FOR THE PEOPLE FOR EDVCATION 1 FORSCIENCE i .... . LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY /Bound ar Ia.M.N H., BIRD NOTES. w c q o^o(^^'';^) The Journal of the Foreign Bird Club for the Study of all Species of Birds in Freedom and Captivity. VOLUME VI. SERIES III. " By mutual confidence and mutual aid Great deeds are done and great discoveries made." EDITED BY WESLEY T. PAGE, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., AUTHOR OF " AVIARIES AND AVIARY LIFE," ETC. Ashbourne : J. H. Henstock, Avian Press, 1923. J^^-^ruoi Q/t-^^ ^^ Contents. Hi. Contents. PAGE Title Page i. Contents Hi. Secretary's Report iv. List of Plates t'. Illustrations in the Text v. List of Contributors "vi. The Magazine i General Index 178 Index to Genera and Species 183 Inset Green Pages. iv. Secretary's Report. Secretary's Report. We fear history is somewhat repeating itself, for the " troublous times," referred to in our report for 1922, are still with us; yet, we can say once again " We have held our own," therefore the " mutual gratulation " of last year was not amiss ! But, it is not all gratulation, for even this carries the reverse, inasmuch as we have tnade but little progress towards pre-war strength and activity Aviculture has not yet come into its own since Armagedon was let loose, yet signs are not wanting that a revival is near at hand, if not already commenced, both as to the Breeding of Species, and also to their Exhibition. Several iiotable successes have been achieved in the breeding of a species for the first time — we may en passant mention Mr. Shore Baily's successful breeding of the White-breasted Waterhen, Mons. ."X. Decoux's with the White-capiH'd Tanager, and Capt. Stokes" with the Lilac-crowned Fruit- Pigeon, and, we think, there may l)c others, when the exact species of the birds concerned has been ascertained. As this revival increases, the difificulties with which we have hatl to contend witli in these post-war times, should automatically disappear. As to coloured plates our ho])es liave not lieen realised, but we tlo not ex|)ect to have to rejieat this phrase in our next report. There is still some slackness in the pa\nient of subscriptions on the part of a small section of our members, much increasing working expenses, and the secretarial work, besides causing annoyance and irritation — this may be carried lo the extent of causing the retirement of some — the Club's claims ujjon their time aiifl energy is very heavy, and I'oUmtary workers are not easy to replace ! Bird Nf>Ti:s. the Club Journal, though a])]>caring only bi-monthly at present, igj^ \'()]. will compare favourably with its predecessors in all their features, viz : Imlk, diversity of contents, jiractical information, and illustrations. The needs of the present are so similar to those of a year ago, that wi- have no hesitation in repealing ourselves in the closing stage of our report. The lethargy that has been so marked during the post-war years still lingers. .Shall we |)ermit this to continue ? Our income is still insufficient for the effectual working of the Club, and v.c commend this point to the thoughtful consideration of every member — we are assured that very few, if any, would care to see the illustrations or ti-vt matter of Bird N'otk.s curtailed, surely it is the reverse all desire ! This vear we have had dies sunk, so that we now reallv have a Club Secretary's Report. v. Breeding Medal. These are sunk in bronze, and a facsimile appears facing page 175. The actual size is 2in. dia. As soon as possible a Balance Sheet will be issued, and it will then be seen that the costs of producing Bird Notks and Medals more than swallow our income ; the working expenses are very low, some £20 mainly postage and necessary stationery, etc. The effort to remove all difficulty and embarrassment in running the Club, required from each individual member is slight indeed. To achieve this, four cardinal points stand obviously in the forefront of our need, viz : (') Xw increased interest in the working details of our society by each member. ((/) More contributors to Bird Noti:s. (;;7) An increased membership. (77/) Prompt payment of subscri])lions, and an attendance to those small details which will materially reduce the secretarial correspondence, and at the same time reduce the Clul/^ postal expenses. This accomplished all else will follow as a natural sequence. A. E. SNAPE, Hon. Business Secretary. WESLEY T. PAGE, Hon. Editor. 000000,^^ \ V .000° 7'/. List uf Plates. List of Plates. opposite page C;ipe Siiancnv at Nest i Weaver Birds' Nests — Zanzil)ar 9 Weaver Birds' Nests — near Aden lo Waterfowl at Blairstown, N.J., U.S. A 17 Rufous-bellied Niltava 21 (irey-winged Ouzels and Somhre J loneyeater 38 Kurichane Thrush 49 Mistle-Thrush 52 Cherry Finches and Nest 77 Interior of Mr. J. W. Brunton's Aviary 103 L'Lxterior of Mr. j. W. Brunton's Aviary 104 Miss M. L. Harhord's Handsome Drawing-room Cage 107 I-fartlaub's Weaver and Nest 126,127 Front and Side Views of Rev. R. H. McCall's Aviary 128 The Little Bustard 131 Hen I'enguela .Sjiarrow at Nest 146 White-capped Tanager 157 Some of Mens. Decoux's Aviaries 158 Other Mons. Decoux's Aviaries 159 White-breasted Waterhen carrying food to Young 164 White-breasted Waterhen and Young One about three months old 164 Nest and Eggs of White-breasted Waterhen 163 Facsimile of F.f^.C. Breeding Medal 175 List of Illustrations in Text. page Cock C^ijie Sparrow taking leather to Nest 2 Hen Yellow -throated S])arrow at Nest 3 Nest of Olive Finch 15 Long-tailed Crassrinch 35 Nests of Pyro»ii'lami fla}iniiici'ps 46 01 i vaceous Thru sh 50 Dusky Thr u sh 51 ( jround-scraper Thrush 5- Diagram of Cage 83 Miss I\L L. Harbord's Drawing-room Cage 107 Cock I'.enguela Sparrow at Ne.st 145 List of Cuiitributors. List of Contributors. * Denotes Correspondence. r. \ii.i-, W. Shore, F.Z.S. * Some African Sparrows, 1-4. East African Weavers, 45. Some African Thrushes, 49-53. Spring- in our Aviaries, S0-2. Notes on Birds — 1-loIiday in Holland, iJi-5. Nes^i-iT of 1 l,-ir']-'ub's Weaver, 127-8. Breeding the Benguela Sparrow, 144-6. Breeding the White-breasted Water-Hen, 163-6. P>\RNh:s, A. U. * I'^eding of Avadavats and (jold-breasts, 76. r.i'ST, Cyril, * Talking lUidgerigar, 151. Blackburn, Miss Olive * A Living Jewel, 47. BoosEY, Edward J. My Birds — In Aviaries and at Liberty, 60-3. Bright, H. E. * Early Notes, loi. Correspondence. Trip to Europe for P)irds, 17. Courtship of Crimson-wing Parrakeet, 18. Stray Notes, 18. East African Weavers, 45. A Living Jewel, 47. Courting Display of Bird of Paradise, 47. Feeding of Avadavats and Gold-breasts, 76. Breeding Results for IQ23, loi. Early Notes, loi. Do Blue-wing Lovebirds line their nests? 150. Birds Killed by Ticks, 151. Talking Budgerigar, 151. Decoux, a. Breeding the W^hite-capped Tanager, 157-9 Dewar, D., F.Z.S. , etc. Indian Doves, 26-31. DuNLEATH, The Lady My Aviaries — 1923 Notes, 125-7. via. List uj Cu)itnbntors. l'",i)ii(;ki.\L. luTata, 20. Rt'iK)i"t — Zoo. Soc. of London, \()2J. 74-6. Nesting- Notes, i2g. Curi'ent Nesting- Notes, 152. Torquay and D.F. & F. Show, 153. " Bird Notes," 154. Breeding Medals, 175. Retrospect, 175. Exhibiting- Foreign ]>irds, 176. F.Z.S. Rose-breasted Grosbeak, The, 92-3. ( ill .MoiiR, Albert F., iifrds on Long- Island, 121-4. IliCKS, C. H. Post Mortrni Reports. 20, 4S, \J (green pagesl, 102, 130, 156, 176. Mac-ki.in, C. II., M.R.C.S., F.R.C.F. Small ( lartlen Aviary and Nesting lq)is(jde, 1(10-2. !\TcC.\LL. Ri;v. R. H. 1 'reeding Success in ,t Small .\\iar\', 128-9. l'.\(a:, \Vi-:sij:y T., I'.Z.S., M.15.0.U. Some i^'inches I liave kept, 11-17, .i'"/- 77"9- Three Beautiful Niltavas, 21-5. My Sombre Honeyeater, 37-42. Feeding and Keeping HardbilJs, 42-5, (19-74. S2-4, 107-8, 172-5. * East African Weavers, 45. Australian Birds, 56-60. Cherry Finch, 77-9. Observations of a Bird-Lover, 89-92. Some Hybrid Records, 94-6. Keeping and Breeding the (lold-breasted W'axbill. 97-101. My Little Bustard, 131-3. The Aviaries at Lilford Il.ill, 138-41. * Do Blue-wing Lovebirds Line their Nests? 151. Report. Tf)rquay and District Show, 166-72. I'akki:k, S. T. llow i became Interested in I'oreign Birds, 82-7. Lux 1,1; Y, W. L.W.M.IK Australian Birds, 56-60. R.vnic.vN, C.M'T. (1. 1"",., F.Z.S. Experiments with l''oreign llirds at l.ilierty, 115-21. RiAo, Mrs. C. FL .X'ntes of the Season, 133-5. Ri:i:vi:, Catt. J. S., F.Z.S.. M.B.D.U. I'.reeding the South .\frican White-eye, 150. List of Confrihufors. ix. REVIEWER, The. Menagerie Club Year Book, 19. Condor, The, 19. Circe's Worshippers and other Poems — F. Finn. 154. Bibliography of 15rit. Ornithology — Kirke-Swann, 155. \'eterinary Oplithalmology — Ed. H. Cray. 2^ (green pages). Seth-Smith, D., F.Z.S. * Courting Display of Bird of Paradise. 47-S. SicH. H. L. * .Stray Notes, 18. Sprankling, E. Some Hybrid Doves, 4-6. Long-tailed Grassfinches, 63-9. Stewart, E. Theo. " Au Secours." 6-(S. Stokes, C.apt. H. S., F.Z.S. My Birds, 53-6. .Some Recent Additions, 14-2-4. Lilac-crowned Fruit Figeon, lirccding the, 146-8 SrcciTT, R. Pied Wagtail. The. lo-ii. TAvr.sTOCK, The Marquis of * Courtship of Crimson-wing Parrakeet. 18. Stanley Parrakeet^ — A Warning, 97. • * Breeding Results for 1923, loi. My Layard's Parrakeet, 108-1 11. Breeding Gold-breasted Waxbill at Liberty, 1 }i .; . Sulu Island King Parrakeet, 148-g. * Do Blue-wing Lovebirds Line their Nests? 150 * Ticks Killing Birds, 151. ToMi.ixsoN. M. R. Tnveresk Lodge Aviary, The. 103-6. Wht.stler. Hugh, LP., F.Z.S.. M.B.O.U. A Himalayan Pass, 135-8. Wilson, Miss L B. A Mixed Collection, 88-9. Woon, Dr. Casey Fiji's Attraction 162-3, WonnwARD, K. * Trip to Europe for Birds. 17. Ynuxo, C. R. Notes on an E. African Weaver, 9. > W O o I— I All Rights Reserved. January, 1923. BIRD NOTES. THE Journal of the Foreign Bird Club. Some African Sparrows in My Aviaries in 1922. By W. Shore Baily, F.Z.S. Africa is a big continent, and can boast of a dozen or rr.ore different species of Sparrows. Of these two or three SI ecies only are at all regularly imported. Being" only Sparrows 1 suppose there is not a very great demand for them, which is, perhaps, not very much to be wondered at, as most jf them are very plainly coloured and none have any song. However, there is one really handsome fellow amongst them, and that is the Cape Sparrow (Passer arcuatus). The cock bird has the upper parts, tail, and wings a rich cinnamon; ihe crown of the head, feathers around the eyes, ear coverts, cheeks, throat, and fore-neck black; a streak above the eye, sides of neck, breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white. The hen has the parts that are black in the male brownish, and the white parts buffish-white. For many years I had two hens of this fine sparrow, but w^as unable to get cocks, as none seem to have been imported for quite a long period. However, about two years ago I found a couple of cocks at Hamlyn's, among a lot of common South African birds, and secured them. These I mated last Spring with my two old hens, now seven years old at least. I turned them into separate aviaries, and both pairs went to nest in due course. One pair proved a failure, their two or three clutches of eggs proving infertile. The other pair were more successful, for after one failure three nice young ones left the nest. Two of these were hens and were quite abnormal in plumage; the other— a cock— closely resembled its female parent. The two little hens had the wings and tail almost entirely white, other parts like the adult female, 2 Sonic Africa)! Sf^arrows. cnly duller. They were queer little objects as they flew about the aviary. When about two months old the youni^" cock began t:o assume the adult plumage, and, when four months old, was practically indistinguishable from its male parent. At this age the two young hens still retained a large amount of white in their wings and tail, Init it was noticeably getting darker. Late n, October another brood were hatched, but, although ♦hev /'/;()/,! /).v \V Sliiirc Hciily. I'.Z.S. Cock Cape Sparrow taking a feather to next. a|)peared to do well for two or three weeks, I do not think they ever left rue nest, or if they did they must ha\e died soon afterwards, as I ne\er saw any trace of them. Possibly, so kite in the year the insect supply ran a bit short, and as no live or artificial food, excepting bread and milk, was provided, the young ones were inadequately nourished. Another hrst success in these aviaries was with the Grey- headed Si)arrow (Passer s7vaiiiso)ii). After two attempts a single voung bird was reared in a coco-nut husk. This Httle one cnlv differed from its i)arents by the absence of the white wing- bar, so noticeable a feature in the adidt birds. It was rather a Some African Sparrows. 3 shy little bird at first, but after a week or two was quite capable o!" holding" its own with the other occupants of tlie aviary — weavers, buntint^s, grosbeaks, etc. A less successful attempt was made by my Yellow- throated Sparrows {Pcironia pctroncUa). This is the diamond Sparrow^ of South and East Africa, and does not seem to be very freely imported. Its chief distinguishing" marks are a bi oafl buff eyelirow-streak, and a bright yellow spot on the Photo by W. Shore Hiiily, F.Z.S. Hen^Yellow-throated Sparrow at nest. throat. As in the last named species the sexes are alike, and it is very difficult to i)ick cut true pairs: to this I attribute my want of success, as, in all probability, I was trying to breed from two hens. These birds went to nest three times in an artificial log. Three eggs were laid each time, of the usual sparrow type, but noticeably smaller than those of Passer arcuatus and P. swainsoni, and having a slight gloss. If I can get hold of a cock I shall hope to breed them this coming season. I rather think that the species has not yet been bred in England. 4 Hybrid Pcn'cs, llic. Anotlicr Sparrow tliat came into my possessicjn rallier l.'ite in tlie anlumn was tlic I)ent4iiella Sparrow (Passer motitonsis). These l)irds were sold to me. in (inite g'ood faith, as Mahali Weavers (f'loccpasscr Dialiali), biU- as I had kept a cock MahaH for the last two years, I at once knew that they had been misnamed. The s^'eneral colour of the male above is pale cinnamon; upper tail-coverts ashy brown; median wini^-coverts blackish, tipped with white, forming" a wing"-bar; crown of head and hind neck pale pearly grey; over the lores a small white spot, continued in a broad eyebrow-streak of ])ale cinnamon, widening out on the sides of the neck; lores and lower margin of eyelid black, continued in a line along the upper part of the ear-coverts, which are pale ashy; the cheeks pure while, forming a streak which widens out on each side of the neck; throat and foreneck black; chest and underparts white; flanks and sides brownish. Female altogether duller. With the exception of a cock I bought about ten years ago, with a number of mixed S. African birds, these are the first specimens I have seen, so I cannot think that they are cften imported. If I can get them to survive the winter, I shall hope to breed them this season, and so win another F.B.C. medal. 0 Hybrid Doves, etc. By E. Sprankling. In Bird Notes for TQ13 I gave a few notes on the breeding of Turtle Dove hybrids, etc., a brief summary of same being that in the spring" of 1913 a first cross hybrid male dove (the produce of a c? Turtle and a 9 Barbary Dove) mated with a Common Barbary hen and bred and reared three young, two being fawn-coloured like an ordinary Barbary Dove, and one grey (a male) like the ground colour of the parent hybrid father, all with a slight distinguishing mark in the beak. This mark, which enabled me to distinguish my hybrid faw^ns from piu^e Barbary Doves, was the red colour of the fleshy base or gape of beak. They also showed a slight fullness later, in the width of the neck rings, especially at the sides, but the rings met at the back of neck just as in the Common Barbary. Hybrid Doves, Etc. 5 In 1914 I mated this young" grey male to a common Barl)ary hen, my net resuh being two youngsterSi one grey and one fawn ; these were indistinguishable from the type of the true Barbary, in every way. In 191 5 I bred one grey only. In 1916 only one light or fawn coloured dove was bred, and in 1917-18, owing to the war, no birds were bred. I simply retained all the stock I could, and when the war ended I was left with one grey male cind two fawn (grey-bred) birds — a male and a female. In 1919 the grey male was mated to the above female, and they produced and fully reared four youngsters, two being grey males, one grey female, and one fawn male. The male parent of these birds was hatched in 191 5, and was a lovely specimen both in form and colour. On August nth, 1919; I found him dead. I had no result in 1920, owing no doubt to my pairing one ol the 1919-bred grey males to his nest sister, and the other grey male to the fawn mother; they were evidently too closely related. In 1921 two greys and one fawn dove were fully reared, the result of mating the 1919 grey males to two hen Barbary Doves; one of these grey youngsters died in the moult, the other grey turned out to be a female, and the fawn-coloured lird a male. The 1919 grey hen mated to the 1919-bred fawn- coloured male; two lots of eggs were laid, but were all infertile, again evidently too closely related although strong, healthy looking specimens. This grey hen was killed by a pigeon in 1921. This year (1922) I mated the grey 1921-bred hen to a grey 1919-bred male, but although several clutches of eggs were laid, none proved fertile. The other grey 1919-bred male I again mated, as in 1921, to his Barbary mate, and they produced and fully reared two fawns only. This grey male mated with an odd hen Turtle dove penned in the same aviary, and one egg out of the clutch hatched, but unfortunately died when about three days old. Last night, December 29th, a rat got into this aviary, and although there were three fawns there (the Barbary hen and two young) he must needs select and kill the grey male, c'ind leave the remains in one corner. However, when the brute returns to finish his repast I am hopeful that the cold, 6 *' All Sccours." steely reception I liave ])rei)are(l for him will complete the tragedy.* I consider these grey birds now, as a new colour form of Barbary Dove, but the fertility of the female is not by any means so great as that of the male. The above notes would be incomplete without some description of these grey do\es, so 1 will generally state that they are of true Barbary King IJove type^ differing only in colour, the breast, head and neck being of ;i ])a]e, even-toned lilac, greyer on lower breast and merging into white at under tail- coverts; wing-coverts and back a greyish brown tone, with prim- aries darker; the greyish back merging into a more bluish tone underneath the wings. The tail-feathers are dark gieyish, with lighter markings, as in Barloary Doves; also the colour of eyes, legs, and beak being similar to these last named do^es. 1 am not sure whether these notes will be of nnich general interest, or whether you, Mr. Editor, will l)e able to find room for same, l)ut failing this I know the W . i'.B can take a lot. " Au Secours." Bv B. TiiEo. .Stewart. The Widow Brown grew tearful. l-'or the sixth time she had assured her irate landlord that the rent would be forthconu'ng next week, and for the twelfth time he had answered her that he didn't l)elieve it. " If vou can't pay it now, 'ow can you next week.-'" he (lemanded. " Tell me that." The Widow couldn't. " My brother in Australia — " she mentioned. Mr. Green lost control of himself, and consigned the Widow Brown's brother to a i~)lace hotter than where his sister declared him to be now li\ing. whereat she grew tearful, and Mr. Green uttered again his monotonous recjuest for the rent. * You will be "lad to know that the tniycdy has been completed, for the rat returned on New Year's h"ve and met his fate. As eonjecturcd, the .animal proved to be a male. " All Sccoiirs." 7 An secours ! " said a small \oice at this deadlock. " Au secours ! " The landlord wheeled round and met the cunning' eye of the Widow's pet cockatoo. "Why don't you sell that dratted bird?" he inquired. " Some folk," he added doubtfully. " might fancy it." But the Widow shook her head. I can't part with Joey," she quavered. " i'(K)r Tom left him me. ' Take care of Joey," he said when he was a dying", ' he'll bring you luck.' Bring' you to the workhouse more like!" snorted Mr. Creen. " 1 don't "old with birds in a 'ouse. but what I wants i^ my rent, see ?" ^"es," said the Widow Brown dolefully. " next week! "' But hert':ne was so ho])eless that the landlord might be excused for doubting' it. Well, you'd better 'ave it, that's all. or you an" nie"ll [)art, and that's my last word!" And it really was. " Au secours! "" said Joey. " Au secours." But the Widow only wept. •X- -x- -x- * There is no use striving' against Fate, and a few days later found the Widow timidly entering' the bird shop of Catchem ■.X: Selleni." Would they Imy her pet ? For the next ten minutes she wondered what bird shops existed for. No. they didn't want no cockatoos — no sale for "em! Destructive, screaming' bird, hers was — never mind if it did talk- -never mind if it was beautiful — ladies had come there and gone down on their bended knees to beg' them to have their cockatoos as a gift, had even offered them good money to take the birds, and they wouldn't. Tf it had been a dog, now, that she had to offer, or a kitten, or a pair of love birds, they were [irepared to give fabulous ])rices for these — but cockatoos, no! As she was leaving- the shop the proprietor called her 8 " Au Secours/' l.cick. If she liked to leave the bird for a few days he would trv and sell it for her, " but only as a favour, mind!" And reluctantly she agreed. She sobbed as she left Joey swinging on his ring in his battered old cage, but a speculative look shone in Joey's eyes as he gazed round the shop. " Au secours ! " he screamed. * * * * The Widow spent three sleepless nights thinking of her feathered legacy which she had parted with for ever. " I didn't ought to have done it," she said to herself. " I know I'll never see him again." Finally she turned her steps in the direction of the bird shop. Vaguely she looked round. Had he gone? Her heart sank, and then — " Take your blasted bird away," shouted the proprietor, and Joey and his cage were rudely thrust into her arms. " He's nearly wrecked my shop ! Got out and clawed up half the fixtures, bitten the missus, and — " " Didn't no one fancy him?" faltered the Widow. " Yes ! one gent did. and I thought it was a deal — made a fuss of him, let him crawl all over him and then the blasted bird starting screaming, and fair drew him off! Take him out of my sight and his silly jibberish ! " Tenderly the Widow carried him home. " I don't know what'll become of us." she whispered, but Joey only chuckled — he knew ! Joey's cage was in dreadful need of a clean up. and the bird watched her with a cunning eye as she threw out the seed husks and sand, and the bits of wood and cigarette ends that the bird treasured. There was a crust of stale bread soaking in his water tin, togetlier with a piece of pa]ier. As the Widow emptied it, some lettering caught her eye. She unfolded it with trembling hands. It was a bank note for five pounds ! " Au secours!" shouted Joey. " Au secours!" 02 O P M ^ ^ ^m^ i^ * ^%- k N Notes o)i ail East African Weaver. 9 A Few Notes on an East African Weaver. Bv Chas. R. Young. The two photos, illustratinjj;' these notes represent Weaver-birds' nests in situ, were taken, one at Sheikh. Othman. about ten miles from Aden, and the other at Zanzibar. I am not sure what species the birds were, but 1 have seen so many of them that I should know them immediately if I saw them (presumably Orange or Crimson-crowned Weavers. — Fd.), yet to describe them in detail is by no means easy. The cocks were a rather bris^ht orange and flame-coloured about the head, some more so than others, so I thought as I watched them disporting in their native haunts. The hens were com- paratively dull coloured birds. I have seen them in British, German (late), and Portugese East Africa; also in Zanzibar. The note was a not unmusical trill, often uttered on the wing, and reminded me somewhat of a linnet. Size about that of a Chaffinch, possibly a little larger, bill rather hefty. I feel sure the nests in both photos were built by the ssme species. The eggs were white and transparent. I saw them in great numbers and at many places, but I was never more than a few months in any one place, and could never find anyone acquainted with their names or who knev/ anything about them. One thing is evident : I saw them in such numbers, that if there be an Orange-coloured bird and a Flame- coloured one it must be the commonest species of the two. unless both be equally common. T have always regretted I was never able to learn much about the birds while there ; this specially applies to the mainland cf Mozambique, which was a veritable paradise for a lover of beautifully coloured birds. The Zanzibar photo I took while lying on my back, snapping at angle of 60 to 70 degrees. [We think the species which built the nests was the Crimson-crowned Weaver (Pyromelana flamniiceps). as both descriptions seem to fit this species. It mig-ht possibly be the Orange Weaver (P. franciscana), but we have little doub that it w\as the first named species which Mr. Chas. R. Young- describes. — Ed.] 10 TIic [Hcd Wagtail. The Pied Wagtail [Motacilla lugubrisj. By R. Sugg ITT. The Pied Wai^tail is one of the most charming; and desirable of our small insectivorous birds, either for a medium- sized or large aviary. He is always beautiful, active and dainty. He is easily kept in good health, and, being' a resident does not need to be taken into shelter during the winter. This species has nested several times in my aviary, but without much success until the summer of 1921, when one young bird was reared to be quite independent of its parents, although owing to an unfortunate oversight on my part, it never reached maturity. The pair I then possessed were caught as immature birds in the previous autumn (1920), and they spent the winter in the largest division of my aviary. A nest was completed by the hen in a Hartz-cage in the highest part of the shelter-shed on May 25th. and the full clutch of five egg's hatched on June 15th. Flying insects were abundant, and it is possible that the young might have been reared on those the parents could catch for themselves in the einclosure. A small piece of meat placed in a box, with wire-netting over the top, attracted numerous blow flies, and these were eagerly snapped up by the parents. In addition liberal supplies of mealworms, spiders and gentles were provided. Three youngsters were out of the nest by June 27th, the remaining two having died when a few days old. All went well un". il a h\Y days later, when entering the aviary rather suddenly. I startled one of the young birds which was perched in the shelter shed, and it flew with great force into an imguarded glass weather screen along the top of the otherwise open front of the shelter, and fell to the ground dead. The same fate overtook the other two youngsters, \he last one breaking its neck when it was more than six weeks old. !<■ was a fine bird, a cock I think. It was well on the " soft- food," and able to forage for itself. I ought to have remembered that some years before, I lost two young hybrid Ouzels in a similar manner. Young Bird Notes. ; / i * "» L \^ wi^^^' * ■H^^v. ^^I^^^Sl^9^7^vQ^\.^^m9H~^^" ^^' ^M ; '^i?'- .'.-i. V..'. •■* ir-'-^v "^ ^ ,, ' <''-*' >• ; ■ * ■ * ■ .\ • .'ft t- P/iofo &y C. i?. Young. Weaver-birds' Nests — Sheikh Othman, near Aden. The I'icd Wagtail. ii birds hatched in confinement are often very wild, and it is not to be expected that they can " sense " clear glass. It is better to have all windows and giass partitions in an aviary painted or whitewashed on the inner side.* The Pied Wagtail is not aggressive towards other birds in the aviary, but will fight savagely with any other of its own species. Even in the breeding season the sexes are not on the best of terms. The \\ci\ will s-:arcely allow the cock to go near the nest, and I have seen him wait quite a long time with a beakful of insects until the coast has been clear for him to feed the young ones with safety. The cock died early in the winter of 1921, and before the following spring I introduced no less than three other cocks separately, all of which the hen killed. The hen is still going strong, and has another mate. I caught her up, and let the cock have the aviary to himself for a fortnight, after which I released her, and they soon settled down peacefully. 0 Some Finches I have kept. By Wesley T. Page. F.Z.S., M.B.O.U, In this series I shall not keep strictly to finches as commonly understood, but wander at will among the Families PLOCEID^ and FRINGILLID^. I think I cannot do better than commence with the plebeain Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia castanotis), for certainly.no series of " Finches I have kept " can be complete, with this interesting and perky species omitted, and I do not know of any more fitting species to make a start with. By the way. what have we aviculturists been doing to this pretty, if common and well-known, species? In the past one had only to turn a pair into a garden aviary to have a crowd there by the end of the season — now such is by no means the * This precaution is a very necessary and important one ; for, young birds bred in captivity are born with their wild instincts un^mpalred, and are mostly very wild when they make their exit from the nest. Moreover, I know of many valuable adult birds who have similarly perished from flying against unprotected glass. — ^W.T.P. 12 So)uc Finches I have kept. case, for, antagonistic as it is to their known nature there are many pairs that show but Httle inchnation to breed, even though ■given roomy and natural quarters — I know of several excellent aviaries in which it is quite a shy breeder, or does not breed at all, yet time was, when one had only to put a pair into a cag'e and young" followed in due course even easier than with canaries. 1 think it is quite time ^^ e put in some observation along" these lines to. seek out the reason. Effect is only too a])parent, but '. for one, do not know the cause. My first pairs of this species are a pleasant and interesting memory, knowing, at that time, very little about foreign birds I recognised them as finches and treated them as such. For my first few foreigners, some 40 years ago, I stripped a greenhouse (12ft. x 8ft.) of its staging", beat dow'n the earthen floor, put felt over the glass roof and made a wire-netting lobby round tlie door, and afterwards set out for a Midland bird dealer's. So far as I can remember I came back with pairs of Budgerigars. Red-headed I^ovebirds, Zebra Finches, Cut- throats, a Madagascar Weaver in full colour, ditto an Orange Weaver (what wonderful birds I thought those brilliant weavers then, and how^ I fetched all and sundry to look at every nest they wove together — one smiles now, but, nevertheless, happy memories indeed!) and one or two other birds, whose species 1 cannot call to mind. But yes, there was a pair of Java Sparrows among" them, one with a black head and neck (dealer said it was the cock), and one with white face patches — well I got these birds home, a full dozen altogether, together with a couple of coco-nut husks. On arrival I took them into the converted greenhouse, hung the travelling cages upon nails, fitted up seed hoppers, scattered some over the floor, filled up a large shallow dish with water, opened the cage doors and locked up for the night. Thus my first pair of Zebra Finches came home and found a place in my bird-room (I actually called it an aviary I ) and heart ! In the morning I naturally went first thing to have a look at my new' possessions — all were climbing or flying about the place, and seed hoppers and water vessel offered abundant evidence that they had already fed and bathed, but now after this digression as to how they came to me, this httle yarn only Sotne Finches I have kept. 13 concerns the Zebra Finches, the other kinds being- merely sidehg"hts of the story. When stripping- the greenhouse I left a number of wire wall boxes, which had contained pots of drooping plants, hanging, partly filling them with hay and throwing a small heap of coarse hay and straw in one corner of tlie birdroom. On that first morning the pair of Zebra Finches had already settled themselves upon the top of one of them, and as I entered the little cock hopped upon the edge of the Imsket and trump- eted forth his little song. I stood still with astonishnient for T had never heard the like before, and then burst into a hearty laugh, for the little beggar looked so perky, impudent and ridiculous as he thus thrust himself upon my notice- -my readers, I expect, are laughing at the writer as being equally absurd. Be that as it may, I often ask myself now will such times ever come again? I still get exciting times when new species come in, but nothing like the verdant charm of those early days of foreign bird-keeping. Within a week that mass of hay 1 had pushed into the wire-basket was moulded into shape, the entrance hole being through one of the meshes of the basket, and the whole roofed in with straw — how I watched and marvelled as the little cock Zebra Finch struggled with a five-foot-long wheat straw, holding it by the ear, and after many attempts got it to the nest, then with much effort got it bent and twisted as the first rafters of the roof; others followed in similar fashion, but even when complete that roof was a sort of open-trellis contraption and did not satisfy Mr. Zebra, as it left his spouse too exposed, and he set to work and filled in the gaps with hay — I have seen endless Zebra Finches' nests since then, but never one quite like it, for it was a bit of a marvel in its way and certainly when completed one of the snuggest and most compact I have seen, and about a fortnight later I saw small white eggs in the nest. and one morning, about six weeks after their purchase, five little Zebra Finches were flying about the aviary and squawking around their parents near the food hoppers. The nidification of the Zebra Finch is well known, and 1 need not go into details concerning same. I had been a keeper cf British finches for years, from boyhood in fact, mostly 14 So)}ic /'"uiclics I have kcf^t. catchins4" my own birds, before I was attracted to foreii^ners — "twas a book of the late Dr. (ireene's that enslaved me — so 1 had some little knowledge of bird-keeping, and 1 supplied soft- food, canary, white millet, millet sjjrays, dried ants' eggs, and greenfood for their delectation; on this they throve and reared their young. Quick as the Zebra Finches were, the Cutthroats beat them by nearly a week, but that is another story. 1 have kept many pairs of Zebra Finches since then, and numbers of young have been reared and sold, but for the last two years I have had two pairs in cjuite large aviaries — shelter double the size of my first bird-room, and a flight with a floor .N.'" readers. There are Egyptian Geese, Canvas-back Ducks, and Mallard in ilie back-ground. The White Swans m the ci-ntro I procured from Illminster, England I am much interestroduced. so : As Printed : As it should be : Hell Bird, 78, 19^. Bell Bird, 78, 194. ,, Bird l)oatsv.riin's, 86. Bird, Boatswain's, 86. ,, Cat, 220. ,, Cat, 220. ,, C.'.talogue, Aust y'^. ,, C;italogue, Aust. 78. ,, Compiling a List of Foreign, ,, Com])iling .•> List of Foreign, etc. clc Those members who retahi Bird Notfs for reference should alter their copy, at once, to save confusion later y. -• m All Rights Reserved. February & March, 1923 BIRD NOTES. THE Journal of the Foreign Bird Club. Three Beautiful Niltavas. By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U, The recent acquisition by the London Zoo of two Indian Flycatchers of the genus Nilta^'a, which are on view in the Small Bird House, inclines me to think a few notes on these exquisite birds may not be out of place and of some interest. These two species are : The Rufous-bellied Niltava (Niltava sundara), fairly well known to aviculturists in pre-war times, but always uncommon; and the Lesser Niltava (iV. margrigoriae), which is very rare, and may be new to aviculture, though I rather think Mr. Alfred Ezra possessed one in pre-war times. Rufous-bellied Niltava. — A sketchy description of its lovely plumage w^ould be — a robin-like bird with glistening deep blue upper parts; crown of head, nape, rump, upper tails coverts, lesser wing-coverts, and a small patch on each side of neck silky cobalt-blue ; whole of under surface rufous-chestnut ; beak and feet black. This specimen was imported by Messrs. Gamage. This truly is a " feathered exquisite" in every sense of the word; it is almost the last word in chaste and gorgeous colouration, and is further endowed with graceful form and charming characteristics. This is one species of the genus Niltava with which I have had personal experience; the other species are mere acquaintances of the Show-bench and other aviculturists' collections. One could easily write an eulogy of N. sundara pages long, but I am contenting myself largely in these terse notes with quotations from others' writings. The late Col. Perreau wrote, in Bird Notes for 1915, pages 26-8, a most interesting account of this species as one of 22 Three Beautiful Niltaz'os. tliC birds of the station (Bakloh, i'unjalj), and therefrom I am making" a few extracts. " Oalcs gives its range on the Himalayas as from Assam to Simla." " Is a low bush bird, Imt, if disturbed, does not hesitate to fly up to a highish perch." " I have not found its eggs, but have seen a fair number of nests with young." " Young Niltavas are very robin-like when close at hand." " I caught a hen Rufous-bellied Niltava in June 1907, at Kajiar. 6,000 f^., and this April (1914) I caught a magnificent cock in my compound, wh'ch is a veritable bird of paradise. I kejjt him for a bit, hoping to get a hen and then let him go, and he stayed close at hand for some time. This bird •vvas very common at Darjiling, and I got to know it well for such a retired-haunt-loving bird, for they are not reall\- shy. This and the Large Niltava (not so common a bird there) both had young in the nest late in August It takes well to captivity, and I hope some time to try a pair in my aviaries as potential breeders." " The hen differs from the male and is different shades of brown, with a i)atch of white on the fore-neck, and a brilliant Niltava ])atch of light b^ue on each side of the neck." In Bird Notes for 1913, pages 105, 129, 165 and 201, the late CoL, then Major, Perreaii gives an account of an unique consignment of birds which he personally brought over, and included in it were Rufous-bellied, and Large Niltavas — I think three of each ; a pair of the former passed into the posses- sion of Mr. R. S. O. de Quincey. and a pair of the latter went to Mr. A. Ezra. In Bird Notes for 1914, pages 115-6, Mr. R. S. O. de Quincey gives some interesting details of his pair of A^. suiuiara, from which the following extracts are made : — " I obtained niv pair of this species in March 1913 from Maj. Perreau- — 30 far (A|)ril 1914), thev have made absolutely no attempt to go to nest." "It is most interesting to watch them catching flies and gnats, espcciallv in the evening. You see them sitting sleepily on a branch, then suddenly they make a d;irt, catch their fly or flies, and return to their original branch. You can tell the number of insects they capture by the clicking of their bills. They must have splendid eyesight, for often in the dusk von will see them literally ' dart ' fifteen to twenty feet, ending up with a click ;ind a swoop on to the nearest branch." " They seldom came to the ground, but often sit in the shade of a rhododendron bush about a foot from the ground. There the cock would sing when the sun was shining, a pretty Imt rather soft little song. At svich times the hen would come quite close to him and they would sit together, but otherwise they were very seldom found near each other. They each Three Beautiful Niliavas. 23 seemed to have their own part of the aviary for catching flies, and seldom trespassed." " They love bathing, and in summer-time the cock often had as many as six dips a day." " They adore mealworms, but besides these 1 supply live ants' eggs, insectile mixture, fruit (chiefly orange), bread and milk (containing barley- water) .... on this they have done well I think they are very hardy for Flycatchers, but do not like fog and cold To my great disappointment T lost the cock in December 1913, but was fortunate enough to get another, and I hope they may do better .... the old cock used to bully the hen at times." I saw these birds in their summer quarters in Mr. de Quincey's aviary, where their beauty was beyond description; fortunately it was a bright, sunny day, and we watched them for r. long time — their plumage under the play of light being indescribably beautiful — their deportment while catching flies equally so. The cock was much more confiding than the hen, but neither knew fear at mealworm time. Later they nested; a beautiful robin-like nest was constructed in a straw hat, lined with fine black rootlets. The ti:g was very similar to that of our Red-breast, less blotched, but with more and darker spots at the large end, almost clear at the small. Unfortunately, in ignorance of the nest, the hen was disturbed and she deserted. I know nothing further of this pair of birds, as shortly afterwards Mr. de Ouincey joined the Air Service, and most of his collection of birds had " gone West " when demobiHsation took place. Mr. H. Whistler, in Bird Notes, 1914, pages 213-4, writes ot their wild life in the Murree Hill, N. W. Himalayas, where, he states, it is met with in heavy jungle, frequenting the under- growth, perching only a foot or two above the ground, and is inclined to be shy. He describes the nest as a " cup of moss hned with black roots," placed only a few inches above the ground and well screened by a tangle of bushes. " The ti^^ is pale reddish-buff, very faintly freckled and mottled throughout with dingy pink which is most apparent towards the larger end." Personally I have only had the male of this species; it was out of doors from mid-May to end of October, and spent the winter months caged in a shghtly heated birdroom, in which their water was usually frozen over during severe periods — its 24 7 hrcc Bcaulijul NUtavas. behaviour was similar to Mr. de Ouincey's pair, and it was similarly fed. Lesser Niltava (A^. macgrigoriac). This rare species akaie is worth a visit to the Zoo to see, as the followinjj" sketchy description will indicate : Upper surface brilliant purplish-blue, variegated with i^listenin^- cobalt-blue on the top of the head and sides of neck; underparts ashy-i^rey; ventral res^ion white; beak and feet ])lack. It is much smaller than A^. sitndara, Init is equally robin-like and beautiful. This specimen was presented by our member Mr. E. W. Harper, who, in the course of years, has presented to the Zoo considerably over fifty (fully 80 I think") species new to its collection. Large Niltava (A^. gnvidis): I have not kept this species, but I saw the pair in Maj. Perreau's collective importa- tion several times, and even in their travelling'-cage they well m.erited their specific name, graudis, for they are large and truly beautiful birds. Mr. Alfred Ezra came to see the birds, and took this pair and others away with him. In Bird Notes, 191 4, pages 33-5. there w^as an article and coloured plate, by the late H. Goodchild. of this species, and I refer my readers thereto. As, prior to dispersion, this importation was housed next door to me at Mitcham I had abundant opportunity of observing them; even within the limits of their travelling-cage, and only the day following all the hardships of the journeying by sea and land, the pleasing soft song of the male was continually hf-ard, and I saw him many times displaying to his mate — they did well with Mr. Ezra, and the London public had several opportunities of seeing them at the large Bird Shows, where they charmed all beholders by their lovely colouration, steady and fearless demeanour, and interesting deportment, even within the limits of a show-cage. When he had possessed the birds some ten months, Mr. Ezra wrote of them as follows : " T have had tin's beautifully coloured species ten months. They " seem quite hardv and easy to keep, and I have not had any difficulty " whatever in keeping- it in perfect health. They thrive on insectile " mixture, a lot of grapes and apple cut up, also half a dozen mealworms " per bird dailv. The male singes all day long, and, although not a very " loud song, it is a verv pleasant one. When showing off he is lovely, " drawing his neck up to its full length and opening his tail like a huge Three Beautiful Nilfaz'as. 25 " fan. Never miss the Ijath a single morning" and are not happy till they ' get it. I am lucky in possessing such charming pets. — A. Ezra, " B.N., 1914, pp. 33-4." I nuist confess to l^ein;.;' very envious of Mr. Ezra when he carried off liis birds, but other equally rare species were C'..ming my way. Description: Adult Male. — Upper plumage dark purplish-blue; forehead, lores, cheeks and ear-coverts velvety-black ; crown, patch on each side of neck, shoulders, and upper tail-coverts glistening ultramarine suffused vi'ith cobalt-blue : tail, central feathers purplish-blue, others brown on inner webs and blue on outer ; beneath : chin, throat, and breast velvety- blfck; abdomen black, with purplish sheen; ventral region and under tail- coverts dark blackish-a^h}' tinged with fulvous ; underside of wings and tail black; bill black; feet plumbeous-black. Total length 8|in., tail 3^. Female. — Mosth- olive-brown ; crown and nape ashy-ljrcjwn, washed with rufous on the back and i-ump ; wings and tail dark brown, with the outer webs strongly suffused with rufous ; forehead, lores, eye-region, err-coverts, and cheeks fulvous with pale shafts ; the feathers of the chin, tfiroat and breast have also pale shafts, and the centre of abdomen is strongly suffused with ashy-brown ; a bright blue patch adorns each side of the neck ; Leak dark brown ; feet lightish brown. Youv};. — "The young nestling is dark brown streaked with fulvous; wings and tail as in the female." (W. O.'VTES — Fauna of Brit. India). " The young male is blackish with dark ferruginous spots, and is very Meruline in appearance." (T. C. Jerdon — Birds of India). Wild Life : It is found in the Himalayas from Nepal to Assam at an altitude of from 4,000 to 7,000 ft., the Kasi and Nagra Hills, Manipur. Muleyit Mountains to Tenasserim. While having- the general habits of typical flycatchers, the Large Niltava spends more time upon the ground than does the Rufous-bellied Niltava and than is usual with the typical flycatchers, and it varies its insect tiienu at certain periods v/ith berries and seeds. According to Jerdon it is more shy and retiring than the Rufous-belUed Niltava, favouring thick shady glens in the vicinity of water, gathering much of its insect prey fiom the ground. The nesting period is from April to June; the nest is loosely constructed of moss and mostly placed in the cleft of a rock, or a tree trunk. The eggs are pale buff, spotted with pale red. In conclusion I would state that if any of the three species referred to in this article should appear on the market, my readers cannot do better than close with their opportunity, as either as pairs for the aviary, or single males as cage-pets, they are unrivalled. 26 Indian Doves. Indian Doves. — Doves that are not what they seem. By D. Dewar. [Reprinted from The Indian Pioneer, January 24, 1923; with our thanks and apologies to Editor and Author. — Cutting per Capt. G. E. Rattigan, F.Z.S.— Ed. " B.N."] In this world things are often not what they seem. Charles Peace had the air of a dissenting minister, and Georges Carpentier has the spiritual look of a poet. Doves are pictures of innocence, harmlessness and guilelessness, but they possess none of these characteristics. Cunningham asserts that they are whited sepulchres of envy, hatred and malice. Whether this summing up of the turturine character be too severe or not, there is no gainsaying the fact that by their guile doves have altogether outwitted men of science. Doves are a standing gibe at the theory of natural selection. If there is anything in that theory, the dove family should have been swept off the face of the earth long ago. The bill and claws of the dove are feeble ; it habitually sits on a telegraph wire or other exposed perch, thereby courting the attacks of birds of prey, it can lay only two eggs, it constructs the most ramshackle nest imagin- able, which it builds in the most impossible and exposed situations, so that the white eggs can be seen from afar. Nevertheless it flourishes like the crow, the sparrow and the myna. Go where you will in India, there will you find doves in their hundreds cooing contentedly. I know of only one attribute of doves to explain their phenomenal success, and that i.5 their doggedness. You cannot depress a dove. Destroy its nest, break its eggs, kill its young, it coos contentedly and proceeds to make another nest and lay two more eggs, and it is apparently prepared to continue the process ad infinitum. In my volume entitled " Birds of the Plains " I have described the doings of a pair of doves which reared a brood in the verandah of the office of the Accountant-General at Lahore after four nests containing eggs or young had been destroyed in succession. " PIGEONS' MILK." It may be asked, would it not be better for the dove if its clutch of eggs consisted of five or six instead of but two ? This Indian Doves. 27 is a legitimate question, and the answer, for obvious reasons, i*? in the affirmative. The reason why only two eggs are laid appears to be the peculiar manner of feeding" the young. Doves go not into the highways and hedges to seek sustenance for their offspring; they feed them on a secretion from the crop. Pigeon's milk is not a myth. The pigeon family, which includes tiie doves, really do feed their young on a kind of milk, and apparently only sufficient of this is formed to feed adecpiately two young birds. This explains the two eggs, but not how or why they developed this strange habit. So far as I know% not one of the gentlemen who never tire of proclaiming the all sufficiency of natural selection to account or organic evolution I'as attempted to explain the origin of this phenomenon. Anatomically there is no difference between a pigeon and a dove. The larger members of the family of the columbidae arc termed pigeons, and the smaller ones doves, but, even so, there is no clear line drawm between the two. the smaller pigeons aic no bigger than the larger doves. Doves fall into two classes — the short-tailed and the long-tailed doves. Among the former are numbered the four commonest doves of India, namely, the Spotted, the Ring", the Tittle Brown, and the Red Turtle Dove. Although a strong family likeness runs through these, it is quite easy to distinguish between them at a glance. The Spotted Dove (Turtur siiratcnsis) is about the size of a m>na. The head is reddish grey, with what may be described a? a black-and-white chess board on each side of the neck. The wings are brown, heavily spotted with reddish brown. It is from these spotted wings that the bird derives its popular name. The legs are dull purple red. The call of this dove consists 01 four notes which may be rendered cuk-coo-coo-coo. VARIETIES OF DOVES. The Ring Dove (T . risorius) may be distinguished at a glance from the spotted species by its greyer colour and the absence of spots on the wings. The head and neck are a delicate grey, washed with lilac. Round the back of the neck runs a black collar, narrowly margined above and below with white. This bird is slightly larger than the spotted dove. Its note is monotonous and trisyllabic, with a distinct hiatus between the second and third note; it may be rendered coo-coo — coo. 28 Indian Doves. The Little Brown Dove is markedly smaller than 'he two just described. To men of science it is known as Turtur Citmbaycnsis. The prevailing hue of its plumage is earthy blown, but the head is tinted red, and the breast and fore part of the wing are washed with lilac. There is, on each side of the head, a dull red patch spotted with black. The legs are crimson lake. The- call of this little dove is soft and rather pleading. It sounds something like cuk-cuk-coo-coo-coo ; the last three notes following one another rapidly. Smaller even than the little brown dove is the Red Turtle Dove {Ocnopclia tranqucbarica). This dove differs from all its relatives in that the livery of the hen differs from that of the cock. Now (peace be to the devotees of the theory of Natural Selection ! ) there is nothing in the nesting or other habits of this dove that explains the sexual dimorphism. Both sexes have a black collar at the back of the neck. The plumage of the hen is mainly grey and she is often mistaken foi a small ring dove. The wings of the cock are brick red; he is a most elegant little fellow. The distribution of these four doves presents a problem which no zoologist has yet solved; capricious .seems the most fitting adjective to apply to it. All four species appear to undergo a certain amount of local migration just before the chief breeding season. This may be due to considerations of food supply during the nesting season. The migration is noticeable only at the limits of the range of each species. The spotted dove is a summer visitor to the Himalayas and is said to leave the vicinity of Deesa at the beginning of the hot weather. BIRD WANDERERS. The little brown dove is a summer visitor to the lower ranges of the Himalayas and to Afghanistan. The same is tiue of the ring-dove. This species is probably a summer visitor to Kashmir. I have never been there in winter, but have observed that in summer the ringed is the common dove of Siinagar. Mr. Jesse states that it deserts Lucknow in the hot weather. The red-winged dove is a summer visitor to Sind and the Punjab. In some parts of India all four species are found, side- Indian Doves. 29 by-side, in others three; in a few parts only one kind of dove occurs. In tlie United Provinces,all four species are found, the spotted species being" tlie commonest at Shahjahanpur. Bareilly, Pilibhit, Basti, Lucknow, ("rhazipur and in the Nepal Terai, Eastern Bengal and the Konkan. It is the only dove seen at Calcutta and on the West Coast south of Bombay. At Lahore and in the Deccan the spotted dove is never seen, the other three species only being found there. At Pusa the three doves are the ring, the spotted and the red turtle-dove. On the island of Bombay the little brown species is the only dove. It is usually said that the ring-dove prefers dry localities, and the spotted, well-wooded ones. This i*? on the whole correct, but the theory is si)oiled by the fact that the ring-dove is abundant during summer in the moist, well-wooded vale of Kashmir. ANOTHER PUZZLE. Even more of a puzzle is the distribution of the red turtle- dove. It is abundant in Sind and the Punjab in the hot months, but not in the cold. " It is," writes Hume. " very common in the bare, arid, treeless region that surrounds the Sambhar Lake. P is common in some dry well-cultivated districts like Etawah, where there are plenty of old mango groves. It is very common in some of the comparatively humid tracts, like Bareilly, and again in the sal jungles of the Kumaun-Bhabar and the Nepal Terai. On the other hand, over wide extents o: similar country it is rarely seen. Doubtless there is something in its food or mode of life that limits its distribution, but I have never yet been able to make out what this something" is." The habits of all four species of dove appear to be the same. They feed exclusively on seeds which they pick up off the ground. They are equally partial to the seeds of weeds, garden plants and cultivated crops. All build nests of the flimsiest type — mere platforms, so thin that the white eggs often show through from below. The nest is usually situated in a bush, hedge or tree, a thorny one by preference. Sometimes it is placed on or even inside a building; on rare occasions it is situated in a hole in a tree or on the ground. It is usually placed in an exposed situation, as though the owners courted notice. Doves, however, fight boldly when their nests are 30 Indian Doves. attacked; they seem to rej^ard tree-pies as their arch-enemies. In this tliey are justified, as the ])ie is an incorrij^ible etj;"g"-lifter. The sittins^- bird, when flushed by a human beins^-. some- times flutters on the i^round as thouj^h it had an injured wing. This is not a dehberate sham, as it takes place sometimes when the bird cannot be seen by the intruder. It is merely a series of movements caused by intense excitement or great anger. The doves described above do not ascend the hills to any great altitude. I have never seen the red turtle-dove in the Himalayas, and I would put the limit of the little brown dove at some 3,000 feet, and that of the other two at about 6,000: thus they are not seen at the average hill-station. The common dove of the West Himalayan stations is the Indian Turtle Dove (T. ferrago) and that of the eastern ranges the Rufous Turtle Dove {T . orientalis). As these are the only doves likely to be seen at the various sanitaria, detailed description is not necessary. The Indian turtle-dove may be likened to a ring- dove in which the black half-collar is replaced by a black-and- grey chess-board on each side of the neck. The rufous turtle-dove is like a large edition of the little brown dove, having the sides of the neck grey with numerous black patches. Ar Ouetta the European Turtle Dove (T . coniniM)iis) may be seen; this is like a little brown dove, but it has on the neck black and white spots. " A FEATHERED EXQUISITE." The Bronze-winged or Emerald Dove (Chalcof^Jiaps if'dica) is one of the most beautiful of the doves. The cock has a grey head with a white forehead and eyebrow. His back and wings are glistening emerald in some lights and bronze in others. The lower plumage is pale pinky brown. The middle t^il feathers are dark brown, and the outer ones grey, with a black cross-bar near the tip. The bill and legs are brilliant red. The hen is nearly as gaily dressed as the cock. She differs chiefly in the colouring of the head; this is brown, except for the grey forehead and eyebrows. Its size is that of the little brown dove. Its call is a deep-toned but soft, plaintive ceo. It feeds chiefly on berries and seeds. It is said to be fairly common in the forests of most parts of India, also in well wooded gardens in Calcutta. The only parts of the country Sonic Finches I have Kept. 31 in which I have seen this feathered exquisite are the sal forests of the United Provinces. All who have shot in those forests must have noticed and admired this dove as it flits alons^' a fire line. As it passes through alternate zones of shade and sunshine the colours of its plumage change like those in a kaleidoscope, bronze, brown, purple, green predominating in turn. In conclusion, mention must be made of the long-tailed doves. These are not common birds, and many people spend more than twenty years in India without seeing, or, at any rate, noticing them. Their upper plumage is Ijarred black and chestnut, hence they are called cuckoo-doves. The graduated tail, as long as the body, renders their recognition easy. A Icng-tailed dove having the upper plumage barred, seen in Assam and the Himalayas east of Simla, is the Bar-tailed Cuckoo-dove (Macropygia tusalia). There are two other species, one of which is confined to the Andamans and Nicobars; the other occurs in the forests of south Burma. The nesting habits of the bronze-winged and the cuckoo-doves resemble those of the common doves of India. Some Finches I have kept. By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. (Continued from page i/). The first instalment of this article was written against time, and went through without any proof revision. There are several grammatical errors which I must ask readers to overlook and correct as they read. Err.'Vtum : On page 12, lines 29 and 30, for " fitted up seed hoppers," read filled up seed hoppers. Red-headed Finch (Amadina erythrocephnla) : This species was acquired much later in my experience than the preceding species. It is a largeish, sparrow-like as to form, stoutly-built bird, yet not in any sense of ungainly contour, nor c ■' inharmonious colouration. This species is closely related to the Ribbon Finch 32 Some Pinches I have Kept. (A. fasciata), but, comparatively, is almost as larj^e ag"ain, and is certainly of much more handsome appearance. It is much less freely imported than the Ribbon Finch (Cutthroat), though much better known now and more freely seen than formerly. Description, uuilc: Brown above, with the whole of the head red; below it is a light greyish fawn-colour, each feather being margined with ruddy-brown, giving a regular scaled appearance ; a lightish fawny collar passes round the neck ; ventral region whitish; beak light horn-colour; feet flesh- coloured; iris hazel-brown. Female : Similar, but greyer in tone, markings les,s distinct; no red on head. Habitat : Southern Africa. Wild Life : Traveller-naturalists have told us but little about this species, but from what has been written we glean that the breeding season is May-June, and that the nest is formed of small sticks, fine rootlets, etc., and lined with anything woolly it can obtain and a few feathers or plant down. In the fall of the year it musters in quite large flocks in the vicinity iif rivers. Az'iarv Life : Its general demeanour in a mixed series in a roomy aviary is amiable, evincing a retiring disposition, loving to hide away amid the growing greenery, yet not lethargic, and having a very pleasing appearance against a setting of living green. It is cjuite ready to go to nest — its nidification economy being very similar to that of the well- known Cutthroat — but I should not class it as a free breeder; ! have had as many as four clutches of eggs in a single season from the same pair, yet not a single fledgling hatched out, though many of the eggs were fertile, yet they were indefatig- able sitters — this feature is rather a pronounced one of the species in confinement, and it was the attitude of mv first pair, yet there are bright exceptions, for, in the balmy pre-war days T saw a pair in the aviaries of Capt. Bainbridge at Thorpe that were really prolific breeders for two or three seasons, hatching out and rearing two and three broods per season, the nest being placed in a hazel bush. As already intimated my first pair did nothing save being SoDic Finches 1 liaz'c Kept. 33 continually on the nest, layini^- nunil^erless ei^",L;s. but hatchinj,; nothing" out; then in the middle of the second year the cock- died; he was in exhibition plumage and good condition generally when his corpse was picked up — on examination the only thing to account for his death was a slight cerebral hemorrhage. The hen continued to do well and survived the winter, and the following spring she accepted the advances of an odd Cutthroat, not much more than half her size; they duly mated, nested and laid a clutch of eggs, of which in due course one hatched out — the nest was built in an enclosed box in the shelter- shed. I almost daily watched the development of this youngster and noted one peculiarity, which I do not think had been previously recorded (see a back vol. of B.N.), viz: that the interior of the mouth is luminous, having a pattern like wire- netting, with a brilliance equal to phosphorus — 1 received quite a shock when I first noticed it — I put my finger into the nest to ascertain if the youngster was alive, and it gaped for food, and \ht luminosity was quite startling" when seen for the first time, and I carefully observed it on many subsequent occasions. This fledgeling was fully a month old when it left the nest, being fully feathered and able to fly well — it was a young male, as even then it showed slight indications of a red head and partial collar. Unfortunately I did not have the opportunity of seeing it after the moult, as when about two months old T found it drowned in the bath, but I still possess its skin. Since then several have bred this cross in this country and the resulting hybrids are quite handsome birds. They are about intermediate in size between the two species, though the one referred to above was as large as a red-headed finch, and they equally show the plumages of both parents. The males mostly have the head more or less red, and a partial collar across the throat of a little less brilliant crimson than that of the cutthroat, and the scaling of the underparts more obscure, in fact a commingling" of the plumage markings of both parents. I have not yet heard of these hybrids being fertile — I have had three clutches from a pair, all of which were infertile — though one would expect them to be so from closely related parents. I should expect them to be fertile if paired back to either parent species, but, so far. they have not proved to be sc inter se. 34 Some Fiiiclics I liair Kept. Tlie Ived-lieaded P'inch is worthy a place in all mixed series. Ribbon Finch {Anuid'uia fasciata) : 1 liis well-known and freely imported species is more commonly known as the Cutthroat. Its characteristics and habits are so similar to the preceding;" species, that but little space need be occupied in describin,i;" it. Description, Male: Above dull tawny-brown, i^Teyer on the head; throat white, across which runs a crescentic band of rich crimson ; breast and abdomen pale tawny-brown, with a patch of chestnut-brown on centre of abdomen ; above and below the whole of the plumas^e is more or less varieg^ated with greyish and dusky markings; tail greyish-brown; beak and feet flesh-colour. Female : Similar in plumage to the male, but of a greyer tone, and she lacks the white throat and crimson collar of the male. Range : Senegambia to N.E. Africa, and northwards to Masai-land. Mild Habits: This species occupies in N.E. Africa a position similar to the House Sparrow in Engiani. They congregate together in crowds, take dust baths in the sand, and chirp together in company as noisily as does the ubiquitous house sparrow. Books tell us very little of wild nidification imbits; undoubtedly they nest in holes and also build large globular, clumsy-looking nests in trees and bushes. Aviary Life: Many aviculturists give them a bad name for pugnacity, especially when nesting, and in some cases I know this to be the case. I have kept them on and off over a very long period and have had and bred a good many of them one time and another — I have never yet possessed a pair which made itself a nuisance in the aviary, but I do not overcrowd, and there is always an abundance of cover in my aviaries. Of all species of birds they are the most indefatigable nesters, but they do not always sit out the incubation period, nor yet rear all the young they hatch out — personally I have had best success with this species in moderate-sized aviaries. I have had many young reared on seed alone for, though insectile mixture was in the aviary, it was but seldom I saw them Some /'inches J have Kept. 35 at the dish. 1 have, however, found dried ants' cocoons a great help in the rearing- of the youni;-. as also would be live ones when these were available. When the Ribbon Finches are feeding young I scatter some of these upon the ground, and both parents are soon busy picking them up and making- journeys to and from the nest — ants' cocoons appear to supply them with the needful for the successful upbringing of their young, and at the same time are apparently not too stimulating. Of the numberless nests that have been constructed in my aviary only two of them have been built in bushes ; all the others have been in boxes or husks, and mostly under cover. The two natural nests were huge, untidy, globular construc- tions, with an entrance hole at the front near the top. Built entirely with grass and hay, and lined internally with any feathers they could get hold of. Even in a very large avairy I have not found 't to answer t(; keep two pairs in the same enclosure. The dominant pair cid all the nesting, the others got no chance. The Long-tailed Grassfinch (Poephila acuticauda). This beautiful, though not gorgeously coloured, Australian is also fairly well known to most aviculturists, and many of us have had the pleasure of seeing it successfully breed in our aviaries. There are two Australian finches, which one may almost describe as being as alike as two peas, viz : the Parson Finch (P. cincta) and the Long-tailed Grassfinch (P. acuticauda) — they are alike as to colour and form save in two particulars — the beak of the Parson is black, that of the Long-tail being led, 36 Some Finches I have Kept. a distinction which should prevent anyone from confnsinj;^ the two species. Also the tail of the Parson is square at the tip sji.ve for the extendinj;' shaft of the central feather, that of the IvOng-tail beinj;' taperin;^' from the base to its finely pointed tip; thus the novice need not err. There are also two forms of the Lon,^-tail, viz: the red- beaked and the yellow-beaked, but that is the only noticeable distinction between the two forms. At one period we used only to get the red-beaked form imported, but now the yellow- beaks come to hand quite as freely as red-beaks. Description : Head silver-grey; chin, throat, and chest black, in the form of a flask-shaped patch; back greyish fawn-colour, merging' into brown on the wing's and rump; upper tail-coverts black; underparts pale silvery rufous-brown, ventral region and under tail-coverts white; tail black, tapering" and pointed; beak red; feet ruddy flesh-colour. The sexes are alike in plumage, but in the females of the true pairs I have possessed I always fancied the black patch on her throat was a wee bit smaller than that of the male, but I cannot say whether this feature is constant or not. Wild Life : It ranges over N. Australia and frequents open grassy plains, and constructs its nest in the long grass and also in bushes, its haunts usually not being far removed fiom water. Az'iary Life : These are charming birds in an aviary and, though loving seclusion, are often on view, and look lovely indeed when sitting at rest on a branch of some evergreen shrub, and what a fine setting such forms for this harmoniously coloured bird, and how strikingly they stand out against such a background. They are equally charming in deportment and habits, and above all have a strong inclination to go to nest, but alas! not always successfully. T have had many nests built in my aviaries, never one in a bush, but only on two occasions have young been fully reared, and well T remember the day when my first brood of three Long-tails made their exit from the nest, and for one whole day were visible to all and sundry as they squatted on the branches beside their parents; then, for over a week they went into seclusion, and it v.as only when they were yelling for food that they could be Some Finches I have Kept. 37 located and occasional glimpses obtained of them. Afterwards they were to be seen regularly visiting the seed pans with their parents. When they left the nest they were similar to their parents, hut had black beaks and feet. The beaks and feet soon begin *o change colour, and when about two months old these parts were red and flesh-coloured respectively. At three months they were indistinguishable from their parents. I do not think a fully detailed account of the successful breeding of this species has ever appeared in Bird Notes, but I rtfrain from fuller details, as I am hoping some member will write an article thereupon. This species crosses readily with the Parson Finch (7^. cincta), and the resulting hybrids are about intermediate between the two species. The hybrids are fertile when paired back to either parent species and also inter se. Diet : My birds have always been in a mixed series and have had access to all kinds of seeds, milk-sop, insectile rriixture, insects and millet sprays. The only foods I ever saw them partake of were white millet seed, spray millet greedily, and milk-sop. Even when they were feeding young I never saw them visit the soft-food dish, but at this time they captured a good many flies, etc., and boldly contended, for such retiring birds, for mealworms when these were distributed, and, of course, I always managed that they got what they wanted. No collection of mixed finches is complete without the Long-tail. (To be continued). My Sombre Honey-Eater (Myzantha obscura). By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. Alas ! I cannot write in the plural — wish I could, for they are beautiful birds and should not be unduly difficult to breed, but, as I write, I do not know of any specimen save the one I am writing of. having been imported alive into this country, 38 M \' Souihrc f f niicy-luUcr. and even this one is a past memory. The Zoo have possessed quite a few Garrulous Honey-eaters (Mycaiitha garrula), and so have ])rivate avicuhurists, l)ut I do not think any have possessed Ai . ubscura ; of course, u])on this point 1 am open to correction. It is the Sombre, Dusky, or Obscure Miner of the colonists, l)ut it is a Honey-Eater, and quite distinct from the Indian Mynas. The former belons^' to the h'amily M cliphagidcc and the latter to F . Sturnidcc. Gould states that this species inhabits Swan River and the S W: portion of Australia g'enerally, wdierc it beautifully represents the Garrulous Honey-eater of N.S. Wales. He ciuotes Gilbert as follows: — ■ " It inha1)its every variety of wontlcd situation in all i)arts of the ' colony, and is generally met with in small families. In flying, the wings ''' move very rapidly, but the bird does not make progress in proportion to " the apparent exertion ; at titnes when passing from tree to tree its flight '' is graceful in the extreme. The stomach is small but tolerably muscular, " and the food, which consists of coleopterous and other insects, seeds and " berries, is procured both on the ground or among the branches. The " nest is budt on an u]iright fork of the topmost branches of the smaller 'gum-trees, and is formed of small dried sticks lined with soft gras.ses " and feathers. The eggs are of a rich orange-buff, obscurely spotted and " blotched with a deeper tint, particularly at the larger end. The sexes " offer but little difference in colour, but the female is somewhat smaller " in all her measurements." The above is a terse description of the bird (almost a life history) of this species in its native haunts, and I w-ill now pioceed to describe this in captivity as exhibited to me by the one individual, prefacing' this with a brief account as to how it came irjtn my possession. 'Twas on Saturday, May 2nd, 1908, that I w-ent to spend n week-end with our member Mr. O. Millsum, then resident at vSwindon; after leavin^q- my bag" at Swindon, we entrained for Bath. At the station we were met by the late Col. (then Capt.) Perreau, and together we wended our way to the Little Zoo, tf, view the marvellous collection of Australian birds brought over by Messrs. Payne »S: Wallis. Never have I, before or since, seen such a collection of Australia's wnld creatures of the air, and never will it pass from my memory — I see it all o'er again as T write. But this is an account of the vSombre Honey-eater and T Bird Notes. Photo E O. Page. This jjlale is reprinted for the purpose of sliowing an indistinct figure of the SoMBKK HoNiiY-EATER, which is the bottom figure on the left — the other l)irds are yoitiig Grey-winged Ouzels. My Sombre Hoiicy-Eatcr. ,39 must pass on. Refusiiii;- to be cajoled by hundreds of Gouldian F-nches (both Red and Black-head), all in exhibition plumage, I n^ade arrangements for pairs of Red-naped Lorikeets, Peaceful Doves, Painted Finches {Emhlcma f^icta). 4 Silvery-crowned Friar-Birds, and one Sombre Honey-eater to be put on rail to me on the following Monday, and then, after dining with Capt. and Mrs. Perreau, I returned to Swindon — duly receiving" the birds on the Monday evening. This reminiscence has raised sad as well as pleasant memories for. though T had corresponded long with Capt. Perreau, this was our first meeting— we met afterwards on each succeeding leave — n.ow he has crossed the great beyond, one of those wdio made the supreme sacrifice for King and Country, and not only do I anew feel the pang of the loss of a personal friend, but the loss of one who so ably assisted me for many years to fill the pages of this Journal — a valued contrib- utor, missed still, for " the times " have provided no substitute. I am sure my readers will pardon this digression. There was one sharp distinction (contrast) in this marvellous Australian collection, viz: while all the hard-bills were in exhibition trim, the softbills, though healthy, were in very poor feather. When the Sombre Honey-eater arrived it was in juvenal plumage, and I put it into my outdoor birdroom, in a flight 4ft. X 2ft. X 3ft. high, and it did well, in fact it never looked back and was soon well and tightly feathered and the picture of health. In spite of its name, which is certainly a misnomer, it was a beautiful bird and an object of interest to all callers. He shared his flight with a very fine Shama. which was already in possession, and a little inclined at first to resent the intrusion r.t the new-comer. Naturally for some days the Shama ruled the roost, fed first and took " the pick " of everything, but this was only temporary and nearly led to disaster, for one evening on my return from business I found the Shama partially disabled; fortunately he recovered, for he was a favourite of some three years' standing — he had tried acting the master once too often, and the under-dog had turned. I found another flight, not quite so large, and put the Sombre Honey-eater into sole possession. 40 My Sombre Huiicy-Eoter. It is closely allied to tlic I>tl] Bird (.1/. nichniophrys), but, while they possess many features in common, its deepest call-note is not anything" like so sonorous as that of the Bell Bird. Description : Above dusky-grey, with the centres of the feathers darker (brownish-grey), but the combination is very soft and the variegation not striking; rump and upper tail-coverts whitish silvery-grey; wings and tail olive-brown, with the external bases of some of the flights greenish, and tips of tail-feathers whitish-grey ; forehead yellowish-olive ; lores, line below tf.e eye, and ear-coverts blackish ; top and sides of head, throat and entire ur.der-surface pearly-grey, the lighter margins of the feathers imparting a beautiful obscurely scaled appearance to these parts; the bill, which is long, curved and very wide at the base, is bright yellow : bare skin round the eyes and on each side the throat yellow; feet dull orange. Total length about 9J inches ; tail about 4 inches. Its popular name is more or less of a misnomer and can only apply in so far that the variegation of its beautiful, soft- coloured garment is obscure. In fact it is one of the most beautiful birds I have ever possessed, and it possessed many other attractive qualities also ; it soon became steady, and speedily developed a large amount of cupboard-love towards me — none the less attractive, because self-interest was so apparent. Even in the moderate dimensions of its birdroom flight its agility was surprising" as it leapt and bounded amid the branches, while the manner and ease with which it captured mealworms thrown into the air, in so small a place was little short of marvellous. Thus it passed the first summer and winter with me, and as, when spring" came round, it was in splendid form and plumage, I turned it into a small aviary 12ft. square, among parrakeets, budgerigars, grey-winged ouzels, cardinals, doves, etc. Here its behaviour was exemplary, and I saw it under an entirely different aspect — charming and attractive as it had been in the small indoor (unheated) flight, it was far more so in the larger space; its attractive features were intensified, expanding as it were in the increased space, and altogether he was a source of unending interest and pleasure, but I only enjoyed him for a short time under this aspect — niore of this anon. If he was agile in the small flight, his agility was simply marvellous in the larger outdoor one; he caught mealworms and other insects on the wing as agilely as do swallows, and his My Sombre Honcy-Eatcr. 41 flight was practically as graceful as theirs. He seemed to enjoy th-: company of the other birds, remaining" on the best of terms with them, yet, strange to say, though solitary he never made a pal nor fraternised with any of them — at the same time he never interfered with them in any way, nor they with him — several broods of young birds, including a brood of Grey- winged Ouzels, were successfully reared during this time, but he never seemed even interested in the nesting operations of his fellow captives, and, strange to say, I never saw him enter a nest-box. He was a " dandy " of the first water, taking a thorough bath several times a day, and was always in a perfectly " spick and span " condition. His method of taking a bath was similar to that of the Pekin Robin — he would stand quite a while on the edge of the bath considering the matter, then in he would suddenly plunge and then nm through the bath, entirely under water and he had to duck his head to accomplish this, and out upon the other side, repeating this operation several times, then on to a branch for quite a lengthy grooming up. He was not at all fastidious in his diet, taking liberally ot the soft food, to which was added most days a liberal propor- tion of boiled potato, and, when available, carrot also. As part of his natural diet is the nectar of flowers, he was also supplied with bread and milk, and took same with gusto. Mealworms or any insect he delighted to have tossed in the air and thoroughly enjoyed catching them so long as I cared to keep on the game — needless to say I enjoyed the game also, so thf. Obscure Honey-eater fared well. He was also very greedy a^''ter fruit, no soft ripe variety came amiss — all the same he was no special trouble to cater for, as all the above items were included in the aviary " Bill of Fare." Honey-eaters, of which there are a g'ood number, are delightful birds (some of the genera are more delicate and need more warmth than does M. ohscura), make delightful cage or aviary birds, but I expect it will be the Garrulous Honey-eater that will come to hand ; however, save for slightly different plumage, they are similar in habits and characteristics, and require exactly the same treatment. My bird did not live his life with me, for the following summer my aviaries had to be dismantled, owing to a change of 42 Feeding and Keeping HardhiUs. residence, and part of my collection had to be sold, including' the Honey-eater. He passed into the hands of our member Mr. E. J. Brook, having quite an adventurous journey from London to Ecclefechan. being, if I remember rightly, four or five days on the way — the railways surpassed themselves — yet arriving in decent form, but hungry — I g-uess it was a plentiful STioply of milk-sop and fruit and a largish parrot cage wrapped round with sacking that saved his life. I hope, sometime, again to possess a pair of some species oi M yea nth a. 0 Feeding and Keeping Hardbills. By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. This article is being penned to meet an expressed need by some of the members, but it is impossible to comply wholly with the expressed need, viz: that articles under " Hardbills " and " Softbills " should appear in Bird Notes, and not only include housing", feeding, etc., but also supply a rough descrip- tion of each species and special individual treatment — such is impossible even if any individual could be found to undertake such a task con ainore, such a serial would run for years; besides, each volume of Bird Notes is full of the information asked for — again, think of the dreary repetition, as one wearily reads (leaving the poor author out of the question) through page after page of, say, for instance WEAVERS, the number of species is almost legion, and the feeding and treatment for all nearly identical, and, to repeat same ad nauseuin species by species would, T opine, very soon bring about the demise of the Club Journal. Give a glance at the index of any volume, and you'll get an idea of the number of species dealt with therein, and even if full comprehensive detail of the confinement economy of each species is not given in full, usually again and again lists of birds kept together in any enclosure with the foods supplied are to be found, and members (readers) must think for them- selves suilficiently to apply the information given to meet their own need. I admit that the bulk of F.B.C. membership keep tljeir birds in aviaries, large or small, and consequently the Feeding and Keeping Hardbills. 43 articles of birds kept under such conditions predominate; at the same time, not as Editor, but as a private member, I deny that the minority (those vvlio keep birds in cag'es) are shut out — if tliose who keep birds in cages will not write articles and give their experiences, who is to blame? Most certainly neither tht Editor nor other E.B.C. cfificials. How often have we reminded our members that there is a Correspondence section in our journal, and invited them to discuss methods of feeding, treatment in all its details, and to make known their difficulties or lack of knowledge therein. What response has there been? I do not attempt any answer, but leave it to each issue of Bird Notes for the past few years to supply same — verb sap. The Writer (Editor) is an aviarist and very seldom keeps birds in cages; true, by force of circumstances he must have so kept sufficient to know how it should be done, but that is certainly not the practical experience of one who must perforce keep all his birds in cages! Again, how deadly monotonous Bird Notes zvould soon become even if he were willing and had the time to do the whole — surely this issue itself must illustrate this most forcibly- -again I say verb sap. With this forew^ord I wdll now try to help my fellows- members as far as I can, but certainly in this article I can only deal with them in groups, merely notifying a group that requires any special treatment. Under Hardbills comes the bulk of Fringilline and Ploce- ine species, as under: — Ploceidae: Waxbills, Weavers, Whydahs, Mannikins and Grassfinches. Under Waxbills, besides those definitely called Waxbills, one includes such species as the Avadavats, Cordon Bleu, Lavender Finch, etc. Under Grassfinches and Manni- kins, besides those so called we include : Bib, Chestnut- breasted, Double-banded, Dwarf, Gouldian, Cherry, Parrot, Parson, Pectoral, Red-headed, Ribbon (Cutthroat), Ruficauda, Zebra, Bicheno's, Nutmeg, Pied-Grass, Sharp-tailed, Spice, and Striated Finches, also, Silverbills (Indian and African), Benga- lese. Diamond and Java Sparrows, and the Pin-tailed Nonpareil. FringUUdae : Buntings, Grosbeaks, Siskins and Finches. 1 o make all clear to the beginner, I will name some individual species as representatives of this group : Nonpareil, Indigo, 44 Feeding and Keeping Ihirdbills. Yellow, Cirl and other biintint^s; Cardinals in variety; Alario, Pileated, Cuban. Olive, Red-crested, Guttural, Lined, Reddish, Saffron, White-throated, and Singing- Finches, Cape Canary, Serins in variety (the whole of the genus Scrinus), Seed-eaters, Seed-Finches, Chaffinch; all (English and Foreign) Bullfinches, Linnets, Greenfinches, and vSiskins; Twites, 'Redpolls, Song- Sparrows, etc. I think the above lists should make clear, even to the Novice, the various groups included in these two main families of Hardbii.ls. Further, I hope the various menus given under the respective headings for mixed collections, aviaries, and cages will enable the veriest iyro to keep them successfully, and also enable them to avoid needless loss when making" a start, or when receiving a new species. Menu for aviary, in zvhicJi a mixed collection, Ploceidae AND Fringillidae, is kept : First, — It is best to have sufficient seed-hoppers to enable one to supply each kind of seed separate- ly, as this is a much less wasteful method than supplying all in one general mixture. Again it is important wdien buying seed to get only the best and to reject any sample that is dusty or has the slightest musty odour. Further, I have found that for foreign species a smallish canary seed is far better than that sold as giant canary seed; but what you get must be plump, clean and sweet. To meet the needs of both these Families of hardbills, both English and Foreign species, you must supply the following : — Seeds : The following I advise to be supplied separately, viz: canary, white millet, Indian millet, and millet sprays. As mixtures (i) 2 parts each sunflower and saffiower. and i part hemp. (2) Wild seed mixture as bought. (3) 2 parts linseed and I part maw seed. Note: All mixtures should be com- pounded by measure, not by weight. Greenfood : For foreign species nothing surpasses flowering and seeding grass, which by residents in the country (home and southern counties at any rate ) is obtainable all the year round : in frosty weather it can be gathered and kept indoors (stems or roots in water) for six to twelve hours before it is sup- plied to the birds. General garden weeds, also in the flowering Correspondence. 45 and seeding' sta^ye, can be supplied and if not much of same he eaien they are picked over, and many a half ripe seed or minute insect is obtained to the well being" of your birds. Water : Clean soft-water is the best, and if your service water supply is very hard, draw for your birds from the hot- water tap, as much of the hardness will have been eliminated in the process of heating. Water vessels must be kept clean and Cjuite free from greeny fungoid slime. I will deal later with soft-foods (insectile mixtures) in a chapter on Breeding Finches. {To be continued). Correspondence. EAST AFRICAN WEAVERS. Sir, — I was very much interested in Mr. Young's notes on these birds ni last month's B.N.. and especially in the excellent photographs. I do not however, agree that the birds described were either the Crimson-crowned or Orange Weavers. The nests in the photos are suspended, and. in my experience as an aviculturist, none of the Weavers of the genus Pyromelana d'l this, their nests being woven into two or three thick stems of grass or reeds, which act as supports, and when they do build in bushes two or three twigs are used in the same way. Moreover the nests are either spherical or purse-shaped, with the entrance hole at one side. Those in the photos are, as far as it is possible to see, snail-shaped with the entrance hole at the bottom. Another point is the colour of the eggs. Those of both P. flammiceps and F. franciscana are blue, occasionally spotted with black or brown. In my opinion the nests shown are those of one of the Hyphantornine weavers, probably H. cabauisi. These birds lay white eggs. A photo of a number of these nests l)uilt in my aviaries appeared in a recent issue of B.N. Had Mr. Young seen either the Crimson-crowned or Orange Weaver, lie would surely have described them as scarlet and black. Wm. shore BAILY. P.S. — It is only the Hyphantornine weavers that build in communities. I admit the force of Mr. Shore Baily's criticism both as regards nest formation and colour of eggs, and considered these points when I penned chc Editorial note in auestion, the main point which actuated my decision being colour, and I cannot call to mind any Hyphantornine weaver that would " fill the bill " in this respect, while both the Crimson-crowned and Orange Weavers do. Birds, when seen in nature, against the sky, from a distance appear a different colour from what they actually are — if the dominant colours Vv'cre flame-crimson, or flame-orange then the bird would appear as if wholly of that colour — I have noticed this feature several times when at a distance from my aviaries. 46 Corrcspoiidoicc. As regards nest formation, unless we had photos of natural nests in siLu to guide us, we could not tell tlie difference. In 19JI two Crimson-crowned Weavers were successfully reared in my aviary, and the nest was a suspended one, in the hollow centre of a larj^ golden privet bush, somewhat as the rough diagram herewith. I did not see their eggs, hut half a shell found under the nest was only faintly tinted with blue, but this may be accounted for by the colour fadmg from the action of weather while lying on the ground beneath the nest — the half shell found was the narrow (pointed) end and it was unspotted. My experience with birds in captivity is that nest formation is modified by envh'onment and that they speedily adapt themselves to altered conditions, though in the main the principal features of the wild nest are retained. I have had many suspended Pyronielana nests built in my aviary, not suspended by a short rope as with the Hyphantoniine group, but hanging underneath a swaying lateral branch, the branch pa.ssing through the top of the nest. I admit that the naming of birds under the conditions of Mr. C. H. Young's notes is rather .1 matter of conjecture ; still, even now. there appear t'- me to be only three species to fit the colour description he gives, viz : Crimson-crowned. Orange, and (irenadier. and in these three there is the difficulty of e^gg colouration. .\s to nest formation my avicultural experience teaches me, that this might easily be accounted for by the varying conditions Ci freedom and captivity, or perhaps it would be better to write by the character of the living growth they had to use as nest sites. Further, I may say that the bulk of the Pyroniclana nests built in my aviary have been hanging on the underside of lateral branches, as descril)ed over, and those from which young have emerged have been more or less double-chambered, the nest chamber being distinct — those of the unmated being an ovate sphere Correspondence. a^j with the entrance hole at the front near to the bottom of the nest, the latter varies to some extent, iut is invariably placed in the lowej- half of sphere. It would appear that these weavers are some species ot Hypliaiitor)iis, but. at the same time. I do not know of any such species that corresponds with Mr. Young^'s colour description. WESLEY T. PAGE. A LIVING JEWEL. Sir, — T think the following, copied from the Daily Mail. February 21, IQ23, might interest m.-my readers of 15. N. (Miss) OLIVE BLACKBURN. "COURTING DISPLAY OF BIRD OF PARADISE: A most " lovely sight was described at last night's scientific meeting of the " London Zoological Society — the sweethearting of the Magnificent Bird ' of Paradise. At the present moment one of these living jewels is making " love to his mate in the Small Bird House, and Mr. Seth Smith, F.Z.S., " told the Fellows about the amazing changes which now transfigure the '■ male liird. In his ordinary attire the bird is a vivid little person " with a green breast, orange and crimson back and wing feathers, and '■ two glittering green ' wires ' in his tail, which curve round in a double " sweep." " To woo his lady love he strikes two poses. In the first he puffs " out his breast feathers into a great dark green heart-shaped shield. " By some curious trick he moves these feathers to another angle, when " their dark green turns to a lustrous purple. His head is just seen above the shield, and as he opens and shuts his beak one glimpses a " flash of apple-green inside the mouth." In attitude No. 2 he appears to be a different bird altogether. He " doubles his height ; the breast feathers flatten out and disclose a " scintillating blue-green pattern like an inverted " T " made of spangles. " At the same moment an unsuspected ruff-like decoration flies into " position round his tiny head. This is made up of minute feathers, " sparkling with the texture of pale primrose spun-glass. Then the little beauty sways from side to side on legs of turquoise-blue." " And all this to win the heart of a dowdy little lady who looks " like a shabby crow. — L.C.M." [Such courting displays are common to all the Birds of Paradise, but in some species they are more striking and extraordinary than in others. In The Field for February ist, Mr. Seth Smith gives notes of the Courting Display of the Magnificent Bird of Paradise {Diphyllodes magnifica hunsteini), illustrating them with three drawings, showing the male in the two poses which are assumed during the display. Few aviculturists would, we think, describe the female as a " dowdy little lady who looks like a shabby crow." Sombre she certainly looks beside her gorgeously apparalled mate, but seen apart from, or examined by his side, she has a quiet, neat beauty of her own, and is neither of dowdy nor shabby appearance. In Bird Notes for 1910 there was an article on this species, illustrated with a coloured plate by the late H, Goodchild.— Ed. B.N.] 4