminier only just missed being correct, for he says that he put them at first with the Ibises. I hope presently to show that in the case of the Jacanas he was right, as usual. The different types of Ratite birds are, also, distinct enough to form at least families — Ostrich, Rheas, Cassowaries (including Emus) ; but at any rate they are all representatives of a primitive type of bird, all of which, except the Tinamous, have long lost flight. It is very creditable to L’Herminier that he realized the Tinamous were at any rate very distinct from the Gallinaceous birds, some of which they so much resemble in appearance and habits. Examination of a Tinamou’s head will bear out what I have said about distinguishing families by external characters ; the beak has a much deeper gape than a Partridge’s, and has the horny sheath divided into sections by grooves, whereas the horn in true game-birds is uniform. Moreover, the eyes have eye-lashes, usually not found in gallinaceous birds. All these are Ratite characters, and so is the shortness of the Tinamou’s tongue. The absence in the Tinamou’s feet of the rudimentary webs found in those of game-birds is also a Ratite point, but not an exclusive one, as the Ostrich has a short web between its two toes. Nov/, applying this comparison of small details to Rails and Ja9anas, we find that the latter, which have been classed with both Rails and Plovers, have a complete Plover-bill, with slightly bulged tip and very short gape. The form of the body is plump and Plover-like, not flat¬ sided and Rail-like. The toes are completely without webs, which is a Rail point, but one also found in some of the Plover group- — Turnstones, Snipes, and Stints. The wings have short quills as a rule, but not shorter than those of the Painted Snipes in the Plover family, which have a Rail-like flight ; and the Pheasant- tailed Jacana has longer wings even than most Plovers, flies like a Lapwing, and has been seen mobbing a Marsh-harrier on the wing — fancy a Rail doing that 1 L' Herminier' s Classification of Birds 77 This Indian species is the only one the Zoo has ever shown before. In Africa I noted that the A. africanus looked midway between Lapwing and Moorhen — I saw it fly. The spurred wings and lappet-decked heads of most Jacanas are reminiscent of what is found in some Lapwings ; the Pheasant-tailed Jagana lays peg-top-shaped eggs of the true Plover shape, and downy young Jacanas are variegated, not uniform black like young Rails in the down. The long and very straight claws of Jaganas are very unlike anything in the Plover group, but unlike Rails’ claws also ; the well-developed hind-toe is also exceedingly weak, and the whole foot deficient in grip, while Rails grip strongly and do so when fighting, while Jaganas fight with their wings like Plovers — at any rate the Pheasant- tailed species does so, and this also bobs its head like a Plover, while no Jag an a so far as I know jerks its tail in Rail fashion. Moreover, the Pheasant- tailed Jagana shows a distinct resemblance in colour to the leaf-running Plovers of the genus Defilippia (now Hemiparra), of which one can be seen at the Zoo. On the other hand, no Jagana has an equally definite resemblance to any sort of Rail — the Rail-like appearance is merely general, and in the case of the Pheasant-tailed species is almost confined to the large feet, which in the family generally are really very different in detail from any Rail’s. Moreover, the Crab-Plover (Dromas ardeola), a most interesting and handsome bird wdiich has yet to be imported alive, is undoubtedly related to the Plovers, even if rightly given a family of its own ; and this bird has a quite well-developed hind-toe, its feet resembling those of a Stork in miniature. Indeed, it has been classed with the Storks, though L’Herminier acutely suggested that it and also the Sheathbill would be found related to the Plovers, as is now' admitted. This acuteness of his in placing birds of which he did not know the anatomy wras most remarkable, and in this he was possibly guided by small external characters unconsciously, as I was before I worked the matter out. He suggested, for instance, that the Limpkin or Courlan ( Aramus ) wrould. be found nearer the Crane than the Stork, and this also is right — it comes between Cranes and Rails, and nearer to the former. He also mentions the Sun-bittern at the end of the 6 78 Avicultural Notes Cranes, and even suggests that the Sand-grouse should he near the Pigeons. I cannot find that he mentions Hemipodes, Barbets, or Screamers, and the Kagu was not then known. He suggested, however, that the Cariama might come near the Secretary. He also went wrong over the Lyre-bird, which he thought would be near the Megapodes, by the form of its feet and wing and its habits ; it is, we now know, a Passerine, though of a very primitive type, as shown by its downy young. The foot has the enlarged hind-toe characteristic of all this huge group, and, as in all of them, is without any web, whereas the Megapodes have a rudimentary web, between the two inner front toes only, not between all the front three as in other game-birds. But on the whole his classification marks him as the greatest ornithologist we know. AVICULTURAL NOTES By The Editor. Dr. Hopkinson is spending the winter in making a trip to Australia and New Zealand, and is finding great enjoyment in meeting fellow acivulturists and seeing their collections. The wild birds are also proving of the greatest interest. Writing from Melbourne, he tells of a visit to a large station forty miles away, where Piping Crows and Kosella Parrakeets were the commonest birds after the introduced Mynahs and House Sparrows. This, he says, is a feature of Australian bird life ; whenever one sees any number of birds together they are always foreign, not native. “ A flock of fifty Goldfinches, however, in a hayfield does not disgust one in the same way as do the herds of House Sparrows which are everywhere except in Western Australia.” He found that the native birds required looking for, but in the Melbourne Botanical Gardens Blue Wrens were plentiful and tame, while Pied Grallinas, Bell Miners, and Fantail Flycatchers were also there. Dr. Hopkinson ’s trip to the large station reminds me very vividly of a similar trip I took more than twenty years ago, perhaps to the Avicultural Notes 79 same station, with, that splendid Australian ornithologist, Archibald Campbell, who, alas, has recently died. On that occasion the most common bird there was, I think, the White-backed Magpie (Piping Crow) and probably next came Phe Rosella, but the Sparrow and the Mynah had not appeared, or were at least decidedly uncommon, though plentiful in the towns, which seems to show how, since then, these aliens have extended their range, and are probably ousting the native birds. The number of aviculturists in Australia is increasing, though at present there are practically none in Western Australia and Queens¬ land. Those there are are very keen, and are willing to pay high prices for rare birds. Mr. S. Harvey, of Adelaide, has had great success in breeding Queen Alexandra and Turquoisine Parrakeets, the former having bred for three years past. African Weavers have also bred very successfully, and he has kept a Dufresne’s Waxbill for five years. I was very interested in the pair of Bare-faced Touracos exhibited at the Palace by Dr. Elfick. I make them out to be Gymnoscizorhis personates, from Southern Abyssinia and Shoa ; a slightly different form, G. leopoldi, comes from Tanganyika. These birds, and those of the closely allied genus, Corythaixoides or Schizorhis , one of which was illustrated in our last number, are known in Africa as ‘ 6 Goaway Birds Referring again to the experiment which I suggested some months ago of trying to establish the Mandarin Duck as a full-winged breeding species in the London parks, it is satisfactory to be able to report that about forty pairs of these birds have now been handed over to the care of H.M. Office of Works, thanks to the generosity of Mr. Alfred Ezra and Mr. Spedan Lewis. These are only wing-clipped, and so will regain their powers of flight at the next moult. They are being placed in St. James’s Park, Hyde Park, Greenwich Park, Regent’s Park, Hampton Court, and Buckingham Palace Gardens, while six additional 80 Avicultural Notes pairs have gone to Foxwarren Park and four pairs to the Zoological Gardens. The acclimatization of these birds in this country has been quite successful at Woburn, Netherby, and Fallodon, and at the last of these Lord Grey tells me he has some fifty full-winged, which come for food daily and are very tame, while Mr. St. Quintin describes a visit he paid to Fallodon with Mr. Meade-Waldo last September. He tells me that the ducks are liberally fed just at dusk, and so do not feel the need to stray away for more food. At one of these evening feeds the ducks were so fearless of their human friends that at one time “ each of us had a Mandarin sitting on his hat ! ” The January number of the Emu is, as usual, a most interesting publication. It contains a coloured plate illustrating two well-known Parrakeets, namely Barraband’s and the Rock-peplar, but the names given to them are new to us, namely “ Superb ” and “ Regent ” Parrots. Why it should be thought necessary to create new English names to well-known species it is difficult to see. The number contains many very beautiful photographs of Australian birds, mostly taken at their nests, and a portrait of the late Mr. A. J. Campbell, an ornithologist and all-round naturalist of the highest quality who was admired and loved by all who knew him. The old Parrot House at the Zoological Gardens will very soon either be demolished or used for some other purpose than that which it has served for so long. In it have just been reared two Forsten’s Lorikeets, now out of the nest and hale and hearty. The old House was built about the time of the Great Exhibition of 1851, and its first occupants were Gould’s collection of stuffed Humming Birds, which attracted much attention. Lord Tavistock attributes a case of feather-plucking in a Yellow- bellied Parrakeet to sunflower seed, yet a lady, writing in Cage Birds a short time ago, tells of how she cured cases of feather-plucking by Beview 81 feeding liberally upon sunflower, hemp, fat bacon, and bread and butter, her theory being that the habit is due to a lack of fats in the food. A Ganga Cockatoo in the Parrot House commenced feather-plucking and the keeper was advised to entirely withhold sunflower seed. The result of this was that the bird continued to pluck his feathers with renewed vigour. The sunflower was then replaced in the bird’s rations, more liberally than formerly, and in a short time the bird ceased to pluck its feathers and is now in good plumage. REVIEW THE BIRDS OF WEST AFRICA1 A good book on the birds of West Africa has long been wanted, not only by systematic ornithologists but by aviculturists, for many of the most freely imported of foreign cage-birds come to us from the West Coast, and every aviculturist worthy of the name wishes to know about the wild habits of the birds that adorn his aviaries. The book we have been waiting for has now appeared, and the author is none other than Mr. G. L. Bates, who has spent over thirty years of his life in collecting and observing the birds of this, his adopted country. The limits of West Africa for the purpose of this book extend from Senegal to French Cameroon. There are three very distinct types of country each with its own forms of bird life. To the north is the semi- arid country consisting of scanty grass and thorny scrub suitable for semi-desert forms ; then comes the Savannah country, where the grass grows to a considerable height and the birds are mostly those which feed upon the seeds of grasses. Finally, in the coastal regions, we find the mighty forest country where one travels in semi-darkness ; the lowest limbs of the trees are a hundred feet from the ground, and the birds, such as Hornbills and Touracos, can be heard but not seen, for they frequent the tops of these forest giants. Mr. Bates is well acquainted with each of these regions, and with their various types of bird life, and of each bird he tells us something 1 Handbook to the Birds of West Africa, by George Latimer Bates. London : John Bale, Son and Danielson, Ltd. _ Price 305. net. 82 Bevieiu of interest and gives us an accurate description, though some of the trivial names he has adopted are not those which have been accepted by aviculturists. For instance, we know Euplectes franciscana as the Orange Weaver or Bishop, but this name is applied by Mr. Bates to another species — Ploceus aurantius, while the ' Red-faced Lovebird, Agapornis pullaria is only given a native name. Of the Grey Parrot which we know so well as a cage-bird, it is interesting to hear something concerning its wild habits ; “ Only out in Africa/5 we read, “ can one feel the sense of wild freedom they bring as they scream high overhead in the forest. They carry their heavy bodies, in flight, at great speed, with rapid wing strokes. They perch high, and have certain roosting places to which many resort at evening. They prefer openings and clearings to the dense forest, and breed in holes in the very high trees always left standing in clearings. Natives bestow much labour in contriving a way to climb these hundred-foot- high branchless trunks, using bush-ropes and notches or other means of providing footholds, in order to take the half -grown young. They find generally, I think, two young in the solitary nest or hole. A peculiar noise one hears from high trees sometimes, kept up all day with little cessation, is the call of the young for food.’5 Firefinches, Cordon Bleus, Silverbills, and various Weavers are freely met with, the Weavers going unnoticed while in the “ sparrowy ” plumage, but the cocks blossoming out in July into their brilliant dresses “ as if bursting into blossom on the tall grass stalks.” The Common Firefinch is a very familiar little bird, breeding in the thatched roofs of the native huts and entering dwellings freely. Mr. Bates relates how once, when he was lying in the afternoon in a rough shed, a pair of Firefinches came in and one sang its sweet piping notes within a few feet of his couch. This book is well illustrated with text-figures by Mr. Gronvold, mostly intended to show the distinguishing characters such as the bills or feet of the various species, a useful feature in a book of this kind. We can very heartily recommend the book to all who are interested in West African birds, and this includes most aviculturists. D. S-S. CORRESPONDENCE BROWN’S PARRAKEET Sir, — Further to my letter under the above heading which appeared in last month’s number of the Avicultural Magazine. At the time of writing, I unaccountably overlooked the article by Lord Tavistock in the Avicultural Magazine, October, 1928. In this, Lord Tavistock fully describes his trials and disappointments before finally succeeding in rearing this species ; and, of course, the young were reared some considerable time before those of Messrs. Boosey and Brooksbank. A. A. Prestwich. Sir, — In reply to Mr. Prestwich’s letter, Brown’s Parrakeet was first bred by a lady in Scotland many years ago, the same, if I am not mistaken, who bred the Eclectus Parrot. I reared young from two pairs in 1928, and from one pair last season. At present I have a stock of about a dozen birds, mostly unrelated, and hope to keep the species going for a considerable time. Tavistock. Sir, — It appears from the February number of the Avicultural Magazine, that Mr. A. A. Prestwich believes us to be the first successful breeders of Brown’s Parrakeet in Great Britain. We fear, however, that this distinction is not ours, as the species has been fully reared on two occasions, at least in Lord Tavistock’s aviaries at Warblington. per pro. Keston Foreign Bird Farm, Edward J. Boosey, Alec Brooksbank. SUPERB TANAGERS Sir, — In 1928 I successfully wintered three Superb Tanagers in aviaries with heated shelters and outdoor flights, feeding the birds on pears, grapes, sunbird mixture, and mealworms. They also flourished 84 Correspondence through the summer and carried nesting material. In autumn, acting partly on the advice of people with more experience of Tanagers than myself, I stopped giving the sunbird mixture. The effect was most disastrous, for in December both cocks died in very fair weather, and the hen lost her spirits and never left the heated shelter. I renewed the sunbird mixture, and she practically lived on it for days, ignoring the fruit, and after a while regained her hardiness and activity, spending much time in the flight as before. From this it seems certain that sunbird mixture, if too rich and fattening for Calliste Tanagers in heated buildings, is essential to their well-being when they are kept partly in the open. Tavistock. CUBAN TODIES Sir, — During a recent trip to Cuba I was most fortunate in obtaining five of the rare Cuban Todies in perfect condition. I took these through the Canal with me on the way home, but, alas ! they would only eat live mealworms, and of these I had only a very limited supply. Only one lived until San Francisco, and that one died the next day. I was almost frantic over my great loss as ever since I started my hobby of collecting soft-billed birds I have dreamed of having these birds. I tried everything during the voyage from hard-boiled egg to ants’ eggs, which I floated on their water. These they ate very sparingly of, and I wondered that they lasted as long as they did. Has anyone ever had success with these marvels of bird life ? I have collected softbills for nineteen years, but have never had that much hard luck with any birds. A. H. ISENBERG. California. ORIGIN OF COLOUR VARIETIES IN BUDGERIGARS Sir, — In your note at the end of my letter, you ask me if it is not true that the white variety of Budgerigar may appear as a mutation of the Turquoise Blue, even though the latter has had no White ancestor ? Correspondence 85 . I believe this is so, although my personal experience of the White variety is very limited. In 1928 a pair of Blues reared five Whites besides Blues ; I knew that the lady from whom I had bought the Blue cock had bred Whites, and she informed me that my bird had come from the same nest as Whites — its parents having been two Blues. All the five Whites had very little blue on the breast, and one of the hens which was exhibited was described by a judge as being the best White he had seen for a long time. Last year I mated this Blue cock to a Green-Blue hen, and she produced two Apple Greens, as well as Blues and Greens. Although on principal I am against inbreeding, I am this year going to mate the Blue cock to one of his White daughters. F. Lort-Phillips, Major. SUNFLOWER SEED AND FEATHER-PLUCKING Sir, — Last autumn, by way of adding variety, I unwisely added sunflower seed (one of the principal ingredients of packet Parrot foods) to my stock mixture. The result was that a few days later a very nice cock Yellow-bellied Parrakeet I had had for two years in show condition in a couple of days plucked every feather from his body, so that, with nothing left but long black down, he resembled a Persian kitten ! As he was a trained liberty bird I at once turned him loose, little doubting that a change of scene and diet would effect a speedy cure ; but although he has been free for six months and has been living entirely on the wild foods he picks up for himself he is as dis¬ reputable now as on the day of his release. I have never known so intractable a case of feather-plucking. Tavistock. PHEASANT BREEDING RESULTS Sir, — Perhaps the following table, showing the results of some years’ pheasant breeding, may be of interest to some of the readers of the Avicultural Magazine. 86 Correspondence Dates of Number of eggs Number of birds Laying. Laid. Incubated. Fertile. Hatched. Beared. Season 1928. Horsfield, three No eggs. 0 0 0 0 0 pairs birds of 1927. Horsfield, adult April 7, 9, 12, 5 5 0 0 0 birds. 17, 21. Season 1929. Horsfield, cock April 1, 4, 5, 7, 20 19 14 6 6 1927, hen 9, 11, 13, 15, 1927. 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29 ; May 1, 3, 16, 18, 20. Horsfield, cock April 6, 8, 10, 7 7 4 0 0 1927, hen 1927 12, 14, 16, 28. Season 1928. Satyr, odd hen, April 12, 16, 19, 10 0 0 0 0 adult. 23, 27 ; May 2, 7, 10, 13, 17. Season 1929. Satyr, cock April 24, 28 ; 11 10 0 0 0 1927, hen May 1, 5, 8, adult. 12, 16, 19 ; June 16, 18, 21. Season 1926. Impeyan, cock April 10, 13, 18, 6 6 4 4 2 1924, hen 23 ; May 10, 1923 14. Season 1927. Impeyan, cock April 12, 19; 5 5 5 5 5 1924, hen 1925. May 10, 13. Season 1928. Impeyan, cock April 12, 15, 17, 8i j adult, hen 20, 24, 27 ; 1 adult. May 1, 5. 1 f 13 10 10 9 Impeyan, cock April 21, 23, 26, 5,1 1 1926, hen 1926. 28 ; May 4. Impeyan, odd April 11, 13, 21, 5 0 0 0 0 hen adult. 26 ; May 2. Correspondence 87 Dates of Number of eggs N umber of birds Laying . Laid. Incubated. Fertile. Hatched. Reared - Season 1929. Impeyan, cock 1926, hen 1926. April 13, 15, 20, 29; May 2, 8, 11. 7 7 5 4 Impeyan, cock 1927, hen 1927. April 17, 20, 23, 27 ; May3, 8, 12, 16, 19, 24, 11 9 3 3 2 Impeyan, cock 1927, hen L l . April 20, 24, 30, May 5. 4 4 2 2 1927. Impeyan, cock No eggs. 0 0 0 0^ 1927, hen 1927. Season 1927. Swinhoe, cock 1923, hen 1926. April 14, 17, 19, 24,27; May 9. 7 7 0 0 0 Season 1928. Swinhoe, cock 1923, hen April 3, 5, 8, 11, 13, 16. 6 6 6 6 6 1926. Swinhoe, cock 1927, hen May 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26. 6 6 0 0 0 1927. Season 1929. Swinhoe, cock 1923, hen 1926. April 5, 8, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 24, 26, 29 ; May 10, 12, 14, 17, 19. 15 14 14 U\ Swinhoe, cock 1927, hen 1927. April 11, 13, 16, 18,21,23,29; May 6, 13, 15, 17, 20, 30; June 2, 4, 6. 16 12 9 9 Q7~ Swinhoe, cock 1928, hen 1928. April 13, 15, 18, 20,23,25,28; May 3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 19, 21, 24, 27, 29. 17 13 12 7 o i Swinhoe, cock 1928, hen 1928. April 29, 30 ; May 3, 5, 8, 10, 15, 17, 21, 24, 26. 11 8 7 6 Swinhoe, cock 1928, hen 1928. May 8, 11, 14, 17, 19, 22, 25, 28,31; June4. 10 5 4 4/ 88 Correspondence Season 1928. Crossoptilon cock 1927, hen 1927. Crossoptilon cock 1927, hen 1927. Season 1929. Crossoptilon, cock 1927, hen 1927. Dates of Number of eggs Number of birds Laying. Laid. Incubated. Fertile. Hatched. Reared. April 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19,20, 21,23, 25, 27, 28; May 1, 2, 4, 12, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 23, 25, 30, 31 ; June 3, 4, 11, 14, 19. April 26, 29 ; May 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20,21,23, 26, 27. 33 27 16 13 April 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 ; May 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17. 19, 21, 23, 28, 30 ; June 3, 9, 12. 23 21 16 12 11 A. VAN Heyst. GALLOWAY’S PINKO The Great Remedy for Gastro Enteritis , Going Light , all Gastric Disturbances and all Internal Inflammation in Birds — — — - of all species. - - - - — A splendid tonic at any time, during Moult, etc. Supplied to the London Zoological Society, The Hon. Mrs. G. Bourke, Mrs. E. Kathleen Goddard, Capt. L. Reginald Waud, Miss E. Chawner (curator to J. Spedan Lewis, Esq.), Mrs. Dora E. Wall, the Southport, Lancashire, Corporation, and many others too numerous to mention. Send post card for Leaflet with Testimonials. Prices : 2/3, 3/3, 5/3 per bottle. Trial size, 1/3. All post paid United Kingdom. Foreign postage extra. NO AGENTS. Send for Free Sample of GALLOWAY’S INSECTIVOROUS FOOD LIFE. Obtainable Only from C. F. GALLOWAY (Successor to P. F. M. GALLOWAY), 1 RECTORY ROAD, CAVERSHAM, READING. P. H. HASTINGS (Britain s Leading Softbill Specialist ), Has the largest stock of Softbills in the Country., includ¬ ing Nightingales, Sprossers, Warblers, Fly-catchers, Wagtails, Larks, Rock Thrushes, Hoopoes, Shrikes, Golden Oriols, Choughs, Falcons, Hawks, Owls, etc., etc. Fresh Consignments Arriving Weekly. SOLE MAKER OF “ STAMINA ” THE PERFECT o 1 /nJYIII>Ir"\ INSECTIVOROUS FOOD. Requires no moistening, will not turn sour, will keep indefinitely. USED BY ALL LEADING AVICULTURISTS. Send for Free Sample and Specifications to P. H. HASTINGS, BirsPaec?aiis°t°d Engine House, Milton, Portsmouth. in “L’OISEAU” PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE Societe Nationale d’Acclimatation de France, 198 BOULEVARD ST. GERMAIN, PARIS (VIIs) A French Magazine on Aviculture, for the study of European and Foreign Birds in captivity and at liberty. With coloured and black and white plates. ONE YEAR - 75 FRANCS. Medals for first breeding of a species in captivity in France or other countries are awarded if a detailed account is sent to the Society. MEMBERS’ SALE AND EXCHANGE COLUMN. The charge for Members' advertisements is one penny per word, and no advertisement must exceed thirty-six words, name and address included. Payment must accompany the advertisement, which must be sent on or before the 20 th of the month to Mr. T. H. Newman, “ Verulam,” Forty Lane, Wembley Park, Middlesex. All members of the Society are entitled to use this column. SALE OR EXCHANGE Bouneo Firebacks, Elliots’, Lineated, Manchurian Eared, Bels, Melanotte, Swinhoe, Versicolor, Corean Ring-necked, Prince of Wales’ Dark Pheasants, etc. , also Fancy Waterfowl.— Lieut. -Col. Lewis, The Hundridge Game Farm, Great- Missenden, Bucks. Impeyans, Satyrs, Holds, Borneo, Siamese Firebacks, White Peacocks, for sale. — Prof. Allessandro GHiGi, University, Bologna, Italy. Pair Piping Crows, pair Orange Bishops, acclimatised, splendid condition. — - Wood, 8 Lambolle Road, N. W. 8. For sale, cheap, few pairs really good Archangel Pigeons ; also 1929 absolutely pure Amherst Pheasants and one Swinhoe hen Pheasant. Wanted 1927 and and 1928 Peahens. — G. Beever, Brooklyn, Kirkheaton, Huddersfield. Change of blood, wish exchange two cock Cockatiels, 1929 birds from outdoor unheated aviary, would prefer pair; also exchange cock Golden Pheasants; expenses paid. — W. J. Cooper, Maiden Erlegh, Reading. True pair Blue Mountain Lories £5 ; true pair Pennants and one odd cock £9 : two cock Stanley’s £6, or would exchange for hen. — B. Jackson, 38 Church St., Bingley. WANTED Pair adult Apple Green Budgerigars. — Particulars, Cooke, 33 Nelgarde Road, Catford. IV CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION. Mbs. A. K. Black, R.F.D. 1, Box 250, Gardena, California, U.S. A. Proposed by E. W. Gifford. Major Charles Budd, St. Davids, Lisvane, Glam. Proposed by Edward J. Boosey. Mrs. Chichester, The Deer Park Cottage, Glenarm, Co. Antrim. Proposed by W. W. Workman. DR. Hans Duncker, 22 Wernigeroder Strasse, Bremen. Proposed by C. H. Cremer. M. G. Eighmey, Costa Mesa Bird and Game Farm, Costa Mesa, California, U.S. A. Proposed by A. A. Prestwich. Mrs. Fetherstonhaugh, The Royal Lodge, Windsor Great Park. Proposed by Stephen Stokes. R. A. Isenberg, Los Altos, California, U.S. A. Proposed by A. H. Isenberg. Geo. Levy, 14 Templewood Avenue, Hampstead, N.W. 3. Proposed by A. Sherriff. G. B. Martin, Ravensdene, Grove Park, Kent. Proposed by A. Sherriff. Lady McMullan, Stoneleigh, Bangor, Co. Down. Proposed by W. W. Workman. R. A. Miles, 34 Great Queen Street, W.C. 2. Proposed by A. Sherriff. Gerald Y. de Pass, The Kennels, Satwell, nr. Henley-on-Thames. Proposed by E. Maud' Knobel. Mrs. Frank H. Salter, 5 The Crescent, Scarborough. Proposed by W. H. St. Quintin. Miss Dora A. Strombi, 26 High Street, Brechin, Angus. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. A. Wilkins, Rendcombe, Chesham, Bucks. Proposed by Lord Tavistock. NEW MEMBERS. Major A. W. T. Buckland, M.C., Longfield, Lyminge, Kent. Melville Carlisle, P.O. Laboratory, Pretoria, South Africa. Cyril Eric Fabian, 29 Meadowcroft Road, Palmers Green, N. 13. Alfred J. Frazer, Old Mill Gardens, Wannock, Polegate, Sussex. Miss Kathleen A. Gamble, 17 Park Hill, Ealing, W. 5. P. H. Hastings, Old Engine House, Milton, Portsmouth. Miss Gladys M. B. Hollond, 5 Norfolk Crescent, Hyde Park, W. 2. Mrs. Christine Irvine, 40 Elleray Park Road, Wallasey, Cheshire. Arnold McMillan, Ivy House, New Romney, Kent. Herbert Norcross, Normanhurst, Mount Road, Middleton, Lancs. Windsor D. Parker, The Grange, Woolpit, Suffolk. Thomas Pembleton, 39 Park Villas, Watford Road, Wembley, Middlesex. J. E. Pepin, 4044 South Broadway, Los Angeles, California, U.S. A. Capt. G. W. Thompson, Ardwell, Steel Cross, Crowborough. Ernest Wilson, 21 High Road, Willesden Green, N.W. 10. CHANGES OF ADDRESS. Miss Chawner, to Tarrystone House, Cookham, Berks. Mrs. Carl Holmes, to The Node, Codicote, Hitchin, Herts. Mrs. Rogers, to Keston, Sea Road, Barton-on- Sea. DONATIONS. £ s. d. £ s. d. 10 0 Walter Voigt Robert Suggitt . 10 0 John Barrymore . 10 0 GAMAGES -?S£ HAVE ALWAYS A VARIED STOCK OF Foreign Birds , Parrots, Lovebirds, etc. We can now offer : — Zebra Finches, Diamond Doves, Blue and Cobalt Budgerigars, Red Crested Cardinals, Spreo Starlings, Blackcheek and Fischer's Lovebird, Orange Bishops, Pekin Robins, White and Particoloured Bengalese, White and Grey Java Sparrows, Black Head Mannikins, Shamas, Golden Fronted Bulbuls , Various Parrots, Lavender Finch, Cordon Bleus, Fire Finches, Ribbon Finches, Hyacinthe Macaw, Black Cockatoo, Turquoisine and Stanley Parrakeets. BEST FOODS. LOWEST PRICES. Mealworms 6/6 per ib., |ib., 3/6 Post paid. Spray Millet Ants’ Eggs 5/6, 7/6, 10/- per bundle. , , 3/- per lb., 41b., 11/- , , Dried Flies 1/9 , 41b., 6/6 ,, Pure Egg Yolk . 21- , 41b., 71- i • Insectivorous Food 1/6 , 71b., 8/6 * » Cuttlefish Bone 1/3 , , 41b., 4/6 ... Specialities in CAGES, AVIARIES, NEST-BOXES and all appliances. GAMAGES, HOLBORN, LONDON, PHONE : HOL. 8484. E.C.l. DE VON & CO. FOREIGN (continued). Sceelfinches . . 6/6 ,, Tame Chattering Blue-fronted Amazon Parrots 4 5/- and 50/- each . GOLD AND Golden Orfe Dogfish Paradise Fish Catfish Goldfish FANCY FISH. 9d. each. 6d. ,, 1/6 „ 6d. ,, 3d. to 1 0/- FOREIGN. Magnificent Adult Green Long-tailed Budgerigars 9/- pair, Young Green 8/-, Adult Yellow 1 1/- Genuine Finger-tame Green Budgerigars . . 7/6 each. Black-headed Nuns . 5/6 pair. Atlas Weavers . . 3/- ,, Iled-billed Weavers . 4/6 ,, Pekin Nightingales, full plumage, young . 5/- each. Hartz Mountain Boiler Canaries, on full song, cocks 15/- each, hens 3/6 each. Mexican Blue Jay . 4 5/- Crested Cardinals . 10/- each. Virginian Cardinals, full gorgeous colour . 3 0/- ,, American Mocking Bird 3 0/- Grosbeaks . . . 27/6 ,, White-shouldered Troupials 3 0/- ,, Orange Bishops . 4/- pair. Silverbills . 4/- Combassous . 4/6 Red-eared Waxbills 3/6 Spicebirds . 6/6 Cutthroats . . . 4/- REPT1LES, PET MONKEYS, MONGOOSE, LEMURS, GUINEAPIGS, etc. Phone: TERMINUS 3959. _ Illustrated Price List issued. 1 27 King’s Cross Road, London, W.C. 1 . 1" to 10,/. All aquatic requirements. FOODS AND MEALWORMS. Large clean Mealworms, 1 Od. oz. ; 41- £lb. ; 6/6 lb. ; 5 lbs. 32/6 , carriage paid. Best Nightingale and Shama Food, 3/- lb. ; 7 lbs. , 18/6. Best Lark and Thrush Food, 1/3 lb. ; 7 lbs., 7/-. Pure Crop Ants’ Eggs, 2/9 lb. ; 71bs., 17/6. Cuttlefish, 1/8 and 2/6 lb. Indian Millet Sprays, large, 7/6 bdle. 50 sprays to bundle. All postages paid. EIETH SERIES, VOL. VIII. NO. 4. APRIL 1930. THE Avicultural Magazine CONTENTS. PAGE PAGE On the Breeding of the Saras Crane {with Plate), by Lord Rothschild, F.R.S. ... Partridges, by D. Seth- Smith ... Grouse, by D. Seth- Smith 1929 in the Boyers House Aviaries {with Plate), by W. Shore- Baily 89 91 96 99 Notes from the Lilford Aviaries, by A. F. Moody ... ... 101 Nesting Notes from Foxwarren . Park, by Alfred Ezra, O.B.E. 104 The Story of a Sparrow, by E. Maud Knobel ... . . 107 Avicultural Notes ... ... ... 108 Correspondence : Origin of Colour Varieties- in Budgerigars ; Saf¬ flower Seed ; the Large-billed Indian Weaver ... ... ... 109 The Price of this Number is 2/6. THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY. FOUNDED 1894 NOTICE TO MEMBERS The (Subscription to the Avicultural Society is £1 per annum, due on the 1st of January in each year, and is payable in advance. The entrance fee is 10/0. The Avicultural Magazine is sent free to members monthly. Members joining at any time during the year are entitled to the back numbers for the current year, on the payment of entrance fee and subscription. ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO THE HONORARY SECRETARY AND TREASURER, Miss Knobel, 32 Tavistock Square, London, W.C.l. All Queries respecting Birds (except post-mortem cases) and all other correspondence should be sent to the Hon. Secretary, at the above address. Any change of address should be notified to her. MEMBERS’ BADGE. In silver, price 3s. 6d., from Messrs. Thomas Fattorini (Birmingham), Ltd., Trafalgar Works, Hockley Street, Birmingham. State whether for lady or gentleman. POST-MORTE M E X A M1NATION S . Rule 1. — A short account of the illness should accompany the specimen. All birds to be sent as fresh as possible to Mr. C. H. Hicks, The Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8. Rule 2.-— A stamped addressed envelope must be enclosed with the bird. Rule 3.— No body or skin of any bird will be returned under any circumstances whatever. _ _ _ _ _ The Magazine is published by Messrs. Stephen Austin Jc Sons, 5 Fore Street, Hertford, to whom members should address all orders for extra copies, back numbers for 1917 and after, and bound volumes. Cases for binding the Magazine (in art cloth, with gold block on side) can be obtained from the Publishers, post free and carefully packed, at 3/-- each ; or the Publishers will undertake the binding of the Volume for 5/6, plus 9 d. for packing and postage. Members are requested to state whether they want the wrappers and advertisements bound in at the end or not. Telephone: 46 Hertford. BACK VOLUMES of the AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE previous to 1917. Application for these should be made to the Editor of Cage Birds, Link House, 4-8 Greville Street, E.C. 1. AU Enquiries for ADVERTISEMENTS and TRADE SUPPLIES should be made direct to STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, Ltd., FORE STREET, HERTFORD. All communications intended for publication in the Magazine should be addressed to the Editor | — Mr. D. Seth-Smith, Zoological Society, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8. BOOKS for the AVICULTURIST NOTES ON THE GAME BIRDS OF KENYA AND UGANDA. By Sir Frederick Jackson. Fully illustrated in colour. Post free, 25s. POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS. By Hugh Whistler, F.L.S., F.Z.S. Illustrated with 17 full-page plates (81 figures), of which 4 are coloured, and 85 figures in the text from drawings by H. Gronvold. 465 pages. 15s. 9d. post free. PHEASANTS : IN COVERT AND AVIARY. By Frank Townend Barton, M.R.C.V.S. With 4 magnificent coloured plates from life by H. GRONVOLD, and numerous other illustrations from photographs. 11s. 3d. post free. The Avicultural Book Co. (Directed by ARTHUR A. PRESTW1CH), WINSOR, SOUTHAMPTON. P. H. HASTINGS (Britain’s Leading Softbill Specialist), BIRDS IN STOCK. Magnificent Alpine Choughs . . . . £5 per pair. Young Black Redstarts . £2 „ „ Full-plumaged B. Redstarts . . . . 55/- „ „ Splendid Waxwings . . . . . . 40/- „ „ 5? „ selected Cocks . 25/-, 30/- and 40/- each. 1 Rare Blue Rock Thrush (full song) . . . 75 /— 1 Hand-reared Golden Oriol . . . . 35/— Fine H.M. Lesser Whitethroat (full song) . . 30 /- ARRIVING NEXT WEEK. Blacks tarts. Blue-headed Wagtails, Blue-throated Warblers, Barred Warblers, Nightingales, Sprossers, Shrikes, Blackcaps, etc., etc. Price List on application. SOLE MAKER OF “ STAMINA ” The Insectivorous Food Supreme. USED BY ALL LEADING AVICULTURISTS. - - - UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL from a Leading Exhibitor. Hundreds more open to inspection : — Dear Sir, 1 80, High Road, Leyton. Please find enclosed 10/6 for the usual amount of STAMINA. 1 have been using this Food for nearly three years and I must give you unstinted praise in perfecting such an excellent mixture. My Birds are always in wonderful condition due to its nourishing properties, and I maintain its quality to be far above any other Food obtainable. I forward a few of the prizes won with birds obtained from you fed and conditioned on STAMINA. Blackstart, two Ists, Cup, five Spls., two 2nds, and V.H.C. Crystal Palace. Songthrush, winner of twenty-three lsts, two 2nds, three 3rds, Silver Cup, Silver Medal, best in Show. Waxwing, 1st Leyton, best in Show, 1st East Ham. Bramblefinch, conditioned on Stamina, 1st Cup, Gold Medal, best in Show, Leyton, 1st Bognor, 1st Interclub, 2nd M. Police, 1st, two Spls., best British East Ham, 1928. Also i hundreds of others too numerous to mention. Yours faithfully, W. TYLER. VARIOUS FOODS, etc. Best Cleaned Ant Eggs . Best Sifted Dried Flies . Best Fine Meat Meal Fine Yellow Biscuit Yolk Large Clean Mealworms i lb. 3 /-, 4 lb. io/6, 7 lb. 17/6, post paid. 1 lb. 2/6, 4 lb. 10/- 7 lb. 15/-, „ „ 1 lb. 1/-, 4 lb. 2/9, 7 lb. 4 /-, „ „ 1 lb. 1/6, 4 lb. 4/9, 7 lb. 7/6, „ „ 1 lb. 7/-, 4 lb. 27/6, 7 lb. 42/6, „ „ Samples free. Complete Set, 6 vols., Butler's British Birds . . £4 Complete Set, 4 vols., Kirkman’s British Birds . £$ 10/- P. H. HASTINGS, BirsdpeadfiSod Old Engine House, Milton, Portsmouth. A vic. Mag. 1930. 1. — Adults and Young. 2. — Young Birds at Tring Park, 1929. Sarus Cranes ( Grus antigone ). Frontispiece .] THE Avicultural Magazine BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF FOREIGN 8c BRITISH BIRDS IN FREEDOM 8c CAPTIVITY Fifth Series-— V ol. VIII.-— No. 4. — All rights reserved. APRIL, 1930. ON THE BREEDING OF THE SARUS CRANE (GRUS ANTIGONE, LINN.) AT TRING By Lord Rothschild, F.R.S. We have had two Sarus Cranes at Tring since the summer of 1915. The female of the breeding pair was presented to my late brother in 1915 by Lord Newton as a male, and I got a second bird in the same year from Marseilles, which lived till 1924 and proved on dissection to be, as alleged, a female. I purchased my present male from Mr. Chapman in 1924 when about 18-20 months old, or even, perhaps, only 15 months old. The two birds began to pair in 1925. A nest was begun on 17th July, and the first egg laid on 20th July and the second on 22nd July. The female began to incubate at once on the 22nd, and the eggs were taken away on 8th September ; they proved unfertile. A second nest was built on 22nd September, and the eggs were laid on the 23rd and 27th ; the eggs again proved unfertile. The nest consisted of dry grass, dry nettle stalks and small pieces of wood. The male did not sit and the female often left the nest for a short time. In 1926 a nest was hurriedly constructed on 28th June and an egg laid, followed by a second on 30th June. After forty-seven days’ incubation the eggs again proved unfertile. On 29th and 30th August two eggs were again laid in a very small and carelessly built nest 7 90 Lord Rothschild — The Breeding of the Sarus Crane and were only intermittently brooded by the female ; they also were un¬ fertile. In 1928 seven eggs were laid between 8th July and 20th August, some on bare ground and others in an imperfect nest, and unless taken away immediately, were broken and eaten by the birds. On 2nd and 24th August two further eggs were laid and well incubated by the female, but did not hatch, though one egg showed traces of fertility. In 1929 a small nest was made inside the hut and the eggs were laid on 2nd and 5th July and afterwards destroyed and eaten by the male. The nest was considerably enlarged on 10th July and an egg laid on 12th July. This was not destroyed, and the female remained most of the time beside the nest as if to protect it. On 14th July the second egg was deposited and the female sat intermittently on the nest. On the 15th she began to incubate properly and for the first time the male was observed to incubate the eggs alternately with the female. The male now became exceedingly savage. On 19th August the first young one was hatched, and on the 20th the second, and the first one could be seen walking about on the edge of the nest. In the evening the female tried to feed the first young one by picking up food in its beak and offering it to the young one, but the latter was not seen to swallow anything. On 21st August both young ones were observed to leave the nest and get just outside the hut with the female. When food was placed in the pan for the parents a most interesting scene was witnessed, the two old birds trying to feed the young or else showing them how to pick it up. Very finely shredded liver was then put down and the parents picked up this meat and rubbed it against or shook it near the tip of the young ones’ bills and then putting it down for the young to try and pick up. Sometimes they held it in their own bills till the young got the idea of taking it away, varying these methods several times ; but never actually placing the food inside the bills of the young ones, nor did the latter open their mouths as if expecting this. On 29th August the young Cranes were observed for the first time to hunt for and pick up insects for themselves. On 8th October flight feathers first strongly apparent, and on 20th feathers all over wings, thighs and tail were visible. On 19th December one young D. Seth- Smith — Partridges 91 bird started to fly and we bad to cut one wing. Tbe colour of the young birds is darker, more ashy grey with a browner tinge than in the adults, and the upper neck and head are covered with dark rusty buff downy feathers. On 24th February second plumage, paler grey, feathers began to show distinctly on the neck and back. The female, which has been at Tring now fifteen years, was in Lord Newton’s possession and elsewhere for a number of years, and so must be well over twenty years old, while the male is only seven or eight. As far as I have been able to find out, there is in the last one hundred years no other record of the successful rearing in captivity of the Sarus Crane, though young have been hatched on more than one occasion. The one young bird is much larger than the other, so they are evidently male and female. The only record I have been able to find of the successful breeding and rearing of the Sarus Crane in captivity is in the diary of the Moghul Emperor Jehangir (a.d. 1605-27) (see Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., vol. xxxii, pp. 57-60, 1927). I am indebted for the observations on the feeding, moulting, etc. of the two young birds to Frederick Young, the taxidermist and caretaker of the Tring Museum. PARTRIDGES By D. Seth-Smith The Partridges form a large group of birds, many of which have been successfully kept in confinement. The aviary in which they are kept should be large with an extensive open flight containing abundant cover, both in the form of grass and low shrubs. The soil should be light, as a heavy clay soil does not suit them. Given suitable conditions most species will breed and rear their young; successfully. Their food consists in the main of small grain, but they are also large consumers of insects and green food and require grit.. 92 D. Seth- Smith— Partridges The Red-legged Partridges (Alectoris) form a very distinct group in which the sexes are alike in plumage but can be readily distinguished by the presence of spurs in the male. They breed freely in captivity if given a large enclosure with plenty of covert. They are very noisy and, as a rule, become tame to the extent, occasionally, of being aggressive. They are apt to be quarrelsome with other allied species of birds. The nest is formed on the ground, of leaves and grass, usually sheltered by a tuft of grass, and the clutch consists of from ten to fifteen eggs. These birds will sometimes lay freely in quite a small aviary, and the eggs can be collected and set under domestic hens, when the chicks can be reared without much difficulty, especially providing an abundant supply of live ants’ eggs is available. The Chukor Partridge (A. chukar) has an exclusive range throughout Asia, and many local races or sub-species have been described. It is greyish-brown above, the breast grey, and abdomen rufous-buff, the throat and fore-neck white, surrounded by a band of black ; lores whitish, ear-coverts chestnut. The Chukor becomes extremely tame in captivity, and has bred very freely in Mr. Alfred Ezra’s park in Surrey, where the soil is light and sandy. The Greek Partridge (A. saxatilis) occurs in the mountains of Southern Europe, and closely resembles A. chukar , but has the lores and ear-coverts black, the latter being mixed with buff. This species was bred in the London Zoo in 1905. The Common Ked-legged Partridge (A. rufa) is a handsome species, darker and more richly coloured than the Chukor, the feathers of the chest being margined on the sides with black. Its habitat is Southern Europe, and it has been introduced into Great Britain as a game-bird. The Barbary Red-legged Partridge (A. 'petrosa ), from North- West Africa and Sardinia, is recognized by the top of the head being dark chestnut and a collar of chestnut spotted with white bordering the sides and front of the neck. The Black-headed Partridge (A. melanocephala), from Arabia, is the largest and most handsome of the Red-legged Partridges, D. Seth-Smith — Partridges 93 and is easily recognized by its large size and black top to the head, a wide black band surrounding the throat and continued down the middle of the neck. This fine Partridge has been bred by Mr. Herbert Whitley, as described in the Avicultural Magazine for 1928, p. 101, where a coloured drawing of the bird is reproduced. The Seesee Partridges ( Ammoperdix ), of which only three species are known, are small desert-loving birds of an isabelline or sand-colour, a black band across the forehead passing backwards over the eyes. The flank-feathers of the male are longitudinally barred with chestnut and black in striking contrast to the rest of the plumage. The female lacks the black markings on the head, and the barring on the flanks. Bonham’s Seesee Partridge (A. bonhami) occurs in South- West Asia. Hey’s Seesee Partridge (A. heyi ), a paler coloured bird, occurs in Arabia and Palestine. Cholmley’s Seesee Partridge (A. cholmleyi) is the form inhabiting Egypt and Nubia. Seesee Partridges are very delightful birds in captivity, but must be kept in a perfectly dry aviary with sand and rocks. They cannot stand damp. Specimens kept in the London Zoological Gardens laid freely and several young were reared. The True Partridges ( Perdix ) The Common Partridge (P. perdix) is too well known to require a description, but it may be well to refer to a mark of distinction in the sexes which was pointed out by Ogilvie-Grant some years ago. The wing-coverts of the male have only a buff shaft-stripe, whereas those of the female have, in addition, buff cross-bars. The presence or absence of the horse-shoe marking on the breast is not an infallible distinction. Common Partridges when reared from the eggs under domestic hens are very tame and delightful birds, and will breed freely in captivity, such as in a wired enclosure, the birds having one wing cut to prevent flight. The cock bird becomes quite aggressive towards the breeding season. Hodgson’s Partridge (P. hodgsonice), from Southern Tibet, has been represented in the London Zoological Gardens. 94 D. Seth- Smith - — Partridges The Madagascar Partridge (Margaroperdix madagascariensis) has been kept and bred in France. The Indian Bush Quails (Perdicula). This genus comprises two small species which are generally classed as Partridges, and in their habits resemble these birds rather than the Quails. The Jungle Bush Quail (P. asiatica) inhabits India and Ceylon. In the male the upper parts are brown with pale buff shaft-stripes on the back and black markings on the wings. Bnderparts white with black bars. Forehead, throat, and stripes above the eyes chestnut. The female is of a uniform vinaceous buff. The Rock Bush Quail (P. argoondah) has much the same habitat .as the last, from which it differs in being of a more brick-red colour. It appears to be a bird of the rocky plains, whereas the other is found in the forest country. Both species have been freely imported, but are shy and difficult to tame. The Bamboo-Partridges ( Bambusicola ) have the tail rather long and wedge-shaped, and the sexes similarly coloured. They are frequenters of dense grass and bush and rarely met with in the open. They are very quarrelsome, and perch on the branches of trees. Fytche’s Bamboo-Partridge (B. fytchii) occurs in North- Eastern Bengal, Northern Burma, and Indo-Ohina, and has been imported on very rare occasions. It is brown in colour with the nape chestnut, the back dark chestnut mottled with white, the wing-coverts marked with buff, chestnut, and black, the eyebrow striped, cheeks and throat grey. The Chinese Bamboo-Partridge ( B . thomcica) is not very unlike the Common Partridge. Olive-brown above, marked with chestnut on the back, with white and buff markings. The Formosan Bamboo-Partridge (P. sonorivox) is like the last, but more richly coloured. The Red Spur-Fowl ( Galloperdix spadicea) has the tail moderately long and rounded, and the male is armed with two or more pairs of spurs, the female frequently carrying spurs also. It occurs in Western India, and is very rarely imported. The male is reddish- chestnut, the feathers margined with greyish-brown, the sides of the head and neck being greyish-brown. The female differs in having D. Seth-Smith — Partridges 95 the feathers of the neck and underparts tipped with black, and the upper parts of the body barred with black and buff. The Tree Partridges (Arborophila) are a group of purely forest- loving birds, never found in the open country. They have very | short tails and rounded bodies, and spend most of their time scratching amongst the fallen trees and undergrowth for insects, seeds, shoots, and berries, upon which they chiefly feed. They are rarely if ever found in coveys, but generally in pairs. The call is a musical whistle. Except in one case the sexes are alike in plumage. Some four or five species have been imported and have proved to be very desirable aviary birds, especially where their enclosures are planted with plenty of covert and provide ample facilities for scratching. The Common Tree Partridge (A. torqueola) inhabits the outer ranges of the Himalayas and is the only species in which the sexes differ in plumage. The male has the crown bright chestnut, the back olive-brown barred with black ; wings marked with chestnut and black ; the sides of the face and throat black, the feathers edged with white, the neck white, and chest grey. The flanks are grey, the feathers edged with chestnut and spotted with white. The female has the crown brown, the sides of the face, throat, and neck reddish with black spots. This species has been bred in France. The following additional species have been imported : A. atrigularis, from North-Eastern India ; A. henrici, from Annam ; A. crudigularis, from Formosa ; A. rufigularis, from the Himalayas ; A. javanica, from Java. Of the closely allied genus Tropicoperdix, sometimes known as Wood Partridges, four species have been imported, namely, T. merlini, from Annam ; T. chloropus, from the Eastern Pegu Hills and Cochin China ; T. charltoni, from the Malay Peninsula ; and T. tonkinensis, from Tongking. The Roulrqul Partridge The Crowned Wood Partridge or Roulroul (Rollulus roulroul) is the only species of its genus, and an extremely beautiful and very desirable species. The male may be described as green, strongly glossed with blue, the head being black, with the crown 96 D. Seth- Smith— Grouse white and a long full maroon crest on the hinder part of the head, and a tuft of long, black, hair-like bristles on the forehead. The wings rufous-brown ; the legs and feet bright red, and a bright red ring of skin round the eyes. The female is bright grass-green with the head grey, and she lacks the rufous crest. This lovely bird inhabits the dense covert of the Malay forests, finding its food — which consists of seeds and insects— -by scratching amongst the leaves. The species was successfully bred in Devonshire in 1926, an account of this interesting event, by Mr. Herbert Whitley, appearing in the Avicultural Magazine, together with a coloured plate, in October, 1927. The Stone Partridge The Stone Partridge (Ptilopachys fuscus) inhabits Western and North-Eastern Africa, where it inhabits the bare stony hill-sides, being found in flocks of coveys. It is rarely imported, and those we have met with have been extremely wild. The sexes are alike, brown in colour, finely mottled with whitish. The tail is rather long and rounded, and there is a large naked space behind the eye. GROUSE ( TETRAONIDjE ) By D. Seth-Smith Grouse are distinguished by having the feet more or less covered by feathers. The nostrils are also feathered, and the hind toe is raised considerably above the level of the others and there are no spurs. Speaking generally, Grouse may be said to be somewhat difficult subjects in captivity, though, under suitable conditions, they are very interesting and attractive birds. To keep any species of Grouse successfully a large enclosure, on dry soil and with plenty of cover, is essential. Hot summer sunshine is detrimental to them, and adequate shade must be provided. As to food, grain such as wheat and dari, canary, millet, and hemp-seed suits them, with abundance of green food and a good supply of clean, sharp grit is essential, and they must always have access to clean water. During cold weather meal, such as barley-meal mixed with a little ground meat, is desirable. D. Seth- Smiths Grouse 97 Heather may not be essential, but it is very desirable, especially for the Red Grouse. The Willow Grouse (Lagopus lagopus) has a circum-polar range, inhabiting Arctic Europe, Asia, and America. In summer plumage it somewhat resembles the Red Grouse of Scotland, but changes its plumage as the cold weather approaches until in winter it becomes pure white with the exception of the outer tail-feathers, which do not change. The Willow Grouse has not often been kept in captivity, but it would appear to be one of the least difficult and to be very ready to breed in confinement. Some twenty years ago Mr. W. H. St. Quintin obtained six birds, all of which proved to be hens, but four out of the six laid their first summer. Later, some cocks having been procured, a pair was sent to the London Zoological Gardens, where they bred their first year, one young bird being reared to maturity. These birds require abundance of green food in addition to such seeds as canary and hemp and soft food such as barley-meal. Freshly cut willow shoots are appreciated, and a plentiful supply of good grit is most essential. The Red Grouse (L. scoticus) is a local race of the Willow Grouse that does not change to a white dress in winter. It occurs in Great .Britain and Ireland only. In 1912 Mr. H. Wormald kept four pairs of Red Grouse which he described as the tamest and most interesting of all the game-birds he had kept, and comparatively easy to cater for. All four hens made nests and sat well, each on some ten eggs. A few of the eggs were placed under a Bantam, which was fortunate, as all the sitting Grouse were killed one night by a stoat. The Bantam hatched and reared the young Grouse successfully. The Ptarmigan ( L . mutus) is found on the mountains of Scotland and Europe generally. It is slightly smaller than the Red Grouse. Its plumage is white in winter, the outer tail-feathers black, and a black patch in front of the eye of the male only. In summer the male is dark brown mottled with grey, with the underparts white, the female being blacker with the underparts rufous buff. The Ptarmigan has been rarely kept in captivity. The Black Grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) has the tarsi feathered but 98 D. Seth- Smith — Grouse the toes naked. The outer tail-feathers of the male are curved out¬ wards at the extremity. The Black Grouse is an inhabitant of woods and forests of pine and birch, and spends much of its time in the branches. It feeds on berries, grain, and shoots. Black Game are polygamous, and the gatherings of the males for display and fighting in the breeding season have often been described. They do not, as a rule, thrive for any length of time in captivity, and the late Lord Lilford found that they did best when they had the run of a large walled-in kitchen garden. The Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus). — This very fine species, of which the male is some 3 feet in length, has its home in the pine forests of Europe and Northern and Central Asia. It spends most of its time in the branches of the pine-trees, feeding on the shoots of spruce and larch. It also eats fruit and berries as well as grain. Mr. St. Quintin found the Capercaillie a very difficult subject to deal with in captivity, and the late Lord Lilford, with all his experience, was unable to keep it. The Hazel Grouse ( Tetrastes bonasia) inhabits Europe and Central Asia, being found chiefly in hilly and wooded districts. In colour it is greyish, barred with black. The male has the chin black, that of the female being white. It is rarely kept in captivity. The Prairie Grouse (Tympanuchus cupido), from North America, is barred with rufous and black, and carries tufts of feathers on the neck, those of the male being considerably longer than those of the female. The cock bird has a loose patch of naked skin on each side of the neck, which is orange in colour, and during display is inflated, appearing like two oranges on the neck. It has seldom been kept in captivity. The Sharp-tailed Grouse ( Pediocaetes phasianellus). — Another American species that has been represented in Zoological Gardens of Europe. The Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus), also from the northern parts of North America, has been imported. W. Shore- Baily— 1929 in the Boyers House Aviaries 99 1929 IN THE BOYERS HOUSE AVIARIES By W. Shore-Baily Most aviculturists will look back upon the last year with mixed feelings. It has certainly been the most extraordinary one in my experience. In the spring and early part of the year we had frosts of an exceptional severity, followed by many months of abnormal dryness, with periods of very warm weather. This was followed by one of the wettest autumns, accompanied by tremendous gales, that I can remember. The cold of the early months had the effect of delaying breeding operations in the aviaries, and it also was the cause of numerous infertile clutches, due to the weakness of the male birds when they did go to nest. The dry and rainless summer, also proved disastrous to those birds who rear their young for the first week or so mainly on insect food, as insects of all kinds were very scarce. And to make a bad season worse, the torrential rains of the autumn drowned a large proportion of the young birds that were lucky enough to have survived long enough to leave the nest. One never expects much natural increase in one’s aviaries, but I think that on 31st December - last many of us must have had far fewer birds than when the season opened. I hope that things may be better this year. I have already given you the accounts of the rearing of the Chilian Tinamou and the South African Water Rail, and nothing very much else of interest happened here. Early in the year my Cayenne Lapwings made several nests. These were quite well made, of bits of stick and willow-bark, and they were very conspicuous as they stood quite 2 inches above the ground. Although no eggs were laid the birds became very quarrel¬ some, suffering nothing to come near their breeding ground, and driving away such large birds as Sacred and Scarlet Ibises. My Mexican Scarlet Tanager duly nested, but the eggs were again infertile. The Yellow-breasted Grosbeaks, although a true pair and apparently in fine breeding condition, made no attempt to nest. The Brown-headed Troupial again mated with a hen Bay Cowbird, and reared one young. Olivaceous Thrushes failed to rear their 100 W. Shore- Baily — 1929 in the Boyers Rouse Aviaries young ; the weather was too dry for them. My Chilian Thrush nested three times, but unfortunately she had no husband. This is a handsome bird about the size of our Fieldfare. A pair of American Tree Sparrows, kindly sent me by my friend Professor Rowan, of Alberta, made a neat little nest close to the ground, in a bundle of sticks, and laid a clutch of eggs, pale green with small pink spots, but unfortunately another bird raided the nest. Nesting as these birds do in Alaska, the eggs are hard to obtain and are scarce in collections. My Tree Pies built a deep cup-shaped nest in a conifer, in which the hen laid three clutches, all infertile. When the hen was sitting the cock became very savage, and I always had to take a stick with me when I entered the aviary. His favourite mode of attack was to swoop at the back of your neck and scratch with his claws, but if your eye was off him for a second, he would make a frontal attack as well. They are very handsome birds, and I believe Dr. Amsler bred them some time ago. The five species of Lovebirds kept were also failures ; although many eggs were laid, no young ones were hatched, the trouble being dead young ones in shell. I am afraid that there is no chance of any of these birds being established in our aviaries in the same way that Budgerigars are. One of the troubles is the difficulty of sexing some of the species. With the Water Birds we also had no luck. The Yellow-billed Coots and the Blue Coots did nothing. Two or three of the Reeves selected breeding-sites, but did not get as far as eggs, and the Knots, although most of them came into full breeding plumage, never looked like nesting. After trying for twelve years I have given up hopes of getting eggs from these birds. It is to be hoped that the coming season will be a normal one, at any rate as far as weather conditions go. A vic. Mag. 1930. Tree Pies ( TJrocissa occipitalis ) at nest. [To face p. 100. A. F. Moody — Notes from the Lit ford Aviaries 101 NOTES FROM THE LILFORD AVIARIES By A. F. Moody By permission of The Lady Lilford I again send a few particulars about the birds at Lilford. These, if somewhat late, refer to season 1929. Firstly, like other aviculturists, we had to contend with an extra¬ ordinarily severe winter, the severest portion of which was a certain week in February, when we experienced over 240 hours of continuous frost and a nightly temperature of from 20 to 30 degrees. The one redeeming feature of this remarkable winter was its dryness, an almost Arctic cold — a condition which without doubt, upon our unkindly clay soil at Lilford, proved much less trying to bird life than a lesser degree of cold combined with damp. This contributed largely to our getting safely through the first four months of the year without losing a single established bird. During the severest weather our Waterfowl in one pond at least were completely frozen out, and either slept upon the open ice or around the edge of a moist, boggy patch fed by a tiny spring. The Flamingoes, too, retired to this tree-shaded sanctuary, and either * nosed about in this small patch of mud or stood within it upon one leg. In this enclosure also Bed-billed Tree Duck wintered satis¬ factorily. The more delicately Javan, White-faced, and some unestablished Fulvous being driven into a shed at night. Upon a more exposed piece of water some seventy Duck wintered satisfactorily, keeping a small pool open in the centre by continually swimming about. These included Comb Duck, Eider, Bosy-bill, and various more hardy species. A pair of Pelicans sharing the same water felt the cold a little, and being sun-loving subjects showed great intelligence in invariably roosting upon that portion of the pond’s bank which received the last rays of the setting sun. An Apteryx or Kiwis (Apertryx haasti) being entirely dependent upon earthworms for food might reasonably have been expected to suffer during this prolonged cold, dry spell. This bird, however, refused all artificial help in the shape of shredded meat, etc., and 102 A. F. Moody — Notes from the Lilford Aviaries having the range of a large enclosure seemed to find sufficient sustenance ; and, as usual, went to ground during the day-time and hunted his enclosure at night. Crested Cranes, Screamers, and other half-hardy birds wintered satisfactorily when provided with the usual unheated shed protection. Of Parrots, three Red and Yellow Macaws (Ara macao), except for a period of three days when they were taken indoors for fear of a snow blizzard, spent the winter at liberty. These, in all their glory of unstained red, blue, and gold, when seen flying in large circles or shooting forward at a lower elevation amidst trees are extremely ornamental, and perhaps the most spectacular of the various birds kept here. Their quaint and amusing behaviour generally also render them great favourites and a source of attraction to most visitors. These Macaws rarely wander more than a mile or two from home, invariably return morning and evening to be fed, and are ever ready to come swooping down to the shoulder for food. During cold weather they roost in dove-cote like barrels, during the summer occasionally in trees. As to such supposed natural habits as can be observed from examples living under these conditions, it is noticeable that they are excellent fliers and take a great amount of exercise, that they occasionally create a shower bath by repeatedly flapping their wings amidst the saturated foliage of trees, also that when the sun is hot they keep out of sight and in the shade of trees ; further that at all seasons they fly late and quite into twilight. Regarding breeding. The hot and dry summer following the prolonged winter (we registered from 16 to 18 degrees of frost as late as 18th April) did not appear conducive to great successes. Early in the season a supposed pair of the Red and Yellow Macaws already referred to raised our hopes by forcibly ejecting some Pigeons from a dove-cote. This they jealously guarded for some weeks, but nothing further resulted from it. The usual crop of frequently bred species were reared, and infertile eggs laid by certain well-meaning widows. North American Wild Turkeys ( M . americana) did well ; ten A. F. Moody — Notes from the Lilford Aviaries 108 young were reared, as were also a pair of hybrid Jungle Fowl between a male Gallus varius and a female Gallus gallus. Our Canvas-backs did not lay, the best Ducks reared being three North American Dusky Ducks ( Anas ohscura), one Abyssinian Yellow-bill, and one female Scaup. These numbers, except in the case of the Turkeys, represented the only fertile eggs laid by the species named. One young Japanese Crane was reared. An earlier brood of two, owing probably to the absence of parental control, proved the subject of a great tragedy. These two chicks, which were hatched under, and intended to be reared with, the help of a Ehode Island Eed, immediately they were transferred from the nest and while yet but a few hours old, indulged in a set quarrel or wrestling match. Ignoring for the time being the natural parents’ habit of each more or less taking charge of a chick ; the ridiculous efforts of these youngsters to injure each other were not taken seriously, and they soon became tolerant of each other or friends ; a condition which lasted undisturbed until the fifty-second day (24th June), when they suddenly restarted the quarrel, one bird killing the other out¬ right and then itself dying from exhaustion. Both chicks at this period were about the size of large farmyard cockerels and of course out of all reasonable danger ; the irony of the unfortunate occurrence being that repeatedly they had of necessity been left for long periods, but on this occasion an assistant working the entire day in their enclosure had left all as usual at noon and returning an hour later found the mischief completed. With aviaries and enclosures already stocked — several with veterans of from twenty to forty years of age — we do not add many birds, except perhaps Waterfowl. The most interesting additions during the year are Seriamas, Wild Muscovies, Javan Jungle Fowl, and an eighth species of Mallard (Anas melleri) from Madagascar ; the most decorative a supposed pair of the beautiful Hyacinthine Macaw ( Anodonhynchus hyacinthinus) from Central Brazil. The latter, since their arrival in May, have completely moulted out, and as the result of gentle treatment and being left undisturbed, 104 Alfred Ezra — Nesting Notes from Foxwarren Park have almost entirely ceased to favour us with that raucous, ear- splitting duet which invariably used to be their earlier form of greeting. NESTING NOTES FROM FOXWARREN PARK By Alfred Ezra, O.B.E. In spite of the good summer we had, in 1929 the rearing results were poor, although a good many species nested. The only new bird reared was the White Capped Starling ( Heteropsar albicajpillus ), which I described in the August number of the Magazine. Heuglins Bobin Chat (Cossypha heuylini). — Built a nest in a basket placed in the shelter, using moss and dried grass and lined with very fine grass. Laid one egg on 2nd April which was addled. Another egg was laid on 6th May. This was also addled. Bronze-wing Pigeons ( Phaps chalcoptera). — Reared two young which left the nest on 6th May. Later on, two more young were successfully reared. Superb Starlings ( Spreo superbus). — These birds were seen feeding young on 28th April, two young fully reared leaving the nest on 11th May. A third one was also reared later. Another pair hatched out two young which died in the nest. Blue-winged Siva (Siva cyanoptera). — Built a lovely cup-shaped nest in a box bush, using chiefly dried grass. In April the hen laid one egg — pale blue with a few red spots at the larger end. This egg disappeared. Two more eggs were laid on 23rd May, and these also disappeared after being incubated for four days. I am afraid the Sivas themselves were the culprits as no other birds in the aviary could have done it. Pied Grallina (Grallina picata). — This old pair of birds repaired last year’s nest and in it laid two clutches of two eggs each time. Young were hatched and I am afraid were devoured by their parents. Chestnut-breasted Rock Thrush ( Petrocincla erythrogastra). — Built a nest of moss and rough grass on a ledge inside the shelter. Three young seen on 15th May, only one left the nest and this died on 6th J une. Alfred Ezra-— Nesting Notes from Foxwarren Park 105 White-capped Starling ( Heteropsar albicapillus). — These built a domed-shaped nest in a basket in the shelter of the aviary. Three eggs were laid. One young was seen hatching on 13th May and later on three were seen in the nest. Only one left the nest on 8th June. The parents were most attentive to the young one, and all three lived happily together till about the middle of July when, one morning, I found the young one had been killed by the parents who had gone to nest again. They reared another fine healthy young one in August. Had I known they intended to nest again so late in the season I would have removed the first youngster and would thus have saved its life. Japanese Robin ( Erithacus akahige). — On 8th June these birds were seen feeding two young in a nest built in a box bush. One was found dead on the 13th, and the other on the 15th. Both parents were feeding the young well on fresh ants’ eggs, grasshoppers and mealworms, and I cannot make out why they were not reared. Renauld’s Ground Cuckoo (Carpococcyx renauldi). — One pair laid two eggs out in the open and did not incubate them. Another pair laid two eggs in a clump of grass and sat on them well. Both eggs were addled. Tambourine Doves (Tympanistria tympanistria). — Reared three young. Crowned Starling (Galeopsar salvadorii). — Hatched one egg and the young one was thrown out of the nest. Edward’s Lorikeet (Trichoglossus hoematodes). — Two eggswere laid but broken during incubation. White-breasted Pigeon (Gallicolumba jobiensis). — Reared two young. Eormosan Bamboo Partridge ( Bambusicola sonorivox). — Was found sitting on eggs which were deserted after a week. Madagascar Bustard Quail ( Turnix nigricollis). — Laid three eggs and one young hatched, but disappeared when only a week old. Harlequin Quail (Coturnix delegorguei). — Laid several clutches of eggs, but incubated none. Swinhoe’s Pheasant-tailed Pigeon (Macropygid swinhoei). — ■ Several young reared. Only one in each clutch. These birds nest and rear young successfully right through the winter. 8 106 Alfred Ezra — Nesting Notes from Foxwarren Park Alexandrine Parrakeet ( Psittacula nipalensis). — A lutino hen mated to a green cock hatched two young as early as February. These were found frozen to death during the bitterly cold weather we then experienced. She went to nest again and reared three fine healthy young ones, all being green. The blue cock Alexandrine, mated to a green hen, reared four fine healthy young ones. These four birds are also green. This is the first time I have had young from the blue cock bird. Several pairs of Ring-necked Parrakeets nested and had eggs. All eggs were fertile and some young ones were hatched but none reared. Barraband Parrakeet (Polytelis swainsoni). — My good old pair of Barrabands produced six young last year. Five of these were reared. I have never seen finer or healthier young birds. Several small finches built and laid eggs, but reared no young. In the animal enclosure at liberty Manchurian Crane (Gms japonensis). — One infertile egg. The hen bird is a poor specimen and I am afraid will never do any good. North American Turkey (Meleagris fera). — Reared three young. White Peafowl ( Pavo cristatus var.). — One young reared. Black-shouldered Peafowl (Pavo c. nigripennis). — One young iully reared. Monaul Pheasant (Lophophorus impeyanus). — A good many hatched but only two reared. Sonnerat’s Junglefowl (G alius sonnerati). — A good many young reared. Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus). — At least thirty young reared. Golden Pheasant ( Chrysolophus pictus). — A good many reared. Chukor Partridge (Alectoris chukar). — Several young reared. Brush Turkey ( Catheturus lathami). — Two huge mounds built, but no young seen. Mandarin Ducks (Aix galericulata). — Four young reared. Carolina Ducks ( Lampronessa sponsa). — Twelve young reared. E. Maud Knob el — The Story of a Sparrow 107 THE STORY OF A SPARROW By E. Maud Knobel Ever since Dr. Hamish Nicol’s delightful account of “ Orphans and Maimed Birds ” in the November Magazine I have been meaning to write the story of a Sparrow, but the end and beginning of a year is always a busy time for secretaries and treasurers, and the time has flown by. When we were children we lived in an old-fashioned village in Essex, in an old-fashioned house, right in the main street ; in fact, so much so that on market day there was danger that the animals might walk in at the windows. At the back, however, there was a lovely garden leading on to fields in which one could wander for miles without crossing a road. An ideal place for children. One day my eldest brother and I were sent to see an old lady a little way up the road. On the way we passed an open gutter, out of which was proceeding the most terrible chirruping. My brother put his hand up and pulled out a half-fledged Sparrow. It looked a most forlorn little thing and was evidently very hungry. We were not quite sure what to do with it ; however, he finally put it in his pocket and we proceeded to call on the old lady. I remember so well in the middle of our visit it gave a loud chirrup, and I remember looking at the old lady to see if she had heard, and then having an almost uncontrollable fit of giggles. Fortunately for me my brother came to the rescue and thought it was time we went. On getting home we put the Sparrow in a basket and fed him with soaked bread on the end of a match. After a time he learnt to take this himself, and then we added a seed mixture of canary hemp and rape. How he survived our treatment I don’t know, for every morning he had a fit and spun round on his head at the bottom of the cage, after which he got on his perch and seemed fairly happy for the rest of the day. He lived in the window in our school-room and on fine days was put out in a kind of loggia along with a Canary, a Bullfinch, a squirrel, and a hedgehog, and any other pets that might be going at the moment. He got very tame and learnt to sing like the Canary, but in rather a harsh voice. I think we were all very fond of him and he went by the name of “ Spar We kept him through 108 Avicultural Notes the first summer and winter, but decided to let him go in the spring. So we hung him outside and left his door always open. However, Spar thought he knew better ; he knew where he was well fed and well housed, and he decided he would not leave. So he lived all that summer in his cage with the door open night and day. When the autumn came we shut the door and brought him back into the school-room for the winter. The next spring we tried again, opening the door and leaving him entirely outside. This time he thought better of it, and tried a flight on to the house top. But he soon came back to feed. After that, however, he went away every day, coming back to feed, and always slept in the cage. Then one day he brought a very timid little wife who hopped all round the cage ; finally she, too, went in and fed. After that she came every day. Then they built a nest in the eaves of the house just above the kitchen window and hatched out a family of, I think, five. When they were able to fly the parents brought the whole lot to the cage to feed. This went on until about August when we all went off to the seaside, and I don’t know what happened, but possibly the servants forgot to put food in the cage, anyhow, we never saw the Spar or his family again. Perhaps they, too, went off to the seaside for a change. AVICULTURAL NOTES By The Editor Lord Tavistock points out an unfortunate printers’ error in the last number of the Magazine, which credits him with condemning the use of sunflower seed for parrots, whereas the word he actually wrote was “ safflower ” seed. To make matters worse I commented on his letter in these notes. However, it is now clear that we agree that sun¬ flower is a very useful seed. As to safflower, I must admit that I know very little about it, but presume it is one of those useless seeds which are added to certain parrot mixtures to make bulk. I find by referring to the encyclopaedia that its scientific name is Carthamus tinctorius, and it belongs to the natural order Composite e. The plant is a native of Correspondence 109 the East Indies and its flowers form the basis of the safflower dye of commerce. As a food for Parrots it appears to be quite unsuitable. The lake in St. James Park has for many years carried a. very good collection of waterfowl and amongst these may now be seen a drake and two ducks of the South African Shelduck, Casarca cana, which arrived in October last, being sent as a present from the Public Works Department of the Union of South Africa through the late Governor General, the Earl of Athlone. The species somewhat resembles the Buddy Shelduck, but is distinguished by the head and neck of the male being dark ashy grey, while the female, which is somewhat smaller, has the front of the face, a patch round the eye and the chin white. In South Africa, the species which is known as the Berg-eend, is confined to Cape Colony, the Orange Biver Colony, and the Transvaal, and is considered a somewhat scarce species. It has been but rarely imported into Europe, and in the whole history of the Zoological Society only one has been exhibited in the Gardens. It seems to be agreed that last summer was not a good one for aviculturists. On the whole comparatively few young birds were reared and this I think applied to wild birds as well as to those in captivity. The very dry atmosphere was not congenial to insect life, a wet season being more favourable. Pheasant breeders tell us that one curious effect of the abnormally dry season was the production of a large preponderance of cock birds. CORRESPONDENCE OBIGIN OF COLOUB VABIETIES IN BUDGEBIGABS Sir, — Begarding the suggestion of Major Lort-Phillips to publish records about the colour-mutations of Budgerigars, we would like to state briefly the alterations which have occurred in the colours of these birds and to express our opinion as to the development of the changes which have occurred up to now. 110 Correspondence The original wild Budgerigar, as described by Gould, was a light green bird. The mutations came forth as follows : — • 1. The first one (a loss-mutation) was the change from green into yellow. The same is said to have been observed in some cases in wild birds, though there is no imported skin of a yellow bird on file in the Museum of Natural History in London. 2. The next one (again a loss-mutation) was the appearance of a blue variety, which occurred in captivity (Belgium). 3. A further variety came into existence by the darkening of the light green colour into dark green, and subsequently into olive green (it was a gain-mutation). 4. Again a loss-mutation is the change from normally green undulated birds into those which were called £C apple green ”, which subsequently developed into their blueish cousins by name of “ Grey wings It is the latest one which has come to our knowledge. Re No. 1. — This (yellow) mutation is a very old one. No exact data about its origin seem to have been gathered nor opinions uttered, at the time of its first appearance, as to the causes which have led to it. It seems, however, pretty safe to assume that the step from green to yellow has not been made in one performance. In order to achieve this, nature would have had to eliminate almost entirely the two factors for oxydase, which the green bird possesses, which is less probable than the assumption that this operation has been performed in two stages, the first one being the forming of a green-split yellow bird. Such birds would transfer this (invisible) quality to 50 per cent of their progeny and, if by chance two of such specimens paired together, yellow young ones must have resulted. This may have happened many generations after the appearance of the first green- split yellow bird, and could have taken place as well in the wild flock as in a breeder’s aviary. Re No. 2. — Here, likewise, the assumption seems acceptable that two factors (FF) did not fall out at the same time, but that the way may have led over a green/split blue bird, the quality of which perhaps remained hidden for a long time, till it became evident through a chance pairing of two such birds. It would not be surprising if this had happened already in Australia, since the Correspondence 111 countries of origin have also furnished a blue Ringneck and a blue personata Lovebird. Re No. 3. — Dark green Budgerigars are a variety of the light green kind. They came into existence by a mutation of the bb (brown) factor into a Bb one. It was only a question of time till out of two Bb birds the BB (Olive) emerged. The mutation has occurred in wild birds. A skin of a dark green Budgerigar has been in London, in the Museum of Natural History, since 1847. Re No. 4.- — The Grey wing green birds (so-called “ Apple Greens ”) are only about six years old, and it should not be difficult to collect and sift the data about their appearance. Regarding the technical development of this mutation we venture to suggest the explanation that it can have originated with the green line only, and not with the yellow one, as some breeders seem to believe. One of the oxydase factors in the wild birds has a combined function, causing the green colouring as well as the undulations. This factor seems to have split up into several grades. The strongest one (the original) ensures the normal appearance. The mutation decreases this effect to a greyish one. It diminishes the generally distributed green colour so as to allow the yellow basis of the F factor to become more conspicuous and it influences also the wing marks. By transferring this mutation to the white or blue kind of Budgerigars, the new charming varieties of Greywing/light blue, or Grey wing/cobalt or Greywing/mauve have been created, but they are no mutations. Regarding the question of the white variety of Budgerigars, we may add that the same is the result of a combination , and leaves no room for assuming a real mutation. By pairing a blue to a yellow bird, the type green/split blue-yellow-white had been created, and it is evident that the crossing of the progeny must have led to a splitting up into nine different kinds of colour birds, amongst which are blue/whites, yellow/whites, and whites. If the two former have appeared before the latter, and manifested their hidden qualities by splitting off whites, this cannot be called a mutation, as it is merely the natural result of planned or accidental pairing. Neither the making of cobalt or mauve birds touches the dominion of a mutation. After the scale of the green line had been constructed 112 Correspondence by light green, dark green, and olive birds, it was again a clear case of combination to transfer these shades of darkening upon the blue line, the light (sky) blue corresponding to light green, the cobalt to dark green, and the mauve to olive. The splitting up interse on both sides takes place always in the same proportions, as we were able to demonstrate by thousands of young birds of our own experiments. Dr. Hans Duncker. C. H. Cremer. Bremen. February, 1930. SAFFLOWER SEED Sir, — I notice that there is a printers5 error in my letter in the March number : it was not u sunflower 55 but “ safflower 55 seed that caused the feather -pi uckin g trouble. Sunflower in moderation is quite good for many species and probably more wholesome than hemp. Tavistock. THE LARGE-BILLED INDIAN WEAVER Sir, — I noticed recently at the Zoo that the Large-billed Indian Weaver (Ploceus megarkynckus) presented by Mrs. Holmes in the summer of 1928 is still going strong. This individual has never gone out of colour, nor did others in the consignment to which it belonged, which were for a sufficient time in stock at Messrs. Gamage’s. Yet the bird undoubtedly has an undress. Hume described it in this plumage, and two which the Indian Museum procured from Rutledge, of Calcutta, and kept alive when I was on the staff, enabled me to establish the validity of the species by going out of colour and into undress plumage, when I found they were identical with Hume’s birds. In this dress it is browner and less streaky than the ordinary Baya Weaver, and in full dress is distinguishable from other Asiatic Weavers by being all yellow below from chin to tail, it is a large form,, about as big as the African Rufous-necked Weaver. In the new edition of the Fauna of India it is called Finn’s Weaver, but in justice to Hume this should not be done. F. Finn. Now Ready TO BE COMPLETED IN TWO VOLUMES. Volume i. “AVICULTURE Price 1 5/- net. Order with remittance to — STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, LTD., V Fore Street, Hertford. MEMBERS’ SALE AND EXCHANGE COLUMN. The charge for Members' advertisements is one penny per word, and no advertisement must exceed thirty -six words, name and address included . Payment must accompany the advertisement, which must be sent on or before the 20 th of the month to Mr. T. H. Newman, “ Verulam,” Forty Lane, Wembley Park,. Middlesex. All members of the Society are entitled to use this column. WANTED Wanted, Avicultural Magazines, January-August, 1927 (inclusive). Stephen Austin & Sons, Ltd., Fore Street, Hertford. Hen Diamond Dove, hen Superb Spreo, cock Diamond Sparrow, pair Royal Starlings. — McGredy, Ashton, Portadown. Several Birds of pretty plumage (other than Budgerigars) for unheated aviary ; not expensive. — Miss Port, Twislv, Catsfield, Battle. Two hen Californian Quail ; particulars. — Coates, 14 Sussex Square, London. SALE OR EXCHANGE Borneo Firebacks, Elliot’s, Lineated, Manchurian Eared, Melanotte, Swinhoe,. Versicolor, Corean Ring-necked., Prince of Wales, Dark Pheasants, etc., also Fancy Waterfowl. — Liect.-Col. Lewis, The Hundridge Game Farm, Great Missenden, Bucks. Pairs Bels, Horsfields, breeders, Manchurian Eared, rough plumage, cocks. Chinquis, Borneo Firebacks, Edwards. — Chawner, Tarrystone, Cookham, Berks. We are booking orders for Waterfowl, ready this autumn, of which there will be about forty varieties, pinioned, healthy, and sex guaranteed ; also for a, few kinds of ornamental Pheasants. — J. C. Laidlay, Lindores, Fife, Scotland. Splendid young Ring-Doves, tame and healthy, 10s. pair. — Miss Frances King well, Beechfield, Brent, Devon. Derbyan Parralceets, pairs, Black-tailed Hawfinches ( melanura ), 21s. Japanese Hawfinches ( personata ), 22s. 6 d. ; Grey Starlings ( cineraceus ), 45s. ; Crested Mynahs, 40s. ; Mongolian Larks, 30s. ; Eastern Greenfinch (one only), 15s. — Dooly, Whimbrel, Formby, Liverpool. Perfect hen Pennant, 55s. ; Blue Budgerigar hens, 17s. 6 d. each. — Lancaster, Syerscote, Streetly, Staffs. Yellow Budgerigars, cheap. Wanted, cock Nyasaland Lovebird. — Alfred Thom, Whitchurch, Salop. Peters’ Spotted, Ruficauda and Cherry Finches, pairs and odd birds. Wanted, Gouldians, Cuban, Red-headed, Parson, Bib Finches, Dufresnes, Black-cheeked Waxbills. — Pepper, Ochiltree Road, Hastings. “ A Monograph of the Pheasants,” by Beebe, 4 volumes, large edition, excellent condition; £40 or nearest offer. — A. Hampe, P.O.B. 515, Shanghai, China. IV CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION. Mbs. E. Archer, The Stream, Kingsford Hill, Colchester. Proposed by D. Seth- Smith. Charles Brown, The Foundry, Burnham Market, Kings Lynn. Proposed by A. F. Moody. V. G. Dingley, The Poplars, 335 Upper Richmond Road, Putney, S.W. 15. Proposed by Alec Brooksbank. P. Kuntz, 289 Edmonton Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. Dr. H. O. Lindsey, 527-8 Ricou-Brewster Building, Shreveport, La., U.S.A. Proposed by A. A. Prestwich. D. Mallam, Oakfield, Station Road, Redhill, Surrey. Proposed by W. Shore - Baily. William MacLaren, 19 Ruthven Street, Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland. Proposed by Frank A. D. Hansell. Roland Case Ross, 1820 Bushnell Avenue, South Pasadena, California, U.S.A. Proposed by E. H. Lewis. NEW MEMBERS. Mrs. A. R. Black, R.F.D. 1, Box 250, Gardena, California, U.S.A. Major Charles Budd, St. Davids, Lisvane, Glam. Mrs. Chichester, The Deer Park Cottage, Glenarm, Co. Antrim. Dr. Hans Duncker, 22 Wernigeroder Strasse, Bremen. M. G. JJiGHMEY, Costa Mesa Bird and Game Farm, Costa Mesa, California, iff. A. Mrs. Fetherstonhaugh, The Royal Lodge, Windsor Great Park. R. A. Isenberg, Los Altos, California, U.S.A. Geo. Levy, 14 Templewood Avenue, Hampstead, N.W. 3. G. B. Martin, Ravensdene, Grove Park, Kent. Lady McMullan, Stoneleigh, Bangor, Co. Down. R. A. Miles, 34 Great Queen Street, W.C.2. Gerald Y. de Pass, The Kennels, Satwell, nr. Henley-on-Thames. Frank H. Salter, 5 The Crescent, Scarborough. Miss Dora A. Strombi, 26 High Street, Brechin, Angus. A. Wilkins, Rend combe, Chesham, Bucks. CHANGE OF ADDRESS. A. G. Glenister, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., to c/o Messrs. Osborne & Chappel, Ipoh, Perak, Federated Malay States. GAMAGES IZi HAVE ALWAYS A VARIED STOCK OF Foreign Birds, Parrots, Lovebirds, etc. We can now offer : — Zebra Finches, Diamond Doves, Blue and Cobalt Budgerigars, Red Crested Cardinals, Blackcheek Lovebird, Orange Bishops, White and Particoloured Bengalese, White and Grey Java Sparrows, Black Head Mannikins, Shamas, Lavender Finch, Cordon Bleus, Fire Finches, Ribbon Finches, Hyacinthe Macaw, Black Cockatoo, Magpie Mannikens, Non - pariel Buntings, Virginian Cardinals, Superb Tanagers, Cocka- tiels, Black Headed Caiques, Senegal Parrots. BEST FOODS. LOWEST PRICES. Mealworms 6/6] per lb. , | lb., 3/6 Post paid. Spray Millet Ants’ Eggs 5 6, 7/6, 10/- per bundle. y y 3/- per lb., 4 lb., 11/- j y Dried Flies 1/9 „ 41b., 6/6 5 * Pure Egg Yolk . 21- ,, 41b., 7 /- , . Insectivorous Food i/e ,, 71b., 8/6 y y Cuttlefish Bone 1/3 ,, 41b., 4/6 y y Specialities in CAGES, AVIARIES, NEST -BOXES and all appliances. GAMAGES, HOLBORN, LONDON, PHONE : HOL. 8484. EC. 1 “L’OISEAU” PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE Societe Nationale d’Acclimatation de France, 198 BOULEVARD ST. GERMAIN, PARIS (VIIe) A French Magazine on Aviculture, for the study of European and Foreign Birds in captivity and at liberty. With coloured and black and white plates. ONE YEAR - 75 FRANCS. Medals for first breeding of a species in captivity in France or other countries are awarded if a detailed account is sent to the Society. al VOL. VIII. No. 5. SERIES. MAY 1930. f THE Avicultural Magazine CONT PAGE The Purple-Throated Cotinga (with Coloured Plate.) . . 113 Notes on the Birds of Dominica, by Sydney Porter. . .114 Trogons, by Karl Plath. . 126 Notes from Bradley Court, by Captain Reginald Waud. . 127 Avicultural Notes, by The Editor. 129 ENTS. PAGE Correspondence : Unfriendly Crossoptilons ; An Early Black¬ cap and a Late Brambling ; A Ring-necked Parrakeet at Liberty ; Egg-binding ; Painted Quail and Bustard Quail ; Mr. Karl Plath’s Collection ; The Origin of Colour Varieties in Budgerigars ; A Clever Grey Parrot ; The Quezal and Cape Sugar-bird ; Snowy Owls ; Pheasants ; Breeding the Sarus Crane. ..... 130 The Price ©f this Number is 2/6. THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY. FOUNDED 1 894 NOTICE TO MEMBERS The Subscription to the Avicultural Society is £1 per annum, due on the 1st of January in each year, and is payable in advance. The entrance fee is 10/0. The Avicultural Magazine is sent free to members monthly. Members joining at any time during the year are entitled to the back numbers for the current year, on the payment of entrance fee and subscription. I ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO THE HONORARY SECRETARY I AND TREASURER, Miss Knobel, 32 Tavistock Square, London, W.C.l. 1 All Queries respecting Birds (except post-mortem cases) and all other correspondence should be sent to the Hon. Secretary, at the above address. Any change of address should be notified to her. MEMBERS’ BADGE. In silver, price 3s. 6 d., from Messrs. Thomas Fattorini (Birmingham), Ltd., Trafalgar Works, Hockley Street, Birmingham. State whether for lady or gentleman. POST-MORTEM EXAMINATIONS. Rule 1.— A short account of the illness should accompany the specimen. All birds to be sent as fresh as possible to Mr. C. H. HlCKS, The Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8. Rule 2. — A stamped addressed envelope must be enclosed with the bird. Rule 3. — No body or skin of any bird will be returned under any circumstances whatever. The Magazine is published by Messrs. Stephen Austin ct Sons, 5 Fore Street, Hertford, to whom members should address all orders for extra copies, back numbers for 1917 and after, and bound volumes. Cases for binding the Magazine (in art cloth, with gold block on side) can be obtained from the Publishers, post free and carefully packed, at 3/- each ; or the Publishers will undertake the binding of the Volume for 5/8, plus 9 ^ V) .fQ S* <0 John Bale Sons & DanielssoaLtd London. THE Avicultural Magazine BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF FOREIGN 8c BRITISH BIRDS IN FREEDOM 8c CAPTIVITY Fifth Series- — Vol. VIII. — No. 7. — All rights reserved. JULY, 1930. PHEASANTS By Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour Tlie Pheasants are all Asiatic birds : only one species, the Common Pheasant, reaches the South of Russia in the wild state. Their range extends in the Palsearctic regions from the Caucasus to Manchuria, and in the East to Japan. More southern species may be found •on the peninsula of India, and in Ceylon, Java, and Palawan in the Philippines. All Pheasants are largely graminivorous : some, such as the Trago- pens, are very fond of fruit, leaves, and buds of trees. Others, notably Argus and the Peacock Pheasants, prefer insects. Others, as the Crossoptilons and Lophophorous, dig in the ground with their beaks, seeking for worms, larvae, and roots. The genus Phasianus frequents open spots among brushwood and high grass. Most of the others live in forests, many never leave these at all. Their range is from the ice-bound solitudes of Mongolia, Tibet, and the Himalayan slopes to the hottest Equatorial forests. Pheasants are mostly polygamous, but in captivity some seem to prefer monogamy. In the wild state, a cock, having fixed on his displaying ground, calls the hens, which usually come singly. In 13 170 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants captivity the hens will not agree : they fight and disturb each other while pairing, so that finally only the strongest of them is fertilized : but they are not strictly monogamous like Partridges. If several hens are housed in adjoining aviaries and the cock is admitted to each of them in turn, the eggs will all be fertile. Pheasants nest on the ground, among bushes or herbage. Certain genera {Poly electron and Argus) lay two eggs to the clutch, and the Argus, at any rate, lays several times in the season. Others lay from six to twenty eggs and normally have only one brood. The young run as soon as they are hatched, and can fly well enough to perch when about ten days old. Housing. — Nearly all kinds of Pheasants live and breed quite well in Europe. They are usually kept in aviaries, but succeed as well when enjoying partial freedom in a park. The most suitable aviary for a pair (or for a cock and several hens) consists of a shelter of from 1 to 2 yards by 2 to 4 yards and an open flight of between 2 to 4 yards by 4 to 8 yards. Very large species of course, must have more room. But all kinds thrive in proportion to the space which can be given them. The shelter should be made of wrnod or masonry, be well lighted and provided with thick perches ; the floor should be paved, but heat is not necessary for the great majority of the species. After they have had a year in which to become acclimatized, even the tender tropical species usually survive the winter provided they are kept in the shelter at night and during bad weather. Nevertheless, in cold districts, before the birds are acclimatized, it is important to keep them in a heated place through the winter and to shut them in for the night even in summer and especially whenever it rains, for Pheasants feel damp even more than cold. It is a good thing to have the shelters divided into two compartments for reasons which will be given later. The open part should be made of wire-netting on a wood or iron frame, and the mesh must be small enough to exclude rats, sparrows, etc. The wire or the foundations must be laid underground. The flight should be planted with thick bushes or have hedges along the partitions, which themselves must have screens of fibro-cement, zinc. Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants 171 or heather, etc., at least 2 feet high, in order to give the birds privacy and prevent them from fighting through the wire. Pheasant aviaries are usually built side by side, so as to make a pheasantry ; the soil should be very light, slightly sloping, and turfed, save for a few sanded spots. It must not be forgotten that gravel is indispensable as well as cinders, sand, or fine dry earth, in which the birds can dust them¬ selves. Water should be placed in every aviary and the receptacles must be kept clean ; running water is not very satisfactory, because it prevents the use of disinfectants and medicines. The aspect of the aviary is very important : it should face either south or east — the west and north are unsuitable ; Himlalayan Pheasants can better endure the south in summer than the north in winter. The ideal would be to have a double flight, one facing north for the summer, the other facing south for the winter. Pheasants are often very shy, and hit themselves against the wire of their compartments, injuring their heads and even killing themselves. When the shelter is divided into two parts the birds can run from one into the other. The ten first flight feathers of one wing must be cut off all those Pheasants which have a tendency to dash themselves against the roof of their flight, which is what almost always happens with Mongolians, Versicolors, and “ game ” Pheasants. Some breeders prefer to pinion their birds in order to prevent losses from panics, but this must not be done to hens of kinds where the cocks are dangerous, for if they are pinioned they cannot escape the attacks of the cocks. Should a head be torn or wounded it must at once be sewn up, drawing the edges together and being careful to join the scraps of skin which leave the skull bare. On arrival it is a good plan to keep delicate species shut indoors until they have quite got over the journey ; this may take a whole year. Pheasants are extremely combative and, generally speaking, not more than one pair or a cock and two or three hens can be kept in the same aviary. Sometimes several cocks can be kept together in a large aviary without hens but this often leads to accidents. In semi-liberty many individuals of one species, or even several species, can be kept together, but careful watch must be kept and quarrelsome individuals 172 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants removed. It will be found that birds belonging to widely separated genera seldom fight together. Feeding. — The basis of Pheasant food is corn. Wheat is best, but whole or kibbled maize is very good, particularly in autumn and winter, but it must not be the sole food. If Pheasants eat only maize they will become over-fat and there will be very many infertile eggs. Millet, buckwheat, or barley may be given, and in Spring and while laying, some hemp. Variety is good ; to the morning ration of corn add a custard made of pollard and crushed biscuit in equal parts, together with 5 to 10 per cent of meat or fish meal. Excellent results are obtained in Italy by giving ground silk worm papse and chopped dried figs, lightly powdered with maize flour. The feeding must be regulated according to the season and the species and condition of the birds. Green food is essential. If there is not sufficient good grass in the flights dry salad must be given. Berries and fruit are excellent, even necessary for some kinds, also carrots either cooked or raw. Finally, when they first come over it is desirable to give a little chopped raw meat. Argus and Eheinhardts should always have some. The usual titbits given to aviary birds are liked by Pheasants. Rearing. — Pheasants in confinement usually lay between March and June. It is inadvisable to let the hens sit in small aviaries, for they are usually too wild to be steady ; but in large enclosures, as a rule, they will sit and make good mothers, and amateurs who either cannot or will not devote much time to rearing will do well to let the birds sit and rear their broods. The cock and any other hens in the same compartment must be removed and proper food given. The great objection to this plan is that it often stops the hens from laying again, and in wet seasons or cold districts the young often die from insufficient shelter. It happens too, sometimes, that the mother is weakened by sitting too long and falls ill and dies. It is much safer to take away the eggs as they are laid, replacing them with artificial eggs, and to confine them to broody hens, small ones preferably. These broodies must be placed in suitable nests. I like wooden boxes best, with wire-netting bottoms and roofs of fibro-cement, Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants 178 in the open air. The hens are let out once a day. Twenty-four to forty-eight hours after hatching, according to the species, the hens and their nurslings are placed in coops with wired runs. The run has no bottom and is moved several times daily on turf. Needless to say, the rearing-ground must be changed every year and protected from harmful germs. Four or six times a day the chicks must have fresh ants’ eggs 1 and a custard made of biscuits, and a cake composed of egg and milk cooked together. Soon dried ants’ eggs, dried flies, a little minced raw meat, and millet can be added. It is most important that no stale food be left lying about the pheasantry. Under favourable conditions (particularly absence of birds of prey) the chicks can be allowed to run loose after a fortnight or so, teaching them to feed and sleep in their coop at first, later in an enclosure. This is the best way but it is often impracticable. They can be left in the coop until they are about six weeks old, then be placed in enclosures after the style of the aviaries of grown birds such as were described earlier, but as roomy as possible. If the weather is mild and dry during the rearing season the sitting hen may be placed under a tree or a clump and allow the chicks freedom when they are from seven to ten days old. Little by little the fresh ants’ eggs and the cake should be diminished, then the insects and raw meat, and when the birds are about three months old they should be put on to adult diet. If convenient, several species can be reared together under one hen provided they are of the same size. But it is better to keep the species separate. At the end of autumn the young birds should be paired off into separate compartments. There are, however, certain necessary precautions which will be named when the species for which they are required are described in detail. Diseases. — Only the most serious and common can be named here, but it must be confessed that Pheasants are subject to several serious and contagious diseases. At birth the chicks may contract diphtheria, which scourge is very hard to cure by the usual methods. It is never- 1 Ants’ eggs are not indispensable ; their place can be taken by adding an egg and a glass of milk per every six chicks to the custard cake daily. 174 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants theless easily prevented by adding to the drinking water 0‘25 per cent of corrosive sublimate, which is perfectly harmless to the Gallinacse in the strength prescribed of one quarter of a gramme to one and three- quarter pints of water (35 fluid oz.). This must be given in a glass or earthenware vessel, not in a metal one. We have used this prescrip¬ tion for several years and are no longer troubled by the diphtheria which formerly destroyed our broods. It should be used as a pre¬ caution during transport and whenever an epidemic is to be feared. When an adult Pheasant contracts the typical form of this disease with patches in the mouth, it can be cured by washing them with 1 per cent of corrosive sublimate. There are also vaccines against avian diphtheria which renders them immune for at least one year ; if it is to be employed for a sick bird it must be repeated thrice in three days, and each injection must be made under the skin of the cheeks. Sometimes a brood is attacked by a contagious epidemic which kills them off in three or four days. The liver will be found to be covered with yellowish-white spots ; this disease is generally known as tuberculosis of the liver, but it is caused by a form of Bacterium avisepticum, which is a kind of poultry cholera. In localities which have become infected with this disease, adult birds must be immunized every year and the young at ten days old with Pascal’s anticholera vaccine. A quarter of a centimetre cube is injected into the breast and after ten to fifteen days the operation is repeated, this time injecting the half of a centimetre cube. The third injection is given at the age of a month and a half with a centimetre cube. The Euplocomia are more subject to this disease than other kinds. It often happens that the young seem rheumatic and move badly ; they may even be unable to stand. Usually the cause is rickets owing to insufficient mineral salts ; crushed shells or, better still, phosphate of chalk must be added to the diet. Sometimes, however, the disease may be due to lack of sun, particularly of the ultra-violet rays. Various forms of intestinal disease, usually called enteritis, may attack both old and young. Nearly all these diseases can be averted by giving the chicks milk acidified with ferments such as kefir every day in their custard. Occasionally a rare adult bird such as a Tragopan or a Monaul becomes dangerously ill and the Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants 175 droppings suddenly become flabby, white, or greenish. It is then necessary to act immediately, and we have made immediate cures by cramming the bird with a bacteriological ferment like that prepared by Professor Mezzadroli at Boulogne. These immunizing vaccines, ferments which disinfect the intestines, and corrosive sublimate, are superseding all other medicines in Pheasant therapeutics. Numbers of young birds are killed by gape worms, which lodge in the trachea and cause death by suffocation. Adults like Versicolors and Monauls also succumb to it occasionally. Experiments have been made in the zoological laboratory of the University of Bologna which, added to what was already known of the gape worm ( Syngamus trachea) have enabled us to make out its life history. When full-grown Syngamus fix themselves in the trachea of an adult Pheasant ; it spits frequently to get rid of it, but without success ; the eggs of the worm, however, reach the mouth, are mingled with the saliva, and expelled with the excrements. A quarter of an hour of sunshine will kill them, but they live a long time in dampness. Earthworms coming to the surface to feed on the droppings of the Pheasants eat the eggs of Syngamus, which hatch out in the intestines of the worms. The birds are infected by eating the worms ; it takes only about ten days for the Syngamus larvse to travel from the intestine to the trachea and become adult. It is readily understood that the parasite is more common in wet seasons and places, as it has no opportunity to complete its life cycle when drought prevents the earthworms from coming to the surface and being eaten by the birds. It is easy to comprehend also why such species as Lojphophorus , Crossoptilon, and Game Pheasants, which are always digging in the earth, are more readily infected than other kinds. The only really effective way of combating this plague is to isolate sick birds, change the breeding-ground, choosing the most arid and sunniest spot possible, and prevent the birds from eating earthworms. We do not yet know how long the larva of Syngamus can exist in the earthworm, but one of us has proved that infection is still possible after a whole year has elapsed ; it may perhaps take two years for the earthworms in an infected spot to become safe. 176 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants All medicines, inhalations, and injections in the trachea are useless or too dangerous. Garlic is the only remedy which gives good results, because it kills the larvse in the intestine and prevents their migration. If the application is prompt and the Syngami are not sufficiently numerous to kill the bird, they will die in twenty days and the bird wfill be cured. The legs are often attacked by scab : they must be anointed once a week with Helmerich’s pomade until cured. Other diseases, like colds, coughs, gout, etc., can often be cured by keeping the bird dry and warm and giving it a nourishing and varied diet. Peafowl The genus Pavo is distinguished by its tail, consisting of twenty graduated rectrices, covered by very numerous and enormously elongated subcaudal feathers, with silky separated barbs except at the preapicals which are adorned with brilliant “ eyes ”, and its head bearing a rigid crest, and its size. The cock has short spurs and the hen also in the species P. muticus. The cocks have the habit of spreading their trains in a magnificent circle to charm their mates — their display. Peafowl inhabit the wooded parts of India, of Indo- China, Malaya, and Java. They usually frequent the borders of woods or denuded ground in pairs or families. They are polygamous. Pea¬ fowl may be kept in pairs or a cock with two hens in large aviaries, but they show their beauty far better at liberty in a large park or garden. There four or five hens can be allotted to one cock ; they are not much inclined to stray. Unfortunately, the cocks are com¬ bative ; all the same, a number of cocks of the common species can be kept together if the worst tempered are weeded out, but this is not possible with Pavo muticus , for adult cocks will fight to the death even if kept in a large park. Cocks, however, usually confine themselves to one spot where they display and from which they do not wander far. In the park in Bologna belonging to one of us, several white Peacocks are established about 100 yards apart and two muticus were only about 400 yards from them. The Peahen seeks the cock in spring in the place where Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants 177 lie habitually displays, so that there is genuine sexual selection. We (Ghigi) noticed that for two years the white Peahen’s eggs were all clear : they did not seek their cocks, but remained in adoration in front of an aviary in which was a hybrid cock. We were obliged to remove this cock out of sight before the hens would go in search of their lawful mates. Peahens make their nests under a bush or in some sheltered spot and lay five to eight eggs ; they usually start laying in April. If the eggs are taken away they will lay twice or thrice in the course of the summer. It is best to take the first and second clutches and allow the Peahen to hatch the third, unless it is in an unsafe place. Incubation lasts from twenty-eight to thirty days. Peahens make good mothers, and take the greatest care of their little ones. Broods which are not left to their mothers can be reared by a Turkey hen. A domestic hen is only to be chosen as a last resource, for she will leave the chicks too soon before they are fully reared. In any case it is best to shut up the chicks with their mother whether she be Peahen, Turkey hen, or Hen, in a large coop in a well-sheltered aviary. After eight days the chicks can be let out, but their mother should be kept in for forty-five to sixty days according to the climate and the season, for the dangerous age for Peachicks is between twenty days to a month and a half old, by fatigue caused by following their mother either in wet grass or hot sun. When their crests are well developed the mother can safely be let out. Peachicks grow slowly. At six months they have not attained their full size and are not full grown until the end of the winter following their birth. The cocks do not gain their adult trains before their third year ; the hens lay when two years old. The old birds lose their trains in July, and the next is not fully grown before the end of the following winter ; thus they have a real eclipse like the rest of the Phasianidse. The Common Peacock (P. cristatus ) is a native of India and Ceylon ; it has been naturalized in Europe for very many years. The Romans were familiar with its habits, of which Columella gave the earliest account ; they considered it both ornamental and a good bird for the table. The earliest and very pretty pictures of 178 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants Peacocks appear in the Pompeian frescoes. But since Turkeys were discovered Peacocks have lost their rank as birds for the table. Adult cocks are known by their showy crests, royal blue heads and necks, which have two bare white spots above and beneath the eyes, and by the wing-coverts and tertiaries being grey streaked with black. The train is adorned with the splendid ocelli which are so well known. The hen is greyish-brown above ; tawny-white beneath with neck and upper breast tinged with metallic green. The young cocks resemble her, but their necks are bluer ; their underparts are streaked with black, while the hen’s are uniform in colour. In their second year they take the adult plumage minus the train. The common Peacock is absolutely hardy in Europe and stands cold well. This species has “ sported ” the White Peafowl, a pure breed recessive which conducts itself in the same manner, but the chicks are not so easily reared. If an ordinary Peacock crosses with a White Peahen all the cocks will be blue with a few white flights. These half- breeds will give one quarter pure blues, one quarter pure whites, and the remainder hetero-zygotic blues like the first generation. If a half-breed is crossed with a pure white the young will be 50 per cent pure whites and 50 per cent blues not pure. A pied or variegated variety is actually in existence having a tendency towards variegation. As blue is dominant over white the result is that crosses between a variegated bird and a white one will only produce variegated, which are very pretty ; but if on the contrary a variegated bird is crossed with a pure blue, blues will result which in the next generation will produce blues with white spots which are not at all pretty. Variegation, therefore, is a pure characteristic but variable in its intensity. Besides these a mutant has suddenly appeared in semi-freedom in Europe ; this is The Black-shouldered Peacock ( Pavo cristatus nigripennis). The cock differs from the type in having a more golden back, more purple tail, dark blue wings shading into green, while the hen is creamy white with brown spots above and rust-coloured head, black crest, and metallic green neck ; her flight feathers are rust colour. Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants 179 The chicks are creamy white. This mutant is constant ; in a mixed flock it soon gains the upper hand over the common kind. However, it is much handsomer and equally hardy. The Javan or Spicieer Peacock ( Pavo muticus ) is perhaps the most beautiful bird in the whole world. It inhabits Indo-China, Java, Siam, and Malaya, and a slightly duller form (P. m. spiciferus) is found in Burma. It may be known by its height, its legs being much longer than those of the Common Peacock : its head is adorned with an upright spike-shaped crest ; the skin of its face is bright blue and ochre- yellow ; its neck, back, and breast are covered with green feathers having gilt edges, giving a scaly appearance. Its wings are dark blue shading into green, and the flights are rust colour. Its train is more bronze and purple than that of the common species. The hen is like the cock except that her tail is short, the upper coverts scarcely reaching the end of the rectrices : these are bronzed green tinged with brown and streaked with tawny, as are likewise the back and wings. The Spicifer is vastly more beautiful than any of the forms of the common Peacock, but unluckily it is not as hardy and needs protection from cold and snow in exposed situations, but only in the depth of winter. It is exceedingly bad-tempered, and drives away its con¬ geners. These birds become very tame and inclined to attack their owners : they are actually dangerous to children. In spite of these failings it is the finest ornament for a park. The sexes are not easy to distinguish up to the age of from two to three years ; the most constant character is the colour of the primary flight-feathers, which are entirely grey in the cocks and more or less widely edged with black in the hens. The Argus Pheasants We intend to include in this chapter the true Argus and the Kheinardts, which differ in not having spurs in either sex. The first are remarkable for their long central rectrices and the extraordinary development of their secondaries. The second have a particularly long and wide tail and a thick occipital crest. 180 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants These birds inhabit the great forests of the Malay Peninsula, of Borneo, Sumatra, and Indo-China. The cocks are sometimes heard calling, but are very rarely seen, for at the least sound they hide in the thickest jungle which they never leave. They feed on seeds, but more especially on berries and insects. The cocks have a special display which exhibits the wonderful patterns of their feathers ; for this they choose a bare place in the midst of the forest. They are considered to be polygamous, but appear in captivity to be monogamous. They are somewhat delicate and for the first year after their importation they should be under cover by night and be kept in a warmed place during cold weather ; but once acclimatized they can stand our winters provided they are shut up at night in an unheated shelter. Aviary specimens require careful feeding ; corn and custard are not enough, they must also have fruit, cooked vegetables, and chopped meat ; They are very fond of meal¬ worms and prefer them to everything else. They are inclined to breed. The hen usually lays two eggs three times a year, if they are removed ; she makes an excellent mother. Incubation lasts from twenty-four to twenty-five days, but there is no hard and fast rule. In Bologna a hen laid at the end of July and in the first half of September ; another laid in March while she was still in her winter quarters. The young can be reared successfully under a Domestic Hen, provided she will feed them from her beak for the first few days and take care of them for a long time. Young Argus take a whole year to develop and their foster-mother must be at least six months with them. They live on the usual Pheasant mixture with extra meal¬ worms, insects, and chopped raw meat added. In damp or cold places it is better to shut up young birds in a heated place from the end of September. Owing to their size Argus need a large flight and good-sized shelter : they like perching. In Italy they never leave their shelter except before sunrise and after sunset ; they do not like sunshine. The moult is very weakening to the cock and he must be given very nourishing food while it lasts. He begins to call in February or March, and continues until July or even longer. Argus are con¬ fiding birds and soon become tame. Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants 181 The Great Argus (Argusiana argus ) lives in the lower mountain forests of the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. The skin of the head is bare and blue and carries a short crest on the nape of velvety black feathers. The neck and upper breast are chestnut. The rest of the plumage is dark, vermiculated and dotted with several shades of tawny ; the back and rump yellowish-tawny with dark brown spots, and the long median feathers of the tail are black and chestnut, dotted with white ; while the wonderful secondaries are marked with lines and dots of varying shades of grey, tawny, and brown with splendid ocellii. The primaries, which are of normal length, have an even more complicated pattern in which tawny and rust colours predominate. The two central tail feathers are very long, The legs are red and without spurs. The hen has a more uniform plumage, dark brown streaked and barred with lighter shades ; her wings and tail are of the normal length. The young cock takes three years to assume his adult plumage. This is the most freely imported species. It has been bred pretty often in confinement. Gray’s Argus (Argus grayi) inhabits the interior of Borneo. It is slightly smaller than the preceding. Its neck and breast are bright orange red, the black in its plumage is more decided, and the dots are white instead of tawny. It is imported, but not as freely as the former species. Bheinhardt’s Argus ( Rheinardtius ocellatus) is found in the Annam mountains. Its size, colouring, and voice are very similar to the Argus, but it has a feathered head ornamented with a thick occipital crest, normal wings, and an enormous graduated tail of which the four median feathers may reach l‘50m. and the outer ones only 0’28 m. These feathers are very wide, pointed, and marvellously marked with bright rust colour, brown, and several shades of grey. The remainder of the plumage is brown dotted and vermiculated with tawny. Its beak is pink, legs brown, and without spurs. The hen has a medium tail ; her plumage is brown with black bars on wings and tail. This magnificent species has been imported by one of us (Delacour) 182 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants several times. Although it is found in fairly cold localities, it has proved tender in Europe. It is very subject to diphtheria. A hen has laid at Cleres and in Mr. Lewis5 aviaries at Cookham. At Hue with M. Jabouille a pair bred and a young one was reared up to the age of six months. An allied species, darker, with round white markings (R. nigrescens), inhabits the central mountain ranges of Malaya. It is rare and has never been imported alive. Peacock Pheasants There are eight species of Peacock Pheasants ( Polyplectron ), and several of them have sub-species. An attempt was made to separate them into two genera, but the two species included in the genus Chalcurus do not differ more from the rest than do the forms from Borneo and Palawan. Peacock Pheasants in several ways resemble the Argus. Like them they have brown or grey feathers finely striated and on their tails fine green or blue ocelli, with metallic brilliancy. The hens are smaller and duller, and differ more or less from the cocks. The cocks display like Peacocks and Argus ; but they usually carry two short and sharp spurs. These Pheasants never leave the forests. They are found in Himalaya, Burma, Siam, the Malayan Peninsula, Sumatra, Indo- China, Borneo, and the island of Palawan. They lay two creamy white eggs and incubation lasts twenty-one days. Their voice is loud and rather unpleasing. The most freely imported species (P. chinquis and P. germaini) are hardy and robust when acclimatized. The Malayan Peacock Pheasant is rare and more delicate. The other species have not yet been imported. The Chinquis is the first Pheasant to lay in the year. We give the dates of three years’ laying by an imported hen in Bologna. We shall only give the day of the first egg, because the second is always laid with a day between : — • 1927 : 8th March, 1st April, 17th April, 2nd May, 22nd May ; 1928 : 1st March, 18th April, 13th May ; 1929 : 18th March, 3rd April, dvicultural Magazine Bornean Firebacked Pheasant Lophura ignita Germain's Peacock Pheasant Polyplectron germaini Fhoto D Seth-Smith Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacoui — Pheasants 183 29th April, 15th May. A hen Germain, likewise imported, laid as follows : 1927 : 16th April, 2nd May, 18th May ; 1928 : 17th April, 30th April, 15th May ; 1929 : 20th April, 6th May. In 1929 the laying of all the Pheasants was profoundly affected by the exceptionally severe winter. It is tiresome to have to set a hen on just two eggs, but it is unavoid¬ able unless one has two hen Pheasants laying simultaneously. The eggs have this peculiarity, if they are mixed with others in a sitting they hardly ever hatch. The chicks also need quite different treatment, for they always keep with the hen, making very short and quick runs round her. The first brood usually hatches towards the end of March if fresh ants5 eggs are unobtainable mealworms may be given. Much space is not necessary for them, a coop and small run are quite enough. All the broods may safely be put together as soon as the latest no longer need the hen. Imported Peacock Pheasants are very strong ; even the Germains, stand the winter of Bologna, which is very cold, without being shut in. The Pheasants breed freely and regularly at a year old. With one of us- (Ghigi) a pen of one cock and two hens had all the eggs fertilized. The Grey Peacock Pheasant (P. chinguis ) is from farthest south and the hardiest. It is often seen in aviaries. It is found from Sikhim to> Tonkin. There are four sub-species, which become browner according as one advances eastward. (P. bailyi, P. bakeri, P. bicalcar atwmy P. ghigii.) The cock is greyish brown, with pale tawny spots, and the wing coverts adorned with changeable blue-purple ocelli, bordered with black and white. The tail bears larger ocelli with blue and green reflections. The head bears a pointed crest, the chin is white, and the bare skin of the face pale yellow. The iris is white. The hen is much smaller and her plumage is darker ; her ocelli are dark and unfinished, and have no reflections. This is an admirable aviary bird, tame, hardy,, and very elegant. Germain’s Peacock Pheasant (P. germaini) is a native of Cochin China and the South of Annam. It is dark brown with green ocelli. It has a very small crest, the skin of its face is red and its iris is brown. While the cock is smaller than the preceding species, the hen is much larger. The only difference between her and the cock is that her green 184 G . H. Gurney — The Plumed Jay , and other Notes ocelli are triangular instead of round. This species is slightly more delicate and needs a warmer shelter for the winter, although it can do without heat. It is easily bred. The Malayan Peacock Pheasant (P. malaccensis) is chestnut- brown with blue ocelli, but the lateral rectrices bear only one very large ocellus, whereas the preceding species have two. It has a thick crest, and the skin of its face is red. The hen is much smaller than the cock ; her ocelli are triangular, particularly those on the tail, which are metallic. This fine species is seldom imported, and appears to be delicate. It has not yet been bred in captivity. It inhabits the lowlands of Malaya and Sumatra. We will mention briefly P. katsumatce from the island of Hainan, which is like Germain’s, only smaller and paler ; P. schleiermakeri from Borneo, very rare and very beautiful, having a white neck and breast, and the crest and two spots on the side green, and a black belly. The .splendid Napoleon Peacock Pheasant (P. emphanes) of Palawan, which has a black head, neck, and breast, and metallic green mantle, and a large straight black crest ; P. chalcuras of Sumatra, which is brown, with all the lateral rectrices largely metallic blue ; and lastly P. inopinatum from the Malayan mountains, having reddish brown plumage and black ocelli ; its tail with blue markings and its head, neck, and breast grey. The last two species, crestless, and with wide metallic bands on the lateral tail feathers, are thought by many authors to form a separate genus : Chalchurus . THE PLUMED JAY, AND OTHER NOTES By G. H. Gurney The recent consignment of a number of specimens of the Plumed or Swainson’s Long-tailed Jay, Calocitta formosa, is of interest. They were imported by Mr. G. B. Chapman, and sold as “ new to aviculture ”, but Mr. Chapman forgot that he sold me a pair of this very fine species in April, 1927. A coloured plate by Mr. Roland Green figured in the Magazine for April, 1928, done from life from my birds, and I wrote a short account of them, which was published at the same time. In G. H. Gurney — The Plumed Jay , and other Notes 185 this account I said that the birds were then new to aviculture ; this I now find is not the case, as apparently one or two had been imported many years previously and found a home in one of the Continental zoos.1 It is a most desirable species, and my original pair, which I still have, have done very well with me. I say “ pair ”, but I am inclined to think they are two cocks ; in any case, they have never shown the smallest desire to breed. When in good order they moult out into a beautiful blue-grey colour, with a very long tail. The two new ones which I have received from the recent consignment, and all those which I have seen in Mr. Chapman’s shop, have a much narrower black band round the throat than my original pair ; in these the band is broad and very conspicuous. I hope now that a number have found their way to our aviaries someone may be lucky enough to breed them. I believe that Jays could be much more easily bred in captivity if aviculturists, who have woods adjacent, would wire in large flights, enclosing small trees and bushes ; these enclosures could be very roughly put up and merely used as summer breeding places ; the birds would only be fed once a day, and otherwise would see nobody. All Jays are very secretive, shy breeders, especially the Common Jay, which breeds here commonly, but the experiment would be worth trying with foreign species by those who have suitable woods. I have done something of the same sort here this year for my Tiger Bitterns ; a thick reed bed, with pools of water, was enclosed by wire-netting, and although I cannot say there has been any success as far as breeding goes, it has been a most wonderful experience to hear the loud echoing booming of the male, which could be easily heard over a mile away, very different from his booming in an aviary. This enclosure was made by the river a considerable distance away, and, of course, it is rather a trouble taking food down so far, but the mesh of the wire-netting is wide enough for small fish to pass through, and I fancy they catch a number of these in the pool in front of the reed bed. It is rather early yet to speak of breeding results, but a number of 1 The first living example of Calocitta foromsa exhibited in this country appears to have been one which lived in the Zoological Gardens in 1877. Later, a pair were acquired from the Jardin d’Acclimatation in Paris on 24th May, 1890.— Ed. 14 186 G. H. Gurney — The Plumed Jay , and other Notes birds are nesting in tbe aviaries ; at the moment I have three pairs of Superb Spreos, all in different aviaries and all sitting on eggs. A pair of Scarlet Tanagers is sitting, and a nestful of Cardinals on the point of flying. A pair of Lamprotornis pwpuropterus} 1 do not know the English name but they resemble a small Long-tailed Glossy Starling and came to me from our member, Captain Hammond, have three or four eggs in a log. He also sent me a very fine pair of Bald-headed Starlings, Sarcops calvus , these birds have a very peculiar double note, and are a very heavy flier, making quite a noise with their wings ; they are constantly in and out of a hollow log, and may go further later on. Another nice pair of birds recently received from Mr. C. B. Webb are a pair of Helmeted Shrikes, Prionops talacoma, which he imported from Portuguese East Africa, and which are quite new to aviculture. They are charming little things, most un-Shrike-like in appearance, with a very weak bill, and bright yellow naked skin round the eye ; they have a hovering flight and constantly snap their beaks together with quite a loud noise. A most superb Sunbird, the Malachite, is. another recent arrival. I have never seen a bird in more lovely condition, and it does the greatest credit to its owner, it is one of the largest of the Sunbirds, if not the largest, and is a wonderful metallic green, with two yellow tufts of feathers on the flanks ; the tail is much elongated by two long feathers. It is very tame, and will readily take flies from the fingers. The Razor-billed Currassows are sitting, for the third year in succession, on their accustomed two eggs, in the same place where they have always nested, but I am afraid I have no reason to hope for better luck this year than previously. The eggs are always unfertile, and yet I am certain they are a true pair, and no bird could sit better or tighter than the hen. Although they stray about terribly, and often go a mile away or more, they always eventually return, and, as I say, have always nested in a shed adjoining some of the aviaries. They are as tame as Trumpeters and delightful birds in every way. Many visitors to the Bird House at the Zoo must have noticed the Guira Cuckoos, which from time to time have been on exhibition. I believe there is one there now ; when I have seen these I have always 1 Ruppell's Long-tailed Glossy Starling,- — -Ed. G. H. Gurney — - The Plumed Jay, and other Notes 187 considered them rather dull looking birds, but a pair which now inhabits one of my aviaries are, without exception, two of the most amusing and interesting birds I have ever kept. Continually climbing about in a most clumsy way in the boughs of a small bush in the outside flight, they strongly remind one of that aberrant bird, the Hoatzin : there seems to be something almost reptilian in their movements, and, like the Hoatzin, they are very fond of eating leaves. They will lie on their backs on the ground playing with each other, or with a bit of stick, exactly like a pnppy or certain Parrakeets. The cock will often offer the hen a piece of grass, standing before her with his crest erect, motionless, for quite a long time ; in the same way they will each hold a piece of meat in their beaks, their heads stretched fully upright to the length of their necks, for ten minutes before eating it. They are tremendous sun-lovers, and sit with their backs facing the sun, never the other way, and all their feathers ruffled up to get as much warmth as possible. Tamer birds it would be impossible to find ; directly anyone goes into the aviary they will fly on to his shoulders, and crawl about him, again forcibly suggesting a prehistoric lizard ancestry. They often sit together in a flat basket, but although they are a certain pair, I fear there is little chance of any breeding, as like all Cuckoos they are parasitical, laying their eggs in other birds’ nests. The cock has a loud chattering whistle, when he does this his crest stands stiffly erect, and his white eyes look quite malevolent. They would, of course, be dangerous with smaller birds in the same aviary. My six Demoiselle Cranes, which have always lived contentedly in the garden and stood about in graceful attitudes, where they have been much admired, now refuse to remain there, and easily jump a six-foot fence into the Park, where they are only seen in the far distance ; if one drives them back they are gone again in an hour’s time, the reason may be that amongst the long grass of the park they find a lot of insects which they would not do on the closely-mown lawn, but they were far more decorative in the garden and did no harm to the flower beds. 188 Nellie K. Blissett — A Tame Torquoisine A TAME TORQUOISINE By Nellie K. Blissett About two months’ ago Lord Tavistock was kind enough to send a young hen Turquoisine, which he considered not quite robust enough to use for breeding, to a friend of mine who was delighted to take her as a pet. She was dreadfully shy at first, sat for days on a millet spray at the top of her cage, and would not even come dowm to feed, so that food and water had to be hung near her “ upstairs ” in order that she should not starve. Her mistress — who would, I think, tackle the taming of anything in feathers, from a Golden Eagle to a Humming Bird — was determined to make friends with her, and would offer her seeding grasses and all sorts of tit-bits, until she would nervously nibble them from her hand, and even permit herself to be stroked with a bit of grass. My friend has some exceedingly tame Canaries, and she would take one of these on her finger and show it to little Turquoisita whenever she went near her cage. After a time she ventured to put her hand, with a Canary in it, inside. The Canary was convinced that it was being introduced into the den of some devouring green dragon, and squeaked aloud ; and Turquoisita, who had hitherto been dumb, began to squeak also, in a minute, bat-like voice, and to make obvious attempts to peck — whether at the hand of her mistress or at the intruding Canary we could not quite make out. It was nervous work letting her out for her first fly. The tame Canaries all come out at lunch, and have a little table in the window specially laid for them, with seed and water and green food, and a cage upon which to perch. Turquoisita, however, when first induced to leave the shelter of her own roof, shot up to the ceiling and hovered under the picture rail like a distracted butterfly, much to my friend’s dismay. After several nerve-racking episodes of this kind, she seemed to grasp the geography of the room, and soon became quite clever at finding her way about. It was after one of these harrowing early flights, when Turquoisita, having fluttered down to the floor in a state of terror, had been caught and returned to her cage by a mistress almost as perturbed as herself, Nellie K. Blissett — A Tame Torquoisine 189 that she suddenly began to utter piteous cries, standing on the perch with her wings lifted, and presenting the distressing appearance of a lady in violent hysterics 1 My friend really thought that her pet’s last hour had come, that she had injured herself in some way, and was about to have a fit, and did not dare even to approach the cage for fear of making things worse. The piteous cries, however, continued, and at last my friend, not knowing what to do, put her hand into the cage and took out — a tame and unresisting bird wTho snuggled into her hand and allowed herself to be stroked and petted, squealing aloud with joy during the process. She now does this whenever she wants to be taken out or played with. The dramatic moment had arrived — Turquoisita had suddenly made up her mind to become a tame Turquoisine ! She bids fair at present to become a first class domestic tyrant, for she has her own small ideas of what she likes and wants, and insists on carrying them out. One of her fixed ideas is that it is the duty of Albert, a sedate Belgian Canary of mature years and irreproach¬ able behaviour, to feed her when she is out. She runs at him with her beak open, and poor Albert misinterpreting her girlish playfulness into a desire to tomahawk him, bolts as before a flaming fury. She herself is fond of feeding anything in the room which attracts her — including her owner’s fingers ! A little Firefinch which lives with the Canaries excites no particular interest in her, though he is not at all afraid of her, and will even hop into her cage, so I suppose it is the colour of the Canaries which intrigues her. She was practically finger-tame in a month, but she has now reached a stage which I might describe as ultra- tame. She will let herself be stroked and handled even by strangers, but she knows quite well the difference between them and the mistress who has taught her to enjoy human society. Even when asleep she will answer to my friend’s voice when she calls her. She knows her step, and listens for it, and will give her little quick “ squeak ! squeak ! ” when she enters the room. It is pretty to see her little grey and turquoise mask and bright eyes looking out between the fingers of her mistress as she plays with her. She has invented a funny little game for herself in her cage, which 190 F. Finn — Some Larger Birds of London I think she would play for hours, pedalling herself along the wires from perch to perch with one little foot, while the other is firmly gripped round one’s finger. And she has developed such a taste for gaiety and gadding about that now, when the Canaries’ dining-table is being spread, she climbs, squeaking, all over her cage, anxious to come out and join in the fun. Curiously enough, the heavy breathing which Lord Tavistock had noticed in her from babyhood, has almost entirely disappeared except when she is tired after a long fly, or unusually excited. At other times she breathes quite normally, so I think it must have been largely the result of nervousness. We are now wondering whether, like the tame specimen mentioned in Lord Tavistock’s enthralling book on Parrots, Turquoisita will develop talent for polite conversation ! SOME LARGER BIRDS OF LONDON By F. Finn For more than a quarter of a century London — chiefly Inner London — has been my “ parish of Selbourne ”, and during that time I have noted many birds there that I should certainly never have expected to see in such a locality. Most remarkable of all was the appearance of an Osprey over the Zoo ; I cannot say in what year, or even if it turned up before or after the War, but the manner of its occurrence is very vividly fixed in my memory. All the Eagles were gazing upwards, a thing I have never seen them do before nor since ; and on following their looks I saw the Osprey silhouetted against the sky, too high up for the colours of its plumage to be visible, but unmistakable in its unique combination of the narrow angular wings of a sea-bird, with the longer tail and blunt bows of a bird of prey. The Osprey ranges so widely, and is so very rare in captivity, that there can be little doubt that the visit was that of a really wild bird, and not due to the escape of a caged one. The Peregrine I have also once seen over the Zoo, and again I cannot fix the date ; the bird was flying low and westward, and passed over the Gardens at the south entrance ; it certainly had no jesses or F. Finn — Some Larger Birds of London 191 bell. The only two Kestrels I ever saw in Regent’s Park were, however, “ freedmen ” — one I released myself after ransoming it for a shilling from a bird shop where it had been thrust, as Browning says of another Hawk, “ into a coop for a vulgar Pigeon ” ; and the other had escaped from the Great Gull’s aviary at the Zoo, and was perched on the Lion House with a Sparrow in its claws. London Kestrels, I believe, depend a good deal on Sparrows ; they are not uncommon, for I have noted one at Westminster — frequently — and others in the City, in Cromwell Road, South Kensington, at Forest Hill, over Lewisham High Road, and, only this year, over a garden in Peckham Road but a few score yards from Camberwell Green. I have only once seen two together, and that was at Wandsworth Common. At Plumstead Wood, which is getting rather far out, I once saw one sailing in great spirals on motionless wings like a Buzzard, though it did at last hover a moment. The Brown Owl is, I take it, quite common in London, as birds of prey go ; it is true that I have only actually seen it at the north of Regent’s Park, and that I have heard of birds being released from the Zoo, so that the bird I once saw in the Gardens, and the single birds I saw on two different occasions, one on Primrose Hill and one in a garden in Albert Road, may have been one pair and ex-captives at that ; but before the War I have heard the unmistakable hooting in St. James’ Park, and since that within the last few years, on more than once occasion in King’s Cross Road, of all places, to say nothing of Honor Oak and Forest Hill, and I have reliable information of the birds breeding now at Dulwich, so that I think the species is quite established as a Cockney. Among fish-eating birds I have noted the Great Crested Grebe, not only in the river off Richmond, which is not surprising, but in Regent’s Park, and even in one of the basins at the west end of the Serpentine— where, I was told, it had been for days — it succeeded in flying out, and it went off down the lake as I watched it. The Cormorant I once saw on a very cold winter’s day during the War, on the river just below Westminster Bridge, over which it came flying low, and, as a contrast, on a beautiful September evening a few years ago one flew north very high over Cavendish Square ; that the birds were the Common Cormorant, and not the Shag, I am sure ; but they may have 192 W. H. Workman — The Barbary Dove ■ at Liberty been one and the same, and even tbe same specimen that created so much Press humour recently by sitting on Big Ben ! For the single Heron that has appeared in Inner London — I saw it once over the Zoo — I may be responsible, as about 1890 I gave a clip- winged yearling to St. James’ Park on condition that it should not be pinioned — this would make the bird pretty old, but the locality is safe, and the species long-lived. Among the Winter Gulls during the present century, I have noted, first, the advent of the Herring Gull in considerable numbers before the War — I once counted a couple of dozen settled for the night on the ice in St. James’ Park ; and, since the war, the increasing numbers of the Common Gull which is now much more numerous than the Herring Gull is now or ever was in London, though, as everyone knows, its name is misleading, for both the Herring and Black-headed species are really more abundantly and widely distributed about our islands ; in fact, before I met with it in London, the only locality in which I had seen it wild was along the Crinan Canal on a twelve-days trip in the Highlands about 1890. Here we have the rather unaccount¬ able phenomenon of the weaker species increasing apparently at the expense of the stronger ! and that, be it noted, in the case of two' natives ; so that one should be careful in condemning a prosperous alien animal when an indigenous ally seems to give place to it locally. [Herons have, on many occasions, been seen flying over the Zoological Gardens, apparently on their way to the lake in Begent’s Park. On 7th June this year, one was seen from the Keeper’s Lodge flying round and settling on the Great Aviary in the early morning. The Brown Owl is common as a wild bird in the neighbourhood of Begent’s Park and Hampstead.— Ed.] THE BARBARY DOVE AT LIBERTY By W. H. Workman During the last few years a great deal has been written about liberating various species of foreign birds so that they may fly about and give to our gardens an added and exotic charm. This new avicul¬ ture, I am sure, will progress as experiments are made from time to W. H. Workman — The Barhary Dove at Liberty 193 time, finding out the best types for the purpose and those birds which are content to stay about the place where they are fed. I want to describe a very simple experiment which I made by way of a start and which I am glad to say has been entirely successful, because it requires a certain amount of nerve to let out for the first time a number of birds, hoping against hope that they will have the sense to stay, even though they are such common birds as the Barbary Dove (Streptopelia risoria). I live within thirty minutes 5 walk of the centre of a city having a population of about half a million, so town dwellers need not be dis¬ couraged. I have a garden of about half an acre in a quiet avenue ; there are some old Scotch firs, etc., and, in the neighbouring gardens there are a number of large trees of various species, so that the locality is fairly suitable. Well to make a start I got a very tame breeding pair of Barbarv Doves about May, 1928. They did splendidly and by September I had about four pair of beautiful young birds which I reared on crumbled household white bread, together with a good supply of cuttlefish bone well ground up and grit, till they were able to pick the ordinary dove mixture for themselves. Just as soon as the young had left the nest the hen started off again on another brood, so I had no difficulty in getting my flock together. As they got older I transferred them to a small aviary and there they stayed all winter, living on cracked maize, oats, dari and No. 3 biscuit meal. Tn the spring of 1929 I transferred a pair to a small cage hanging under a tree so that they could get their bearings. After about a week the front was opened and out flew the Doves as they did from the Ark : round and round they flew out of sight and then back again to light nearby in the Scotch firs. They had made up their minds to stay so all was well and next week another pair was liberated and so on till I had a flock of eight doves coming down every morning before breakfast to be fed. They are so tame that they swoop down all round me and one must see them, to realize what a pretty sight it is to have a flock of these little doves at liberty in one’s garden where they are quite harm¬ less to the plants, not like some of the larger-legged fraternity which I could name. 194 Avicultural Notes Up to date I have liberated about ten birds and I think they are all about as I have seen the whole lot together once during the winter, but they usually come about in a flock of six or eight. They are early risers and they begin to gather in my garden after dawn as I hear them cooing from 5 a.m. on. In the evenings after they have been fed I see them flying across the adjoining tennis courts with very rapid flight, always in pairs, to some large yew-trees several hundred yards away from my garden, where they invariably roost and where I think the attraction is the thick cover of the Irish yew-tree. I have not found these birds interfered with by either cats or Hawks, of both of wdiich we have a number, the latter so bold that I have seen a Sparrowhawk jumping up and down on the top of the aviary flight simply mad with anger at not being able to get inside and have a go at all the dainty little morsels safe within. In conclusion I can recommend this first experiment because by so doing you will have added a great charm to your garden, interesting both to its owner and his visitors. AVICULTURAL NOTES By The Editor Mr. C. S. Webb is a master in the art of collecting and bringing home his collection in first-rate condition. He arrived home from Portuguese East Africa in May with a moderate though very choice collection, containing several birds new to aviculture and almost every bird was in such condition as to render it eligible as a prize-winner in keen competition. In his collection were examples of Smith’s Helmet-Shrike ( Prionops talacoma), of which I am able to give a photograph. A pair were acquired by Mr. Gurney, who refers to them on page 184. There were three examples of the African Pigmy Goose ( Nettapus auritus ), one of the most beautiful of the smaller Waterfowl though none too easy to keep. These, I understand, went to Mr. Delacour, who had previously had one brought by Mr. Webb from Madagascar last year. Avic. Mag. 1930. [Photo D. Seth-Smith. White-shouldered Robin-Chat (Cossypha humeralis). Helmet Shrike (Prionops ialacoma). [To face p. 194. Correspondence 195 There was one example of the tiny Barbet known as the Tinker Bird (Barbatula pusillus), with scarlet forehead and head streaked with black and yellow. It is said to derive its trivial name from its loud and monotonous note which has a metallic ring and resembles the tapping of a hammer upon an anvil. There was a pair of the fine African Wattled Plover ( Lobivanellus lateralis) and two examples of the Natal Kingfisher ( Ispidina natalensis)y a perfect gem of a bird with ultramarine upper surface, the crown being barred with black, the sides of the face rufous washed with lilac, and coral red bill and feet. It is principally an insect feeder found mostly in the bush often far from water, so should not be difficult to keep in captivity. The Tinker Bird, Wattled Plovers and Kingfishers were acquired by Mr. Ezra, and many of us saw and admired them at Foxwarren Park on 31st May. All of those above mentioned appear to be new to aviculture in this country, but there were others in the collection nearly as rare but not quite new to aviculture, such as the White-shouldered Robin Chat ( Cossypha humeralis), of which a photograph is here reproduced, the Southern Grey-headed Bush Shrike (Laniarius starki), the Green¬ necked Touraco ( Gallirex chlorochlamys), African Jacana ( Actophilus africanus ), Black Crake ( Limnocorax niger), and several Sunbirds. CORRESPONDENCE TOURACOS Sir, — Mr. Roland Green’s beautiful and precise drawings of Touracos well show what I have often observed in the actual birds, that though the outer toe in these is reversible, it is in practice usually turned back in the red-winged species, and stands out at a right-angle to the middle one, or even comes forward in the others. These also have longer tails and a generally more graceful form, and appear to show themselves more in the open and to be more- addicted to feeding on leaves and less on fruit. 196 Correspondence Hence I should be disposed to divide the family into two genera only, one to include all the red-winged species and the other for what may be called the plain-winged ones. F. Finn. ARTICLES ON THE COMMONER BIRDS WANTED Sir, — Several members of the Society here have expressed a desire that The Avicultural Magazine should contain information on the keeping and breeding of the more common birds kept by aviculturalists. You will admit, of course, that while you have many breeders keeping rare species, details of which are of interest to all, information concerning the keeping and breeding of the more common species would be of more practical use to a great number of members. I suggest that each Magazine contain an article on the keeping and breeding of one common bird. Some time ago a most interesting article was given on the breeding of Avadavats. More articles of this description would be highly appreciated here. Do you think my request at all possible ? With kind regards, The Avicultural Society of New Zealand. G. Rowland Hutchinson, Hon. Secretary. [We print this letter in the hope that members will come forward and help us with accounts of their birds, however common they may consider them. Many members keep Waxbills, Grassfinches, and such¬ like. Let us have their experiences of successes and failures. — Ed.] SNOWY OWLS Sir, — I am sorry I have made a mistake in my last note on the Snowy Owls at the Zoo in saying that the two birds which were achieving whiteness by drastic reductions in both number and size of their dark markings were not now in the collection, for I find one of them is still there. Seen at a distance it would look all white. F. Finn. LIVERPOOL ZOOLOGICAL PARK (Proprietor: H. E. ROGERS, f.z.s.) Elmswood Road (Lark Lane), LIVERPOOL. Telephone No.: MOSSLEY HILL 106. Telegrams and Cables: “ZOOPARK,” Liverpool- PARROTS, PARRAKEETS. Grey Parrots . . 70 /-to £5 0 each. Amazon Parrots . 5 0/- to £5 ,, Lemoncrest Cockatoos . . 5 0/- ,, Rose Cockatoos . . . 2 5/- ,, Black Cockatoos . . £90 pair. Ringneck Parrakeets . . £ 1 each. Macaws, Red-blue, Red-Green, Blue-yellow . . . £6 ,, 1 Severe Macaw . . . £ 4 Indian Rock Parrots, cocks . 2 5/- ,, ,, ,, hens . 20/- ,, Blue Mountain Lories, exhibition £7 10/- ,, Breeding Redrumps . . £4 10/- pair. Outdoor aviary-bred Cockateils £4 pair. Magnificent Jenadaya Conures, finger-tame .... 25/- each. Blue-crown Conures . .35/- ,, Half-moon Parrakeets . 15/— ,, 1 talking Goffin Cockatoo .£12 10/- 1 talking Leadbeater Cockatoo £ 1 2 10/- 1 pr. Black-headed Caiques, perfect pets, in exhibition plumage . . . .£12 Senegal Parrots . £2 10/- pair. Illigers Macaws . . .45/- each. Rare Red-cheeked Palaeornis Parrakeets . . . . 7 0/— ,, White-eared Conures . .35/- each. AVIARY BIRDS. Senegal Finches, Cordons, Orangecheeks, Bronze Man¬ nikins, Singing Finches, Silver bills, Whydahs, Bishops, Weavers . (Prices on enquiry.) Zebra Finches . . . . £ 1 pair. 1 rare Royston’s Crow . . £7 10/- Blue and Cobalt-bred Budgerigars 15/- , , Adult breeding Green Budgerigars 1 0 j'6 , , Do. do. Yellow do. 12/6 ,, Adult Blue Budgerigars . .32/6 ,, ,, White ,, . £3 5/- ,, ,, Cobalt ,, £3 51- ,, Pope Cardinals . . .12/6 each. Pekin Nightingales, cocks . 10/6 ,, Chinese Spectacled Mock Thrushes, wonderful song¬ sters . 3 0/- ,, Blue Java Sparrows . . . 6/— ,, Spice Birds . . . . 5/6 ,, Various Australian Finches, 2 5/-, 3 0/-, £2 10/-, £4, £4 10/-, £5. 1 pr. Australian King Painted Quail . £5 1 pr. Australian Stubble Quail . £2 10/- 1 ,, Button Quail . £1 WATERFOWL, WADERS, PIGEONS, etc. Wells Ground Doves Elegant Zebra Doves Vinaceous Turtle Doves . Ring Doves Fantail Pigeons, in varieties Nicobar Pigeons Argus Pheasants Specifer Peafowl Crown Cranes . Cassowaries Half-collared Senegal Doves Pied Peafowl . . . £ Blue Peafowl Swans Demoiselle Cranes Bankivi Junglefowl Silver and Golden Pheasants Amherst Pheasants . Rare Fireback Pheasants . Black Swans . Giant Canadian Eagle Owls African Yellowbill Ducks . £3 Carolina Ducks . £4 Black-shouldered Peafowl £ 1 2 Red-billed "Whistling Tree Ducks Australian Crested Pigeons Diamond Doves Java Tree Ducks Mandarin Ducks Formosa Teil . Falcated Teil . Magellon Geese Chinese Geese . Crested Screamers . Pair Seriamas, acclimatised Red-legged Partridges Chukar Partridges . Bamboo Partridges . £ 3 10/- pair. . £1 „ . £1 ,, . 10/6 pair. • 12/6 ,, . £2 10/- ,, . £40 ,, . . £20 „ £20 to £ 2 5 ,, £25 to £ 5 0 each. 15/- pair. 10/- . £7 . £6 .£12 10/- £2 10/- £4 £6 £1 5 £5 10/- 10/- 10/- £5 7 0/- 3 5/- 70/- £5 10/- £5 10- £2 £12 £3 £7 ] 10/- 10/— each £10 90/- pair 90/- „ £5 ,, ANIMALS, PETS, etc. Tame Leopards, Kangaroos, Wolves, Walla¬ bies, Wombats, Bear Cubs (American and Russian), Kinkajous, Woodchucks, Mon¬ goose, Apes, Baboons, Ringtail, Mona, Sooty, Rhesus, Calletrix and a number of other varieties of Monkey, Pet Agoutis, Giant Ruffed Lemurs, Black and Golden Lemurs, Ringtail Lemurs, Pet Golagos. REPTILES. Monster Reticulated Pythons £50 to £ 1 00 each. Boa Constrictors . . £2 1 0 / — Large Anacondas . . . £10 ,, Geometric Tortoises . £2 each. Fresh arrivals weekly. MEMBERS’ SALE AND EXCHANGE COLUMN. The charge for Members’ advertisements is one penny per word, and no advertisement must exceed thirty-six words , name and address included. Payment must accompany the advertisement , which must be sent on or before the 20 th of the month to Mr. T. H. Newman, “ Verulam,” Forty Lane, "Wembley Park Middlesex. All members of the Society are entitled to use this column. SALE OR EXCHANGE. Borneo Firebacks, Elliot’s, Lineated, Manchurian Eared, Bels, Melanotte, Swinhoe, Versicolor, Corean Ring-necked, Prince of Wales’, Dark Pheasants, etc., also Fancy Waterfowl. — Lieut. -Col. Lewis, The Hunridge Game Farm, Great Missenden, Bucks. We are hooking orders for Waterfowl, ready this autumn, of which there will be about forty varieties, pinioned, healthy, and sex guaranteed ; also for a few kinds of ornamental Pheasants. — J. C. Laidley, Lindores, Fife, Scotland. Cock Blue Mountain Lory, beautiful condition, outdoor aviary, 70s. ; or would consider exchange.' — Pembleton, 120 Watford Road, Wembley. Hen Nyasaland Lovebird (or Cock wanted) ; also young Blue Budgerigars and Olives, from Blue and Yellow parents. — Alfred Thom, Whitchurch, Salop. WANTED. Adult Hen Cockatiel, Cock Diamond Sparrow. — McGredy, Ashton, Portadown. Hen Cockatiel, adult, from outdoor aviary ; would exchange three young Ringnecks from garden aviary. — Colvile, Fawley, Henley-on-Thames. “ Cage Birds,” Avicultural Magazine, and other Gardening, Poultry, and Animal periodicals for 1905 to 1915. — Owner, Percy House, Knaresborough, Yorks. IV CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION. George H. Adan, 17 Avenue des Trois Couleurs, Wolbuwe Saint Pierre, Brussels. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. Miss I. F. Jarvis, The Old Manor, Salisbury. Proposed by K. E. Harwood. Rev. A. M. Powell, O.S.B., Ampleforth College, York. Proposed by P. J. Lambert. D. Losh Thorpe, M.B.O.U., F.Z.S., The Aviaries, Loshville, Etterby Scaur, Carlisle. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. NEW MEMBERS. Captain J. E. Dunster, The Laurels, Golden Manor, Han well, W. 7. James H. Pierce, 1431 Webster Street, Palo Alto, California, U.S.A. Captain G. Roberts, Lillingstone-Dayrell House, Buckingham. Ivor I. J. Symes, Bridge House, Tadley, Hants. John Robert Thornton, 9 Moorhead Terrace, Shipley, Yorkshire. CHANGES OF ADDRESS. Major G. H. Barker, to Villa Fressinet, Grasse A.M., France. Walter Gladding, to Abbotsford Gardens and Aviaries, Cuckfield Road, Burgess Hill, Sussex. GAMAGES SS2 HAVE ALWAYS A VARIED STOCK OF Foreign Birds, Parrots , Lovebirds , etc. We can now offer : — Diamond Doves , White , Blue and Cohalt Budgerigars, Blackcheek Lovebird, Blue Grosbeaks, Cordon Bleus, Ribbon Finches, Black Cockatoo, Magpie Mannikins, Senegal Parrots, Java Cockatoo, Indigo, Nonpariel and Rainbow Buntings, Virginian Cardinals, Cuban Tree Quail, Spreo Starlings, Blue Mocking Birds, Golden Front Bulbuls, Shamas , Redstarts, Pileated Finches. BEST FOODS. LOWEST PRICES. Mealworms Spray Millet Ants’ Eggs Dried Flies Pure Egg Yolk . Insectivorous Food Cuttlefish Bone 31b. 1 7/6, 6/6 per lb., \ lb., 3/6 Post paid. 5/6, 7/6, 10/- per bundle. 3/- per lb., 4 lb., 11/- 1/9 „ 41b., 6/6 2 /- „ 41b., 7/- 1/6 „ 71b., 8/6 1/3 ,, 41b., 4/6 Specialities in CAGES, AVIARIES, NEST-BOXES and all appliances. GAMAGES, HOLBORN, LONDON, E.C.l. PHONE : HOL. 8484. “L’OISEAU.” PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE Societe Nationale d’Acdimatation de France, 198 BOULEVARD ST. GERMAIN, PARIS (VIIs) A French Magazine on Aviculture, for the study of European and Foreign Birds in captivity and at liberty. With coloured and black and white plates. ONE YEAR - 75 FRANCS. Medals for first breeding of a species in captivity in France or other countries are awarded if a detailed account is sent to the Society. HA 4 wrm series. VOL. VIII. No. 8. AUGUST. 1930. CONT PAGE Pheasants, by Prof. A. Ghigi and J. Del ac our (with one coloured and two uncoloured plates) . 197 A few Notes on Pheasants,- by E. F. Chawner . . . 212 The New Parrot House at the Zoological Gardens, by A. A. Prestwich (with plate) . .215 ENTS. PAGE Feather Plucking in Parrots . 218 Correspondence : Young Pheasants and Ostriches ; The Sarus Crane in India ; Bronze-winged Manni¬ kins ; A prolific hen Cockatiel ; A Note from South Africa . 221 The Price of this Number is 2/6. THE AVIGULTURAL SOCIETY. FOUNDED 1894 NOTICE TO MEMBERS The Subscription to the Avicultural Society is £1 per annum, due on the 1st of January in each year, and is payable in advance. The entrance fee is 10/0. The Avicultural Magazine is sent free to members monthly. Members joining at any time during the year are entitled to the back numbers for the current year, on the payment of entrance fee and subscription. ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO THE HONORARY SECRETARY AND TREASURER, Miss Knobel, 32 Tavistock Square, London, W.C.l. All Queries respecting Birds (except post-mortem cases) and all other correspondence should be sent to the Hon. 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Order with remittance to— STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, LTD., V Fore Street, Hertford. THE Avicultural Magazine BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF FOREIGN 8c BRITISH BIRDS IN FREEDOM 8c CAPTIVITY Fifth Series . — Vol. VIII. — No. 8. — All rights reserved. AUGUST, 1930. PHEASANTS By Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour (Continued from page 184) The Golden and Amherst Pheasants The strong resemblance between Chalcurus and the hens of the well-known Golden and Lady Amherst’s Pheasants (genus Chrysolophus) determines us to take them next in order. They are unquestionably the most beautiful of the family, both in shape and colour. In addition, they are perfectly hardy and always ready to propagate their species. They are above all others the best suited to aviary life, and only the ease with which they are bred and increased prevents them from being appreciated at their real worth. They are found in West China and the neighbouring countries of Burma and Tibet ; they live in the rocky mountains among bushes and bamboos. They are polygamous, each cock mating with three to four hens. The Golden Pheasant ( C . Rictus) is spread over the whole of North-West China. It is too well known to need a detailed description of its splendid colouring of gold, red, yellow, blue, green, 15 198 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants and brown. The hen is known from the Amherst hen by her smaller size and yellower colouring. Lady Amherst’s Pheasant (C. amherstice) replaces the Golden further west on the confines of Tibet and Burma. The cock is equally well known with his blue, green, white, grey, and orange plumage. Pure-bred individuals (they are rare) not crossed with the Golden Pheasant have no red either on the flanks or the abdomen Hybrids between the two species are extremely beautiful. It is only recently that the remarkable gametic affinity has been detected between these and the Common Pheasant ; in their hybrids the cocks are fertile and the hens sterile. The True Pheasants These include all the long, narrow-tailed species with heads adorned with wattles more or less well developed. They consist of the genera Phasianus , Syrmaticus, and Catrceus. The genus Phasianus, which has been naturalized as a game-bird all over Europe, in the wild state frequents open spaces intersected by bushes and tall grass. The rest mostly inhabit woods and copses. They are polygamous, hardy, and easily reared. The sexes are quite unlike. Their food is the same as that of other Pheasants ; they lay about a dozen eggs and incubation lasts twenty-four days. It is better to allow two to four hens to every cock. The Common Pheasants ( Phasianus ) Birds in this genus have narrow tails of medium length ; the cocks have tapering silky rump feathers, large red wattles round the eyes, and two little tufts of erectile feathers each side of the nape. The cock utters the well-known short harsh crow. The Pheasants in preserves throughout Eurppe all belong to this genus and are almost always hybrids from several varieties. They are found from the Caucasus to Japan, and from thence to tropical Burma and Tonkin. More than thirty distinct varieties are known. It has been absolutely proved that all these Pheasants are fertile inter se ; con- Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants 199 sequently, the purity of any race is in direct ratio to its geographical isolation ; the Pheasants of Japan ( versicolor ) and of Formosa (formosanus) are naturally more distinct from the rest because they live on islands and cannot interbreed with other adjacent forms. All these Pheasants are remarkably uniform morphologically ; their plumage is always metallic ; the neck is green ; the wing-coverts have chestnut streaks. The chief differences are grouped round the following characteristics : They may or may not have a white collar round the neck, which is dominant in the hybrids ; the back and rump may be either green or chestnut. There are, therefore, four categories of the Common Pheasant : — 1. Without collar, rump chestnut. 2. With collar, rump chestnut. 3. With collar, rump green. 4. Without collar, rump green. All the Western forms have chestnut rumps, and all the Oriental have green ones. The collar is most frequent among the forms which inhabit Central Asia, while those without it are outside the centre of distribution of the genus. We are dealing with a genuine species divided into systematized varieties, which in their turn include several local races and forms. In certain cases it is difficult to establish the genuine systematic worth of each form, but it seems to us desirable to subdivide them into six species, each including several races. The first are the Pheasants belonging to the Colchicus race, the earliest known and the only wild species in Europe (the Caucasus). All Pheasants included are deep coppery red with head (except on top where it is bronze) and neck green with purple reflections ; the back, sides, and tail are perceptibly the same shade ; no white collar. The Common Pheasant (P. c. colchicus ) inhabits the Caucasus bordering on Persia. It has no white collar ; the middle of the abdomen is greenish black. The Northern Pheasant (P. c. septentrionalis), which is found further north, has a chocolate brown abdomen, and is rather deeper red. 200 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants On the south-western and south-eastern shores of the Caspian Sea are two related forms — P. c. talischensis and P. c. persicus. The Prince of Wales Pheasant (P. c. principalis) is the second species. The cock is slightly smaller and all his upper parts are brilliant tomato red, without either black or yellow marks on the scapulars. His throat is chestnut, as are also the terminal spots on the chest and sides. The middle of the wing is white. The median rectrices have no black bars. The hens have their flight feathers evenly striped yellow and brown and are lighter than the hens of Colchicus. The chicks have chestnut spots on their shoulders. They are found in South-Eastern Turkestan, bordering Persia and Afghanistan. This is a handsome Pheasant well known in confinement. . The various regions and oases of Turkistan are the home of several intermediate races, among some of which the white collar appears — P. p. zarudnyi, zerafshanicus, bianchii, chrysomelas, turcestanicus . The Mongolian Pheasant (P. c. mongolicus), from Kirghir to Dzungaria and the Chinese province of Kulaia, comes next. A bird which is very widely distributed in preserves and Pheasant-rearing establishments. It is large, pansy-coloured or deep mauve glossed with green, has a white collar and white in the wings. The hen has her flight feathers barred like the former species, but is duller and has little green spots on her back ; the chicks have distinct markings. Further south, in West Chinese Turkestan, Shaw’s Pheasant (P. c. shawi) is to be found ; it has no collar. We now come to the Pheasants of the species torquatus, distinguished by the different colouring of parts of its plumage. Upper back, more or less orange-yellow ; lower back, greenish-grey, the point of the wings chestnut, the rest light brown, the sides more or less pale yellow with large black tips ; tail, greenish or brownish with black stripes. The collar may be present or absent. The Ring-necked Pheasant (P. t. torquatus) inhabits South-Eastern China and North Tonkin ; still further north P. c. kiangsuensis , which is slightly paler, and a darker form to the east of Tonkin (P. t. takatsukasai). Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants 201 The Corean Pheasant (F. t. karponi) is distinguished by having deeper yellow flanks and rather lighter colouring. Pallas' Pheasant, from North-Eastern Manchuria, has a very wide white ring. Hagenbeck’s Pheasant (F. t. hagenbecki), to the extreme east of Mongolia and separated from the above by over 2,000 kilometres, is, notwithstanding, exceedingly like it, the only distinction being the wider black edges to its breast feathers. The Formosan Pheasant ( P . formosanus) is very distinct. It is very pale ; the yellow on the middle of its back is the same shade as the scapulars, uniformly straw-coloured without any black. The flanks also are very light. The hens and chicks are very light, almost white. Other forms may be found in the interior of China, which approach more nearly to Colchicus according as one goes westward. The Ringless Pheasant (P. t. decollatus), found south of the Yang-Tse to Kuang-Si, is like the Ring-neck, but has no collar and is rather darker. The Elegant Pheasant, inhabitant of South-West China to Upper Burma, and North-West Tonquin, differs from the preceding in having a green band across the chest. No ring. Finally there are races of Torquatus more and more closely intermediate between Colchicus in North-West China and East Turkestan : P. t. strauchi , vlangalii , satschuensis, and tarimensis . The Japanese Pheasant (P. versicolor) is a distinct species having several forms not very highly differentiated (P. v. robustus , P. v. kinsinensis , P. v. tanensis. It is peculiar to Japan. The cock is a fine dark green with tawny spots on the mantle ; his wings are marked with pale tawny and chestnut ; his head is metallic purple ; he has no ring ; his tail is greenish tawny with black bars and pale brown fringe. The hen is darker and more delicately mottled than those of the other species. The Yersicolor is a splendid bird, easily reared and a fine game-bird. Let us finish by describing the Dusky Pheasant (P. colchicus mut. tenebrosus ), which is purple with green reflections above and has red marks on its flanks, and only offers a superficial resemblance to the Versicolor. The hen is chocolate-brown with black marking. 202 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants This mutation has appeared for several years among preserved birds in England. It is large and hardy and flies well ; it is an excellent table bird. There are also White Pheasants and Crested Pheasants. Long-tailed Pheasants ( Syrmaticus ) While the ordinary Pheasants make up a very homogenous group, the Long-tailed Pheasants differ so much from one another that several authors consider them to belong to separate genera. Beeves’ Pheasant has no erectile wattles on the neck ; but the cock has a very narrow, naked red stripe above the eyes. Its eggs are greenish-grey while those of the other species are pinkish-white or yellow, as in the case of the Amherst. Besides this, it is not yet known if its hybrids are fertile. Elliot’s, Hume’s, Burmese, and the Mikado Pheasants have been lumped together under the name of Calophasis ; they have sixteen rectrices. Scemmerring’s Pheasant, with its varieties, has been named Gra'pho'phasianus ; they have eighteen restrices. Although the cock has wattles round the eyes, the hen’s head is practically all feathered. Lastly, the toes are bordered with tiny scales arranged like the teeth of a comb. The Mikado also has this last characteristic and was given the generic name of Cyanophasis by Buturlin. These long-tailed Pheasants are distinguished by the cocks not having pointed feathers on the rump, but the median rectrices very much prolonged, and the absence of tufts on the sides of the head. Their voices also are very different to those of Phasianus, being more of a whistle. Their plumage is very various. They have a peculiar display, consisting of puffing out the feathers of the neck. The hens have well marked plumage. Both sexes when running spread out their tails like a fan. The long-tailed Pheasants inhabit Japan, China, Formosa, and Burma. They live in the mountains and frequent woods and thickets. They do well in confinement and are easily reared, but they are very combative and the cock often kills the hen. It is necessary to take precautions against this, particularly with Soemmerriug’s Pheasant. All are hardy in France. Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants 208 Beeves’ Pheasant (S. reevesi) inhabits the mountains of Central China. It is a splendid bird, well known to everybody, with tawny yellow plumage mottled with black, varied with white and brown, and an enormous tail, reaching nearly 6 feet in length. The hen’s mantle is marked with white and black and the feathers of her tail barred with russet and white. This species does very well in confinement and as a game-bird at liberty, but it is very combative, though the cocks do not often attack their hens. It is the best stayer of all Pheasants, so that at liberty the Beeves’ Pheasant is the finest game-bird imaginable. Unfortunately it is an extremely combative creature ; the cock will not tolerate his own species nor the cocks of other kinds, so that it is not possible to have as many as one would like in the coverts. Even the chicks begin to fight each other when eight to ten days old, and they cannot be reared along with other species ; they will even fight among themselves while with their foster-mother. Soemmerring’s Pheasant (S. s. scemmerringi ) is a native of South Japan ; the cock is deep copper red mottled with light red, and has a very long reddish tail barred with dark brown. The hen is like the Beeves, but is redder and her marking is different. The Ijima Pheasant ( S . s. ijimce ) from South Kiu-Siu, is known from the preceding species by his silvery white rump. Besides these there are in Japan two sub-species ( S . s. sub-rufus and intermedins). These Japanese Pheasants are superb ; they live well, and .are easily reared in aviaries, but they are so combative that it is very hard to pair them off. Most cocks kill their hens in spring, and if several hens are put together they fight among themselves. It is necessary to have recourse to either very large aviaries thickly planted with bushes, or a smaller one with two compartments, where the sexes can be kept separate and only allowed to come together for a short time, when they can be watched. This bad habit is a great obstacle in propagating these fine birds. Elliot’s Pheasant ( S . ellioti ) inhabits the mountains of South- East China, where it is rare. The cock is remarkably handsome : the crown and sides of his head are light grey, black beneath ; the upper chest and back are bright copper, the wing coverts blue-black 204 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants and white in two bands, the upper wing blue-black, the scapulars form a white line, the middle and lower back ringed white and black, the abomen is white, the sides ringed with red and black. The tail is russet barred with pale grey with a narrow black line edging the grey ; sub-caudals, black. The hen is light pale brown, streaked and mottled with red and black ; the front of the neck is black ; the lateral feathers of the tail are red, ending with black and white. This handsome Pheasant does well both in aviaries and at liberty ; it is perfectly hardy. The cocks are sometimes spiteful and it is necessary to watch them and to give each several hens. There is in Burma a species ($. humice) living among the high mountains which has not yet been imported alive. They are rather like Elliot’s Pheasant above, only darker, and with the whole head and neck black, the under parts mahogany brown, and light grey tail barred with black and brown. The hen also somewhat resembles the Elliot but is without the black throat. To the west of the Irrawaddy the typical form occurs, which in the east is replaced by a redder, lighter form (S. burmanicus). It is much to be wished that this fine bird could be imported alive. The Mikado Pheasant (S. mikado) belongs to the mountains in the centre of Formosa. The cock is blue-black, but the feathers on the back and chest have metallic tips ; the lower back is black ringed with blue, as is the point of the wing, which also has white stripes ; the tail is black barred with white. The hen is brown, with black spots and mottled with whitish tawny. Her pattern is not as well defined as those of the preceding species. This noble bird was imported in 1912 and bred freely. It disappeared later, but one of us (Delacour) has lately received a few. In the aviary it behaves like Elliot’s Pheasant, and with it breeds very fine hybrids which are fertile and very much like S. humice. The Cheer Pheasant ( Catreus ) This genus only contains one species ( Catreus wallichi), confined to the Western Himalayas, wThere it lives at from 2,000 to 3,000 metres high among rocky and steep woods. This species differs from all others. Its long tail and tawny black- Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacoui — Pheasants 205 barred plumage somewhat recall Reeves’ Pheasant, although much duller, but it has a tapering crest and its beak recalls the Crossoptilons, which it also resembles in certain of its habits and its boldness. The Cheei Pheasant, like Swinhoe’s and the Pirebacks, is liable to be attacked by pseudo-tuberculosis of the liver, which does not exist among the true Pheasants. Its eggs are like the Crossoptilons but very lightly spotted with brown, but the chicks, on the contrary, are grey with dark marking like the Common Pheasant. Its voice is unlike all other Pheasants, more like that of a Partridge. The hen is like the cock save that her tail and crest are shorter and her plumage is paler and more spotted. The only specimen actually in European aviaries at present is a hen recently acquired by one of us (Ghigi), but a few years ago it was not uncommon ; it is hardy and, although subject to diphtheria, breeds tolerably freely. It is to be wished that it might be re-introduced, for, notwithstanding its rather dull plumage, it is an interesting bird. The Kaleege and Allied Pheasants Including the Pheasants belonging to the genera Gennceus , Hierophasis, Diardigallus, Acomus, Lophura, and Lobiophasis. These are distinguished by their ample and laterally compressed tails, like those of domestic cocks, and all arched like them, except the Acomus , where they are more like hens’. All are adorned with large velvety lobes, which expand when the bird is excited. All are monogamous and forest dwellers. The males of them all, except Acomus and Lobiophasis, have well developed crests, and except in Diardigallus and Hierophasis the hens also wear them. These Pheasants are tropical birds, being found in the Himalayas, Burma, Siam, and Indo-China ; in South China, Hainan, and Formosa ; in the Malayan Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, and the neighbouring islands. The least southern species are perfectly hardy ; they live and breed with us readily ; the Malayan are more susceptible to cold and should have shelter in bad weather ; young birds are not easily reared in the colder districts : they need special attention and careful housing. 206 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants The young of some species take eighteen months to acquire adult plumage. Incubation is from twenty-two to twenty-five days. The Kaleege or Silver Pheasants The Pheasants of the genus Gennceus , of which the Silver Pheasant is the best known type, are found from Himalaya to Hainan and up to the north of the Malayan Peninsula. The cocks are black and white ; the hens wear crests. They are all quite hardy and easily bred. Incubation lasts twenty-five days. The White-crested Pheasant (G. hamiltoni), better known under the name of albocristatus, is the most westerly ; it inhabits Kashmir and the regions to the east. It is black with purple reflections, and the feathers on the back are white edged. The breast feathers are long and light grey, the crest is large and white, the lobes are red, and the legs greenish-grey. The hen is olive brown with tawny streaks. It is rather rare in confinement. The Nepal Pheasant (G. leucomelanus ) of Nepal is distinguished from the former by a black crest. It is almost the only one found commonly in confinement. The Black-backed Kaleege (G. melanotus ) of Sikkim and Bhutan differs in having its back entirely black and a whiter breast. It is rather rare in aviaries. Young cocks of these three species attain their adult plumage in three months. Horsfield’s Kaleege (G. horsfieldi ) inhabits Assam and Burma. It is blue-black with white markings on the lower back. It is fairly common in confinement. In the south-east it is replaced by a sub-species having white-striped plumage {F. h. williamsi). There are numerous crosses between this species and the following : — The Lineated Pheasant (G. lineatus) appears to be grey above, its feathers being closely vermiculated with black and wdiite ; the body is black with white-striped flanks and the lateral tail feathers are vermiculated with white. This Pheasant comes from South Burma. Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants 207 Further north is another sub-species (G. 1. oatesi) with coarser vermicula- tion, and in the Shan and Siamese States yet another with regularly barred plumage — G. 1. sharpei. These birds all have greenish-grey legs. The Lineated Pheasant was at one time common in confinement, but now there are very few pure-bred specimens. The young cocks behave like the Horsfields. Lewis’ Pheasant (G. lewisi) is confined to the mountains to the south of Cambodia, where it was discovered by one of us (Delacour) in 1927. Unlike the foregoing, but like the Silvers, it has bright red legs. Its tail is rather short. The cock is black above with narrow white lines rather far apart, and black underneath. The hen is reddish brown, her feathers edged with tawny grey, and a reddish tail. One pair has been brought alive to France (Delacour). It is extremely rare. All the following Pheasants may be looked upon as being sub¬ species of the Silver Pheasant. The further south one goes the more the white of their plumage is striped with black and the shorter are their tails. Nevertheless, there are some very distinct forms. As yet this group is not well known, and it is further complicated by hybridization on the borders of distribution. They are all red-legged, and the cocks of all assume adult plumage in their second year. The Silver Pheasant (G. nycthemerus ) is a native of China and Tonquin. It is the whitest bf all above, with narrow, widely spaced streaks and very long tail. The hen is brown with whole coloured breast. Kippon’s Pheasant (G. n. ripponi), which takes its place further west and is found in Yunnan, in East Burma, Laos, and extreme north of Annam, differs from the Silver in having broader black stripes. The hen is very different, has her breast mottled with dark brown and white. I do not know if it has been imported, but it is kept in confinement in Indo-China. The Bed-legged Pheasant (G. n. rufipes), inhabiting the district between the Rivers Irrawaddy and Salween, has larger and closer black stripes than the above. The hen’s breast is mottled and redder than the Silver. Berlioz’ Pheasant (G. n. berliozi), from Quantri (Annam), 208 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — ■ Pheasants resembles the preceding ; its tail is shorter and its plumage more evenly barred. The ben’s breast is one-coloured. It is easily bred in confinement and bas several times been imported (Delacour). Bel’s Pheasant {G. n. beli), found further south, is much darker, and the black and white of its plumage nearly equally distributed. It has been imported and bred in Prance. The Annam Pheasant (G. n. annamensis), which inhabits the Langbian mountain in South Annam, is very different. Its stripes are much closer and give it a grey appearance. Its crest is very slender, and on the sides of the neck and body are large white spots. The hen is uniformly reddish brown. This handsome Pheasant has not yet been imported alive. The Hainan Pheasant (G. whiteheadi), from the mountains of that island, is like a small Silver with widely separated but very large stripes. The hen has neck and under parts of black brown, with white spots. This species is rare and has not yet been brought over. One of us (Ghigi), having carried out a series of experiments in hybridization on Mendelian principles between leucomelus, Lineated, Horsfield’s, and Silver Pheasants, that is to say taking the result of the second generation and then recrossing, has obtained hybrids similar to several of the species described above. These hybrids are lighter or darker according as there is more Silver or more Horsfield blood in them, and they correspond to the series found in the wild state in the intermediate regions between the distribution of the most distinct and widely differing species ; Horsfield- Silver, Silver-Lineated, Lineated-Horsfield . This is a striking example of new species whose origin is the hybridization of two antagonistic mutations. These Pheasants settle in certain districts, and selection fixes a species, but it has always been possible for incursions from outside to take place, because these birds wander in the breeding season far from the place where they were bred, especially their hens. It is this wandering instinct which makes it impossible for us to use these Pheasants to replenish our game preserves. Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacoui — Pheasants 209 Blue Pheasants The cocks of Hierophasis have as their dominant colour note dark metallic blue, a short crest and slightly arched tail, red wattles and legs. The hens have a scarcely visible rudimentary crest. The blue Pheasants are found in the mountains of Formosa and Central Annam. They thrive in confinement. Swinhoe’s Pheasant ( H . swinhoei), from Formosa, is commonly kept in confinement. The cock is blue with white crest, upper back, and median rectrices ; the points of the wings are purplish red, and the coverts edged with green. The hen is red brown mottled with black. This is a hardy and prolific species. The cock assumes adult plumage in his second year. One of us (Ghigi) has obtained a mutation in which the cock has no red nor white rectrices, and the hen is light yellow and black. This is H. dissimilis. The Imperial Pheasant ( H . imperialis) , from the province of Doughoi (Annam), is the rarest of Pheasants. I only met with one pair, which I was fortunate enough to bring back alive and to breed it in France. The cock is dark blue all over ; the hen is brown with greyish cheeks, and lighter above than beneath. The species is hardy and strong. Edward’s Pheasant (H. edwardsi ), from Central Annam, is smaller than either of the two preceding. Incubation lasts twenty-one days instead of twenty-four to twenty-five as in the above, and the young cocks come into colour at four months, whereas the others do not until eighteen months. The cock is blue, with green-edged wings, and white crest. The hen is entirely dark brown. This fine Pheasant is rare : it is hardy in France but the young are rather delicate. The Firebacks The Siamese Fireback ( DiardigaUus diardi ) is common in Indo- China, except in the North and the East of Siam. The cock is a splendid bird ; its head is black with a large crest of hairy feathers with spatulate tips ; mostly grey plumage irregularly streaked with black and white on the wings ; abdomen, black-green ; centre of back yellow, lower 210 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour— Pheasants back blue mottled with purple ; tail very arched, black with green reflections ; wattles and legs, red. The hen has no crest ; she is chestnut red, her wings barred with light tawny and black ; back, mottled tawny white, sides edged with the same ; chestnut tail, except the median rectrices which are like the wings. This handsome Pheasant is hardy and breeds freely. Incubation lasts 23 days ; the young are strong. Although their first plumage is scarcely duller than the adult, they do not breed until they are in their second year, and often the hens do not lay until their third year. It is best to rear the chicks by themselves, because they are not as powerful as those of other species. The Crestless Firebacks Pheasants of the genus Acomus are remarkable in several ways : both sexes are crestless and have short compressed tails like the domestic hen. They are medium size and thickset. Both sexes are armed with spurs. Their wattles are red and their legs greenish-grey. They frequent the great forests of Malaya, Sumatra, and Borneo. In confinement they prove strong, and after the first year do not need more than slight protection. They lay well, but the young are delicate, needing great care and good shelter. They are monogamous. Incubation lasts about 24 days. The Kufous-tailed Pheasant (A. erythrophthalmus) lives in the forests of the low-lying parts of Borneo and the Malay Peninsula. The cock is blue-black, lightly streaked with white above and vermiculated beneath with the same. His back is yellow passing to bronzy red, his tail chamois yellow, with the sub-caudals black. The hen is uniformly blue-black. This is a freely imported species. It has often laid in confinement but the chicks have rarely come to maturity. The Bornean Crestless Fireback (A. pyronotus), from Borneo, only differs from the above in that the cock’s plumage is more heavily streaked with white. The hen is identical with the preceding. It is not so freely imported and has not yet been bred in confinement. Avicultural Magazine White-Tailed Fireback Pheasant Lophura sumatrana albipennis Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants 211 The Sumatran Crestless Fireback (A. inornatus), inhabiting the mountains of Sumatra, is very rare and has never come over alive. The cock is wholly black and resembles the hens of the preceding species except for the metallic blue edging to the feathers on the upper parts of the body, while the hen is russet, vermiculated with black and has a black tail. The Crested Firebacks This genus Lophura contains large and very handsome species, which like the foregoing inhabit the low-lying forests of Malaya, Sumatra, Borneo, and some neighbouring islands. Both sexes have short, thick, spread-out crests, short, wide, and arched tails ; beautiful cobalt blue wattles, and their prevailing colour is deep blue with a large brilliantly red patch on the lower back. They are fairly often imported and practically hardy, but it is wise to give them shelter through the winter. They are strong and lay well but late in the season. In cold places the young are delicate, need care, and a warm shelter. The great difficulty in rearing these Pheasants is that the eggs are not laid before June or July ; this does not allow sufficient time to rear these large birds before winter sets in. Vieillot’s Pheasant (L. rufa), from the Malayan Peninsula, is dark blue with white striped flanks, copper-red back, and the four median rectrices white ; the wattles are divided into four equal lobes ; the hen is chestnut, underneath spotted with white, tail chestnut brown. It is occasionally imported and breeds fairly freely. The Sumatran Pheasant (L. s. sumatrana) resembles the foregoing save that its flanks have large chestnut red spots and its legs are grey scarcely tinged with pink. The White-tailed Pheasant ( L . s. alhipennis), from the north of Sumatra, differs from the above in having red spots instead of white on its flanks. Delacour’s Pheasant ( L . s. delacouri), from south of the island, has, like the foregoing species, the lower chest and sides tawny red. All these forms are imported from time to time. The Bornean Fireback (L. ignita), from Borneo, has the whole abdomen chestnut red as well as the four central rectrices. The hen 212 Ethel F. Chaivner — A Few Notes on Pheasants is redder than Vieillot’s and is further distinguished by her grey legs and blackish brown tail. This species is also slenderer. It is often imported and thrives in Europe, where it has often been reared, but special care must be taken of the chicks. A local form having the middle of the abdomen black lives on the island of Banka, and has occasionally been imported. The Lobed Pheasant, Bulwer’s magnificent Pheasant ( Lobiophasis hulweri). from the Bornean mountains, constitutes a genus by itself. Its crestless head is adorned with blue wattles prolonged into two long points, and the higher ones truncated. Its plumage is dark blue dappled with metallic blue like watered silk ; its tail, made up of more than thirty long, wide, and strongly arched feathers, is snowy white. Its legs are red. The hen is ruddy brown vermiculated with black, and her straight tail is black. This splendid species is very rarely imported. Mr. Spedan Lewis possesses a pair in England which do not appear to be particularly delicate. A FEW NOTES ON PHEASANTS By Ethel F. Chawner This has been a disappointing breeding season here. We have had an unusually large proportion of infertile eggs, oddly enough chiefly from pairs which did best last year. Tragopans and Black-backed Kaleege (melanotus) have not laid any fertile eggs. Crossoptilons laid freely, but only two eggs were fertile and both chicks were deformed. The rarer Pheasants, though in good condition, did not lay at all, owing to drainage and water works having to be carried out close to their pens just when the birds were displaying and preparing to breed. Perhaps a short description of the display of two of the least known species, Rheinart’s Argus (Rheinardia ocellatus) and Bulwer’s Pheasant ( Lobiophasis hulweri ) may be worth recording. The cock Rheinart begins his display by erecting his crest till Avicultural Magazine Monaul Pheasant Lophophorns impeyanus Photo D. Seth-Smith Rhein art's Pheasant Rheinardia ocellata Ethel F. Chawner — A Few Notes on Pheasants 218 it looks as though his head were covered with thistle down, he draws out his body to its full length, standing with his head held low and his neck feathers ruffled and puffed out so that he looks the same thickness all over. His long tail is spread horizontally so as to give every feather its full value, and they overlap slightly like tiles on a roof. He will stand as if he were cataleptic for as long as twenty minutes without moving, almost without breathing, then make a sudden rush towards the hen at the same time rapidly opening his wings, leap into the air, and pick up a pebble or two in his beak and stand motionless once more. The hen meanwhile wanders about attending to her own affairs and does not so much as raise her head to observe the antics of her lord. I have not actually seen them pair, but the aviary attendant has no doubt that they have done so. It was about this time last year that a couple of eggs were laid, but I do not think it likely to happen now ; the birds seem to have settled down and take no interest in each other. The cock Bulwer’s display is even more spectacular. He signifies his intention by strutting round his hen, his blue wattles blown out and swinging with his movements like earrings. Next he expands his wonderful tail until it looks like a snowy fan, and continues to strut, gradually increasing his pace. Finally the tail is arched over his back till only his head and neck are visible and he stands facing the hen in this attitude for perhaps a couple of minutes. Unfortunately he is very shy and will not show off if he thinks he is being watched ; moreover he usually prefers the evening just before dusk so that it would be very difficult to photograph him. The hen in this case does seem interested : she usually walks with him and keeps close to him when he displays. Again I am afraid that nothing will come of it, though a couple of months ago the hen frequently perched on the side of a box, which is fixed high up in the aviary, and sometimes entered it. I expect such shy birds require a really secluded well-planted aviary where they see no one except the keeper, to induce them to breed. A couple of months ago I sent a note to the Magazine describing the strange behaviour of a pair of Crossoptilons (Hokis). Soon after 16 214 Ethel F. Chawner — A Few Notes 071 Pheasants I sold them to a gentleman who is experienced in breeding Pheasants and was interested in the account given of this pair. He turned them into a really large enclosure with growing trees and plenty of cover. They did not fight, and the hen laid several eggs, which, however, were all infertile. They kept apart and took no interest in each other. After they had been there some weeks a white Peacock in the same aviary took a dislike to them and so harried them that their owner removed them to a small aviary. Shortly after, loud shrieks were heard, and the hen was found to be attacking and driving the cock just as described in my note ; he again fled before her in the utmost terror, and there is little doubt that she would have killed him had his owner not come to the rescue and removed him. Does she know in some mysterious way that he is sterile and resents his presence accordingly ? He is, as I said before, a fine, well-developed bird wlm does not look undeveloped or abnormal. Another curious happening in the Pheasant world took place this, spring in the aviaries on Whale Island. A pair of Amhersts have bred normally for several years, but this centenary year the cock turned the hen off the nest and would not allow her to sit and, in spite of her efforts, took her place on the eggs. He sat for twenty -two days and hatched four chicks, which were taken from him and put under a hen. He still sat on the remaining egg which he hatched two days later, and the chick was left with him. I saw him with his chick following him under the shelter of his tail and watched him call it when he found a morsel of food. The poor hen is not allowed any share in the upbringing of her child. The Commander sent an account of this abnormality to The Field,, which appeared on 5th July. I understand that the Editor wrote that cock Pheasants have been known to hatch and rear chicks, but that it. has not previously been reported of an Amherst. Avic. Mag. 1930. To face p. 215.] Parrot House at the Zoological Gardens showing Outdoor Flights on South Side. The New Parrot House at the London Zoological Gardens 215 THE NEW PARROT HOUSE AT THE LONDON ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS By A. A. Prestwich A recent event of considerable interest to aviculturists was the opening of the new Parrot House at the London Zoological Gardens. For many years protests against the obvious inadequacy of the old house met with no visible results, but at last, mainly through the instrumentality of our Editor, a house worthy of the Society’s fine collection of Psittacine birds has been provided. We feel sure that those members who have viewed the new house will agree that it is infinitely superior to the old and as good as the circumstances permit. That there is atAeast one person far from satisfied is obvious from a letter which appeared in the Daily Mail of 26th June, in which the writer remarks : — “ This is simply the old restaurant quite inadequately adapted, in which perhaps 2 or 3 per cent of the birds — the most intelligent and sensitive of birds — is decently housed. It is draughty ; it is for the most part sunless. Big birds are cramped ; sociable birds are isolated ; timid birds are, without possible retreat, at the mercy of teasing passers-by. “It is odious that affectionate creatures like Lories and Conures should be caged singly. Any doubter should give a minute to playing with the Brazilian “ Golden ” Conure — he welcomes even a human friend in his solitary prison. It is odious that two big Cockatoos should be caged together in a space where they can hardly stretch their wings. Some Macaws seem not much to mind being chained to a pole and being teased by all and sundry, but the two Green Macaws in the collection live their days in perpetual alarm and unhappiness. “ This Parrot-house is a Parrot-prison, and a more enlightened generation will look on us who tolerate such things rather as we look on the gaol administrators of the inhuman eighteenth century.” Genuine criticism is often helpful, but in this case the views expressed border on what might be called an hysterical outburst. To deal with some of the points raised : One of the primary objects of the Gardens is the exhibition of the largest possible number of representative species, caged and housed in the best practical manner. The authorities are 216 A. A. Prestwick — The New Parrot House at the the first to admit that many improvements in housing could be made and that all is not ideal. It is obvious that the majority of the Psittaciformes would do better in aviaries, but if suitable aviaries were provided for all the birds in the Society’s collection no space would be available for anything else. And after all but a very small percentage of the visitors take more than a passing interest in birds. Owing to lack of space the number of aviaries is consequently limited, and recourse has to be made to the next best things, namely, large and roomy cages and flight-cages. A puerile objection is taken to the house not being new ; certainly it is not new in its entirety, but it has been altered and modified with considerable success, so much so that unless informed one would not be aware that it had once been used for a very different purpose to the present. After numerous visits we have failed to notice any excessive draughts, but the complaint of lack of light is more or less justified, not so much at the present time ; but we can well imagine the house being dull during the winter. Special efforts have been made to place pairs of birds in cages, and this has been done in every possible case ; the exceptions being either through lack of suitable companions or “ incompatibility of temperament ”. The cages containing pairs of Cockatoos are quite large enough for the purpose. The two Green Macaws — presumably Military — have been in the Gardens since 1911, and, although somewhat timid compared to some of their congeners, show no signs of unhappiness. Concerning teasing, unfortunately every Zoological Garden has a small number of irresponsible visitors — visitors who specialize in blowing tobacco smoke at the exhibits ; visitors who poke with sticks and umbrellas ; visitors who kind-heartedly insist on offering the most unsuitable foods to all and sundry ; and visitors who, more kind-heartedly still, give dangerous playthings, such as pieces of glass and razor blades. But when the large number of visitors is taken into account, the admittance of a few imbeciles is unavoidable. The new house has been open only a short time, but a great improve¬ ment in the general condition of the birds is already apparent, due primarily to the improved conditions, increased roominess of most of their quarters, an equitable temperature, and lack of draughts. The building consists of two halls, that on the left of the entrance London Zoological Gardens 217 containing the Ring-necks, Broad-tails, Lovebirds, Budgerigars, Conures, Brotogerys, some Lories, and the Macaws (except during the fine weather) : and the one to the right numerous large flight cages, Cockatoos, true Parrots, Amazons, Lories, Pceocephalus, and a few Macaws. A good range of outside flights is attached, and there is every prospect of breeding successes being recorded. The importance of the collection warrants a list of the species on view, but would prove wearisome to the vast majority of readers, so only a few of the more important exhibits and the inmates of the flight cages and aviaries will be mentioned. It will suffice to state that there are some 130 species, in addition to hybrids, and almost without exception they look well and contented. There is no official “ oldest inhabitant ”, judged by length of time in the Gardens, but several have been there since 1907, including a Blue and Yellow Macaw, Ducorp’s Cockatoo, and a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. An outstanding example of longevity is the Aubrv’s Parrot (Pceocephalus aubryanus ), which has been there since 1909. This section is, as hitherto, in charge of Mr. W. Alden. The inside flight cages : — 1. Elegant Grass Parrakeets ( Neonanodes elegans). 2. Racket-tailed Parrot ( Prioniturus platurus ). 3. Banksian Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii). ^ J White-rumped Lory (Eos fuscata). (Duyvenbode’s Lory (Chalcopsitta duyvenbodei) . ^ J Red-collared Lorikeet ( Trichoglossus rubri torques ). (Forsten’s Lorikeet ( T . forsteni). 6. Goffin’s Cockatoos (Ducorpsius goffini). 7. Forsten’s Lorikeets (T. forsteni). 8. Forsten’s Lorikeets (T . forsteni). 9. Red-fronted Lories ( Chalcopsittacus scintillatus) . 10. Purple-capped Lories ( Domicella domicella). 11. Black-capped Lories ( D . lory lory). 12. Imperial Parrot (Amazona imperialis). Outside aviaries : — 1. Ornate Lorikeets ( T . ornatus). 2. Illiger’s Macaws (Ara maracana). 218 Feather -plucking in Parrots 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Spix Macaws ( Cyanopsittacus spixi). Pennant’s Parrakeets ( Platycercus elegans). - Crimson-winged Parrakeet ( Aprosmictus erythropterus ) X Island King Parrakeet (Alisterus sulaensis). King Parrakeets (A. scapularis). Grey Parrots ( Psittacus erithacus). {Black-tailed Parrakeet (Polytelis anthopeplus) . Many-coloured Parrakeet (Psephotus varius). Sula Other birds of special interest : — Red-bellied Parrot (Poeocephalus rufiventris), Aru Parrot ( Geoffroyus aruensis ), Yellow-collared Macaw ( Ara auricollis), Crimson-breasted Conure (Pyrrhura rhodog aster), Gang-gang Cockatoo (Callocorydon fimbriatus) ; and, of course, Derbyan Parrakeets, Queen of Bavaria’s Conures, Hyacinthine Macaws, and Great Black Cockatoos. FEATHER-PLUCKING IN PARROTS This has always been a most troublesome habit, and many theories have been advanced as to its cause and numerous remedies suggested. The most generally accepted theories as to the cause have been (1) lack of occupation, and (2) feeding upon animal food or food of an oily nature. The remedies suggested have been varied, but the one generally recommended has been to supply the patient with pieces of soft wood, cotton reels, and so forth, in order to occupy its attention and divert it from its feathers, to feed it upon plain seed and fruit, and to withhold fats of all description. Lord Tavistock, in Parrots and Parrot-like Birds , considers the habit to be “ the result of incorrect feeding, lack of bathing facilities, boredom, or a combination of all three He considers that “it is most likely to occur in birds that are kept alone, closely confined in cages, fed on too much hemp and sunflower, given no fruit or green food, and no branches or wood to chew. The giving of milk, meat and butter, Feather-plucking in Parrots 219 and the withholding of all bathing facilities are also likely to encourage a Parrot to denude itself of its plumage ”. As to treatment, his Lordship recommends that the bird “ should be placed on a diet of plain Canary seed, with unlimited fruit and green food and no other tit-bits of any kind He adds, “ Feather-plucking in Parrots is never due, as has often been stated, to lack of animal or insect food.” One has often come across particularly healthy and good-plumaged Parrots which have been fed upon a diet which is completely wrong according to the generally accepted theories. Their owners will tell one that they share the food of the family, being given meat, vegetables, bread and butter, suet pudding, or, in fact, whatever they take a fancy to. And some of these Parrots, greys especially, have lived long years in the family without any sign of ailment and always retained their feathers. I once owned a particularly tame Meyer’s Parrot which was daily allowed out of its cage, and if there were a meal going it would rush for the butter dish and help itself (if allowed), or try and steal a mouth¬ ful of fat from the joint or one’s plate. And every Parrot I have had has not hesitated to obtain fats if it had a chance of doing so. I was therefore interested to read a letter by a lady, some time ago, in Cage Birds to the effect that she had cured several grey Parrots of feather-plucking by feeding them on a diet consisting for the most part of fattening foods ; hemp and sunflower seed, bacon fat, and bread and butter. Her theory was that the cause of the trouble was the want of fats in the food. A lady wrote to me about her feather-plucking Parrot. She had been advised to withhold all fattening foods and to feed upon plain Canary seed and fruit. But she said the result was that the bird continued its bad habit worse than ever, and she asked whether I thought the cause of the trouble might not be that the bird really needed fattening foods. I suggested that she should try the experiment of feeding on a liberal supply of fats, and the result is recorded in the following letter dated 28th June, 1930 : — “ Thank you for your letter of 11th March last in answer to mine re the feather-plucking of my Parrot. I am very glad to be able to tell you that the little fellow has now grown nearly all his feathers again, 220 Feather -plucking in Parrots and I can only put it down to the oily diet which you advised me to try when I wrote and asked you if it were possible that it was oil he needed in his system. I have given him plenty of hemp and sun¬ flower seed, bread wTith lots of butter on it, bacon fat and a small teaspoonful of olive oil every day mixed up with his usual moistened rolled oats. “ It just goes to show the fallacy of the Parrot Experts (?) who advise one to keep Parrots off all greasy things ! “ I started him off on the above diet the day I got your letter, and the soft grey down began to grow on his chest almost immediately. He plucked it out a bit at first, but gradually seemed to leave it alone, and now he actually is covered, or practically covered, with beautiful green plumage almost as thick as it was before. I was afraid to write and tell you before now, as I thought it almost too good to be true, and felt I might wake up one morning and find he’d plucked it all out again ! However, no such thing has happened yet, and as he looks beautifully green and smooth I think surely it is quite safe to write and tell you of the wonderful cure — always ‘ touching wood ’ hard all the time, though ! “ You will be interested to know all this for your own information, and I hope it will be of some use to you. With many thanks.” Another case is that of a Grey Parrot belonging to Mr. Martin Duncan, Librarian to the Zoological Society. It was a bad feather- plucker, and had completely denuded itself with the exception of its head, wings and tail. Oil deficiency was suspected, and the above treatment recommended with the result that the bird is now completely clothed in a new suit of feathers. D. S-S. Correspondence 221 CORRESPONDENCE YOUNG PHEASANTS AND OSTRICHES Sir, — I am staying a few days with one of our American subscribers, viz. Mr. C. F. Denley, of Rockville Md., who runs a pheasant farm as a hobby. This place is situated about 8 miles from the U.S. Capitol of Washington, D.C. Mr. Denley has been a keen aviculturist since he was a school-boy, but he now specializes in Fancy Pheasants, and he has a very large collection. He has had a very successful rearing season so far this year, and amongst the youngsters that are ready for separating from the hens are Elliots, Manchurians, Impeyans, Firebacks, Nepal Kaleege, Amherst, Reeves, Goldens, Silvers, Swinhoes, and Tragopans. The successful rearing of the latter seems to be an exceptional event either in England or U.S. A. Mr. Denley has previously experienced difficulty with Impeyans, * but this season he has reared ten out of eleven, one accidentally being killed. The birds that struck me most, however, were a cock and two hens, Specifer Peafowl. I have seen this species before, but till I saw these I never realized how much more beautiful it is than the common Peafowl. Mr. Denley informs me that one Specifer hen laid seven eggs before reaching twelve months of age. This appears to me a year earlier than is usual with Peafowl. He has also about fifty White Peafowl. He rears a large number annually, but for some mysterious reason they have not laid well this season. However, the important part of this letter is to record the fact that Mr. Denley has three fine young Ostriches. Just out of curiosity, he got some eggs from an Ostrich farm in Florida and put them in an incubator. Three of the eggs proved fertile and hatched after forty-two days. The three young ones are in a large grass pen and are quite fearless of human beings or dogs, and can be handled with ease. I had to confess my ignorance of how to feed young Ostriches when my host asked me, but they seem to thrive well on chopped cabbage leaves, egg and bread, and have enormous appetites. Mr. Denley has built some aviaries, which can be heated in winter, 222 Correspondence suitable for Argus, Peacock Pheasants, and other less hardy Pheasants. He would welcome correspondence with anyone who has experience in rearing such as Argus, Tragopans, Pirebacks, etc. G. Beever. Rockville, M., N.Y. [Incubators have been regularly used on South African Ostrich farms for many years past. — Ed.] THE SARUS CRANE IN INDIA Sir, — You published two letters about Sarus Cranes recently. Here in Rajputana these are common. Every lake or “ Tank ” has at least one pair. Once out shooting I found eggs on a muddy bit of mud bank close to the water. I think they were Sarus eggs because the pair worried me until I moved on. Again, one hot afternoon late in the winter I saw a pair of Sarus Cranes running away and noticed one of them go into the water and apparently call for young ones. I followed up and found nothing. Then watching the parent birds running and half flying away I noticed a young one with them. I had promised to try to get a few young ones. A lady wanted them for her garden as “ Chowkidars ” (Watchmen). So I wanted to catch the young one, but as I got up to him I lost him. Feeling rather a fool, I sat down and consoled myself for a bad day’s shooting by having a long deferred meal. Whilst I was munching a sandwich I saw a young Sarus Crane come out of the water just close to where I was. He was so obviously sure that he was safe, and looked so nice I felt I could not frighten him. So I quietly hid as best I could, and was rewarded by seeing Mother and Father Sarus collect him and also another from the spot where one of them had first gone into the water. Apparently they had been made to hide under water, or almost under it. In our Zoo here we have “ Tamas ”, an old Sarus Crane. A village petitioned to have him removed as he pecked the children. Our P. W. Dept, lorry was duly sent out 33 miles to fetch him in. Going out to shoot I met Tamas coming along in the lorry (one leg tied to the other), Correspondence 223 lifting his head up and crying out defiance to the world. Tamas had a soft time in the Superintending Engineer’s garden. But the servants said he might peck out the Missey Baba Sahib’s eyes. So off he went to the Zoo. There he has a wonderful old keeper who has taught him to dance to order, and finish off his performance with a brazen call. I gave Tamas what I hope is a wife ; but he won’t look at her. She won’t learn to dance and always goes away and sulks when Tamas makes an exhibition of himself dancing. There are several pairs in the deer park, but they never breed. B. J. Ryan. P.S. — The local people here say that the Sarus mates for life, and they say they are held half sacred because they represent the bond of love and faithfulness. B. J. R. BRONZE-WINGED MANNIKINS Sir, — You will no doubt be interested to know that the Bronze¬ winged Mannikins hatched on 31st May, the day we visited Mr. and Mrs. Ezra’s, are now flying out in the open aviary. They left the nest, on Sunday, 22nd July. What struck me as peculiar was that instead of going back to their own nest-box the parents went to another box out in the open and took the little ones with them, and have done so each evening. The youngsters measure 1 J in. to 1 J in. long, and the plumage is brown and very smooth ; their flight is almost as swift as that of their parents. One of them takes wing exercise soon after six o’clock each morning. They have been reared entirely on seed and seeding grass. Soft food was not touched, but a little soaked seed was taken for the first three or four days after hatching. I thought the above may be of interest as I am not aware as to how often these little ones are successfully reared. Thomas Pembleton. '224 Correspondence A PROLIFIC HEN COCKATIEL Sir, — The hen of one of my pairs of Cockatiels (now in her fourth year) went to nest fairly early this spring, laying five eggs, all of which j -contained chicks. Unfortunately, however, probably owing to being disturbed at night or through remaining off too long during some rather cold weather, only one egg hatched — each of the other eggs having a dead chick in it. Before this single youngster was anywhere near fledged or ready to leave the nest she started nesting operations again, this time laying a clutch of nine, which I think must be nearly a record and which she must have found some difficulty in covering properly. Seven of these duly hatched and all are now thriving fledglings. The other two eggs had half -formed chicks in them. I have kept and bred Cockatiels for a number of years, but I have never known so large a single clutch as nine or a hatch of seven. Previously I have had several lots of six fully reared. Hamilton Scott. A NOTE FROM SOUTH AFRICA Sir, — I receive the Magazine regularly, and must say it is wonderful. I am mainly interested in the Parrakeets, and have just succeeded in breeding the beautiful Hooded Parrakeet ( Psephotus dissimilis), three young birds being reared. I also keep a fair number of our indigenous birds, Waxbills, Finches, etc., and have managed to breed most of them. On one occasion no less than eight young Black-cheeked Waxbills were reared from one nest in my aviary. Thanking you once more. Melville Carlisle. Pretoria, Transvaal. “SOFTBILLS” “SOFTBILLS” British and Continental. 50/- £5 80/- 40/- pairs £5 Magnificent Alpine Choughs Rare Chicken Hawk Handsome Pure White Jackdaw Hand-reared Hoopoes . Golden Orioles 35/- each ; Splendid Pair Blue Rock Thrushes Splendid H.M. 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Diamond Doves . Plumed Ground Doves Pileated Finches . Gordon Blues Firefinches . Orange-cheeked Waxbills Pink-cheeked Waxbills Silverbills . . Bronze-wing Mannikins Rainbow Buntings Rose Finches Virginian Cardinals Foreign £3/15/- pair. £7/15/- » 20/- „ 6/- „ 5/“ 33 7/6 „ 5/“ 33 5/“ 33 6/- „ 25/- 3, i5/“ 33 30/-, 35/“ each. Birds. Indigo Buntings . 1 Fine Green Cardinal . Troupials .... Tiger Finches Grey Javas .... Black-headed Nuns Spice Birds Pekin Robins 10/- each ; Shamas .... Golden-fronted Fruit Sucker Yellow- winged Sugar Birds Yellow-rumped Cassiques 25/- each. 45/- 40/- each. 6/- pair. 7/6 „ 7/6 „ 7 /r 35 pairs 15/- 55/— each. 60/- „ 40/- „ 25/- ,3 Special guaranteed acclimatised Special Singing Shama . 607- Yellow- winged Sugar Bird . 50/- Cedars Waxwing . . 25/- Birds from Private Collections. Blue-cheeked Barbet . . 65/- Virginian Cardinal . . 40/- Aviary-bred Cock Spreo Starling 65/- Arriving Shortly: White, Blue and White, Fawn and White, Roller Canaries; Yellow, Green, Rollers ; Russian Goldfinches, Bullfinches, Chaffinches, Linnets, Hawfinches, etc., etc. Those interested kindly write for full price list. Sole Maker of “STAMINA” The Insectivorous Food Supreme. Used by all leading Aviculturists. For testimonials, see back numbers. VARIOUS FOODS, etc. Best Cleaned Ant Eggs Best Sifted Dried Flies Best Fine Meat Meal Fine Yellow Biscuit Yolk Large Clean Mealworms White Worms 1 lb. 3/-, 4 lb. 10/6, 7 lb. 17/6, post paid. 1 lb. 2/6, 4 lb. 10/-, 7 lb. 15/-, „ „ 1 lb. 1/-, 4 lb. 2/9, 7 lb. 4/~ 33 1 lb. 1/6, 4 lb. 4/93 7 lb. 7/6, „ 1 lb. 7/-, 4 lb. 27/6, 7 lb. 42/6, „ „ 1 lb. 4/-, 4 lb. 15/-. „ Samples Free. Complete Set, 6 vols., Butler's British Birds . £4. Complete Set, 4 vols., Kirkman's British Birds . £5 10/-. P. H. HASTINGS Bird and Food Specialist, Old Engine House, Milton, Portsmouth. MEMBERS’ SALE AND EXCHANGE COLUMN. The charge for Members’ advertisements is one penny per word. Payment must accompany the advertisement, which must be sent on or before the 20 th of the month to Mr. T. H. Newman, “ Verulam,” Forty Lane, Wembley Park Middlesex. All members of the Society are entitled to use this column, but the Council reserves the right to refuse any advertisement they consider unsuitable. SALE OR EXCHANGE. Borneo Firebacks, Elliot’s, Lineated, Manchurian Eared, Bels, Melanotte, Swinhoe, Versicolor, Corean Ring-necked, Prince of Wales’, Dark Pheasants etc. ; also Fancy Waterfowl. — Lieut. -Col. Lewis, The Hunridge Game Farm, Great Missenden, Bucks. We are booking orders for Waterfowl, ready this autumn, of which there will be about forty varieties, pinioned, healthy, and sex guaranteed ; also for a few kinds of ornamental Pheasants. — J. C. Laidley, Lindores, Fife, Scotland. Disposal of the Boyer’s House Collection. All birds now in outdoor aviaries, in perfect condition. Pairs Illiger’s Macaws, per pair £4 ; Wagler’s Conures, £3 ; White-eared Conures, £2 ; Red-headed Lovebirds, £3 ; Masked Lovebirds, £2 10s. ; Nyasa and Abyssinian Lovebirds, £2 ; Japanese and Chinese Hawfinches, £2 ; Black and Orange Grosbeaks, £2 ; Thick-billed Weavers, £2 ; Olivaceous and Mexican Thrashes, £2 ; Himalayan Tree Pies, £4 ; Large Brazilian Guans, £5 ; Chilean Tinamous, £4 ; Cinereous Tinamous, £4 ; Black-winged Peafowl, £4 ; Black Rails, £3 10s. ; Mandarin Ducks, £4 ; Carolina Ducks, £3 ; Red- crested Pochards, £4 ; Rosy-billed Ducks, £4 ; Yellow-billed Ducks, £1 10s. ; Patagonian Geese, £5; three Orinoco Geese, £12 ; three King Reed Hens, £6; one White-breasted Toucan, £4 ; one Yellow-breasted Toucan, £4 ; one Eagle Owl, £2 ; also many odd birds ; Budgerigars of all colours.— W. Shore -Bailey, Boyers House, Westbury, Wilts. One pair breeding Red Rumps ; one pair Brown-throated Conures, very tame ; one young Alexandrine ; one young hen Rock Peplar ; young Blue Budgerigars from outdoor aviaries. — Heydon, Corvedale Road, Craven Arms. Pair Torquoisine Grass Parrakeets, healthy and in very good condition, for sale. — Apply, W. Neville, “ Whittingham,” Stonefall Hall, Harrogate. Pairs : Senegal Touracos, San Bias Jays, Swainson’s Plumed Jays, Barnard’s Parrakeets, Royal Starlings, Razor-billed Curassows (have laid), Yellow-winged Sugar Birds (have laid) ; hen Red Shining Parrakeet (lays every year). — Captain Stokes, Longdon, Stafford. WANTED. Hen Rosella, in good condition. — Lancaster, “ Syerscote,” Streetly, Staffs. Wanted, for outdoor aviary with heat a few good acclimatized birds to go in aviary with Canaries, Finches, Weavers, Cardinals, etc. — Mrs. Kewley, Blakes, Lymington, Hants. iv CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION. S. Ambler, Hoyle Court, Baildon. Proposed by W. N. Whittingham. Mrs. Winifred Barlow, Furnace Place, Haslemere. Proposed by D. Previte. Hugo Baxendale, Junior Carlton Club, Pall Mall, S.W. 1. Proposed by Alec Brooksbank. W. Leland Smith, Fairoaks, California, U.S.A. Proposed by E. W. Gifford. J. Standeven, Heath Bank, Halifax. Proposed by W. N. Whittingham. NEW MEMBERS. George H. Ad an, 17 Avenue des Trois Couleurs, Wolbuwe Saint Pierre, Brussels. Miss I. F. Jarvis, The Old Manor, Salisbury. Rev. A. M. Powell, O.S.B., Ampleforth College, York. D. Losh Thorpe, M.B.O.U., F.Z.S., The Aviaries, Loshville, Etterby Scaur, Carlisle. CHANGES OF ADDRESS. Robert Hirst, to Swincliffe House, Gomersel, nr. Leeds. I. S. Horne, to 505 Atlanta Street, Altadena, California, U.S.A. Miss K. Colvtle, to Pilgrim Cottage, Hawley, Henley-on-Thames. George S. Mottershead, to 152 Mill Street, Crewe. J. B. Pepper to Colliston, St. Helen's Down, Hastings, Sussex. GAMAGES HAVE ALWAYS A VARIED STOCK OF Foreign Birds, Parrots, Lovebirds, etc. We can now offer : — Diamond Doves, White, Blue and Cohalt Budgerigars, Blackcheek Lovebird, Blue Grosbeaks, Cordon Bleus, Ribbon Finches, Black Cockatoo, Magpie Mannikins, Senegal Parrots, Java Cockatoo, Indigo, Nonpariel and Rainbow Buntings, Virginian Cardinals, Cuban Tree Quail, Spreo Starlings, Blue Mocking Birds, Golden Front Bulbuls, Shamas , Redstarts, Pileated Finches. BEST FOODS. LOWEST PRICES. Mealworms . 3 lb. 17/6,6/6 per lb. , | lb., 3/6 Post paid. s » Spray Millet Ants’ Eggs 5/6, 7/6, 10/- per bundle. 3/- per lb., 41b., 11/- Dried Flies 1/9 ,, 41b., 6/6 y y Pure Egg Yolk . 2/- ,, 41b., 7/- j ? Insectivorous Food 1/6 ,, 71b., 8/6 1 1 Cuttlefish Bone 1/3 „ 41b., 4/6 i > Specialities in CAGES, AVIARIES, NEST-BOXES and all appliance!. GAMAGES, HOLBORN, LONDON, PHONE : HOL. 848a. E.C.l. “L’OISEAU” PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE Societe Nationale d’Acclimatation de France, 198 BOULEVARD ST. GERMAIN, PARIS (VIIe) A French Magazine on Aviculture, for the study of European and Foreign Birds in captivity and at liberty. With coloured and black and white plates. ONE YEAR - 75 FRANCS. Medals for first breeding of a species in captivity in France or other countries are awarded if a detailed account is sent to the Society. SEPTEMBER 1930. CONTENTS. PAGE Pheasants, by Prof. A. Ghigi and J. Delacour (with one coloured and two uncoloured plates) . 225 Breeding Green Glossy Starlings, by Capt. G. W. Thompson . 235 Birds of a Sicilian Garden. By Sydney Porter . . . 237 PAGE ' “ Cutty,” by Mrs. Christine Irvine . . . • 245 ■ Avicultural Notes . . . 247 Correspondence : The Case of the Kagu (with plate) ; Bird Be¬ haviour; The Plumed Jay ; Bar¬ bary Doves at Liberty . . 249 The Price of this Number is 2/6. THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY. FOUNDED 1894 NOTICE TO MEMBERS The Subscription to the Avicultural Society is £1 per annum, due on the 1st of January in each year, and is payable in advance. The entrance fee is 10/0. The Avicultural Magazine is sent free to members monthly. Members joining at any time during the year are entitled to the back numbers for the current year, on the payment of entrance fee and subscription. ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO THE HONORARY SECRETARY AND TREASURER, Miss Knobel, 32 Tavistock Square, London, W.C.l. All Queries respecting Birds (except post-mortem cases) and all other correspondence should be sent to the Hon. Secretary, at the above address. Any change of address should be notified to her. MEMBERS’ BADGE. In silver, price 3s. 6 d., from Messrs. Thomas Fattorini (Birmingham), Ltd., Trafalgar Works, Hockley Street, Birmingham. State whether for lady or gentleman. POST-MORTEM EXAMINATIONS. Rule 1. — A short account of the illness should accompany the specimen. All birds to be sent as fresh as possible to Mr. C. H. Hicks, The Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8. Rule 2. — A stamped addressed envelope must be enclosed with the bird. Rule 3. —No body or skin of any bird will be returned under any circumstances whatever. _ . _ The Magazine is published by Messrs. Stephen Austin & Sons, 5 Fore Street, Hertford, to whom members should address all orders for extra copies, back numbers for 1917 and after, and bound volumes. Cases for binding the Magazine (in art cloth, with gold block on side) can be obtained from the Publishers, post free and carefully packed, at 3/- each ; or the Publishers will undertake the binding of the Volume for 5/6, plus 9 d. for packing and postage. Members are requested to state whether they want the wrappers and advertisements bound in at the end or not. Telephone: 46 Hertford. BACK VOLUMES of this AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE previous to 1917. Application for these should be made to the Editor of Cage Birds, Link House, 4-8 Greville Street, E.C. 1. All Enquiries for ADVERTISEMENTS and TRADE SUPPLIES should be made direct to STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, Ltd., FORE STREET, HERTFORD. _ All communications intended for publication in the Magazine should be addressed to the Editor : — Mr. D. Seth-Smith, Zoological Society, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8. “SOFTBILLS” “SOFTBILLS” British and Continental. Magnificent Alpine Choughs Rare Chicken Hawk Handsome Pure White Jackdaw Hand-reared Hoopoes . Golden Orioles 35/- each ; Splendid Pair Blue Rock Thrushes Splendid H.M. Cock Blue Rock Thrush Yellow Mocking Birds Great Grey Shrikes Lesser Grey Shrikes Woodchat Shrikes Great Reed Warblers Calandra Larks . Mongolian Larks Alpine Accentors Special Selected English Nightingales . 21 /- to 30/- each 50/- £5 80/- 40/- pairs £5 45/" 40/- 40/- 30/- 30/- 40/- 50/- pair. 10/-. each. 55 50/- 10/- 70/- 20/- pair. each. Special Selected Continental Nightingales . 25/- to 35/- each. Champion Sprosser Nightingales 35/-, 40/-, 50/- „ Selected Blackcaps (full song) 15/-J 20/- each. „ Jeterine Warblers . 20/- ,, Blue-headed Wagtails . 15/- to 25/- ,, Rare Collared Flycatchers 21/- each ; pair 40/- Rare Pied Flycatcher 21/- each ; pair 40,- S elected Waxwings 25/- to 40/- ; pairs 45/- Wrynecks . . 21/- to 40/- each. Woodlark (full song) . . 10/- each. Rare Black Missel Thrush . . 50/- Champion H.M. Blackstart . . 30/- Rare European Blue Rollers . 75/- each. Selected Redstarts is/-to25/-; pairs 30/- All kinds of Hawks, Quails, Eagles, Falcons, etc., obtained to order at competitive prices. Diamond Doves . Plumed Ground Doves Pileated Finches . Gordon Blues Firefinches . Orange-cheeked Waxbills Pink-cheeked Waxbills Silverbills . Bronze-wing Mannikins Rainbow Buntings Rose Finches Virginian Cardinals Foreign £3/15/- pair. £7/15/- 20/- „ 6/- „ 5/- » 7/6 „ 5/- » 5/~ » 6/- „ 25/- 15/- 33 30/-, 35/- each. Birds. Indigo Buntings . 1 Fine Green Cardinal . Troupials .... Tiger Finches Grey Javas .... Black-headed Nuns Spice Birds Pekin Robins 10/- each ; Shamas .... Golden-fronted Fruit Sucker Yellow- winged Sugar Birds Yellow-rumped Cassiques 25/- each •/ 45/u 40/- each. 6/- pair. 7/6 „ 7/6 „ 7/- » pairs 15/- 55/- each. 60/- „ 40/- „ 25/- » Special guaranteed acclimatised Special Singing Shama . 60/- Yellow-winged Sugar Bird . 50/- Cedars Waxwing . . 25/- Birds from Private Collections. Blue-cheeked Barbet . . 65/- Virginian Cardinal . . 40/- Aviary-bred Cock Spreo Starling 65/- Arriving Shortly : White, Blue and White, Fawn and White, Roller Canaries ; Yellow, Green, Rollers ; Russian Goldfinches, Bullfinches, Chaffinches, Linnets, Hawfinches, etc., etc. Those interested kindly write for full price list. Sole Maker of “STAMINA” The Insectivorous Food Supreme. Used by all leading Aviculturists. For testimonials, see back numbers. VARIOUS FOODS, etc. Best Cleaned Ant Eggs Best Sifted Dried Flies Best Fine Meat Meal Fine Yellow Biscuit Yolk Large Clean Mealworms White Worms 1 lb. 3/-, 4 lb. IO/6, 7 lb. 17/6, post paid. 1 lb. 2/6, 4 lb. 10/-, 7 lb. 15/-, „ „ 1 lb. 1/-, 4 lb. 2/9, 7 lb. 4/-, „ „ 1 lb. 1/6, 4 lb. 4/9, 7 lb. 7/6, „ „ 1 lb. 7/-, 4 lb. 27/6, 7 lb. 42/6, „ „ 1 lb. 4/-, 4 lb. 15/-. „ „ Samples Free. Complete Set, 6 vols., Butler's British Birds . £4. Complete Set, 4 vols., Kirkman's British Birds . £5 10/-. P. H. HASTINGS Bird and Food Specialist, Old Engine House, Milton, Portsmouth. TO BE COMPLETED IN TWO VOLUMES. Volume i. “AVICULTURE Price 15/- net. Order with remittance to — STEPHEN AUSTIN 8c SONS, Ltd., 11 Fore Street, Hertford. Avicultural Magazine. THE Avicultural Magazine BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF FOREIGN & BRITISH BIRDS IN FREEDOM & CAPTIVITY Fifth Series . — Vol. VIII. — No. 9. — All rights reserved. SEPTEMBER, 1930. PHEASANTS By Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour (Concluded from page 212) Jungle Fowl These wild fowls are a highly specialized genus (Gallus) whose principal characteristic is the fleshy comb ornamenting their heads. They have bare faces and one or two small wattles hanging under their beaks. Their tails are graduated and laterally compressed, the upper coverts and the two central rectrices being curved sickle wise. The plumage of the hens is very different, and they have only a rudimentary comb. There are four distinct species of Jungle Fowl found in Ceylon, India, Burma, Indo-China, Malaya, Sumatra, Java, and the near islands. They have also been naturalized in the Philippines and several of the neighbouring islands. They live in wood and thickets and often come out to find their food in clearings and rice fields. They can often be seen on the roadside, and they do not fear the neighbourhood of houses. They feed on seeds, berries, and insects. Their flight is powerful and they are usually very shy. 17 226 Professor A Ghigi and J. Delacour — ■ Pheasants The wild cocks rival the Pheasants in looks. They have nothing of the heaviness of domestic poultry. The Red or Bankiva Jungle Fowl is hardy in the temperate parts of Europe ; the other species require shelter in winter, but only the newly imported need heat. The chicks are rather delicate and must be kept from damp and cold until they are full grown. The cocks are polygamous, and can be mated to two or three hens. The eggs are pinkish white and the clutches follow one another all through spring and summer. A clutch usually contains four to eight eggs. Incubation lasts eighteen to twenty-one days. The chicks need as much care as the most delicate Pheasants. The Red or Bankiva Jungle Fowl ( Gallus g alius) is the father of all our domestic poultry. In appearance, size, and colour he looks like a golden Bantam, but his shape is more delicate, his comb smaller, and his tail more horizontal. The hen has neither comb nor wattles. The crow is like that of the domestic cock only shorter and shriller. It is a native of Himalaya and East India, Burma, South China, Indo- China, Siam, Malaya, Sumatra, and Java. Elsewhere they have been imported and naturalized. Five races are recognized : G. g. murghi from India, wdiich has small white wattles and very pointed hackles. G. g. jabouillei from Tonkin, with a small comb, little red wattles, and redder plumage. G. g. gallus from Cochin China, Annam, and Cambodia, has very large white wattles. G. g. robinsoni from Malaya, Burma, and Siam, like the preceding but has red wattles. G. g. bankiva from Java, is darker and the hackles are very round. Bankiva is hardy and a free breeder. It is much stronger than the other species and does well at liberty in a park. It is excellent game, with very succulent flesh, and its naturalization is very desirable. Pure wild specimens are recognized by their small combs, horizontal tails, brief crow, and above all by the fact that when they moult they lose all the ornamental hackles round the neck and on the sides, and grow them again several months later ; thus they may be said to go into eclipse plumage. dLvicnituraL Jnagazuie Photo D. Seth-Smilh Sonnerat's Jungle Cock Gallus Sonnerati Ceylon Jungle Cock Gallus Lafayeiti Photo D. Seth-Smilh Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants 227 The Ceylon Jungle Fowl (G. lafayetti) is confined to Ceylon. The cock is very handsome. His neck is striped yellow and black ; breast, back, and shoulders, coppery red striped with black ; the rest of the wings, the tail and abdomen, black ; his serrated comb is red and yellow ; he has two wattles and red legs. The hen is russet brown, her neck feathers striped with black and edged with yellow ; those of the back and wings have white tips; the under parts are white speckled with black and tawny. The eggs may be white or tawny, one colour, or blotched. The crow of the cock is peculiar. This species is very rarely imported, although common in its own country. It has lately been bred at the Zoological Gardens of London, and does not appear to be delicate. Sonnerat’s Jungle Fowl (G. sonnerati) comes from the South and West of India. It is a fine bird with serrated comb and red wattles. The cock is pencilled with grey, white, and black. The wing coverts are orange-red, but, which is unique in this class of bird, the barbs of the feathers are united with the shaft and appear as though ornamented with a spot of sealing-wax. There is the same peculiarity in the neck hackles, which are straw-coloured with black spots. The neck hackles are moulted in summer and replaced by short dark grey feathers, pencilled like the rest of the body, with a little orange-red at the tips. The flight feathers and the tail with their coverts are purple-black ; the legs are yellow with a shade of red. The hen is brown above with black and yellow stripes on the neck ; her breast feathers are white, washed with black, passing to brown on the abdomen. This handsome bird is often imported and proves hardy ; but it is well to give it shelter during winter, though artificial heat is not necessary unless the weather is excessively cold. The young are rather delicate and slow growing. The cock has a loud and peculiar crow. Sonnerat is very sluggish. If set at liberty in a park it does not wander, but the cocks are apt to keep company with domestic hens, with which they pair freely, producing fertile hybrids. But for all that Sonnerat is spiteful, and when he has taken possession of a place he will fight with the neighbouring poultry. The Green or Javan Jungle Fowl (G. varius) is perhaps the 228 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants handsomest. It is found on that island and those to the East. The cock has a simple unserrated comb, blue and green, edged with red, and one wattle of the same colour, with a yellow spot on the throat. The under parts are black with green reflections ; the hackles of the lower back black-green edged with yellow ; the mantle of short rounded dark green feathers tipped with coppery-red ; the tail is metallic green, legs whitish. The hen has her upper parts black edged tawny and pale shafts to the feathers ; her under parts are tawny with brown markings, and her throat is white. The cock is freely imported, but the hen is very rare in Europe. This is the most delicate of the Jungle Fowl, and it is wise during winter to keep them in slight heat. It has lately been bred in Italy. A fine pair were imported in January, 1925, and kept in a heated place through the winter ; when spring came the birds were moved to a Pheasant aviary and remained there all through the next winter, but the shelter of their aviary had the windows kept closed. In April, 1926, the hen laid three eggs, from which two cocks were reared. She laid several small clutches during the summer and autumn. In 1927 she began to lay early in March and laid forty eggs altogether, but the young were not reared. In 1928 two cocks and four pullets were reared. These laid when a year old. The cock’s comb and wattles take a whole year to develop. At Cleres and Boulogne we reared half and three-quarter hybrids with a hen Bankiva, and similar hybrids were reared in the London Zoo some years ago. Hybrid cocks are fertile, but fertilized eggs are few. It is curious that these cocks had three wattles, the middle one being the largest. The Javan cock has a very peculiar crow. The Eared Phesants The Crossoptilons or Eared Pheasants (Crossoptilon) are not closely allied to any other genus of the Pheasant family. They are known by their long, curved, strong beaks, specialized for digging in the ground ; their legs are long and red, and the cock wears short spurs. Their heads are covered with short black curled feathers, looking AvicuLtaraL Magazine PhOLo D. Seth-bmUh Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants 229 like velvet, and the feathers over the ears are white and prolonged upward and back in two long aigrettes shaped like hooks. Their tails contain twenty to twenty-four long and wide feathers, decomposed and highly ornamental ; the rest of the plumage is long, thick, and furry. They have red wattles. The hen has no spurs ; young birds take adult plumage after the first moult, but do not breed until they are two years old. Crossoptilons are large birds ; they are monogamous and sociable. They can be met in flocks in the mountainous and rocky parts of China, as well as among the fir and birch forests of Tibet and the neighbouring Chinese and Himalayan borders. They live in very cold spots. They do well in confinement and become very tame. One species is fully acclimatized in Europe and breeds there freely. On account of their tameness and habit of digging they are better kept in large open pens or even in a park. They usually lay eight to twelve eggs at least. Incubation lasts twenty-seven days. The chicks are very easily reared if given plenty of room when they are five to six weeks old. They grow more quickly than any other gallinaceous birds, and in consequence must have extra large rations. The Manchurian Crossoptilon or Hoki ( C . mantchuricum) a native of North China, has brown plumage and the lower back and tail white, the rectrices edged and finished purplish-black. This handsome species is common in confinement, and is one of the nicest naturalized Pheasants. The Blue Crossoptilon ( C . auritum) from North Tibet and North- West China is blue-grey, with the rectrices finished blue-black, the three last being white at the base. This fine species has very rarely been imported, and for a long time has not figured in European collections. Now a splendid lot of twenty has arrived at Cleres in perfect health. The two above-mentioned species have twenty-four rectrices in their tails, the plumes of which are long, slack, and separated. The three following have twenty rectrices with close plumes of more normal appearance ; their aigrettes are shorter. The White Crossoptilon (C. Tibetanum) from Tibet Sechuan, and Yunnan, is pure white with a black head and tail with fine green 280 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants and purple reflections. It is very seldom imported and has not bred. It would be a splendid addition to our Pheasantries. Drouyn’s Crossoptilon (C. c. drouyni) has grey wings and tail whitish-grey at the base. Harman’s Crossoptilon ( C . harmani) from North Assam and South-East Tibet is slatey-grey, very dark on the neck, and has a white chin, nape and throat, also the middle of the abdomen ; its tail is bronzed-blue-black. This handsome species has not yet been imported. Monaul Pheasants The Pheasants of this group are reckoned among the most brilliantly coloured birds in the world, their plumage having extra¬ ordinary metallic lustre. They are strongly built, thick- set birds, with medium, almost square tails, short stout legs, powerful and curved beaks. The sexes are very dissimilar. They are the Pheasants found in the mountain forests of Himalaya, Tibet, Yunnan, and North-West China. Their call is a shrill loud whistle. The Monauls, at least the species acclimatized in Europe, are hardy and robust. They need fairly large pens, are strong diggers, and live well in parks ; but the combativeness of the males is too great for several to be kept in the same enclosure. They lay four to five eggs to a clutch, and incubation lasts twenty-seven days. The young are easy to rear if they can be given liberty. In enclosures they are subject in many places to a disease which affects their eyes and nostrils and kills them at the age of two months ; they never contract it at liberty. They are very subject to red worm. The Impeyan or Monaul Pheasant ( L . impeyanus) inhabits the Himalayas from Afghanistan to Bhutan. The cock wears a green aigrette ; all his under parts from throat to tail are deep black ; his tail is bright chestnut, and the middle of his back is white ; all the rest of his plumage is most brilliantly metallic ; head blue-green, neck coppery-red, upper back yellow, wings and lower back purple dappled with blue. The skin round the eyes is bare and blue ; beak and legs brownish-horn. The hen is rather light chestnut-brown, spotted with brown-black, Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants 231 with throat and chin white. She has a short crest. The young cock attains adult plumage at eighteen months, but can be recognized from the first autumn by black feathers under the chin ; they breed when tw'o years old. Lhuys Monaul ( Llhuysi ) from China (Sechuan and Kokonoor) is larger than the preceding ; the cock has a large blue and purple crest directed backwards. His colouring is nearly the same as that of impeyanus, but lacks the white on the back, and his tail is blue with white spots at the base, and very long coverts of the same shade. The hen is greyer and has a white spot on the back. This magnificent and rare species has very seldom been imported, and has not been bred in confinement. Sclater’s Monaul (L. sclateri) inhabits the mountains north of Burmah and Yunnan, is smaller and crestless, and his head is covered with curly green feathers. He is known by his coppery-red shoulders and neck, by his back, rump and sub-caudals being white with black lines, and red tail with white tip. The hen has no crest ; her rump is pale grey streaked w'ith black and her tail is black with white bars and tip. This beautiful species has very rarely been imported. Koklas Pheasants The genus Pucrasia is very distinct and apart from all others. These somewhat small Pheasants are known by their fully feathered heads, ornamented with a large backwards directed crest, heightened by large tufts at the sides ; in both sexes the tail is rather short but widely separated and pointed with very long sub-caudals. Most of the feathers are lanceolate. The wings are long and sharply pointed for a Pheasant. The general effect of the plumage is different shades of brown, finely variegated with grey, black, white, andrus set. The cock has spurs. The hen is more like the cock than is usual among Pheasants ; she is, however, smaller and paler. The Koklas are found in Himalaya, Afghanistan up to Nepal, and from Oriental Tibet to Mongolia and a great part of China. They 232 Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour—Pheasants are found on high mountains in woods about 2,000 to 4,000 metres. They are seldom imported, and it is a long time since there were any in European pheasantries. This is a great pity, for they are very pretty and formerly did well, being very hardy and easily reared without more care than is Usually bestowed on Pheasants. The hens lay freely. They are monogamous. All that is needful is to keep them in airy, sunny aviaries and free from damp. The Koklas ( Pucrasia macrolopha) lives in Kashmir and the adjoining states. The cock has a yellow tawny crest with black sides which have green reflections, like the rest of his head save for two white spots on the sides of his neck. The upper parts are grey with black streaks ; the middle of the breast bright chestnut, flanks grey with black streaks, shaded russet ; russet tail with all the feathers except the median, black-tipped and white edged. The hen is coloured like a hen Monaul. This species has occasionally been imported and bred abundantly with M. Comely, near Tours. To east and west of the district sub-species may be found : P. m. bidduljphi, P. m. castanea, P. m. nipalensis. The chief difference lies in the extent and intensity of the black and chestnut. None of them have yet been imported alive. The Yellow-necked Koklas (P. xanthospila) of Tibet and North China has the upper neck yellow, feathers which have two black lines instead of one, and grey-blue lateral rectriees tipped black and white, possessed by the hen as well as the cock. This species has been imported, and was as successful as the preceding. Three races are recognized besides the type : P. x. rujicollis, P. x. joretiana, P. x. meyeri. The first has an orange back instead of yellow ; the second has no yellow at all on the back ; and the third has a russet tail instead of a grey one. They have not yet been imported. Darwin’s Koklas (P. darwini) inhabits the Chinese Maritime provinces of Chekiang and Foukhien and has four black lines on his back. His crest is shorter and he has no yellow on his neck. It has been imported at long intervals and has even been bred in Europe. A greyer sub-species (P. d. styani) is found further in the interior of the country (Hupeb). Professor A. Ghigi and J. Delacour — Pheasants 233 The Horned Pheasants or Tragopans The Tragopans comprise five very distinct species of strongly built, thick-set birds, reminding one of Partridges. The cocks have a short crest, two fleshy erectile horns, and a curious fleshy bib very brightly coloured, which they can develop at will when displaying ; their cheeks and throats are bare and adorned with bright colours. Their beaks are short and strong ; legs fairly long ; the tail tapers slightly and is compressed. The plumage in general is spotted. The hen has a fully feathered head and her plumage is a pretty mixture of various shades of brown variegated with black and tawny. Tragopans live in the great mountain forests of Himalaya, Upper Burmah, and China. They are monogamous ; their voice is a kind of bark. They lay three to five eggs and incubate them tw'enty-eight days. These beautiful birds are hardy in confinement ; they live and breed freely, but the cocks in particular sometimes die suddenly ; they need shelter against damp and good high perches, wThere they pass most of their time ; they prefer to lay in a high nest. They do well in a large enclosure or pen. The young require largely vegetarian food ; they grow slowly but are not delicate. The Crimson Tragopan (T. satyr a) comes from Central and West Himalaya. His head is black and the bare portions are blue ; his bib is blue in the centre, green with red spots on the outside. His eyebrows, neck, and all the upper part of the body is fiery red, the last dotted with white black-rimmed spots. The under parts are brown with tiny white spots ; tail black. The hen is brown with black and tawny spots, and long tawny spots on her breast. The young are full grown at eighteen months. This superb species is freely imported and fairly easy to rear. The Western Tragopan [T . melanocejphalus) of the West Himalayas has a black head, eyes surrounded with carmine, blue throat, pink bib, with cobalt blue in the middle ; fiery red neck shading into yellow in front on the breast ; under parts black, with white dots and red spots ; upper parts brown spotted and powdered with white ; black rectrices, yellow sub-caudals black-edged. The hen is greyer than the preceding. 234 Professor A. Ghigi and J . Delacour — Pheasants This is a very rare species in confinement, but it was bred formerly. Blyth’s Tragopan (T. blythi) from North-east Assam is chestnut with black and brown markings, powdered with white above, entirely ruddy-grey beneath, with neck, upper breast, and sides red, the last- named with black and white marking ; black head and red eyebrows ; cheeks, round the eyes and throat golden yellow, edged with light green ; yellow bib bordered with blue violet ; light blue horns. The hen is more olive than Satyra. An allied form is darker above, with less red on the breast and lighter underneath. This species, extremely rare in confinement, has been bred in France, and was crossed with the following. Temminck’s Tragopan (T. temmincki) is found among mountains from Tibet and Yunnan to Central China. It is perhaps the most beautiful of them all ; the cock has fine lacquer red eyebrows, neck and under parts, these last spotted with light grey. The upper parts are deep red thickly covered with white black-edged spots ; head black, the bare parts bright blue, with triangular red marks on the sides. The hen is small and russet brown. This noble bird used to be common in our aviaries but has disappeared of recent years. It is heartily to be wished that it may soon be re-imported. It is the hardiest of all the Tragopans in confinement. Cabot’s Tragopan (T. caboti) from South-east China, has a black head, eyebrows and sides of neck fiery red, orange face, pale blue horns, orange bib, brownish-red in the middle, with a wide cobalt blue border and livid grey spots ; the upper parts of the body chestnut-red, with numerous large pale spots edged with black on the sides ; beneath entirely russet sides, ruddy and black. The hen is dark greyish-brown. Cabot’s Tragopan is fairly often imported, and has been bred in Europe ; it is tame and breeds freely, but the cocks often die suddenly. Capt. G. W. Thompson — Breeding Green Glossy Starlings 285 BREEDING GREEN GLOSSY STARLINGS By Capt. G. W. Thompson It would be interesting to me to know when green Glossy Starlings were last bred, and how, and also if any have been bred this year. They are very favourite birds of mine, and I always keep several. A very tame hen I have has never shown serious signs of breeding before this year. Towards the end of May a nest was built in a large nest box, plenty of feathers being used. I did not interfere, and on the 19th of June a piece of egg shell was found on the ground. Next day another piece clearly showed an egg had hatched. The shell was a pale blue-green, speckled thinly all over in the manner of a blackbird’s, but not so thickly. As events seemed to indicate, only two eggs were laid, as two young hatched, and no other egg was found. Following my custom of liberating Softbills when breeding, I lost no time in opening a small portion of the wire netting close to the nest, and it was not long before both birds were out and searching for insects on the ground. They soon found some suitable morsel, and were not slow in finding the way into the nest. As they knew me well, they soon followed me about and got to know where I kept the mealworms ! I was sparing with these, however, as I wished them to forage for themselves. They very soon finished off a crop of cherries, and began to go farther and farther afield, until they made the acquaintance of cows in a field, when their joy was complete; for they soon found that insects abounded in the grass around the cows, and so spent most of their time with them, sometimes several fields away. The cock once had to “ jump to it ” to avoid being stamped into the ground by a cow’s nose ! As the young grew they could be heard calling like young Starlings, but in more musical voices. Food for them became larger and more varied. Large moths, beetles, and many baby frogs, and grasshoppers and cherries, all went the same way, but never any kind of artificial food until the young were out of the nest. Then anything, seemed to do — meat, egg, dried currants, etc. The old birds were well able to take care of themselves, and the cock strongly objected to wild Starlings, chasing them quite a long way. On the 12th July a youngster was looking out of the nest box, and I should have accepted this warning and closed the egress to the parents. But I was loathe to do this, and consequently next morning 236 Capt. G. W. Thompson — Breeding Green Glossy Starlings one was being fed in some high oak trees, and the other (and last) was out too during the day. They sat in the trees for two days, while the parents took them food. My problem was now how to get them back. I closed the parents in their aviary, and when the youngsters got really hungry they had to come to them and be fed from inside. By means of nuts, arranged over the wire, I eventually caught them, and all went well — but it was by no means easy, and a most trying experience to the temper ! They slept under the open wire, and I intended fixing some protection over this, but, of course, left it too late, for the other morning one youngster lay dead inside with neck mauled and leg pulled off through the wire. It may have been a prowling cat, but I think more probably an Owl, as there are not many cats near me, luckily. It is a great pity, but I am thankful the other escaped. The plumage of the young is of a rusty black, but distinctly glossed on the upper parts with greenish-blue ; eyes almost black. The parents were most attentive, and still feed the one left. I have a fine pair of Purple-backed Glossy Starlings, Lamprotornis purpureous, and these nested and laid three pale blue eggs in May. As the hen did not sit well I transferred the eggs (two fertile) to a wild Starling’s nest, with eggs about the same age. All went well until hatching time seemed to pass, and then, on investigating, I found the nest empty, the eggs having been taken by probably a Magpie. A most annoying experience, as I believe there is only one other pair of these birds in this country. There seems no hope of the birds breeding again. Spreo superbus would have bred had not the cock died suddenly. The hen built two nests, but her second mate proved to be a hen. All these birds live in aviaries to themselves, each having a shelter house and flight of about 12 ft. by 7 ft. or so. In my larger aviaries for mixed birds I have a Royal Long-tailed, Red-eyed Glossy Starlings, two Purple-headed (not sexed), one White- capped, pair of Military Starlings, pair of Mandarins, Pagoda Mynahs (which would not breed this year), two Redwings, and a hand-reared hen Thrush, which has laid many eggs. Last, but not least, a very tame hand- reared common Starling. I trust these notes may prove of interest. Sydney Portei — The Birds of a Sicilian Garden 287 THE BIRDS OF A SICILIAN GARDEN By Sydney Porter In the spring time there are perhaps few more beautiful places in the world than a Sicilian garden. Everywhere are billowy masses of pink almond blossom, the succulent grass is an almost unbelievable green, the tall slender cypress-trees point to the clear blue heavens, and everywhere is a riot of colour with a thousand and one brilliant flowers. The wild marigolds, the rosemary, the wild lavender, and a hundred other flowers which clothe the fertile hillsides scent the air with a rich and pungent aromatic odour. Everything and everywhere seems to breathe the spirit of peace and plenty. Usually the only sounds are the music made by the birds and the swish of the gentle tide of the blue Mediterranean. The birds one sees are nearly all the smaller ones, and we miss the rich and cheerful song of the Blackbirds and Thrushes, and though one does at times see these birds in a wooded kloof or on the mountain sides, they are shy and wary, and seldom thrust themselves upon one’s notice like the semi-domesticated birds of the English countryside. They have good reason to keep themselves out of the way, for they are eagerly sought after by the local gunners, who prowl about in search of all feathered life, no matter how small. Fortunately, there are many estates of foreigners in Sicily owned by both English and Germans, where all small birds are protected, and thus the bird population is not so depleted as one would expect by these wretches, who kill every¬ thing from a Wren to an Eagle. After the Sparrows, which are of the Italian species, and differ both in colour and demeanour from their British cousins, in being a lighter colour, and having a more distinctly marked back and white eye-brow, and in being much wilder and usually keeping in small flocks in the orchards, the lovely little Goldfinches are perhaps the commonest birds. Everywhere one sees and hears them ; they frequent all the almond orchards and may be seen in flocks feeding on the ground, or pecking the tiny insects from off the almond blossom. The almond- trees are a great attraction to the smaller birds whilst the flowers last ; 238 Sydney Porter — The Birds of a Sicilian Garden small flocks of all kinds of birds may be seen searching the blossoms, I should think for small insects which are attracted by the honey. Even right up on the old lava streams on Etna one sees the brilliant little Goldfinches, where their bright colouring makes a striking contrast to the sombre surroundings. A chorus of Goldfinches singing in the blossom-laden trees is a sound to be remembered and a sight which remains in the memory for many a day. In all the poverty-stricken little villages and towns on the slopes of the great volcano one sees a great many of these little birds caged by the peasants, usually in cages far too small for the inmates. In some the birds cannot even open their wings. One of the sweetest songsters to be found in the olive and almond groves is the Mediterranean Warbler, a charming little bird reminding- one of a Blackcap. It is about the same size as that bird, pale grey in colour with a white throat and a jet black head. The black extends below the eye and thus forms a mask, and in this way the bird can be distinguished from any other Warbler. The fan-shaped tail is tipped with white. It is a common inhabitant of the quiet groves and gardens. It is rather intolerant of observation, though I have spent many a pleasant hour in watching it in its ever-active search for the tiny insects upon which it feeds. It is fond of haunting the bed of giant Montbretia, where it may be seen making a search of the long tubular flowers for insects. The song, which is usually uttered from a clump of dense undergrowth, is half like that of a Robin and half like that of a Nightingale. One little male used to practise his song every morning, hidden in the dense ivy which covered an old Italian well near my bedroom. The male and female usually go about together, the hen being lighter in colour than her mate, and the black cap not nearly so dark. It is the commonest Warbler in the island. The Sub- Alpine Warbler appears about April and is then quite common on the island. It has a very distinctive song which the male utters from the top of a bush. These birds, like the last mentioned, are only seen in pairs. These are strikingly-coloured little Warblers, the male being a delicate shade of grey above, the throat and breast a rich russet-red, and there is a white moustache-like line which divides the grey from the red on each side of the head. The female is altogether paler in colouring. Sydney Porter — The Birds of a Sicilian Garden 239 Another beautiful Warbler which is occasionally seen is the Spectacled Warbler. It somewhat resembles the former bird, but the colours are brighter and the breast is more of a pink shade. It is not as common as the Sub-Alpine Warbler. Many other species of Warblers are found, but owing to the thick vegetation of the hillsides they are very difficult to identify. The Robin is found in Sicily, but he appears much sleeker and brighter in colour than his English cousin. The under-wing coverts seem much lighter and appear almost white when the bird is in flight. The Sicilian bird is very much wilder and hasn’t the same familiarity as our British bird. The Nightingale is perhaps even commoner than the Robin at certain seasons of the year, and is quite a bird of the gardens. I heard a rather interesting thing from several of the peasants, that the Nightingale was a permanent resident of Sicily, moving down from the higher altitudes to the warmer valleys near the coast in the winter time. This statement was disputed by a local ornithologist, who said that the peasants mistook this bird for a Warbler, which very much resembled the Nightingale. In the gardens, around the old Greek ruins, on the seashore and on most of the stoney places on the mountain sides, one catches sight of a very beautiful Redstart of a species, alas, which I cannot discover. It resembles the Black Redstart but has the top of the head pure white. Though I have seen it nowhere else in Europe it appears to be a common bird in Sicily. When it alights the beautiful rich chestnut tail shows to advantage as it is rapidly jerked up and down in the same manner as that of a Wagtail. The hen is much duller in colouring and lacks the white on the wings and head ; she is mostly grey with a much lighter chestnut tail than her mate. These birds feed largely on flies which swarm on the drying seaweed on the seashore. I don’t know quite what thrilled me the most the first day I arrived, hearing in the moonlight in a vast ruined Greek theatre the strains of old Sicilian airs played by peasants on the national instruments or seeing for the first time the lovely Blue Rock Thrush. This bird is in shape like a slimmer edition of the European Thrush 240 Sydney Porter — The Birds of a Sicilian Garden but of a lovely dark powder blue, much lighter on the head. It only inhabits the high and mountainous parts of Southern Europe, where, as its name implies, it lives amongst the rocks. In demeanour it rather resembles a Chat. The Sicilians are fond of caging this bird on account of its fine song, but, alas, their knowledge of aviculture is not what one would wish it to be. The birds are confined to small and very inadequate all-wire cages, seldom if ever cleaned out, and they are fed upon . . . well, just what scraps are going. So the birds usually present a very dejected appearance. One old gentleman whom I met had several of these birds in perfect condition, and he fed them upon a mixture of what seemed to be dried cockroaches and chopped egg. Most of the smaller British birds are represented in Sicily by sub¬ species, some which differ but slightly, and others which seem to be quite different. The Chaffinch is another very common bird and seems to be rather duller in colour than th’e British type. The Cole Tit is also very common, and is found in nearly all the gardens, where it can be seen feeding upon the minute insects which infect the almond blossom. It seems considerably different from the British bird in being more distinctly marked and having a patch of pure white on the nape. I believe that this is a distinct species and is confined to the island. A species of Tree-creeper, which I believe is the Southern Short-toed Tree-creeper, is very common. This bird is particularly partial to the olive- and fruit-trees, where it finds the small insects upon which it lives underneath the loose bark of the trunks. These birds always look more like mice than birds as they run with amazing rapidity up and down and around the trunks. The lovely little Serin Finch is very abundant and small flocks are often to be seen. These birds are very gregarious and visit the gardens in small bands to feed upon the minute seeds of the grasses and weeds, and also upon the small insects which the almond blossom harbours. On a bright sunny day, which is to say almost every day, every tall almond-tree seems to harbour one of these birds who trills his strange song nearly all the sunny hours. Some writers have called Sydney Porter — The Birds of a Sicilia?i Garden 241 this bird’s song unpleasant, but to me it has always seemed singularly sweet ; but then perhaps I am no criterion, for nearly all bird sounds except the nocturnal “ songs ” of the Corncrake and the Owls are music to my ears ! The song is very continuous but perhaps a trifle automatic. The little singer puts the whole of his tiny pulsing heart and energy into the sweet outpourings, and it was always a joy to see this lovely little bird on the topmost spray of pink almond blossom telling the world how sweet Life was. In the spring-time the Serin Finch indulges in a strange and grotesque flight. While singing its song it sails slowdy from tree top to tree top beating the air with its wings and looking very much like a bat doing a “ slow-motion” flight. In appearance the Serin Finch is something like a Siskin but is more yellow, and can at once be distinguished when in flight by the bright yellow rump. When seen from below in the sunlight the bird looks very much like a Canary, as only the yellow breast is visible. The birds haunt the olive and almond orchards and are seldom found far from cultivated lands. The Great Tit is found in the gardens, and its presence is at once detected by its strange call-note. This bird seems a distinct sub-species of the common European kind, for the bird found in Sicily seems to be far brighter in colour than those at home ; in fact, one would almost call the Sicilian bird brilliant. In the spring time the almond blossom which makes the hillsides seem as though they were clothed in pink snow seems to be a very great attraction to the smaller birds, which may be seen in flocks making a minute search of the flowers, and sometimes on a warm morning will be heard a wonderful avian concert ; a hundred voices seem to swell the anthem, Serin Finches, Goldfinches, Linnets, Chaffinches, Warblers, etc., seem to gather together to sing in unison. The Crag Martin is a resident of Sicily, and on sunny mornings flocks may be seen skimming the face of the cliffs snapping up small insects. On dull days, of which in that congenial climate there are but few, they may be seen flying low over the herbage of the waste lands, picking up insects as they fly off the plants. 18 242 Sydney Porter — The Birds of a Sicilian Garden This bird is similar to the Sandmartin but has white markings near the end of the tail. In March flocks of Alpine Swifts arrived and were seen in small flocks searching and hawking for insects around the face of the precipitous cliffs overhanging the sea. These birds have a very remarkable song which is uttered on the wing usually late in the evening or in the early morning, and very lovely it sounds when a flock sing together. The Alpine Swift is a much larger bird than the Common Swift and is easily distinguished by the white under parts and greyish- brown back. Whilst in Taormina I met a young Sicilian gentleman who was a keen aviculturist even though his methods were rather crude. He had a large collection of Sicilian birds, including many rare Buntings and also a number of Blue-rock Thrushes which were in very fine condition and very tame. He told me that these birds he had reared from nestlings. He also informed me that the birds were in great demand amongst the peasants as song birds, a good songster fetching as much as 200 and 300 lire ; but he also said that large numbers were killed and eaten by the peasant children in the high mountains, who take them from the nest and roast them on skewers over fires. One can hardly wonder at this, as the children appear to have very little else to eat except bread and wine, and not much of that. What grieved me greatly was to see a great number of blinded birds of many species in tiny cages around the walls of the room. Signor Zuccaro explained to me in French that the peasants are in the habit of catching small singing birds and putting out their eyes with red hot wires, thinking that they will sing the better. This cruel practice had been stopped by the police, and the birds which I saw had been confiscated by the police and the owners fined. My friend had begged that the birds be not destroyed, but given to him. Some he had had for several years, but I should have thought it better to have destroyed the wretched creatures, for a more pathetic sight I have never seen than the rows and rows of tiny cages with their poor sightless inmates. How they must have missed the golden sunlight of lovely Sicily ; but to the inhabitants of most Roman Catholic countries animals have no soul and therefore no feelings. Sydney Porter — The Birds of a Sicilian Garden 248 I was introduced to another person who had several Blue Thrushes and also some Jays, and the remarkable thing was that one of the Thrushes, which are remarkably tame, would sing part of its song and then stop ; one of the Jays would continue the Thrush’s song and in turn stop, letting the Thrush go on. I listened to this strange duet for some time, each bird picking up the song as soon as the other stopped. The Blue Thrush has, by the way, a very much richer and more melodious song than the European Thrush. The Jay, which is found in Sicily, is smaller than the British bird, and has the foxy red of the latter bird replaced by pale grey ; the ear- coverts also seem rather longer in the Sicilian bird. This bird is not very common, and is only found in the high mountain forests. I had the chance of acquiring specimens. As I had several birds then, and having to bring them with me for nearly a week’s journey in the train, I had to refuse, much as I should have liked them. The Stonechat is another exceedingly abundant bird, and is found in nearly all the orchards and gardens. I rather think that the birds were breeding when I was there in February. They are exceed¬ ingly fearless little birds, and I am afraid have to pay a very heavy toll to the native gunners in consequence. These birds also search the almond blossom for insects. Opposite the beautiful garden of the house where I stayed on the seashore, was a tiny but very rocky island, covered by luxuriant vegetation, and a pair of Lesser Kestrels were often seen sweeping around the cliffs with remarkable grace and ease in search of suitable prey. I think that they must have had a nest there. Another pair had a nest in a hole on the face of a great inaccessible cliff above the house below the town. Bluetits are fairly common, especially in the gardens of the town, where they are rarely disturbed by the peasant children. In fact the number of birds in the small but very beautiful public gardens of Taormina is amazing. I saw many species there which I never saw elsewhere. I have never seen the little Wrens in the gardens ; they seem to prefer the undergrowth in the valleys by the side of the clear mountain streams. They seem to be a very much richer brown than the British bird. 244 Sydney Porter— The Birds of a Sicilian Garden The Wren of Sicily is a songster of no mean merit, and I have never heard our bird sing such a full sweet song. The Common Erancolin has been supposed to have been extinct in Sicily for many years, but the person who keeps the blinded birds, mentioned before, told me that it is occasionally seen, and some time ago one was brought to him, which only lived for a day in his aviary ; but before it died it killed several other Partridges. This bird appears to be found now only on the high forest region of Mount Etna, where it is known to the peasants as the “ King of the Quail The beautiful Ortalan Buntings are sometimes seen in the trees of the orchards, but one only gets a very fleeting glance of them, for they are very quick and wary. One more often sees them in small cages hung outside the peasants’ houses. These birds somewhat resemble a glorified Yellowhammer, but are greener on the head. Towards the end of March the strikingly coloured Hoopoe puts in an appearance, and solitary individuals can be seen floating from one hillside to another, looking like giant tropical butterflies. I do not know whether these beautiful birds remain to breed ; I should rather think that they do. One may approach within a few yards of them, as they are strangely fearless. Many rare Warblers are found in the spring time on the genista and and cistus-covered hillsides by the sea, but they are of such skulking habits that it is very difficult to identify them. Away in the mountains the Bock Sparrow is found. It looks something like a pale edition of a common hen Sparrow, but in the centre of the upper breast is a spot of bright lemon yellow which at once distinguishes it from any other bird. Though I never saw the bird in a state of freedom as far as I know, I saw several in captivity belonging to local bird fanciers, though I think it is seldom kept by the peasants owing to its lack of song. Above the garden, flving around the face of the cliff, I occasionally saw pairs of Alpine Choughs, and though looking rather like Jackdaws, they can at once be told by their extremely light and bouyant flight, which is different from any other member of the Crow family. These birds are by no means common and not often seen. The Calandra Lark is another bird very often kept by the peasants, Mrs. Christine Irvine — “ Cutty ” 245 who delight in its rich full song. It is kept, alas, too often in a tiny cage in which it cannot open its wings, and is fed upon seed alone. The Skylark is also kept, at least the Sicilian sub-species which is more heavily spotted, and seems to possess a much larger crest than the bird known in our own isles. These, too, are usually fed upon seed alone, with no addition of soft food. Away in the mountains I have upon more than one occasion seen the Black Wlieatear, one of the largest of the Wheatears, and it is soon distinguished by its pied plumage, especially by the snow wrhite rump, which is very conspicuous when the bird is in flight. This bird is the inhabitant of the warmer regions of Europe, and is seldom seen farther north than the south of France. It is also found in Algeria. Another very beautiful Wheatear found only in the most southern parts of Europe, including Sicily, is the Busset Wheatear. This bird I sometimes saw in the meadows of wrild flowers by the seashore. It is a very striking looking bird, a typical “ Desert Chat ”, having the pale Isobelline colouring of the North African Wheatears. I have also seen the Black-eared Wheatear, a bird very similar to the foregoing, differing only in having the throat white instead of black. Around the cliffs above the garden lived a few pairs of Rock Doves, which were exceptionally shy, and I think few people knew of their existence besides myself. These birds haunt the precipitous cliffs and are seldom seen to leave them, nesting in the small caves and on the sheltered ledges on the face of the cliff. “ CUTTY ” By Mrs. Christine Irvine I was most interested to know that others felt the wish to read of the commoner birds, as I too wanted to read the experiences of members with the birds I kept. Unfortunately I have only a failure to relate, but it was a failure that gave me more interest and more thrills than I can tell. Last September I was attracted by a cowering, miserable little bird alone in a tiny cage at the back of a bird shop. It was a cock Ribbon Finch. I 246 Mrs. Christine Irvine — “ Cutty ” carried him home and it took him many days to settle down with two Cordons, two Avadavats, and a Combasson in a small bird room withu? roomy cage with open door to sleep and eat in. He began to cheer up when I gave him a millet spray and seeding grasses, and when he had lived with me about three weeks he started to explore a cocoanut ; and one day to my delight he sat on top of it and, turning from side to side, he “ sang Little by little he got to know me and greeted me with his strange warble, and always when I went to see him first thing in the morning. His joy was most amusing when I put into the cage a small box labelled 44 Valuable Wild Birds ” with a small hole cut in the front. He sat in. it with just his head out, turning from side to side, warbling his joy and telling the bird world that the box was his. He slept in it at night, and finally carried up a little hay and feathers and made a rough nest. I could not get him a mate, and no bird ever wanted one more. At last I procured a hen, and 44 Cutty’s ” cup of joy overflowed. He took her to his box, which no other bird had ever dared approach, and there they sat side by side nearly all day. He dressed her neck and 44 kissed ” her every few minutes. He was too excited to eat and flung the seed all over the place to let off steam. He was her devoted slave and always dressed her feathers after the bath, while she stood quite still and never attempted to dress herself. Three months went by and then they started to build ; hundreds of feathers were carried to the box. Five eggs were laid and all went well until the day before they were due to hatch. I had enough food to feed a regiment of baby Cutthroats, and I did not know how to wait to know I had babies ; but alas ! the cock Cordon had started to build also, and he became pugnacious and wanted the entire room to himself, and he chased 44 Mrs. Cutty ” all over the bird room. She showed great fear and would not return to the nest, but slept close to her husband for protection ; and although next day the cock returned to the eggs, all the chicks were dead. Shortly afterwards they started again, and this time three babies hatched out and lived ten days. I fed them on eight mealworms cut up night and morning and soaked seed, but the mother preferred some cod liver oiled seed that I was feeding up the hen Avadavat with, and Avicultural Notes 247 went into their cage to take it. I think it must ha\ e been too rich as they all died. The smell became terrible and both parents sat on the nest together some nights and I feared they would get poisoned, so I took down the. nest and looked. One babe was alive. I removed the dead, but they deserted the last one and it died too. Again they built and laid nine eggs. At this point in their history I became ill and had to give up all birds for a time. Mr. Appleby took them to live in his beautiful aviaries, and he reports to me that there has been no further building. “ Cutty ” was so tame that he would take mealworms from my foot and he tried to take my hair for his nest. I never found him interfere with the other birds, in fact the cock Cordon ruled the entire bird room, and “ Cutty ” always had to wait until he had bathed each morning. He had winning ways and I grew very fond of him, and I am deter¬ mined to try again and breed a Cutthroat one day, and if I do it will have more value in my eyes than if I possessed the rarest bird that any¬ one could give me. I may add that I gave the parents a dish of “ Stamina ” each morning when the young came and they ate it greedily, as well as the cod liver oiled seed. I have found that all my birds love “ Stamina ” and keep very fit. [It may be that such foods tend to over-stimulate the birds, with the result that they wish to go to nest before the young are reared and thus neglect them. — Ed.] AVICULTURAL NOTES By The Editor Mr. Frank Finn’s letter “ The Case of the Kagu ” is of much interest, for this is one of the most interesting birds in the world, and it would be a catastrophe if it were allowed to become extinct. It has been bred in captivity in Australia, and in this country success was nearly, but not quite, achieved by Mr. Whitley. At the Zoo the single and very beautiful egg has been laid on two occasions to my knowledge. 248 Avi cultural Notes The Kagu is confined to the island of New Caledonia, and is one of those unique types which has no near relations, though it can claim distant relationship with the Cranes, Bails, and probably the Sun Bittern. About the size of an ordinary fowl, though with longer legs, it is of a light slate grey, with red bill and legs and a beautiful flowing crest, which at times is erected. The wings are beautifully barred with white, rufous, and black, but these markings are only visible when it opens its wings, as it occasionally does during playful gambols. This species is a very slow breeder. One egg forms the clutch, and if this is hatched the young bird will be the only one reared by its parents in the year. A species with such habits can only increase very slowly under the most favourable conditions, and if persecuted is certain to decrease very rapidly. It is incapable of flight so has no chance against wandering dogs or other predaceous animals. Surely here is a case where some wealthy person might come for¬ ward and try to save a most interesting, beautiful, and unique species, by planting it in some locality where it would thrive and be safe. Mr. Whitley’s partial success, a young bird being actually hatched, suggests that complete success might be achieved in this country, but it would be certain in a warmer climate given other suitable conditions. Excitement was caused amongst students of rare British birds by the appearance of an example of the Buff-backed Heron or Cattle Egret in Devonshire, as there are only one or two authenticated records of the appearance of this species in this country. But the bird that has made such a stir is almost certainly from Mr. Ezra’s collection. Five were set free but two of these wandered. One was reported at Godaiming, and the other has apparently got as far as Devonshire. Photo D. Seth-Smith. A Pair of Kagus. To face p. 249.] Correspondence 249 CORRESPONDENCE THE CASE OF THE KAGU Sir, — I find the paper on the Kagu to which I alluded (Avicultural Magazine, 1930, p. 137) is in La Nature for 1928 (No. 2777> January 15), p. 70. It is by Monsieur J. Eisbec, from notes furnished by M. Guenant and illustrated by photographs by M. Pognon. These show (1) the old birds with raised crests and expanded wings, hiding the young, and (2) similarly posed, but further apart, revealing the chick squatting on its hocks. According to the notes of M. Guenony, the breeder, the young bird is what may be called semi-active ; it can move about when first hatched, but not much ; and appears usually to squat, taking occasional short quick runs and flopping down suddenly. Both parents feed it, but the cock continues his attentions for a long time, the hen soon leaving the young. The cock appears also to sit on the single egg at night, the hen by day. A good many Kagus have been kept captive in New Caledonia at Noumea, but do not breed, at any rate as a rule ; Australian aviculturists have also bought many at high prices. So, though neglected dogs are, as the present article states, the chief agents in the approaching extinction of this quaint bird, the sole member of its family, aviculture owes it a service. Kagus were ad¬ vertised only this year by one of our dealers, and the Zoo has several. Is it too much to hope that a pair or two may be liberated in some spot that is not an “ Isle of Dogs ? ” Flightless, they need no pinioning nor aviaries, and could probably support themselves anywhere w'here drought and frost did not prevent their procuring worms, etc. They are good vermin destroyers as wrell as scientifically interesting, and it seems a pity that money should be spent wholesale in preserving mere species, which are generally only in danger locally, while a type is being allowed to disappear which rivals the Dodo and Solitaire in uniqueness. F. Finn. BIED BEHAVIOUR Sir, — Of late we have heard a great deal about bird behaviour and reflex actions, etc. Now a case has just come before me which I think must be put down to bird brains and nothing else. I happen 250 Correspondence to own a little Canary Winged Parrakeet ( Brotogerys chiriri) - with which I can do anything in reason. It will sit on my finger, run up to my shoulder, and seem perfectly contented ; with other men it is quite friendly, too. Let a woman, however, come near it and it immediately turns into a perfect spitfire, absolutely beside itself with rage. Now my parlour-maid, who is exceedingly fond of birds and looks after some of them when I am away, cannot go near it as long as I am at home ; but strange to say, when I was at the Ornithological Congress in Amsterdam this year, it seemed to recognize the fact that it had to depend on her for its living and it let her put the seed vessels into the cage, etc., without offering to bite or fly at her all the time I was away. Immediately I came home it started its antics again, chattering and biting as hard as ever. I think the above shows that we must give the parrot family credit for considerable brain power, otherwise the Canary Wing would never have changed its tactics in the manner described above. Lord Tavistock in his book refers to a bird of this species that became devoted to two people and was most hostile to the rest of the world. W. H. Workman. THE PLUMED JAY Sir, — Since reading Mr. Gurney’s second article on the “ Plumed ” Jay it has occurred to me that possibly a few remarks on this bird and another of the same family might not be amiss. To begin with, in American literature these birds are known as Magpie-Jays and both species are found in Western Mexico and South into Central America. The coloured plate in the April, 1928, Avicultural Magazine depicting Mr. Gurney’s pair of birds is not of a pair at all but of two hens. The difference between the two is very evident if they were shown side by side. The cock bird is considerably larger and has a strongly recurved crest which usually is carried forward so that the point is directly in front of the beak. The other noticeable difference is that the gorget line of the breast is much narrower, being not much Correspondence 251 more than a heavy line in comparison with that of the female. We have a true pair in the Zoo here in Chicago. It seems strange to me that no mention is made in aviculture of the other far more beautiful member of this family — the Collie’s Magpie- Jay (Calocitta collii). This spectacularly beautiful bird has a longer and bushier crest and in fully adult specimens has the entire throat and chest black, as in a magpie. The wings are darker than in the other species, of a greenish-blue, and the gorgeous tail is of a hyacinthine colour, with the outer feathers black with white tips. The tail is similar to C. formosa but longer. The head is mostly black with rich blue on cheeks and nape and a white line from lower part of beak. In immature birds the chest is much like that of the hen of the other species. I have a beautiful mounted specimen in my collection in which the crest is fully 3 J inches long, black with blue tips, and the tail is 19 inches in length. Karl Plath. 252 Correspondence BARBARY DOVES AT LIBERTY Sir, — While not wishing to discourage anyone from experimenting with a cheap and attractive bird, I am afraid that most people will find that success with Barbary Doves at liberty is only of a temporary nature. The birds stay well enough — that is to say, if they do not belong to a strain that has been so much cage-bred that it has lost the power of collected flight — but they are apt to feel the cold and wet of winter, and they usually end by being exterminated by vermin, especially Brown Owls. The Owls may leave them alone at first, but once they discover how good they are and how easily killed, they quickly make a clean sweep of the lot. Probably the success recorded in the July number is due to the fact of the birds always roosting in Irish yews. The peculiarly dense cover provided by these trees would be just the thing to protect the Doves from winter cold and nocturnal enemies, but not all gardens have Irish yews, and not all Doves have the sense to make use of such thick shrubs, even when they exist. Tavistock. LIVERPOOL ZOOLOGICAL PARK (Proprietor: H. E. ROGERS, f.z.s.) Elmswood Road (Lark Lane), LIVERPOOL. Telephone No.; MOSSLEY HILL 106. Telegrams and Cabless “ZOOPARK,” Liverpool. PARROTS* PARRAKEETS. Grey Parrots . . 70 /-to £5 0 each. Amazon Parrots . 5 0/- to £5 ,, Lemoncrest Cockatoos . . 5 0/- ,, Kose Cockatoos . . . 2 5/- ,, Black Cockatoos . . £90 pair. Bingneck Parrakeets . . £1 each. Macaws, Bed-blue, Red- Green, ' Blue-yellow . . . £6 ,, Indian Rock Parrots, cocks . 2 5/- ,, ,, ,, hens . 20/- ,, Outdoor aviary-bred Cockateils £4 pair. Magnificent Jenadaya Conures, finger-tame .... 25/- each. Senegal Parrots . £2 10/- pair. Illigers Macaws . . -.45/- each. Golden Jenaday Parrakeets, ex¬ hibition birds . . . 5 0/- pair. Pinger-tame Caique . . . £7 10/- 2 talking bare-eyed Cockatoos £ 7 10/- each. AVIARY BIRDS. Senegal Finches, Cordons, Orangecheeks, Bronze Man¬ nikins, Singing Finches, Silverbills , Whydahs, Bishops, Weavers . (Prices on enquiry.) Zebra Finches . . . £ 1 pair. Pope Cardinals . .12/6 each. Blue Java Sparrows . . . 6/— ,, Spice Birds . . . . 5/6 ,, Saffron Finches . . .12/6 pair. Blackheaded Nuns . . . 6/6 Exhibition pair Alpine Choughs £ 5 5 /- Whitebreast Toucans . . £5 each. Gorgeous Virginian Nightingales 3 7/6 ,, Brilliant Nonpareils . . .2 2/6 ,, ,, Indigo Buntings . . 20/- ,, Yucatan Blue Jays . . . 3 5/- ,, Bare Blue Grosbeaks, giants . 4 0/- ,, Maj a Finches .... 15/- pair. Lessor Saffron Finches . . £ 1 , , Jaccarini Finches . . . 2 5/- ,, Patativa Finches, sweet singers 14/- ,, Pileated Finches . . 15/- , , BUDGERIGARS (outdoor bred). Adult breeding Green Budgeri¬ gars, brilliant . . .12/6 pair. Adult breeding Yellow Budgeri¬ gars . . . . 15/- Magnifieent young Blue Budgeri¬ gars, fully grown . . . 32/6 ,, Adult breeding Blue Budgerigars 4 0/- , , Magnificent White, Cobalt and Mauve Budgerigars . . 70/- ,, Millet Spray, large bundles, new crop . . . 6/6 per bundle. Husk Nests for breeding Budgeri¬ gars and Parrakeets, sterilised and prepared. . . . 2/6 each. Rush Nests specially prepared for breeding Finches, etc. . 2/- ,, WATERFOWL, WADERS, PIGEONS, etc. Elegant Zebra Doves . . £ 1 pair. Vinaceous Turtle Doves . . £ 1 Ring Doves . . . .1 0/6 Fantail Pigeons, in varieties . 12/6 Nicobar Pigeons . £2 10/- Specifer Peafowl . . . £20 Crown Cranes . . £20 to £2 5 Cassowaries . . £2 5 to £50 each. Half-collared Senegal Doves . 15/- pair. Blue Peafowl . . . £7 ,, Swans .... . £6 ,, Demoiselle Cranes . .£121 0/- ,, Bankivi Junglefowl . . £2 10/- Silver and Golden Pheasants . Amherst Pheasants . Rare Fireback Pheasants . Giant Canadian Eagle Owls Carolina Ducks . £4 Red-billed Whistling Tree Ducks Australian Crested Pigeons Mandarin Ducks £4 £6 £2 £5 ,, 10/- „ £5 ,, 70/- ,, £5 10/- „ . £5 £12 10- £3 10/- ,, £10 90/- pair. £5 ,, 70/- ,, 25/- ,, 25/- £6 ,, 25/- ,, £6 2 5 /- each. Cranes, Japanese Bernicle Geese, Formosa Teil . Falcated Teil . Magellon Geese Chinese Geese . Pair Seriamas, acclimatised Red-legged Partridges Bamboo Partridges . Australian Crested Pigeons White Call Ducks Wigeons . Ruddy Sheldrakes . Black East Indian Ducks Scarlet Ibis in full colour Little Bitterns . Lilford Cranes, . White Whitenecked Cranes, Adjutant Storks, Rheas, Reeves, Swinhoe and Ringneck Pheasants, Cereopsis Geese, Griffon Vultures, etc. ANIMALS, PETS and REPTILES. Giant Reticulated Pythons and King Cobras, Indian Pythons, Australian Diamond Pythons, Tegu Lizards, etc. Pet Java and Calletrix Monkeys 3 7/6 each. Pet Ringtail, Mona and Grivet Monkeys .... 70/- ,, Perfect pet healthy Chimpanzee, Dogface Monkeys, Mandrills, Baboons, Sooty Mangabies, etc. Lemurs, Raccoons,, Opposums, Gophers, Prairie Marmots, Fennec Foxes, Red Fox Squirrels, Tigers, Lions, Leopards, Black Panthers, Golden Cats, Elephants, Sea- lions, etc. A MAGNIFICENT COLLECTION OF BIRDS OF PARADISE. Fresh arrivals weekly. MEMBERS’ SALE AND EXCHANGE COLUMN. The charge for Members' advertisements is one penny per word. Payment must accompany the advertisement, which must be sent on or before the 20 th of the month to Mr. T. H. Newman, “ Verulam,” Forty Lane, Wembley Park Middlesex. All members of the Society are entitled to use this column , but the Council reserves the right to refuse any advertisement they consider unsuitable. SALE AND EXCHANGE. Borneo Firebacks, Elliot’s, Lineated, Manchurian Eared, Bels, Melanotte, Swinhoe, Versicolor, Corean Ring-necked, Prince of Wales, Dark Pheasants, etc. ; also Fancy Waterfowl. — Lieut. -Col. Lewis, The Hundridge Game Farm, Great Missenden, Bucks. We are booking orders for Waterfowl, ready this autumn, of which there will be about forty varieties, pinioned, healthy, and sex guaranteed, also for a few kinds of ornamental Pheasants. — J. C. Laidley, Lindores, Fife, Scotland. Two cocks and one hen nearly adult Cassawaries, very tame, healthy birds, £35 the pair or £45 the lot, free European Port, alive arrival guaranteed. — A. Hampe, P.O.B. 515, Shanghai, China. Pheasants, pairs, 1929, Golden, Amherst, Swinhoe. Cocks, Nepal Kaleeg, Edwards, Amherst, Golden, Peacock. Hens, Reeves, Golden, 1930, Elliot, Peacock, Kaleeg, Bels, Pure White, Californian Quail. Wanted, Vieillot hen, Temmincks, Napoleon, Schleiermachers Peacock Pheasant. — Scott Hopkins, Low Hall, Kirby Moor side, York. Call Ducks, adult 7s. 6d., young birds 6s. each. — Dennis, Holme Manor, Pulborough. Many-coloured cock and Redrump hen, adults, finished moulting, perfect specimens in excellent condition. Offers considered. — Rev. 0. E. Brooks, 36 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, W.C. 2. Pair Nyasaland Lovebirds £2, Zebra Finches £1 per pair, all acclimatized. Avicultural Magazine from commencement, first five volumes, bound Publisher’s cloth, remainder in parts as issued. Offers requested. — H. Thomas, 15 Clinning Road, Birkdale, Southport. Blue Budgerigars, Cobalt bred and white-bred, from outdoor aviary, 15s. each. — Lancaster, Syerscote, Streetly, Staffs. Privately imported, Shamas, thoroughly acclimatized and in good condition, Cocks incessant songsters 90s., hens 90s. each. Budgerigars, 1930 bred, Blues 15s. each, Mauve 40s. each, Colbalt 40s. each, Whites 35s. each. Outdoor bred Budgerigars, Society rung. These are the progeny of five seasons’ selective mating. — • Bearby, 31 Church Street, West Hartlepool. Acclimatised adult pairs, Cockatiels £3, Redrumps £4, Japanese Haw¬ finches 30s., young aviary-bred Blackcheek Lovebirds £1 each, Zebra Finches 17s. 6d. pair. — Dr. Maclin, Amphill. iv CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION. Mrs. Marjorie Alexander, Butterfield Cottage, Worth, Crawley, Sussex. Proposed by E. G. B. Meade- Waldo. William Kraasen, P.O. Box 92, Cupertino, California, U.S.A. Proposed by E. Maud KnobeL A. Martin, Keswick Hall, Norwich. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. Dr. D. S. Newill, Melcroft, Penna, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Proposed by D. Seth-Smith. J. V. Patton, Hollister, California, U.S.A. Proposed by E. W. Gifford. A. L. Turner, 476 Pitt Street, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia. Proposed by Capt. Hammond. NEW MEMBERS. S. Ambler, Hoy le Court, Baildon. Mrs. Winifred Barlow, Furnace Place, Haslemere. Hugo Baxendale, Junior Carlton Club, Pall Mall, S.W. 1. W. Leland Smith, Fairoaks, California, U.S.A. J. Standeven, Heath Bank, Halifax. GAMAGES IZi HAVE ALWAYS A VARIED STOCK OF Foreign Birds, Parrots, Lovebirds, etc. We can now offer : — Diamond Doves, White, Blue and Cohalt Budgerigars, Blackcheek Lovebirds, Blue Grosbeaks, Cordon Bleus, Ribbon Finches » Black Cockatoo, Magpie Mannikins, Senegal Parrots, Java Cockatoo, Indigo, N onpariel and Rainbow Buntings, Virginian Cardinals, Cuban Tree Quail, Spreo Starlings, Blue Mocking Birds, Golden Front Bulbuls, Shamas , Redstarts, Pileated Finches. BEST FOODS. LOWEST PRICES. Mealworms . 31b. 17/6, 6/6 per lb., i lb., 3/6 Post paid. i 9 Spray Millet Ants’ Eggs 5/6, 7/6, 10/- per bundle. 3/- per lb., 41b., 11/- 1 9 Dried Flies 1/9 ,, 41b., 6/6 J 9 Pure Egg Yolk . 2/- ,, 41b., 7/- 9 J Insectivorous Food 1/6 ,, 71b., 8/6 9 9 Cuttlefish Bone 1/3 ,, 41b., 4/6 9 9 Specialities in CAGES, AVIARIES, NEST-BOXES and all appliances. GAMAGES, HOLBORN, LONDON, PHONE : HOL. 8484. E.C.1. “L’OISEAU” PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE Societe Nationale (FAcclimatation de France, 198 BOULEVARD ST. GERMAIN, PARIS (VIP) A French Magazine on Aviculture, for the study of European and Foreign Birds in captivity and at liberty. With coloured and black and white plates. ONE YEAR - 75 FRANCS. Medals for first breeding of a species in captivity in France or other countries are awarded if a detailed account is sent to the Society. VOL. VIII. No. IQ. OCTOBER, 1930. TH Avicultural Magazine CONTENTS. PAGE The Spot- headed Weaver (with coloured plate ) . • • .253 A Tour in France (with two plates ), by Capt. H. S. Stokes . . 254 The Primley Zoo, by J. Delacour 259 A visit to the Keswick Aviaries, by J. Delacour .... 261 Notes at the Poultry Congress, by F. Finn .... 264 Notes for 1930, by The Marquess of Tavistock . . . 267 PAGE Nesting of the Black Rail, by H. L. Sigh . . - .270 Foreign Finches that are easy to breed, by Denys Weston . 272 Cock Californian Quail brooding, by W. H. Workman • .274 The African Fire Finch, by W. Ferrier Brown • • • 277 Correspondence : Feather Plucking ; Pileated Finches and Shamas ; Glossy Starlings • • • 278 The Price of this Number is 2/6. THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY. FOUNDED 1894 NOTICE TO MEMBERS The Subscription to the Avicultural Society is £1 per annum, due on the 1st of January in each year, and is payable in advance. The entrance fee is 10/0. The Avicultural Magazine is sent free to members monthly. Members joining at any time during the year are entitled to the back numbers for the current year, on the payment of entrance fee and subscription. ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO THE HONORARY SECRETARY AND TREASURER, MlSS Knobel, 32 Tavistock Square, London, W.C.l. All Queries respecting Birds (except post-mortem cases) and all other correspondence should be sent to the Hon. Secretary, at the above address. Any change of address should be notified to her. MEMBERS’ BADGE. In silver, price 3s. 6 d., from Messrs. Thomas Fattorini (Birmingham), Ltd., Trafalgar Works, Hockley Street, Birmingham. State whether for lady or gentleman. POST-MORTEM EXAMINATIONS. Rule 1. — A short account of the illness should accompany the specimen. All birds to be sent as fresh as possible to Mr. C. H. Hicks, The Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8. Rule 2.— -A stamped addressed envelope must be enclosed with the bird. Rule 3. — No body or skin of any bird will be returned under any circumstances whatever. _ _ The Magazine is published by Messrs. Stephen Austin A Sons, 5 Fore Street, Hertford, to whom members should address all orders for extra copies, back numbers for 1917 and after, and bound volumes. Cases for binding the Magazine (in art cloth, with gold block on side) can be obtained from the Publishers, post free and carefully packed, at 3/- each ; or the Publishers will undertake the binding of the Volume for 5/6, plus 9 d. for packing and postage. Members are requested to state whether they want the wrappers and advertisements bound in at the end or not- Telephone : 46 Hertford. BACK VOLUMES of the AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE previous to 1917. Application for these should be made to the Editor of Cage Birds , Link House, 4-8 Greville Street, E.C. 1. All Enquiries for ADVERTISEMENTS and TRADE SUPPLIES should be made direct to STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, Ltd., FORE STREET, HERTFORD. All communications intended for publication in the Magazine should be addressed to the Editor : — Mr. D. Seth- Smith, Zoological Society, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8, TO BE COMPLETED IN TWO VOLUMES. Volume i. “AVICULTURE Price 1 5/- net. Order with remittance to — STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, Ltd., Fore Street, Hertford. Avicultural Magazine, 1930. Spot - headed Weaver Bird. Sycobrotus stictifrons. John Bale. Sons &. DamelssonV London, THE Avicultural Magazine BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF FOREIGN 8c BRITISH BIRDS IN FREEDOM 8c CAPTIVITY Fifth Series-— Vo 1. VIII.™ No. 10.— All rights reserved . OCTOBER, 1930. THE SPOT-HEADED WEAVER In December, 1928, Mr. C. S. Webb, on bis return from a collecting trip to Portuguese East Africa, brought several specimens of the subject of our plate : a Weaver which differs considerably in its habits from the majority of the Ploceince. There are some seven species of this African genus, and they live in pairs in the forests, feeding almost entirely upon insects, though doubtless they occasionally take seed and perhaps berries. The sexes are alike in colour, and there is no “ eclipse ” plumage. They are said to be fond of climbing in thick creepers and the foliage of trees in search of insects. They build large, coarsely-woven nests shaped like long-necked retorts, frequently situated at a considerable height and often overhanging a stream or open space. S. stictifrons occurs in East Africa from the Rovuma River to the Shire River. 19 254 Capt. H. S. Stokes — A Tour in France A TOUR IN FRANCE By Capt. H. S. Stokes I. Cleres When our President invited me to go for a motor trip with himself and the Editor it may be imagined I was not slow to accept. We motored up from Dieppe to Cleres, to stay with Monsieur Delacour and his mother, who presides charmingly over this beautiful fifteenth century chateau. It comprises the chateau itself, a beautiful old rose-red brick Manor House linked to the chateau by a gallery, and the church, all grouped together. They stand in a narrow valley, with steep and partially wooded sides. The garden, a happy blending of English and French, and the park merge into one another. And through them winds a river which broadens out at one point into a lake with two wooded islands in it. It is a spot full of peace and charm, made absolutely complete by the apparently unrestricted movements of the birds and beasts which live there. It seemed to be the fulfilment of a dream to me, and of the point which I have ventured to stress before, that beauty and bird-keeping should go together. There is no jarring note of ugliness to distract the eye, no wire netting even to be seen, and yet the supervision of the birds at liberty is complete, and their health and comfort carefully attended to. M. Delacour is to be envied and congratulated on his taste and ingenuity in planning it all. We cannot all have fifteenth century chateaux and parks, but I am sure a great deal more might be done to render our birds more attractive by setting them in good surroundings on however small a scale. From every window of the chateau there is something to enjoy : a flock of fifteen Flamingoes, Egyptian, Buddy, and Chilian, come out of the water and dance on the lawn for us like a corps de ballet . With them also are the rarest geese, four Bed-breasted and a pair of Maned Geese of Australia, and also the choicest Ducks : two pairs of White- backed (Thallasornis leuconota ) from Madagascar, queer little creatures of Grebe-like form ; Binged, Cinnamon, and Chestnut-breasted Teal, Bahama Ducks, Madagascar White-eyes, and Bajah Shelduck. A clump of silver limes forms a natural bower for a piece of statuary and marks the spot where the river tumbles over some rocks down to a lower level. And here a wire netting fence, cunningly concealed, divides the garden from the park. This is here a lush green water meadow Avic. Mag. 1930. D. Seth- Smith. CLERES. Fig. 1,— The XVth Century Chateau. Fig. 2. — The Old Rose-red Manor House. Fig. 3. — A View prom the Chateau. Fig. 4. — Black-necked Crane. [To face p. 254. Capt. H. S. Stokes — A Tour in France 255 with a mown path along the water’s edge. It abounds with beautiful creatures : a flock of twenty-one Demoiselle Cranes, two Crowned Cranes, Cattle Egrets, Madagascar and Abyssinian Guinea Fowl, and Screamers. Chinese Water Deer concealed in the long grass bound away suddenly at our approach, yet as we pause to look at the Ducks we are not alone, for three tame Stanley Cranes and two very tame Black Buck follow us and allow us to stroke them. The waterfowl are in multitudes : five Emperor Geese, Abyssinian Blue-winged, Ruddy and Ashy-headed, Ross’s Snow and Orinoco Geese, and Coscoroba Swans. Of Ducks there are Indian and American Comb Ducks (the latter very handsome in black and white with purple wings), Fulvous Tree Ducks, of which several have been bred this year, a single Eyton’s Tree Duck, White-eyed Pochards, Barrow’s Golden Eyes, Scaup, Common Scoters, South African Shelduck, and very many others. I almost forgot six Eider Ducks, which laid last year. There is a swishing of branches among the tall poplars on one of the islands. It is the Gibbons, a pair of the rare white-cheeked species ( Hylobates leucogenys) from Laos. They have been there on the island four winters, absolutely loose, and with no shelter except the evergreen trees and a sleeping box. I do not suppose the wonderful gymnastic feats of these splendid anthropoid apes can be seen so well anywhere else except in their native country : they swing or jump incredible distances high above one’s head. M. Delacour has since brought home several more, and has five loose in another part of the park, nearer the chateau. Some of these are the all-black species ( Hylobates concolor ) of which the adult female is sandy brown with a circular patch of black on the head. Most of them are quite tame and swing fearlessly down into one’s arms to be petted and to examine one’s pockets. Truly a unique sight. A pair of Black-necked Swans with young have an enclosure to themselves, and so have some Steamer Ducks. You next look upwards behind the chateau to steeply rising ground with clumps of trees and green grassy glades and see Wild Turkeys, White Rheas, Reeve’s Muntjacs, Bennett’s Wallabies, and a herd of Black Buck grazing peacefully. On the slopes of this hill also, hidden among the trees, are enclosures for Brush Turkeys, Peafowl and small 256 Capt. H. S. Stokes — A Tour in France deer waiting to be let out in the park. At the top are the aviaries of small birds, a fine range of them set in their own garden. The com¬ partments flanking this range are thickly planted with shrubs and the centre ones are laid down with clipped grass, in which are pools fed from piped lead figures. Here are two pairs of the rare Delacour’s Pheasants, five Turnstones, Bamboo and Madagascar Partridges, Indo-Chinese White-crested Jay Thrushes, Lidth Jays, Buppell’s Starlings, Princess of Wales’ Parrakeets, and a host of Budgerigars and small Finches. M. Delacour pointed out to me a rare Crackle (Gracupica tertia), with a grey mantle, black wings, and white body. A very uncommon Dove was the Marquesas Island Ground Pigeon ( Columhula rufescens). Beyond these aviaries again come the Pheasantries, row upon row and range upon range. Their occupants are not easy to see among the dense undergrowth : indeed it appears from what Pheasant experts say that if you would breed Pheasants you must keep them so that you never see them ! There are many species at Cleres : Edwards’, Elliott’s, Lewis’, Bel’s, Berlioz, Imperial, Mikado, Soemmering’s, Bornean and Vieillot’s Fire- backs, Rheinardt’s and Common Argus, Germain’s and Common Peacock Pheasants. These are some of the rarest. Near these pheasantries are some enclosures, one with Darwin’s Bheas and another containing the very rare Black-necked Crane, a dreadfully spiteful individual. We return to the chateau by a semi-circular terrace where Parrots, Macaws, and Cockatoos, quite loose but pinioned, play about on their stands or on an iron fence. Steps lead down past two charming lily pools into the gallery of the chateau. This gallery is lined along one side with flight cages con¬ taining Shamas, a Toucan, and a bevy of small Finches and Waxbills and Sunbirds. On the opposite side under the windows are aquaria of Japanese goldfish and semi-tropical fish, and the walls are hung with some very clever pictures of Indo-Chinese birds, specially painted for M. Delacour by Japanese artists. Now we go across the lawn again in front of the chateau, and behind a yew hedge. Here the river has been canalized and aviaries erected over it for the rearing of young Ducks. These contained numerous [To face p< 256. 1). Seth-bmith. Fig. 5. — Waterfowl in the river relow the Chateau. Fig. 6. — Black -necked Swans wtith Cygnets. Fig. 7.- — Emperor Geese by the lake. Fig. 8. — Flamingoes on the lawn. Capt. H. S. Stokes — A Tour in France 257 broods of young, and also adult pairs of Brazilian and Versicolor Teal and South African Red-billed Ducks. A flight of Yellow Budgerigars shared one of these aviaries and looked very pretty among the thick herbage on the river bank. We cross the high road which bounds the park and find on the other side more water enclosures for breeding choice Geese and Ducks. Next come the farm buildings, with poultry and Bantams for brooding Ducks and Pheasants. There is also a series of Japanese Long-tailed Fowls. One cock with a tail 6 ft. 6 in. long was suspended from the ceiling in an extremely ingenious cage designed by Mr. Fooks. The tail hangs down through a circular hole at the bottom of the cage. Other cocks were outdoors taking their daily exercise with their tails carefully twisted and tied up with strips of newspaper ! They reminded me of a charlady who greeted the morning in curl papers before the age of shingling, and I wondered if the cocks sighed to be shingled too ! Along the roadside are paddocks extending up the hill right into the woods at the top. Some of them show from the chateau and are devoted to animals and large Cranes. A herd of Pseudaxis Deer, a flock of Soay Sheep which provided excellent mutton for our dinner, several Rheas, Sarus and Eastern Sarus, Manchurian, White, and White¬ necked Cranes. You can watch the dancing of these great Cranes from the chateau windows by day, and listen to their calls from your bed by night. Another field on this slope, but hidden from sight by intervening trees, is devoted to Pheasant rearing. Mr. Fooks uses a combination coop and run, made all in one piece with a wire floor to exclude vermin, and there were rows of these on close-cut grass in a wired enclosure. All the broods with their foster-mother Bantams are let out of the coops in the afternoon together in the wure enclosure and are driven in again at dusk. We saw such treasures as sixteen young Mikado Pheasants, Soemmerrings, Imperial, Edwards’, and some Elliott’s, and a quantity of thriving young Chukor Partridges. I was surprised to learn that none of these young, not even the Partridges, had received any live food in their early stages. Ants’ eggs in the quantities necessary for so many chicks would be difficult to get and to keep, so the experiment was tried this year of rearing them 258 Capt. H. S. Stokes — A Tour in France entirely on custard for the first ten days, and this has proved very successful. Young Ducklings also are fed on small biscuit meal given almost soaking wet and mixed with duckweed. No Ducklings except divers are allowed to go into water for nearly a month and even then a careful watch is kept to see that they dry properly after their first swim. The appearance of the birds spoke well for this treatment. I had almost forgotten Monsieur Delacour’s greenhouse aviary, which he has already described in a past issue of this Magazine. But on account of its great beauty it must be referred to again, as many private aviculturists and more especially Zoological and Botanical Gardens might copy it with advantage and make an exceedingly attractive feature of it. It is a structure perhaps 40 feet long, heated to about 70° Fahrenheit, and planted throughout with tropical plants. There are no stages and no pots, all the plants being planted on low retaining walls of stone round the two sides and end. It is divided into two across the middle by fine wire netting which is all but invisible. On the near side you sit among the luxurious tropical growth of climbing and flowering and foliage plants and look at the birds flying loose in the wired portion, similarly planted, and rather heavily draped with climbing growths. The ground is paved round a narrow canal-like pool in which are blue water-lilies, and the little fountain which feeds it adds music to the call of the birds. The warm, moist atmosphere seems to suit the birds chosen for it excellently, the particular feature being that the Sunbirds retain the red of their plumage perfectly, whereas under ordinary cage and aviary conditions they fade to yellow. We saw there Natal and White-shouldered Cossyphas, a Hooded Pitta, different Sugar-birds and small Tanagers, Pulchella Sunbirds, Hardwicke’s and green Fruit-suckers, and the rare Crimson-winged Babbler (Ganulax milnei). Finally in a ruined tower, a very early relic of a former fortress or castle, is the Owls’ aviary, inhabited by three Virginian Eagle Owls, It seemed quite natural to find the Owls there, fitting exactly and recalling instantly the lines of Gray’s Elegy : — “ Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tower, The moping owl does to the moon complain Of such as wandering near her secret bower, Molest her ancient, solitary reign.” J. Delacour — The Primley Zoo 259 THE PRIMLEY ZOO By J. Delacour It is doubtful if there are, anywhere in the world, so many living creatures of all sorts assembled in fifteen acres of ground. I have visited and described most of the collections of living birds in the world, but to give an idea of that of Mr. H. Whitley is almost an impossible task. In August of this year I had the privilege of visiting the Primley Zoo for two days in company with my friends Sir David and Mr. A. Ezra, and enjoyed Mr. Whitley’s kind hospitality. But to gain an adequate idea of his installations and to study all his birds would take weeks. Therefore I can only attempt to give here a vague impression of what I saw and casually mention the more interesting species that I noticed. At the beginning it must be said that the wild birds, the only ones that come within the scope of this Magazine, form but about one- fourth of Mr. Whitley’s collections. He owns also many mammals of all sorts, wild and domestic, large numbers of pure-bred poultry, and thousands of domestic Pigeons of many breeds, amphibions, fishes, and a valuable series of hardy and stove plants. The Primley Zoo occupies a hill opposite the house. With the exception of one large and a few smaller aviaries, nicely arranged with ornamental plants and flowers, the innumerable houses, shelters, bird-rooms, flights, and enclosures have been established without sacrificing the practical side to the artistic aspect. They are sub¬ stantially and comfortably built of wooden frames and panels, with brick foundations, glass and corrugated iron roofs. There is a central lawn and many paths between the different houses and enclosures. There are rows and rows of aviaries of all sizes, all with large indoor shelters, mostly covered with glass ; in these shelters there are inner cages ; other large indoor aviaries can be seen from the outside through windows. Different bird-rooms are furnished with cages and fixed aviaries, as well as several greenhouses, some of them being right away and attached to Mr. Whitley’s house. The arrange¬ ments are always practical and clean. The birds are very well looked after and fed. There are also different enclosures, and in a hollow a large pond and a large flight cage. The Zoo is constantly 260 J. Delacour — The Primley Zoo being enlarged, and many aviaries are being built now. All I can do now is to mention the more striking birds of the collection, but it must be understood that all the common and semi-rare species usually imported are present, sometimes in great numbers. There are a few Rheas, grey and wdiite, Emus, one cock Somali Ostrich, and a Cassowary (C. altijugus). Waders are numerous : Herons, Ibises of many species, among which a lovely pair of Pileated ( Pilerodius pileatus) ; Kagus ; Sarus, Lilford’s, White Asiatic, Stanley’s, Demoiselle, and Crown Cranes ; Flamingoes ; Screamers ; Cariamas, and various Rails, among which Limnopardalis sanguinolentus has bred several times, as well as the Australian Thick- knees (Burhinus grallarius) which were illustrated in the Magazine for October, 1929. Ducks, Geese and Swans are not very numerous, and there are no rarities amongst them. Pigeons and Doves are numerous, but without many striking specimens, except a nice pair of Macropygia emiliana and some Olive Pigeons. There are lots of common and Black-shouldered Peafowls roaming about the estate ; otherwise Pheasants are very few, the best being a cock Argus. Partridges, on the contrary, are many ; the fine Black¬ headed Partridge ( Alectoris melanocephala) of Arabia has bred at Primley and crossed freely with the Chukar. There are also Guineafowls, Guans, and Curassows, among which Salvin’s Razor-bills are noteworthy. Parrots and Parrakeets are the best feature in Mr. Whitley’s Zoo, and he owns the best and most important collection of these interesting birds which exists at present. According to species, these are kept indoors or out of doors, in cages or aviaries, always with suitable accom¬ modation. All the common, semi-rare, or rare species usually or seldom imported are present ; among the more interesting ones I noticed Bornean Lories, Purple-capped Lorikeets, Hyacinthine, Lear’s, Sprix and Noble Macaws ; Palm, Black, Gofhn’s, Ducorps, and Bare-eyed Cockatoos ; Whitley’s, Queen of Bavaria, and Weddell’s Conures ; Pyrrhum rhodogaster, emma, rupicola and hcematotis ; Jamaican, Pretre’s, Salle’s, Yellow-fronted, and Yellow-bellied Amazons ; Short- tailed Parrots ; Riippell’s, Red-bellied and Brown-necked Parrots ; Great-billed Mueller’s Parrots ; Queen Alexandra’s, Red-shining, J. Delacour — A Visit to the Keswick Aviaries 261 Tabuan, and Koro Parrakeets ; Golden-backed Hanging Parrakeets ; Purple-capped Parrakeets. There are numerous hybrids, among which are noticeable Crimson- winged X Rock Peplars, Yellow-bellied X Bulla, Barnard X Bauer, Yellow-bellied X Rosella, and all possible crosses between Peach-faced, Masked, Fischer’s, Black-cheeked, and Nyasa Lovebirds. Birds of prey are numerous and there are many Owls ; European Eagle Owls bred three young ones last year. A special mention must be made of several pairs of African Pigmy Falcons (Poliohierax), kept in indoor aviaries, which have laid. There are Burmese and Port’s Rollers (the latter have bred), Touracous (Turacus donaldsoni, Gallirex porphyreolophus and chlorochlamys, Corylhoixoides leucogaster, Gymnoschizorhis sp.), Ground Hornbills, various Toucans, one Greater Ani, Motmots and Jackasses. Passerine Birds are very numerous, and I noticed pairs of Wallace’s, Twelve-wired, and Red Birds of Paradise ; Australian Ravens and many other Corvidae ; numerous Starlings, with curious hybrids, Burchell’s X Baywings and Superb X Royal ; Troupials ; Weavers, Waxbills, and Finches of very many species, Tanagers, Sugar-birds, etc. There are lots of hybrids, as hybrid breeding in birds and animals is one of Mr. Whitley’s special objects. I fear that the above notes are very vague and convey a very poor idea of the wealth of Mr. Whitley’s collection. We hope he may sometime find the time to give us details on his numerous birds. A VISIT TO THE KESWICK AVIARIES By J. Delacour For nine years I had not been to see my friend Mr. G. H. Gurney’s aviaries. I was delighted, when last August I arrived at Keswick, to find that their number had more than doubled. The birds are numerous, varied, and interesting, and they look all the better for being shown in pretty aviaries, most of them well and lightly built of iron, with comfortable shelters, many of which are heated. The outdoor flights are turfed and planted with shrubs and creepers, and look very 262 J. Delacour — A Visit to the Keswick Aviaries pretty. The whole installation is beautifully kept and one of the cleanest that I have ever seen ; it is the more wonderful that there are numerous birds of prey, and Waders, which are very difficult to keep tidy. This and the perfect condition of all the birds reflects great credit upon the head-keeper, Mr. Martin. The aviaries are built in three groups : The oldest one is in a small garden surrounded by walls. There is a central path, on the right side of which is a long and large aviary inhabited by Black-necked Ibises, Cattle Egrets, Oyster-catchers, Ruffs and Reeves and other small Waders, Alpine Choughs, Crested Pigeons, and Dominican Cardinals. On the left side one finds six smaller aviaries, all with heated shelters, and of various sizes ; the first one is stocked with many small birds, mainly Finches and Weavers, one White- crowned Plover and a rare South American Whimbrel ; the next aviary is devoted to a pair of Blue Occipital Pies ; then come three aviaries with many small birds, Tanagers, Waxbills, etc., and the last one, very roomy, with three Tiger Bitterns. Facing the paths are five more aviaries with various Budgerigars and Lovebirds, Sun-Bitterns, Shamas, various Australian Finches, Yellow- wattled Plovers and San Bias Jays. The second group of aviaries, also surrounded by walls, is newer and larger. There are the different dependencies and food stores, and also several very convenient indoor accommodations where big birds can be shut in at night. These birds in the day-time walk about the garden and paths between the aviaries : there are pairs of Dusky Trumpeters, Razor-bill Curassows, Pileated Guans, a Screamer, an American Wood Ibis, and various Guinea Fowls. On the right one finds a small house, with a glass roof ; four indoor aviaries communicate with as many outdoor flights. There live different Glossy and Royal Starlings, Rosy Pastors and a female Icterus gularis ; a pair of Bald- headed Starlings, Blue Grosbeaks, Mesias ; Swainson’s Lorikeet, one of which can talk ; White-breasted and Green-billed Toucans. Two other indoor aviaries are used for a Motmot and Grey Bulbuls ( Micro - scelis psaroides ), while cages are inhabited by Pink-eared Crested Bulbuls, a Malachite Sunbird, a Bengal Pitta, Blue Sugar-birds, a pretty Blue¬ headed Organist (Tangara nigricollis ) and various South African Wax- bills, Leclancher’s and Nonpareil Buntings. J. Delacour — A Visit to the Keswick Aviaries 263 On the left a very nice aviary, with a little pool, stones and rock plants, has been erected inside a greenhouse ; there are males of the lovely Elliot’s Pitta, Bell-bird, Fairy Blue-birds, several Tanagers and Bulbuls. In cages, a few small Parrots, one very old Golden-fronted Bulbul, a Black-collared Barbet, and a very fine Crimson-breasted Shrike that Mr. Gurney has had for four years. It is to be noted that both Elliot’s Pitta and the Shrike have kept very bright their green and red hues. Further up, there are three large compartments, the first one with Donaldson’s Touracous (one on its nest), European Rollers, Black Crakes, Spotted Francolins and a rare Tanager (Buarremon hrunneinucha ) ; the second, with four Mexican Plumed Jays ; the third, with different Starlings and a Lilac-breasted Roller. Facing these aviaries, there is a wide turfed path, on the left of which is a long flight inhabited by Manchurian Eared Pheasants, Budgerigars, and a Cocoi Heron, which is quite harmless to small birds, to my amazement ! On the other side, a row of nine fine new aviaries, of various sizes, contain many birds, among which I noticed Common Francolins, Cuban Quails, Kagus, Sclater’s Crown-Pigeons on the nest, Ruppell’s Glossy Starlings which have just deserted three fledglings, different Marsh-birds, Plumed Ground Doves, Cherry Finches, Spreos, Bleeding- heart Pigeons, Crimson- winged, Pennant’s and other Parrakeets. The central compartment, very roomy, is inhabited by Scarlet and White Ibises, Lesser Egrets, and Gray’s Pond Herons ; in spite of the habits of its occupants, the shrubs and grass are perfectly clean and nice, and I think this is a wonderful achievement. At a short distance, in a field, stands the Hawks aviary ; the roof is half full, half wired on ; only the front is wired, the rest being full wooden panels. There are seven cages, all 18 ft. deep, with different widths ; one sees the following birds : one pair of American Bald Eagles, one Red-tailed Hawk, and one Southern Chilian Sea-Eagle (Geranocetus australis) ; a Busarellus nigricollis ; one pair of Montagu’s Harriers, in fine condition ; a pair of Kolb’s Vulture and a Chimachima ; one King Vulture ; a Jackal Buzzard, bred at Keswick seventeen years ago, and a Caracara. 264 F. Finn — Notes at the Poultry Congress There are also three large enclosures with White Rheas, Lilford’s, Sarus, White Asiatic, Crown, and Demoiselle Cranes, Bernicle, Brent, Bar-headed and Magellan Geese, and Silver Pheasants, and a pond, in the garden, with about thirty Ducks : Mandarin, Carolina, Rosybills, Red-crested Pochards, Chiloe Wigeons, White-faced, Black¬ billed, Red-billed, and Javanese Tree-ducks, etc. NOTES AT THE POULTRY CONGRESS By F. Finn, B.A., F.Z.S. Many exhibits at the Poultry Congress held at the Crystal Palace this summer were of general avicultural interest, notably some hybrid Jungle-fowl and hybrid Guinea-fowls shown in the Italian section. The Jungle-fowls, which were not noted by name in the catalogue, were two trios, one first-cross between the Green Junglefowl and the Red, and the other bred from this cross mated back to the Red ; so it was stated on their tickets. The first-cross trio were not exactly like the hybrids of this cross bred at the Zoo some years ago : the cock had the comb serrated much as in the pure Red, though he had the Green’s dewlap and no wattles ; ear-lobes were present, and all these bare parts were red, as in the Zoo birds. The plumage was much more bronzy and less purple in the glossy parts — neck and tail — and showed some chestnut, though the Zoo birds did not. The secondaries were edged with this colour, and the upper breast and flanks were chestnut tipped with black. The tail was very tightly “ whipped up ” with short side-hangers, as in the Grey Sonnerat cock. The hens inclined to the Red hen in their feathering more than the Zoo birds did, and chiefly differed from it in having no definite neck-hackle, the Zoo hybrid hens showing a distinct inclination to the Green bird’s markings. The bare patches indicating ear-lobes were white. The cock of the second cross, i.e. three-quarter Red, was very like a pure Red, but had shorter neck-hackle with broad purple-black central stripes, and purple-glossed black secondaries ; his breast had a narrow chestnut edging to its black feathers at the upper part, and his tail was purple. His wattles were rather small and he had a small F. Finn — Notes at the Poultry Congress 265 1 dewlap, but otherwise the rather hen-like hackle and the large amount of purple sheen were all that would attract attention. The hens looked like Red hens of the purest wild type, and I don’t think would ever have been taken as crossed, except that perhaps the black stippling on their partridge feathers was a bit coarser than it should have been. The hybrid Guinea-fowl shown were between Common and Mitred and Common and Tuft-billed. In both cases the Common dominated, except that the neck-feathers were speckled up to the bare part, though with a sort of haze or wash of the Common Guinea-fowl’s self-colour there. The head-points were more like those of the Common Guinea- fowl, except that the wattles were in both cases merely tipped with red, and were more or less decidedly washed with blue, most so in the Mitre cross, which also had a dewlap like the Mitre, but of not so rich a blue. But the pure Common Guinea-fowls in this Italian exhibit were also dewlapped, the dewlap being dark purplish in most, but flesh- coloured in the self-buffs (which were very pale cream), the whites, and the self-pale-blues, which had most of the plumage very prettily laced with pale violet. The hybrids with the Tuft-billed Guinea-fowl showed a spiky wart on the nose in place of the tuft of bristles, larger and more spiky in the male. These were bred from the “ lilac ” variety of the Common Guinea-fowl, and showed the same shade of ground-colour. A Vulturine Guinea-fowl naturally came in for a lot of interest and admiration, and all must be much indebted to Pro¬ fessor Ghighi for this most instructive exhibit, which included pure¬ bred Mitred and Tuft-billed Guinea-fowls, and also Crested. In the Italian stall or stand upstairs were two copies of statuettes of the Roman Imperial period between the first and fourth century a.d. representing a crested cock and hen, much resembling the Old English Hornet, which was photographed in The Feathered World this year — that is to say, the crest was well though not heavily developed, and not a mere tuft or tassel, such as occurs in Game and in Indian “ bazaar ” fowls at times, and was accompanied by a two- horned comb. There was no beard, and so the wattles were of normal size. I had no idea that crested fowls of a definite breed went so far back as this in human history. I have often thought that a breed of fowls, of economic merit, 266 F. Finn — Notes at the Poultry Congress but hardly differing from the Red Jungle-fowl except in enlarged size, would be ideal ; being of the natural colour it would not look out of place in a park, wood, or shrubbery, or among fancy Pheasants and Waterfowl. Such a breed appeared at the Congress in the shape of three trios of Danish “ Landhens ” (which I suppose means barndoor fowls) ; they looked very like old English Black-Red Game, except that their ear-lobes were white, giving a very smart appearance ; the legs were blue. As I suppose they are not so fierce as Game, and presumably lay a good many of the eggs Denmark sends us, this would seem to be my ideal breed. The birds are not large enough to be clumsy, and might well go in our parks as companions to Mallard, etc., and produce plenty of eggs and chickens for hospitals, as well as serving as fosterers for other park birds. Among the Canadian exhibits one of two Snow Geese had a very curious deformity — the middle toe of one foot was no longer than the outer toes, and had the claw growing straight up. I have only once seen a similar malformation, and that was in a Fieldfare, on sale in a show-cage in Oxford Market, many years ago, before the War, if not before the beginning of this century. In the Dutch section were the best Call-ducks (happily named “ Kwakers ” in Dutch) I have ever seen, as small and short-billed as Mandarins ; it is the first time I have ever seen Call-ducks shown, though they are common enough ; these were white. Next to them was a trio of the queer Bow-billed or Hook-billed Ducks (“ Krombeks ”), practically white Mallard with beaks bent down like a Scandaroon Pigeon’s, though not so decidedly. This breed has been supposed to be extinct. It is said, too, that the original Runner Duck — Darwin’s Penguin Duck — is being crossed out of existence in the East Indies, so I was very glad to see a Javan imported lot, high-legged wiry birds, in this section ; three were drakes and seventeen ducks. At least two of the latter were white, and one was buff and white with some black markings, but the rest looked very like a wild species ; they were extraordinarily alike, drab ranging to fawn, with dark streaks, the wing-bar just indicated or wanting, pinion- joints often prominent, and black bills and feet. The drakes were in undress, but two would Lord Tavistock — Notes for 1930 267 evidently assume a full dress of modified Mallard type ; the third was dark plain drab ; all had white wing-coverts and black bills and feet. These birds, it seems, have to travel and forage as they go, being driven several miles a day for days together ; thus their peculiarities of form are adaptations. NOTES FOR 1930 By Lord Tavistock The transfer of my collection to a new locality — the fourth change I have had to make during a period of eighteen years — has still further emphasized the interesting fact that for no reason that one can at present foresee or understand certain districts suit, or disagree with, certain kinds of birds quite apart from any question of feeding or manage¬ ment. It is evident therefore that a really hardy foreign bird is not necessarily one with which a single aviculturist has great and easy success but rather one which is proved to do well in a large number of different collections. My hopes that Peasmarsh would suit everything were, with the coming of the warm weather, quickly dispelled. Grass Parrakeets had done badly in aviaries at Warblington, but Peasmarsh suited them infinitely less. No care could keep an Elegant or a Turquoisine from falling a victim to pneumonia within a few weeks and I was obliged to transfer my stock to Keston, where, under Mr. Boosey’s management, they thrive and breed with no trouble at all. The hardy and prolific Redrump which was one of the few birds that did well at Warblington proved equally delicate in the same aviaries at Peasmarsh. I lost both my breeding cocks from pneumonia and two out of three young. Strange to say, however, Redrumps do not appear to thrive very well at Keston either. Many-colours, on the other hand, though usually a much more tricky proposition than Redrumps, appear to do well at Peasmarsh in the same aviaries as they failed to thrive in at Warblington. I got three imported ones in the early spring and all are alive and well.' Although I had one sad pneumonia loss among my Aprosmictine Parra¬ keets in the shape of the oldest of the lovely Sula Island X Crimson¬ wing hybrids, Aprosmictine and Polyteline Parrakeets seem to thrive 268 Lord Tavistock — Notes for 1930 in their new quarters. Australian Kings did very badly at Warblington, the hens usually getting ill while laying and seldom living any length of time. This year both my hens laid large clutches and incubated them, and only the fact that the cocks happen to be useless birds spoiled by long caging prevented more interesting results. Barrabands at Warblington would not do at all in the movable aviaries and only maintained a precarious existence in the Black Cockatoo aviaries by dint of frequent visits to the hospital. At Peasmarsh they have been back in the movable aviaries through the most dangerous, i.e. the summer, months with as yet no illness at all. Gouldian Pinches did badly at Warblington and even worse at Woburn. Peasmarsh seems to suit them. I got four out of a fast-dying lot of new arrivals, and a cock and two hens, together with an acclimatized cock obtained to replace the one casualty, are now in the best of health. Breeding results have been poor, the birds being upset by the late move and disturbance by workmen right through May. The only really nice thing — a lutino Ringneck from the same lutino-bred parents that produced a lutino some years ago — dying of sunstroke a few days after leaving the nest. Its green brother or sister is still alive. Another pair of lutino-breds produced one green young one which was reared by the hen alone as the cock has the habit of murdering his babies as soon as they hatch. The interesting thing about this bird is that it is a fine, well-developed, normal youngster whereas both parents, which were bred in small fixed aviaries, are defective, and I only kept them because of their pedigree and good constitutions. The cock is very small and never grows proper feathers at the back of his neck : the hen is also small and has a deformity of the wings which prevents her from rising in flight should she get down on to the ground. In the spring I obtained what I took to be a true pair of Long¬ tailed Parrakeets (P. longicauda), a most elegant species whose one serious fault is its great sensitiveness to cold. The birds did unusually well and achieved what I have never seen before with Long-tails in this country — a perfect moult — reproducing the lovely elongated feathers from which the Parrakeet takes its name ! The “ hen ” alas ! also achieved something else, viz. complete male plumage from which we learn that the young male P. longicauda , like the Plum- Lord Tavistock — Notes for 1930 269 headed. Parrakeet, has two distinct plumages before assuming adult dress, the second being indistinguishable from that of the adult female. Needless to say both cocks are now most anxious to breed ! My hen Broadbill still survives. In May I felt certain that she was about to die as she grew very tame, allowing herself to be touched, and she lost her appetite, but a transfer to another aviary led to a remarkable recovery and she is now as timid and active as before. Nothing will tempt her to vary her diet of banana and mealworms, of both of which she eats but moderately. A rather sad loss was sustained by the death of Mr. Squire’s little Black-legged Falconet, apparently from tuberculosis. He had lived in a flight-cage about three years, not altogether a bad record, for the tiny tropical birds of prey are apt to take some keeping. A very interesting new arrival is a specimen of the rare Antipodes Island Parrakeet (Cyanorhampus unicolor). This strange Parrakeet inhabits a small, bleak, and, I believe, wholly treeless island far south of New Zealand where the climate is horribly cold, wet, and foggy throughout the year. C. unicolor might therefore prove the ideal Parrakeet for outdoor aviaries in the greater part of these islands, but ability to enjoy the English climate may not, I fear, carry with it an equal ability to withstand the English microbes which attack our birds more in genial weather than in winter. I have not yet had time to study this bird properly. She (for I think it is a hen) is about the size of a Norfolk Island or a Rosella, and resembles the former species in build and to some extent in voice, but her face is more chubby and her orange eye is smaller. She can both perch and fly. The plumage is a rather attractive mixture of olive greens, becoming bright green on the cheeks. The beak is almost wholly silver. As already indicated, her voice, like that of the better known members of the genus, is of a soft murmuring nature. At present she will touch nothing but sunflower seed. I might add a propos of feather-plucking in Parrots that the cock Yellow-belly who denuded himself when given an extra amount of hemp, sunflower, and safflower and went on plucking even at liberty, is now with the coming of the moult reclothed and respectable. 20 270 H. L. Sich — The Nesting of the Black Bail THE NESTING OF THE BLACK RAIL (. L1MNOCORAX MGER) By H. L. Sich The pair were bought from Mr. Webb on 19th May and put into a flight of about 28 X 14 feet, at one end of which there is a pond made rather deep for a pair of Formosa Teal. At the back of this pond, acting as a screen, and down one side is a reed bed, to prevent the soil from washing into the water there is a sheer wall which is only safe as long as the pond is brimful. I found some attempt at a nest on the edge of the pond after about a week but, being disturbed when I cleaned it out, it was forsaken. On 18th July I discovered a nest with three eggs in it raised up about six inches off the ground among some sedges. Taking a glance to see if there were any more eggs laid, on 21st July, I saw a trembling mass of black fluff, a piece with a short yellowish bill ran out of the nest ; all three had hatched. On the 30th, I saw one, for a moment, at the food dish, quite by itself. Once I did see the cock carry a mealworm into the reeds. The hen was not now so much in evidence. On the 6th August, when emptying the pond one chick ran into the bottom, soon after I disturbed one at the other end of the aviary, quite by itself. As soon as it saw me it ran to the other end of the flight and looked about double its original size. It was still covered with down, the quite short bill looked almost white, the legs and toes black, the feet very large. As food they have mealworms, a soft-food mixture, ants’ eggs, and gentles ; the two latter they do not seem to eat. On 6th August I discovered a new nest with one egg in it, built of dead reed or bamboo leaves, a deep cup in a bush among sedges about three feet above the ground. The egg looked about the size and shape of that of a Wood Pigeon, of a pale whitish-brown colour fairly thickly covered, rather more at one end, with pinkish spots. This egg looked much more spotted than the first clutch, though they were very difficult to see, and I did not like to pick them up. Four eggs were laid, one every evening some time after 8.30 p.m. Incubation began with the laying of the fourth egg on the evening of 8th August. The eggs were frequently left, but never for more than H. L. Sich — The Nesting of the Black Bail 271 two minutes. I think the cock sometimes took a turn on the nest, but am not certain. At mid-day, 27th August, the hen was restless on the nest ; a few minutes afterwards I saw the cock bird carry a mealworm into the reeds. Running round to a peep-hole I saw the sitting bird with the mealworm in her beak bend down into the nest and feed one of the chicks, which had hatched out by then, they can then only have been a few hours old. Later on I saw three chicks and one egg ; this last egg was hatched out by next morning, and the other three had then left the nest. The nests never seem to be used again, and the egg-shells dis¬ appeared. The newly hatched chicks are covered with black down, have a short pinkish-white bill, the iris is black (in the adults it is bright red), the tarsi and toes are also black. The irchief characteristic is their early independence and extreme waryness, I hardly ever saw them with either^ parent or each other ; at ten days old I saw one at the food dish by itself. As they grow up this wears off, and now, 15th September, the elder three young are not much more shy than their parents. These are now nearly full grown ; their plumage lacks the lustre of the adults. The iris, toes, and tarsus are still black. The lower mandible is black, the upper one is pinkish-white for the basal two-thirds then follows a narrow black band and a pinkish- white tip. I was first able to notice this peculiar colouring at five weeks old through glasses. The parents do bring food to the young. I saw the cock give one of the young of the first brood a mealworm after the second brood had hatched out. They have built a third nest but have not laid again ; probably the cold of the last week has put them off. The eggs are of a pale whitish-brown colour, fairly thickly covered, more at the blunt end, with pink spots, but even through my peep¬ hole they are not very easy to see. They are chiefly fed on mealworms ; they got to like ants’ eggs after a time, but they are now over. A little soft feed, chiefly the egg, gentles when they cannot get anything else, and the adults will eat earthworms. I now scour my gentles in flour, which is much better than sand, as they eat the flour and that helps the scouring. 272 Denys Weston — Foreign Finches that are easy to breed FOREIGN FINCHES THAT ARE EASY TO BREED By Denys Weston, F.Z.S. As nobody seems anxious to rush into print with information about the more common species of foreign Finches, I will relate my experiences. I found Zebra Finches and Long-tailed Grass Finches hardy, easy to breed, and lucrative. Both species are easily obtainable and cheap. The beginner should construct a dry, mouse-proof garden aviary, with flight, and plant lawn grass and perennial rye in the latter. Trees and shrubs will also enhance the appearance and prove attractive to the inhabitants. Double wire netting will prevent depredations by cats. No heating apparatus will be required. Stock birds should be obtained by preference from an aviculturist, as those bred in captivity wdll prove more hardy and more likely to reproduce their kind than freshly imported birds. Nests should be placed in the sheltered part of the aviary. Husks, square boxes with a hole as entrance and a perch under will prove suitable. These boxes should be of the size of a Hartz travelling cage. These Hartz cages also make splendid nesting receptacles if two bars are removed and a perch or slab be provided for the birds to settle upon. Providing the weather is suitable, nesting will commence immediately, the Zebras constructing two or three homes each, one of which will eventually be selected for hatching purposes. Incubation takes about a fortnight, and the young leave the nest in about three weeks. A word of warning is necessary : On no account should the nests be disturbed, or even looked at, or they will be deserted, and, if young are present, they will be thrown out. It is very amusing to see the parent birds feed their babies, who hold their heads on one side whilst clamouring noisily for nourishment. In the case of both these species the young leave the nest with black beaks which soon colour as they moult their nest feathers. The young Zebras are similar in colouring to the hens, but young cocks can be picked out by a slight black streaky patch upon the chest. I Denys Weston — Foreign Finches that are easy to breed 273 shall not attempt to describe a method of sexing Grass Finches, as I always found this impossible. Whilst paired I noticed that only the cocks sang their fiddle-like song, but when separated the hens sang also. I am positive of this, as all birds were rung. Food should consist of canary seed, Italian white millet, and Indian millet as a staple food. Cuttlefish, sea-sand, and green food should always be supplied. The latter can consist of lettuce, groundsel, chickweed, beetroot, seeding grasses, etc. No soft food is necessary when feeding young, but house-flies killed with a patent flip will be readily accepted. Mine used to take these from my hand. I have known other breeders use a mixture of equal parts Osborne biscuit and hard-boiled egg. Equal parts are rubbed well into each other with a fork. The sexes should be separated during the winter months to prevent loss of vitality and egg-binding through excessive breeding. I have had as many as fifty-five young from one pair of Zebras in a year. Nesting material is composed of short pieces of dry grass or hay, which should be thrown upon the floor of the compartment which contains the nest boxes. Cow hair is useful as a lining, but should be pulled carefully apart, as I have known birds entangle their legs in a bunch. Success has eluded my efforts to breed these birds in cages, although nests have been constructed and eggs laid. Silverbills can easily be bred in cages or aviaries, but they have never appealed to me. My friend, the late Mr. Fred Longlands, once won a pair of these birds as special prize at a show. He placed them in a small cage in November, and they immediately built, laid, and reared six fine babies without any soft food, although they were newly imported. Another friend has bred flocks of these birds in an outdoor aviary containing many other British and foreign Finches. I have not found other species of small foreign Finches easy to breed, but Avadavats, Cordon Bleus, Lavenders, and Golden Breasted Waxbills can be tried under the above conditions. 274 W. H. Workman — Cock Californian Quail Brooding COCK CALIFORNIAN QUAIL BROODING By W. H. Workman In the July issue of our Magazine our Editor asks for articles on the more common breeding species, which I am very glad to see, because of late I think we have had far too few detailed descriptions of how to rear and also how to keep the common birds. Some of our older members will remember that splendid series of articles headed “ Practical Birdkeeping ” which appeared in our Magazine in 1910 to 1912, and which was edited by Bonhote and published in book form, now out of print and quite impossible to obtain second-hand. These and many other articles of the very greatest interest are scattered through the back volumes and are hard to find because there has never been published a proper index taking in say ten years at a time, a most useful publica¬ tion and which would be worth untold gold to the serious aviculturist. Perhaps some day this will be undertaken if enough subscribers could be got together to make it worth while. Witherby did it a few years ago for British Birds , and most useful it has been.1 I now want to tell the story of a really wonderful Cock Californian Quail (Lophortyx calif or nicus). I had a lovely pair of this charming species and in April the hen chose a corner on a shelf some 14 inches above the ground for her nest. She scraped out a hollow and deposited ten eggs. We put some branches round her but she refused to sit and eventually forsook the clutch. Towards the end of May she started to lay again in the same place, but I had to leave home to go to the Ornithological Congress in Amsterdam at the end of May, and when there I got a letter telling me that the poor little hen after laying her eggs died on 3rd June. Then the strange thing happened : the grand little cock took on the job of incubation, and when I came home was sitting hard. Now in all my experience the cock never sits, only the hen Quail of this species ; both times they nested with me before the hen did all the work. The cock sat very hard, in fact I never saw him off the nest till one 1 A General Index to back volumes would be most valuable, but it would be very expensive. As long ago as 1903 we suggested the publication of an Index to the first eight volumes, but our appeal for subscriptions towards this met with quite inadequate response. — Ed. W. H. Workman — Cock Californian Quail Brooding 275 morning, to be exact Friday, 27th June, when my man and I were going round the aviaries we looked at the nest and I, thinking the eggs were long overdue, took one up and broke it, but it was addled (evidently one of the first clutch). My man wanted to clear the lot out, but fortunately I was in a bit of a hurry and told him to leave them for the present, and this was the saving of the nest. On Sunday evening, 29th June, I went into the aviary to see whether some Budgerigars had enough food, and there to my great astonishment below the shelf was the old Quail all puffed out. I went close to him to see whether he was ill ; he then moved and out rushed no less than seven of the most lovely little Quails you ever saw. I rushed into the house with the good news and got my maid to boil an egg as hard as possible. We then visited the little Quails again. I must tell you that I had this aviary boarded up six or seven inches because young Californians can go through half-inch netting just like a jellyfish : I’ve seen them do it. Well, to continue : there was, however, just one place where they could get near the netting and, of course, they rushed to this, and before one could say “ knife ” three of them were half-way through, but with great presence of mind my maid caught them by the heels and dragged them back to safety while I went into the house for a piece of stout cardboard to screen off the netting. All was now well, and the little Quails safe from escape. Our next wonder was : would the cock bird take on the further duties of the mother and teach the seven little ones how to feed ? My experience of 1925 served me well, and I knew what to do, and for the benefit of readers who may get a brood I will tell exactly how I proceeded, but first I must tell you that the cock was simply splendid, teaching the young to pick and brooding them all the time except when they were actually feeding. I noted here that he had two different call notes : one the usual note by which he always answered the female, this he used when he wanted to brood the chicks, but when there was any fresh feeding about such as ants’ eggs, mealworms, or gentles he used a much sharper and higher note. I had not noted this difference when the female was in charge in 1925. Now as to feeding : we get a hard-boiled egg, mash it up and add more than double the quantity of crushed biscuit or very fine chicken 276 W. H. Workman — Cock Californian Quail Brooding biscuit, Marie or Osborne biscuits do well. This is all mashed up with a fork till quite crumbly and fine, one egg and biscuit lasts the seven two days. Every morning I take some of this, a little of a good insectile mixture, perhaps a little dried fly and ants5 egg mixture, and if too dry make crumbly with a very few drops of water. To this I add a little Indian millet and maw seed just to encourage them as soon as possible to eat seed, also if you have them a few live ants5 eggs. This mixture I give at 7.30 a.m., and again a fresh supply at about 6 p.m. (the old stuff does well for some of the other insectivorous birds). At the same time each morning they get a dish of very finely chopped grass and lettuce leaves. This is very essential and lasts them all day. For live food they get about a dozen or so small mealworms at 7.30, then again at 12 with a few well-scoured gentles. In the evening about 5 I usually give a few more gentles and live ants5 eggs with the six o’clock egg food and later on a few mealworms. They soon take to the gentles and do well on them. These can be easily bred at this time of year : by hanging up an old bird or hen in the garden over a box of sand you get a fine supply of nice small clean gentles in a few days. Besides the above you must have a saucer of chicken grit and sand, also clean water in a shallow saucer. When the young Quails get a little older they will desert the live and egg food and turn their attention more and more to seed. Now you should get some fine chicken seed mixture ; this contains small groats and other seeds. The chicks will take readily to this and later on get some ordinary groats, soon they will be chiefly on seed mixture such as millet, canary, groats, etc., but it is well to have a little soft mixture always with them as they like it for a change. When I was at the Amsterdam Zoo I paid special attention to the feeding of the birds and to my astonishment I one day saw a couple of hen Californian Quails eating the mixed food for the insectivorous birds, such as boiled rice, potato, a course insect mixture, also fruit, and when I came home I noticed my other Californian Quails enjoying a good feed of Lark food in the Waders5 aviary. They seem to like it and are in the best of plumage. Besides this they have canary, white and Indian millet together with Dove mixture made of split maize, dari, wheat, and a little hemp. W. Ferrier Brown — The African Fire Finch 277 I think in conclusion that the Californian Quail is one of the best for the beginner in this interesting family. The only drawback I have found is that the hens seem a little bit delicate, but with a good, well- planted aviary and plenty of grit and crushed cuttle-fish bone they should be all right as egg binding seems to be the chief trouble. THE AFRICAN FIRE FINCH By W. Ferrier Brown Of the smaller foreign birds I have kept I find the African Fire Finch becomes friendly very quickly and acquires that steadiness so admired in our feathered charges in a short time. In fact, Fire Finches seem to carry on in their own way without troubling seriously about anything. It was my good fortune in 1922 to breed this species in a cage measuring 20 in. by 12 in. by 18 in., and from observations I feel convinced that pair would have bred anywhere. The Fire Finches were caged with Goldbreasts, Orange-cheeks, Grey Singing Finches, Blue-breasted Waxbills, and Combassous, and all was going well until the former turned their thoughts to setting up house. They commandeered the seed-hopper, and Master Fire Finch became a most effective guardian and would not allow any other bird near it. When their intentions became evident they were transferred to separate quarters and soon got to business. The cock built a beautiful nest in a box, and fashioned a round entrance hole to it. The nest was composed of soft dried grass and moss. This first nesting attempt occurred when the birds were in the living room, for winter quarters, and the lighting up in the early evening seemed to mislead them so that the nest was eventually deserted when there were fully formed embryo in the eggs. After transfer to summer quarters the nesting continued, and after one or two unsuccessful attempts a brood was brought off. There were four eggs which all hatched out, but one squab was thrown out of the nest, and was again rejected after being replaced. The other three were reared to maturity and proved to be all cocks. On hatching out a variety of food was offered, including biscuit and egg, dried flies, ants’ cocoons, Indian and white millet, and canary seed. The hen Fire Finch took a little of the egg-food on the first three 278 Correspondence days, or seemed to be picking it over, but after that the young were fed on seed only, and green food consisting of seeding grass and chickweed. The rearing period passed off uneventfully, although it was an anxious time for the human lookers-on. It was very interesting to see these three tiny dark fluffy balls bobbing their heads about, and then to watch them acquire their feathers, and most interesting of all was the day when they left the nest, such little birds, about half the size of their father, with tails about half-an-inch long. The cock looked after the family and tended them most assiduously. The young birds were three months old when they started to change into the red coat of the male Fire Finch. There was no special care or provision in the management of these birds, the cage bottom was covered with sand, and a bath was available always. I would add the breeding took place in an indoor birdroom with a west aspect. Incubation lasted 13-14 days, and the young left the nest at 16 days. The temperature of the room varied between 55° and 62° F. during the breeding period. CORRESPONDENCE FEATHER PLUCKING Sir, — In aviculture one must always be ready to learn and unlearn and, I am tempted to add, to distrust profoundly the opinions of early authorities and to refrain from endorsing any of their views which are not amply supported by one’s own personal experience ! The value of fatty substances as a means of stopping certain cases of feather- plucking among Parrots would appear to be established, but I think we may find that the vice is produced by different causes and that the same remedy would not always operate. I am also confident from my own experience that the giving of oily seeds (as distinct from fat in other forms) very rarely prevents feather-plucking and may help to cause it. It would be interesting if Capt. Rattigan could tell us whether among the many cases of feather-plucking he has been consulted about in connection with his work for Cage Birds there have not been Correspondence 279 several where the owners mentioned fatty scraps as part of their birds’ diet. I myself have never known a Parrot to begin feather-plucking while on plain seed, and my experiences with feather-pluckers has been as follows : — (1) Black Cockatoo ; started plucking while on deposit at the Zoological Gardens and has plucked himself ever since though fed entirely on hemp, sunflower, and monkey-nuts. (2) Three Queen of Bavaria Conures ; started plucking while in receipt of a fair amount of hemp and sunflower and improved, but were not wholly cured when put on plain canary. The worst was entirely cured when given her liberty : she used to eat certain wild fruits, but I am practically certain never picked up for herself any wild food of a really oily nature. (3) Hen Stanley Parrakeet ; started to pluck herself while given a full allowance of hemp and sunflower. Improved a little on plain seed. (4) Cock Yellow-bellied Parrakeet, a breeding bird in an aviary. Started to pluck himself furiously when given an extra amount of hemp, sunflower, and safflower, and did not afterwards abandon the habit when given complete liberty, and while feeding himself wholly on wild food. (5) Cock Turquoisine ; always began to pluck himself badly if he got the smallest quantity of hemp, but was nearly always all right without it. (6) All-green Parrakeet — a pet— started plucking while being fed mainly on sunflower and did not improve much on plain seed . (7) Pet Fischer’s Lovebird ; started plucking when getting hemp and sunflower, but stopped at once when put on plain seed. Recom¬ menced some months later and soon after died in a fit. Apparently thwarted desire to breed had a good deal to do with the bird’s trouble. (8) Cock Brown’s Parrakeet ; started to pluck while receiving hemp and sunflower. Had long periods of good behaviour when fed on a plainer diet. Tavistock. 280 Correspondence PILEATED FINCHES AND SHAMAS Sir, — There have been plenty of Pileated Finches on the market lately, and I wonder whether any of our members have bred them. A pair, which I bought last Spring, have nested twice. On each occasion one young bird has lived to leave the nest, but none has been fully reared. In common with other Buntings, these birds will only feed their young ones on living insects. In the case of my birds, nearly all the feeding was done by the hen, and she alone built the nest. This latter was an elegant little structure, woven out of tow, and suspended between twigs. I find the Pileated Finches charming aviary birds, very tame, and not spiteful with their companions. The hen is specially tame, and will follow me about the aviary ; hoping, no doubt, for a mealworm. By the by — do Buntings ever feed their young from the crop ? The two species which have bred with me, Pileated Finches and Nonpareils, certainly carried all food in the beak. For the second season in succession my Shamas have reared young ones. Shamas are certainly the most delightful birds I have ever kept, but what a tie when breeding ! If one intends to breed insectivorous birds one ought never to leave home, unless one has, what I can never hope to possess, an intelligent bird keeper. B. C. Thomasset. GLOSSY STARLINGS Sir,— With reference to my article on Glossy Starlings in the August Magazine, I shall be much obliged if you will announce a correction on page 236, line 6, the word “ nuts ” should read “ nets ”. G. W. Thompson, Capt. “STAMIMA” The Insectivorous FOOD Supreme The Greatest Achievement of Modern Times Will not turn sour, is ready for immediate use, and will keep indefinitely Used the World over hv the Leading Aviculturists Supplied to Aviculturists in the following Countries : — U.S. AMERICA, CHINA, FRANCE, NEW ZEALAND, CANADA, GERMANY, JAMAICA, - - Etc., Etc. “ STAMINA” is also invaluable for rearing all kinds of Finches and Bud¬ gerigars; used by all leading — Budgerigar Breeders — Sample free Special prices for large quantities Inventor and Sole Maker : P. H. HASTINGS Bird and Food Specialist Engine House - Milton - Portsmouth Send for a sample and price list of Birds, it will be a REVELATION to you MEMBERS’ SALE AND EXCHANGE COLUMN, The charge for Members' advertisements is one penny per word. Payment must accompany the advertisement , which must be sent on or before the 20th of the month to Mr. T. H. Newman, " Verulam,” Forty Lane, Wembley Park Middlesex. All members of the Society are entitled to use this column, but the Council reserves the right to refuse any advertisement they consider unsuitable. SALE AND EXCHANGE. Borneo Firebacks, Elliot’s, Lineated, Manchurian Eared, Bels, Melanotte, Swinhoe, Versicolor, Corean Ring-necked, Prince of Wales, Dark Pheasants, etc. ; also Fancy Waterfowl. — Lieut. -Col. Lewis, The Hunridge Game Farm, Great Missenden, Bucks. Mealy Rosella Pennant Hybrids, guaranteed strong healthy birds ; pretty ; offers. Wanted Mealy Rosella and Stanley hens. — Sterrett, Hoopern Avenue, Exeter. Breeding pair Redrumps, £3 10s. ; Aviary-bred Black-cheek and Nyasaland Lovebirds, £2 pair ; Zebra Finches, unrelated, pairs, 17s. 6d. ; Diamond Doves, £1 each. — Dr. Macklin, Ampthill. One pair of Breeding Redrumps, pair of Brown-throated Conures ; one Nyasa Lovebird, hen ; one young Alexandrine Parrakeet ; all from outdoor aviaries. — C. Heydon, Craven Arms, Shropshire. Young English Aviary-bred Elegant Parrakeets, £8 each ; Barraband Parrakeets, £6 each ; Long-tailed Grass Finches, 30s. each ; Ruficaudas, 70s. each ; to make way for fresh blood ; a few especially selected rung breeding stock pairs of Zebra Finches, 21s. pair ; Diamond Doves, £3 10s. pair. — Keston Foreign Bird Farm, Keston, Kent. Hen Shama, tame, perfect condition, has reared young two seasons, £4 ; cock Pileated Finch, 7s. 6d. ; Silverbills, 2s. each. — B. Thomasset, Seend, Wiltshire. Many-Colours, Gold Pheasants, Blue and Cobalt ; Budgerigars, Diamond Doves, Barnards (cocks), all bred here 1930 : also adult Gold Pheasants ; exchange certain hens (aviary) Crimson-wing and Barnard. — Sprawson, Cranford, Kenley, Surrey. Cock Cockatiels, cock Green Budgerigars, all 1929 birds, bred in unheated outdoor aviaries ; wish exchange for purpose of introducing new blood ; would prefer exchange for some hens in each case. — Capt. Cooper, Estate Office, Maiden Erlegh, Reading. Budgerigars : Whites, Mauves, Cobalts, Blues, Violets, 1930 bred — the progeny of five years’ selective mating — hardy outdoor bred in perfect condition ; unrelated pairs guaranteed. — Bearby, 34 Church Street, W. Hartlepool. Aviary-bred Avadavats, Gold-breasts, Bengalese (F. and W.), Zebra Finches, Indian Silverbills, Budgerigars, Mauves, Cobalts, Yellows, B.-b. Greens. — Mrs. Drake, My lor, Falmouth. Blue Budgerigars from Cobalt and Blue and Blue and White parents. — - Mrs. Lancaster, Syerscote, Streetly, Staffs. Avicultural Magazine from commencement ; first 7 volumes bound, Publisher’s cloth, remainder in parts as issued ; offers requested. Also Zebra Finches, acclimatized. — H. Thomas, 15 Clinning Road, Birkdale, Southport. WANTED. Cereopsis Gander and Upland Goose. — Miss Poore, Ballywalter, Northern Ireland. IV CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION. John Adams, Darsdale, Raunds, Northants. Proposed by Dr. C. H. Macklin. John H. Beamed,, Montagu Arms Hotel, Beaulieu, Hants. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. Captain H. E. Boswell, D.S.O., M.C , Oakfield Zoological Gardens, Slavington Street, Crewe, Cheshire. Proposed by Robert G. Johnson. Hon. D. H. Cairns, Carnach, Nairn. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. Hon. Anthony Chaplin, 9 Hill Street, W.l. Proposed by Capt. L. R. Waud. Captain H. G. B. Field, Olinda, Bridge Road, Worthing, Sussex. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. N. F. Lawson, 29 Castle Street, Hereford. Proposed by Capt. L. R. Waud. W. Mack, 26 Wasley Street, Mt. Lawley, Western Australia. Proposed by S. Harvey. Mrs. Cicely D. Parkhouse, Windyridge, Littleham, Exmouth. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. Mrs. Vaughan, Woodcote Side, Epsom. Proposed by Alec Brooksbank. Ronald Albert Wilkinson, North Wing, Allerton Hill, Stumbek Lane, Leeds. Proposed by John W. Marsden. NEW MEMBERS. Mrs. Marjorie Alexander, Butterfield Cottage, Worth, Crawley, Sussex. William Kraasen, P.O. Box 92, Cupertino, California, U.S.A. A. Martin, Keswick Hall, Norwich. Dr. D. S. Newill, Melcroft, Penna, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. J. V. Patton, Hollister, California, U.S.A. A. L. Turner, 476 Pitt Street, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia. CHANGES OF ADDRESS. Dr. Carlton Brett Morse, U.S. Navy, to U.S. Naval Aeronautical Station, Pensacola, Florida, U.S.A. J. Spedan Lewis to 54 Orchard Court, Portman Square, W. 1. T. 0. Harrison to 32 Victoria Avenue, Sunderland, Co. Durham. GAMAGES l%l HAVE ALWAYS A VARIED STOCK OF Foreign Birds, Parrots , Lovebirds , etc. We can now offer : — White, Blue, Cohalt and Mauve Budgerigars, Cordon Bleus, Ribbon Finches, Black Cockatoo, Senegal Parrots , Rainbow Buntings, Cuban Tree Quail, Shamas , Pileated Finches, Re dr amp Parrakeets, Cockatiels, Australian Crested Pigeons, European Blue Roller, Black Headed Grosbeaks, Crimson Cardinals, Orange Bishops, Paradise Whydahs , White Throated, Pileated, Zebra, Pectoralis, Masked Grass Finches. BEST FOODS. LOWEST PRICES. Mealworms . 31b. 17/6, 6/6 per lb. . |Ib. , 3/6 Post paid. 9 9 Spray Millet Ants’ Eggs 5/6, 7/6, 10/- per bundle. 3/- per lb.. , 41b., 11/- 9 9 Dried Flies 1/9 „ 41b., 6/6 >if Pure Egg Yolk . • • • 2/- ,, 41b., V- Insectivorous Food 1/6 ,, 71b., 8/6 Cuttlefish Bone • • • 1/3 ,, 41b., 4/6 Specialities in CAGES, AVIARIES, NEST-BOXES and all appliances. GAMAGES, HOLBORN, LONDON, E.C.l. PHONE : HOL. 8484. “L’OISEAU” PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE Societe Nationale cf Acclimatation de France, 198 BOULEVARD ST. GERMAIN, PARIS (VIIe) A French Magazine on Aviculture, for the study of European and Foreign Birds in captivity and at liberty. With coloured and black and white plates. ONE YEAR - 75 FRANCS. Medals for first breeding of a species in captivity in France or other countries are awarded if a detailed account is sent to the Society. FOURTH SERIES. VOL. VIII. NO. 1 1. NOVEMBER. 1930. THE Avicultural Magazine CONTENTS. PAGE Bullock’s Hangnest (with coloured Plate ) . 281 A Tour in France, II, by Captain H. S. Stokes . . . 282 Rearing the Formosan Bamboo Partridge, by Alfred Ezra, O.B.E . 289 The Breeding of St. Helena Wax- bills in Italy, by Godfrey Davis, I.C.S. . . . 289 Curassows and Guans (with two plates), by D. Seth-Smith . 294 Two Disappointments, by G. H. Gurney .... 303 PAGE Breeding the Royal Starling and the Black-winged Grackle, by Lady Wavertree . . 305 The Nesting of the Golden - breasted Bunting, by B. Jackson .... 306 Mr. Wilfred Frost’s Collection . 308 Correspondence : Birds in and around Keswick Hall Gardens ; The Plumed Jay ; Feather- plucking in Parrots ; A Murder Case ; Death of a well-known Parrot ; Sunshine on Nest- boxes . . " . . . 308 Officers for the year 1931 . . 312 The Price of this Number is 2/6. THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY. FOUNDED 1894 NOTICE TO MEMBERS The Subscription to the Avicultural Society is £\ per annum, due on the 1st of January in each year, and is payable in advance. The entrance fee is 10/0. rlhe Avicultural Magazine is sent free to members monthly. Members joining at any time during the year are entitled to the back numbers for the current year, on the payment of entrance fee and subscription. ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO THE HONORARY SECRETARY AND TREASURER, MiSS Knobel, 32 Tavistock Square, London, W.C.l. All Queries respecting Birds (except post-mortem cases) and all other correspondence should be sent to the Hon. Secretary, at the above address. Any change of address should be notified to her. MEMBERS’ BADGE. In silver, price 3s. 6 d., from Messrs. Thomas Fattorini (Birmingham), Ltd., Trafalgar Works, Hockley Street, Birmingham. State whether for lady or gentleman. POST-MORTEM EXAMINATIONS. Buie 1. — A short account of the illness should accompany the specimen. All birds to be sent as fresh as possible to Mr. C. H. Hicks, The Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8. Rule 2.-—A stamped addressed envelope must be enclosed with the bird. Rule 3. — No body or skin of any bird will be returned under any circumstances whatever. _ The Magazine is published by Messrs. Stephen Austin & Sons, 5 Fore Street, Hertford, to whom members should address all orders for extra copies, back numbers for 1917 and after, and bound volumes. Cases for binding the Magazine (in art cloth, with gold block on side) can be obtained from the Publishers, post free and carefully packed, at 3/- each ; or the Publishers will undertake the binding of the Volume for 5/6, plus 9d. for packing and postage. Members are requested to state whether they , want the wrappers and advertisements bound in at the end or not. Telephone : 46 Hertford. BACK VOLUMES of the AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE previous to 1917. Application for these should be made to the Editor of Cage Birds, Link House, 4-8 Greville Street, E.C. 1. All Enquiries for ADVERTISEMENTS and TRADE SUPPLIES should be made direct to STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, Ltd., FORE STREET, HERTFORD. All communications intended for publication in the Magazine should be addressed to the Editor : — Mr. D. Seth-Smith, Zoological Society, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8. TO BE COMPLETED IN TWO VOLUMES. Volume i. “AVICULTURE ” Price 15/- net. Order with remittance to— STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, LTD., Fore Street, Hertford l LIVERPOOL ZOOLOGICAL PARK (Proprietor: H. E. ROGERS, f.z.s.) Elmswood Road (Lark Lane), LIVERPOOL. Telephone No.: MOSSLEY HILL 106. Telegrams and Cables: “ ZOOPARK,” Liverpool. parrakeets. 7 0 /- to £ 5 0 each. 50/- to £5 ,, . 50/- ,, • 25/- „ £90 pair. . £ 1 each. £6 ,, 25/- „ 20/- ,, £4 pair. PARROTS, Grey Parrots Amazon Parrots Lemoncrest Cockatoos Rose Cockatoos Black Cockatoos Ringneck Parrakeets Macaws, Reel-blue, Red-Green, Blue-yellow .... Indian Rock Parrots, cocks ,, , , hens . Outdoor aviary-bred Cockateils Magnificent Jenadaya Conures, finger-tame .... 25/- each. Senegal Parrots . £2 10/- pair. Illigers Macaws . . .45/- each. Golden Jenaday Parrakeets, ex¬ hibition birds . . .50/- pair. Finger-tame Caique . . . £7 10/- 2 talking bare-eyed Cockatoos £ 7 10/- each. AVIARY BIRDS. Senegal Finches, Cordons, Orangecheeks, Bronze Man¬ nikins, Singing Finches, Sil verbills , Whydahs, Bishops, Weavers . (Prices on enquiry.) Zebra Finches . . . £ 1 pair. Pope Cardinals . . 1 2/6 each. Blue J ava Sparrows . . . 6 /- , , Spice Birds . . . 5/6 ,, Saffron Finches . . .12/6 pair. Blackheaded Nuns . . . 6/6 ,, Exhibition pair Alpine Choughs £5 5/- Whitebreast Toucans . . £5 each. Gorgeous Virginian Nightingales 3 7/6 ,, Brilliant Nonpareils . . .2 2/6 ,, ,, Indigo Buntings . . 20/- ,, Yucatan Blue Jays . . . 3 5/- ,, Rare Blue Grosbeaks, giants . 40/- ,, Maj a Finches .... 15/- pair Lesser Saffron Finches . £ 1 ' Jaccarini Finches 25/- ,, Patativa Finches, sweet singers 14/- „ Pileated Finches 15/- ,, BUDGERIGARS (outdoor bred). Adult breeding Green Budgeri¬ gars, brilliant Adult breeding Yellow Budgeri¬ 12/6 pair. gars ..... 15/- ,, Magnificent young Blue Budgeri¬ gars, fully grown . 32/6 „ Adult breeding Blue Budgerigars 40/- „ Magnificent White, Cobalt and Mauve Budgerigars 7 0/-' „ Millet Spray, large bundles, new crop . . .6/6 per bundle. Husk Nests for breeding Budgeri¬ gars and Parrakeets, sterilised and prepared .... 2 '6 each. WATERFOWL, WADERS, PIGEONS, etc. Elegant Zebra Doves . . £ 1 pair. Vinaceous Turtle Doves . . £1 ,, Ring Doves . . . .10/6 ,, Fantail Pigeons, in varieties . 1 2/6 ,, Nicobar Pigeons . . £2 10/- ,, Specif er Peafowl . . .£20,, Crown Cranes . £20 to £2 5 ,, Cassowaries . . £2 5 to £ 5 0 each. Half-collared Senegal Doves . 15/- pair. Blue Peafowl . . . £7 ,, Swans . . . . £6 ,, Demoiselle Cranes . . £ 1 2 1 0/- ,, Bankivi Junglefowl . . £2 10/- ,, Silver and Golden Pheasants . £4 ,, Amherst Pheasants . . . £6 ,, Rare Fireback Pheasants . Giant Canadian Eagle Owls . £5 ,, Carolina Ducks . . £4 10/- ,, Red-billed Whistling Tree Ducks £5 ,, Australian Crested Pigeons . 70/- ,, Mandarin Ducks . . . £5 ,, Formosa Teil . £2 10/- ,, Falcated Teil . . . £ 5 , , Magellon Geese . £ 1 2 1 0— , , £3 pair. 10/- £10 90/ £5 70/- 2 5/- 25/- £6 2 5/- £6 2 5/- each. Rush Nests specially prepared for breeding Finches, etc. 2 !- Chinese Geese . Pair Seriamas, acclimatised Red-legged Partridges Bamboo Partridges . Australian Crested Pigeons White Call Ducks Wigeons .... Ruddy Sheldrakes . Black East Indian Ducks . Scarlet Ibis in full colour . Little Bitterns . Lilford Cranes, White Cranes, Japanese Whitenecked Cranes, Bernicle Geese, Adjutant Storks, Rheas, Reeves, Swinhoe and Ringneck Pheasants, Cereopsis Geese, Griffon Vultures, etc. ANIMALS, PETS and REPTILES, Giant Reticulated Pythons and King Cobras, Indian Pythons, Australian Diamond Pythons, Tegu Lizards, etc. Pet Java and Calletrix Monkeys 3 7/6 each. Pet Ringtail, Mona and Grivet Monkeys . . . . 70/- ,, ; Perfect pet healthy Chimpanzee, Dogface Monkeys, Mandrills, Baboons, Sooty Mangabies, etc. Lemurs, Raccoons, Opposums, Gophers, Prairie Marmots, Fennec Foxes, Red Fox Squirrels, Tigers, Lions, Leopards, Black Panthers, Golden Cats, Elephants, Sea- lions, etc. A MAGNIFICENT COLLECTION OF BIRDS OF PARADISE. Fresh arrivals weekly. li Avi cultural Magazine, 13 30. ■ rrm, ■■■ Bullocks Han gnest / cterus bullocki. THE Avicultural Magazine BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF FOREIGN 8c BRITISH BIRDS IN FREEDOM 8c CAPTIVITY Fourth Series. — Vol. VIII. — No. 11. — All rights reserved. NOVEMBER, 1930. BULLOCK’S HANGNEST In America the species belonging to the genus Icterus are known as “ Orioles ”, but the adoption of this name in the Old World would lead to confusion with the quite different group (Oriolidae) which are primarily entitled to the designation. So over here we call them Hangnests, from the peculiar pendulous type of nest which they construct. Bullock’s Hangnest, scientifically known as Icterus bullocki, is an inhabitant of Western North America, as far south as Mexico, taking the place in the west of the better-known Baltimore Hangnest (I. galbula) of Eastern and Central America, but that species may be readily distinguished by the cock bird having the head entirely black and very little white on the wings. The nesting habits of these birds is much like that of the Weaver-birds, and the nests are wonderful structures ; that of I. bullocki is said to be similar to that of I. galbula, which is described by Taverner as one of the avian curiosities. “ It is in the form of a bag woven of fibres, plant down, hairs and string, and hangs from the end of long, drooping branches. With her sharp, owl-like bill the female thrusts a fibre into the side of the nest ; then reaching over to the inside pulls it through, tugging to make all tight and solid, another fibre is thrust in and the process repeated until when complete the nest is so knitted, woven, and fitted together that though tossed 21 282 Gapt. H. S. Stokes — A Tour in France at the end of long, flexible, whip-like branch tips through summer and winter storms, it remains intact for several years.” The correct food of a bird in captivity may be judged from a know¬ ledge of that taken in the wild state, and we learn that from analysis of the stomach contents of 7. bullocki shot wild about 79 per cent consists of animal matter and 21 of vegetable. Moths, pupae, caterpillars, and beetles form a large proportion of the diet, while fruit is also eaten. — D. S-S. A TOUR IN FRANCE By Capt. H. S. Stokes ( Concluded from p. 298.) II. Mme. Lecallier’s Collection at Elbeuf The weather was quite dreadful, but this did not deter us from setting out the next day to visit Mme. Lecallier. Professor Ghigi, the eminent Italian authority on Pheasants and their keeping, had arrived at Cleres and went with us. Mme. Lecallier has recently moved into a new house, or rather into a beautiful old house, a charming red-brick eighteenth century chateau at the edge of the town. It stands in a small park completely surrounded by walls, and is thus well suited for keeping birds at liberty. Prom the dining-room windows, which faced both sides of the house, we could see Black Buck and Wallabies, Sarus and Crowned Cranes, and White Peacocks wandering about, and a tour of the garden after lunch revealed a fine lot of seven Maras, or Patagonian Cavies. These appear to be very difficult to get and not easy to keep every¬ where when you have got them, but here they have bred well and are very tame, coming close up to visitors for bread. They are exceedingly quaint and attractive animals. There was also a nice flock of five Screamers, too busy cropping the grass to scream excessively. A pond overhung with trees contained Flamingoes and some nice Ducks. We were driven in cars to see the aviaries, which are in another property farther out of the town. A long wall divided this property into two, and on each side of the wall and built against it were ranges of aviaries. Gapt. H. S. Stokes — A Tour in France 283 Those on the left of the wall consisted of small flights and roofed shelters mostly open at the front, and were largely devoted to Budgerigars. Some, however, contained pairs of Cockatiels and Ring-necked Doves, obviously used for hatching and rearing the young of rarer species. I also noticed that several flights contained a pair each of Doves, Parrakeets, and ground birds, and the results seemed to be excellent. On the other side of the wall was another row of aviaries : I should be afraid to say how many, but probably thirty or more. These were full of a host of birds. All the small Finches I have ever seen seemed to be there, including Ruficanda Finches and Gouldian Finches with young. There were Riippells Glossy Starlings, a rare and hand¬ some species with a longish tail ; the very rare Norfolk Island Parrakeets, Barnard’s Parrakeets with young, Yellow-bellied Parrakeets, and a lovely pair of Blue-winged Grass-Parrakeets ; also Stanley’s and Mealy Rosellas. The collection of Doves was enormous, for they have always been favourites with Mme. Lecallier. Diamond Doves seemed to be there in dozens, and there were several species of beautiful Ground Doves, Geotrygon chrysia and G. montana, etc., also Bleeding Hearts. Against this wall was also a bird-room filled with scores of cages of Bengalese used for hatching rare Finches’ eggs. I thought what a tedious job it must be cleaning out Bengalese by the score ! Separated by a grass plot from all these aviaries were the Pheasantries : literally dozens of them, with a feeding passage between each row. These were very thickly planted, more so than at Cleres, and the Pheasants therefore correspondingly more difficult to see. However, the English bird-keeper, Mr. Milligan, was kind enough to stir them up for us and we were able to admire such rareties as Edwards’, Elliott’s (quite lovely, and I badly wanted some and wished I felt richer), Crestless Firebacks, Blue Crossoptilons, Common and Germain’s Polyplectrons, and a specimen of a rare Peacock Pheasant ( Chaleurus chalcurus), from Sumatra, purplish red with blue on the wings. In a copse at the back of this property were some Barbary sheep and a Soemmerring’s gazelle, and there were also Demoiselle Cranes and 284 Capt. H. S. Stokes — A Tour in France other birds in some paddocks. Altogether we must have seen some thousands of birds, and felt much indebted to Mme. Lecallier for her kindness in standing so long in drenching rain to show us her collection. M. Leleu’s Marsh at Guesnin Our next visit was to M. Leleu, a hundred miles to the north at Guesnin. Here we were regaled with a sumptuous luncheon which lasted two and a half hours. There were a few birds in enclosures in the garden : four Crowned Cranes and some Canada and Bernacle Geese. But the feature of this gentleman’s hobby is a marsh, which combines the dual functions of a Duck shoot and a Waterfowl collection. There are some hundreds of acres of reedy marsh, with waterways and larger open spaces of water, surrounded curiously enough by factories and coal mines. An old Warden of the marsh called Desire met us and took us first to see his Rheas. Not, you would imagine, marsh birds, but there they were in a field and looking remarkably well. Two pairs had produced thirty-five young, and one of the old cocks was sitting again. Desire, a pipe ever in his mouth, made weird noises, and thirty-five young Rheas ran to him for food. Desire hissed through his teeth, and all the Rheas huddled into a bunch as in fear of some natural enemy. Apropos of Rheas, and judging by the great quantity of thriving young both here and at Cleres, it is evident that the right way to raise them (I avoid the obvious pun) is to take them away from the cock directly they are hatched and put them in a shed with heat. They then seem to need no live insects and are easily fed on soaked biscuit meal and chopped cabbage, and do not get dragged about in long wet grass by the parent. On an open pool fringed with willows we saw Flamingoes, and Black- necked, Black, Whooper, and Coscoroba Swans, and Bar-headed and Bernacle Geese. Bernacles struck me whenever I saw them as being dainty, attractive, and good-shaped Geese, and they have the added advantage in these hard times of being cheap. Wandering along the paths cut through the reeds we came upon Capt. H. S. Stokes — A Tour in France 285 quantities of Duck of all sorts — Carolinas, Chilean Teal and Bahamas with young, Common Teal, Garganey, Wigeon, Shovellers, and hundreds of Call Ducks. There were also Black Buck and Screamers in a drier portion of the estate. M. F. Vanoutryve’s Birds at Boubaix Staying the night at Lille we set out next morning to see the collection of M. F. Yanoutryve at Roubaix. The towns of Lille, Boubaix, and Turcoing are all contiguous and merge into one another ; and the whole is a manufacturing district with many mines and factories and their attendant smoke. It was, therefore, all the greater surprise to find at M. Vanoutryve’s house, in the middle of all this, a lovely garden of 9 acres, with spacious lawns and clumps of shrubs and good trees. We saw a pretty pool on the lawn full of creatures : seven Egyptian and five Chilian Flamingoes, all the choice Ducks, including Binged and Cinnamon Teal, Blue Snow and Orinoco Geese. There were four Demoiselle and four Crowned Cranes and North American Wild Turkeys also all loose in the garden. Some cunningly hidden paddocks contained Bheas, Stanley Cranes, and Black Buck, all of which we were told are also released into the garden in winter. The feature which struck me most, however, was a large quantity of small wading birds all running loose on the lawns — Plover, Godwits, Buffs, Knots, and others, looking very happy. They are bought from the catchers on the marshes, turned out with one clipped wing, and after the moult are allowed to fly away again. Thus wild Nature is not deprived of her children and man is also enabled to enjoy them for a time at close quarters. M. Yanoutryve also has very fine aviaries and three bird-rooms. There is one range of seven aviaries, beautiful and brand-new concrete houses painted white inside, with flat ceilings having a large light of frosted glass let in, and good outdoor flights. Two of these contained quantities of small Finches, and one was devoted to Doves. A fourth wTas given to Parrots and included Black-headed and Green-thighed Caiques. Another had Allen’s Porphyrios and a rare Bail from Madagascar ( Dryolimnus cuvieri), chestnut with a white throat, 286 Capt. H. S. Stokes — A Tour in France Donaldson’s Touracos, and Bamboo Partridges. A Spot-billed Toucanette and another very rare Toucanette (Pteroglossus bitorquatus ) from Para, also inhabited this flight. Yet another had a quantity of medium-sized soft-billed birds — Mynahs, two sorts of Jay Thrushes, Silky Hangnests, San Bias Jays, Glossy and Royal Starlings, a white Magpie and a white Blackbird. I could only marvel that they did not all kill one another, but suppose there were too many species for that. Another range of aviaries had Budgerigars of good size and colour, and pairs of Stanley Parrakeets and Roseate Cockatoos each in separate compartments, also a good lot of Magpie Pigeons. The bird-rooms were fit for a king to live in. One was almost entirely devoted to Sunbirds spotlessly kept in good metal box-cages, with very attractive white sand on the trays. We saw the lovely Yellow-breasted (Pulchella) and Mariquensis among others. There were also small Tanagers, the Superb, Desmarest’s, the Black and Blue, and a Magpie Tanager, and perfect Sugar-birds, the Yellow- winged, the Black-headed, and the Purple. The Parrot room contained Hyacinth, Spix, and other Macaws, a Black Palm Cockatoo, a Hawk¬ headed Parrot, Yellow-backed Lories, Forsten’s Lorikeets, and two hen Derbyan Parrakeets. A third room had miscellaneous birds, Hooded and Bengal Pittas and Hooded Siskins, so rare and difficult to get nowadays. M. Vanoutryve also specializes in racing Homer Pigeons, and we were shown his large loft teeming with birds. Those flying loose were summoned to their breakfast by an electric bell ! One veteran flier was said to have won his owner a hundred thousand francs. After lunch, at which Monsieur Leleu was of the party, we were motored to the River Somme through the coal-mining district of Lens, so bitterly contested during the war. The mines are now entirely worked by Polish labour, there not being enough Frenchmen for the job. It made me sad to pass through all the country we fought over and to see the names of brand-new villages whose former heaps of rubble struck terror into the hearts of the stoutest fifteen years ago. and where so many of one’s friends lie cut off in the beauty of youth. The cemeteries they rest in are just a lovely bit of England : English Capt. H. S. Stokes — A Tour in France 287 architecture and English gardens ablaze with lavender and roses and violas, and tended by English gardeners. On the Somme MM. Vanoutryve and Leleu own adjoining marshes. The object of them is of course Duck-shooting, the industry of them is eels. Eels appear to move about only during the last quarter of the moon, when they are caught and sold alive at remunerative prices and we were shown all the paraphernalia of eel-trapping. We went down the river in punts, flushing on our way a Bittern, and saw some Marsh Harriers hunting for their supper. M. Vanoutryve combines, or is preparing to combine, Duck-shooting with bird-keeping, and has fenced in a stretch of river and some acres of bank with a mighty fence like the one we know at Foxwarren. Here exotic Ducks, Geese, Swans, and Peafowl are to be established. Opposite this reserve and far out in the river, quite out of sight of the bank, is a shooting hut to which we were rowed. Here was every imaginable modern comfort for a stay of some days, including even electric light brought across from the shore by submarine cable, and we enjoyed a most excellent dinner cooked on the premises. After¬ wards we were rowed back to our waiting car and left for Amiens, which we reached at 11 o’clock. On our way we passed Villers Brettonaux, where M. Delacour pointed out the last remnants of his former home, destroyed in 1918 with all his collection of birds. I never thought before of birds and battles being associated together. I had paid hurried visits to Amiens during the war, chiefly in search of eatable food and a bath, and had vague memories of a cathedral girt about with sandbags, and was now staggered by the beauty of this great church : such vastness, such delicate tracery of carved stone, such lovely wrought ironwork, and such glorious Louis XV chapels. Let all who can go there and see it and stay the night in one of the very excellent hotels in the town. The Jardin des Plantes at Paris We went also to Paris for a day, and did first the shops on the Quais. There are numerous bird shops and fish shops (live fish for aquariums, not dead ones for eating), and though there was nothing of special note in these shops at the moment I was greatly struck by 288 Capt. H. S. Stokes — A Tour in France their cleanliness and pleasant smell. The aquariums and their fittings were excellent and so were the bird cages : good practical shapes and sizes of cages, most of them open, and some entirely of wood, including the bars. Very easy to scrub, and most attractive for a sitting-room. M. Delacour had business at the Museum (which in France means the Natural History Museum, other museums being called Musees), and while there we were shown round by Professor E. Bourdelle, in charge of mammals and birds both in skins at the Museum and alive in the Zoo. We saw also the late Due d’Orlean’s collection of stuffed specimens, which is enormous in extent and housed in a specially erected building. There is a room devoted to Arctic life, and two more rooms are given to African birds and mammals, naturally arranged in a typical landscape with painted mural canvas. Outside Africa and the real thing I should not think anything better could be found, and the collection — all mounted by Rowland Ward, of London, — is well worth a special visit. Professor Bourdelle then took us over the road to the Jardin d’acclimatation, which is the State-owned Zoo, and he very kindly showed us everything there was to see in detail. Owing to post-war stringency the houses are perhaps a little out of date and cramped, but there are very good grass paddocks for antelopes and large birds. The oryx antelopes were particularly good, and had been bred there. Outstanding among birds was a female Wattled Crane, and Pheasants and small birds were fairly well represented. Funds are being collected for a large Carnivora house and for a Monkey house. We saw a gorilla which has been there four years awaiting its new house in a small cage, and numerous lemurs in excellent condition. There was also an excellent vivarium, newly erected and well lighted and heated, and the reptiles looked brisk and well. Thus ended a very enjoyable and most instructive trip which I am glad to have had the opportunity of taking, finding everywhere, as most aviculturists will, something fresh to be added to one’s scanty store of knowledge. Alfred Ezra — Bearing the Formosan Bamboo Partridge 289 REARING THE FORMOSAN BAMBOO PARTRIDGE (BAMBUSICOLA SONORIFOX) By Alfred Ezra, O.B.E. There are three species of Bambusicola : the Common or Chinese (B. thoracica), which has often been imported and is now quite acclimatized in Japan ; Fytch’s Bamboo Partridge from the hills of Burmah, Yunnan, and Tonkin ; and the Formosan species, the subject of this article. At the present time all three are represented in my collection, and also in those of Madame Lecallier and M. Delacour, in France. The Common species has often been bred ; Fytch’s has not yet been bred. In 1927 several pairs of Formosan Bamboo Partridges were sent from Japan by M. Delacour : some went to Madame Lecallier and I secured two pairs. In 1929 they laid eggs all over the place in one of my largest aviaries without making a nest. This year I let the grass grow very long in order to give them the necessary cover. It apparently was successful, and I was delighted to see early in June three tiny chicks running about with their parents and feeding well and hiding in the grass when disturbed. The parents were not wild, and the young were easily reared without the help of any special food, although a few fresh ants’ eggs were very much appreciated. In August they were three-quarters grown and resembled the parents in every way. This species was reared in France in 1929 and again this year by Madame Lecallier, but with the help of broody hens, and it was also bred in Japan several years ago in the same way. I think this is the first time this species has been reared in England. THE BREEDING OF ST. HELENA WAXBILLS IN INDIA By Godfrey Davis, I.C.S., F.Z.S. On 26th August one young St. Helena Waxbill came out from the dark recesses of its nest and on the 27th two more ; and that, was all. I really think there should have been five young, but the Waxbills 290 Godfrey Davis — Breeding St. Helena Waxbills in India did not ; there were in consequence only three young and one addled egg, but as the birds have bred in a cage and St. Helena Waxbills may be described as “ common ” birds — though nothing could be less “ common ” than their elegant shape and their quiet beauty — I thought I was in duty bound, after the appeal of the New Zealanders, to sit down and write. I think St. Helena Waxbills must be some of the most charming of the small birds ; they are not so small that they are timid like their cousins, the Orange-cheeked and Red-eared ; they are easily tamed and both intelligent and beautiful. What more could one desire for a few rupees ? I bought my birds in Crawford Market in Bombay last July for a few rupees ; they had no feathers on their heads and few feathers in their tails, but my friend the bird dealer, Hussain the son of Amumia, assured me that they were two pairs and he was right. But some time after a door of the cage was carelessly left open and then there was only one pair. I did not even get angry. What was the good ? The little boy who looked after them was quite sure the door opened of itself. And I was really not so very sorry because when the two pairs were put in the same cage and in course of time grew all their feathers and came into really beautiful plumage, the cocks fought each other and chased the hens so that there was always a rough house. I have little time to look after such pretty things as St. Helena Waxbills. Murderers, dacoits, and lawyers take up most of my time, but as I had no idea if St. Helena Waxbills would nest in a box hung on to the end of their cage, I tried. Believing that the average nesting box is too small and that is why, for instance, Bengalese rear only one young when they should rear five, I had two nest-boxes made measuring 9 inches long by 7 inches wide by 7 inches high, with half the front closed in. These I hung, one on each end, of the French triple breeding cage, to which I referred many months ago (how many, alas ! I dare not remember) in an article on Avadavats. I have had a small removable door made in each end of the cage so that the nest- box can be hung up against the opening and the birds have their exits and their entrances. This was in January, our Indian winter, like, or something like, our English Spring. I lined these nest-boxes, Godfrey Davis— Breeding St. Helena Waxbills in India 291 as I always do, with coarse grass roughly shaped as the foundation of a nest. After all, when birds build in bushes the supporting leaves and branches are already there. One hen got busy at once. She went into the corner of the nest-box and the cock, her husband, in the interval of fighting the other cock, the other lady’s husband, brought her lengths of a dry grass-like fibre that grows about here, and she put this in position and turned round and round and shaped it with her breast till she had the cup of the nest well and truly formed. Then she started on the roof and soon the nest was domed ; then the cock really started in to help and together they built a long, narrow, tubular entrance, much like the entrance to the nest of a Weaver bird but smaller and projecting outwards from the front of the nest, not falling downwards. The second pair could not get on with their nest at all. The other cock saw to that. After a few days the cock seemed to be always inside the nest. I thought it should have been the hen inside the nest, but there is no chance of confusing a cock St. Helena with a hen when you know the difference. The breast of the cock is suffused with pink from the throat downwards, and the feathers at the root of the tail are distinctly reddish ; the hen is pink only on the lower part of the breast ; her colour is darker than that of the cock and there are no reddish feathers at the root of the tail. Well, I thought I had better catch up the second pair to give the first one a chance, and this I did, though as always I was short of cages, but I could have saved myself the trouble. Not only did the second pair soon escape by the door, which opened of itself, but the catching up of the second pair disturbed the first and both cock and hen deserted. I opened the nest and found four white eggs, oval in shape. When I opened them there was no sign of incubation, so I like to think that they were infertile and under any circumstances would not have hatched. But I had got as far as nest and eggs. The next thing was a nest and eggs and young. With the removal of their rivals the first pair showed no inclination to go to nest again. They sat together in the sun ; they preened each other’s feathers and looked into each other’s eyes and made no attempt to conceal their mutual love and admiration. It was all very charming, but it was a great waste of time. 292 Godfrey Davis — -Breeding St. Helena Waxbills in India As the hot weather drew to an end they fell into a moult, and I removed the nest-box. The hot weather is not a time to bring up a family, though my Zebra Finches and Bengalese are of a different opinion, but on the question of large families the ideas of Zebra Finches and Bengalese are out of date. When, however, the rains came and the parched earth drank in eagerly the precious fluid and in a few brief weeks the dry and sandy fields became a verdant green and the birds called joyously from the hedgerows as I rode by, I hung the nest-box again on the end of the Waxbills’ cage and gave them flowering grass to eat and tiny maggots, which an old Shikari prepared from fishes’ heads in his mud village near the river, and soaked and sprouting Kong or Indian millet, which I had found they would always eat in preference to the dry seed, and I gave them dried grass and feathers to build their nest. And between the bursts of rain the cage was put out in the sun as it shone through the passing clouds, and the cock began to dance. He took a feather in his beak and bent back his head, pushed out his chest, and up and down upon the perch he danced, uttering at the same time a shrill sibilant call. How ridiculous is the male of the species when he is in love ! But love is blind. The little hen came and watched this extraordinary performance and was obviously lost in wonder and delight. “ This,” she thought, “ is the most wonderful husband that has ever been,” but still she did not lose touch with practical affairs. She took up a piece of grass in her beak and flew to the nest. But this time the cock did most of the building. The grass in the nest-box was already shaped and this he lined with dried grass and then he quickly built the dome ; then he lined it all with feathers and built the entrance. The hen flew about the cage, picked up eagerly the dried crushed egg-shell scattered on the sand trays, and then she took a piece of grass in her beak and she too began to dance. It was in this way she called the cock and it was only after the hen so displayed that she would receive the cock. When he danced alone and she did not dance she fled from his advances. I found that a few feathers dropped in the cage provoked this dancing. Each would seize a feather in its beak and dance one to the other. The cock also would stand stiff and upright on his perch and give utterance to a shrill triple call. It could scarcely be called a song, Godfrey Davis — Breeding St. Helena Waxbills in India 298 and then with open wings he would chase the hen and she would fly from his eager wooing. The etiquette was that both must dance. On 19th July I saw one egg in the nest. The entrance was not so narrow nor the nest so far back in the box as on the first occasion, and I could see in. Four eggs were laid and I had the cage then put in a small unused room. I had found that the birds would eat readily the yoke of hard-boiled egg. Why, I do not know. Perhaps it was the bright, cheerful colour. I should add that the little maggots were first cleansed in sand for twenty-four hours and then washed, so that they were white and clean and these the birds had always eaten with avidity. Here, then, was food for the young. For the first few days the cock seemed to sit much more than the hen. I found this also in the case of Avadavats, but towards the end the hen sat more than the cock and was hardly ever out of the nest. The last egg was laid on the 22nd, and I expected the eggs to hatch on 4th August, but the birds had now lengthened the entrance to the nest and I could see nothing. But on 4th August chopped yolk of hard-boiled egg was put in the cage and was twice renewed during the day. Seeding grass was put in and tiny maggots but the maggots were left alone. The proper diet in the opinion of the birds was hard-boiled yoke of egg and seeding grass. I have no doubt they knew best and this contained all the vitamins. But after the first four or five days they took less and less of the yolk of egg and the little maggots became less and less. Obviously mother and father were changing the food. It was now seeding grass and tiny maggots for the babies. About ten days after hatching I thought it was time to see how many young there were and how they were getting on. The parent birds were very tame, and I took off the nest-box and looked in. The previous night I had seen both the cock and the hen sleeping on the perch outside the nest, and I was a little anxious. I looked into the nest with an electric torch and saw three young ; the quill feathers on the wings were showing, but little else. I thought they were some¬ what slow in growing but I had more important things to think about. I had done my best for the little strangers and so had the cock and hen. I think, however, their growth must have been fairly normal, 294 D. Seth- Smith — Curassows and Guans for from time to time I looked and saw the feathers break through and grow ; the eyes wide open ; the beak become black and, on 26th August, some twenty-two days from hatching, the first young left the nest. It was fully feathered ; the tail was about 1J inches long ; the red line over the eye was well marked and the breast, though lighter in colour than the parent birds, is suffused with a pale pink ; the feathers at the root of the tail are reddish and the beak is shiny black with a white spot at each corner. This, I think, is the young son and the other two are little hens, because they show much less pink upon the breast though the feathers at the root of the tail are reddish. At the corner of their beaks also is a spot of white. This was much more noticeable when they were younger and in the nest, and perhaps it shows mother and father where to put the food ! The feathers are barred as in the adult birds. The plumage is inclined to be soft and fluffy, and there is no sign of down. Yesterday and to-day, the 28th, they were put out in the morning and evening sun. The parents feed them, careless of lookers-on, and it is a pretty sight to see the young, so quiet and well behaved, waiting each its turn ; so different from the pushing clamorous young Zebra Finches. Already the parents seem to contemplate a second family for the cock has started to dance before the hen and push out his chest and posture. I hope he will not neglect his first family for the second. Men are deceivers ever. Ahmedabad, Bombay Province, India. CURASSOWS AND GUANS By D. Seth-Smith The Family Cracid^e contains the Curassows and Guans, a large group of game-birds inhabiting Central and South America. In size they vary considerably, the Curassows being mostly as large as Turkeys while some of the Guans are no larger than Pigeons. In all of the genera the tail consists of twelve feathers. Aviculturcil Magazine Crested Guan Penelope crista ta Fhcic D Ceih-Smith Galeated Curassow Pauxi pauxi D. Seth- Smith — Curassows and Guans 295 The nest is usually built in a tree, though occasionally upon the ground, and the eggs are white. In captivity the food consists of grain, green food, fruit, and meal containing a small proportion of meat. Clean sharp grit is necessary to aid their digestion. These birds appear to be naturally tame, and the larger species become especially so and will follow their owners about like dogs. It is necessary to guard them against frost, as their feet are especially susceptible to frost-bite. Comparatively few instances of their breeding in captivity have been recorded. Genus Crax. — The True Curassows The Crested Curassow (Crax alector) inhabits the northern parts of South America. The general colour of both sexes is black glossed with purple, the belly, flanks, and under tail-coverts being white. The crest is uniform black in the male but slightly barred with white in the female. There are no white tips to the tail-feathers. The cere and base of the bill are yellow, but there is no knob at the base of the upper mandible nor are wattles present. Total length of male 34 inches the female being slightly less. Sclater’s Curassow ( Crax fasciolata ) inhabits the forests of Eastern South America. The male resembles the male of C. alector, but the plumage has a green instead of a purple gloss and the tail-feathers are tipped with white. The female differs from the male in being barred with narrow white cross-bars over the whole of the upper plumage. The chest and sides of the breast are buff, barred with black, the thighs and abdomen pale rufous-buff. The male is 30J inches in total length, the female being slightly smaller. Has been bred in the New York Zoological Park. The Pinima Curassow ( C . jpinima) is only known from female specimens which suggests that these are aberrent examples of C. fasciolata. It differs from the normal female of that species in the tail being uniform black, the thighs and breast black, barred with buff. The Globose Curassow (C. globicera ) inhabits Central America, 296 D. Seth- Smith — Cur as sows and Guans and has been frequently imported. The male is black glossed with dark green above, the abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts being white. At the base of the upper mandible is a conspicuous yellow knob. The female differs entirely from the male. Crest barred with white, the head, neck, and throat barred with black and white ; chest and mantle black washed with rufous ; lower back deep chestnut-brown, wing-coverts and quill chestnut mottled with black ; breast chestnut, rest of under parts cinnamon. The Globose Curassow has been bred in France, England, and the United States, and a young bird was reared between a male of this species and a female of the so-called Heck’s Curassow, as recorded in the Avicultural Magazine for November, 1908. From the account then published we append the following summary : — “ 1. The nest is built in a tree, and consists of twigs. “ 2. The hen does not build it but leaves this task to the cock. “ 3. The latter takes no share in incubation, nor so far as is known in brooding or feeding the chicks. After making the nest his part in domestic affairs appears to be restricted to the expulsion of intruders. “ 4. The eggs, two in number, are white and rough. “ 5. The incubation period is twenty-eight days. “ 6. The wings of the newly-hatched young have distinct flight feathers which grow very rapidly. “ 7. The chicks leave the nest and follow the mother to the ground the first day after hatching. “ 8. She broods them on the ground for a few nights and at intervals during the day. After this they spend the nights perched by her side on a branch well above the ground, reaching their position by climbing. “ 9. They feed at first upon insect food, and afterwards take to the diet of their parents. “ 10. For several weeks they do not peck food from the ground but take it from their mother’s beak. At ten weeks old they feed themselves and are also fed by her.” Heck’s Curassow (C. hecki). — Described by Dr. Reichenow from a female specimen living in the Berlin Zoological Gardens. The male D. Seth- Smith — Curctssows and Guans 297 has never been discovered. It is very heavily barred with white and buff. The young bird reared in the London Zoological Gardens by a female of this form, mated to a male of C. glohicera as recorded above, grew up to be a typical example of C. glohicera, which would seem to prove that C. hecki is an abnormal form of that species. The Panama Curassow ( C . panamensis) of Southern Nicaragua and Costa Rica is much like C. glohicera, from which it differs in the tail-feathers of the male being margined with white and those of the female strongly barred with white or pale buff. Yarrell’s Curassow (C. carunculata ) inhabits South-Eastern Brazil. The male resembles that of C. glohicera, but the knob at the base of the upper mandible and the wattles at the base of the lower mandible are scarlet instead of yellow. The female differs from the male in having the feathers of the crest barred with white, and the abdomen, flanks, and under tail- coverts are rufous. The basal half of the bill is scarlet but there is no knob. The male is about 32 inches in length, the female somewhat smaller. The Globulose Curassow (C. globulosa ) of the Upper Amazon differs from C. carunculata only in the male having the knob over his bill and his wattles yellow instead of scarlet. In the female the base of the bill differs from that of C. carunculata in the same way. Daubenton’s Curassow (C. daubentoni), which inhabits Venezuela, may be distinguished from the Globose Curassow by the presence of white tips to the tail-feathers and a pale yellow wattle on each side of the base of the lower mandible in the male. The female differs from the male in having the feathers of her crest white near the base and by the breast and sides being barred with white. The abdomen is white and the tail-feathers tipped with white. Prince Albert’s Curassow (C. alberti), from the United States ot Colombia, is a handsome species. The male resembles that of C. daubentoni, but the knob at the base of the bill and the wattles are blue, and the lores are thickly feathered. The female somewhat resembles that of Sclater’s Curassow, from which it differs in having the crest-feathers nearly black with two narrow white bars, and the under parts being of a deeper chestnut. 22 298 D. Seth- Smith — Curassows and Guans Genus Nothocrax This genus, containing one species only, is distinguished by the possession of a full crest of long recumbent feathers covering the top of the head and by the lores and large space around the eyes being naked. The Flat-crested or Nocturnal Curassow (N. urumutum) occurs in British Guiana, Rio Negro, and the Upper Amazons. It is said to live during the day-time hidden away in hollow trees or dense thickets, and to emerge at dusk in search of food. In the male the crest is black, the head, neck, and chest chestnut, becoming of a browner chestnut on the upper parts, all being finely mottled with black. The under parts are cinnamon mottled with a darker shade on the sides. The tail black, tipped with whitish-buff. Round the eye a naked space which is yellow above and purplish below. The bill is scarlet. The female differs in being more coarsely mottled with pale rufous- buff on a darker ground. The male is about 24 inches in total length, the female somewhat smaller. This species is uncommon in captivity. Genus Mitua. — The Razor-billed Curassows In this genus the upper mandible is much elevated, the crest not curled, and the sexes similar in plumage. The Razor-billed Curassow ( M . mitu) is a well-known and frequently imported species, of glossy blue-black hue, the abdomen chestnut and the tail tijpjped with white. The bill is orange-red, the upper mandible rising to a narrow upper edge. Razor-billed Curassows are almost always tame and will follow their owners like domestic animals. Nevertheless, they do not seem inclined to breed in captivity, though on several occasions eggs have been laid, two to a clutch, white and remarkable for the intensely rough texture of the shell. The nest is said to be built in a tree at a considerable height from the ground and to be composed of sticks. The male is about 34 inches in length, the female being somewhat smaller. The Razor-billed Curassow inhabits Guiana, Amazonia, Bolivia, and Peru. The Lesser Razor-billed Curassow (M. tomentoza) inhabits British Guiana, extending southwards along the Rio Branco and Rio D. Seth'- Smith — Curassows and Guans 299 Negro. It is distinguished by its shorter crest and the tail-feathers being tipped with dark chestnut. Salvin’s Razor-billed Curassow (M. salvini), of Ecuador, may be readily distinguished from the two preceding species by the abdomen , under tail-coverts, and tips of the tail-feathers being white. Genus Pauxis The Galeated Curassow ( P . pauxi), the only species in the genus, is perhaps the finest of the Curassows. Its habitat is Venezuela, Colombia, Guiana, and Peru. The plumage of the male is black, glossed with green, the under tail-coverts and tips of the tail-feathers being white. At the base of the upper mandible is a large, egg-shaped casque, slate-blue in colour, the bill and legs being red. The female differs in being browner, the back and wing-coverts chestnut barred with black and buff. Some females are said to resemble the male in plumage. The Guans The species of Guans that have been imported alive are contained in the genera Penelope, Ortalis, Pipile, and Aburria. They are of smaller size than the Curassows, the top of the head is completely covered with feathers though there is a bare space round the eyes, and the throat is generally naked and in some cases carries a median wattle. Like the Curassows the Guans are generally tame, though instances of their breeding or even laying eggs in captivity are very rare. In the wild state the nest is said to be a somewhat bulky structure composed of sticks and situated in a tree. Their food consists of fruit and berries, grain, insects, and green vegetation. Genus Penelope This genus consists of some fifteen species of Guans, sometimes termed Penelopes, of which eight at least are known in aviculture. They vary in size from that of a half-grown Turkey to that of a Pheasant. On the naked throat is a median wattle. The sexes are alike. The White Eye-browed Guan (P. superciliaris) is an inhabitant 300 D. Seth- Smith — Curassows and Guans of the forests of Brazil. It is about 24 inches in length. The crown is uniform dark brown with well-defined white eye-brow stripes. The upper parts are olive-brown, the wing-coverts bordered with light rufous. Greey’s Guam (P. jacupeba) is about 29 inches in length and occurs in Para, British Guiana, Rio Negro, and Colombia. The general colour of the upper parts and the chest is dark glossy olive-green, the abdomen finely mottled with rufous and black. The forehead, eye-brow stripes, and cheeks have the feathers edged with greyish-white. The feathers of the hind-neck and mantle have indistinct greyish edges. The chest feathers are marked on the sides with white. The Cayenne Guan (P. marail). — Total length about 32-5 inches. Colour above dark bluish green, abdomen dark brown ; cheeks and eye-brow stripes dark grey. Feathers of the hind-neck and mantle margined with grey, those of the fore-neck with white. This species has been bred in France. Orton’s Guan (P. ortoni) is bronze-brown washed with green, the breast-feathers margined with white. It is about 32 inches in length and inhabits Western Ecuador. The Purplish Guan (P. purpurascens) of Central America is of a brownish olive colour glossed with bronze green, becoming purplish on the secondaries and upper tail-coverts ; the lower back and rump brown glossed with bronze. The top of the head and cheeks, as well as the under parts, brown ; the neck, mantle, and breast feathers edged at their sides with white. Total length, 34-5 inches. The Crested Guan (P. cristata ) of Central America is olive glossed with coppery green above, the top of the head and crest dark brown, lower back and rump chestnut with a greenish gloss. Breast olive, the feathers margined on their sides with white. Abdomen chestnut. It is about 35 inches in length. The Pileated Guan (P. pileata) is another Brazilian species. The crown of the head is white with dark shafts to the feathers and black eye-brow stripes. The upper parts are glossy olive-green, the under parts dark chestnut ; the feathers of the mantle, wing- coverts, and breast edged on their sides with white. Length about 31 inches. This species has been bred in Paris. D. Seth-Smith — Curassows and Guans 301 The White-fronted Guan (P. jacucaca) occurs in South-East Brazil and is closely allied to P. pileata but distinguished by its uniform dark brown colour, the upper parts having a slight greenish gloss, and the feathers of the forehead, wing-coverts, and breast edged with white on the sides. It is slightly smaller than the last species. Genus Ortalis There are nearly twenty species of this genus known, of which some half-dozen have been imported. They are smaller than the Penelopes and are further distinguished by the absence of a median wattle on the throat, this being replaced by a band of feathers down the middle of the naked throat. The sexes are alike, and as in the case of Penelope these are forest birds which build their nests in the trees. Of the six species we shall mention the first four are distinguished by the outer flight-feathers being brown, the extremities of the outer tail-feathers chestnut, and the chest of uniform colour. The Guiana Guan (0. motmot ) occurs in British Guiana, Bio Negro, and Bio Branco. It has the upper parts olive-brown, the head, nape, sides of the head, and fore-neck chestnut, the breast olive-brown, and abdomen paler. Length about 23 inches, of which the tail is 10 inches. The Araucuan Guan (0. spixi) from the north-east of South America is distinguished from the last by its smaller size — 17 inches — and by the head and nape being dark brown. The Bed-tailed Guan ( 0 . ruficauda) from Venezuela and Tobago has the head dark grey, the chest olive-brown, and the under parts whitish-buff. Length about 24 inches. The White-bellied Guan (0. alhiventris) from eastern South America has the top of the head and nape brownish chestnut, the feathers of the sides of the head and neck edged with white and pointed. Upper parts olive-brown, lower back chestnut, abdomen white. Length, about 19 inches. The Scaly Guan ( 0 . squamata) of south-eastern South America is closely allied to the last but distinguished by having the top of the head more olive and the feathers of the head and neck more rounded 302 D. Seth- Smith — Curassows and Guans and of a uniform olive-brown. The abdomen is brownish- white. It was bred by Delaurier in France in 1887. The Mexican Guan (0. vetula ) occurs from Southern Texas, through Eastern Mexico and Central America to Colombia. It differs from those above mentioned in having the tail-feathers tipped with buff. Upper parts greyish-olive, under tail-coverts buff. Total length, about 20 inches. This Guan was bred by Suggite in 1914, two young being reared. The Chattering Guan (0. garrula) occurs in the coastal regions of Colombia and in Venezuela. The upper parts are greyish-olive, the head chestnut, and the under parts white. The outer tail-feathers tipped with white or buff. Total length about 22 inches. Genus Pipile. — The Piping Guans These are very handsome Guans with well-developed crests of pointed feathers. A naked space round the eyes, the throat naked with a median wattle. The sexes are alike. Total length about 30 inches. The White-headed Piping Guan (P. cumanensis). — This very handsome species occurs in British Guiana, Venezuela, Trinidad, Colombia, Ecuador, Eastern Peru, and Bolivia. Its colour is black with a dark green gloss, the top of the head and crest white. The secondary wing-coverts are white with black tips. Some of the chest feathers margined with white. Naked skin of throat and wattle dark blue, skin round eyes white streaked with blue. The female is slightly smaller than the male. The White-crested Piping Guan (P. jacutinga) of South-Eastern Brazil and Paraguay is of a brownish-black glossed with purple, the forehead black, crest white with black shaft-stripes ; the secondary wing-coverts have the outer webs only white and the white margins to the breast feathers more strongly marked than in P. cumanensis. Naked skin round the eye bluish-white. Upper part of throat blackish- blue, wattle red. The Amazonian Piping Guan (P. cujubi) from the Lower Amazons and Para is very like the last but the feathers of the crest are dark AvicuLluraL /flag a zinc Piping Guan Pipile cumanensis Fhoio D. Seih-Smilh Mallee Fowl Leipoa o cell a t a G. H. Gurney — Tivo Disappointments 308 brown edged with white. Naked skin round eyes and throat dark blue, wattle red. Genus Aburria The Wattled Guan (A. aburri) from the interior of the United States of Colombia and Ecuador, is distinguished from the other Guans by the presence of an elongated vermiform wattle on the fore-part of the partially naked neck. The plumage is black, glossed with green. This is the sole representative of the genus. TWO DISAPPOINTMENTS By G. H. Gurney Disappointments and failures in aviculture are sometimes as interesting as successes, though naturally not so satisfactory to the owner of the birds in question. The following notes on two breeding disappointments here during the past summer may be worth while recording. In both cases I had seen visions of winning a medal, as neither species had been bred in captivity before. No. 1 concerns a very fine pair of Sclater’s Crowned Pigeons (Goura sclateri), the finest and rarest example of this magnificent genus of Ground Pigeon. They had wintered well, and in April the loud, guttural booming of the male and his constant display gave hopes of their shortly going to nest. They had an aviary entirely to themselves, except for a few small Finches. The single egg, however, was not laid until 11th June, and the female at once began to sit ; the egg is curiously elongated, and rather small for the size of the bird, not at all like an average Pigeon’s egg. All went well for four days, and then the hen somehow managed to break the egg ! Nothing more happened till 1st July, when another egg was laid, and our hopes again were raised of seeing a young “ Sclater’s However, after sitting assiduously for over a fortnight, this egg appeared to be clear and the bird left it. A third egg was laid on 1st August, and again was found to be clear. However, the indefatigable birds again laid, their fourth attempt, a few weeks 804 G. H. Gurney — Tioo Disappointments later ; but the result was once more the same, and we had to resign ourselves to the disappointment of, presumably, four clear eggs in one summer. The birds had been seen to pair on more than one occasion, so it was all the more disappointing that all the eggs laid should have been infertile. The second case concerns a pair of rare Starlings. They are either Riippell’s Starling (Lamprotornis porphyropterus) or else the very closely allied, but much rarer, species, L. purpureus. Their former owner considers them to be the latter species, but as purpureus is described as having the iris brown, and in porphyropterus pale yellow or white, and in my pair it certainly is yellowish, I incline to think they are the latter ; however, whichever species they are, they made a nest of hay, feathers, and grass in a box, and three eggs were laid. The hen sat well, the cock flying savagely at anyone who entered the aviary, and about 14th July three young birds were hatched. How¬ ever, four days later they appeared to lose all interest in their offspring, ceased to feed or brood them, and entirely deserted them, and although we tried to rear them by hand, they quickly died off one by one. Early in September they laid again, once more three eggs ; only to desert them after the hen had sat well for a week. All the eggs were fertile. This was all specially disappointing, and I am afraid they are bad parents in every sense of the word. But perhaps if it was not for these disappointments aviculture would lose half its interest. The following incident is, I think, worth recording, showing the extraordinary intelligence of birds. One day last week a kitten was playing about on the floor of the house where the birds’ food, etc., is prepared. The door was wide open, and naturally the pair of Trumpeters must come in to see what was going on : more inquisitive birds never existed. They gazed in astonishment at the kitten, trumpeting loudly and flapping their wings with excitement, then dashed off with a run (and how quickly Trumpeters can run if they like) ; a few minutes later they returned, bringing with them two Guans and two Curassows, who all live loose in the adjoining yard, all six birds coming hurriedly up at a run to the open door, where they stood staring, with obvious excitement and much clucking, at the unoffending kitten. The Trumpeters as a rule are afraid of the Lady Wavertree — Breeding the Royal Starling 805 Curassows, who bully them, but what unknown sense have they got which made them able to communicate with the other birds and bring them all up in a hurry to the door to inspect the unknown and exciting stranger in the house ? Some remarkable intuition about which we know nothing. BREEDING THE ROYAL STARLING AND THE BLACK-WINGED GRACKLE By Lady Wavertree There were three Royal Starlings in my very small aviary at Under¬ wood, Branksome Park, Bournemouth West. I was not sure of their sex, as when they are not in full plumage it is difficult to tell them, and the keeper at the Zoological Gardens was not able to help me. However, two of them paired up and were most unfriendly to the remaining one, which has since died. Noticing they had paired up and were trying to build in a wooden box with a hole in it that hung from the side of a small wooden house about 6 feet from the ground, I put sacking round, making a square of about 4 feet so that they could go in and out by a small aperture and the other birds — -which were chiefly small ones — did not seem to wish to go in. They laid three eggs, two of which were fertile, and after the usual time two fine young birds were born. The trouble was finding enough food for them, and if it were not for the quantities of ants’ nests about and the constant searching for them of my aviary man and gardener we should never have reared the birds. The amount of ants’ eggs they consumed was marvellous. The two young birds are now flying in the aviary with their parents and other birds, and are coming into colour. I now can distinguish the cock parent bird as he has a longer tail and his plumage is somewhat brighter than the hen’s. The parents also built another nest since, but although they laid eggs they did not rear any young. My Black-winged Grackles, rather fussy and restless birds, build their nest also in an ordinary box with a small hole for entrance on a wall about 6 feet from the ground in my aviary. They needed no penning in, as they went for any bird that came near their nest and 806 B. Jackson — The Nesting of the Golden-Breasted Bunting still are doing so. They raised two fine young birds, and also took the most extraordinary amount of ants’ eggs to keep them going. They built a second nest and sat, but with no result and, as they show a tendency to build a third nest now, I am penning them apart, as I think it is too late to start again and too much strain on the hen to sit again. THE NESTING OF THE GOLDEN-BREASTED BUNTING By B. Jackson In the early spring of this year I received a pair of Emheriza flaviventris and put them into a small outdoor aviary, open at the front only. I nailed a small fir tree up in one corner and after a short time, as the weather became warmer, I supplied them with grass, bents, feathers, and short horse-hair, and they started to build. I wrote to our Editor and he knew of no previous occasion upon which these birds had ever been bred in captivity, and I also looked through quite a lot of back numbers of the Avicu^ltukal Magazine and Bird Notes and could only find one instance where they had ever laid and that was in 1911 by a pair of birds owned by Mr. Shore-Baily, when all the eggs were unfertile in the two attempts made by his pair. I thought, here is a chance to make history in the realm of aviculture, and also win our medal, the blue ribbon of all keen aviculturists. The hen apparently did most of the building, and in four days from starting the nest was complete, the inside being lined with horse-hair. On the following day, 31st May, the first egg was laid, and after laying a further two eggs on the two following days the hen commenced to sit very keenly. The cock bird spent most of his time sitting on a ledge over the nest, but as far as I could see neither fed the hen or took his turn at sitting upon the eggs. On the morning of 12th June I saw an eggshell under the nest, so gave them an abundant supply of live ant eggs (of which, fortunately, I could obtain a plentiful supply very near to my aviaries), meal¬ worms, and well-scoured gentles. Normally I gave these birds millet B. Jackson — The Nesting of the Golden-Breasted Bunting 307 and Canary seed and a few mealworms. I noted that when live food was obtainable the birds immediately left off eating seed. By noon another eggshell was thrown out and in the evening I saw the hen busy feeding the young. On the following day I looked into the nest and saw that all three eggs had hatched. The young were covered with a dark coloured down. On the 15th I found one of the young on the floor, but as it showed signs of life I warmed it and placed it back in the nest and hoped for the best. On the 19th the young were alive and in pen feather, and I noticed that the cock bird was now assisting in feeding. The hen seemed very happy with her family and sang incessantly with her beak full of mealworms. On the 22nd I found one of the young on the floor, warmed it, and returned it to the nest. On the 23rd the young looked very much like the hen and showed dull white wing bars and seemed fully fledged. The nest was very full with the three young and I think this must be the normal clutch. On the 25th I saw the hen flying about with building material in her beak, and to my dismay found all three young dead in the nest. Thus ended round No. 1. I then took the Buntings out of this aviary and put them into a much larger one along with some Budgerigars. I took the fir-tree and nailed it high up as before, but the birds did not seem to settle, so removed them back to their old quarters, where they immediately started to build again. The first egg was laid on the 5th July. Three eggs were again laid and three young hatched. By a slight alteration to the aviary I gave them a flight up a passage, and made them fetch their food from the far end. On the ninth day the young were nearly fledged and I noted that round the edge of the mouth was a yellow colour. The parents still brooded the young at nights, and I thought all was going well, but alas ! on the twelfth day one of the young lay dead on the floor. The following day another died, and so I removed the cock bird out of sight and hearing of the hen, and after watching her for a while was glad to see she went to the nest and fed the remaining youngster. On the fourteenth and fifteenth days all went well, but on the sixteenth I went away in the morning and returned at 4 p.m. to find the young one on the floor almost dead and the hen bird also in a bad way, and it looked to me like a case of egg-binding. I managed 308 Mr. Wilfred Frost's Importation to feed the young on mealworms, but it seemed very weak. I took both birds home and applied the usual remedies for egg-binding, and the following morning she laid and recovered. The young one I put into the cage wTith the hen, who tried to feed it, but the young one was too weak and died. So ended round No. 2. I still have the old birds and I am sincerely hoping that round No. 3 in 1931 will be successful. MR. WILFRED FROST’S IMPORTATION Mr. Frost returned recently from an extensive collecting trip to the East, and brought a large number of rare birds. There were several Birds of Paradise — Wilson’s, Magnificent, Lesser, and Six-plumed — but of perhaps of even more interest were species never before seen alive over here. Space will only allow me to give their names : Javan Fork- tail (Henicurusleschenaulti), Chestnut-headed Ground Thrush ( Geocichla interpres), Oort’s Barbet ( Cyanops oorti), Papuan Frogmouth ( Podargus papuensis), Aru Boobook Owl ( Spiloglaux aruensis), Aru Noble Pheasant Pigeon (Otidiphaps nobilis aruensis ), Bose-breasted Fruit Pigeon (Ptilinopus roseicollis), Sumatran Peacock Pheasant ( Chalcurus chalcurus), Yellow-fronted White-eye (Zoster ops Jlavifrons), Black Butcher Crow ( Cracticus quoyi). D. S-S. CORRESPONDENCE BIRDS IN AND AROUND KESWICK HALL GARDENS. Sir, — Having taken the important post of Curator to Mr. G. H. Gurney, it is with great interest that I have been watching the wild birds that are to be found in this locality. On 8th June I located a pair of Tree-creepers running up and down an old elm-tree, and on closer inspection I found their nest which contained four young. What a lot of insect life they must devour when feeding young with small grubs ; they feed their offspring no less than eight times in ten minutes. It was a pleasing thing to know that they all left their nest a week later Co rrespondence 809 without being disturbed. A pair of Spotted Flycatchers built a nest in the ivy clinging to the wall : four young were hatched and these I rung with small metal rings. I shall eagerly watch to see if they return to their old haunts next year. In the garden near the Duck pond a pair of Nuthatches could be seen searching the trees for food, but search as I would I could not find their nest, which no doubt they built in the wood close by. A pair of Blackcaps nested and reared their young in a small copse. What lovely minstrels these birds are. On the side of the road in a tall tree a pair of Goldfinches have still young which they are feeding this 20th September. I saw a flock of Crossbills working on the pine-trees : there was no mistaking them, as I plainly saw several with their scarlet breasts. Mr. Gurney has thoughtfully placed several nest-boxes on the trees, and these were mostly made use of by the Tits, of which I have only seen three species— Coal, Blue, and Greater. A wild Heron swooped down in the park, no doubt attracted by the feeding there of the Cranes. I did not see this bird myself, but Mr. Gurney kindly gave me full particulars. Since leaving the county of Northants I have missed such familiar friends as the Redstart, Nightingale, and Red-backed Shrike, none of which have I seen in this district. Most of the summer migrants have now taken their departure : only the Swallows seem to be left. I shall eagerly watch now for the coming of the winter migrants, and of these I will write later. Trusting these few rough notes will be of some interest. A. Martin. THE PLUMED JAY Sir, — I have been interested in Mr. Karl Plath’s note on the Plumed Jay in the September Avicultural Magazine. In a letter I sent to the Magazine a month or two back, after I had acquired two more specimens of this species from the consignment which arrived in the early part of the summer, I mentioned the great difference in width of the black gorget line of the breast in the new specimens compared with those in my original pair. Mr. Plath has now explained this difference in a satisfactory manner, and it is, as he says, undoubtedly 310 Correspondence a question of sex, the male having the narrower band. I have, there¬ fore, two distinct pairs. The crests in my birds are not so noticeably different, as shown in his illustration, but in one of my males there is a decided tendency for it to be carried forward over the beak. G. H. Gurney. FEATHER PLUCKING IN PARROTS Sir, — I am most interested in your suggested “ fat ” treatment for plucking in Parrots. Two bad cases are now under treatment, and I have asked the owners to report to me. May I ask members to try cod-liver oil in cases under their notice, and report to you ? Following your suggestions, this is surely indicated as a useful adjunct. Denys Weston. A MURDER CASE Sir, — A pair of Spreo Starlings has a brood of almost fledged young ones in a log in one of my aviaries. For months they have lived tranquilly with a few other small birds in the same aviary, to which the Starlings did not pay the slightest attention. One morning this week the cock Starling appeared to go mad, and in a kind of frenzy killed one after the other, a cock Cherry Finch, one of a breeding pair ; a Finch Lark, which he dragged into the nesting log ; and a perfectly inoffensive Plumed Ground Dove, which was a good deal bigger than the Starling himself, and which seldom left the floor of the aviary ; this he completely stripped of feathers, and pecked the head bare. This series of murders is only one more proof that a pair of breeding birds are not safe, except in an aviary entirely by themselves. I am not sure that the young Spreos, which should be out of the nesting-log any day now, are worth the amount of birds killed by their jealous and savage parent. G. H. Gurney. Correspondence 311 DEATH OF A WELL-KNOWN PARROT Sir,— I Lave just lost my old hen Guilding’s Amazon. She has been in my collection about eighteen years and before that was kept in a cage in this country for at least six or seven years. She was, I under¬ stand, fully adult when first obtained by shooting, so that her exact age is quite uncertain. _ Tavistock. SUNSHINE ON NEST-BOXES: MOVABLE AVIARIES Sir, — It is well known that much hot sunshine is injurious to adult Parrakeets, but the experience I have had this year goes to show that a very hot sun-baked site for the nest is equally detrimental to unfledged young which do not come in direct contact with the sun’s rays. I was not able this season personally to superintend the placing of the breeding logs and boxes and the aviary attendant, hoping probably to secure greater privacy for the birds while men were at work re-erecting aviaries, arranged them against the front of the aviary exposed to the blazing sun we got during the dry spell in early summer. To my dismay nearly all the young birds, whether Ring-necks, Crimson-wings, or Broadtails, showed, on leaving the nest, a more or less pronounced tendency to rickets — a complaint I thought I had learned to prevent by avoiding breeding in the aviary shelters. Even birds whose parents were feeding liberally on cod-liver oil soaked seed and had always in previous seasons produced perfect young were not right although they made rapid progress towards complete recovery after fledging — a sure sign that it was the nest and not the constitution of the parents that was at fault. The latest first brood belonged to a pair of Rosellas whose young last year, reared in the aviary shelter, were the worst cases of rickets I have ever seen. This year the hen whose nest was in the flight against the front of the shelter in the same situation as the other unsatisfactory ones, did not hatch until the weather had broken and there was much cloud and rain, and to my surprise the young bird was as strong as one could wish. Even more striking proof that too much sun was at the root of the mischief was afforded by a pair of 312 Correspondence Yellow-rumps. These in previous seasons had always reared beautiful young, but this year two of the first brood were rickety. The hen laid a second clutch before the first lot of young had flown, giving me no opportunity either to clean or move the nest, but we shaded it with branches laid on the roof of the flight and all four young of the second brood are as strong as those of other seasons, although, save for the shading and damper weather, no single factor has been altered. As most members are aware I am a strong advocate of movable aviaries and of liming and salting vacated sites that have to be re¬ occupied later on. This plan has been criticized on the ground that movable aviaries are less easy to make artistic and require more level ground than most people have at their command. Messrs. Boosey and Brooksbank, whose primary concern is the health and fertility of their birds but who hitherto have been rather short of ground and particularly of flat ground, have made some interesting discoveries with regard to movable aviaries and the treat¬ ment of sites. The results gained by heavy annual dressings of lime and salt are good, even in excess of our expectations. Birds belonging to species highly susceptible to the bad effects of stale ground retain their health and fertility perfectly for a few years, and as far as we can at present tell indefinitely, when the aviary is moved backwards and forwards on a bit of ground only double its own length, the vacated half being dressed and rested for a year. More than this, an old dressed site appears decidedly safer and more healthy than an undressed one that has never had birds on it before ; for which reason we intend to try the experiment of dressing even a new site before it is occupied by an aviary for the first time to kill the germs which may have been introduced by poultry, wild birds, etc. Tavistock. OFFICERS FOR THE YEAR 1931 The Council propose that Mr. T. H. Newman and Mr. W. Shore- Baily retire from the Council by seniority, and that Miss Chawner and Mrs. Goddard be elected in their stead. Also that Mr. Newman be elected as Auditor and Mr. Shore- Baily as Scrutineer for the coming year. “STAMINA” The Insectivorous FOOD Supreme The Greatest Achievement of Modern Times Will not turn sour, is ready for immediate use, and will keep indefinitely Used the World over by the Leading Aviculturists Supplied to Aviculturists in the following Countries : — U.S. AMERICA, CHINA, FRANCE, NEW ZEALAND, CANADA, GERMANY, JAMAICA, - - Etc., Etc. “STAMINA” is also invaluable for rearing all kinds of Finches and Bud¬ gerigars; used by all leading — Budgerigar Breeders — Sample free Special prices for large quantities Inventor and Sole Maker : P. H. HASTINGS Bird and Food Specialist Engine House - Milton - Portsmouth Send for a sample and price list of Birds, it will be a REVELATION to you MEMBERS’ SALE AND EXCHANGE COLUMN. The charge for Members' advertisements is one penny per word. Payment must accompany the advertisement , which must be sent on or before the 20 th of the month to Mr. T. H. Newman, “ Verulam,” Forty Lane, Wembley Park Middlesex. All members of the Society are entitled to use this column , but the Council reserves the right to refuse any advertisement they consider unsuitable. SALE AND EXCHANGE. Borneo Firebacks, Elliot’s, Lineated, Manchurian Eared, Bels, Melanotte, S win hoe, Versicolor, Corean Ring-necked, Prince of Wales, Dark Pheasants, etc. ; also Fancy Waterfowl. — Lieut.-Col. Lewis, The Hunridge Game Farm, Great Missenden, Bucks. Two Hen Orange-headed Ground Thrushes ; Moustache, Diamond, Bronze¬ necked, Dwarf Doves ; wanted Cock Brush Bronze- wing. — A. Decoux, Gery, Aixe-sur-Vienne, H.V. France. Handsome Cock Ring-neck (bred five young ones this summer), 25s. ; pair adult Blue Budgerigars and four young ones, £4 to good home ; cock Redrump, 12s. 6d. ; also large aviary 10 ft. square, with Pigeon-cote as shelter, £2 10s. — Colvile, Fawley, Henley-on-Thames. Two Cock Pheasants, Amherst X Golden, 1929 birds, grand plumage, 20s. each or exchange ; wanted, hen Californian Quail. — Thorpe, Esserby, Seaur, Carlisle. Unrelated pairs of American Blue Birds, £15 a pair, 1930 ; 1 pair Bleeding Heart Pigeons, £8 a pair, 1930. — Waud, Bradley Court, Chieveley, near Newbury. Young Budgerigars, Yellow X Blue ; Blues 12s. 6d. ; Greens 5s. 6d. ; carriage Is. — E. W. Chaplin, Great Amwell, Herts. WANTED. True pair of Red-headed Parrot Finches ; good specimens, healthy ; also any editions of Bird Notes, excepting years 1913, 1914, 1915 ; unbound preferred ; moderate price. — Rev. O. E. Brooks, 36 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, W.C. 2. IV CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION. Colonel A. E. Hamerton, C.M.G., D.S.O., 1 Park Village West, Regents Park, London, N.W. 1. Proposed by D. Seth-Smith. W. J. D. Orr, Chantry, Shandon Park, Knock, Belfast. Proposed by Horatio Todd. David Whitepield, Sycamore Villa, Ivy Lane, Macclesfield. Proposed by J. T. Haworth. NEW MEMBERS. John Adams, Darsdale, Raunds, Northants. John H. Beamer, Montagu Arms Hotel, Beaulieu, Hants. Hon. D. H. Cairns, Carnach, Nairn. Hon. Anthony Chaplin, 9 Hill Street, W.I. Captain H. G. B. Field, Olinda, Bridge Road, Worthing, Sussex. N. F. Lawson, 29 Castle Street, Hereford. W. Mack, 26 Wasley Street, Mt. Lawley, Western Australia. Mrs. Cicely D. Parkhotjse, Windyridge, Littleham, Exmouth. Mrs. Vaughan, Woodcote Side, Epsom. Ronald Albert Wilkinson, North Wing, Allerton Hill, Stumbek Lane, Leeds. CHANGES OF ADDRESS. Capt. T. N. Hone, to Highways, Bellingdon, Chesham, Bucks. Mrs. H. Kewley, to The Old Court House, Whitchurch, Aylesbury, Bucks. F. A. Sullivan (Director Zoological Park), to 402 Steves Avenue, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A. Sidney Williams, to 19 Beechdale, Winchmore Hill, N. 21. GAMAGES Eg. HAVE ALWAYS A VARIED STOCK OF Foreign Birds, Parrots, Lovebirds, etc. We can now offer : — White , Blue, Cobalt and Mauve Budgerigars, Ribbon Finches, Black Cockatoo, Senegal Parrots, Rainbow Buntings, Pileated Finches, Redrump Parrakeets, Cockatiels, Australian Crested Pigeons, Black Headed Grosbeaks, Orange Bishops, Paradise Whydahs , Zebra Finches, Fischers, Masked and Black Cheek Lovebirds, Royal Starlings, Spreo Starlings, Superb and Tricolor Tanagers, Black Head Caique . BEST FOODS. Mealworms Spray Millet Ants’ Eggs Dried Flies Pure Egg Yolk . Insectivorous Food Cuttlefish Bone Specialities in CAGI LOWEST PRICES. . 3 lb. 1 7/6, 6/6 per lb., | lb., 3/6 Postpaid. 5/6, 7/6, 10/- per bundle. ,, 3/- per lb., 41b., 11/- 1/9 ,, 41b., 6/6 ■ ... 21- „ 41b., 7/~ 1/6 „ 71b., 8/6 • • • 1/3 „ 41b., 4/6 •S, AVIARIES, NEST-BOXES and all appliances. GAMAGES, HOLBORN, LONDON, E.C.l. PHONE : HOL. 848A. <6 L’OISEAU.” PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE Societe National© d’Acclimatation de France, 198 BOULEVARD ST. GERMAIN, PARIS (VIP) A French Magazine on Aviculture, for the study of European and Foreign Birds in captivity and at liberty. With coloured and black and white plates. ONE YEAR - 75 FRANCS. Medals for first breeding of a species in captivity in France or other countries are awarded if a detailed account is sent to the Society. V DECEMBER. 1930. FOURTH SERIES. VOL. VIII. No. 12. \ i ) THE Avicultural Magazine CONT PAGE The Shama (with coloured Plate) . 313 Nesting of the Black-headed Grosbeak, Japanese Hawfinch, and Thick-billed Weaver, by W. Shore-Bail y . . .314 The Crimson -rnmped Toucan et by A. Decoux (with Plate) . 317 The Megapodes or Mound Builders, by D. Seth-Smith . 319 The Tinamous, by D. Seth-Smith (with 2 Plates) . . .323 Further Notes on the Breeding of the Royal Starling and Black- winged Grackle, by Lady Wavertb.ee . . 327 Breeding Results at the Keston Foreign Bird Farm, 1930, by ENTS. PAGE E. J. Boosey and Alec Brooksbank . . .323 Reviews — The Birds of Norfolk . . 332 Hill Birds of Scotland . . 333 Secrets of Bird Life . . 334 Avicultural Notes, by The Editor 334 Correspondence : The Spot¬ headed Weaver ; Young Plumage of female Grey-headed Sheldrake ; Breeding the Twite in Captivity ; Senegal Parrots ; “ Cutty ” continued ; Successful Breeding of the Golden -breasted Bunting . 33T Index ..... 341 The Price of this Number is 2/6. THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY. FOUNDED 1894 NOTICE TO MEMBERS The Subscription to the Avicultural Society is £1 per annum, due on the 1st of January in each year, and is payable in advance. The entrance fee is 10/0. The Avicultural Magazine is sent free to members monthly. Members joining at any time during the year are entitled to the back numbers for the current year, on the payment of entrance fee and subscription. ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO THE HONORARY SECRETARY AND TREASURER, Miss Knobel, 32 Tavistock Square, London, W.C. 1. All Queries respecting Birds (except post-mortem cases) and all other correspondence should be sent to the Hon. Secretary, at the above address. Any change of address should he notified to her. MEMBERS’ BADGE. In silver, price 3s. 6 d., from Messrs. Thomas Fattorini (Birmingham), Ltd., Trafalgar Works, Hockley Street, Birmingham. State whether for lady or gentleman POST-MORTEM EXAMINATIONS. Rule 1. — A short account of the illness should accompany the specimen. All birds to be sent as fresh as possible to Mr. C. H. Hicks, The Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8. Rule 2. — A stamped addressed envelope must be enclosed with the bird. Rule 3. — No body or skin of any bird will be returned under any circumstances whatever. The Magazine is published by Messrs. Stephen Austin & Sons, 5 Fore Street, Hertford, to whom members should address all orders for extra copies, back numbers for 1917 and after, and bound volumes. Cases for binding the Magazine (in art cloth, with gold block on side) can be obtained from the Publishers, post free and carefully packed, at 3/- each ; or the Publishers will undertake the binding of the Volume for 5/6, plus 9 d. for packing and postage. Members are requested to state whether they want the wrappers and advertisements bound in at the end or not. Telephone : 46 Hertford. BACK VOLUMES of the AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE previous to 1917. Application for these should be made to the Editor of Cage Birds, Link House, 4-8 Greville Street, E.C. 1. All Enquiries for ADVERTISEMENTS and TRADE SUPPLIES should be made direct to STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, Ltd., FORE STREET, HERTFORD. All communications intended for publication in the Magazine should be addressed to the Editor : — Mr. D. Seth-Smith, Zoological Society, Regent’s Park, London, N.W. 8. TO BE COMPLETED IN TWO VOLUMES. Volume i. “AVICULTURE Price 1 5/- net. Order with remittance to — STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, Ltd., n Fore Street, Hertford P. H. HASTINGS Bird and Food Specialist Engine House - Milton - Portsmouth Magnificent Alpine Choughs, exhibition pair . . 70/- 1 Toco Toucane ...... £10 Red Beaked Toucane . . . . . £10 each. 1 Goshawk ....... £4 1 Eagle Owl ....... £6 1 Vulture Monachus ..... £20 White Peacocks, 1929 . . . . . £10 each. Rare Blue Rock-thrush . . . . . £4 10/- Blue Sugar Birds ....... 30/- each. Yellow- winged Sugar Birds ..... 45/- „ Yellow- winged Sugar Birds (hens) . . . . 35/- „ Silky Cowbirds . . . . . . . 25/- „ Scarlet Tanagers . . . . . . 40/- ,, Palm Tanagers . . . . . . . 35 /- „ Habias Tanagers . . . . . . . 35 /- „ Violet Tanagers . . . . . . . 35/- ,, Isibel Tanagers . . . . . . . 55 /- „ Jamaica Troupuals . 55 /— ,, Bell Birds . £10/10/- „ Black- White winged Troupuals . . . . 45/- „ Blue Crossbeaks . . . . . .30/- pair. White-throated Crossbeaks . . . . . 20/- each. Pair Champion Blue-breasted Waxbills acclimatized . 35/- St. Helen’s Waxbills ...... 21/- each. Black-cheeked Waxbills . . . . . . 25/- ,, Violet Ear Waxbills ..... £7 pair. Long- tailed Glossy Starlings . . . . . 70/- each. Cedar Waxwing H.M. . . . . . 25/- Exceptionally good exhibition H.M. Shama . £5 Also all kinds of British and Continental Finches of all descriptions. Canaries, etc., etc. Price List free. Sole maker of the celebrated “STAMINA” INSECTIVOROUS FOOD Used the World over by the Leading Aviculturists Send for FREE Sample and Descriptive Pamphlet ii Avicultural Magazine. A pair of Indian S ham as . ftaftacinc/a mac r ours indica. John Bale. Sons &. Damelsson-LV* London THE Avicultural Magazine BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF FOREIGN 8c BRITISH BIRDS IN FREEDOM 8c CAPTIVITY Fourth Series. — Vol. VIII. — No. 12. — All rights reserved. DECEMBER, 1930. THE SHAMA— THE MOST DELIGHTFUL OF BIRDS Mr. Stuart Baker, in The Fauna of British India places the Indian xace of the Shama as a sub-species of the Malay bird which is the true Kattacincla macroura macroura. The two are practically indistinguish¬ able, but the Indian form, K. m. indica, is said to be of a richer chestnut below and to have rather more black on the lateral tail-feathers. The Indian Shama inhabits practically the whole of India, Burma, and Ceylon. In its wild state it is an inhabitant of the jungles, and Mr. Stuart Baker tells us that “ it is very partial to the bamboo or mixed bamboo and tree forests, but may be found in almost any forest which is not too dense or which borders streams and open glades ... It is a very late bird and may sometimes be heard singing its loudest and sweetest as the rapid dusk of the tropical evenings fades into night ”. On account of its delightfully tame disposition and exquisite song the Shama has long been a favourite cage bird both in India and elsewhere, but its charms are displayed to the greatest advantage when it is allowed the freedom of a large outdoor aviary, planted liberally with shrubs and furnished with a pool of clear water. But its aviary must have a covered shed which can be slightly warmed during winter, for the Shama is only moderately hardy. 23 314 W. Shore-Baily — Nesting of the Black-headed Grosbeak , Friendly as the Shama is with human beings he is often quite the reverse with other birds and he has been known to badly ill-treat his own mate at times. It is as well to keep the two sexes apart during the autumn and winter, placing them together in an aviary in the spring when they are both ready to start nesting at once. Provide a variety of nesting boxes, or at any rate two, so that they can make their choice, and remember that in a wild state they would choose a hole in a decayed tree-trunk or a tenantless Woodpeckers’ hole, so give them a box to somewhat resemble this. See that nesting material in the form of leaves, grass, etc., is available, and to the usual diet of good insectivorous food, mealworms and fruit, add an extra quantity of mealworms and cockroaches, and all should go well. If you live right in the country and have no cats you may allow the Shamas complete freedom when once they have selected their nest and the hen has laid, and in this way they will find plenty of insects in your garden and rear their family without trouble. But to provide sufficient insect food to rear a healthy brood of young Shamas in an aviary takes a lot of doing. Shamas are freely imported from India and are almost always tame and, provided one can give a Shama the attention that any insectivorous bird requires, it will prove the most delightful of birds. D. S-S. NESTING OF THE BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK ( ZAMEL ODIA ME LAN O CE PH ALA), THE JAPANESE HAWFINCH ( COCCOTHRAUSTES PERSONATA ), AND THE THICK-BILLED WEAVER {AMBLTOSPIZA ALBIFRONS ) By W. Shore-Baily The Black-headed Grosbeak has been imported from time to time by Mr. Chapman, but I am inclined to think that most of the specimens brought over were males. At any rate, last year was the first time I succeeded in getting a true pair, and as I have not seen any account the Japanese Hawfinch , and the Thick-hilled Weaver 315 of the breeding of this bird I imagine that true pairs have not been very plentiful. The male is a handsome bird, a mixture of black, white, and orange. The female is similarly marked but much duller. It comes from Central America and Mexico. I have been unable to find anything about its wild life, although I imagine it comes from the mountain districts. I saw nothing like it on the low-lying districts of the Pacific coast. In captivity it does well, being hardy and easy to cater for. My birds fed principally upon sunflower and hemp, but I sometimes saw them taking soaked bread, and they appeared to be fond of peas in the pod. In late June they built a flimsy nest in the heart of a thick laurel, which provided excellent cover both from rain and sun. Three eggs were laid, green speckled all over with brown. The incubation period was about sixteen days. All three eggs hatched. One chick died at about a week old, and another disappeared about a week later. On the eighteenth day a fully fledged youngster was standing up in the nest. It looked very queer, with at least half an inch of grey down sticking up on the top of its head like a crest. The next day it was gone, and for ten days I saw no sign of it, and but for the demeanour of the old birds I should have thought it was dead. However, one sunny day I saw it sunning itself on a twig. It was then nearly as big as its parents and in colour resembled the hen. I may say that no special or insect food was provided, and I never at any time noticed the parents catching flies as most birds do when feeding young. Early in August I found them sitting again on three eggs in a conifer. These duly hatched and lived for about ten days, when a thunderstorm drowned them. Shortly afterwards I sold the pair to one of our members, only to find after they were gone that they had yet another nest containing one egg. They are probably double-brooded in the wild state. The tale of the Black-heads does not end here. About six weeks after I had sent them off to their new home 1 was passing through their aviary when I thought I glimpsed something yellow flitting through the bushes, so I had my man trim all the bushes in it, telling him to look out as I thought that a yellow Weaver might have got in from the next aviary. The next day he reported that he had seen 316 W. Shore- Baily — Nesting of the Black-headed Grosbeak, etc. nothing. Two days later my daughter reported that there was a new black and yellow bird in the aviary, and on going to see I was astounded to find a young cock Grosbeak in full colour. How it could have kept itself concealed for more than two months is a mystery, especially as both my daughter and I passed through the aviary twice daily. The Japanese Hawfinch is not so handsome a bird as its Chinese cousin, but from an avicultural point of view it is more desirable, as the sexes are quite different. The Chinese cannot be sexed, except by their demeanour in captivity. My Japanese birds went to nest in late June, and as the weather at the time was favourable I had every hope of rearing them. Three eggs, a rich olive colour streaked and spotted with blackish-purple, were the clutch. I removed one, and after fourteen days the other eggs hatched. The young were covered with white down. The hen covered them very closely but for some reason or other failed to feed them properly. I tried the old birds with green peas, currants, and unlimited mealworms, but without success, and the young ones died when about twelve days old, at that time being no larger than six-day-old chicks. I don’t think that the cock fed them at all. He was evidently a bad parent. A pair I had some years ago were ideal parents, and both cock and hen fed their young assiduously, and if I had not worried them so much in photo¬ graphing them I should no doubt have reared them. As it was the young left the nest too soon and were drowned in a rainstorm. These birds are worth a place in any aviary as they are harmless with the small birds. My thick-billed Weavers went to nest very early in the year, their first nest being in a hazel bush. After they had been sitting a week I removed their eggs as they were infertile. A week or two later they nested again in a dying laurel. I removed the eggs after a day or two, taking it for granted that these eggs were also clear, but on blowing one of them seven or eight hours later I found that it was fertile, so I carried the remaining egg back to the nest. The next day I saw the hen leave the nest, so concluded that she had resumed her duties. In due course a young one was hatched. I cannot give the incubation period, as the nest was too deep to see into and I was disinclined to disturb the birds by inserting a finger. Apparently everything went A. Decoax — The Crimson-rumped Toucanet 317 well as about three weeks later the cock pulled the bottom out of the nest and a young one emerged and disappeared into the thick cover. This was the last I saw of it, and it either fell a victim to our atrocious climate or was killed by another bird. Undaunted, they again went to nest in early September. Two eggs were laid, which hatched in thirteen days. They appeared to be doing well when we had the most violent storm of the year, accompanied by floods of rain, which probably prevented the birds from catering properly for the young ones, as the nest itself withstood the downpour and remained dry within. This, I am afraid, will be my last attempt at breeding, as I am giving up my birds, much to my regret. THE CRIMSON-RUMPED TOUCANET (AULACORHAMPHUS HAiMATOPY GIAA By A. Decoux I believe I am possibly the first to possess a living specimen of this species in Europe. Mr. W. Goodfellow observed it at liberty during one of his trips to Ecuador, and described it as follows, in a very interesting article published in this Magazine in June, 1900 (Yol. YI, 1st Ser., p. 174) - “ Ranging from the level of Santo Domingo up to the outer spurs, of the mountains, we found the exceedingly pretty little Green Toucan A. hcematopygia. The whole of the bird is bright green of variou shades, with some pale blue at the base of the bill and about the breast. The primaries are blackish-olive, the rump crimson, and the tail dark bluish-green with deep chestnut tips to the feathers. The skin around, the eye is red, and the bill uniform dark red shaded with black, and a pure white line at the base, much wider on the lower than on the upper mandible. There is another Ecuadorian bird which is found on the Eastern side, with a slight change in the markings. The difference is that A. albivitta has a greyish-white throat, and greenish-yellow on the bill.” 318 A. Decoux — The Crimson-rumped Toucanet My bird has a bluish throat and a dark cherry-red bill, so he is not A. albivitta but A. hcematopygia. He was privately imported to Marseilles, with a Yellow-rumped Tanager ( Rhamphoccelus icteronotus ; an acquaintance of mine bought both birds, kept the Tanager for himself, and sold me the Toucanet. He arrived in early February and had to be kept warm, for he had caught a chill on the journey and breathed heavily. Some honey diluted in hi,s drinking water did him much good and after three weeks’ careful nursing the bird ceased coughing altogether. Indeed, like the other Toucans, this species is not delicate. No sooner had I opened his travelling-box than he came on my hand and began to preen his feathers. He has always been very tame and confiding ever since. He takes his food from my fingers, delights in coming on to my arm or one of my shoulders, and he is never more happy than when, sitting on my hand, we take a walk together around the bird-room, looking at the different occupants of the cages and indoor aviaries. Though very gentle and harmless to every human being, he is spiteful towards birds. Owing to his tameness we used to let him fly into the bird-room : but he frightened the smaller birds in their cages and tried to seize their food through the wire bars. So now we keep him shut in a small aviary about 3 feet long, and he is allowed to go out of it only when somebody is in the room. I often tried to put other birds with him ; a cock Spot-billed Toucanet, a pair of White- capped Glossy Starlings, or an Azure Jay, but he attacked them fiercely and I had to take them out at once. He takes his bath every day and then basks in the sun on the window-sill. I have never seen him sleep with his tail raised up above his head as other Toucans do, or enter the box I gave him to spend the night in. He sleeps sitting on a big branch fixed just under the roof of the aviary. His food consists of chopped fruit, boiled potatoes, and carrots, and bread soaked in milk. I have never found so tame and charming a pet among the Toucans I have possessed. Avic. Mag. 1930. Crimson-rumped Toucanet ( Aulacorhamphus hcematopygia) . [To face p. 318. D. Seth- Smith — The Megapodes or Mound Builders 319 THE MEGAPODES OR MOUND BUILDERS By D. Seth-Smith Family Megapodiid^e This family comprises the genera Megapodius, Eulipoa , Leipoa, Talegallus, Alectura, Mpypodius , and Megacephalon, birds possessing the singular habit of depositing their eggs either in a raised mound or in sand, to be incubated by the heat produced by decomposing vegetable matter or that of the sun’s rays. The eggs are remarkably large for the size of the bird which lays them, and the young when hatched are independent of their parents. They mostly have large and powerful feet for the purpose of building their mound by scratching together the material, and the hind toe is placed on the same level as the others. They feed on fruit, grain, and insects. Genus Megapodius. — The True Megapodes This genus contains some sixteen species, inhabiting the various islands of the Pacific, but one only appears to have been imported alive. Duperrey’s Megapode or Scrub Fowl (M. duperreyi) has a wide range, occurring in the north-east of Australia, Western and Southern New Guinea, and several of the neighbouring islands. It is about 15 inches in length, the prevailing colour being brown with the mantle grey, lower back, rump, sides, and flanks chestnut, legs orange-red. There is a well-developed brown crest. The mounds built by these birds as receptacles for their eggs are remarkable for their enormous size. They are composed of loose black vegetable mould mixed with sticks, leaves, etc. Usually situated near to the sea-shore and sheltered by the foliage of trees, the mounds appear to be added to each year and each year grow in size. Gilbert records one with a circumference of 150 feet and a height of 15 feet, while the more usual circumference at the base is about 60 feet. The eggs are placed in a vertical position in holes dug by the birds in the mound, being placed at some 5 or 6 feet from the surface. The holes are then filled in with loose soil. The eggs are about 3J by 2 inches. 320 D. Seth-Smith — The Megapodes or Mound Builders Genus Leipoa The Mallee Fowl ( L . ocellata) is the sole representative of this genus and is found in South and West Australia. It is about 24 inches in length, furnished with a thick pointed crest on the head. The mantle, back, and wing-coverts are grey, banded, with black and white ; forehead and stripes over the eyes grey. The upper breast grey with a band of black and white feathers down to the middle. Under parts whitish barred with black. The sexes are alike. The nest-mound is a large conical heap of sand, etc., covering a bed of leaves and other vegetable matter of some 8 inches in thickness, situated generally in a water course in dense scrub such as that known as the Mallee. Size of mound about 12 feet in diameter and some 3 feet in height. The eggs are very large for the size of the bird, being over 3J inches by some 2J inches, whitish with very thin shells. One weighed by Campbell turned the scale at 6J ounces. A. J. Campbell writes : “ About the end of April or the beginning of May both birds commence to clear out their old mound or construct a new one, which is left open till June or July when leaves, etc., are gathered therein. After the leaves are thoroughly saturated by the winter rains they are covered up with sand. The fact that the mound is usually situated in a shallow course or slight gully, further insures the vegetation becoming thoroughly soaked. The female commences to lay in September or, usually, October. “ Two or three inches of dry loose sand are thrown over the leaves, then a tier or layer of four eggs is deposited, each placed perpendicularly on the smaller end. The four eggs are in the form of a square, 4 or 5 inches apart. An inch or two more sand covers them, and another tier of eggs is placed opposite the interstices of the sub-tier, and so on, till the complement is reached, three or four tiers amounting to between twelve and sixteen eggs.” Genus Talegallus The genus Talegallus contains four species of Brush Turkeys inhabiting New Guinea and some of the adjacent islands. They are distinguished by having the sides of the head, chin, throat, and fore¬ part of the neck mostly naked. There is no wattle. Only one has been imported. D. Seth-Smith — The Megapodes or Mound Builders 321 The Brown-billed Brush Turkey ( T . fuscirostris) of Southern New Guinea and the Aru Islands has been imported, but very rarely. The general colour is black, the head and back of the neck thinly covered with hair-like feathers, the bill brown. Length about 21 inches. The sexes alike. The nesting-mound is described by Von Rosenberg as “ composed of earth mixed with sticks and leaves, the whole forming a truncate cone 11 feet high and 25 feet round the base. In the summit of the cone we found the openings of five burrows which went down perpendicularly to a depth of 4 feet, and were filled with earth. In four of these I found eggs which were placed vertically ... In the mound the thermometer rose to 93° Fahr., while the surrounding atmosphere was only 85° in the shade Genus Alectura The Australian Brush Turkey (A. lathami) of Eastern and North-Eastern Australia has been frequently imported into Europe, where it has bred many times. It is distinguished from Talegallus in possessing a wattle at the base of the neck, and in the more naked head and neck. The general colour of this bird is brownish-black, the under parts have the feathers edged with white. The head is more or less naked and pinkish-red, the wattle, more developed in the male, is bright yellow. The total length is over 25 inches. The Brush Turkey generally selects for the site of its mound a space in a shady wood, and here, working backwards, the male scratches mould, leaves, and small sticks into a heap. The surface of the ground for many yards in all directions is cleared, the bird working continuously with its large powerful feet. During the laying season the cock bird spends most of his time either on the mound or in scratching more material to increase its size. The mound is generally some 12 feet in diameter and 2 to 3 feet in height. When the hen is about to lay she scratches a hole in the mound some 10 to 12 inches deep, and here deposits her egg, which she places in a vertical position and covers up, the cock then driving her away and completing the process of filling up the hole with leaves and vegetable mould. 322 D. Seth-Smith — The Megapodes or Mound Builders Some 12 to 15 eggs are laid during tlie season by one hen, but it would appear that sometimes more than one hen uses the mound. The young are hatched by the warmth of the decomposing vegetation, and when the chicks hatch they make their way out, probably being assisted by the cock bird, who is frequently partially opening and then re-covering the top of the mound. They are of a dark brown colour with the wing-feathers well developed, and are quite independent, going away to seek their own living and to fight their own battles. They are easily reared in captivity when once they are hatched. Genus Megacephalon The Maleo (M. maleo) inhabits Northern Celebes and Sanghir Islands. It is about 22 inches in length. The upper parts are blackish-brown, the breast and abdomen a delicate pinkish- white. The naked skin round the eye is yellowish flesh-colour, and on the head is a large horny helmet. The feet are much smaller than those of the Brush Turkeys. This species lives in the forests and feeds upon fruits and insects. Its nesting habits are peculiar. Dr. A. R. Wallace has told us how, in the months of August and September, they descend to the sea- beach to deposit their eggs, choosing for this purpose certain bays remote from human habitations, which they visit daily in numbers. “ In the mass of loose sand thrown up above high-water mark are seen numbers of holes 4 or 5 feet in diameter. In and around these holes, at a depth of 1 or 2 feet, the eggs of the Maleos are found. There are sometimes only one or two, sometimes as many as seven or eight in a hole, but placed each at a distance of 6 or 8 inches from the others, and each egg laid by a separate bird. They come down to the beach, a distance often of 10 or 15 miles, in pairs, and, choosing either a fresh place or an old hole, scratch alternately, throwing up a complete fountain of sand during the operation, which I had the pleasure of observing several times. When a sufficient depth is reached, the female deposits an egg and covers it up with sand, after which the pair return to the forest.” The eggs are hatched by the warmth of the sun and the young when hatched are independent of their parents. They appear to be easily reared if captured when newly hatched, and some reared in this manner have recently been imported to Europe. Avic. Mag. 1930. Photo D . Seth- Smith. Fig. 1. — A Young Maleo. Fig. 2. — Cock Rufous Tinamou with Newly-hatched Brood. [To face p. 322. D. Seth- Smith — The Tinamous 323 THE TINAMOUS By D. Seth-Smith The Family Tinamid^g comprises a group of Partridge-like birds confined to South America which present certain structural characters which render them distinct from the true Game Birds. Some are as large as a Fowl while others are no larger than a Quail. They have .small heads and slender necks, short tails, and, generally, somewhat dull plumage, the sexes in most cases being similar in appearance. They form a link between the Game Birds and Ratitse (Ostriches, Rheas, etc.). The nesting habits of the Tinamous are peculiar. The eggs are unlike those of any other group of birds, the shells resembling highly glazed porcelain, the colour varying in the different genera from sage green or pale blue to chocolate brown or pink. Just like the Turnix, incubation and the rearing of the young is carried out entirely by the male who is, as a rule, slightly smaller than the female, and in some species at least, and probably in all, the female mates with several males in succession during the season. The call-note of many species is loud and somewhat musical. Tinamous feed upon grain, insects, and doubtless wild fruits, berries, and green shoots. They will breed readily in captivity, the young being reared without difficulty providing a plentiful supply of insect food such as living ants’ cocoons and gentles is available. They are moderately hardy. Genus Tinamus Rather large Tinamous with ten feathers in the tail which are hidden by the upper tail-coverts. Hind aspect of the tarsus rough, toes short. A hind toe present. Eggs blue. There are some ten species, of which two have been imported. The Solitary Tinamou (T. solitarius) inhabits Paraguay and Southern Brazil. It is 20 inches in length, olive-brown, barred with black. On the sides of the occiput and nape two distinct longitudinal bands of light buff. Throat white, rufescent below. Iris, reddish- brown ; feet, light plumbeous. The Red-capped Tinamou ( T . ruficeps). — About 16 inches in 324 D. Seth-Smith — The Tinamous length. Distinguished by having the upper part of the head uniform bright rufous. Feet, olive. This species inhabits Ecuador and the Upper Amazon. Genus Crypturus Distinguished in having the hind aspect of the tarsus smooth. Eggs pinkish, varying to clay colour. There are some thirty species in the genus, of which the following have been imported : — • The Brown Tinamou (C. obsoletus ) inhabits Paraguay, the Argentine, and Brazil. Total length about 10J inches. Head and upper part of neck dusky grey, the throat paler. The upper parts- rufous-brown with dusky vermiculations ; lower parts chestnut ; flanks and abdomen with brown bars to the feathers, producing a scale-like appearance ; under tail-coverts brown, the feathers edged with rufous. The Pileated Tinamou (C. soni) occurs from Guiana to Brazil, Bolivia, and Central America. It is a very variable species, about 9 inches in length, general colour more or less rufous or olive-brown, the throat white or whitish, and the lower parts clearer. The Tataupa Tinamou (C. tataupa ) occurs in Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia. It is about 9 inches in total length. Head, neck, and upper breast grey, throat whitish-grey, the upper parts chestnut and abdomen whitish. Lower flanks black, each feather edged with whitish buff. Under tail-coverts buff with black bars. In life the plumage of this species is so well supplied with whitish powder as to give it a uniform grey appearance on the upper parts. The bill is bright red, the feet pinkish. An account of the breeding of this species- in captivity, with a coloured plate of adult and young appeared in the Avicultural Magazine for August and October, 1904. In the case there described the female laid three clutches of eggs to two males during the season, the eggs being incubated and the young reared by the males. The Undulated Tinamou (C. undulatus) inhabits Paraguay and the Argentine, and is about 12 inches in length. Neck and back barred black and rufous. Upper part of the head black. Lower back and rump with black and greyish bars, the wings similarly barred. Middle of the breast whitish. This species has not often been imported. D. Seth- Smith — The Tinamous 325 The Variegated Tinamou (C. variegatus) of Guiana and Lower Amazonia is about 11 inches in length, has the upper part of the head blackish-browm ; the throat white, neck rufous, back regularly banded with olive-rufous and black bars ; the abdomen fulvous, becoming white at the lower part. The female is said to differ slightly from the male, the lower parts being less whitish and more rufous. The Banded Tinamou (C. noctivagus) occurs in Eastern Brazil and is about 13 inches in length. The front half of the crown is blackish, the posterior half and the nape vinous-brown, a broad rufous superciliary stripe extending down the sides of the occiput. The back brown, flecked with narrow dusky bars. The lower foreneck grey, the breast rufous, and the abdomen buff. The female differs from the male in having the wings regularly barred with yellowish buff, and the remainder of the upper parts more distinctly barred. The Cinnamon Tinamou (C. cinnamomeus) occurs in Southern Mexico, Central America, and Venezuela. It is about 12 inches in length. The forehead is brown-black, the crown chestnut-brown with black bars ; sides of the head and neck rufous, throat white ; back olive-brown, with dusky bars which become broader on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; the breast bright rufous and the abdomen paler. In the female the transverse bars are more developed and cover the top of the head and the front of the breast. Genus Rhynchotus The Rufous Tinamou (R. rufesceus) occurs in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and the Argentine. It is a large Tinamou, measuring from 14 to 17 inches, the female being slightly larger than the male. As its name implies the prevailing colour is rufous, the lower flanks and abdomen greyish. The plumage is more or less barred with brown and buff ; the primaries are uniform rufous. The Rufous Tinamou breeds freely in captivity, given suitable accommodation, the female laying from six to ten eggs, biconical in shape and of a purplish-brown colour. The nest is situated on the ground, like that of a Pheasant, but the duty of incubation and the rearing of the young is undertaken entirely by the male, while the female goes off in search of another mate. 326 D. Seth-Smith — The Tinamous Genus Nothoprocta The Cinereous Tinamou (N. cinerascens) inhabits the Western Argentine Republic. It is about 12-5 inches in length, the upper parts being greyish, barred with black, and each feather of the back with two whitish stripes. There is a broad superciliary stripe and the cheeks are white spotted with black. The breast grey, the neck spotted with blackish and white and the breast with dusky lines and white spots. Abdomen, white. The female is somewhat larger than the male and browner on the upper parts. The under wing-coverts regularly barred with whitish-buff and greyish-brown. The Chilian Tinamou ( N . perdicaria) inhabits Northern and Central Chile, and may be distinguished from the preceding by the under wing-coverts being without bars, the upper parts dull greyish, and the mesial part of the feathers of the back much blacker. The eggs of N othoprocta are biconical in shape and dark purplish-brown in colour. Genus Nothura The Spotted Tinamou ( N . maculosa) inhabits the Argentine, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Southern Brazil. A small Tinamou of about 10 inches in length. The upper parts are pale yellowish-brown, barred with black and brown and streaked with fulvous white. Throat, white. The breast spotted with brown, the flanks with crescentic brown bars. The eggs are very like those of Nothoprocta. The genus Calopezus has been placed, with one other genus, in a separate sub-F amily — Tinamotidin^e. The Martinetta Tinamou (C. elegans) occurs in the Argentine and Lower Uruguay. It is easily distinguished by its long recurved vertical crest and by the absence of a hind toe. It is densely banded and spotted with black and pale fulvous, the head greyish, each feather with a black streak. Two whitish bands commence above the eyes and run along the sides of the nape, while another starts from the base of the upper mandible and crosses the cheeks below the eyes. The sexes are similar. The eggs are bright green, sometimes yellowish- green. A very desirable species that breeds freely in captivity but is less often imported now than previously. Avicultural Alagazinc Martinetta Tinamou Calope\us elegans Photo D. Seth-Smith Spotted Tinamou Noth ura maculosa Lady Wavertree — Loyal Starling and Black-winged Grackle 827 FURTHER NOTES ON THE BREEDING OF THE ROYAL STARLING AND BLACK¬ WINGED GRACKLE By Lady Wavertree, C.B.E. The Boyal Starlings made no attempt to nest whilst in the aviaries- with the larger birds, but on being placed with the small birds soon began to nest ; there were various nesting-boxes for them to choose from and their selection was a Budgerigar box. A nest was made- of leaves and moss lined with feathers. Four eggs were laid, all of the same size, colour, and markings as our English Blackbird. Incuba¬ tion took a fortnight and two young were hatched out of the four and were reared on mealworms and ants’ eggs. The hen only sat during incubation. At three weeks the young birds began looking out of the box and were out in the fourth wTeek, flying fairly well. The amount of food these young birds took was really astounding, as many as- eight mealworms at a time being held in the parent’s beak when feeding, and they would hold so many ants’ eggs — probably twenty to thirty — in the beak that they were bunched as big as an acorn. The colour of the young birds’ first plumage was quite plain, being a dull blue,, almost black, and a fawn colour on breast. They are now coming into their natural colour, the yellow showing up on the breast and a rich- green and blue on head and back, and their tail-feathers are growing like those of the parents. They are strong and in fine condition. I cleared out the old nest and on 6th September the parent birds started building again, and on the 11th one egg was laid. Then I found the hen was egg-bound and very mopey. I gave her mealworms dipped in medicated paraffin four times a day and she laid again two days- after and the next day there were three eggs. She is now sitting and should hatch out about the end of the month if the eggs are fertile. Black-winged Grackles hatched on the 15th of June, 1930. These birds were very vicious during the nesting period and I had to cage off several birds that they objected to. Their nest was in a large box with three divisions, with a round hole cut for entrance to each com¬ partment. They took the outside berth and built their nest of leaves,. pine needles, and bits of paper. The hen laid four eggs of a pale blue- 328 E. J. Boosey and Alec Brookshank — Breeding Residts and similar to those of our English. Starling in size and colour. Incuba¬ tion occupied a fortnight and the young soon began to make themselves heard. They were fed in a similar manner to the Royal Starlings, the parents carrying eight or more mealworms at a time for feeding. They did not take as many ants’ eggs as the Royal Starlings and much preferred the mealworms. As soon as the young birds were out and able to feed themselves the old birds drove them off and started a second nest, from which two young birds were hatched, but one fell out of the nest and was killed. The young birds are doing well and look strong and healthy ; their colour is grey and black and they did not show any yellow on the sides of the head until September, but they are now turning white and black like their parents. [Lady Wavertree appears to have been the first to breed the Royal Starling in Great Britain, but the Black-winged Grackle has been bred on more than one occasion. — Ed.] BREEDING RESULTS AT THE KESTON FOREIGN BIRD FARM. SEASON 1930 By E. J. Boosey and Alec Brooksbank Breeding results here this season have been quite satisfactory in spite of a particularly vile summer. Of the rare Australian Parrakeets all those that bred in 1929 — Many-colours, Barrabands, and Browns — have again been successful, and in addition broods of the extremely scarce Turquoisines and Elegants have also been reared. Of the Finches, Gouldians, Zebra Finches, Ruficaudas, and Long¬ tailed Grass Finches have all produced families, as have White Java Sparrows and Bengalese. The following gives the largest number of young reared by a single pair of the species mentioned during the season : — - Parrakeets Browns . . 7 young. . . 1st nest 4, 2nd 3. Many-colours . 3 young . . . Single-brooded. Barrabands . . 4 young . . . Single-brooded. at the Keston Foreign Bird Farm 329 Turquoisines . . 4 young. . 1st nest 1, 2nd 3. Elegants . 4 young. . Apparently single-brooded. Budgerigars . . 16 young. Finches . 1st nest 3, 2nd 5, 3rd 8. Buficaudas . , 11 young. . 1st nest 5, 2nd 6. Zebra . , 20 young approx. . 3 pairs in 1 aviary pro¬ duced 60. Long-tailed Grass . 10 young. . 5 in each nest. Gouldian . 6 young . Various . 1 nest, parents have young again. Diamond Doves , 14 young. . 7 nests of 2 each. Java Sparrows 7 young. . 1st nest 3, 2nd 4. Bengalese 3 young. . 1 nest, started very late. The following did not breed : Derbyan, Malabar, and Hooded Parrakeets and Pectoralis Finches. The Pair of Brown’s Parrakeets that reared seven young, two cocks and two hens in the first nest and two cocks and one hen in the second, produced equally fine birds in each nest. The hen laid, hatched, and reared all four eggs in the first nest, and of her second clutch of five, four hatched and one was infertile ; so that in all eight young would have been reared but for the fact that the fourth young one of the last nest managed to pierce itself with one of the small wood splinters its mother had peeled from the side of the box, on which to lay her eggs. A pair of Turquoisines reared four young which turned out to be three hens and one cock, a preponderance of hens being apparently usual with these birds. One point of interest is that whereas all the old books give one to understand that a young cock Turquoisine is quite impossible to mistake for a hen, in actual fact we have proved this to be entirely inaccurate. Young hens have been rightly described as like their mother, but a young cock, far from being a dull edition of its father is indistinguishable from a young hen for at least a fortnight, when the future red wing-patches begin to appear as a faint orange glow, and even at this stage there is no more blue on the face, and little more on the wing, than in a hen of the same age. 24 380 E. J. Boosey and Alec Brooksbank — Breeding Besults The Elegants which nested early in the year made no attempt to breed again, and it seems rather surprising that a bird so closely related to a Turquoisine should only be single-brooded. Approximately 1,000 Budgerigars have been reared, which maintains our last season’s average of 12 to the pair. We have quite definitely come to the conclusion that they breed better in comparatively small aviaries. Young bred in an aviary 50 feet long are neither larger nor stronger than those reared in an aviary a tenth of its size. The Derbyans examined a nest-box but got no further. The cock is tame but his wife extremely timid. The pair of two-year-old Malabars looked like breeding in April. Indeed the hen had hollowed out a scoop at the bottom of the nest-box and seemed on the point of laying, when she suddenly and surprisingly started to moult. Hooded Parrakeets indulged in the usual lengthy summer moult, coming into breeding condition about the beginning of October, when it was much too late to allow them to breed. The hen is at present trying to excavate a hole in the outside flight, under a piece of turf which has to be frequently moved in case she should be under the impression that she has made a nest and should attempt to lay. Ruficaudas have a charming and unusual courting display in which the cock, holding a long grass in his beak, flies from end to end of the aviary making an extraordinarily loud clapping sound, which is apparently produced by bringing the wings together both above and below the body. We hear from Australia that they are rapidly becomin rarities even in their own country. Approximately 400 Zebra Einches have been reared and one younster which we have kept for experimental breeding purposes started as a more or less normally coloured bird but has moulted out with a completely white head, nearly white wings and tail, and numerous other white feathers all over its body. We hope to get a pure white bird next year. The Long-tailed Grass Einches, newly imported in the spring, have been very prolific. Four birds which appeared to be most obvious cocks with large black bibs were put together in an aviary, but we discovered later that all had deposited numerous eggs in one nest-box 1 at the Keston Bird Farm 881 Which, shows how extremely difficult they are to sex. The young of this species seem to attain adult plumage almost as quickly as Zebra Finches. The Gouldians, as usual, did not start breeding until the end of the summer, and at present sixteen young are fledged from five pairs and two more broods have just hatched. It is rather doubtful whether the latter will survive the cold weather, in which case we shall not have done so well as last year, when twenty-three were reared from four pairs. At the end of last season we were unfortunate in that the ten Gouldians we kept for future breeding moulted out this summer into one hen and nine cocks. We are afraid we shall have to disappoint a good many of our customers over these birds. We believe that the total of fourteen young produced by one pair of Diamond Doves is possibly a record, and is of interest particularly as the small Doves are usually anything but reliable parents. This pair successfully hatched and reared every egg they laid, and since a few twigs were added as each brood left the nest, the hen was eventually sitting on a pile nearly 6 inches high. At the other end of the scale one pair only succeeded in bringing up a single young one during the whole season. A pair of White Java Sparrows had three white young in the first nest and two grey and two white in the second nest. Of the latter, just fledged, whereas the two whites have pink beaks the two greys have black ones ; though all four will eventually have beaks of the usual red. It would, therefore, appear that not only have the white variety acquired white plumage, but have evolved one step further in that they have decided to dispense with the boring period of waiting between being born with a black beak and acquiring a pink one. Generally speaking we have found that the late spring suited the Parrakeets better than the Finches, whose nesting arrangements it considerably retarded. Among the Parrakeets, particularly, the percentage of fertile eggs was noticeably high. [Messrs Boosey and Brooksbank are to be very heartily congratulated on their success. — Ed.] 332 Reviews REVIEWS THE BIRDS OF NORFOLK1 Students of ornithology have always regarded Norfolk as one of the most interesting counties in the British Isles, and a book on its birds by one who thoroughly knows his subject, as Mr. Riviere certainly does, will be welcomed by bird-lovers. Norfolk is situated in the track of a vast migration movement that takes place regularly in spring and autumn, and its physical features are eminently suitable for bird life. Breydon Water, at low tide, presents a vast expanse of mud¬ flats that attract every species of wader that visits our shores, including Spoonbills and Avocets and many other rarities. The most northern points, Blakeney and Cley, are famous as the halting-places for migrants in spring and autumn, and from this region many species of extreme rarity have been recorded, while a large colony of Terns regularly breed there and vast numbers of Wigeon and Brent Geese frequent the Blakeney Channel during winter. The well-known Broads, with their adjacent reed-beds, support a rich insect and plant life, and hence are much frequented by birds of many kinds, both migrants and breeding species, including some, such as the Bearded Tit, Bittern, Marsh and Montagu’s Harriers, which are practically confined to this area. Breckland is another celebrated area for birds with its miles of arid sand with here and there a mere. Here are found the Woodlark, Nightjar, Wheatear, Stonechat, Whin- chat, Yellow Wagtail, Stone Curlew, Stock Dove, Lapwing, Snipe, and Redshank, and a colony of inland-breeding Ringed Plovers, ■while many species of Duck breed in the district. This area will lose some of its characteristic birds in a few years owing to a system of planting trees which has been instituted by the Forestry Commission to the benefit of the land in other ways. Bird protection has done much to help the bird-life of Norfolk, as it has of other districts, and great credit is due to the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society for doing all in their power to encourage the Bird Protection Movement. The story of the Bittern in Norfolk 1 A History of the Birds of Norfolk, by B. B. Riviere, F.R.C.S., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. London : H. F. & G. Witherby, 326 High Holborn, W.C. Price 25s. net. Reviews 333 is one of tlie most interesting that could be written of any species. Up to the beginning of the nineteenth century this bird was abundant as a breeding species, but it could not stand the persecution it received, and its numbers gradually decreased until it became extinct as a breeding bird. In 1900, however, one was again heard booming in the Broads district, and in 1911 a young bird was seen and photo¬ graphed. From then onwards, thanks to stringent protection and to the change in public opinion which now denounces the wanton destruction of bird life, the Bittern has continued to increase in numbers and at the present time is thoroughly re-established as a Norfolk breeding bird. The author describes no less than 342 species which have been definitely admitted as Norfolk birds, and others whose claims have not been fully substantiated. Very full accounts of all are given, together with a number of black and white plates and an excellent map. HILL BIBDS OF SCOTLAND1 A certain charm and fascination surrounds those birds, the Golden Eagle, Ptarmigan, and others, which spend their lives and rear their young amongst the high and often almost inaccessible hills of Scotland ; but to study them and learn the secrets of their lives one must be active and tough and prepared to spend days and nights, in fair weather and storm, amongst them. Thus will their secrets be revealed to him who has shown patience and endurance. Mr. Seton Gordon has extracted from these birds much information regarding their private lives, and has succeeded in producing a very delightful book which some amongst us may already have seen, for it was first published in 1915. Many of us, however, had not seen it, and the reprint just published will be welcomed. Twenty-four species are dealt with by a writer who has a very delightful way of making us see what he has seen and which he so well describes. The book is well illustrated by photographs. 1 Hill Birds of Scotland, by Seton Gordon, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. London: Edward Arnold & Co., Maddox Street, W. 1. Price Is. 6 d. net. 334 Avicultural Notes SECRETS OF BIRD LIFE In Secrets of Bird Life 1 the authors give us a series of chapters which take us away to the pine forests of Scotland where we meet with the Capercaillie and the Crested Tit, the moorlands and valleys where we find the Grouse, the Golden Plover, the Greenshank and the Dunlin ; or to Mid Wales where we meet with the Buzzard and, if we are fortunate, perhaps a pair of the few surviving Kites. They take us to many other places where they can show us birds with their nests and teach us some of their secrets which we were ignorant of. They have spent much time in their endeavour to find the carefully concealed nests of our rarer and most interesting birds for the purpose of studying and photographing them, and the result is a book of absorbing interest to the bird-lover and a series of very charming photographs. AVICULTURAL NOTES By The Editor The breeding season for birds in Australia commences about September. Mr. S. Harvey, of Adelaide, has begun well, for he writes (9th September) : “I have five pairs of Turquoisines nesting. Two pairs are sitting, one pair has four eggs, one pair one egg, one pair two eggs. Also three pairs of Elegants sitting.” We must all wish Mr. Harvey success in his endeavours to increase and multiply these rare and beautiful Parrakeets. The October number of our American contemporary Aviculture contains some interesting breeding records. Mr. J. V. Patton has successfully bred the Palawan or Napoleon Peacock Pheasant (Poly- plectron emphanes), a species first imported to America a year or so ago and of which a few pairs have just reached England. It is undoubtedly the most beautiful of all the Peacock Pheasants, and a most desirable bird from the avicultural point of view. Its habits appear to be similar to those of the other members of the genus. 1 Secrets of Bird Life, by H. A. Gilbert and Arthur Brook, with forty photographs. London : J. W. Arrowsmith, 57 Gower Street, W.C. 1. Price 5 s. net. Avicultural Notes 335 In the same number Mr. Malcolm Davis records the successful breeding of the American White Pelican in the Washington Zoo. Two young were hatched, but one of these was trodden upon and killed by its parent. The other survived and was reared. Mr. Davis writes thus of the young bird : 4 ‘ It is not a thing of beauty, being red and plump, but one of interest. The bird remained in the nest about three weeks. I did not have the opportunity to witness the feeding of the young by the adult. Probably due to the presence of curious visitors the process of regurgitation was delayed to late evening or night. From the naked stage the baby developed quite rapidly. Soon the body was covered with down, and the flight-feathers began to show . . . The bird, now about four months old, resembles the mature specimen, except that the feet and beak are a dull orange colour.” This is the second time this Pelican has successfully bred in the Washington Zoological Gardens. Dr. Leon Patrick has been successful with Parrakeets, having bred the Pileated ( Porphyrocephalus spurius) and the Blue-winged Grass Parrakeet ( Neophema venusta), while the Sarus Crane and Golden- crowned Conure have been bred by Mr. Wigley, and the Elegant Parrakeet (N. elegans ) by Mr. J. H. Arnold. According to The Gardeners' Chronicle Sir William Lawrence is afraid of a plague of Green Parrots in Epping Forest, and the following letter which appeared in the issue of 18th October is of considerable interest. Mr. Stoker, the writer of the letter, has described the birds to me, and they are evidently either Ringnecks or Alexandrines : — “ Gkeen Parrots. — In the issue of The Gardeners' Chronicle for 11th October, Sir William Lawrence refers to a threatened plague of Green Parrots in Epping Forest ; I hope he will forgive me for correcting one or two mistaken impressions he has gained. Sir William is right in stating that no fewer than five have been seen in a Loughton garden : indeed, as this is the garden favoured by the birds, I can state definitely that the number reached seven 336 Avicultural Notes during the summer. The first Parrot arrived almost exactly two years ago. Whence it came, no one can tell, but presumably it was an £ escape He lived alone in the garden through the dreadful winter of 1928-9, getting what protection he could in dense hollies. In the spring he scraped acquaintance with a captive female a short distance away, whose cage was commonly placed in the open in fine weather. But love, laughing as mockingly at cages as ever it did at locksmiths, apparently overcame the difficulty, for on one eventful day the owner of the female bird was astounded to find the bars of her cage forced apart, and the prisoner gone. Thereafter we had two Parrots in the garden, and here they lived in dual harmony until the recent outbreak of psittacosis, when two apparent exiles joined them. The four birds took up permanent quarters in holes in old elms after dispossessing the previous tenants, to wit, two pairs of Jackdaws. Here- they bred this spring, and the total number increased to seven. I have not heard of there being any other colony in or near Epping Forest, and our birds, if I may use the possessive pronoun, are very faithful to their habitat. Two, or possibly three, have disappeared, and I fear they have been shot by vandals. There have been rumours, up to the present unconfirmed, of their depredations on our neighbours’ plums, but we ourselves have suffered nothing from their supposed destruc¬ tiveness. Their favourite diet at the moment appears to be crab apples, which they split open, extract the seeds, and reject the pulp. Almost any day in winter they may be seen eating holly berries while swinging on a branch, and very beautiful they appear. Personally, I would allow them very considerable latitude in the matter of food for the joy of having them in the garden, and I feel sure that if Sir William Lawrence could view their tricks, their gambols, and their radiance, he would be the last to virtually bracket them with that undoubted and unrepentant villain, the grey squirrel. — Fred Stoker, The Summit, Loughton.” Correspondence 837 CORRESPONDENCE THE SPOT-HEADED WEAVER Sir, — I was glad to see a picture of an old favourite of mine in the October Magazine — the Spot-headed or Black-backed Weaver — though I am afraid that the illustration hardly does him justice ; the breast is a wonderful glowing orange, in fact the bird looks like a brilliant living flame as it flits about in the sombre gloom of its forest home. The back, too, seems more of a glossy blue colour. I was familiar with these strange aberrant Weavers when living on the edge of a tropical forest on the borders of Portuguese East Africa. As you say, their habits differ entirely from those of the rest of the family. On first seeing them I thought that they were Creepers of some kind, as they ran up and down the trunks of trees and climbed about the masses of creepers which hung down from the tree-tops in their search for insects on which, I believe, they entirely subsist. I never saw any descend to the ground, and in fact never observed them at a distance of less than about 50 feet from the earth. The nests of these birds are marvels of bird architecture, being composed (at least in the district where I was) mainly of fine hair-like orchid roots which the birds pull from the tree-trunks, the nest being almost transparent, one being able to see with the aid of binoculars both the sitting bird and the eggs. I know of no bird which places its nest in such an inaccessible position, nearly always on the end of a very long slender branch which has been stripped of all leaves and which hangs over a clearing in the forest. The site is very cleverly chosen and shows great intelligence on the part of the birds, for they are safe from every foe except the man with a shot-gun. These weavers are known locally as the “ Hinge-birds ” owing to their song being like the noise of a door being slowly blown back and forward on rusty hinges. I would be interested to hear what these birds have been fed upon in confinement, for I do not think that they would survive long on seed alone. Sydney Porter. [Insectivorous food. — Ed.] 388 Correspondence YOUNG PLUMAGE OF FEMALE GREY-HEADED SHELDRAKE Sir, — The male and one female of the three South African Grey¬ headed Sheldrakes put on the lake at St. James’s Park this year having bred and reared six young, it may be put on record that the young females, which made up half the brood, had at first grey heads like the three young males ; the white on the head characteristic of the female, however, soon appeared, though not reaching so far back as it does in old females, in which it invades the neck. I had noted years ago that in the closely allied Ruddy Sheldrake young females resembled young males at first in head colour ; but in this species, the head being buff, the white face marking of the female is less conspicuous, and seems not to be noticed generally by authors. The odd female of the Grey¬ headed species at St. James’s has kept by herself, but as a female Ruddy Sheldrake is also going about alone, though there are at least two bachelor males of the species, this is not surprising — Sheldrakes evidently do not mate readily. The South African birds here are far less noisy and pugnacious than Ruddy Sheldrakes, and spend much more time on the water ; in fact, they are more like Mallard than like their near allies in these respects. E. Finn. BREEDING THE TWITE IN CAPTIVITY Sir, — In the first volume of the Magazine the successful breeding of the Twite and the rearing of two young birds in 1895 is recorded. The parents were both abnormally coloured, the father pied, the mother all white, but the young were normal. This success I overlooked when compiling my Records . . . and it seems worthy of publication. E. Hopkinson. SENEGAL PARROTS Sir, — Canon Dutton in a letter to the first volume of the Magazine asks some questions as to the breeding of Parrots, and incidentally says that “ the Zoological Society had several Pceocephus senegalensis Correspondence 339 sent them after the death of a gentleman, who I understand, had bred them in the open air Can any reader supply any further evidence to support this particularly interesting record ? E. Hofkinson. “ CUTTY ” CONTINUED Sir, — Mrs. Irvine’s article calls for a completion of her little friend’s tale, which was cut short by Mrs. Irvine’s illness. Cutty and his missus arrived in my aviary on 21st May, and were at once allowed full liberty. That is they shared the cold aviary with some sixty odd other Finches, Whydahs, Weavers, and Buntings. This aviary has a closed shelter 12 feet by 10 feet and a flight 18 ft. by 10 ft. by 12 ft., planted with shrubs of Barbary box and privet, and is only heated in extremely cold weather. I very soon discovered they were both fond of mealworms. For on feeding the Peking Robins with them as usual in the evening, the Cut-throats were on the spot, and nearly as sharp as the Pekings at taking the mealworms from my fingers. They got no special foods or any different treatment to the other birds, with whom they were on good terms at once. In fact, beyond the evening feed of mealworms I saw little of them among the crowd. They did come to the wire at times, when I was watching the birds, and ask for more just as the Robins do, but they only get the tit-bit just before going to roost. So it was with considerable surprise and satisfaction that on 17th July I saw the two old birds feeding three fully fledged young — one cock and two hens. Where they nested I cannot say, for to this day I have not discovered the site. I can’t say I’ve looked very hard, because I believe that too much inquisitiveness and fussing about is responsible for many failures among nesting birds. Canaries may stand it. Not so the semi-wild birds we are cultivating. As to the feeding, I quite agree with your note at foot of Mrs. Irvine’s article. A plain diet of mixed seed such as I have mentioned in my “ Notes from a Lancashire Aviary ” does not over-stimulate, yet provides plenty of 340 Correspondence variety. At any rate, my birds seem to thrive on it, and this is all Cutty and bis mate have had since they came to me. Of course, they have had ample green food and insects caught in the flight. A fresh supply of weeds is thrown down each morning all through the Spring, Summer, and Autumn until the supply fails. As evidence of the demand for green food you have only to see the state of the evergeen bushes after the winter. Some have to be covered with wire netting, and one large Prunus was killed, being too large to net. Given similar treatment there should be no difficulty in keeping hardy birds in health, and if healthy, breeding usually follows. Joseph Appleby. SUCCESSFUL BREEDING OF THE GOLDEN-BREASTED BUNTING Sir, — I was very interested to read in the October Magazine of the nesting and hatching of the Golden-breasted Bunting. In 1910 I purchased a pair of these birds from the late Mr. Yealland, and the following year they went to nest and four eggs were laid in June. I cannot quite remember the date, but after sitting well two young were hatched. One, however, was a weakling and died shortly after leaving the nest ; the other being a fine healthy bird which I exhibited a year later at the Kettering Rifle Band Annual Show, where it secured second prize. That well-known exhibitor and judge, Mr. R. J. Howe, made the awards, and he sent a full report of the breeding and rearing of this bird to Canary and Cage Bird Life, also a full description to the late Mr. Westly T. Page. I wish our member the best of luck in 1931, and hope he will be successful in breeding them once again. A. Martin. INDEX TO Ahurria aburri, 303. Abyssinian Barbet, 20. ,, Blue-winged Goose, 23, 255 ,, Guinea Fowl, 255. „ Lovebird, 21, 71. „ Starlings, 73. ,, Yellow-bill Duck, 103. Acomus eryihrophthalmus, 210. ,, inornatus, 211. ,, pyronotus, 210. Actophilornis africanus, 74, 195. Adelaide Parrakeet, 22. African Fire Finch, 277. „ Jagana, 74, 195. ,, Painted Quail, 53. ,, Pigmy Falcons, 261. „ Pigmy Goose, 194. ,, Wattled Plover, 195. ,, Weavers, 79. Agapornis liliance, 21. ,, per sonata, 21. Aix galericulata, 106. Alectoris, 92. ,, chukar, 24, 92, 106. ,, melanocephala, 24, 92, 260. ,, petrosa, 92. „ rufa, 92. ,, saxatilis, 92. Alexandrine Parrakeet, 106. Alisterus scapular is, 218. ,, sulaensis, 218. Allen’s Porphyrios, 285. Allenia fusca, 149. All-green Parrakeet, 279. Alpine Choughs, 73, 244, 262. ,, Swifts, 242. Amazonia agilis, 8. „ autumnalis, 10. ,, bodini, 9. ,, bouqueti, 36. ,, caymanensis, 6. ,, collar ia, 8. ,, guildingi, 217. ,, imperialis, 217. ,, versicolor, 5. ,, vinacea, 11. Amazonian Piping Guan, 302. Amblyospiza albifrons, 314. America, Aviculture in, 29. American Bald Eagles, 263. ,, Blue Birds, 73. ,, Comb Duck, 255. SUBJECTS American Coot, 24. ,, Quails or Colins, 64. ,, Redstart, 121. ,, Tree Sparrows, 100. ,, Warblers, 116. ,, White Pelican, 335. ,, Wood Ibis, 262. Amherst Pheasant, 161, 197, 198, 214, 221. Ammoperdix, 93. ,, bonhami, 93. ,, cholmleyi, 93. „ heyi, 93. Anas abscura, 103. ,, melleri, 103. Andalusian Bustard Quail, 16. Ani, 147. ,, Greater, 261. Annam Pheasant, 208. Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus, 103. Antillean Cuckoo, 147. ,, Dove, 155. ,, Giant Kingfisher, 150. ,, Ground Dove, 154. Antipodes Island Parrakeet, 269. Apteryx, 101. Apertryx haasti, 101. Aprosmictus erythropterus, 218. Ara auricollis, 218. ,, guadaloupensis, 114. ,, macao, 102. ,, maracana, 217. Arabian Chukar, 24. Araucanian Pigeon, 22. Araucuan Guan, 301. Arborophila, 95. ,, atrigularis, 95. ,, crudigularis, 95. ,, henrici, 95. ,, javanica, 95. ,, rufigularis, 95. ,, torqueola, 95. Argus grayi, 181. Argusiana argus, 181. Argus Pheasant, 169, 179, 181, 260. Aru Boobook Owl, 308. „ Noble Pheasant Pigeon, 308. ,, Parrot, 218. Ashy-headed Geese, 255. Aubrey’s Parrot, 71, 217. Aulacorhamphus albivitta, 317. ,, hcematopygia, 317. 342 Index to Subjects Australian Brush Turkey, 321. ,, Cat-bird, 20. „ Finches, 262. ,, King Parrakeet, 268. ,, or Stubble Quail, 52. ,, Parrakeets, 328. ,, Havens, 261. ,, Swamp Quail, 53. ,, Thicknee, 260. Avadavats, 14, 134, 273. Aviaries, Boyers House, 99. ,, Lilford, 101. ,, Movable, 311. Aviculture in America, 29. Avicultural Notes, 25, 54, 78, 108, 129, 162, 194, 247, 334. Avicultural Society, Officers for 1930, 1. ,, Officers for 1931, 312. ,, List of Members, 3. ,, Rules, 25. „ The Society’s Medal, 28. Babbler, Crimson-winged, 258. Bahama Ducks, 254, 285. Bald-headed Starlings, 73, 186, 262. Bamboo-Partridge, Chinese, 94, 289. ,, Formosan, 94, 105, 289. „ Fytches, 94, 289. Bamboo-Partridges, 94, 256, 286. Bambusicola, 94. ,, fytchii, 94. ,, sonorivox, 94, 105, 289. ,, thoracica, 94, 289. Banded Curassow, 24. ,, Tinamou, 325. Banksian Cockatoos, 217. Barbados Blackbird, 157. Barbary Dove at Liberty, 192, 252. „ Red-legged Partridge, 92. Barbatula pusillus, 195. Barbet, 195. ,, Abyssinian, 20. ,, Black-collared, 263. ,, Oort’s, 308. Bare-eyed Cockatoo, 260. Bare-faced Touracos, 73, 79. Bar-headed Geese, 264, 284. Barnard Parrakeet, 71, 283. Barraband’s Parrakeet, 80, 106, 268, 328. Barrow’s Golden Eyes, 255. Bay Cowbird, 99. Bearded Tit, 332. Beechey’s Jay, 20. Bell-bird, 263. Bell Miner’s, 78. Bellona exilis, 117. Bell’s Humming Bird, 120. Bel’s Pheasant, 208, 256. Bengal Pitta, 73, 262, 286. „ Ringnecks, 29. Bengalese Finches, 59, 328. ,, Hybrids, 19. Berlioz’ Pheasant, 207, 256. Bernicle Geese, 264, 284. Bichenow’s Finches, 72. Bird Behaviour, 249. Bird of Paradise, King, 33, 55, 73. „ Lesser, 308. ,, Magnificent, 308. ,, Red, 73, 261. ,, Six-plumed, 308. ,, Twelve-wired, 261. ,, Wallace’s, 261. „ Wilson’s 70, 73, 308. Birds Bred in Captivity, Additions to Records, 18. ,, Exchange of, 27. ,, in and around Keswick Hall Gardens, 308. ,, in the West Indies, 165. ,, of a Sicilian Garden, 237. ,, Singing at Night, 164. Bishop, Orange, 14. Bittern, 287, 332. „ Tiger, 47, 262. Black and Blue Tanager, 286. ,, and White Warbler, 122. ,, and Yellow Macaw, 71. ,, Buck, 285. ,, Butcher Crow, 308. ,, Cassique, 73. ,, Cockatoo, 260, 279. ,, Crake, 195, 263. ,, Fran colin, 68. ,, Grouse, 97. ,, Kite, 23. ,, Palm Cockatoo, 286. ,, Rail, 270. ,, Swan, 284. ,, Vulture, 23. ,, Wheatear, 245. Black-backed Kaleege, 206, 212. Black-bellied Grass Finch or Quit, 125. Black-billed Tree-duck, 264. Black-breasted Bustard Quail, 16. „ Colin, 67. Black-capped Lories, 217. Black-cheeked Cardinal, 19. „ Lovebird, 21, 27, 30, 31, 71, 261. „ Waxbill, 224. Black- collared Barbet, 263. Black-eared Wheatear, 245. Black-headed Caiques, 71, 285. ,, Grosbeak, 314. „ Gull, 192. Index to Subjects 343 Black-headed Juncos, 135. ,, Oriole, 134. ,, Partridge, 92, 260. ,, Sugarbird, 134, 286. Black-legged Falconet, 269. Black-marked Siskin, 19. Black-necked Crane, 46, 256. „ Ibis, 262. „ Swan, 255, 284. Black-shouldered Peacock, 178. ,, Peafowl, 106, 260. Black-tailed and Masked Hawfinches, 57. ,, Parrakeet, 21, 218. Black- throated Button -Quail, 24. ,, Buzzard Eagles, 46. ,, Tanager, 73. Black-winged Grackles, 305, 327. Blackbird, Barbados, 157. „ White, 286. Blackcaps, 134, 309. Black Rail, Nesting of the, 270. Bleeding-Heart Doves, 283. „ Pigeons, 263. Blossom-head Parrakeets, 128. Blue Birds, American, 73. „ Fairy, 47, 263. ,, Western, 134. Blue and Yellow Macaw, 217. ,, Coots, 100. ,, Crossoptilon, 229, 283. ,, Grosbeak, 72, 134, 262. ,, Heron, 152. ,, Occipital Pies, 262. ,, Pheasants, 209. ,, Rock Thrush, 239, 242. ,, Snow Geese, 285. ,, Solitaire, 134. ,, Sugar- bird, 72, 262. ,, Tanager, 19, 134. ,, Thrush, 243. „ Tit, 309. ,, Turaco, 1. ,, Wrens, 78. Blue-breasted Waxbills, 277. Blue-crested Jays, 73. Blue-headed Organist, 262. Blue-naped Coly, 134. Blue-rumped Parrotlet, 21. Blue-winged Grass Parrakeets, 283, 335. ,, Lovebirds, 135. ,, Siva, 104. Blyth’s Tragopan, 234. Bodin’s Parrot, 9. Bonasa umbellus, 98. Bonham’s Seesee Partridge, 93. Boobook Owl, 23. Bornean Fireback, 139, 161, 211, 256. Bornean Lories, 260. Bouquet’s Parrot, 36. Bow-billed or Hook-billed Ducks, 266. Boyers House Aviaries, 1929 in the, 99. Bradley Court, Notes from, 127. Branta ruficollis, 23. Brazilian Scarlet Tanager, 134. „ Teal, 257. Breeding Green Glossy Starlings, 235. „ Green-naped Pheasant Pigeon in California, 158. ,, Results at the Keston Foreign Bird Farm, 328. ,, Royal Starling and Black- winged Grackle, 305, 327. ,, Sarus Crane, 140. ,, „ at Tring, 89. ,, St. Helena Waxbills in India, 289. ,, Twite in Captivity, 338. ,, Turquoisines and Elegants, 31. Brent Geese, 264, 332. Broadbill, 269. Broadbills, Green, 49. Bronzewing, 23. ,, Brush, 23. ,, Smith’s, 23. Bronzewings, 59. Bronze-wing Pigeons, 104. Bronze- winged Mannikins, 223. Brotogerys chiriri, 250. ,, pyrrhopterus, 21. Brown Milvago, 46. „ Owl, 191. ,, Tinamou, 324. Brown -billed Brush Turkey, 321. Brown-capped Firefinch, 19. Brown-headed Troupial, 99. Brown-necked Parrots, 260. Brown’s Parrakeet, 22, 59, 83, 279, 328. Brush Bronzewing, 23. ,, Turkey, 106, 255, 321. Buarremon brunneinucha, 263. Buarremon, Chestnut-headed, 134. Budgerigar, 22, 256, 262, 263, 283, 286, 330. ,, Grey wing. 111. ,, Grey wing-blue, 166. ,, Sky-blue, 135. ,, Yellow, 257. Budgerigars, Origin of Colour Varieties in, 56, 84, 109, 135. Buff -backed Heron or Cattle Egret, 248. Buff-backed Herons, 44. Buff -hooded Ground-Dove, 23. Bulbul, Golden-fronted, 263. „ Grey, 262. ,, Pink- eared Crested, 262. Bullock’s Hangnest, 281. 344 Index to Subjects Bulwer’s Pheasant, 212. Bunting, Golden -breasted, 306, 340. „ Indigo, 14. ,, Lazuli, 134. ,, Leclancher’s, 262. „ Nonpareil, 15, 262. ,, Ortalan, 244. ,, Rainbow, 15, 72. Burchell’s Starling, 20. Burhinus grallarius, 260. Burmese Jungle Fowl, 161. ,, Pheasant, 202. „ Rollers, 261. Busarellus nigricollis, 46, 263. Bush Chat, 73. Bustard Quail, Andalusian, 16. „ Black-breasted, 16. ,, Larger Indian, 16. „ Lepurana, 16. ,, Little, 16. ,, ,, African, 16. ,, Rufous-chested, 16. „ Swift, 16. ,, Varied, 16. Bustard Quails, 16. Buteo rivieri, 150. Butorides virescens maculata, 151. Button- Quail, Black-throated, 24. „ Smith's, 24. Button Quails, 16. Buzzard, 334. ,, Jackal, 263. ,, Riviere’s, 150. Buzzard Eagle, Black- throated, 46. Cabot’s Tragopan, 234. Caiques, Black-headed, 71, 285. ,, Green- thighed, 285. Calandra Lark, 244. Californian Quail, 65, 161. ,, ,, Cock Brooding, 274. Call-ducks, 266, 285. Callipepla squamata, 64. Callocorydon f imbriatus, 218. Calocitta collii, 251. ,, formosa, 184. Calopezus elegans, 326. Calornis, 134. Calyptorhynchus hanksii, 217. Canada Geese, 284. Canary Winged Parrakeet, 250. Canvas-backs, 103. Cape Bare-throated Francolin, 69. ,, Francolin, 69. „ Partridge, 69. „ Quail, 51. ,, Sugar Bird, 137. Capercaillie, 98, 334. Capped Petrel, 114, 156. Caracara, 263. Cardinal, American, 262. „ Black- cheeked, 19. ,, Green, 72. ,, Venezuelan, 134. Cardinals, 186. Cariamas, 260. Caribbean Sparrow Hawk, 151. Carolina Duck, 106, 264, 285. Carpococcyx renauldi, 105. Casarca cana, 109. Cassique, Black, 73. ,, Crested, 73. Cassowary, 260. Casuarius altijugus, 260. Cat-bird, Australian, 20. Catheturus lathami , 106. Catreus wallichi, 204. Cattle Egret, 129, 248, 255, 262. Cayenne Guan, 300. ,, Lapwings, 99. Cayman Island Parrot, 6. Cedar Waxwings, 134. Centrococcyx rufipennis, 20. Ceryle alcyon, 150. Ceylon Junglefowl, 24, 227. Chalcopsitta duyvenbodei, 217. ,, insignis , 61. Chalcopsittacus scintillatus, 217. Chalcurus, 182. ,, chalcurus, 283, 308. Chat, Bush, 73. Chattering Guan, 302. Cheer Pheasant, 204, 205 Cherry Finches, 263. Chestnut Finches, 134. Chestnut-breasted Rock Thrush, 104. ,, Teal, 254. Chestnut-headed Buarremon, 134. ,, Ground Thrush, 308. Chilian Flamingo, 254, 285. „ Teal, 285. ,, Thrush, 100. ,, Tinamou, 99, 326. Chiloe Wigeons, 264. Chimachima, 263. Chinese Bamboo-Partridge, 94, 289. ,, Francolin, 68. ,, Painted Quail, 53. ,, Pheasant, 161. Chinese Birds, In Search of Rare, 142. Chinquis Pheasant, 182. Cholmley’s Seesee Partridge, 93. Chough, 20. Choughs, Alpine, 73, 244, 262. Chrysolophus amher slice, 198. ,, pictus, 197. Index to Subjects 345 Chukar, 24. ,, Arabian, 24. ,, Partridge, 92, 106, 257, 260. Cicinnurus regius, 33. Cinclocerthia ruficauda, 149. Cinereous Tinamou, 326. Cinnamon Teal, 254, 285. ,, Tinamou, 325. Cissolopha beecheii, 20. Clapperton’s Erancolin, 69. Coal Tit, 309. Coccothraustes per sonata, 314. Coccyzus minor shelleyi, 147. Cockatiel, 27, 29, 58, 283. ,, a Prolific Hen, 224. Cockatoo, Banksian, 217. ,, Bare-eyed, 260. „ Black, 260, 279. ,, Black Palm, 286. ,, Ducorp’s, 217, 260. ,, Ganga, 81. „ Gang-gang, 218. „ Goffin’s, 217, 260. ,, Great Black, 218. ,, Leadbeater, 71. ,, Palm, 260. ,, Boseate, 29, 286. ,, Sulphur- crested, 71, 217. ,, White Boseate, 72. Cocoi Heron, 263. Ccereba dominicana, 116. Cole Tit, 240. Colin, Black-breasted, 67. ,, Cuban, 67. ,, or Bob-White, Virginian, 66. „ Plumed, 65. ,, Bidgway’s, 67. ,, Scaly, 64. Colinus cubanensis, 67. ,, pectoralis, 67. ,, ridgwayi, 67. ,, virginianus, 66. Collared Plain Wanderer, 18. Collie’s Magpie- Jay, 251. Colombian Crested Quail, 66. Colour Varieties in Budgerigars, 109, 135. Columba araucana, 22. Columbula rufescens, 256. Columbigallina passer ina trochila, 154. Coly, Blue -n aped, 134. Combassous, 277. Comb Duck, 101. Conure, Crimson -breasted, 218. ,, Golden-crowned, 335. ,, Lucian’s, 21. ,, Nanday, 21. ,, Queen of Bavaria’s, [218, 260, 279. Conure, Bed-masked, 20. ,, Sun, 48. „ Weddell’s, 260. ,, White-eared, 71. ., Whitley’s, 260. ,, Yellow-headed, 20. Conurus Nanday us nenday (V.), 21. ,, rubrolarvatus, 20. Coot, American, 24. ,, Blue, 100. ,, Yellow- billed, 100. Coqui Francolin, 68. Coragyps urubu, 23. Cordon Bleus, 72, 273. Corean Pheasant, 201. Cormorant, 191. Corvidae, 261. Coryphospingus cristatus, 19. Corythceola cristata, 1. Corythoixoides leucogaster, 261. Coscoroba Swan, 255, 284. Cossypha heuglini, 104. ,, humeralis, 195. Cossyphas, Natal and White-shouldered, 258. Cotinga cayana, 113. ,, cincta, 114. Cotinga, Purple- throated, 113. Coturnix capensis, 51. ,, coromandelica, 51. ,, coturnix, 51. ,, delegorguei, 51, 105. ,, japonica, 51. ,, pectoralis, 52. Coucal, Indian, 20. Cowbird, Bay, 99. Cracidce, 294. Cracticus quoyi, 308. Crag Martin, 241. Crake, Black, 195, 263. Crane, Black-necked, 46, 256. ,, Crested, 102. ,, Crowned, 255, 260, 264, 282, 284, 285. „ Demoiselle, 45, 187, 255, 260, 264, 283, 285. „ Eastern Sarus, 257. ,, Japanese, 103. „ Lilford’s, 46, 260, 264. ,, Manchurian, 106, 257. „ Sarus, 89, 140, 222, 257, 260, 264, 282 335 ,, Stanley, 255, 260, 285. ,, Wattled, 288. „ White, 257. ,, ,, Asiatic, 260, 264. ,, White-necked, 257. Crax alberti, 297. 25 346 Index to Subjects Crax alector, 295. ,, carunculata, 297. ,, daubentoni, 297. ,, fasciolata, 295. ,, globicera, 295. ,, globulosa, 297. ,, hecki, 296. ,, panamensis, 297. ,, pinima, 295. ,, . sclateri, 24. Crested Cassique, 73. ,, Cranes, 102. ,, Curassow, 295. ,, Gnan, 300. ,, Pigeons, 262. „ Tit, 334. Crestless Firebacks, 210, 283. Crimson-breasted Connre, 218. „ Shrike, 263. Crimson -rumped Toucan et, 317. Crimson Tragopan, 233. Crimson-winged Babbler, 258. „ Parrakeet, 21, 72, 218, 263. Crimson-wing X Sula Island King Parrakeet, 72. Crossbills, 309. Crossoptilon auritum, 229. ,, c. drouyni, 230. ,, harmani , 230. ,, mantchuricum, 229. ,, tibetanum, 229. Crossoptilon, Blue, 229, 283. ,, Drouyn’s, 230. „ Harman’s, 230. ,, Manchurian, 229. „ White, 229. Crossoptilon Pheasant, 88. Crossoptilons, 139, 145, 169, 212, 229. ,, or Eared Pheasants, 228. ,, Unfriendly, 130. Crotophaga ani, 147. Crow, Black Butcher, 308. Crowned Cranes, 255, 260, 264, 282, 284, 285. „ Lapwing, 24. ,, Starling, 105. ,, Wood Partridge, 95. Crows, Piping, 78. Crypturus cinnamomeus, 325. ,, noctivagus, 325. ,, obsoletus, 324. ,, sonz, 324. ,, tataupa , 324. ,, unduiatus , 324.. ,, variegatus , 325. Crystal Palace, Foreign Birds at, 70. Crytonyx montezumce , 67. Cuban Colin, 67. Cuban Quail, 161, 263. „ Tanager, 134. ,, Todies, 84. „ Trogon, 63, 127, 134. Cuckoo, Antillean, 147. ,, Guira, 186. „ Renauld’s Ground, 105. Cuckoo-Dove, Long-tailed, 22. Curasao Crested Quail, 66. Curassow, Banded, 24. „ Crested, 295. ,, Daubenton’s, 297. ,, Flat-crested or Nocturnal, 298. ,, Galeated, 299. „ Globose, 295. ,, Globulose, 297. ,, Heck’s, 296. ,, Lesser Razor-billed, 298. ,, Panama, 297. ,, Pinima, 295. ,, Prince Albert’s, 297. ,, Razor-billed, 45, 186, 262, 298. ,, Salvin’s Razor-billed, 299. ,, Sclater’s, 295. ,, Yarrell’s, 297. Curassows and Guans, 294. “ Cutty”, 245, 339. Cyanerpes cyaneus, 19. Cyanochen cyanoptera, 23. Gyanocompsa parellina, 19. Cyanophaia bicolor, 120. Cyanops oorti, 308. Cyanopsittacus spixi, 218. Cyanorhampus unicolor, 269. Danish “ Landhens ”, 266. Darwin’s Koklas, 232. ,, Rheas, 256. Daubenton’s Curassow, 297. Death from Old Age, 167. ,, of a well-known Parrot, 311. Delacour’s Pheasant, 211, 256. Demoiselle Cranes, 45, 187, 255, 260 264, 283, 285. Dendroica plumhea, 122. ,, ruficapilla , 120. Derbyan Parrakeet, 142, 218, 286, 329 Desmarest’s Tanager, 72, 286. Diamond Doves, 27, 58, 283, 329. Diardigallus diardi , 209. Disappointments, Two, 303. Dominica, Notes on the Birds of, 114 146. Dominican Cardinals, 262. ,, Honey-Creeper, 116. ,, Kingbird or Tyrant, 123. ,, Wren, 124. Domicella domicdla , 217. Index to Subjects Ml Domicella lory lory , 217. Donaldson Smith’s White-eared Touraco, 130. Donaldson’s Touraco, 129, 263, 286. Double- spurred Francolin, 69. Douglas Quail, 66. Dove, Antillean, 155. „ „ Ground, 154. ,, Barbary, 192, 252. ,, Bleeding Heart, 283. „ Diamond, 27, 58, 283, 329. „ Ground, 283. „ Madagascar, 72. ,, Necklace, 23. ,, Plumed Ground, 263. ,, Ring-necked, 283. ,, Rock, 245. ,, Senegal, 23. ,, Socorro Mourning, 22. „ Stock, 332. „ Tambourine, 105. ,, Wells’s, 23. Drouyn’s Crossoptilon, 230. Dryolimnus cuvieri, 285. Duck, Abyssinian Yellow-bill, 103. ,, American Comb, 255. ,, Bahama, 254, 285. ,, Bow-billed or Hook-billed, 266. „ Call, 285. ,, Carolina, 106, 264, 285. ,, Comb, 101. ,, Eider, 101, 255. ,, Eyton’s Tree, 255. ,, Fulvous, 101. „ „ Tree, 255. ,, Indian Comb, 255. ,, Javan, 101. ,, Mandarin, 55, 79, 106, 236, 264. ,, North American Dusky, 103. ,, Red-billed Tree, 101. ,, Rosy-bill, 101. ,, Scaup, 103. ,, South African Red-billed, 257. ,, Steamer, 255. ,, White-backed, 254. ,, White-faced, 101. Ducorp’s Cockatoo, 217, 260. Bucorpsius goffini, 217. Dufresne’s Waxbill, 72, 79. Dunlin, 334. Duperuy’s Megapode or Scrub Fowl, 319. Dusky Pheasant, 201. „ Trumpeters, 262. Duyvenbode’s Lory, 129, 217. Eagle, American Bald, 263. „ Golden, 333. Eagle, Harrier, 46. Eared Pheasants, 228. Eastern Sarus Cranes, 257. Eclectus Parrot, 29, 83. Edward’s Lorikeet, 105. ,, Pheasant, 161, 209, 256, 283. Egg-binding, 132. Egret, Cattle, 129, 248, 255, 262. ,, Lesser, 263. Egyptian Flamingo, 254, 285. Eider Duck, 101, 255. Elainia pagana martinica , 124. Elegant Grass Parrakeets, 217, 267, 328, 334, 335. ,, Pheasant, 201. Elliot’s Pheasant, 161, 202, 203, 221, 256, 283. ,, Pitta, 263. Emberiza flaviventris, 306. Emerald-throated Humming Bird, 119. Emperor Geese, 255. Emus, 260. Eophona mdanura, 57. Eos fuscata, 217. „ variegata, 20. Erithacus alcahige, 105. Eulampis holosesiceus, 119. ,, jugular is, 118. Eupsychortyx cristatus, 66. ,, leucopogon, 66. ,, leylandi, 66. ,, sonnini , 66. European Eagle Owls, 261. ,, Rollers, 263. Everett’s Parrakeet, 71. Excalf actoria adansoni, 53. ,, chinensis, 53. ,, lineata, 53. Exchange of Birds, 27. Eyton’s Tree Duck, 255. Fairy Blue Birds, 47, 263. Falco caribbaearum, 151. Falcon, African Pigmy, 261. Falconet, Black-legged, 269. Fancy Pheasants, 161. Fantail Flycatchers, 78. Feather-plucking, 85, 218, 278, 310. Festive Amazon Parrot, 71. Finch, Australian, 262. ,, Bengalese, 59, 328. ,, Bichenow’s, 72. ,, Cherry, 263. ,, Chestnut, 134. „ Fire, 13. ,, Gouldian, 15, 26, 59, 268, 283, 328. „ Grey Singing, 13, 14, 277. 348 Index to Subjects Pinch, Indigo, 134. ,, Long-tailed, 15. ,, ,, Grass, 272, 328. ,, Masked Grass, 272. ,, Pectoralis, 329. „ Peter’s Spotted, 72. ,, Pileated, 280. ,, Purple, 134. Red-crested, 19, 72, 134. „ Red-headed x Ribbon, 72. ,, Ribbon, 245. ,, Ruficauda, 283, 328. ,, Sclater’s or the Red-throated, 124. ,, Serin, 240. „ Zebra, 13, 27, 58, 272, 328. Fireback, Bornean, 139, 161, 211, 256. „ ,, Crestless, 210. ,, Crestless, 210, 283. „ Siamese, 209. „ Sumatran Crestless, 211. Pirebacks, 209, 221. Pire Finch, 13, 26. „ African, 277. „ Brown-capped, 19. ,, Gold-breast, 277. „ Jameson’s, 19. ,, Orange-cheek, 277. Fischer’s Lovebird, 21, 31, 261, 279. Flamingo, Chilian, 254, 285. ,, Egyptian, 254, 285. ,, Ruddy, 254. Flamingoes, 101, 260, 282, 284. Plat-crested or Nocturnal Curassow, 298. Florida ccerulea ccerulescens, 152. Flycatcher, Fantail, 78. „ Martinique, 124. ,, Ober’s Crested, 123. ,, Spotted, 309. Foreign Birds at the Crystal Palace, 70. Foreign Finches Easy to Breed, 272. Forktail, Javan, 308. Formosan Bamboo Partridge, 94, 105, 289. ,, Pheasant, 201. Forpis cyanopygia, 21. Forsten's Lorikeet, 20, 217, 286. Fowls, Japanese Long-tailed, 257. Foxwarren Park, Nesting Notes from, 104. France, A Tour in, 254. Francolin, Black, 68. „ Cape, 69. ,, Cape Bare-throated, 69. „ Chinese, 68. ,, Clapperton’s, 69. ,, Common, 244, 263. ,, Coqui, 68. Francolin, Double-spurred, 69. ,, Grant’s, 69. ,, Gray’s Bare-throated, 69. ,, Grey, 24, 68. ,, Grey- winged, 69. ,, Hildebrandt’s, 69. ,, Indian Swamp, 69. ,, Jackson’s, 69. ,, Kirk’s, 69. ,, Levaillant’s, 69. ,, Natal, 69. ,, Painted, 68. ,, Schuett’s, 69. ,, Sclater’s, 69. ,, Spotted, 69, 263. ,, Swainson’s, 69. Francolins, 67. Francolinus africanus, 69. ,, bicalcar afais, 69. ,, capensis, 69. ,, clappertoni, 69. ,, coqui, 68. ,, francolinus, 68. ,, granti, 69. ,, gularis, 69. ,, Jiildebrandti, 69. ,, jachsoni, 69. ,, kirki, 69. ,, levaillanti, 69. ,, natalensis, 69. ,, pictus, 68. ,, pintadeanus, 68. ,, pondicerianus, 24, 68. ,, schuctti, 69. ,, spilogaster, 69. Fregata aquila, 154. Frigate Bird, 154. Frogmouth, Papuan, 308. Frost, Mr. Wilfred’s, Importation, 308. Fruit-sucker, Golden-fronted, 73. ,, Green, 258. ,, Hardwicke’s, 258. Fulica amcricana, 24. Fulvous Duck, 101. ,, Tree Duck, 255. Fytche’s Bamboo Partridge, 94, 289. Galeated Curassow, 299. Galeopsar Salvador ii, 105. Gallicolumba jobiensis, 105. ,, stairi, 23. ,, xanthonura, 23. Gallirex chlorochlamys, 195, 261. ,, porphyrcolophus, 261. Galloperdix spadicea, 94. Gallus bankiva, 226. ,, gallus, 106, 226. ,, jabouillei, 226. Index to Subjects 349 Gallus lafayetti, 24, 227. ,, murghi, 226. ,, robinsoni, 226. ,, sonnerati, 106, 227. ,, varius, 227. Gambel’s Quail, 65. Ganga Cockatoo, 81. Gang-gang Cockatoo, 218. Garganey, 285. Garnet-throated Humming-bird, 118. Garrulax milnei, 258. Geese, Abyssinian Blue- winged, 255. ,, Ashy-headed, 255. ,, Bar-headed, 264, 284. ,, Bernicle, 264, 284. ,, Blue Snow, 285. ,, Brent, 264, 332. ,, Canada, 284. ,, Emperor, 255. ,, Magellan, 264. ,, Maned, 254. ,, Orinoco, 255, 285. ,, Red-breasted, 254. ,, Ross's Snow, 255. ,, Ruddy, 255. ,, Snow, 266. Gennceus hamiltoni, 206. ,, horsfieldi, 206. ,, leucomelanus, 206. ,, lewisi, 207. ,, lineatus, 206. ,, l. oatesi, 207. ,, l. sharpei, 207. ,, melanotus, 206. ,, nycthemerus, 207. ,, n. annamensis, 208. ,, ,, beli, 208. ,, ,, berliozi, 207. ,, ,, ripponi, 207. ,, ,, rufipes, 207. ,, whiteheadi, 208. Geocichla inter pres, 308. Geoff roy us aruensis, 218. ,, cyanicollis, 129. Geophaps smithi, 23. Geotrygon chrysia, 283. „ montana, 283. Geranocetus australis, 263. Germain's Peacock Pheasant, 183, 256, 283 Giant Whydah, 59, 134. Gibbons, 255. Globose Curassow, 295. Globulose Curassow, 297. Glossy Starling, Green, 73, 235. ,, Purple-backed, 236. ,, Purple-headed, 236. ,, Red-eyed, 236. Glossy Starling, Royal Long-tailed, 236. Glossy Starlings, 73, 262, 280, 286. Godwits, 285. Goffin's Cockatoo, 217, 260. Goldbreasts, 277. Golden-backed Hanging Parrakeets, 261. ,, ,, Parrot, 50, 70. Golden-breasted Bunting, 306, 340. „ Waxbills, 273. Golden-crowned Conure, 335. ,, Sparrow, 134. Golden -fronted Bulbul, 263. ,, Fruit-sucker, 73. Golden-shouldered Parrakeet, 28. Golden Eagle, 333. ,, Eyes, Barrow’s, 255. Golden Pheasant, 106, 161, 197, 221. ,, Plover, 334. ,, Tanager, 134. Goldfinch, Russian, 134. ,, Willow, 134. Goose, Abyssinian Blue-winged, 23, 255. ,, African Pigmy, 194. ,, Red-breasted, 23. Gouldian Finch, 15, 26, 59, 268, 283, 328. Goura sclateri, 303. Grackle, 47, 256. ,, Black-winged, 305, 327. Gracupica tertia, 256. Grallina picata, 20, 104. Grallina, Pied, 20, 78, 104. Grant’s Francolin, 69. Grass Finch or Quit, Black-bellied, 125. ,, Parrakeets, 267. Gray’s Argus Pheasant, 181. ,, Bare-throated Francolin, 69. ,, Pond Herons, 263. Great Argus Pheasant, 181. ,, Black Cockatoo, 218. ,, Crested Grebe, 191. „ Tit, 240. Great-billed Mueller’s Parrots, 260. Greater Ani, 261. „ Tit, 309. Grebe, Great Crested, 191. Greek Partridge, 92. Greenshank, 334. Green Broadbills, 49. ,, Cardinals, 72. ,, Fruit- suckers, 258. ,, Glossy Starling, 73, 235. ,, or Javan Jungle Fowl, 227, 264. ,, Parrots, 335. ,, Toucanette, 73. Green-billed Toucan, 262. 350 Index to Subjects Green-naped Pheasant Pigeon, 158. Green-necked Touraco, 195. Green-thighed Catiques, 285. Greey’s Guan, 300. Grey-headed Sheldrake, 338. Grey wing Budgerigars, 111. Greywing-blue Budgerigars, 166. Grey-winged Francolin, 69. Grey Bulbuls, 262. ,, Francolin, 24, 68. ,, Parrots, 218. „ Peacock Pheasant, 183. ,, Singing Finch, 13, 14, 277. ,, Thrush, 149. ,, Waxbill, 26. Grosbeak, Black-headed, 314. „ Blue, 72, 134, 262. ,, Guadelope, 126. ,, Lazuline, 19. „ Yellow-breasted, 99. Ground-Dove, Buff-hooded, 23. ,, Stairs ’s, 23. ,, White-breasted, 23. Ground Hornbills, 261. Grouse, 96, 334. ,, Black, 97. ,, Hazel, 98. ,, Prairie, 98. „ Red, 97. ,, Ruffed, 98. ,, Sharp-tailed, 98. „ Willow, 97. Grus antigone, 89. ,, japonensis, 106. Guadeloupe Grosbeak, 126. Guan, Amazonian Piping, 302. „ Araucuan, 301. ,, Cayenne, 300. „ Chattering, 302. „ Crested, 300. ,, Guiana, 301. ,, Greey’s, 300. „ Mexican, 302. ,, Orton’s, 300. „ Pileated, 262, 300. ,, Purplish, 300. ,, Red-tailed, 301. ,, Scaly, 301. ,, Wattled, 303. ,, White-bellied, 301. ,, ,, crested Piping, 302. ,, ,, eye-browed, 299. „ „ fronted, 301. „ ,, headed Piping, 302. Guans, 260, 294, 299. Guiana Guan, 301. ,, Partridge, 67. Guildings Parrot, 3, 31 L Guineafowl and Waterfowl, Hybrid, 57. Guinea Fowl, Abyssinian, 255. ,, ,, Common, 265. „ ,, Helmeted, 45. ,, ,, Madagascar, 255. ,, ,, Mitred, 265. ,, ,, Tuft-billed, 265. ,, ,, Vulturine, 265. Guineafowls, 260, 262, 264. Guira Cuckoos, 186. Gull, Black-headed, 192. ,, Common, 192. ,, Herring, 192. ,, Silver, 24. Gymnoschizorhis, 261. ,, per sonata, 79. Hagenbeck’s Pheasant, 201. Hainan Pheasant, 208. Hanging Parrot, Worcester’s, 49. Hanging Parrots, 134, 135. Hangnest, Bullock’s, 281. „ Silky, 286. ,, Yellow- crowned, 73. Hapaloderma narina, 63. Hardwicke’s Fruit -suckers, 258. Harlequin Quail, 51, 105. Harman’s Crossoptilon, 230. Harrier Eagle, 46. Harriers, Marsh, 287, 332. ,, Montagu’s, 46, 263, 332. Hawfinch, Japanese, 134, 314. ,, Siberian, 72. Hawfinches, Black-tailed and Masked, 57. Hawk, Caribbean Sparrow, 151. ,, Red-tailed, 263. Hawkhead Parrot, 128, 286. Hazel Grouse, 98. Heck’s Curassow, 296. Helmet- crested Humming-bird, 117. Helmeted Guinea-fowls, 45. ,, Shrikes, 186, 194. Hemipodes or Bustard Quails, 16. Hen Gouldian Finch in Cock’s Plumage, 59. Henicurus leschenaulti, 308. Hermit Thrush, 20. Heron, 192, 309. „ Blue, 152. „ Buff-backed, 44, 248 ,, Cocoi, 263. ,, Gray’s Pond, 263. ,, Little Green, 151. ,, Yellow- crowned Night, 152. Herring Gull, 192. Heteropsar albicapillus, 104, 105. Heuglin’s Robin Chat, 104. Index to Subjects 851 Hey’s Seesee Partridge, 93. Hierophasis edwardsi, 209. ,, imperialis, 209. ,, swinhoei, 209. Hildebrandt’s Francolin, 69. Hodgson’s Partridge, 93. Hoki, 130, 229. Holoquisccdus fortirostris, 157. Homoeopathic Remedies for Birds, 27. Honey Creeper, Dominican, 116. Hooded Parrakeet, 224, 329. „ Pitta, 258, 286. ,, Siskin, 286. Hoopoe, 244. Hornbill, Ground, 261. Horned Pheasants or Tragopans, 233. Horsfield’s Kaleege, 206. ,, Pheasant, 86, 139. Hume’s Pheasant, 202. Humming-bird, Bell’s, 120. ,, Emerald-throated, 119. ,, Garnet- throated, 118. ,, Helmet- crested, 117. ,, Two-coloured, 120. Humming-birds, 166. ,, West Indian, 117. Hyacinthine Macaw, 71, 103, 218, 260, 286. Hybrid Guineafowl and Waterfowl, 57. ,, Lovebirds, 30. Hybrids, Bengalese, 19. Hylobates concolor, 255. ,, leucogenys, 255. Ibis, American Wood, 262. ,, Black-necked, 262. ,, Pileated, 260. ,, Sacred, 99. ,, Scarlet, 47, 99, 263. ,, White, 263. Icterus bullocki, 281. ,, gularis, 262. Ijima Pheasant, 203. Illiger’s Macaws, 217. Imperial Amazon, 70, 71. ,, Parrot, 217. ,, Pheasant, 161, 209, 256. Impeyan Pheasant, 86, 139, 221, 230. Indian Bush Quails, 94. ,, Comb Duck, 255. ,, Coucal, 20. ,, Ring-necked Parrakeet, 132. ,, Shama, 313. ,, Swamp Francolin, 69. Indigo Bunting, 14. ,, Finches, 134. Indo-Chinese White-crested Jay Thrushes, 256. Ispidina natalensis, 195. Jagana, African, 74, 195. Jackal Buzzard, 263. Jackasses, 261. Jackson’s Francolin, 69. Jamaican Amazon Parrot, 260. ,, Black-billed or All-Green Parrot, 8. ,, Yellow-billed Parrot, 8. Jameson’s Firefinch, 19. Japanese Crane, 103. ,, Hawfinch, 134, 314. ,, Long-tailed Fowls, 257. ,, Nun, 134. ,, Pheasant, 201. ,, Quail, 51. ,, Robin, 105. „ Tit, 73. Java Sparrow, 55, 328. Javan Duck, 101. ,, Forktail, 308. ,, Jungle Fowl, 103. ,, or Spicifer Peacock, 179. Jay, Beechey’s, 20. ,, Blue- crested, 73. ,, Lidth, 256. ,, Mexican Plumed, 263. „ Plumed, 184, 250, 309. ,, San Bias, 46, 262, 286. ,, Swainson’s Long-tailed, 184. Jay Thrush, Indo-Chinese White- crested, 256. Jay Thrushes, 286. Juncos, Black-headed, 135. Jungle Bush Quail, 94. Jungle Fowl, 103, 225, 264. ,, Burmese, 161. „ Ceylon, 24, 227. „ Green or Javan, 227, 264. ,, Javan, 103. „ Red, 106, 264. ,, Red or Bankiva, 226. ,, Sonnerat’s, 106, 227. Kagu, 248, 249, 260, 263. Kaleege and Allied Pheasants, 205, 206. Kaleege, Black-backed, 206, 212. Kaleeg (Nepal) Pheasant, 161. Kattacincla macroura macroura, 313. ,, ,, indica, 313. Keston Foreign Bird Farm, 328. Kestrel, Lesser, 243. Kestrels, 191. Keswick Aviaries, A visit to the, 261. Keswick Hall Gardens, Birds in and around, 308. King Bird of Paradise, 33, 55, 73. 352 Index to Subjects King Bird of Paradise, Nesting Habits of, 33. Kingbird or Tyrant, Dominican, 123. Kingfisher, Antillean Giant, 150. „ Natal, 195. King Parrakeets, 218. ,, Vulture, 46, 263. Kirk’s Francolin, 69. Kite, Black, 23. Kites, 334. Kiwis, 101. Knots, 100, 285. Koklas, 231, 232. ,, Darwin’s, 232. ,, Yellow-necked, 232. Kolb’s Vulture, 263. Koro Parrakeets, 261. Kudari, 165. Kuhl’s Huffed Lories, 30. Lagonosticta jamesoni, 19. ,, senegola, 13. Lag opus lag opus, 97. ,, mutus, 97. ,, scoticus, 97. Lampronessa sponsa, 106. Lamprotornis porphyropterus, 304. ,, purpureous, 236, 304. ,, purpuropterous, 186. Lancashire Aviary, Notes from a, 12. Laniarius starki, 195. Lapwing, 332. ,, Cayenne, 99. ,, Crowned, 24. Large-billed Indian Weaver, 112. Larger Indian Bustard Quail, 17. Lark, Calandra, 244. Lark Sparrows, 134. Larus novaehollandiae, 24. Lavender Waxbills, 273. Lazuli Buntings, 134. Lazuline Grosbeak, 19. Leadbeater Cockatoo, 71. Lear’s Macaw, 260. Leclancher’s Bunting, 262. Leiothrix, 13. Leipoa ocellata, 320. Leptoptila wellsi, 23. Lepurana Bustard Quail, 17. Lesser Bird of Paradise, 308. ,, Egrets, 263. ,, Kestrel, 243. ,, Bazor-billed Curassow, 298. Levaillant’s Francolin, 69. ,, Parrot, 71. Lewis’ Pheasant, 207, 256. Leyland’s Crested Quail, 66. Lhuy’s Monaul, 231. Lidth Jays, 256. Lilac-breasted Holler, 263. Lilford Aviaries, Notes from the, 101. Lilford’s Crane, 46, 260, 264. Limnocorax niger, 195, 270. Limnopardalis sanguinolenta or rytir- hyncha, 24, 260. Lineated Pheasant, 206. Liothrix, 134. Little African Bustard Quail, 17. ,, Bustard Quail, 17. ,, Green Heron, 151. Live Food on Board Ship, 163. Lobed Pheasant, 212. Lobiophasis bulweri, 212. Lobivanellus lateralis, 195. London, Some Larger Birds of, 190. Longevity, 26. Long- tailed Cuckoo-Dove, 22. „ Finch, 15, 328. ,, Grass Finches, 272. ,, Parrakeet, 268. ,, Pheasants, 202. Lophophorous, 169. Lophophorus impeyanus, 106, 230. ,, I’husi, 231. ,, sclateri, 231. Lophortyx californicus, 65, 274. ,, douglasi, 66. „ gambeli, 65. Lophura ignita, 211. ,, rufa, 211. ,, s. albipennis, 211. ,, s. delacouri, 211. ,, s. sumatrana, 211. Lories, Bornean, 260. ,, Yellow-backed, 286. Lorikeet, Edward’s, 105. „ Forsten’s, 20, 217, 286. ,, Ornate, 217. „ Purple- capped, 260. ,, Bed-collared, 20, 217. ,, Scaly-breasted, 20. ,, Swainson’s, 29, 262. Lort’s Hollers, 261. Lory, Black-capped, 217. ,, Duyvenbode’s, 129, 217. ,, Kuhl’s Huffed, 30. „ Purple- capped, 217. ,, Baja, 61. ,, Bed-fronted, 217. ,, Violet-necked, 20. ,, White-rumped, 217. „ Yellow-backed, 70. Lovebird, Abyssinian, 21, 71. „ Black- cheeked, 21, 27, 30, 31, 71, 261. ,, Blue-winged, 135. Index to Subjects 858 Lovebird, Fischers, 21, 31, 261, 279. „ Masked, 21, 30, 31, 261. „ Nyasa, 21, 27, 135, 261. ,, Peach-faced, 21, 70, 261. Lovebirds, 100, 262. „ Hybrid, 30. ,, Precocious, 56. ,, Rings for, 31. Loxigilla noctis sclateri, 124. Lucian’s Conure, 21. Lyrurus tetrix, 97. Macaw, Blue and Yellow, 71, 217. ,, Hyacinthine, 71, 103, 218, 260, 286. ,, Illiger’s, 217. ,, Lear’s, 260. „ Noble, 71, 260. ,, Red and Yellow, 102. „ Spix, 71, 134, 135, 218, 260, 286. ,, Yellow- collared, 218. Macropygia emiliana, 260. ,, swinhoei, 105. ,, umchall , 22. Madagascar Bustard Quail, 105. „ Doves, 72. ,, Guinea Fowl, 255. ,, Partridge, 94, 161, 256. „ White-eyes, 254. Magellan Geese, 264. Magnificent Bird of Paradise, 308. Magpie, White, 286. „ White-backed, 79. Magpie-Jays, 250. ,, Collie’s, 251. Magpie Pigeons, 286. ,, Tanager, 286. Malabar Myna, 20. ,, Parrakeet, 21, 329. Malachite Sunbird, 73, 186, 262. Malayan Peacock Pheasant, 182, 184. Maleo, 322. Mallard, 103. Mallee Fowl, 320. Manchurian Crane, 106, 257. ,, Crossoptilon or Hoki, 229. ,, Eared Pheasants, 263. ,, Pheasant, 221. Mandarin Duck, 55, 79, 106, 236, 264. Maned Geese, 254. Mannikin, Bronze- winged, 223. ,, Rufous-backed, 72. Many-coloured Parrakeet, 218, 267. Marble Guiana Quail, 25. Margaroperdix madagascariensis, 94. Marquesas Island Ground Pigeon, 256. Marsh-birds, 263. Marsh-Harriers, 287, 332. Martin, Crag, 241. Martinetta Tinamou, 326. Martinique Flycatcher, 124. Masked Grass Finch, 15. ,, Lovebird, 21, 30, 31, 261. ,, Weaver, 72-. Mealy Rosella Parrakeet, 283. Mediterranean Warbler, 238. Megacephalon maleo, 322. Megapode or Scrub Fowl, Duperrey’s, 319. Megapodes or Mount Builders, 319. Megapodius duperreyi, 319. Melanistic Mutant Pheasant, 161. Meleagris americana, 102. ,, I era, 106. Mesia, Silver-eared, 134. Mesias, 262. Mexican Barred Partridge, 66. ,, Guan, 302. „ Plumed Jays, 263. „ Quail, 72, 161. ,, Scarlet Tan agar, 99. Microscelis psaroides, 262. Mikado Pheasant, 161, 202, 204, 256. Military Starlings, 236. Milvago, Brown, 46. Milvus migrans, 23. Miners, Bell, 78. Mitred Guineafowl, 265. Mitua mitu, 298. ,, salvini, 299. ,, tometosa, 298. Mniotilta varia, 122. Mocking Bird, 166. Monaul, Lhuys, 231. ,, Sclater's, 231. Monaul Pheasant, 106, 161, 230. Mongolian Pheasant, 161, 200. Montagu’s Harriers, 46, 263, 332. Montezuma Quail, 67. Motmots, 261, 262. Movable Aviaries, 311. Muscovies, Wild, 103. Musophaga rossce, 141. ,, vioiacea, 141. Myadestes dominicanus, 146. Myiarchus oberi oberi , 123. Mynah, Common, 47. ,, Malabar, 20. „ Pagoda, 20, 236. Nanday Conure, 21. Napoleon Peacock Pheasant, 184. Narina Trogon, 63. Natal Cossyphas, 258. ,, Francolin, 69. „ Kingfisher, 195. 354 Index to Subjects Necklace Dove, 23. Neonanodes elegans, 217. Neophema elegans, 335. ,, venusta, 335. Nepal Kaleege, 221. ,, Pheasant, 206. Nest-boxes, Sunshine on, 311. Nesting Habits of the King Bird of Paradise, 33. Nesting Notes from Foxwarren Park, 104. Nesting of the Black Bail, 270. ,, Black-headed Grosbeak, Japanese Hawfinch and the Thick¬ billed Weaver, 314. „ Golden-breasted Bunting, 306. Nettapus auritus, 194. New Arrivals, 48. New Parrot House at the London Zoological Gardens, 215. New Year Notes, 32. Nightjar, 332. Noble Macaw, 71, 260. Nonpareil Bunting, 15, 262. Nonpareils, 59, 134. Norfolk Island Parrakeets, 283. North American Dusky Ducks, 103. ,, Turkey, 106. ,, Wild Turkeys, 102, 285. Northern Pheasant, 199. ,, Water Thrush, 150. Nothocrax urumutum, 298. Nothoprocta cinerasceus, 326. ,, maculosa, 326. ,, perdicaria, 326. Northumberland, Notes from, 58. Notes at the Poultry Congress, 264. Notes for 1930, 267. Notes from a Lancashire Aviary, 12. ,, Bradley Court, 127. ,, Lilford Aviaries, 101. ,, Northumberland, 58. ,, South Africa, 224. Notes on the Birds of Dominica, 114, 146. Notes on the Past Season, 44. Notes on Bare Parrots of the Genus Amazona, 2. Nun, Japanese, 134. Nuthatches, 309. Nyasa Lovebird, 21, 27, 135, 261. N yctanassa violacea, 152. Ober’s Crested Flycatcher, 123. Odontophorus guianensis, 67. „ ,, panamensis, 25. (Estrelata hcesitata, 114, 156. Old English Pheasant, 161. Olivaceous Thrushes, 99. Olive Pigeons, 260. On the Position of the Jaganas and on L’Herminier’s Classification of Birds, 74. Oort’s Barbet, 308. Orange Bishop, 14. „ Cheek, 26, 277. ,, Weavers, 134. Orange-flanked Parrakeet, 21. Oreortyx pictus, 65. Organist, Blue-headed, 262. Origin of Colour Varieties in Budgeri¬ gars, 56, 84, 109, 135. Orinoco Geese, 255, 285. Oriole, Black-headed, 134. Ortolan Buntings, 244. Ortalis albiventris, 301. ,, garrula, 302. ,, motmot, 301. ,, ruficauda, 301. ,, spixi, 301. ,, squamata, 301. ,, vetula, 302. Orton’s Guan, 300. Osprey, 190. Ostrich, Somali, 260. Otidiphaps nobilis, 158. ,, ,, uruensis, 308. Ouzel, Tickell’s, 73. Oven Bird, 134. Owl, Aru Boobook, 308. ,, Boobook, 23. ,, Brown, 191. ,, European Eagle, 261. „ Snowy, 23, 138, 196. ,, Virginian Eagle, 258. Oyster- catchers, 262. Pagoda Mynah, 20, 236. Painted Francolin, 68. ,, Quail, 52. ,, ,, and Bustard Quail, 133. Palceornis columboides, 21. ,, longicauda, 268. Pallas’ Pheasant, 201. Palm Cockatoos, 260. Panama Curassow, 297. Papuan Frogmouth, 308. Paradise Whydah, 14, 59. Par oar ia nigrigenis, 19. Parrakeet, Adelaide, 22. ,, Alexandrine, 106. ,, All-green, 279. ,, Antipodes Island, 269. ,, Australian King, 268. ,, Barnard, 71, 283. ,, Barraband, 80, 106, 268, 328. Index to Subjects 355 Parrakeet, Black- tailed, 21, 218. „ Blossom-head, 128. ,, Blue-winged Grass, 283, 335. „ Brown’s, 22, 59, 83, 279, 328. ,, Canary- winged, 250. ,, Crimson-wing, 21, 72, 218, 263. ,, Derbyan, 142, 218, 286, 329. ,, Elegant Grass, 217, 267, 328, 334, 335. ,, Everett’s, 71. ,, Golden-backed Hanging, 261. ,, Golden -shouldered, 28. ,, Hooded, 224, 329. ,, Indian Ring-necked, 132. „ King, 218. „ Koro, 261. ,, Long-tailed, 268. ,, Malabar, 21, 329. ,, Many-coloured, 218, 267, 328. ,, Mealy Rosella, 283. ,, Norfolk Island, 283. ,, Orange-flanked, 21. ,, Pennants, 71, 218, 263. ,, Pileated, 29, 335. ,, Princess of Wales’, 71, 168, 256. ,, Purple-capped, 261. ,, Queen Alexandra, 79, 260. ,, Redrump, 267. ,, Red-shining, 260. ,, Ring-necked, 106. ,, Rock-peplar, 80. ., Rosella, 78. „ Stanley, 29, 71, 279, 283, 286. ,, Sula Island King, 21, 72, 218. „ Swift, 22. ,, Tabuan, 261. „ Tovi, 71. ,, Turquoisine, 79, 267, 279, 328, 334. ,, Yellow-bellied, 71, 80, 85, 279, 283. Parrakeet Notes, 163. „ Ring-necked, at Liberty, 132. Parrakeets, Grass, 267. Parrot, Aru, 218. ,, Aubrey’s, 71, 217. ,, Black-billed or All-green, 8. „ Bodin’s, 9. ,, Bouquet’s, 36. ,, Brown-necked, 260. ,, Cayman Island, 6. ,, Clever Grey, 137. ,, Eclectus, 29, 83. ,, Festive Amazon, 71. ,, Golden-backed Hanging, 50, 70. ,, Great-billed Mueller’s, 260. „ Grey, 218. „ Guilding’s, 3. Parrot, Guilding’s Amazon, 311. ,, Hawkhead, 128, 286. ,, Imperial, 217. ,, „ Amazon, 70, 71. ,, Jamaican Yellow-billed, 8. ,, Levaillant’s, 71. ,, Pretre’s Amazon, 260. ,, Racquet-tailed, 129, 217. „ Red-bellied, 218, 260. ,, Riippell’s, 71, 260. ,, Salle’s Amazon, 260. ,, Senegal, 338. ,, Short-tailed, 260. ,, St. Vincent, 166. ,, Versicolour, 5. ,, Vinaceous, 11. ,, Worcester’s Hanging, 49, 70. ,, Yellow-bellied, 260, 269. ,, Yellow- cheeked, 10. „ Yellow-fronted, 260. Parrot, Death of a well-known, 311. Parrot Disease, 54. Parrot Finch, Peales, 19. Parrotlet, Blue-rumped, 21. Parrots, 256, 260, 263. Parrots, Feather-plucking in, 218, 310. „ Green, 335. Parrots, Hanging, 134, 135. Partridge, Bamboo, 256, 286. ,, Barbary Red-legged, 92. ,, Black-headed, 92, 260. ,, Bonham’s Seesee, 93. ,, Cape, 69. „ Chukor, 92, 106, 257, 260. ,, Cholmley’s Seesee, 93. ,, Common, 93. ,, ,, or Chinese Bamboo, 289. ,, ,, Red-legged, 92. ,, ,, Tree, 95. ,, Formosan Bamboo, 94, 105, 289. ,, Fytch’s Bamboo, 289. ,, Greek, 92. ,, Guiana, 67. ,, Hey’s Seesee, 93. ,, Hodgson’s, 93. ,, Madagascar, 94, 161, 256. ,, Mexican Barred, 66. ,, Red-legged, 92. ,, Seesee, 93. ,, Stone, 96. ,, Tree, 95, 161. ,, Wood, 95. Partridges, 91. ,, The True, 93. Passerine Birds, 261. Pauxis pauxi, 299. Pavo, 176. ,, cristatus, 106, 177. 356 Index to Subjects Pavo cristatus nigripennis, 106, 178. ,, muticus, 176, 179. ,, ,, specif er, 179. Peach-faced Lovebird, 21, 70, 261. Peacock Pheasant, 169, 182, 283. Peacock (Chinque’s) Pheasant, 161. Peacock, Black-shouldered, 106, 178. ,, Common, 177. ,, Javan or Spicifer, 179. „ White, 282. Peafowl, 176, 255. Peafowl, Black-shouldered, 106, 260. „ Specifer, 221. „ White, 178, 221. Peale’s Parrot Finch, 19. Pectoralis Finches, 329. Pedicecetes phasianellus, 98. Pedionomus torquatus, 18. Pekin Bobins, 13, 73, 339. Pelican, 101. „ American White, 335. Penelope cristata, 300. ,, jacucaca, 301. ,, jacupeba, 300. ,, mar ail, 300. ,, ortoni, 300. ,, pileata, 300. ,, purpurascens, 300. ,, super ciliar is, 299. Pennant’s Parrakeet, 71, 218, 263. Perdicula, 94. ,, argoondah, 94. ,, asiatica, 94. Perdix hodgsonice, 93. ,, perdix, 93. Peregrine, 190. Peter’s Spotted Finch, 72. Petrel, Capped, 114, 156. Petrocincla eryihrogastra, 104. Phaps chalcoptera, 104. Pharomacrus moccino, 61. Phasianus, 169. ,, colchicus colchicus, 199. „ ,, kiangsuensis, 200. „ ,, mongolicus, 200. „ ,, mut. tenebrosus, 201. ,, ,, persicus, 200. ,, ,, principalis, 200. ,, ,, septentrionalis, 199. ,, ,, shawi, 200. „ ,, talischensis, 200. ,, formosanus, 201. ,, p. bianchii, 200. ,, ,, chrysomelas, 200. ,, ,, turcestanicus, 200. ,, ,, zarudnyi, 200. „ „ zerafshanicus, 200. ,, t. decollatus, 201. Phasianus t. decollatus hagenbecki, 201. ,, ,, karponi, 201. ,, ,, satschuensis, 201. ,, ,, strauchi, 201. ,, ,, takatsukasai, 200. ,, ,, tarimensis, 201. ,, ,, torquatus, 200. ,, ,, vlangalii, 201. ,, versicolor, 201. ,, v. kinsinensis, 201. ,, ,, robustus, 201. ,, ,, tanensis, 201. Pheasant, Amherst, 161, 197, 198, 214 221. „ Annam, 208. „ Argus, 169, 179, 181, 260. „ Bel’s, 208, 256. ,, Berlioz, 207, 256. ,, Black-backed Kaleege, 206. „ Blue, 209. ,, Bulwer’s, 212. ,, Bornean Fireback, 161, 256. ,, Burmese, 202. „ Cheer, 204, 205. Chinese, 161. ,, Chinquis, 182. ,, Common, 169, 199. ,, ,, Argus, 256. ,, ,, Peacock, 256. ,, Corean, 201. ,, Crossoptilons or Eared, 88, 228. ,, Delacour’s, 211, 256. ,, Dusky, 201. ,, Eared, 228. „ Edward’s, 161, 209, 256, 283. ,, Elegant, 201. „ Elliot’s, 161, 202, 203, 221, 256 283. ,, Fireback, 221. ,, Formosan, 201. ,, Germain’s Peacock, 183, 256, 283 „ Golden, 106, 161, 197, 221. ,, Gray’s Argus, 181. ,, Grey Peacock, 183. ,, Hagenbeck’s, 201. ,, Hainan, 208. ,, Horned, 233. „ Horsfield, 86, 139. ,, ,, Kaleege, 206. ,, Hume’s, 202. ,, Ijima, 203. ,, Imperial, 161, 209, 256. ,, Impeyan, 86, 139, 221, 230. ,, Japanese, 201. ,, Kaleeg, 161. ,, Koklas, 231. ,, Lewis’, 207, 256. ,, Lineated, 206. Index to Subjects 357 Pheasant, Lobed, 212. ,, Malayan Peacock, 182, 184. ,, Manchurian, 221, 263. ,, Melanistic Mutant, 161. „ Mikado, 161, 202, 204, 256. „ Monaul, 106, 161, 230. ,, Mongolian, 161, 200. „ Napoleon, 184, 334. ,, Nepal, 206. ,, ,, Kaleege, 221. ,, Old English, 161. ,, Pallas’, 201. „ Peacock, 161, 169, 182, 283, 334. ,, Prince of Wales’, 200. ,, Bed-legged, 207. „ Beeves’, 161, 202, 203, 212, 221. ,, Bheinardt’s Argus, 181, 212, 256. ,, Bingless, 201. ,, Bing-necked, 200. ,, Bippon’s, 207. ,, Bufous-tailed, 210. „ Satyr, 86. ,, Shaw’s, 200. ,, Siamese Fireback, 161. „ Silver, 161, 207, 221, 264. ,, Scemmerring’s, 202, 203, 256. „ Sumatran, 211. ,, ,, Peacock, 308. „ Swinhoe’s, 87, 139, 161, 209, 221. ,, Tragopan, 161, 221. ,, Vieillot’s, 211. ,, „ Fireback, 161, 256. „ White, 161. ,, White- crested, 206. ,, White- tailed, 211. Pheasant Breeding Besults, 85. Pheasants, 138, 169, 197, 225. ,, A few notes on, 212. ,, Common, 198, 199. ,, Fancy, 161. „ True, 198. Philippine Button Quail, 134, 135. Philortyx fasciatus, 66. Pied Grallina, 20, 78, 104. Pies, Blue Occipital, 262. ,, Tree, 100. Pigeon, Araucanian, 22. ,, Aru Noble Pheasant, 308. ,, Bleeding-heart, 263. ,, Bronze-wing, 104. ,, Crested, 262. ,, Green-naped Pheasant, 158. ,, Homer, 286. ,, Magpie, 286. ,, Marquesas Island Ground, 256. ,, Olive, 260. ,, Bose-breasted Fruit, 308. „ Sclater’s Crowned, 47, 263, 303. Pigeon, Swinhoe’s Pheasant-tailed, 105. ,, White-breasted, 105. Pigmy Woodpecker, 73. Pileated Finches, 280. ,, Guans, 262, 300. „ Ibis, 260. ,, Parrakeet, 29, 335. ,, Tinamou, 324. Pilerodius pileatus, 260. Pine Siskins, 134. Pinima Curassow, 295. Pink-eared Crested Bulbuls, 262. Pipile cujubi, 302. ,, cumanensis , 302. ,, jacutinga, 302. Piping Crows, 78. Piterodius pileatus, 47. Pitta, Bengal, 73, 262, 286. ,, Elliot’s, 263. ,, Hooded, 258, 286. Pitta ellioti, 47. ,, granatina, 47. Pittas, 47. Plantain -eater, Violaceous, 141. Platycercus browni, 22. ,, elegans, 218. ,, icterotis, 29. Ploceus megarhynchus, 112. Plover, African Wattled, 195. ,, Golden, 334. ,, Binged, 332. ,, White- crowned, 262. „ Yellow Wattled, 262. Plumbeous Swamp Quail, 53. „ Warbler, 122. Plumed Colin, 65. ,, Ground Doves, 263. „ Jay, 184, 250, 309. Pochard, Bed-crested, 264. ,, White-eyed, 255. Podargus papuensis, 308. Pceocephalus aubryanus, 217. ,, rufiventris, 218. ,, senegalensis, 338. Poliohierax, 261. Polyplectron, 182. ,, bailyi, 183. ,, baker i, 183. ,, bicalcaratum, 183. „ chalcuras, 184. ,, chinquis, 182, 183. ,, emphanes, 184, 334. ,, germaini, 182, 183. ,, ghigii, 183. ,, inopinatum, 184. ,, katsumatce, 184. ,, malaccensis, 184. ,, schleiermakeri , 184. 358 Index to Subjects Polyplectrons, Common, 283. ,, Germain’s, 283. Polyteline Parrakeet, 267. Polytelis anthropeplus, 218. ,, swainsoni, 106. Porphyrios, Allen’s, 285. Porpureicephalus spurius, 29, 335. Poultry Congress, Notes at the, 264. Prairie Grouse, 98. Precocious Lovebirds, 56. Prince Albert’s Curas sow, 297. Prince of Wales’ Pheasant, 200. Princess of Wales’s Parrakeet, 71, 168, 256. Prionilurus platurus, 217. Prionops talacoma, 186, 194. Prionotelus temnurus, 63. Prolific Hen Cockatiel, 224. Promerops cafer, 137. Psephotus chrysopteryguis, 29. ,, dissimilis, 224. ,, varius, 218. Psiltacula nipalensis, 106. Psittacus erithacus, 218. Ptarmigan, 97, 333. Pternistes afer, 69. ,, leucoscepus, 69. ,, nudicollis, 69. ,, swainsoni, 69. Pteroglossus bitorquatus, 286. Ptilinopus roseicollis, 308. Ptilopachys fuscus, 96. Pucrasia darwini, 232. ,, ,, styani, 232. ,, macrolopha, 232. ,, m. biddulphi, 232. ,, m. castanea, 232. ,, m. nipalensis, 232. ,, xanihospila, 232. ,, ,, ruficollis, 232. ,, ,, joretiana, 232. ,, ,, meyeri, 232. Pulchella Sunbirds, 258. Purple Finches, 134. „ Sugar-bird, 26, 286. Purple-backed Glossy Starlings, 236. Purple-capped Lories, 217. „ Lorikeets, 260. ,, Parrakeets, 261. Purple-headed Glossy Starling, 236. Purple -throated Cotinga, 113. Purplish Guan, 300. Pyranga, 134. Pyrrhura emma, 260. „ hcematotis, 260. ,, luciani, 21. ,, rhodogaster, 218, 260. ,, rupicola, 260. Quail, African Painted, 53. ,, Australian or Stubble, 52. ,, Australian Swamp, 53. ,, Bustard, 16, 133. ,, Button, 16. ,, Californian, 65, 161, 274. ,, Cape, 51. ,, Chinese Painted, 53. ,, Colombian Crested, 66. ,, Common or Migratory, 51. „ Cuban, 161, 263. ,, Cura9ao Crested, 66. ,, Douglas, 66. ,, Gambel’s, 65. ,, Harlequin, 51, 105. ,, Indian Bush, 94. ,, Japanese, 51. ,, Jungle Bush, 94. ,, Leyland’s Crested, 66. ,, Madagascar Bustard, 105. ,, Marble Guiana, 25. ,, Mexican, 72, 161. ,, Montezuma Crested, 67. ,, Painted, 133. ,," Philippine Button, 134, 135. ,, Plumbeous Swamp, 53. ,, Bain, 51. ,, Rock Bush, 94. ,, Sonnin’s Crested, 66. Quail-Finch, West African, 19. Quails, 50. Quails or Colins, American, 64. Quakers, 29. Queen Alexandra Parrakeet, 79, 260. Queen of Bavaria’s Conure, 218, 260, 279 Quezal, 61, 126, 137. Quezal and Cape Sugar Bird, 137. Racquet-tailed Parrot, 129, 217. Rail, Black, 270. „ Sora, 134. ,, South American, 24. Rainbow Bunting, 15, 72. Rain Quail, 51. Rajah Lory, 61. ,, Shelduck, 254. Raven, Australian, 261. Razor-bill Currassows, 45, 186, 262, 298. ,, Salvin’s, 260. Rearing the Formosan Bamboo Partridge, 289. Records of Birds Bred in Captivity : Additions to, 18. Red and Yellow Macaws, 102. ,, Bird of Paradise, 73, 261. ,, Grouse, 97. Index to Subjects 35& Red Junglefowl, 106, 264. ,, or Bankiva Junglefowl, 226. ,, Rosella, 71. ,, Siskin, 72. ,, ,, Hybrids, 19. ,, Spur-Fowl, 94. Red-bellied Parrot, 218, 260. Red-billed Tree Duck, 101, 264. ,, Weaver, 134. Red-breasted Goose, 23, 254. Red-capped Tinamou, 323. Red-collared Lorikeet, 20, 217. Red-crested Finch, 19, 72, 134. ,, Pochards, 264. Red-eyed Glossy Starling, 236. Red-fronted Lories, 217. Red-headed Finch x Ribbon Finch, 72. Red-head Tanager, 134. Red-legged Partridge, 92. ,, Pheasant, 207. Red-masked Conure, 20. Red-shining Parrakeets, 261. Red-tailed Guan, 301. ,, Hawk, 263. Red-winged Starling, 20. Redrump, 267. Redshank, 332. Redstart, American, 121. Reeves, 100, 262. Reeves’ Pheasant, 161, 202, 203, 212, 221. Renauld’s Ground Cuckoo, 105. Resplendent Trogon, 61. ,, Whydah, 134. Reviews — ,, Handbook to the Birds of West Africa, 81. ,, Birds of Norfolk, 332. ,, Hill Birds of Scotland, 333. ,, Secrets of Bird Life, 334. JRhamphoccelus icteronotus, 318. Rheas, 257, 260, 284, 285. Rheas, Darwin’s, 256. ,, White, 255, 264. Bheinardtius nigrescens, 182. ,, ocellatus, 181, 212. Rheinhardt’s Argus Pheasant, 181, 212, 256. Bhynchotus rufesceus, 325. Ribbon Finch, 245. Ridgway’s Colin, 67. Ringed Plovers, 332. „ Teal, 254, 285. Ringless Pheasant, 201. Ring-necked Doves, 283. ,, Parrakeet, 106. ,, ,, at Liberty, 132. ,, Pheasant, 200. Ringnecks, Bengal, 29. Rings for Lovebirds, 31. Rippon’s Pheasant, 207. Riviere’s Buzzard, 150. Robin, Japanese, 105. „ Pekin, 13, 73, 339. Robin Chat, Heuglin’s, 104. ,, White-shouldered, 195. Rock Bush Quail, 94. ,, Doves, 245. ,, Sparrow, 244. Rock-peplar Parrakeet, 80. Roller, Burmese, 261. „ European, 263. ,, Lilac-breasted, 263. ,, Lort’s, 261. Rollers, 47. Rollulus roulroul, 95. Roseate Cockatoo, 29, 286. Rose-breasted Fruit Pigeon, 308. Rosella Parrakeets, 78. Ross’s Snow Geese, 255. Rosy-bill Duck, 101, 264. Rosy Pastors, 262. Roulroul Partridge, 24, 95. Royal Long-tailed Glossv Starling, 236.. „ Starling, 262, 286/305, 327. Ruddy Flamingo, 254. ,, Geese, 255. Ruffed Grouse, 98. Ruffs, 262, 285. Ruficaudas, 72, 283, 328. Rufous Tinamou, 325. Rufous-backed Mannikins, 72. Rufous-chested Bustard Quail, 17. Rufous-crowned Warbler, 120. Rufous-necked Tanager, 72. Rufous-tailed Pheasant, 210. Rules of the Society, 25. Riippell’s Glossy Starlings, 263, 283. ,, Parrot, 71, 260. „ Starlings, 256, 304. Russet Wheatear, 245. Russian Goldfinch, 134. Sacred Ibis, 99. Safflower Seed, 112. Saltator guadelupensis, 126. Salvin’s Razor-bills, 260, 299. San Bias Jays, 46, 262, 286. Sandpiper, Yellow-legged, 154 Sarcops calvus, 186. Sarus Crane, 89, 140, 222, 257, 260.. 264, 282, 335. Sarus Crane, Breeding the, 140. „ ,, at Tring, 89. ,, in India, 222. Satyr Pheasant, 86. 360 Index to Subjects Satyr Tragopan, 139. Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, 20. Scaly Colin, 64. ,, Guan, 301. Scarlet Ibis, 47, 99, 263. ,, Tanagers, 186. Scaup Duck, 103, 255. Schizorhis leucogaster, 33. Schuett’s Francolin, 69. Sclater’s Bare-throated Francolin, 69. ,, Crowned Pigeons, 47, 263, 303. ,, Curassow, 295. ,, Monaul, 231. ,, or the Red-throated Finch, 124. Scoters, Common, 255. Screamers, 102, 255, 260, 262, 282, 285. Sea-Eagle, Southern Chilian, 263. Seesee Partridge, 93. Seiurus noveboracensis noveboracensis , 150. Seleucides ignotus, 35. Senegal Dove, 23. ,, Parrot, 338. Seriamas, 103. Serin Finch, 240. Setophaga ruticilla, 121. Shamas, 73, 127, 256, 262, 280, 313. Sharp-tailed Grouse, 98. Shaw’s Pheasant, 200. Sheldrake, Grey-headed, 338. Shelduck, Rajah, 254. ,, South African, 109, 255. Short- tailed Parrots, 260. Shovellers, 285. Shrike, Crimson-breasted, 263. ,, Helmeted, 186, 194. ,, Southern Grey-headed Bush, 195. Sialia mexicana occidentalism 134. Siamese Fireback, 161, 209. Siberian Hawfinch, 72. Sicilian Garden, Birds of a, 237. “ Siffleur de Montagne,” 146.* Silky Hangnests, 286. Silverbills, 273. Silver-eared Mesia, 134. Silver Gull, 24. ,, Pheasant, 161, 207, 221, 264. Siskin, Black-marked, 19. „ Hooded, 286. „ Pine, 134. ,, Red, 72. ,, ,, Hybrids, 19. Siskin X Black-marked Siskin, 19. Siskins, 14. Siva, Blue-winged, 104. Siva cyanoptera, 104. Six-plumed Bird of Paradise, 308. Sky-blue Budgerigars, 135. Skylark, 245. Smith’s Bronzewing, 23. ,, Button -Quail, 24. ,, Helmet-Shrike, 194. Snipe, 332. Snow Geese, 266. Snowy Owl, 23, 138, 196. Socorro Mourning Dove, 22. Soemmerring’s Pheasant, 202, 203, 256. Solitaire, 134, 146. „ Blue, 134. Solitary Tinamou, 323. Somali Ostrich, 260. Some Larger Birds of London, 190. ,, ' New Arrivals, 48. Sonnerat’s Junglefowl, 106, 227. Sonnin’s Crested Quail, 66. Sora Rail, 134. South Africa, Note from, 224. South African Red-billed Ducks, 257. ,, Shelduck, 109, 255. ,, Water Rail, 99. ,, Waxbills, 262. South American Rail, 24. „ Whimbrel, 262. Southern Chilian Sea-Eagle, 263. ,, Grey-headed Bush Shrike, 195. ,, Malachite Sunbird, 73. ,, Short-toed Tree-creeper, 240. ,, Stone-Curlew, 23. Sparrow, American Tree, 100. ,, Golden -crowned, 134. „ Java, 55, 328. ,, Lark, 134. • ,, Rock, 244. ,, Story of a, 107. Specif er Peafowl, 221. Spectacled Warbler, 239. Spiloglaux aruensis, 308. Spinus notatus, 19. Spix Macaw, 71, 134, 135, 218, 260, 286. Spot-billed Toucanette, 286. Spot-headed Weaver, 253, 337. Spotted Emerald Tanager, 72. ,, Flycatchers, 309. ,, Francolin, 69, 263. ,, Tinamou, 326. Spreo Starlings, 47, 73, 310. Spreo superbus , 104, 236. Spreos, 263. ,, Superb, 186. Spur-Fowl, Red, 94. St. Helena Waxbill, 26, 72, 289. St. Vincent Parrots, 166. Stairs’s Ground-Dove, 23. Stanley Crane, 255, 260, 285. „ Parrakeet, 29, 71, 279, 283, 286. Index to Subjects 361 Starling, Abyssinian, 73. „ Bald-headed, 73, 186, 262. „ Burchell's, 20. Crowned, 105. „ Glossy, 73, 262, 280, 286. „ Green Glossy, 73, 235. ,, Military, 236. ,, Red, 262. ,, Red-winged, 20. „ Royal, 262, 286, 305, 327. ,, Ruppell’s, 256, 304. „ ,, Glossy, 263, 283. „ Spreo, 47, 73, 310. ,, Superb, 104. ,, White-capped, 20, 104, 105, 236. Steamer Ducks, 255. Stephanibyx coronatus, 24. Stock Dove, 332. Stoneehat, 332. Stone-Curlew, Southern, 23, 332. Stone Partridge, 96. Story of a Sparrow, 107. Streptopelia risoria, 193. Sub- Alpine Warbler, 238. Successful Breeding of the Golden - breasted Bunting, 340. Sugar-bird, Black-headed, 134, 286. „ Blue, 72, 262. ,, Cape, 137. „ Purple, 26, 286. ,, Yellow-winged, 19, 286. Sugar-birds, 258, 261. Sula Island King Parrakeet, 21, 72, 218. Sulphur- crested Cockatoo, 71, 217. Sumatran Peacock Pheasant, 308. ,, Pheasant, 211. Sunbird, Malachite, 73, 186, 262. ,, Pulchella, 258. ,, Yellow-breasted, 286. Sunbirds, 195, 256, 286. Sun-bitterns, 262. Sun Conure, 48. Sunflower Seed and Feather-Plucking, 85. Sunshine on Nest-boxes, 311. Superb Spreos, 186. ,, Starlings, 104. „ Tanager, 72, 83, 286. Swainson’s Bare-throated Francolin, 69. ,, Long-tailed Jay, 184. „ Lorikeet, 29, 262. Swamp Quails, 53. Swan, Black, 284. ,, Black-necked, 255, 284. ,, Coscoroba, 255, 284. ,, Whooper, 284. Swift Bustard Quail, 17. ,, Parrakeet, 22. Swifts, Alpine, 242. Swinhoe’s Pheasant, 87, 139, 161, 209, 221. ,, Pheasant-tailed Pigeon, 105. Sycobrotus stictifrons, 253. Sydney Waxbills, 72. JSynoscus australis, 53. ,, plumbous, 53. Syrmaticus burmanicus, 204. ,, ellioti, 203. ,, humice, 204. ,, s. ijimce, 203. ,, mikado, 204. ,, reevesi, 203. ,, s. scemmerringi, 203. Syrnium boobook, 23. Tabuan Parrakeets, 261. Taha Weaver, 72. Talegallus fuscirostris, 321. ,, lathami, 321. Tambourine Doves, 105. Tanager, Black and Blue, 286. ,, Black- throated, 73. ,, Blue, 19, 134. ,, Brazilian Scarlet, 134. ,, Cuban, 134. „ Desmarest’s, 72, 286. ,, Golden, 134. ,, Magpie, 286. ,, Mexican Scarlet, 99. ,, Red-head, 134. ,, Rufous-necked, 72. ,, Scarlet, 186. ,, Spotted Emerald, 72. ,, Superb, 72, 83, 286. ,, Tri-colour, 72. ,, Yellow-rumped, 318. Tanagers, 258, 261, 262, 263. Tangara arthusi, 134. ,, cana, 19. ,, nigricollis, 262. Tataupa Tinamou, 324. Teal, Brazilian, 257. ,, Chestnut-breasted, 254. ,, Chilian, 285. ,, Cinnamon, 254, 285. ,, Common, 285. „ Ringed, 254, 285. ,, Versicolor, 257. Temminck’s Tragopan, 234. Tetractes bonasia, 98. Tetrao urogallus, 98. Tetraonidce, 96. T. guttatus, 20. Thallasornis leuconota, 254. Thick-billed Weaver, 314. Thicknee, Australian, 260. 26 362 Index to Subjects Thrush, Blue, 243. ,, Blue Bock, 239, 242. ,, Chestnut-breasted Bock, 104. ,, Chestnut-headed Ground, 308. ,, Chilian, 100. „ Grey, 149. ,, Hermit, 20. ,, Northern Water, 150. ,, Olivaceous, 99. Thrushes, Jay, 286. Tiaris bicolor omissa, 125. Tickell’s Ouzel, 73. Tiger Bitterns, 47, 262. Tigrisoma linmtum, 47. ,, salmoni, 47. Tinamou, Banded, 325. ,, Brown, 324. „ Chilian, 99, 326. ,, Cinereous, 326. ,, Cinnamon, 325. ,, Martin etta, 326. ,, Pileated, 324. ,, Bed- capped, 323. ,, Bufous, 325. ,, Solitary, 323. ,, Spotted, 326. ,, Tataupa, 326. ,, Undulated, 324. ,, Variegated, 325. Tinamous, 323. Tinamus ruficeps, 323. ,, solitarius, 323. Tinker Bird, 195. Tit, Bearded, 332. ,, Blue, 309. „ Coal, 309. „ Cole, 240. ,, Crested, 334. ,, Great, 241. ,, Greater, 309. ,, Japanese, 73. Todies, Cuban, 84. Torquoisine, A Tame, 188. ,, Parrakeet, 267, 279. Totanus flavipes, 154. Toucan, 256, 261. Toucan, Green-billed, 262. ,, White-breasted, 262. Toucanet, Crimson-rumped, 317. Toucanette, Green, 73. ,, Spot-billed, 286. Touracous, 195, 261. Touraco, Bare-faced, 73, 79. ,, Blue, 1. ,, Donaldson’s, 129, 263, 286. ,, Donaldson Smith’s White-eared, 130. „ Green-necked, 195. Touraco, White-bellied, 33. Tovi Parrakeets, 71. Trachyphonus margaritatus, 20. Tragopan, Blyth’s, 234. ,, Cabot’s, 234. ,, Crimson, 233. ,, Pheasant, 161, 221. ,, Satyr, 139. ,, Temminck’s, 234. ,, Western, 233. Tragopan blythi , 234. ,, caboti, 234. ,, melanocephalus, 233. „ satyra, 233. ,, temmincki, 234. Tragopan s, 139, 212, 221, 233. Tree-creeper, Southern Short - toed,. 240. Tree-creepers, 308. Tree-duck, Black-billed, 264. ,, Javanese, 264. ,, Bed-billed, 101, 264. ,, White-faced, 264. Tree Partridges, 95, 161. „ Pies, 100. “ Trembleur,” 149. Trichoglossus forsteni, 217. ,, hoematodes, 105. ,, ornatus, 217. ,, rubri torques, 217. Tri- colour Tanager, 72. Trogon, Cuban, 63, 127, 134. ,, Narina, 63. ,, Besplendent, 61. Trogons, 126. Tropic Bird, Yellow-billed, 115. Tropicoperdix, 95. ,, charltoni, 95. ,, chloropus, 95. ,, merlini, 95. ,, tonkinensis, 95. Troupial, 165, 261. ,, Brown-headed, 99. True Partridges, 93. ,, Pheasants, 198. Trumpeter, Dusky, 262. Tuft-billed Guineafowl, 265. Turacus donaldsoni, 261. ,, leucotis donaldsoni, 130. ,, macrorhynchus, 2. ,, persa, 2. Turkey, Australian Brush, 321. ,, Brown-billed Brush, 321. „ Brush, 106, 255. ,, North American, 106. „ „ Wild, 102, 285. ,, Wild, 255. Turnix, 16. Index to Subjects 36a Turnix dussumieri, 16. ,, lepurana, 16. ,, maculosa, 18. ,, nana, 16. ,, nigricollis, 18, 105. ,, pugnax, 16, 133. ,, pyrrhothorax, 16. ,, sylvatica, 16. ,, tanki, 16. ,, varia, 16. ,, velox, 16. Turnstones, 256. Turquoisines and Elegants, Breeding, 31. Turquoisine Parrakeet, 79, 267, 279, 328, 334. Turtle Dove, 26. Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, 261. Twite, 338. Two Disappointments, 303. Two-coloured Humming-bird, 120. Tympanistria tympanistria, 105. Tympanuchus cupido, 98. Tyrannus dominicensis, 123. Tyrant, Dominican, 123. Undulated Tinamou, 324. Unfriendly Crossoptilons, 130. Uranornis rubra, 35. Varied Bustard Quail, 17. Variegated Tinamou, 325. Veery, 134. Venezuelan Cardinal, 134. Versicolor Parrot, 5. „ Teal, 257. Vieillot Fireback, 161, 211, 256. Vinaceous Parrot, 11. V ini kuhli, 30. Violaceous Plantain-eater, 141. Violet-eared Waxbills, 70, 72. Violet-necked Lory, 20. Virginian Colin or Bob-White, 66. ,, Eagle Owls, 258. Visit to the Keswick Aviaries, 261. Vulture, Black, 23. „ King, 46, 263. „ Kolb’s, 263. Vulturine Guineafowl, 265. Wagtail, Yellow, 332. Wallace’s Bird of Paradise, 261. Wanderer, Collared Plain, 18. Warbler, American, 116. ,, Black and White, 122. ,, Mediterranean, 238. ,, Plumbeous, 122. ,, Rufous-crowned, 120. Warbler, Spectacled, 239. „ Sub-Alpine, 238. Waterfowl, 101. Water Rail, South African, 99. Wattled Crane, 288. „ Guan, 303. Waxbill, Black- cheeked, 224. „ Blue-breasted, 277. ,, Common Grey x St. Helena, 72. ,, Dufresne’s, 72, 79. ,, Golden-breasted, 273. „ Grey, 26. ,, Lavender, 273. ,, Orange- cheek, 26. ,, South African, 262. „ St. Helena, 26, 72, 289. ,, Sydney, 72. ,, Violet-eared, 70, 72. Waxbills, 256, 261, 262. Waxwings, Cedar, 134. Weaver, African, 79. ,, Large-billed Indian, 112. ,, Masked, 72. ,, Orange, 134. ,, Red-billed, 134. ,, Spot-headed, 253, 337. ,, Thick-billed, 314. ,, Taha, 72. Weaver-birds, 25. Weavers, 261, 262. Weddell’s Conure, 260. Wells’s Dove, 23. West African Quail-Finch, 19. Western Bluebirds, 134. ,, Tragopan, 233. West Indian Humming-birds, 117. West Indies, Birds in, 165. Wheatear, 332. ,, Black, 245. ,, Black-eared, 245. ,, Russet, 245. Whimbrel, South American, 262. Whin chat, 332. White Asiatic Crane, 260, 264. ,, Blackbird, 286. ,, Cranes, 257. ,, Crossoptilon, 229. ,, Eye-browed Guan, 299. ,, Java Sparrows, 328. „ Ibis, 263. ,, Magpie, 286. ,, Peacocks, 282. „ Peafowl, 106, 178. ,, Pelican, 335. ,, Rheas, 255, 264. ,, Roseate Cockatoo, 72. White-backed Duck, 254. „ Magpie, 79. 864 Index to Subjects White-bellied Guan, 301. „ Touraco, 33. White-breasted Ground-Dove, 23. „ Pigeon, 105. ,, Toucan, 262. White-capped Starling, 20, 104, 105, 236. White-crested Pheasant, 206. ,, Piping Guan, 302. White- crowned Plover, 262. White-eared Conures, 71. White-eyed Pochards, 255. White-faced Duck, 101. ,, Tree-duck, 264. White-fronted Guan, 301. White-headed Piping Guan, 302. White-necked Cranes, 257. White-rumped Lory, 217. White- shouldered Cossyphas, 258. ,, Robin Chat, 195. White-tailed Pheasant, 211. White-eye, Madagascar, 254. ,, Yellow-fronted, 308. Whitley’s Conure, 260. Whooper Swan, 284. Whydah, Giant, 59, 134. ,, Paradise, 14, 59. ,, Resplendent, 134. Wigeon, Chiloe, 264. Wild Muscovies, 103. ,, Turkeys, 255. Willow Goldfinch, 134. ,, Grouse, 97. Wilson’s Bird of Paradise, 70, 73, 308. Woodlark, 332. Wood Partridges, 95. Woodpecker, Pigmy, 73. Worcester’s Hanging Parrot, 49, 70. Wren, Blue, 78, ,, Dominican, 124. Yarrell’s Curassow, 297. Yellow Budgerigars, 257. ,, Wagtail, 332. Yellow-backed Lory, 70, 286. Yellow-bellied Parrakeet, 71, 80, 85, 279, 283. ,, Parrot, 260, 269. Yellow-billed Coots, 100. „ Tropic Bird, 115. Yellow-breasted Grosbeaks, 99. ,, Sunbird, 286. Yellow-cheeked Parrot, 10. Yellow- collared Macaw, 218. Yellow-crowned Hangnest, 73. „ Night Heron, 152. Yellow-fronted Amazon Parrot, 260. ,, White-eye, 308. Yellow-headed Conure, 20. Yellow-legged Sandpiper, 154. Yellow-necked Koklas, 232. Yellow-rumped Tanager, 318. Yellow- wattled Plovers, 262. Yellow-winged Sugar-bird, 19, 286. Young Pheasants and Ostriches, 221. Young Plumage of Female Grey¬ headed Sheldrake, 338. Zamelodia melanocephala, 314. Zebra Finches, 13, 27, 58, 272. Zenaida castanm, 155. Zenaidura graysoni, 22. Zoological Gardens, New Parrot House at, 215. Zosterops flavifrons, 308. Printed by Stephen Austin & Sons , Ltd., Hertford. MEMBERS’ SALE AND EXCHANGE COLUMN. The charge for Members’ advertisements is one penny per word. Payment must accompany the advertisement, which must be sent on or before the 20 th of the month to Mr. T. H. Newman, 46 Forty Avenue, Wembley Park, Middlesex. All members of the Society are entitled to use this column, but the Council reserves the right to refuse any advertisement they consider unsuitable. SALE AND EXCHANGE. Borneo Firebacks, Elliot’s Lineated, Manchurian Eared, Bels, Melanotte, Swinhoe, Versicolor, Corean Bing-necked, Prince of Wales’, Dark Pheasants, etc.; also fancy Water-fowl. — Lieut.-Col. Lewis, The Hunridge Game Farm, Great Missenden, Bucks. Magellan Geese, £10 pair ; nested this year ; others £8. — Dennis, Holme Manor, Pulborough. 1930 English aviary-bred cock Stanleys, £5 each. — Elliott, 31 Kelvin Boad, Ipswich. Golden and Silver Pheasants, 1929 birds, 55s. per pair ; also single cock birds, either variety, 30s. each. Also Exchange desired, cock Cockatiels, 1929 birds, bred in unheated outdoor aviary, for hen Cockatiels. — Capt. Cooper, Estate Office, Maiden Erlegh, Beading. Two pairs Gouldians, one Bed, one Black-head, one Black-cheeked Waxbill, one Shamah, acclimatized birds. — Wood, 8 Larmbolle Boad, N.W. 3. Bed-headed and Blue-headed Parrot Finches, Gouldians, Bedrumps and Diamond Doves ; prices reasonable on application or exchange for hen Many- colour and hen Bufous-tailed Finches.- — P. B. Webb, Bandalstown, Ulster. Three hen Zebra Finches, 10s. 6cL each ; Diamond Dove (hen ?), 15s. 6 d. ; Waxwing (Cedar bird), 10s. Qd. — Mrs. Drake, Mylor, Falmouth. Two Dominican Tree Creepers imported by owner July this year ; perfect health and very tame ; would prefer Exchange soft-billed birds. — Murray, Lodge, Toddington, Beds. Delightful finger-tame Budgerigars ; most affectionate, healthy ; moderate. — Hollond, 5 Norfolk Crescent, W. 2. - Budgerigars, strong young Deep Blues, 12s. 6d. each ; Cobalts 20s. each ; Lilacs, 30s. each ; Violets, 40s. each ; White adults, 50s. each. — Miss Ada M. Chapman, F.Z.S., 92 High Street, Birmingham. 1930 Hand-reared pinioned Wild Duck, 15s. ; Teal, 30s. ; Gargany, 35s. ; Shoveler, 35s. ; Carolina, 70s. ; Falcated, 80s. ; Bosybilled Pochard, 80s. ; Mandarin, 120s. ; Greylag, 100s., etc. ; prices per pair, age and health guaranteed ; also a few Common Partridges. — J. C. Laidley, Lidores, Fife. Three pairs Abyssinian Blue-winged Geese ; three pairs N. American Dusky Ducks ; one pair Boss Snow Geese ; two Drakes and four Ducks Carolinas ; Wanted, male Manchurian Crane — F. E. Blaauw, Gooilust ’sGraveland, Hilversum, Holland. Lady Poltimore has 30 aviary-bred Cobalt and Blue Buderigars for sale, beautiful condition. Cobalts 30s. each; Blues 15s. each. — North Molton, Devon. Avicultural Magazine, years 1925, 1926, 1928, 1929, unbound ; good condition; offers. — Kershaw, 7 Westcliffe Boad, Birkdale, Southport. iii CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION. 0. C. Bubfield, 43 Lynton Avenue, Millswood Estate, South Australia. Proposed by S. Harvey, H. G. F. Cubitt, L.R.C.P., L.R.C.S., 12 Montague Place, Poplar, E. 14. Proposed by E. Maud Knobel. NEW MEMBERS. Colonel A. E. Hamebton, C.M.G., D.S.O., 1 Park Village West, Regents Park, London, N.W. 1. W. J. D. Obb, Chantry, Shandon Park, Knock, Belfast. David Whitefield, Sycamore Villa, Ivy Lane, Macclesfield. CHANGE OF ADDRESS. Mrs. Lancaster, to Syerscote, Streetly, Staffs. GAMAGES gge HAVE ALWAYS A VARIED STOCK OF Foreign Birds, Parrots, Lovebirds, etc. We can now offer : — White, Blue, Cohalt and Mauve Budgerigars, Ribbon Finches, Black Cockatoo, Senegal Parrots, Rainbow Buntings, Pileated Finches, Redrump Parrakeets, Cockatiels, Australian Crested Pigeons, Black Headed Grosbeaks, Orange Bishops, Paradise Whydahs , Zebra Finches, Fischers, Masked and Black Cheek Lovebirds, Royal Starlings, Spreo Starlings, Superb and Tricolor Tanagers, Black Head Caique. BEST FOODS. LOWEST PRICES. Mealworms . 31b. 1 7/6, 6/6 per lb., J lb., 3/6 Post paid. t 9 Spray Millet Ants’ Eggs 5/6, 7/6, 10/- per bundle. 3/- per lb., 4 lb. , 11/- » » Dried Flies 1/9 ,, 41b., 6/6 9 9 Pure Egg Yolk . 2/- ,, 41b., 7/- 9 9 Insectivorous Food 1/6 ,, 71b., 8/6 9 » Cuttlefish Bone . . . 1/3 ,, 41b., 4/6 ? ? Specialities in CAGES, AVIARIES, NEST-BOXES and all appliances. GAMAGES, HOLBORN, LONDON, PHONE : HOL. 8484. E.C.l. “L’OISEAU” PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE Societe National© d’Acclimatation de France, 198 BOULEVARD ST. GERMAIN, PARIS (VIIe) A French Magazine on Aviculture, for the study of European and Foreign Birds in captivity and at liberty. With coloured and black and white plates. ONE YEAR - 75 FRANCS. Medals for first breeding of a species in captivity in France or other countries are awarded if a detailed account is sent to the Society.