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FORTHE   PEOPLE 

FOR  EDVCATION 

FOR  SCIENCE 

LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  AMERICAN  MUSEUM 

OF 

NATURAL  HISTORY 

I  Bound  at) 
A.  M.N.H. 


< 


BIRD    NOTES. 


^<5>lJ<Ji>' 


Sq.Si'oGC^a^ 


THE  JOURNAL  OF  THE  FOREIGN  BIRD  CLUB 
FOR  THE  STUDY  OF  ALL  SPECIES  OF 
BIRDS       IN      FREEDOM       AND       CAPTIVITY. 


VOI.UMK     V.      SKKIKS     III. 


By  iiiiitiKiI  ci)n/)(h>ice  and  m  at  mil  aid 

Great,  tU'eih  are  done  and  yreat  di.tforerif.t  made. 


Kditkd      Hv 

WESLEY    T.    PAGE,    F.Z.S.,  M.B.O.IJ., 

Al'TIIOK        OK        "^\viAHIES        A  X  D        ^VIAHV        F-^IKK,"        ETC 


ASHB(JURNE  : 

J.  H.  Hkn'siock,  Avian  Pi;kss 
1922. 


X^-qo^o:^'^*-''^'^' 


(  ontents 


Contents. 


PAGE 


W. 

vi. 
vii. 


Title  Page      

Secretary's  Report       

List  of   Plates       

Illustrations  in  the  Text       

List  of  Contributors       '^''"• 

The   Magazine       ^ 

General  Index       -^° 

Index  to  Genera  and  Species  ^9^ 

Inset      ^'■^e"  P^-^'- 


Scci-ciai  \''s  h'r/^ori. 


Secretary's  Report. 


There  is  but  little  for  one  to  say  about  the  troublous  years 
tbroui^h  which  we,  and  the  world  in  j^eneral,  have  been  passinjj^. 
We  have  cause  for  mutual  i^ratulation  and  the  reverse. 

Satisfaction  that  we  ha\e  held  our  own,  and  tlie  reverse 
that  we  haxe  done  no  nnore. 

When  th.e  roll  is  revised  we  thindv  our  nund)ers  will  be 
al)out  the  same  as  last  year,  possibly  a  few  less.  We  can  all 
assist  in  the  effort  to  materially  increase  our  membership,  and 
the  present  is  the  best  i:)eriod  of  the  year  for  such  an  united  effort. 

A\'iculture  has  not  yet  fully  recovered  from  the  paralysing- 
effects  of  the  war — mrmv  aviaries  are  even  yet  not  re-opened, 
j>erha]is  never  will  be,  and  many  others  have  but  fe^v  occupants, 
and  it  is  api)arept  that  the  aftermath  of  war  has  been  as  disas- 
trous in  its  results  to  aAiculture  and  kindred  pursuits  as  the 
war  period  itself,  and  probably  to  this  cause  are  to  be  attributed 
the  difficulties  with  which  we  liave  been  contendini;'  tlurin;.;-  the 
past  year  and  years. 

One  thinj^"  must  be  commented  upon,  viz  :  the  slackness 
of  a  portion  of  our  membershiji  in  the  payment  of  subscriptions, 
and  the  lack  of  courtesy  in  not  replying"  to  applications  made 
tor  same.  The  work  of  the  Hon.  Sec.  has  been  doubled  from 
this  cause,  and,  if  these  members  persist  in  their  tactics,  either 
the  F.B.C.  must  expel  such  from  the  did),  or  they  will  find 
themselves  in  the  position  of  being-  unable  to  secure  officers  to 
carry  on  the  work  of  the  Club,    "i'crb  sap. 

We  do  feel  that  the  mend^ers  have  not  done  all  that  they 
might  to  assist  the  officers  of  the  Club,  or  to  further  the  progress 
of  the  Club  itself,  either  in  the  way  of  copy  for  the  Club  Journal, 
or  in  the  small  details  that  tend  towards  efficiency  and  progress, 
and  this  after  making  all  due  allowance  for  the  adverse  condi- 
tions under  which  we  have  all  been  labouring. 

Re  coloured  plates  :    In  the  coursing  of  next  year  we  hope 


Secretary's  Rcf^ori .  v. 

lo  have  some  proposition  conceniiii!^'  these  to  hiy  before  the 
members ;  at  the  moment  we  can  only  say  that  our  income  barely 
co\ers  the  cost  of  Bird  Notes,  as  at  present  issued,  and  the 
very  small  W'orkin;,;-  Expenses  of  the  Club. 

Shall  we.  unitedly,  seek  to  overcome  the  lethargy  that 
has  followed  the  war  period,  and,  with  a  study  of  cause  and 
effect,  seek  to  make  the  failures  of  the  ])ast  stepping-stones  to 
future  success  and  efficiency  ? 

The  effort  required  from  each  individual  member  is  but 
slight  indeed  to  achieve  this — three  main  points  stand  in  the 
forefront  of  our  need,  viz  : 

(i)  More  contributors  to  Bird  Notes. 

(2)  An  increased  membership. 

(3)  Prompt  payment  of  subscriptions,  and  an  attendance 
to  those  small  details  which  will  materially  reduce  the 
Hon.  Sec.'s  correspondence,  and  at  the  same  time 
curtail  the  Club's  postage  expenses. 

A.  E.  SNAPE,  Hon.  Business  Secretary. 
WESLEY  T.  PAGE,  Hon.  Editor. 


List  of  Plates. 

List  of  Plates. 


Opposite  page 

Group  of  Hybrid  Maniiikins  and  Bulbuls     I 

Kestrel    Hawks              g 

Algerian  Chaffinch  on  Nest       13 

Nest  and  Eggs  of  Algerian  Chaffinch       14 

Capt.  Reeve's  Terrace  Aviaries  21 

Nest  of  Mouse  Lark    28 

Azure  Jays             47 

Crimson  Tragopan       71-2 

Hen  Tragopan  Incubating      73 

Algerian  Chaffinch  Brooding  Young      95 

Oyster-Catcher "s  Nest      96 

Ringed  Plover's   Nest            96 

Black-cheeked   Waxbill  at   Nest 98 

Mr.   Pullar's  Aviary  No.  3 — West  Side   99 

Mr.   Pullar's  Aviary   No.  3 — East  Side   100 

Yucatan   Jay   in   Juvenal   Plumage      112 

Red  Ground  Dove  Incubating     131 

Y'oung  Stone  Curlews        132 

Cabani's  Weaver's  Nests        133 

Mistle  Thrush  Incubating      134 

(iroup  of  Grassfinches        155 

(Iroup  of  Gouldian  Finches      164 

r.lack-headed   Sibia       168 

Nest  and  Eggs  of  Misto  Seed-Finch  179 

Misto  Seed-Finch  and  Nest      180 

Nest  and  Eggs  of  the  Plumbeous  Quail     192 

Manchurian  Crossoptilons      207 

]\.1anchurian  Crossoptilon's  Young   208 

Large    Piirds"   Section   of   Capt.   Rattigan's  Aviaries   222 

Looking  through  Flights  of  Capt.  Rattigan's  Aviaries  222 

Quail  Finches          235 

Ground  Plan.  Mr.   Shore  Baily's  Aviaries      235 

Ml.    Shore   Baily's   Weavers'   Aviary 250 

Nest  and  Eggs  of  Snow  Bunting      253 

Nest  and  Eggs  of  Geocichla  litsibsirupa  254 

Mr.   Shore   Baily's  Waders'   Aviary   261 

Spoonbills        262 


Illustrations  in  the  Text.  vii. 


Illustrations   in  Text. 


Page 

Interior   of   tlic   DucIkss   of   Welliiifiton's   Aviary        2 

Bronze    X    Magpie   Mannikin   Jiybrid   y 

Spice  Finch   x   Bcngalese  Hybrid  8 

Temminck's  Courser  and  Egyptian  Quail   30 

Nest  and  Eggs  of  Bramble  Finch  31 

Rufous  Tinamou  Incubating     43 

Young   Rufous   Tinamou       44.  45 

Pileated  Jay           -47 

Mexican   Blue  Jay       48 

Rellow-winged  Sugarbird      55 

Yellow-winged  Sugarbird  and  Zebra   Finch       57 

Young  Cabot's  Tragopan         71 

West  Side,  Mr.  Pullar's  Aviaries  No?.  3.  4  and  5  100 

Plan  and  Elevation,  Mr.  H.  W.  Workman's  Aviaries  148 

Soft-Food  Box — lid  draws  out   157 

Hanging  Seed-tray       157 

Food  Shelter  on  Outside  Table  158 

Hybrid   Bcngalese    X    Nutmeg   Finch    200 

Ground   Plan,    Capt.    Rattigan's  Parrakeet   Aviary   227 

Twite   at    Nest          251 


Lisf  of  (  oHir'ibitiors. 


List   of  Contributors. 


*  Denotes   Correspondence. 

Bailv,  W.  Shore,  F.Z.S. 

Nesting  of  the  Algerian  Chaflinch.    13-5. 

Early  Stray  Notes.  28-32. 

Great  Tinamou,  The,   42-5. 

Some  Blue  Jays,  47-9. 

Tragopans,  71-3. 

May  in  my  Aviaries,  95-9. 

June  and  July  in  my  Aviaries,  13 1-5. 

Breeding   of  the   Misto  Seed-Finch,    179-81. 

Breeding  of  the  New  Guinea  Quail,   [92-3. 

Manchurian   Eared-Pheasant,   207-8. 

August,    September,    and   October   in   my   Aviaries,   251-4. 

Bi:.\Ri!Y.  W.  R. 

*  Lettuce  as  Grcenfood  for  Budgerigars,  67. 
Four  Species  of  Lovebirds,    181-6. 

r>KKBK,  C.  William 

The  undescribcd  Juvenal   I^lumage  of  Yucatan  Jays,    112-5. 

Bi  ACKBUKN,  Miss  Olive 

*  A  Case  of  Longevity,    153. 

Bgosev,   Edward  J. 

Notes   on   a   few   well-known    .Si')ecies,    61-4. 

Bkicut,   H.   E.,   P.Z.S. 

*  Signs  of  the  Season,  122-3. 

Successful  Breeding  of  the   Isabelline  Turtle-Dovc,  231-3. 
Successful   Breeding   of  the  White-breasted  Dove,   241-4. 

BuKGKss,  Mrs.  Margaret,  F.Z.S. 

*  My  Black-capped  Lories,  (18-9. 
Some  Notes  of  my  Birds,  76-9. 

Carr-Wai.kkk,    TIerbert 

*  Some   .Stray   Notes   on   Birds   and    Mice,   91-2. 
Stray  Aviary  Notes,  229-30. 

Chavvner,   Miss   E.   F. 

*  The  Waxwing,   69. 

*  To  Keep  Owls  and  Cats  from  Birds,  279. 

*  Breeding  Bullfinches  in  Captivity,  279. 

Cr.\ndall,   Lee  S, 

Notes  on  Some  Forms  of  Cissolopha.  111-2. 

The  Undescribcd  Juvenal    IMumagc   of  Yucatan  Jay,    112-5. 


List  of  Coiifribittors.  ix. 

CVRHIK,   J. 

Breeding;  Results,   iq. 
Dawsox-Smitii.   The   Lath   Lieut.    F. 

Notes  on  Some  Owls  and  liawks,  9-13. 

Dkcoux,   a. 

*  A   Few   Notes  from  a   French   Aviary,    )-'3-4. 

Dickinson,  Mrs.  D. 

A  Seeker  after  I'.ird  Marts.    i<'7-7i. 

DuNi.EATii,  The  Lady 

A  Few  Notes  from  our  President,    19-20. 

The  Desolation  of  War-time  in  My  .'\viaries  and  their  Re-openinq-.  -'5-S. 

Stray    Notes   from    My   Aviaries.    i5.^">^- 

Editori.\l. 

Prospect,  The.    15-6. 

Exhibiting  Foreign   P)irds,    17. 

Scottish   National  Show  Report,    17. 

Nesting  Notes,  69,    151.  • 

Rare  Birds,  70. 

Zoo  Notes,  70,  127,  151-2. 

Zoo,  Breeding  Results,  R8-9,  150.  151-2. 

Zoo,   Report,  88-90. 

Zoo.  The  Rarer  Acquisitions,  70,  89-90,    ij8,    752. 

Zoo,   Prince  of  Wales'  Collection,   127-8. 

Late    and    Irregular    Issue   of    the    Club   Journal,    125-7. 

Reviews  and   Notices  of   New  Books,    127. 

Breeding  of  Leadbeater's  Cockatoo,    150 

Seasonal  Notes,  151. 

Aviculture  in  Japan,    204. 

A  Rare  Dove,  205. 

GoRRiNGE,  Rev.  R.  E.  P.,  M.A. 

*  French  Moult  with  Budgerigars  and  Parrakeets,  67-8. 

*  Unexpected  Breeding  of  Green  and  Yellow  Budgerigars  in  same  nest,  206 

(iRF.Y,   Rt.  Hon.  Viscount,   K.G. 

In  My  Bird  Sanctuary,    115-21. 

Hartley,   Mrs.   E.    H. 

*  Millet-seed   Samples,    91. 
Hicks,   C.   H. 

Post  Mortem  Reports,   154,  206.  260,  279. 
IToPKiNSON,  E.,  D.S.O.,  M.A.,  M,B.,  F.Z.S.,  etc. 

Records  of  Birds  which  have  Bred  in  Captivity,   171-7,   197-202,  219-21, 
271-8. 

Lucas,  N.\th.  S.,  M.B.,  F.Z.S. 

Post    Mortem    Reports,    20,    94,    130. 

Ml-REL,    F. 

"  French   Moult  "    with    Budgerigars   and    Parrakeets,    34-7. 


X.  List  0/  Contributors. 

Page,  Wksley  T..  F.Z.S.,   M.B.O.U. 
Mannikins,    j-9. 

"  French  Moiill  "  witli  Budgerigars  and  I'arrakects,  32-8,  68. 
My   Yellow-winged    Sugar-birds,    55-60. 
Pheasants   and    Elder   as    (irecnfood,    93. 
Stray   Notes   of  the   Season,    142-7. 

Visits  to  Members'  Aviaries,   187-92,  221-0.   245-50,  261-4. 
A  Java   Sparrow   Episode,   203-4. 
Nesting  of  the  Cape  Turtle-Dove,  234-5,   259-60. 

Pailt.ard,   p. 

Budgerigars  as  Foster  Mothers,  37-8. 
Porter,  J.  W. 

Shama,  The  Best  Song  Bird,  73-6. 

Pi'Li.AR,    L.  F.   U.,  F.Z.S. 

Spring   Notes  for   1922,   99-102. 

R.>ttigj\n,   Capt.   G.   E.,   F.Z.S. 

Breeding    Results    for    1921,    39-41. 

*  Firstfruits  of  the  Season,    124-5. 

*  Current  Notes  of  my  Aviaries,   154. 
Quail  Finches,   235-41. 
Exhibiting  Foreign  Birds,  265. 

Torquay  Fur  and  Feather    Show   Report,   266-71. 

Ri-.An.   Mrs.   Mart,  \ret 

*  Seeing   other   Meniliers'   Aviaries  and  Birds,    19. 

*  A  Few  Notes   of  my  Present   Birds,  65-6. 

Rf.kvk,  Cai-t.  J.  S.,  F.Z.S.,  M.B.O.U. 
My  Aviaries  and  Birds,   21-5, 

*  \  isiting   Members'  Aviaries,  46. 
A  Cuckoo  Episode,   141-2. 

*  .Stray  Notes,    152. 

Sicii.    H.   E. 

The   Awful   Mealworm,   54. 
Snare,  Major  A.  E.,  O.B.E. 

*  Our  .Society  and   Its  Journal,   45-6 
Srrawson.   Dr.   E.,   M.C,   F.Z.S,.    ktc, 

J-lappenings  in  our  Aviaries,   164-5,  -14-6 
Tavistock,  The   Marquis   ok 

*  Peregrine   Falcon   l^pisodes,    18-9. 

*  New  Race  of   Blue-Bonnet   Parrakeets,  46. 
Some  Notes  on  Crimson-wing  Parrakeets,  50-4. 

*  Sula   Island   King   Parrakeet,   65. 

*  Breeding  Passerine  Parrotlets  at  Liberty,  65. 

*  French    Moult   with   Budgerigars   and   Parrakeets,   67. 

*  Compiling  a  List  of  Foreign  Birds  bred  at  Liberty,  92, 

*  Inbreeding  of  Wild  Species,  92, 


Ijst  ijj  COiifiihiitoiw'. 


.rj. 


TwisrocK,   'I'm;   .M\K(.iris   oi- 

*  Dirticulty    or    l-";iihirf   of    Wild    liiuls   (o    RVsciir   tlu-ir    Yonivjf.    q_^. 

*  I'lu'.isaiUs  and    IJdcr  as  ( Irfcnfooci.   93. 
i'.ti'odiuL;    trimson-winj;-    I'arrakeets,    1^5-7. 
Sonu-    Xotcs   nil    Ked-Sliiiiinw    Parrakeels.    1S1-4. 

*  I'jTata,   ()4. 

*  Si-nilo    Pi't-ay.    ]j_\. 

*  l)isi)Iay    of    Hatliilda    nttiraiKhi.     153. 
Tlie   Cockatcol   at    Liberty.    _'oS-q. 

*  Kn.^lisli    Tick    Killiiio-    r.irds.    J33-4. 
WiiisTi.iK.    lincii.    1.1'.,    l-.Z.S..    M.li.O.r. 

])iar\    of   a    X'oya'.^x-   Irom    Karaclii    to    Marseilles.    ~Cj-^~. 
\'isit   to   an    Indian  jlieel.   JO0-t4. 


Bird  Notes. 


Group  of  Hybrids, 

From   life  hij  tlie  lale   II-    iloodch'dd. 


^U  flights  Reserved,  3anuari?.   1922. 

BIRD  NOTES: 

~  THE  — 
JOURNAL     OF     THE     FOREIGN     BIRD     CLUB. 

Mannihins. 

By  Wesley  T.  1'agk,  F.Z.S.,  M.B.O.U. 

To  the  general  run  of  aviculturists  the  Mannikin  group 
are  the  least  pleasing  of  the  Family  PLOCEIDJE,  and  I  can 
almost  picture  a  grimace  of  disgust  on  the  faces  of  some  of  my 
readers  when  they  notice  the  title  of  this  article.  Well,  I'm  a 
bit  of  an  outsider,  for  I  find  some  members  of  this  group  both 
pleasing  and  interesting,  and  T  have  kept  most  of  them. 

I  am  not  speaking  of  cage-life,  for  when  kept  in  cages 
most  of  them  are  listless  and  lack  interest,  except,  perhaps,  the 
Bronze  Mannikin  and  Bib  Finch. 

My  experience  of  them  is  in  the  garden  (wilderness) 
aviary — one  that  allows  space  for  flight,  and  containing  room 
for  several  tall  evergreen  bushes;  here,  if  not  as  vivacious  as 
the  Pekin  Robin,  they  are  neither  dull  nor  uninterestmg,  far 
from  it.  for  seen  against  the  foliage  of  some  evergreen  bush 
they  are  noticeable  and  pleasing  birds. 

,By  wilderness  aviary  I  do  not  mean  merely  a  dense  tangle 
of  wild  growth,  but  a  well  planned  arrangement  of  open  spaces, 
bushes  and  patches  of  tangled  grass  and  herbage.  While  con- 
sidering how  to  fill  up  this  issue  I  came  across  a  photo  (taken 
last  year)  of  the  interior  of  flight  of  the  Duchess  of  vVellington's 
wilderness  aviary,  which  well  illustrates  this  point  (see  opposite) ; 
unfortunately  the  photo  only  covers  the  ornamental  central 
avenue  of  the  aviary,  but  behind  the  flower  beds,  on  either  side 
of  the  aviary,  everything  is  left  to  grow  wild,  and  here  amid 
the  tall  grass  Giant  Whydahs  have  reared  young  for  several 
years  in  succession,  and  Indigo  Buntings  also  have  successfullv 
reared  their  offspring.      The  illustration  also  shows  that  it  is 


2  Mamukins. 

possible  Ic)  lia\'e  llowcrs  and  l)ir(ls  in  the  same  asiary,  t(jr  tlii> 
enclosure  has  been  occupied  for  several  years  princi[)ally  l)y  a 
collection  of  Fringilliitc  and  Floccinc  finches. 


Now  to  get  on  with  the  Mannikins !       The  species  I  have 
in  mind  are  the  following: 

Bronze  Mannikin  {Spcrmcstcs  cuciiUata). 

Rufous-backed  {S.  iiigriceps). 

Bib  Finch  (S.  nana). 

Magpie   Mannikin   (Atnaiircstlies  fringilloidcs). 


Mannikins.  3 

White-headed   Mannikin   (Mitnia   iiiaja). 
Tri-coloured  Mannikin  (M.  malacca). 
Java  Sparrow  (.1/.    orysivora). 
Spice  Finch  {M.   pnnctulata). 
Bhck-headed  Mannikin  {M.  atricapilla). 
Chestnut-breasted  Finch  (M.  castaneitJiorax). 
Yellow-rumped  Finch  {M.  flaTiprynvia). 
Bengalese  Finch  (.If.  domestica). 
Pectoral  Finch  (M.  pectoralis). 

The  above  is  not  a  complete  list  of  the  group,  l)ut  it  will 
answer  its  purpose,  and  includes  some  of  the  species  I  have  kept. 

Diet  :  This  can  be  given  for  the  whole  group.  It  is 
very  simple.  The  main  dietary  is  canary,  white  and  IncHan 
millet  seeds,  and  millet  sprays.  When  rearing;  young"  some 
species — Bronze,  and  Magpie  Mannikins,  etc..  are  very  eager  for 
mealworms  and  other  insects :  and  they  also  take  a  little  insectile 
mixture,  and  eat  greenfood  greedily.  However.  I  have  had 
young'  of  all  the  species  reared  on  seed  and  greenfood  alone, 
save  for  such  insects  as  they  captured  in  the  aviary. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  refer  to  all  the  species  given  in 
my  list,  but  merely  to  give  a  few  notes  on  several  of  the  species — 
the  same  treatment  is  applicable  to  all,  nor  do  they  vary  greatly 
in  characteristics  and  general  habits. 

Chestnut-breasted  Finch  :  There  are  many  really 
pretty  and  pleasing  Mannikins,  but  this  is  certainly  one  of  the 
most  handsome.  Its  garment  is  a  beautiful  harmony,  of  white, 
buf¥,  fawn,  browns  and  black,  not  much  of  the  latter;  visitors 
have  seen  it  perched  on  a  twig  of  laurel  or  cypress,  and  some 
such  expression  as  "  What  a  beautiful  1  ird  "  a  very  frequent 
one,  is  heard,  and  I  cordially  agree. 

Their  courting  movements,  and  the  mannerisms  of  the 
mated  pair  are  very  quaint  and  interesting — how  much  there  is 
to  observe  in  a  year's  life  of  any  species  !  Their  flignc  is  not 
an  elegant  one;  it  is  jerky,  as  if  they  made  a  brief  pause  every 
few  beats  of  the  wing,  and  a  real  good  flight  round  and  round  the 
aviary  is  not  frequent,  though  occasionally  indulged  in. 

Nidification  :  This  in  all  birds  never  lacks  interest.  We 
note  the  difference  in  their  demeanour;  life  seems  to  have 
assumed  a  more  serious  aspect ;  and  as  soon  as  the  brief  courting 
days  are  passed,  they  soon  settle  down  to  construct  a  house  for 


4  M  iiiniiL'ins. 

llieir  liilurc  (comin.L;)  family.  I'irst  a  silt'  is  cliosen,  and  tliey 
make  a  serious  business  of  this;  what  a  number  of  Hkely  places 
arc  carefully  examined  and  rejected  before  the  ideal  spot  's 
found!  Then  there  is  no  delay;  brief  recreation  and  feeding 
only  arc  allowed  to  interru])t  the  building.  Their  home  when 
finished  is  not  an  elegant  one;  externally  it  looks  more  like  a 
ball  of  hay,  ragged  and  initidy.  thrown  together  anyhow,  but 
examine  the  interior  which  is  c|uite  symmetrical  and  well  finished, 
cosily  lined  with  fine  hay  and  usually  a  few  feathers.  In  due 
course  three  to  five  eggs  (my  broods  have  never  exceeded  three, 
but  on  two  occasions  one  or  two  infertile  eggs  have  been  left  ir. 
the  nest  after  the  young  have  flown)  are  deposited  therein  and 
incubation  begins,  which  duties  both  male  and  female  share, 
but  the  male's  share  is  small  indeed  compared  with  that  of  his 
wife.  How  busy  and  excited  they  become  as  soon  as  soft 
voices  are  heard  in  the  nest,  and  with  w^hat  care  and  valour  they 
guard  their  home.  What  a  happy  day  it  is  wdien  they  bring  out 
their  little  family  into  the  aviary-world.  How  interesting  to 
watch  the  family  party  sunning,  feeding,  and  exercising 
together,  ere  the  parent  birds  commence  the  duties  of  rearing 
another  brood. 

I  have  found  them  to  be  double  brooded,  though  often, 
when  the  season  is  cold  and  abnormally  wet,  only  one  brood  is 
reared. 

I  have  lingered  too  long  over  this  species,  but  it  is  rather 
''  favourite  of  mine.  To  me  it  is  as  beautiful  as  the  somewhat 
garishly  clad  Gouldian  Finch  ! 

This  species  has  been  successfully  crossed  with  other 
Mu)}ias. 

Yellovv-rumped  Mannikin. — Quite  as  beautiful  as  the 
preceding  species,  perhaps  more  so;  it  has  rather  a  curious  his- 
tory as  to  its  place  in  aviculture  :  introduced  to  aviculture  at 
one  of  the  large  London  autumn  shows  by,  I  think.  Mr.  D.  Seth- 
Smith,  it  created  a  mild  furore — it  is  as  handsome  as  any  of  the 
(rrassfinches — the  following  year  quite  a  crowd  were  on  the 
market ;  at  the  present  moment  few,  if  ?ny,  are  alive  in  this 
country. 

Tt  is  a  charming  aviary  bird  and  stands  conspicuously 
against  a  background  of  dark  green  foliage,  and  is  no  more 


Mainiikiiis.  5 

lethargic  in  its  demeanour  tli;in  a  (irasstinch;  in  fact,  not  so 
much  so  as  the  popular  (jouldian  Finch.  It  did  not  prove  a 
ready  breeder  in  captivity,  and  but  few  aviculturists  have  suc- 
ceeded in  breeding  it. 

Its  nidification  and  other  general  habits  are  similar  to 
those  of  the  Chestnut-breasted  Fincn. 

Pec'I'oral  Finch  :  Another  uncommon  and  beautiTul 
Australian  Mannikin,  which  we  seldom  see  on  the  market  now-a  • 
days,  quite  as  desirable  as  either  of  the  above  species,  and 
only  a  few  aviculturists  have  successfully  bred  it. 

It  constructs  a  domed  nest  in  some  thick  bush  or  faggot 
of  branches,  of  rough  and  untidy  exterior,  but  well  lined  and 
finished  internally.  It.  however,  has  a  decided  predilection 
for  an  artificial  nest  site  under  cover,  usually  a  fairly  roomy 
box,  which  it  completely  tills  from  bottom  to  top  with  material 
save  for  the  well  finished  central  nest-chamber,  leaving  only  a, 
small  hole  for  entrance,  which  is  usually  below  the  level  of  the 
nest-chamber  floor,  so  that,  save  for  sounds  and  the  birds' 
demeanour,  it  is  difficult  to  follov,-  progress  from  the  egg  to 
exit  of  the  young. 

The  above  three  species  are.  perhaps,  the  most  attractive 
of  this  group,  though  this  is,  of  course,  a  matter  of  individual 
opinion,  yet  among  the  remaining"  species  there  are  many  with 
contrasty  and  handsome  plumage,  and  some  of  tliem  form  fairlv 
conspicuous  objects  in  the  aviary. 

Rufous-backed  Manniktn. — This  is  another  species  of 
irregular  appearance  on  the  market,  though  quite  a  number  were 
on  offer  last  year,  and  one  aviculturist  at  any  rate,  Capt.  G.  E. 
Rattigan,  bred  them  quite  freely. 

Its  nidification  and  general  habits  are  so  similar  to  those 
we  have  already  given  that  we  need  not  refer  to  them  further, 
save  to  remark  that  when  feeding  young  they  are  very  keen 
on  live  insects,  and  supplying  a  few  at  intervals  during  the  day. 
certainly  enhances  the  prospect  of  the  young  being  success- 
fully reared,  though  young  are  reared  without  any  live-food 
supply  save  what  the  parent  birds  capture  in  the  aviary. 

They  are  very  desirable  and  not  costly  birds  for  the  aviar". 

Broxze-wtnt,  ATaxxikixs. — This  perky,  handsome  little 
fellow  is,  perhaps,  the  plebeian  of  the  Mannikin  family;  he 
certainly  is  the  cheapest  and  most  common,   being,     in     fact. 


6  Mannikins. 

always  on  tlie  market,  though  in  pre-war  times  he  and  the  Java 
Sparrow  ran  neck  and  neck  for  this  position  with  the  result  of 
honours  about  even. 

In  spite  of  all  this  1  like  the  little  chap;  in  a  roomy  aviary 
he  is  always  so  merry,  perky  and  enquiring",  and  mostly,  if  you 
have  a  true  pair,  gives  }ou  one  brood  of  young  per  annum,  i*' 
no  more. 

Their  nest,  too,  is  a  domed  one.  rough  and  uncouHi 
looking  outside,  but  well-linished,  snug  and  all  that  his  familv 
can  require  inside.  Moreover,  he  knows  how  to  look  after  i* 
too,  for  he  will  successfully  defend  it,  or  die,  even  against  a 
cardinal — not  often  does  he  fail,  for  he  is  so  bold,  quick  and 
alert,  the  other  fellow  gets  no  chance  and  soon  cries  enough  ! 
1  have  dilated  again  and  again  on  tne  pleasing  spectacle  of 
family  parties  when  the  young  have  left  the  nest;  none  are  more 
so  than  this  species — though  the  Zebra  Finch,  the  plebeian  of  the 
( Irassfinches,  runs  them  close — true  the  young  hide  away  in  the 
bushes  for  the  first  two  or  three  days,  and  you  can  only  locate 
them  when  they  call  for  food,  but  after  this  period  you  can  see 
tliem  feeding  and  foraging  or  disporting  togetner,  an  object 
lesson  of  "  the  gladness  of  life,"  which  all  creatures 
exhibit  in  greater  or  less  degree — none  more  so  than  the  little 
Bronze-wing,  even  though  he  has  no  song  Avorth  mentioning 
wherewith  to  declare  it. 

Magpie,  or  Pied  Mannikin. — This  is  perhaps  the  least 
])leasing  in  form  of  any  of  the  mannikins,  being  more  than 
double  the  size  of  the  Bronze-wing,  also  heavily  built  and  with  ,'i 
very  powerful  beak;  but  he  certainly  is  not  an  ugly  bird.  His 
plumage,  if  not  brilliant,  is  pleasing;  an  arrangement  of  shar,) 
contrasts  in  glistening  black  and  white,  with  a  fawn-coloured 
patch  on  each  side  of  the  body. 

His  powerful  form  and  large  beak  have  given  him  the 
unenxiable  notoriety  of  being  a  pugnacious  bird;  most  certainlv 
he  has  not  lived  up  to  this  reputation  in  my  aviaries,  and  I  have 
had  many  ]iairs  since  T  began  birdkeeping.  In  fact,  I  have 
never  seen  him  attempt  to  use  his  powerful  beak  aggressivelv 
save  W'hen  defending  his  nest,  and  in  this  he  earned  my  admira- 
tion, not  displeasure — with  half  his  body  extending  from  the 
entrance  of  his  nest  he  would  deal  pick-axe-like  blows  with  his 


Mannikins.  7 

powerful  l)eak.  at  any  bird  which  came  near,  anyone  of  which 
would  have  been  fatal  had  it  reached  its  mark;  for  this  1 
certainly  did  not  blame  him,  especially  as  ay;"gressors  took  care 
to  keep  him  out  of  reach;  in  fact  it  was  a  case  of  "  good  luck 
to  him."  And  he  was  always  a  proud  father  indeed  when  he 
brought  forth  a  troop  of  babies  into  the  aviary-world. 

The  Magpie,  too,  likes  plenty  of  insects  when  he  is  rearing 
3  family,  and  my  advice  is  ""  let  'im  'ave    em." 

One  season  I  had  neither  a  trtte  pair  of  Magpie  nor  Bronze 
Matuiikins  in  the  aviary,  simply  a  cock  Bronze  and  a  hen  Magpie. 
The  Bronze  had  been  the  father  of  several  families  of  his  own 
kind,  but  being  bereaved  he  married  again,  and  the  size  of  the 
only  hen  of  the  mannikin  fann'ly  did  not  daunt  him,  but  after 
considerable  skirmishing,  for  it  amounted  to  that,  the  lady 
consented  and  accepted  him.  As  a  result  two  broods  of  very 
pretty  hybrids  were  produced  about  intermediate  between  the 
parents,  both  as  to  size  and  plumage. 


Bronze-wing    x    Magpie  Mannikin   Hybrid. 

I  may  here  remark  that  many,  nay  most,  Mannikin  hybrids 
are  fertile  when  paired  back  to  other  species,  but  not  intcr-sc. 

In  point  of  fact  Mannikins  are,  I  consider,  readier  to 
mate  among  each  other,  failing  a  mate  of  their  own  species,  than 
any  other  group  of  birds,  and  will  even  mate  up  with  a  grass- 
finch  sooner  than  remain  unmated.  In  support  of  this 
statement  I  refer  my  readers  to  back  volumes  of  Bird  Notes. 
and    reprint  a  plate  of  Mannikin  hybrids  w-hich  the    late     H. 


8 


Mannikins. 


(ioodcliikl    drew,  some  years  ago,  at  L.C.B.A.    Horticultural 

Hall  Show,  1914. 

Ki:\    TO     I'LATI':. 
I.     Spice    X    Bib  Finch. 
-J.     Silverbill    x    Bengalese. 
3.     Red-vented   x   Red-eared  JJullnil. 
4  and  6.     Magpie  Mannikin   x    Bengalese. 
5.     Greenfinch    x    Himalayan  Siskin. 

Yet,  withal,  the  Tri-coloured  Mannikin  has  not  been  brefl 
as  a  species  so  far  as  I  am  aware  of,  thoui^h  it  has  been  success- 
fully crossed  with  other  Munias. 

I  must  hasten  these  notes  to  a  completion,  dealing-  with 
the  species  yet  unnoted  collectively,  putting  the  Java  Sparrow, 
Bengalese  Finch,  and  Spice  Finch  first  as  a  trio  of  strikingiv 
noticeable  aviary-birds;  perhaps  their  order  of  merit  is  as  I 
have  placed  them ;  certainly  there  are  few  finer  spectacles  than  ,> 
group  of  6-8  Java  Sparrows  dispersed  amid  the  foliage  of  a 
roomy  garden-aviary.       The  White  variety  of  this    species    is 


Spice  Im'iicIi   X   Bengalor  Hybrid. 

even  more  noticeable  and  beautiful.  The  pretty  Bengalese 
Finch  can  scarcely  liide  itself,  so  noticeable  is  its  colouration; 
this  applies  to  all  three  forms — the  White.  Fawn  and  White,  and 
Chocolate  and  White.  The  Spice  1^'inch  is  also  a  striking  an  1 
beautiful  l)ir(l.  with  its  warm  chestnut-cinnamon  back,  and 
beautifully  laced  white  underparts;  this  species  is  a  shy  breeder, 
yet  it  has  been  successfully  crossed  many  times  with  various 
other  Munias. 


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Ma)i)iikiiis.  <.) 

There  still  remain  four  other  species  to  mention  in  passing 
from  our  incomplete  list,  viz  :  the  White-headed,  Tri-coloured. 
Black-headed  and  Bib  Finch.  The  two  first  named  are  also 
noticeable  and  striking  birds;  so  is  the  Black-headed  when  he 
places  himself  against  a  background  of  light  green,  but  he  is  lost 
adid  laurel,  euonymous.  cypress,  and  the  like,  unless  very  closely 
observed.  And  now,  lastly,  what  can  I  say  in  a  few  terse  words 
about  the  charuiing  but  insignificant  looking"  little  Bib  Finch, 
the  mannikin  of  the  Mannikins  ?  Well,  he  has  not  much  colour, 
but  he  is  small,  only  about  half  the  size  of  the  Bronze-wing,  in 
fact  about  the  size  of  an  Avadavat.  but  a  little  more  stoutly  built, 
he  is  a  free  breeder,  has  plenty  of  vim  and  go,  yet  non-interfering 
with  the  other  occuy)ants  of  the  aviary.  True  he  has  to  be 
looked  for.  but  when  foimd  he  is  a  quiet  little  picture  well  worth 
looking  at,  and,  unless  it  is  nesting-time,  his  modest  little  wife 
is  never  far  away,  and,  when  seen  together  amid  the  foliage  of  a 
fairly  large  bush,  the  eye  does  not  readily  turn  from  them — 
cuddled  together,  a  wee-bit  of  life  amid  an  immensity  of  green; 
a  pair  in  a  large  aviary  of  mine  some  years  ago  received  the 
cognomen  of  "  The  Babes  in  the  Wood  " — a  not  inappropriate 
title. 

Now  for  my  last  paragraph:  The  hybrids  mentioned 
and  illustrated  herein  have  not  been,  in  any  single  instance,  I 
think,  deliberately  bred,  but  are  the  result  of  the  chance  mating 
of  odd  birds  in  the  aviary.  This  has  been  the  case  with  all  the 
hybrids,  of  any  group  of  birds,  bred  in  my  aviaries,  as  I  have 
never  deliberately  tried  to  cross  any  species.  This  article  has 
been  written  against  time  and  physical  disability,  because  other 
copy  has  failed  to  come  in. 

0 


Notes  on  Some  Owls  and  Hawhs. 

By  the  late  Lt.  F.  Davvsox-Smtth. 

[The  following  rough  notes  came  to  hand  with  others,  and  were 

evidently  intended  by  our  late  member,  not  as  an  article,  but 

as  notes  to  prepare  the  article  from. — Ed.] 

Burrowing  Ov^'ls  (Speotyto  citniciilario).      These  quaint 

and  pretty  owls  inhabit  the  burrows  of  marmots,  and  thus  dwell 


10  A'otcs  on  Sonic  Oivls  and  Hazuks. 

in  open  plains;  they  seem  to  enjoy  the  g'lare  of  the  sun.  and  fly 
about  rapidly  in  search  of  food  in  daytime.  Not  timid,  and 
allows  fairly  close  approach;  if  really  disturbed,  at  once  retreat 
into  their  burrow.  When  young  are  only  covered  in  down 
they  often  sit  at  entrance  of  burrow,  but  descend  quickly  when 
approached. 

They  feed  principally  upon  insects,  and  in  the  West  Indies 
on  rats  and  reptiles. 

M.  C.  L.  Bonaparte's  records  concerning'  this  species  are 
as  follows : 

"  Marmots,  whose  excavations  are  so  commodious  as  to  make  't 
"  unnecessary  that  the  owl  should  dig  for  himself,  as  he  is  said  to  do  in 
■'  other  parts  of  the  world,  where  no  burrowing  animals  exist.  These 
"  villages  are  very  numerous,  sometimes  covering  a  few  acres,  and  at  o'.hers 
"  spreading  over  the  surface  of  the  country  for  miles  together.  The}  are 
"  composed  of  slightly  elevated  mounds,  having  the  form  of  a  truncated 
"  cone,  about  2ft.  in  width  at  the  base,  and  seldom  rising  so  high  as  lO'n. 
"  above  the  surface  of  the  soil.  The  entrance  is  placed  either  at  the  top 
"  or  on  the  side,  and  the  whole  mound  is  beaten  down  externally,  especially 
"  at  the  summit,  resembling  a  much  used  footpath." 

"  In  all  these  prairie-dog  villages  the  Pjurrovving  Owl  is  seen  moving 
"  briskly  about,  or  else  in  small  flocks  scattered  among  the  mounds,  and 
"  at  a  distance  may  be  mistaken  for  the  marmot  itself,  when  sitting  erect. 
"  They  manifest  but  little  timidity,  and  allow  themselves  to  be  approached, 
"  but  if  alarmed,  some,  or  all  of  them,  soar  away  again  and  settle  down 
"  at  a  short  distance  :  if  further  disturbed,  this  flight  is  continued  until  they 
"  are  no  longer  in  view,  or  the\-  descend  into  their  dwellings,  whence  they 
"  arc  so  difficult  to  dislodge." 

"  The  burrows  into  which  these  owls  have  been  seen  to  dcsc?nd,  on 
"  the  plains  of  the  river  Platte,  where  they  are  most  numerous,  were 
"  evidently  excavated  by  the  marmot ;  whence  it  has  been  inferred  that  they 
"  were  either  common,  though  unfriendly,  residents  of  the  same  habitation, 
"  or  that  this  owl  was  the  sole  occupant  acquired  by  right  of  conquest. 
■'  The  evidence  of  this  was  clearly  presented  bv  the  ruinous  condition  of 
"'  l>urrows  tenanted  by  the  owl,  which  were  frequently  caved  in.  and  their 
"  sides  channelled  by  the  rains  :  while  the  neat  and  well-preserved  mansion 
"  of  the  marmot  showed  the  active  care  of  a  skilful  and  industrious  owner. 
"  We  have  no  evidence  that  the  owl  and  marmot  habitually  resort  to  one 
"  burrow,  yet  we  are  assured  by  Pike  and  others  that  a  common  danger 
"  often  drives  them  into  the  same  excavation,  where  lizards  and  rattle- 
"  snakes  also  enter  for  concealment  and  safety." 

Inhabits  X.  America,  treeless  regions  of  Western 
N.  America,  from  Plains  to  Pacific,  also  suitable  places  in 
many  other  States.       In  Dakota  and  other  regions  as  manv  a= 


Notes  on  Some  Ozuls  and  Haicks.  ii 

twenty  of  these  owls  sometimes  nest  in  the  same  hole.  Well 
sup])lied  with  food,  shore-larks,  mice.  etc.  Rarely  use  material 
for  nests.  Outside  holes  may  be  found  bits  of  skin  of  rats, 
mice.  etc.  Eggs,  glossy  white,  nearly  round,  usually  6  to  8 
in  number. 

Length  of  h'nd  9.50  inches. 
'■  The  Burrowing  Owl  is  sui)posed  to  l^c  more  than  a  match  for  prairie- 
dog  and  rattle-snakes  as  well." 

It  eats  young  marmots  and  even  old  ones.  It  enlarges 
burrows,  beginning  at  far  end  of  tunnel  to  remove  the  earth  and 
send  it  backwards  with  vigorous  kicks  until  all  is  clear.  Dry 
horse  or  cow  dung  is  carried  to  burrow,  broken  in  pieces  and 
scattered  over  nesting  chamber,  which  may  be  eight  or  ten  feei 
from  entrance.  Owl's  eggs  smothered  with  fleas  w'hich 
positively  spsckl?  the  eggs.       Birds  remain  paired  for  life. 

Nursery  duties  usually  ended  by  June,  and  one  can  see 
funny  top-heavy  little  owls  at  burrow  entrance.  Bowing 
toward  you  as  you  approach,  your  entertainer  is  not  shy — a  little 
gnome-like  creature  nearly  twists  its  head  off  its  neck  in  its 
attempts  to  follow  your  movements  with  its  immovable  eyes. 
Approach  too  near  and  it  flies  off  chattering,  "  zip.  zip  "  when 
alarmed.  They  also  sharply  and  rapidly  click  their  bills  wdien 
excited  or  enraged.  After  sundown  one  sees  these  busy 
hunters  on  the  chase,  now  poised  in  mid-air  like  a  sparrow-hawk, 
above  their  prey,  now  swooping  dow'nwards  on  swift  noiseless 
wings  to  grasp  if  in  their  talons  and  bear  it  away.  A  few 
well-directed  blows  with  beak  that  breaks  the  vertebrae  of  neck 
quieten  it  for  ever.  They  account  for  surprisingly  large  prey. 
Like  brains  best,  often  leave  other  parts  untouched.  A  useful 
bird. 

Indi.vX  Little  Owl  (Athene  brama):  A  clownish  and 
amusing  bird.    \^ery  noisy  and  makes  a  nocturnal  pandemonium. 

Ur.al  Owl  (Strix  uralensis) :  This  fine  bird  has  a  length 
of  23  inches.  It  is  a  native  of  Arctic  regions;  common  in 
Lapland  and  Ural  Mountains.  Also  parts  of  Austria  and  North 
of  vSweden.      Rarely  seen  in  other  parts  of  the  world. 

Preys  chieflv  on  birds  and  small  animals,  which  towards 
the  close  of  day  it  may  be  seen  looking  out  for.  among  the 
fcrests  of  the  desolate  regions  in  which  it  lives. 


12  Notes  on  Sonic  Ou'ls  and  llawks. 

Nests  in  holes  in  trees,  lays  4  to  5  eggs. 

American   Sparrow    Hawk    (Falco   sparvensis): 
pretty     species  may  be  seen   hovering  almost     motionless    in 
mid-air,  then  suddenly  swooping  to  ground.       Seeks  its  prey 
over  fields  and  meadows. 

Builds  no  nest ;  deposits  its  eggs  in  natural  cavities  of  high 
trees,  often  in  deserted  holes  of  woodpeckers,  and  in  crevices  in 
rocks  and  buildings,  sometimes  in  a  deserted  magpie's  nest. 

Cavities  usually  contain  no  lining;  eggs  4  to  5  in  numb;'r. 
laid  in  April  or  early  part  of  May. 

Male  :       Top  of  head  slaty-blue;  several  black  patches  on 
side  of  head  and  nape  ;  back  rufous,  with  black  spots ;  tail  rufous 
white    tipped   with  a  broad  black    band    below    it;    underparts 
white  or  buff,  sometimes  spotted  with  black.       Length  to  to  11 
inches. 

Common  in  N.  America  in  general. 

Perched  on  a  high  dead  limb  or  other  point  of  vantage. 
ii"  eagerly  scans  the  field  below  for  grasshoppers,  mice,  sparrows 
and  the  like.  When  prey  is  sighted  it  launches  itself  into  the 
air,  hovers  over  its  victim,  then  drops  like  a  stone,  seizes  it  in 
its  talons  and  flies  back  to  its  perch  to  feast.  It  is  amusing  to 
watch  it  handle  a  grasshopper,  very  much  as  a  squirrel  might 
eat  a  nut  if  he  had  only  two  legs.  On  becoming  dissatisfied 
with  its  hunting  grounds,  it  will  fly  off  over  the  fields  gracefullv, 
swiftly,  now  pausing  on  quivering  wings  to  reconnoitre,  now  on 
again,  suddenly  arresting  flight  to  pounce  on  its  tiny  prey.  Its 
flight  is  not  protracted  nor  soaring:  never  so  hurried,  so  swift, 
or  so  fierce  as  the  small  hawks;  it  is  none  the  less  active,  and  its 
charming  hovering  posture  gives  its  flight  a  special  grace. 
Kill-ee.  kill-ee.  kill-ee  it  calls  as  it  flies  above  the  grass.  Lets 
feathered  prey  alone  until  grasshoppers  and  field  mice  can't 
be  got. 

Remains  paired  for  life. 

Rkd-siioitt.dered  Buzzard  (Buteo  horealis):       This  fine 
species,     18    to    20     inches  in  length,  is    also    known    as    the 
Chicken-hawk."  and  is  very  common  in  X.  America. 

It  pre}s  upon  mice,  insects,  moles,  and  small  birds. 
Sailing  in  wide  circles  overhead,  the  Red-shouldered  is  a 


r.iRD  Notes. 


I'huh,    h,/    W.    Sli,n-r    linihl. 

Algerian   C'iiaffinch  on  Nest. 


The  Nesting  of  the  Algerian  Chaffinch.  13 

picture  of  repose  in  motion.  Rising,  falling  in  long  undula- 
tions, floating,  balancing  far  above  the  earth,  now  stationary 
on  motionless  wings,  and  again  with  a  superb  swoop,  a  very 
meteor  for  speed.  Serenely  pursues  its  way,  ignoring  the 
indignities  of  the  crow  that  may  not  reach  the  dizzy  heights  to 
which  it  soars.  While  nesting.  April  to  August,  helpless  fledg- 
lings give  them  little  opportunity  for  these  leisurely  sails,  but 
they  are  birds  of  freedom  indeed  towards  the  end  of  August. 
and  in  September  "  Kee  you.  kee  you  "  they  scream  as  they 
sail — a  cry  the  Blue  Jay  has  learned  to  imitate  to  perfection. 
Easy  to  approach  when  gorged.  Leaves  food  when  approached 
instead  of  carrying  it  off  like  the  other  hawks.  If  cornered  or 
wounded  will  fight  to  the  last  on  the  back,  defending  themselves 
with  both  bills  and  talons.  Spends  most  of  its  life  perching, 
usually  on  some  dead  limb,  where  it  watches  for  mice  and  moles 
creeping  through  the  meadow,  etc.  It  is  not  shy.  and  when 
perched  can  be  easily  approached  and  watched  as  it  descends 
like  a  thunderbolt  to  strike  its  prey. 

Eggs.  2  to  4  in  number,   white   with   rough  granulated 
shells,  often  irregularly  marked  with  shades  of  cinnamon, 

They  remain  paired  for  life.       Their  downy  young  are 
helpless,  and  do  not  leave  the  nest  until  fully  able  to  fly. 


The  Nesting  of  the  Algerian  Chaffinch 

Fringtlla  spodiogenes. 

By  W.  Shore  Baily. 

Rather  more  than  a  year  ago  I  bought  a  pair  of  Algerian 
Chaffinches  from  a  London  dealer.  The  cock  was  a  nice  bird, 
but  the  hen  was  in  rough  condition  and  minus  one  eye.  so  while 
turning  the  cock  into  an  outdoor  aviary  I  decided  to  keep  the 
hen  indors  until  the  warm  weather  set  in.  The  cock  started 
singing  early  in  February,  and  both  its  song  and  call-note  were 
noticeably  different  from  those  of  the  English  birds  outside  the 
aviary,  who  very  freely  replied  to  its  vocal  efforts. 

The  birds  themselves  differ  very  little  in  plumage  from 


14  The  Ncsti)ig  of  the  Algerian  Chaffinch. 

T.  coelebs,  but  are  rather  larger  and  have  a  good  deal  more 
white  on  the  wings.  About  the  end  of  March  1  turned  the 
hen,  which  had  greatly  improved  in  condition,  into  the  aviary 
with  the  cock,  but  shortly  after  this  I  picked  up  the  latter,  dead. 
As  1  was  unable  to  get  another  male,  for  these  birds  seem  to 
be  very  rarely  imported,  I  trapped  one  of  our  own  birds  and 
introduced  it  to  the  hen.  For  a  time  they  took  very  little 
notice  of  each  other,  but  in  May  I  noticed  the  cock  chasing  the 
hen,  and  singing  to  her.  Shortly  afterwards  the  hen  was  seen 
carrying  feathers  and  other  nesting  materials,  and  for  some 
weeks  she  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  in  trying  to  construct  a  nest. 
Her  efforts  were  ciuite  unsuccessful,  as  before  she  could  get  the 
foundation  properly  constructed  the  whole  thing  would  collapse. 
This  happened  time  and  again,  and  it  was  evident  that  the 
material  available  for  her  was  unsuitable.  At  last  I  supplied 
her  with  some  cotton  wool,  and  with  this  she  succeeded  in 
l)uilding  quite  a  neat  nest,  rather  larger  than  that  of  the  common 
Chaflfinch,  and,  of  course,  quite  different  in  appearance.  In 
this  she  laid  three  eggs,  somewhat  similar  in  colour  and  mark- 
ings to  those  of  our  bird.  She  sat  very  steadily,  but  the  eggs 
proved  infertile.  I  removed  them  in  the  hope  that  she  would 
have  a  second  nest,  but  she  made  no  attempt  to  do  so,  so  1  must 
hope  for  better  luck  next  year. 

Writing  of  the  Algerian  Chaffinch  in  Birds    of   Tunisia, 
Mr.  Whittaker  says:  — 

"  Tin's  liird  never  appears  to  have  strayed  across  the  Straits  of 
(iiljraltar,  or  to  liave  been  found  in  Spain,  and  the  species  has  every  right 
to  be  considered  as  jjecuh'ar  to  North-west  Africa.  In  its  habits  generally 
/•".  sf^dilioi^oics  resembles  our  Kuro])ean  Chaffinch,  and  I  cannot  say  that  I 
bave  noticed  much  difference  in  il.s  song,  although  its  notes  may,  perhaps. 
be  a  little  harsher,  and  not  so  cleai'  as  those  of  F.  coclebs.  To  be  able  to 
judge  properly,  however,  one  should  hear  individuals  of  the  two  species 
singing  together,  or  one  almost  immediately  after  the  other.  In  any  case. 
however,  the  bright  call  notes  of  the  Algerian  Chaffinch,  and  its  cheery 
short  song,  fall  as  pleasantly  on  the  car  in  the  North  African  woodlands  as 
does  the  familiar  note  of  its  pAiropean  congener  at  home,  and  they  form  no 
slight  contribution  to  the  wealth  of  bird  music  to  be  heard  in  some  of  those 
districts  during  the  spring  and  early  summer  months." 

"  This  Chaffinch  thrives  well  in  confinement,  and  examples  of  it  may 
often  be  seen  in  cages  in  Tunis  and  other  towns  of  the  Regency.  Seeds  of 
various  kinds  seem   to  be  the  principle   food  of  the  species,  but  insects  also 


Q 


£ 


O 


The  Nesting  of  the  Algerian  Chaffinch.  15 

largely  enter  into  its  diet.  The  nesting  season  of  /".  spodiogciics  in  Southern 
and  Central  Tunisia  commences  soon  after  the  middle  of  March,  and  is  con- 
tinued well  into  May.  In  the  north  of  the  Regency  it  is  somewhat  later. 
In  the  olive-groves  of  the  Gafsa  oasis  I  have  found  many  nests  during  the 
first  fortnight  of  April,  some  with  eggs,  others  with  fledglings  in  them. 
The  nests  are  placed  as  a  rule  in  the  fork  of  a  bough  at  a  height  of  eight 
to  sixteen  feet  from  the  ground,  and  resemble  those  of  our  European 
Chaffinch,  in  being  cup-shaped  and  neatly  and  compactly  built,  but  they  arc 
somewhat  larger,  and  composed  externally  of  dry  bents  and  grasses  of  a 
greyish  colour,  which  harmonises  better  with  the  grey  boughs  and  foliage  of 
the  olive-tree.  Interwoven  into  the  nest  are  pieces  of  wool  and  cotton 
threads,  and  occasionally  also  a  l)it  of  blue  cotton  stufif,  probably  picked  up 
near  some  Arab  tent;  the  interior  is  neatly  lined  with  hair  and  feathers. 
The  eggs,  usually  rather  larger  than  those  of  the  common  Chaffinch,  and 
generally  four  in  number,  are  of  a  dull  pale  bluish  or  greenish  colour,  sparsely 
clouded  and  spotted  with  vinous  and  russett  markings.  They  vary  a  good 
deal  in  size  and  shape,  but  their  average  measurements  are  -M.50  x  15.50  mm." 


Editorial. 

THE  PROSPECT  :  This  is  all  we  could  desire,  and  the 
future  outlook  is  rosy,  if  we  are  only  prepared  to  take  the 
trouble  to  grasp  and  use  our  opportunities. 

We  regret  we  cannot  congratulate  our  members  ui)on  this 
issue — again  too  much  has  been  left  for  the  Editor's  pen  to  hil — 
and  the  result  is  and  must  remain  so,  that  lark  of  variety,  which, 
we  think,  all  desire  to  see. 

Our  members  do  not  seem  to  have  yet  grasped  the  fact 
that,  during  the  war,  we  lost  most  of  our  regular  and  valued 
contributors,  or  are  somewhat  indifferent  or  slack  about  the 
matter.  Your  Editor  cannot,  and  it  is  unreasonable  to  expect 
it,  write  several  articles  month  by  month,  and  if  members  will 
not  take  the  trouble  to  write  articles  on  the  doings  of  birds  in 
their  own  aviaries,  rare  arrivals,  which  they  see  or  hear  of,  and 
other  topics  of  aviculture — we  still  have  a  good  membership, 
but  comparatively  few  wrote  anything  for  the  Journal  last  year, 
and  there  should  be  ample  unrecorded  matter  to  carry  us  over 
till  the  coming  season  should  supply  us  with  fresh  facts  and 
episodes — one  thing  we  must  make  quite  clear  :  your  Editor 
cannot,  and  zvill  not.  be  always  whining  for  copy,  neither  can  he 


1 6  Editorial. 

be  always  writing"  so  bnlkily  as  in  the  past,  and  //  the  members 
zvill  not  supply  copy,  the  failure  is  theirs  and  not  your  Editor's. 
VVe  have  placed  the  issue  clearly  before  you — the  future  is  yours 
to  make  or  mar. 

If  members  do  not  supply  more  copy  than  in  the  [)ast 
there  can  only  be  one  result,  viz  :  issues  of  Bird  i\OTKs  small  in 
bulk  and  equally  so  in  variety. 

While  upon  this  topic  we  will  refer  once  more  to  the 
L'orrespondence  section — this  is  not  largely  used,  yet  interest 
and  profit  sliould  result  if  the  opposite  were  the  result.  h^or 
instance,  how  important  are  insectile  mixtures  to  the  successful 
keeping"  of  soft-bills  and  the  successful  rearing"  of  their  young-  - 
What  interest  and  profit  there  would  result  from  a  discussion 
upon  this  topic — we  are  not  a  society  of  traders  and  have  no 
business  secrets  to  conserve — it  only  needs  one  or  two  members 
to  give  their  methods  and  results,  and  others  to  follow  on;  to 
start  what  would  be  some  of  most,  if  not  the  most,  practical 
and  important  avicultural  copy  Bird  Notes  has  ever  published. 
And  there  are  numerous  other  similar  topics  that  might  be  so 
dealt  with — we  have  only  to  remember  that  we  have  not,  neither 
are  we  called  upon,  to  prove  that  iiiy  iiii.vture  is  the  only  right 
or  successful  one,  but  to  glean  valuable  knowledge  and  data, 
which  should  not  only  be  mutual  gain,  but  prove  conducive  to 
the  happiness  and  comfort  of  the  birds  we  confine ;  to  put  all 
fear  of  acrimonius  discussion  to  flight  (if  such  we  indulged  iv, 
the  Editor's  blue  pencil  would  most  certainly  erase  it),  and  a 
pleasing,  interesting  and  practical  feature  be  commenced  in  our 
Journal. 

We  do  not  desire  to  repeat  what  we  have  said  in  our 
Retrospect — we  note  that  there  is  a  desire  for  the  resumption  of 
coloured  plates;  WE  WILL  HAVE  THEM  AS  SOON  AS 
WE  ARE  IN  A  POSITION  TO  PAY  FOR  THEM. 

Again  there  is  the  need  for  new  members  to  make  good 
war  losses,  etc. ;  this  is  a  matter  in  which  all  can  help,    \vill  they  ? 

As  we  opened  so  we  close — the  future  is  ours  to  make  or 
mar.  If  we  grasp  our  opportunities,  and  each  individual 
member  does  his,  or  her,  part  according  to  their  ability,  then 
1922  will  be  the  most  successful  in  our  history. 


Editorial.  17 

FOREIGX  BIRD  EXHIBITIXG  :  The  war  practically 
put  a  stop  to  the  exhibition  of  foreign  birds,  at  any  rate  so  far 
as  London  was  concerned,  and  then  the  prohibition  of  their 
import  temporarily  caused  the  supply  to  run  low,  and  even  now, 
more  than  three  years  after  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  foreign 
bird  exhibiting  has  not  as  yet  got  into  its  stride,  though  we 
opine  that  next  autumn  things  will  be  pretty  near  normal  again, 
and.  we  hope,  F.B.C.  will  fully  resume  its  normal  place  therein. 

We  have  been  unable  to  get  up  to  recent  London  Shows 
and  report  them  in  our  Journal,  including  the  recent  Olympia 
Show,  perhaps  some  member  who  attended  will  send  us  notes 
regarding  the  latter. 

We  have  a  few  notes  sent  us  and  a  catalogue  of  the 
Scottish  National  Shoiv  held,  we  think,  on  January  ist.  There 
were  six  classes  in  the  Foreign  Section,  viz : 

Common  Waxbills,  Finches,  Mannikins,  etc. 

Budgerigars  and  Lovebirds. 

A.D.\'\  Seed  Eaters  not  larger  than  Cardinals. 

Cockatoos,  Parrots  or  Parrakeets. 

A.S.  Tanagers,  Sugarbirds,  etc. 

A.S.  not  comprised  in  the  above. 

These  drew  together  some  47  entries,  comprising  some 
beautiful  and  interesting  species,  but  mostly  those  well  known 
to  aviculture  if  not  to  the  show  bench. 

The  Class  for  Common  Waxbills,  etc.  does  not  call  for 
comment.       It  only  drew  six  entrants. 

I,  Gallacher,  St.  Helena  Waxbill ;  2.  3,  Brotherstone,  Diamond  Sparrow  and 
St.  Helenas  ;  4,  5,  H.  L.  F.  Pullar,  Mannikins  and  Napoleon  Weaver. 

Budgerigars  and  Weavers  (11): 
I.  V.  H.  C.  &  C,  H.  L.  F.  Pullar.  Blue  Budgerigars  (F.B.C.  medal),  Olive 
and   Apple-green   Budgerigars:     2,   4.   5,    Miss   Peddie   Waddell,     Green 
Budgerigars,  Peach-faced  Lovebirds,  and  Yellow  Budgerigars ;  3,  Broth- 
erstone, Peach-faced  Lovebirds. 

A.O.V.  Seed  Eaters  (14): 

I.  3,  4,   H.  L.  F.   Pullar,  Virginian  Cardinal,  Green  Cardinal,    and    Pin-tail 
Parrot  Finches ;  2,  5,  Laurie,  Violet-eared  Waxbills,  and  Paradise  Whydah, 


i8  Correspondence. 

Cockatoos,  Parrots,  etc.  (lo) : 

I.  Ad.inis,  Riisi'lla  Parrakccl  ;  J,  4,  5,  H.  L.  F.  Pullar,  Prince  Lucian  Conurcs, 
I'.lack-hea'kd,  and  Wliitc-carcd  Conures ;  3,  Erskine,  Crimson-wing 
Parrakeet. 

Tana.i^ers,  etc.  (3) : 

I,  Montag:ue,  Ycllow-wino-cd  Suq^arlMrd  ;  2,  H.  L.  F.  Pullar,  Superb  Tanager ; 
3.   Arnott,    Yellow-vented   Bulbul. 

A.O.V.  (3): 

1,  3,  Arnott,  Wandering  Tree-pic,  and  Black-headed  Sibia  ;  2,  H.  L.  F.  Pullar, 
(Ireat  Mexican  Grosbeak. 

We  are  informed  that  the  exhibits  were  all  put  down  in 
good  condition,  well  staged,  and  formed  a  great  attraction  to  the 
visiting  public. 

It  will  be  seen  that  members  of  F.B.C.  were  well  to  the 
fore,  both  as  to  entries  and  successes. 

Our  members  should  inform  tlieir  various  club  secretaries 
that  Mr.  S.  Williams,  Oakleigh.  110  Riverway,  Palmer's  Green, 
London,  N.,  13,  is  now  the  Exhibitional  Secretary  for  F.B.C. 


Correspondence. 


PEREGRINE    FALCON    EPISODES. 

Sir, — The  following  incident,  though   not   strictly  avicultural,   may  he 

of  sufficient  interest  to  serve  as  "  copy!" 

A  few  months  ago  I  noticed  my  pair  of  Indian  Ring-necked  Parrakeets. 
apparently  startled  by  something.  Hying  swift  and  low  across  the  fields  in 
front  of  the  house,  and  a  moment  later  was  surprised  to  see  the  wedge-shaped 
form  of  a  peregrine  falcon — a  rare  bird  in  this  flat  and  civilized  region — passing 
over  at  a  considerable  height.  Although  one  cannot  help  feeling  a  certain 
sentimental  affection  for  this  fine  bird  of  prey,  I  must  admit  that  her  appear- 
ance did  not  fill  me  with  unmixed  joy,  as  I  reflected  on  the  probable  fate 
of  my  Crimson-wing  and  other  slower  flying  Parrakeets,  should  she  happen 
to  meet   with  them  in  the  open,   when  hungry.       However,  time  passed  by 


Correspondence.  19 

and  1  saw  no  more  of  her.  so  I  concliuk-il  tlial  she  was  on  migration 
However,  this  afternoon  (Fehruary  3rd)  I  again  made  licr  acquaintance. 
My  wife  called  my  attention  to  a  bird  chasing  a  peewit,  and  putting  my 
glasses  on  it,  I  found  it  was  my  old  friend.  The  peewit  she  was  after  eluded 
her,  but  a  moment  later  she  dropped,  head  downwards,  on  to  something  on 
the  ground,  which  proved  to  be  another  peewit,  which,  with  singidar  lack 
of  caution,  had  continued  feeding  on  the  plough.  There  was  a  brief  Strugs; L-. 
terminating,  as  I  thought,  in  the  death  of  the  unhappy  plover,  which  its  ca])tci- 
started  to  pluck.  Being  anxious  to  see  where  the  falcon  wou'd  carry  her 
quarry,  1  entered  tlie  field,  but  the  moment  my  head  appeared  above  the  hedge, 
two-hundred  yards  away,  the  peregrine  dropped  the  peewit,  who,  far  from 
being  dead,  made  ofif  with  all  possible  despatch,  no  doubt  a  wiser  an.d  mere 
cautious  bird. 

The  falcon  Mew  straight  away  over  the  tdwn,  and  once  more  I  heartily 
wished  I  was  seeing  the  last  of  her — but  was  I  ?       Time  will  show  ! 
llavant:    February  3,    1922.  (The   Marquis   of)  TAX'ISTOCK. 


BREEDING     RESULTS. 

Sir,— I  have  some  Zebra  Finches  (Taeniopygia  caslaiiutis]  bred  in  my 
aviary.  The  second  brood  were  hatched  on  October  7th,  one  of  which  prom- 
ises to  be  very  dark,  as  there  are  many  black  feathers  showing. 

I  have  also  reared  two  Avadavats  {Sporacgiutliiis  amaiidava),  and  1 
wonder  whether  these  have  often  been  bred  so  far  north  as  Edinburgh  ? 

Cordon  Bleus  and  Cuban  Finches  nested,  but  did  not  hatch  out  any 
yc  ung. 

Edinburgh  :   December  19,  1921.  j    CURRIE 


SEEING  OTHER  MEMBERS'  AVIARIES  AND  BIRDS. 
Sir,— I  always  feel,  and  I  expect  there  are  many  others  that  have 
similar  thoughts,  that  members  of  F.B.C.  ought  to  be  able  to  get  to  know 
other  members,  and  so  get  bird-talks  occasionally.  Would  it  be  possible  to 
put  m  any  kind  of  informal  notice  in  Bird  Notes  to  the  effect  that  I,  for 
one.  would  be  delighted  to  have  a  visit  from  anv  member  who  mighi  be 
m  this  district,  and  would  care  to  call. 

This  is  only  a  mere  suggestion. 

(Mrs.)     MARGARET     READ. 
Church    Croft,    Weston    Park,    Thames    Ditton  :    January    16,    1922. 


A  FEW  NOTES  FROM  OUR  PRESIDENT. 
SiH,— I  left  home  for  England  on  December  21st,  and  it  may  interest 
you  to  hear  that  a  hen  canary  was  sitting  on  eggs,  in  a  nest  she  had  made 


20  Post  Mortem  Reports. 

in  an  ivy  bush  out  of  doors.      Zebra  Finches  are  also  nesting-  in  a  thick  bush. 
(I'ally water  Park,   Co.   Down). 

T  have  not  bought  any  birds  since  the  war  broke  out,  so  my  variety 
is  now  quite  small;  but,  on  my  return,  I  am  taking-  back  with  me  a  fair 
number  of  waxbills,  mannikins,  weavers,  whydahs,  and  other  Ploceine  finches, 
also  some  buntings,  larks,  waxwings  and  troupials. 

You  will  be  pleased  to  hear  that  the  Egrets  and  Pond  Herons  are 
doing  well  ;  the  former  fly  beautifully,  but,  I  am  afraid  they  will  have  to  be 
pinioned  and  wander  at  large  out  of  doors,  as,  though  they  are  in  the  far 
division  of  the  aviary,  the  smell  of  fish  is  most  ol)jectionable,  and  spo'ls  the 
pleasure  of  going  down  there. 
London:    December  30,    1921.  (Lady)   N.   L.   F.   DUNLEATH. 

<^ 


Post   Mortem   Reports. 

Vide  rules  on  page  n.  of  cover. 


Cordon  Bleu  :    A.   H.   Barnes. — Pneumonia. 

ViOLET-E.ARED  Waxbill  :      Mrs.  Calvocoressi. — Pneumonia. 

Paradise  Whydah  :     R.  E.  Simpson. — Pneumonia. 

Pennant  Parrakeet  ;      H.  Whitley. — Enteritis. 

Australian    Crested    Dove  :       H.     Whitley.— Nephritis     (Inflammation     of 
kidneys). 

CiRL  Bunting  :     Capt.  Reeve. — Congestion  of  lungs  and  enteritis. 
Budgerigar  :      Miss  Foster. — Abscess  of  lung. 

NATH.  S.  LUCAS,  M.B.,  F.Z.S. 
Hon.  Pathologist. 


BIRD  NOTES: 

—  THE  — 
JOURNAL     OF     THE     FOREIGN     BIRD     CLUB. 

My  Aviaries  and  Birds, 

By  Capt.  J.  S.  Reeve,  F.Z.S..  M.B.O.U. 

Your  Editorial  admonition  in  January  issue  of  B.N  , 
combined  with  a  free  evening,  has  compelled  me  to  attempt  an 
article. 

My  aviaries,  except  for  an  alteration  to  which  I  will  refer 
later,  are  as  they  were  when  last  described  in  this  Journal; 
therefore  I  am  not  giving"  any  details  of  these. 

In  pre-war  days  I  went  in  principally  for  foreign  finches, 
weavers  and  waxbills.  I  was  obliged  to  get  rid  of  the  greater 
part  of  these  while  away  soldiering,  and  the  only  survivor  was 
a  cock  Red-headed  Weaver  {Quclca  erythrops),  which  came 
from  Hamlyn  in  1906.  and  survived  his  return  here  by  over  a 
year,  dying  in  November  1920,  being  then  fully  fifteen  years  old; 
he  was  out  of  doors  all  the  year  round  practically  the  whole 
period. 

Since  the  war  I  have  gone  in  for  a  few  Softbills,  Parra- 
keets,  and  the  rarer  British  species.  uf  those  not  still  in  my 
aviaries  I  may  mention  a  pair  of  Cirl  Buntings  (Emberisa 
cirlus),  of  whose  nesting  I  contributed  a  few  notes  last  year;  a 
Black-necked  Grackle  (which  I  ultimately  sold  to  the  New  York 
Zoo)  was  an  amusing  customer  who  did  not  know  what  fear 
was.  but  he  was  never  in  the  best  of  health ;  a  pair  of  Crossbills, 
which  w'ould  soon  have  destroyed  a  large  holly  bush  in  my 
large  aviary,  not  to  mention  rambler  roses,  all  of  the  which  thev 
barked  and  frayed  the  twigs ;  a  pair  of  Woodlarks  were  verv 
engaging,  and  the  song  of  the  male  was  very  sweet  and  distinc- 
tive, but  they  did  not  long  survive  ! 

The  present  occupants  of  my  aviaries  are  as  follows  : 

House  Aviary  :     This  was  refitted  a  year  ago,  and  I  put 


^2  AJ y  Ai'iarics  and  Birds. 

in  a  radiator  and  liot-vvater  service,  added  glass  doors  so  as 
to  enclose  birds  into  the  inner  portion  diirini^-  the  winter  month.;: 
the  temperatnre  this  winter  has  varied  between  50  and  60 
dei^rees  F.  1  also  wired  in  a  small  ])iece  as  winter  cpiarters  iov 
the  smaller  species. 

In  the  main  portion  are  :  — - 

I   pair  Triangular  Spotted   Pi.qeoiis  (CoJitiuha   pliaconota). 

Glossy   Starling   {iMUiprotoniis    citalybeus). 

c?   Shama  (Cittocinchi  iiiacriira). 

r^    Archbishnj)    TuiVAffev    (Tainii^ra    oriiata). 

I    pair  Red  rumped  Parrakects  {Pscplioliis  liaoimhnuitus). 

I   ])air  Blue-winged  (Psittacula  passeruia). 

I    ])air  Prince  I.ucian  Conures  (Pyrrlnini  luciani). 

T    ])air    Blossom-lieaded   Parrakeets   (Falaenniis   cyanocephaJa). 

1  pair  Spot-billed  Toucanettes  (Selenidera  maculirostris). 

The  Triani^'nlar  Spotted  Pigeons  have  done  exceptionallv 
well  with  me,  proving  quite  prolific.  I  bought  a  pair  from  the 
London  Zoo  in  March  1920,  and  the  following  is  their  record  : 

2  young  left  the  nest   May  30,    1920. 

2  young  left  the  nest  July   17/22,    iq20. 

2  young  left   the   nest   Sejitembcr   iS/20,    ^q20. 

2  young  left  the  nest  Ai)nl  28/29,   1921. 

T    voung  left  the   nest  June  23,    1921. 

-  <^S'S:S  Pi-^t  under  Stock  Doves  July  2,   1921,  and  -rice  I'crsa. 

2  young  Stock  Doves  left  the  nest  August  4/7,    i92r. 

2  yiung  Tri.-s]).')tteds  left   the   nest   October  4/12,    102:. 

2  young  Tri.-siif)tteds  left  the  nest   December  21/29,    1921. 

2  eggs   in   nest    I'ebruarv,    1922,    which    I   ihink   arc  addled. 

1  cannot  say  I  have  had  much  success  with  the  Tanagers 
for  the  bulk  of  them  did  not  survive  long  with  me,  in  fact 
never  properly  recovering  from  the  hardships  of  iiuportatif)n. 
though  looking  well  when  T  got  them  from  the  dealer.  The 
cock  Archbishop  Tanager  (twice  a  widower"!  is  a  beautv,  who. 
after  a  winter  indoors,  moulted  out  into  glorious  plumage  in  the 
outdoor  aviary  last  autumn;  he  is  now  in  full  song;  Shan\'i 
will  not  let  him  feed  if  he  can  help  it.  but  his  Lordship,  the 
Archbishop,  seizes  a  piece  of  apple,  banana  or  grape,  fli'^s  off 
to  a  branch  with  it  and  devours  it  in  coiufort;  he  is  ever  keen 
to  get  out  of  doors;  as  also  are  the  parrakeets.  '1  iie  .Shnm.-^ 
is  a  favourite,  T  have  had  him  three  years  and  he  is  a  fi'^f^ 
songster. 

My  pair  of  Red-rump  Parrakeets  have  done  well,  have 


My  Ai'iarics  and  Birds.  23 

fully  reared  quite  a  few  youni;  birds,  and  can  now  well  be  called 
a  breedini;  pair.  The  other  species  have  yet  to  show  what  they 
can  do  in  the  way  of  reproducing  their  kind.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  the  Blossom-heads  (these  are  young-  birds  and  not  yet 
fully  developed)  all  the  parrakeets  are  in  fine  condition  and  T 
am  hoping  for  results. 

Tlie  .Spot-billed  Toucanettes  are  really  delightful  birds: 
ihev  calcli  a  great  deal  better  than  1  can  throw,  indeed  they  never 
miss  a  reasonable  chance!  If  handing  them  a  grape  with  a 
glove  or  tinger'stall  on,  or  anything  unusual  they  will  examine 
the  latter  before  t.aking  the  grape;  both  are  in  perfect  plumage 
now.  though  the  cock  is  never  so  lively  as  his  spouse,  and 
appears  to  "  have  a  liver."  often  being  dull  and  "  bunchy  "  for 
days  at  a  time;  perhaps  he  really  has  a  liver,  for  he  is  as  fat  as 
he  well  can  be;  they  like  a  mealworm,  though  I  seldom  give 
them  one,  and  when  I  do  Mr.  Shania  will  have  it  out  of  their 
beak,  if  he  sees  it.  before  they  can  toss  it  up  and  dispose  of  it. 
They  will  play  with  a  dead  mouse  and,  I  believe,  have  swallowed 
a  small  one  [my  Suljihur-breasted  Toucan  used  to  catch  mice,  as 
the  blood-spattered  perches  amply  demonstrated,  and  his  lack  of 
appetite  indicated  the  same  when  I  went  down  in  early  mornings 
to  feed — no  uncommon  occurrence  either. — Ed.].  Drapes  and 
banana  are  the  favourite  fruits,  tnough  they  eat  a  lot  of  apple 
pecking  it  off  the  solid  fruit.  I  can  distinguish  no  difference 
in  the  call  of  the  sexes,  but  since  the  cold  weather  the  male 
has  hardlv  uttered  it.  she  every  day.  The  call  is  made  with  a 
profound  bow  and  then  again  with  the  head  right  up.  and  so  on 
alternately,  perhaps  four  or  five  times.  T  only  hope  they  will 
survive  till  the  summer,  as  thev  very  often  examine  nesting 
blocks. 

Tn  the  Small  species  section  T  have  : 

T   pair   African   White-eyes   (Zosferops   I'irens). 

4  Cordon   P>lciis   (iistrilda  pJioenicnt'is). 

I    Ye1lo\v-l)HIc(l   Cardinal    (Paroaria    capitatu) — recent    widower. 

T  pair  Yellow -winged  Su,Q-arhirds  (Cocrehu  c\Hi)'ca  ' 

9    Black-bael-ed   7ana"er   (Calliste    inelavonota). 

The  African  White-eyes  spent  last  summer  in  the  outdoor 
nviary.  but  made  no  attempt  at  nesting. 

The  Yellow-winged  Sugarbirds.  which  T  got  from  our 
T^.'h'tnr,  are  .i  '>r,ind  pair,  the  cock  is  a  perfect  gem.  May  thev 
only  survive  to  go  out  in  May! 


24  My  Aviaries  and  Birds. 

The  hen  Black-backed  Tanager  (cock,  whose  skin  1  hav", 
was  a  gors^eous  specimen j  is  the  sole  survivor  out  of  live  which 
I  bottght  from  liamlyn  last  July — a  tale  of  woe  which  I  will 
not  enlarge  upon. 

Small  Terrace  Aviary  :  This  only  now  contains  three 
Triangular  Spotted  Pigeons,  two  of  which  (very  tine  ones)  were 
very  kindly  given  to  me  by  I^ord  Lilford,  to  change  my  blood. 
Besides  my  old  breeding  pair  I  have  three  young  ones  in  the 
Plouse  Aviary,  and  1  am  now  putting  up  a  small  lean-to  tempor- 
ary aviary  for  some  of  these  birds,  from  which  I  intend  to  let 
them  out  (to  roam  at  liberty)  by  degrees,  commencing  in  the 
month  of  April,  when  the  wild  Wood-pigeon  shooting  in  this 
neighbourhood  is  over — there  are  larger  flocks  this  year,  it  may 
be  noted  in  passing !  1  see  no  reason  why  the  African  Speckled 
Pigeon  should  not  be  natm-alised  ;  they  are  very  hardy  and  nest 
in  exactly  the  same  manner  as  the  Stock  Dove — indeed  last 
summer,  by  changing  over  the  eggs,  I  got  a  young  Speckled 
Pigeon  reared  by  a  wild  Stock  Dove,  and  a  beautiful  pair  of 
the  latter,  hatched  and  reared  by  my  Speckleds  in  the  aviary ! 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  state  that  the  young  may  be 
separated  from  their  parents  when  three  weeks  to  a  month  old 
indeed  if  they  are  left  mtich  longer  their  parents  persecute  them 
relentlessly  and  peck  them  raw,  especially  if  they  have  gone  to 
nest  again ! 

In  the  Large  Terrace  Aviary  I  have  : 

pair   Red-billed   Weavers   (Qiielea    quelea). 

pair  Bearded  Tits  (Partis  cristatus). 

pair  Siskins  (Chrysomitris  spinus). 

pair  Twites  {Linota  favirostris). 

pair   Bramblintjs   (Friiii^illa   montifringilla). 

cock   Snow   P>untingf   {Plectrnphenax   nivalis). 

There  have  been  many  losses  in  this  aviary  during  the 
autumn  and  winter,  and  the  stock  is  much  reduced.  A  pair  of 
Scaly-crowned  Finches  {Sf'oro pipes  squaniiirous)  disappeared 
before  Christmas,  and  I  have  not  yet  found  them  dead  or  alive! 

The  Bearded  Tits  nested  twice,  four  infertile  eggs  on  each 
occasion.  Cirl  i  Bimtings  also  nested  and  hatched  out  but 
failed  to  rear;  this  pair  are  now  dead. 

It  may  interest  members  to  know  that  five  Waxwing? 
were  seen  in  this  parish     (Leadenham.  Lines.)     in  November 


The  Desolation  of  Wartime.  25 

feeding  on  the  hips  of  the  wild  rose,  and  I  have  heard  of  others 
on  or  nearer  the  coast.  Some  have  been  advertised  for  sale, 
and  I  rather  regret  not  having  bought  a  pair,  never  having  kept 
them.  Any  experience  members  may  have  had  with  them 
would  be  interesting,  at  least  to  me ! 

So  much,  Mr.  Editor,  for  my  attempt,  which,  I  fear,  does 
not  contain  anytliing  very  interesting,  but  it  may  relieve  you 
from  having  to  write  one  article.  May  I  suggest  your  next  be 
"  Diseases  of  Birds,  their  Symptoms  and  Cure."  ? 

[Such  an  article  must  come  from  the  pen  of  one  of  our 
Veterinary  or  Medical  members  perhaps  one  of  them  will 
respond  to,  not  only  Capt.  Reeve's  suggestion,  but  to  a 
universal  need. — Ed.] 


The    Desolation  of  Wartime    in    Lady    Dunleath's 
Aviaries  and  their  Re-opening. 

By  The  Lady  Dunleath. 

During  the  War  I  was  obliged  to  hand  my  aviary  and  all 
my  birds  to  others  to  look  after,  as  I  had  no  time  myself  to 
attend  to  them ;  consequently  they  gradually  died  off — 
Cranes  and  other  large  birds,  water  birds  as  well  as  the  small 
ones. 

I  did  not  begin  to  get  any  more  birds  until  May  1921, 
when  I  brought  from  Paris  four  little  Waxbills  (of  which  one 
died);  from  Pan  I  brought  four  Goldfinches  (one  escaped);  from 
London  four  Black-headed  Nuns,  two  pairs  of  Waxbills,  one 
pair  of  Masked  Doves  (the  cock  dove,  which  was  a  great  beauty, 
was  killed  by  accident),  one  pair  of  Crossbills,  some  Budgeri- 
gars, one  pair  of  Red-headed  Finches,  one  pair  of  Pekin  Robins, 
one  pair  of  Zebra  Finches,  and  one  pair  of  Blue-breast ?.d 
Waxbills.  I  was  unlucky  with  these,  as  eleven  died  between 
July  and  October. 

On  January  nth  I  brought  back  with  me  from  London 
two  pairs  of  Black-headed  Nuns,  two  pairfe  of  Bishops  in  colour, 
one  pair  of  Silverbills,  two  pairs  of  Ribbon  Finches,  one 
pair  of  Fire  Finches,  one  pair  each  of  Whydahs,  Snow 
Buntings,    Shore    Larks,    and    Baya    Cowbirds.      The    cock 


26  The  Desolation  of  Wartime. 

Snow  Buntiii!^'  died  the  day  after  1  came  home,  but  all  the 
others  are  in  tne  outdoor  aviary  and  look  very  well  indeed. 
Before  putting-  them  into  the  aviary  I  kept  them  for  ten  days  in 
large  cages  in  a  room — a  cock  Redpoll  died,  also  a  pair  of 
Reed  Buntings,  which  I  brought  back  all  in  splendid  condHion 
and  plumage;  the  result  of  the  post  mortem  was  pneumonia,  and 
I  was  advised  to  disinfect  the  cages.  I  had  my  aviary-cottage 
all  cleaned  and  disinfected  with  Jeyes'  Fluid,  and  then  put  ail 
the  new  birds  into  the  middle  division  of  the  cottage,  shut  tliem 
in  for  three  days,  and  opened  the  door  into  the  Inrgc  flight  the 
first  hne  day,  and  1  have  not  lost  a  single  bird. 

I  got  ten  pairs  of  Avadavats  from  liamlyn  on  January 
15:  they  came  altogether  in  a  box  by  themselves,  and  were  in 
perfect  condition,  except  three  little  hens  which  died.  I  am 
keeping  them  in  ;i  large  cage  until  I  can  turn  them  out  into  the 
aviary,  and  they  are  like  rubies,  very  beautiful,  and  sing  all 
day — ^there  is  no  fire  in  the  room,  and  the  window  is  open  all 
day;  two  incubators  which  1  am  working  kee])  it  warm  enough. 

I  have  one  canary  sitting  on  three  eggs  out  of  doors: 
she  built  in  an  absolutely  bare  fuschia  l)ush,  so  1  \n\[  l)ranches 
over  and  round  the  nest  and  a  piece  of  zinc  as  a  roof  and  cov 
cred  it  with  branches  and  she  seems  to  be  quite  comfortable-- 
whether  she  will  hatch  and  rear  her  young  ones  remains  to  be 
seen.  I  have  another  canary  sitting  on  four  eggs  inside  tli- 
Cfjttage,  and  one  has  made  a  lovely  little  nest  in  a  deep  bask  t 
which  was  hanging  on  a  nail,  and  has  one  egg.  The  Red- 
headed iMuches  have  built  inside  the  cottage  and  have  laid  one 

I*"rom  Feliruary  i  to  February  9  wc  had  not  even  a 
glimpse  of  the  sun.  and  the  east  wind  from  the  sea  was  verv 
bit'er.  My  aviary  is  only  warmed  by  one  Oui^lex  lam]),  hanging- 
ui»  in  a  net  wire  cage,  in  the  first  division.  Vvhere  the  canaries 
.-)iid  waxbills  are;  it  is  lighted  at  6  p.m.  and  i)ut  out  at  8  a.m. 
'i"!ie  window,  which  draws  across,  is  left  oi)en  rl)out  six  inclics  to 
let  the  birds  in  number  1  division  fly  in  at  night  and  out  earlv 
in  the  morning.  I  hang  a  wooden  tray  (3ft.  square  and  3ins. 
deep)  by  a  single  wire  from  the  roof,  and  put  all  the  food  on  it ; 
this  frustrates  the  mice — two  troughs  with  nine  holes  in  each 
for  seed  (these  troughs  sa\e  an  enormous  amount  of  seed), 
and  two  little  dishes  of  soft  food,  an  apple  cut  in  half;  the  seed 


Tlic  iJi'solatioii  of  Wart'unc.  27 

I  give  is  canary,  Indian  millet,  and  rape;  the  soft  food  1  make 
and  keep  in  a  tin — bread  dried  and  browned  in  oven  and 
pounded  up,  sjionge  cake  crumbled  fine,  crushed  hemp  and 
pounded  cuttlefish;  I  mix  this,  as  required,  with  grated  carrot 
N^hich  makes  it  the  right  consistency. 

I  attend  t  j  the  birds  myself,  and  have  concrete  baths,  3ft. 
by  4ft.  in  each  divisioi  o">Uside;  if  they  freeze,  which  is  very 
seldom  here,  I  pu :  water  and  dishes  inside  the  cottage;  the 
baths  are  cleaned  on'  about  once  a  month,  and  rain  keeps  them 
clean  and  fresh. 

I  have  a  few  guiiiea  pigs  in  each  division,  and  they  keep 
the  grass  quite  short — they  are  Abyssinian. 

(Jne  day  late  in  (October  I  found  the  cock  C'rossbill  (the 
hen  was  dead)  struggling  on  the  ground  under  some  bushes; 
hi;:  head  seemed  to  b?  ([uite  smashed  in  and  bleeding.  I  thought 
it  was  a  hopeless  case,  but  I  brought  him  in  and  kept  him  very 
quiet  in  the  dark,  put  a  few  drops  of  milk  and  brandy  down  his 
throat,  and  fed  him  on  broad  and  milk;  he  got  better  but  was 
;M-alysed;  tlici  lie  gradually  began  tj  eat  seed  and  to  help 
himself  along  \\\\\\  his  beak  and  then  to  climb  up  the  side  of  his 
cage,  and  about  a  fortnight  ago  I  let  him  out  in  the  aviary  with 
the  new  birds,  which  were  shut  in.  I  put  his  food  on  the 
ground  and  some  l)ranches  on  the  ground  and  now  he  can  fly 
quite  well,  and  when  I  opened  the  door  flew  out  with  the  others. 
I  felt  very  proud  of  my  patient — he  is  such  a  delightful  bird, 
and  I  cannot  imagine  how  he  was  hurt.. 

Can  anyone  tell  me  if  ( ioldfinches  are  likely  to  nest  in 
an  aviary  and  if  so  what  kind  of  tree  would  they  require?* 
They  are  now  nice  and  tame.  My  pair  of  Bullfinches  reared  two 
broods  in  the  aviary,  and  the  hen  used  to  eat  mealworms  out 
of  my  hand  while  sitting  on  her  nest,  but  I  fancy  that  Gold- 
tinches  are  wilder  b"  raturc — we  hav'^  none  at  all  in  this  district; 
we  have  seen  ?  few  pairs  of  Bullfinches  wdiich  are  rather 
destructive  to  the  fnn't  buds,  Imt  which,  to  our  gardener's 
disgu.st,  I  absolutely  forl)id  him  to  destroy.  T  find  if  ther^  i^' 
the  least  hole  in  the, wire,  as  sonietime^  happeri,s,  iwiW  birds 
invariably  find  their  way  in— Qiaflfinches,   Green  Linnets,  Tits 

*  Yes,   tivjy  like  an  apple  or  other  siinitar  fruit  tree,  but  arc  quite  ready  to 
take    ihc    "  next    1)est    thin"-." — Ed. 


-'8  fiarly  Stray  Notes. 

and  Robins — This  is  an  advantage,  as  it  warns  me  of  the  liole, 
and  I  always  catch  them  and  let  them  go. 

I  hope  in  the  futnre  to  be  able  to  give  a  further  accc  unt 
of  my  birds 

♦ 

Early   Stray  Notes. 
By  VV.  Shore  Baily. 

St.  Valentine's  day  is  past  and  over,  and  many  of  our 
English  birds  have  mated  up  and  are  now  in  full  song.  In  the 
aviaries  some  of  the  exotic  occupants  have  also  begun  to  think 
about  future  housekeeping  operations.  My  two  cock  Scarlet- 
headed  Marsh-birds  {Lcisics  guaiaiic}isis)  have  been  singing 
since  January,  and  the  Military  Starlings  (l  rupialis  militaris) 
in  the  aviary  with  them  have  also  started,  but  in  a  much  lower 
and  more  subdued  key  than  that  in  which  they  indulged  when 
first  turned  out  in  September.  Both  these  species  have,  in 
addition  to  sundry  Sparrow-like  chirps,  quite  good  songs  of 
their  own,  equal,  in  fact,  to  those  of  some  of  the  foreign 
thrushes,  and  superior  to  the  efforts  of  any  of  the  other  Starlings 
that  I  have  kept. 

My  Scarlet-headed  Marsh-birds  were  in  the  juvenile 
plumage  when  I  got  them  and  had  black  heads ;  they  have  now 
assumed  rich  yellow  heads,  and  would  not  be  taken  to  be  the 
same  birds  as  their  parents.  Two  others  that  I  have  had 
indoors  all  winter,  as  they  were  not  in  good  condition,  are  still 
in  the  mottled  black  and  yellow  stage  of  colour.  I  am  hoping 
that  these  will  prove  to  be  hens,  so  that  I  n'.ay  have  a  chance 
of  breeding  the  variety.  No  doubt  the  yellow  colour  on  these 
birds  will  turn  to  scarlet  as  they  get  older.  Another  bird  thn 
has  been  in  full  song  for  some  time  is  my  African  Ground 
Thrush  (Geocichla  liisibslrupa).  The  song  is  not  very  loud, 
nor  is  it  so  sweet  as  that  of  our  English  bird.  1  have  two  of 
these  birds — I  hope  a  pair,  but  as  they  were  always  quarrelling 
I  had  to  se])arate  them.  It  is  strange  that  with  all  the  Turdidac 
this  fighting  between  the  sexes  and  each  other  seems  to  be  a 
common  characteristic.  T  had  a  couple  of  hen  Ring  Ouzels  in 
a  very  large  aviaiy,  but  in  spite  of  the  space  thev  were  alwavs 
quarrelling,  and  as  one  kept  the  other  away  from  the  feeding 


tc 


Cd 
I— I 

a 

o 
ts 


Early   Stray  Xotcs.  29 

dishes  I  had  to  separate  them.  The  one  left  now  spends  mucli 
of  its  time  fighting"  with  a  hen  Mistle  Thrush,  and  they  have 
royal  battles,  but  the  worst  of  it  is  they  do  not  confine  their 
attacks  to  their  own  species  or  each  other,  but  do  not  hesitate 
to  Hy  at  such  large  birds  as  Satyra  Pheasants,  which,  as  well 
as  the  waders,  they  easily  drive  away  from  the  feeding  dishes. 
My  African  Olivaceous  Thrush,  which  was  singing  very  nicely 
in  November,  much  to  the  astonishment  of  the  common 
thrushes  round  about,  which  used  to  come  and  sit  on  the  top 
of  the  aviary  to  listen  to  him.  is  now  silent,  and  I  think  that  he 
has  got  a  touch  of  liver;  the  Bobolinks  have  been  singing  ver\ 
nicely  the  last  few  days.  I  am  hoping  to  get  nests  from  all 
these  birds  this  coming  season,  and,  as  I  believe  none  of  them 
have  yet  been  bred  in  this  country,  I  hope  to  have  something  to 
write  about  for  publication  in   "  B.N." 

With  regard  to  the  season  now  past.  I  think  that  I  have 
given  our  readers  a  fairly  good  account  of  most  of  the  happen- 
ings in  my  aviaries,  and  I  wish  that  other  members  would  follow 
my  example,  when  the  labour  and  anxieties. of  our  Editor  would 
be  considerably  lightened.  There  were,  however,  one  or  two 
other  episodes  that  may  interest.  Amongst  these  was  the 
rearing  of  a  Common  Quail.  T  had  had  the  parent  birds  for 
two  seasons  in  one  of  my  medium-sized  aviaries,  where  they 
made  no  attempt  at  nesting.  Last  season  I  turned  them  into 
my  large  Waders'  aviary,  where  they  promptly  lost  themselves 
in  the  thick  cover.  Early  in  the  spring  I  heard  the  cock  callin'^ 
a  good  deal,  but  we  did  not  see  them  for  several  months,  and 
had,  in  fact,  given  them  up  for  dead,  when  one  day,  whilst 
looking  for  a  finch's  nest,  I  flushed  the  hen  and  one  young  one 
about  half-grown.  T  don't  know^  whether  more  were  hatched, 
but  we  never  saw  them,  nor  did  a  diligent  search  reveal  the 
eggshells  or  nest.  The  young  Ouail  is  now  indistinguishabi  ^ 
from  its  parents,  and  has  wintered  out  without  any  shelter 
whatever.  In  a  near-by  aviary  a  cock  common  quail  with  a  hen 
African  quail  did  not  nest,  but  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  this 
was  to  some  extent  due  to  the  interference  of  my  little  Tem- 
minck's  Courser.  This  charming  little  bird  made  violent 
]ove  first  to  the  South  African  hen,  and  afterwards,  when  the 
cock  Egyptian  was  turned  down,  to  the  latter;  it  was  extremelv 
amusing  to  watch  these  birds  take  mealworms  from  the  bill  of 


30 


Earlv  Stray  Notes. 


tlie  little    Plover.       The  (Jiiail  would  always  come  at   his  call. 
l)iU  thev  did  not  always  i-et  the  worm,  as  a  little,  self-cauLiht 


s 


to 


o 


hen  Blachcan  became  quite  expert  at  suatchini;"  the  worms  from 
the  beak  of  the  Plover;  the  latter  would  take  these  from  my 
hands  and  would  keep  the  ^'ame  up  as  long'  as  T  cared  to  hand 
them  out.       I  am  afraid  that  I  wasted  much  time  in  this  partic 
ular  aviary. 


Earix  Stray  Notes. 


31 


Amongst  other  birds  that  nested  was  my  Mistle  Thrush. 
It  built  a  typical  nest  and  laid  four  eggs,  which  were,  of  course, 
infertile,  as  1  had  no  male.  Another  English  bird  to  nest  was 
a  Brambling;  here  again  full  success  was  not  obtained.  Ir 
made  rather  a  neat  nest  in  a  thorn  bush  and  laid  four  pretty 


N//, 


lUiilij. 


Phuto    hi/ 
Nest  and.  Egi,'s  of  Brumhle  I'incli. 

eggs.  One  pair  of  my  Snow  Buntings  built  a  nest  but  no  eggs 
were  laid;  I  am  hoping  for  better  luck  with  them  this  season. 
Bad  luck  pursued  my  Californian   Quail;  about  twenty  chicks 


32  Bud i^crigars  "  I'rcnch  Moult.'' 

were  hatched  in  two  l)i-ood.s.  but  none  were  fully  reared,  and  1 
rather  think  that  a  change  of  blood  is  necessary.  No  luck 
was  met  with  amont^st  the  Pheasants,  which  are  kept  in  the 
aviaries  with  the  small  birds,  the  only  youni^  reared  being'  two 
Satyras,  one  Cabots.  and  one  Crossoptilon.  'J'he  Waterfowl 
were  very  little  better,  six  Upland  ("reese  and  16  Chili  Wigeon 
being  the  only  ones  reard,  so  we  have  not  greatly  increased 
the  inhabitants  of  the  Boyers  House  aviaries  in   1921. 

— — ^^ 


Budgerigars,    "  French     Moult,"    and    Continental 
Methods  of  Breeding. 

By  Wesley  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  M.B.O.U. 

This  article  (largely  a  compilation)  is  inspired  mainly  by  -> 
letter  received  from  Mr.  J.  W.  Marsden,  and  a  translation  (parts 
of  which  I  am  quoting  herein)  from  L'Oiscait.  I  will  first 
quote  extracts  from  Mr.  Marsden's  letter: 

"  You  know  that  for  a  long  time  now  I  have  been  sure  that 
"  inbreeding  is  not  the  cause  of  '  French  Mouk  " — a  French  avicuUurisl, 
"  F.  Merel,  thinks  it  is  the  lack  of  animal  food,  and  I  am  also  of  this 
"  opinion." 

"  1  am  building  three  new  aviaries  for  budgerigars,  so  hope  to 
"  get  some  good  colours  next  year.  I  find  an  aviar)--  six  or  eight  feet 
"  square  amply  large  enough  for  three  or  four  pairs;  with  me  they  do 
"  better  than  in  larger  ones  and  pedigrees  are  much  more  easily  kept. 
"  I  have  Green  blue-bred  birds  now,  which,  I  am  as  certain  as  one  can  be 
"  of  anything  on  earth,  will  breed  Blues.  I  find,  as  a  rule,  that  Blues 
"  bred  from  a  pair  of  blue-bred  Greens  are  a  better  colour  than  those  bred 
"  direct   from   Blues." 

Last  year  I  put  a  cross  of  Olive  in  my  Apple-Greens,  and  this 
"  year  the  young  are  a  better  colour.  I  have  bred  a  few  pairs  of  Olives 
"  this  year  (1921)  for  the  first  time." 

T  have  inbred  budgerigars  as  much  as  most  people,  and  I  have 
yet  to  find  any  ill  effects  from  inbreeding,  so  far  as  T  can  trace.  Two 
years  ago  I  procured  two  young  Blue  hens  from  France,  and  the  young 
from  tiiesc  T  was  careful  to  pair  to  my  own  pure  strain,  and  have  never 
had  any  badly  feathered  young;  but  last  year  I  had  two  or  three,  and 
two  of  these  were  from  a  French  hen  mated  to  one  of  my  own  strain, 
"  and  these  were  in  the  second  nc.st ;  the  first  and  third  nests  produced  all 
"  slroii'^-   and   well-feathered   birds."      1.W.M. 

1  have  not  done  much  Budgerigar  breeding  of  late  years 


Budgerigars  "  h'rcnch  Moult."  33 

but  my  experience  is  tiial  by  judicious  inbreeding"  one  can 
materially  improse  one's  stock,  but  only  rtrong,  vigoro.  s 
specimens  must  be  selected  as  breeding  stock. 

Some  years  ago  I  saw  a  crowd  of  Budgerigars  in  a 
roomy  aviary,  and  I  must  say  I  never  saw  a  more  degenerate 
looking  lot,  but  no  cases  of  r'rench  Moult  "  were  visible,  an  J 
their  owner  assured  me  that  he  only  had  isolated  cases  of  partly 
feathered  birds  and  such  were  killed  off  at  once.  The  birds 
were  of  small  size,  decidedly  lacking  in  colour  and  vim,  and, 
though  well-covered  with  plumage,  they  were  not  tightly 
feathered,  and  generally  they  lacked  the  gloss  of  health  we  an 
like  to  see.  In  the  course  of  a  long  conversation  with  their 
owner  T  ascertained  that  he  started  with  two  pairs,  which  lie 
bought  from  an  aviary:  they  bred  the  first  year  well,  and  he 
retained  the  parent  birds  and  several  pairs  of  their  young, 
allowing  them  to  pair  promiscuously,  and  that  for  several  years 
he  had  so  continued,  with  the  result  aforestated. 

No  one  would  start  a  strain  of  poultry  or  rabbits  so! 
They  would  go  to  the  headquarters  of  the  breed  they  wished 
to  go  in  for  and  secure  pedigree  stock  for  a  start,  and  then  by 
careful  selection  and  /n-breeding  aim  at  improving  same. 

Some  will  say,  but  you  can't  secure  Budgerigars  so  for  a 
start,  and  the  cases  are  not  parallel.  Be  that  as  it  may;  I,  never- 
theless, see  the  analogy — one  thing  we  may  be  sure  of,  we  shall 
waste  time  and  money  if  we  simply  buy  two  pairs  of  birds,  and 
do  not  even  take  the  trouble  to  ascertain  whether  they  are  related 
or  not,  as  was  the  case  in  the  instance  I  have  quoted.  Anyhow, 
if  one  cannot  go  to  an  aviary  and  see  what  the  stock  is  like 
before  they  purchase,  one  can  procure  odd  birds  here  and  there, 
all  from  different  sources,  accepting  none  but  large,  strong 
and  perfectly  feathered  birds,  and  then  if  the  budding  breeder 
uses  common  sense,  and  carefully  selects  his  pairs,  there  can  be 
considerable  inbreeding  without  detriment,  nay  to  the  improve- 
ment of  stock;  but  I  repeat  in  conclusion  that  only  birds  which 
are  perfect  in  every  respect,  both  as  to  health,  colour,  and 
feather,  should  be  allowed  to  breed. 

The  mating  of  brother  and  sister,  unless  their  progenv 
are  selected  and  paired  of¥  with  unrelated  mates,  can  only  lead 
to  degeneracy  in  all  its  varied  forms,  . 


34  Bnd^enf^ars  "  French  Moult.''' 

I  sliall  now  (iiiote  V .  Alcrel's  article  in  L.'Oiscaii  almost 
/'//   cxtcnso  : 

"  The  l')U(l<^t'ri^;ir,  \\lu)se  soft  and  harmonious  Iwitlerinfj  in  no 
wav  ri-scmhlos,  vor\  fortunali'l\-.  its  larj^cr  congeners  ....  its 
general  form  resembles  the  Swallow,  except  the  tail,  which  si)reads  out 
f.anwise  like  the  I'heasants  ....  The  r.n(l}.iei"i<4ar,  like  all  Austra- 
lian birds,  is  vei\-  hardy  and  acclimatises  easily  in  Central  ICurope.  The 
best  and  most  sou<.;hl  for  are  tliosc  wliich  arc  liorn'  in  France  of  really 
imported  l)irds,  but  these  are  rather  rare  subjects.  The  reproduction  of 
imported  ])arrakeets  is  not  so  easy  to  ol)tain  as  one  would  tln'nk 
our  winter  corresponds  to  their  summer,  and  imported  birds  bes.;in  to 
breed  in  the  coldest  months  of  the  year:  this  must  be  avoided  at  all  costs, 
for  they  would  thus  exhaust  themselves  uselessly.  The  imported  ])arra- 
kcet,  which  one  has  succeeded  in  acclimatisinjT,  must  therefore  not  be 
allowed  in  the  aviary  until  the  s])rino\  and  durinj^-  the  wilUer  all 
inclination  to  breed  must  be  prevented  by  keepint^  them  caged  uj),  and 
even  bv  separating  the  sexes." 

"  Let  us  suppose  then  that  the  amateur  is  in  ]iosscssion  of  some  good 
acclimatised  pairs,  or  issues  of  imported  birds,  and  that  the  spring-  In-". 
arrived,  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to  instal  them.  The  best  exposure  is  that 
of  the  East.  The  birds  have  thus  the  first  rays  of  the  .sun  to  warm  them- 
selves from  the  torpor  of  the  night,  and  they  are  sheltered  from  the 
midday  heat.  For  ten  to  twelve  i)airs  .a  ])lace  of  6|  square  yards  is 
Tiecessary.  The  ]ilace  being  chosen,  by  yireference  against  ;i  well  c.\]^ose;l 
wall,  the  soil  will  be  dug  up  on  .ill  the  surface  which  the  aviary  will 
occu])y,  to  a.bout  tl.e  depth  of  ;i  ft.ot  ,  in  the  bottom,  well-levelled,  lay 
wire  netting,  of  a  sufficiently  fine  mesh  to  exclude  mice,  which  ^-oil  and 
waste  the  food,  from  gaining  ;in  entr.ance  through  the  soil  :  tlu-n  will 
lie  l)uilt  U]),  on  this  netting,  the  sni.all  walls,  which  must  form  the  base 
to  receive  the  framing  of  tlie  installation,  that  is  to  say,  the  complete 
shelter,  the  half  slielter,  .and  the  open  flight. 

"  The  complete  shelter  is  a  shed,  or  rather  cu])board,  place<1  against 
the  wall  6^ft.  wide,  35ft.  deep,  aiid  7^ft.  high.  The  frpj.it,  which  is 
mo\cable  in  order  th.at  it  may  be  t.aken  ;iway  in  summer,  has  ;i  iloor  in 
the  middle,  .and  two  sm.all  glazed  openings  to  lighten  the  interior.  .Above 
the  door,  ;ill  the  length  of  tlie  front,  are  holes,  liJin.  dia..  .above  these 
holes,  forming  ;i  set  of  sheKes,  will  be  nailed  a  small  shelf  for  the"birtls 
to  rest  upon,  this  will  be  their  b.alcony.  The  half-shelter  is  constituted 
by  the  roof,  which  iirojects  ;i  y.ird  ,  the  sides,  inst'ad  of  being  of  pl.ank. 
as  in  the  complete  shelter,  are  of  wire  netting.  The  butlgerig^ar  often 
having  the  deplorable  habit  of  sleeping  hung  on  to  the  netting,  it  will 
be  advisable  to  nail  two  nettings  on  to  the  posts  formings  the  frame. 
which  must  be  .it  least  jins.  thick.  The  first,  of  the  same  small  mcsii 
as  the  one  buried  in  the  soil  :  the  second  of  a  larger  mesh  on  tlie  outside. 
These  nettings  thus  being  se]i;ir;ite(l  b\  the  thickness  of  the  posts,  will 
l)revent  cats  de\ouriiig  the  claws  of  imprudenl  birds.  In  order  to  cor: 
])lete  the  installation,  it   will  suffice  to  contrive  a  rather  low  door  in  t' c 


Budi^crigars  "  French  Moult."  35 

end  of  tlie  open  tlioht  :  tlitii  to  i>u'  c-arlli  hack  in  tliis  part,  and  sand  in  tin- 
others.  In  the  open  flight,  wiiich  will  be  the  Intdgerigars'  garden,  one 
will  plant  some  Thuijas,  but  as  they  arc  very  fond  of  these  shrnbs.  "t 
will  be   necessary  to  replace  them  every  year." 

"  7"herc  now  remains  but  to  fix  the  perches  and  the  logs.       'I  lin'=e 
'which    are    to  be  found    at    the    dealers'    shops    arc    often   unsuitable.         hi 

■  order  to  be  acceptable  to  t'lK-  budgerigar  tlie  log  must  inspire  confiden<:e, 
'  and  it  is  bv  its  shape,  size,  and  the  way  in  which  the  entrance  hole  is 
'  placed  that  it  will  give  the  l)ird  the  sense  of  security.  The  logs  mist 
'have    the     following   inside  dimensions:    depth    i  lins.,   dia.   4ins.         The 

■  entrance  hole  of  i^in.  dia.  will  be  made  2ins.  froiu  the  top  and  8ins.  from 
'  the  bottom.  The  top  part  will  be  closed  by  a  lid  attached  to  the  log 
'  In-  a  nail,  in  such  a  way  that  it  can  be  turned.  This  lid  must  not  close 
'  hermetically,  m  order  to  allow  the  moisture  tc  escape,  which  comes  from 
'  the   perspiring   voung Experience    has    shown    me    that    l..c 

■  pairs  hardly  ever  change  their  nests  and  that  two  logs  to  a  pair  is  a  useless 
'  expense  ....  the  hens  lay  again  before  the  departure  of  the  young, 
'  which  caused  the  latter  to  begin  the  incubation  of  the  eggs  before  the 
'  clutch  was  complete.  This  explains  why  there  are  in  the  nests  scarcely 
'  fledged  birds,  when  sometimes  the  older  ones  commence  to  leave,  which 
'  only  takes  place  when  they  are  as  big  as  their  parents.  The  log.s.  are 
'  placed  under  the  complete  shelter,  and  some  under  the  half-shelter  at  a 
'  convenient  height  to  be  taken  down  for  examination  and  cleaning  after 
'  c:ich  sitting,  which  is  indispensable.  The  examination  of  the  nests  has 
'  no   disadvantage :    the   budgerigar    never   abandons    its    family,    and     this 

■  ])crmits  an  eye  to  be  kept  on  the  broods,  to  take  away  and  replace  the 
'  hens  which  die  on  their  eggs.  This  last  is  verv  imi)ortant,  as  it  is  nee- 
"  essary  to  wat'.  h  very  cart  full}-  that  tliere  are  as  many  hens  as  cocks,  in 
'  order  that  harmony  may  reign  between  all  the  broods.  The  aviarv 
'  finished,  furnished,  and  the  cold  weather  passed,  it  onlv  remains  to  lel 
'  the  budgerigars  in.  an<l  to  consider  their  diet  with  a  view  to  a  good 
'  re])roduction." 

The  budgerigar  is  fed  on  millet,  canarv  grass,  and  pimpernal,  but 

on  the  usual  fare,   ca]/tivity  helping,   there  ar--   some  anaemic   specimens 

and     generations     of   degenerates.        First    of   all.    large   wing     and     tail 

'  feathers  are  missing  with   the  young,    or  ;ire  cut   off  bv     their    parents. 

''  probablv   in   order  to   suck   the  blood;   then   l)it   bv   bit   complete  baldness 

sets   in.        Tn   this   case,    nothing   remains   but   to   kill   them,    which   is  no 

easy  thing.       T  have  noticed  that  the  more  degeneracv  was  accentuated, 

"  the  more  numerous  were  tlie  young.       Tt  must  be  believed  that  in  this 

"  species  the  prolific  faculties  are  in  inverse   ratio  to  the  phvsical  quality 

"  of  the   subjects." 

To  obtain  good  results  it  is  necessary,  therefore,  not  to  be  content 
"  with  giving  them  millet  and  pinipernel.  as.  .f  the  budgerigar  is  content 
■'  in  capitivitv  with  seed,  it  is  not  the  case  in  freedom.  The  larger  species 
"  of  parrakeets  are  omnivorous,  and  in  their  own  country  cause  considcr.-ihl*^ 
"  damage.  Tn  nesting  time  certain  large  parrakeets  (Nestors)  do  not 
"  hesitate,  in  fact,   to  alight  on  flocks  of  sheep,  and  clinging  firmly  to  the 


36  Budgerigars  "  French  Moult." 

Heoce  of  ihcir  victims,  sliikc  willi  llicir  tcniljlc  Ijcaks  llic  heads  of  Uil'sc 
animals  until  tlicy  have  made  a  sufficiently  large  hole  to  completely  cm])ly 
the  skull.  Small  parrakeets,  like  the  lludgerigar,  prolit  by  this,  come 
and  cat  the  remainder.  I  have  noticed  the  fact  in  my  aviaries.  I  have 
many  times  seen  budgerigars  clinging  to  the  hacks  of  Colins  of  California, 
and  seeking  to  stave  in  the  head  ;  but  as  the  Colin  is  ;i  very  active  l)ird, 
the  instabibility  c:iuses  the  budgerigars  to  lose  their  means  of  action,  and 
the  small  gallinaceous  birds  get  rid  of  them  easily  enough.  The  IJudger- 
igar,  therefore,  needs  an  anmial  diet ;  but  what?  Sheep's  brains  naturally 
presents  itself  to  our  minds,  but  besides  it  being  necessary  to  serve  it 
very  fresh  in  order  to  get  them  to  deign  to  taste  it,  it  is  ;i  dear  food, 
which  quickly  goes  bad,  and  is  not  without  danger.  .'\fter  many  trials 
and  experinients  I  have  been  led  to  suppose  it  is  the  phosphoric  acid  of  the 
brain  which  is  the  indispensable  food  to  the  parrakeet ;  and  the  surprising 
results  which  1  have  obtained  in  offering  them  a  nitrogenated  paste,  in 
which  phosjihate  of  chalk  rendered  assimilable  entered  in  a  certain  pro- 
portion, liave  already  proved  to  me  that  I  w.is  not  mistaken.  By 
furnishing  the  Budgerigar,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  seed,  the  tonic 
elements  of  which  I  have  just  spoken,  one  will  obtain  from  it  all  that 
would  be  desired  from  February  to  November,  the  broods  will  follow 
one  another  in  the  logs  without  interruption,  and  one  will  have  the 
satisfaction,  while  observing  the  very  interesting  habits  of  this  bird,  to 
have  the  young  ones  as  numerous  and  vigorous  as  if  they  had  been  borne 
in  freedom." 

"  The  undulated  parrakeet,  once  acclimatised  and  well  nouri.shcd, 
is  rarely  ill.  It  is  congestion,  caused  by  too  great  heat,  which,  if  one 
does  not  take  care,  makes  the  most  victims.  As  this  bird  only  bathes 
by  placing  itself  in  the  rain,  it  is  necessary  during  the  summer  when 
rainy  days  are  rare,  to  furnish  it  from  time  to  time  with  its  priveleged 
bath,  either  by  means  of  a  jet  of  water,  or  with  a  watering-can  jirovidcd 
with  a  rose.  Some  individuals,  and  more  particularly  the  badly  nourished 
hens,  which  allow  themselves  to  niblile  the  wings  and  claws  of  their  young, 
are  sometimes  attacked  by  complete  blindness.  I  have  not  been  able  to 
diagnose  this  complaint,  but  T  have  found  the  remedy  for  it.  When  a 
bird  is  found  in  this  condition,  eyelids  closed,  cheeks  unfeathered,  it 
suffices  to  daub  round  the  eyelids  with  tincture  of  iodine,  taking  care  to 
put  some  on  the  suture  which  joins  them  together,  and  to  place  the 
invalid  in   the  infirmary." 

"  At  the  end  of  two  or  three  applications  scabs  form,  which  droji 
off,  the  eyelids  open  again,  and  the  eye  soon  recovers  its  normal  condition. 
The  hens  also  perish  in  laying  time  for  want  of  care  when,  a  few  davs 
after  pairing,  a  hen  is  seen  sitting  with  her  back  up.  there  are  nine 
chances  in  ten  that  the  discomfort  is  caused  by  the  stoppage  of  the  egg. 
After  being  assured  of  it.  it  suffices  to  moisten  with  oil  the  affected  part, 
and  to  hold  the  invalid  over  steam  for  a  few  minutes,  then  to  place  her 
in  a  small  cage.  At  the  end  of  two  or  three  hours  the  egg  will  be 
found  the  object  of  the  misfortune." 


lUulgcrigars  "  h'rcHch  Moult."  37 

'■  The    liud^crii^'.ir   lias   mnv   minicfous   varieties,    (if    v\liicli    ihe   most 
"  prevalent  arc  the   Yellow  and  the    ISliie." 

I  have  L;iven  the  al>ove  interesting  notes  very  fuHy,  as 
they  contain  niucli  of  inlet  e:;t  to  B.i\.  readers.  Judging 
from  reports  it  would  appear  that  degenerates  are  much  more 
l)revalent  in  French  aviaries  thati  in  our  own.  1  liave  always 
made  a  practice  in  my  aviaries  of  supplying  during  tne  breeding 
season  seeding  and  flowering  grass  in  unlimited  quantities,  also 
broken  biscuits,  oats,  and  insectile  mixture,  and  I  have  never 
Itad  a  single  case  of  bVench  moult  occur,  and  I  used  to  breed  a 
good  rnany  at  one  time.  Again  I  never  allowed  one  pair  If 
have  more  than  three  broods  per  season,  and  never  under  any 
circumstances  paired  up  other  thati  absolutely  perfect  birds  in 
every  respect. 

English  aviculturists  advocate  two  logs  or  husks  to  each 
pnir  of  birds,  myself  as  strongly  as  any.  but  it  is  tiot  for  the 
reason  Mons.  F.  Merel  states,  viz:  to  supply  tb-:^m  with  ;i 
change  of  nest,  for  it  is  ,'i  well  knowti  fact  tbat  Budgerigars, 
once  they  have  settled  on  a  nest  and  brought  off  a  brood, 
.'dmost  invariably  retain  that  nest  for  the  season.  The  reason 
for  my  advocacy  of  two  nests  for  each  pair  is  to  gnr  them  room 
for  choice  at  the  beginning  of  the  season.  T  found  again  and 
again  that  where  room  for  choice  did  not  exist,  two  or  more 
pairs  of  birds  fixed  upon  the  same  nest  and  neither  would  give 
way.  the  result  being  delay  and  damaged  birds,  if  not  worse. 
With  extra  nests  this  difficulty  was  much  lessened,  if  not  entirely 
removed;  at  least  that  has  been  my  experience. 

Another  correspondent  in  L'Oiseau  gives  some  interesting 
facts  on  BUDGERIGARS  AS  FOSTER  MOTTTERS.  Mons. 
P.  Paillard,  of  Bordeaux,  writes  as  follows  : 

■'  Some  ycTrs  ag-o  (I  let  Mons.  Fontiina  know  of  it  .it  the  time)  for  :i 
"  reason  which  would  be  too  long-  to  exnla.in  here,  liy  inadvertence  i 
"  Calopsitta  parrakeet  egg-  was  put  into  a  budgerigar's  nest.  Now,  what 
"  was  my  astonishment  one  day  to  hear  the  verv  characteristic  call  of  .-i 
'■  Calopsitta  roming  frr  m  a  box  which  contained  only  budgerigars  !  On 
verilication  I  found  ;i  nest  of  eight  budgerigars  and  one  Calopsitta.  Tn 
sjiite  of  its   importance   it   was  perfectly   reared." 

Wishing-  to  assure  myself  wlietlicr  this  rearing  was  a  chance  occur- 
rence, T  put  in  two  other  budgerigar's  nests  a  Calopsitta  egg;  the  result 
■  was  the  same." 

"  The   following  year   I   continued   the   experiment,   by   putting   into 
"  the   nests,   not  eggs,   but  young:   .success   was  equally  complete." 


38  HiKli^crii^iirs  "  /'rnicli  Moult.'" 

"  I  have  often  niailc  (lirj'crcnt  exprrinicnls  uilli  the  eggs  of  small 
'■  parrakeels,  like  rosricollis  for  instance,  and  liave  always  met  witli  the 
"  same  willingness  on  the  |)art   of  the  budgerigar." 

'■  Oiiile  lecenlix.  the  only  pair  of  C.dopsittiis  llial  I  ])0sscss  lost 
"  two  out  tif  their  three  \(<inig,  as  the  result  of  an  accident,  and  not  wishing 
"  to  let  the  ]iair  lU'vote  llu-msel\es  to  the  rearing  of  one  sole  ofifspring,  I 
■■  put  tlu'  latter,  whirli  inusi  have  lieen  ten  days"  old.  into  a  nest  of  hudg- 
"  erigars  which  h.ih  just  completed  the  rearing  of  .a  hrootl,  ))Ut  of  vvliich 
"  one  still  remained  in  the  nest,  rdthough  ready  to  ff)llo\v  his  hretiircn. 
■■  Now,  ahout  a  week  .igo,  I  witlidrcw  from  llie  nost  tiiis  Calop.sitta,  which 
'  Hies  (|uil  •  well,  and  which  the  loo  sni.i'l  hole  of  the  nest  ])rcventcd  from 
'leaving.     This   hiial    is   in    splendid   health,    .and    its   ado))tcd   parents   come 

■  .and  hi-ing  it  food  on  its  pt'rch  din.'Ctl\-  h   calls  for  it." 

"  These  v.arious  experiiuents  tlemonstr.att-  clearly  that  the  I'.udgerig.ar 
"  acce])ts  the  rearing  of  hirds  of  luuch  Larger  hm'kl  tli.an  its  own." 

"  In  view  of  the  easy  success  tli  t  1  have  .always  obtained,  I  would 
'  not  hitle  from  xnu  tliat  if  1  h.ad  had  in  n\\-  aviar\-  the  eggs  of  ]i;irrakects 
"  of  ;i  much  larger  size  than  those  of  a  Calopsitta,  I  w'oukl  not  have 
■■  lusitaled  a  tuornent  to  .•■itcm])t  'he  experiment,  which  T  estimate  to  be  able, 
'■  should  occasion  call  for  it,  to   render  great  service  to  the  breeder." 

'  T\uss  had  already  reported  the  fact  of  I'udgerigars  acting  as  l'"oster 
"  Parents.  It  is  remarkable  th.at  Ihnlgerigars  have  been  able  to  rear  the 
'■  young  of  much  l.argef  s]>ecies,   of   which,   moreover,   the  sojourn  in  the 

■  nest  is  nnich  more  prolonged.  It  would  be  a  good  thing  if  .''mi'curs 
"  attemjited  the  experiment,  in  ordi-r  to  ascertain  if  the  success  of  rcarhig 
"  other  parrakects  by  lUidgerig.ars  is  rerdb  a  thing  of  general  order,  which. 
"  if  such  be  the  case,  sh.ould  prf)ve  of  the  greatest  service  in  the  rearing  of 
"  r,are  p.arr.akeets." 

[Personally,  T  have  had  no  experience  of  the  P>U(lt:;"eri,i;ar 
as  a  Foster  Parent,  btit  our  member  Mr.  J.  W.  Marsden  writes 
nnon  this  tojiic  as   follows  : 

"  Some  years  .ago    I   had   .a   ]).air   of    I'.l.ack-faced     Lovebirds     in     m\- 

"  budgerigar  ;iviar\- ;  they  had  one  young   one  in  ,a  husk,  and  when  it  was 

just    nicely    feathered   one   morning   it    was   not    in   the   husk,    its   jiarents 

"  seeming   very  much  upi-et.   .and    I    could   not    lind   it  anywhere,   however, 

three  davs  l.alei-  1  fotmd  i(  in  the  next  husk  with  four  young  budgerigars, 

.all    just    ready    to    come    oul  :    'h  ■    budgerigars    must    have    fed    it      with 

■■  their  own    \oungsters." 

T  ha\e  taken  liberties  with  the  forej^oing"  translations  in 
'iijnor  (letnils;  for  instance,  instead  of  Undulated  Parrakeet,  I 
have  used  the  commoner  name  Bnd.Q'erii^ar  throueiiottt.  and 
have  EngMishised  phrases  .qenerallv,  but  so  far  as  T  rm  aware  I 
have  not  contorted  the  writers  meanino-  anywhere.  Possiblv 
some  of  om-  readers  will  crive  their  views  and  experience  upon 
the  points  raised. 


J-^ reeding  Rcsidts  lor  njJi.  39 

breeding  Results  for   1921. 

By  Capt.  Ci.  E.  Rattigan,  F.Z.S. 

Although  1  cajinot  claim  to  have  bred  any  rarities,  I  am 
on  the  whole,  very  well  pleased  with  the  results  obtained  in  my 
aviaries  last  season.  Practically  every  i)air  of  birds  in  my 
aviaries  contributed  something'  to  the  increase  of  the  avian 
population,  except  one  species,  viz:  I)ufrksnk's  Waxbili.s 
(Fstrclda  diifrcsin).  This  species  failed  to  get  as  far  as  hatching" 
out  young.  I  am  not  even  sure  that  the  Dufresne's  laid,  but  T 
Ijclieve  they  did,  as  the  hen  spent  longish  periods  in  the  nest — 
a  domed  structure  ImiK  in  an  old  i\y  stumj),  and  the  cock,  who 
was  a  frequent  visitor,  occasionally  stayed  in  the  nest  for  some 
considerable  time.  After  about  a  week,  however,  L.ie 
Dufresne's  were  ejected  from  their  home,  after  a  gallant  but 
fruitless  resistance,  by  the  ( iolden-breasted  VVaxbills.  and  so 
ended  my  hojies  of  being  the  first  to  breed  these  charming"  little 
birds  in  captivity. 

A  few  more  attempts  at  nesting  were  made,  but  nothing" 
came  of  them.  Their  last  effort  in  this  direction  was  the  attemot 
to  convert  a  half-finished  Red-billed  Weaver's  nest  to  their  own 
uses,  but  this  adventure  had  a  tragic  sequel.  The  Weaver,  to 
whom  the  incomplete  nest  originally  belonged,  was  by  no 
means  pleased  to  see  the  new  tenants,  although  he  was  at  this 
time  busily  engaged  on  a  new  dwelling"  in  quite  another  part  of 
t'.ie  aviary  .  Several  times  it  surprised  the  little  Waxbills,  busily 
engaged  on  the  construction  of  their  new  home,  and  fiercely 
attacked  them.  At  the  same  time  the  poor  little  fellows,  since 
the  affair  wicli  the  (i old-breasts,  had  incurred  the  mahgnant 
hatred  of  these  fierce  little  pirates,  who  never  ceased  to  fall 
furiously  u])on  them  whenever  opportunity  offered.  It  was 
with  real  sorrow  and  a  hea^'y  heart  that  a  few  mornings  later  I 
picked  up  both  the  little  Dufresne's  lying  dead  beneath  their 
new  home.  So  far  as  I  could  see  they  were  quite  uninjured 
and  had  not  been  long  dead,  for  their  bodies  were  still  warm; 
but,  though  no  injury  was  observable,  I  strongly  suspect  the 
wretched  Wea\  cr.  a  l)l()w  from  whose  bill  would  probably  prove 
cpiite  sufficient  to  end  tlie  lives  of  such  frail  little  creatures. 
These  little  Waxbills  are,  in  my  opinion,  most  fascinating"  little 


40  l-l reeding  Rcsulls  for  1021. 

l^eople.  and,  to  l)orro\v  an  expression  from  onr  lulilor,  are 
always  iiv  the  picture.""  l'nliai)pily  they  are  very  delicate 
when  first  imported,  and  need  a  lot  of  care  and  attention  for 
the  first  few  months;  even  tiicn  they  are  l)y  no  ncans  hardy, 
and  a  prolonged  wet  spell  at  any  time  of  the  year  wor.lcl  pi  -.iljabl , 
kill  them  if  in  an  outside  aviary. 

I  fear  1  have  rather  allowed  my  ]^en  to  run  a\\a\-  with 
me  when  writins;"  of  this  species,  but.  next  to  the  \i  let-cared 
Waxbill.  this  is  my  fax'ourite  amoni.,''st  all  the  ^^mall  seed-eatini;' 
finches,  which  have  so  far  cunie  my  way,  so  1  must  cra\c  :;ome 
induli^ence  from  the  reader. 

I  will  now  append  a  list   ol   birds  succc^;sl"uby  ;uul   fully 
reared  by  me  this  season.       All  in  this  list  h.'iv:  cither  been  sold 
or  are  actually  livini;'  in  my  a\iiries  at  the  pre;icnl  r.'cnrnt. 
LIST  Ol-    I'.IKDS  l•■l■lJ,^■   R1':AKI<:D   1\   igji. 

I''i-o!ii  J  pairs  Quail  Finclies  {Ony;osl^i::d  p(ily::o)ia)  

l'"rom  2  pairs  Green  Cardinals  (Gnbcnia'nx  cri.siala)  2 

From  i  pair  Rod-crestedCardin.'ils   (l\vo'.iria  cucullata)   5 

l-'rom  I  pair  Yellow-billed  Cardinals  (/'.   aipittita)  3 

l'"roni  2  pairs  White  Java  Sparrows  {Midiia  oryzh'nra)  

l'"roin  I  pair  Gold-breastt-d  Waxhill.s  {.Sporaci^iiitliits  siibfiai'iis)  ! 

From   I  pair  Red-headed  Finches  (Aiiniduni  crythniccplnild)  4 

From  2  pairs  Rufous-backed  Mannikins   {Spcniicstcs   )iii^rlccps)   4 

From  4  pairs  Zebra  F'inclics  (Tacniopyi-id  cashniotis)  '"i 

From   I  pair  Saffron  Finches  {Sycalis  flui'coia)   2 

From  I  pair  Red-headed  x  Cntlhroal  l'"inchcs  (.  b;;(;(//»(7  (■r\'////'(»rc/>/((;/(;   :( 

.1 .   fas  data)       1  _', 

I'rom   2   pairs   Green    l'.udt;cri,yars    i  Mcli>p.\iltaci<s    iiinliilaliis)    n 

I'rom  2  ])airs  Blue  Bred  Green   r.U(l.ticri,L;ars  I  Mclopsif/nciis  iiiidiiiafiis)  ... 

i''i'om  1  pair  Californian  Ou.ail  {Lopliorfy.v  callfoniica)  15 

Total    number   of   liiitls   reared   from    _'3   pails  8j 

'i'he  pair  of  VVhiik  Java  Si'akkows  wliicli  I  li.ul  in  one  of 
my  outside  aviaries  laid  no  less  tlian  tweiUy-six  Ci^j^s.  ])o  sibly 
more,  during'  the  season.  Anyway.  1  came  across  that  rmnber 
when  dismantling  the  aviary  after  removing  the  birds  to  winter 
quarters.  As  far  as  I  can  make  out.  their  mode  of  i)rocedure 
w.as  to  lay  a  clutch,  usually  fcur.  I  think,  incubate  steadily  for 
.ib;)u1  ;i  week,  take  a  coui)le  of  days  off,  then  lay  another  clutch 
and  so  on  all  through  the  season.  Only  two  birds  were 
actuallv    hatched,    which    were    successfullv    reared,    and   fine. 


Hrccdiiii^  Results  /or  i(j2i.  41 

strong-  young  hirds  they  were  when  1  parted  with  them.  One 
of  these  young  hirds  was  rather  prettily  marked,  being  i)ure 
w  hite  save  for  the  top  of  the  head,  neck  and  saddle,  which  were 
of  a  beautiful  silvery  grey.  The  second  youngster  was,  oddly 
enough,  almost  a  pure  grey  like  the  wild  birds:  both  jjarents  are 
pure  white  withotit  l)lemish. 

ijUi)(;i;Ri(;.\KS  :  These  were  most  disappointing,  esi)eciallv 
the  Blue-breds.  and  ^'ellows:  one  of  the  latter  mated  with  a 
(  ireen  cock  in  spite  of  all  my  efforts  to  i)re\ent  it.  and  this  pair 
])roduced  five  \oung,  which  were  ftdly  reared,  and,  ot  cotu'se 
all  greens!  The  legitimate  mates  of  these  two  birds  ajiparcntly 
sidked  instead  of  making  the  best  of  a  bad  job  and  settling 
down  together:  they  fruitlessly,  though  ])ersistently  endeav- 
oured to  win  back  their  faithless  si)ouses.  Being  imsuccessful 
in  this,  one  or  possibly  both  of  the  injured  parties  invaded  the 
second  nest  of  the  faithless  ones  and  destroyed  (actually  tore 
to  pieces)  a  Irrovd  of  four  tine  yotmg  birds,  which  were  just  or; 
the  eve  of  leaxing  their  nursery. 

(Jf  all  the  species  of  birds  bred  this  season,  by  far  tiie  most 
troublesome  and  difticult  to  rear  were  the  "S'iilldw-billfjd 
Cardinal.s.  After  lea\ing  the  nest  I  found  that  egg-food, 
which  up  to  this  time  appears  to  suit  them  very  well,  would  not 
do  at  all  and  imariably  gave  the  birds  very  severe  bowel  trouble 
from  which  they  succumbed  in  a  few  da_\'s.  (  )ne  had  either  to 
l)rovide  them  with  a  most  generous  su])ply  of  live  focjd,  and 
mealworms  would  not  suffice  by  themselves,  or  the  birds  made 
no  progress,  and  soon  died  off.  To  obtain  food  of  this  nature 
entails  considerable  time  and  labour,  as  I  know  to  my  cost,  .  > 
unless  an  aviculturist  is  favourably  situated  for  obtaining  live 
food  and  can  spare  the  necessary  time  and  labom-  in  collecting 
such  elusive  quarry,  I  should  not  reconunend  their  trying  to 
breed  this  si)ecies:  though  in  other  resi)ects  it  is  one  of  the  most 
attractixe  of  the  inuxjrted  snecies  of  Cardinals. 


4-  V7/f  i'licai  ThuDuou. 

The  Great  Tinamou. 

( Ukynckotus  rufescens.) 

By  VV.  Siiork  Bailv. 

The  "  I'erdiz  graiule  ""  or  (jreal  I'artiidgc  is  one  of  the 
hirgest  of  the  South  American  s^anie  birds,  and  if  one  rules  out 
the  Curassows,  (iuans  and  Waterfowl  it  is  certainly  at  the  top 
for  size.  It  is  not  by  any  means  a  bad  sporting;  bird,  as  it  lies 
well,  and  when  flushed  has  a  stronj^'  and  rapid  flight.  As  a 
table  bird  it  is  not  to  be  despised,  being  about  the  size  of  a  hen 
pheasant. 

The  sexes  are  alike,  and,  although  I  have  had  my  pair 
of  birds  under  close  observation  for  the  last  twehe  months  1 
am  still  unable  to  sex  them. 

They  are  interesting  birds  in  an  a\iary,  as  their  habits  are 
so  different  from  those  of  most  of  tlie  other  lairds  one  usually 
keeps.  They  are  solitary  birds,  and  si)end  a  good  deal  of  their 
time  hiding  in  clumps  of  grass  and  other  co\er,  usually  as  far 
away  from  each  other  as  it  is  possible  to  get.  Tlieir  neutral 
colour  makes  it  dif^cult  to  see  them,  even  when  crouched  in 
very  short  cover,  and  1  have,  on  more  than  one  occasion,  almost 
stepped  on  one  of  them.  When  this  hap]:)ens  they  rise 
straight  up  with  a  tremendous  wliirr.  louder.  I  think,  than  that 
of  a  cock  pheasant  flushed  under  similar  circinnstances. 

Early  in  the  spring  one  of  them,  presumably  the  cock, 
commenced  to  sing,  if  song  it  can  be  called,  and  shortly  after- 
wards 1  found  that  the  hen  had  scraped  out  a  hollow  in  a  clumj) 
of  grass,  and  had  laid  four  eggs.  It  appears  from  Hudson's 
book  that  the  cock  sits,  and.  as  from  the  time  of  commencement 
of  incubation  the  male's  song  had  ceased,  this  is  probably 
correct.  1  allowed  the  bird  to  sit  for  a  couple  of  weeks,  when 
on  testing  the  eggs  T  foimd  them  to  be  infertile.  I'robably  ;i 
spell  of  easterly  winds  about  the  time  the  hen  w.'is  laying-  had 
something  to  do  with  this.  .\s  soon  as  the  eggs  were  removed 
the  cock  again  started  singing,  and  the  hen  was  soon  again 
sitting  in  the  same  clump  of  grass.  .After  allowing  the  bird 
to  sit  for  a  week  or  two,  1  removed  the  eggs,  which  this  time 
were  Ave  in  number,  to  a  broody  hen,  and.  whil^'  I  was  away 
for  a  few  days'  holidav,  three  chicks  were  brought  off.     Unfor- 


llic  (ircat  Tiuatnuii. 


A?, 


tunately  1  <lid  not  make  a  note  of  the  exact  time  of  incubation. 
The  chicks  vary  much  in  size.  Intt  were  all  very  stroni;-  and 
active  from  the  start.       When  about  a   fortni.i^ht  old  I  turned 


l.\   W .  Shore   lUiilv. 


Rufous  Tinaniou  Iiicul)alin^. 


them  loose  in  one  of  my  aviaries  with  the  hen.  To  my 
astonishment  they  promptly  deserted  her,  each  one  taking'  up 
its  quarters  in  a  different  part  of  the  aviary,  only  comin_g' 
toi^ether  when  feedin,L;"  times  came  rotmd.  They  now  bej^an 
to  show  i^reat  pu.gnacity,  attacking"  each  other  without  the 
slightest  provocation.  Strange  to  say  the  bird  attacked  made 
little  attemi)t  at  defence,  contenting  itself  by  making  a  similar 
attack,  when  it  could  do  so  at  all.  tmexpectedly.  1  fed  them 
on  mixed  biscuit  meal,  mealworms,  and  gentles;  also  with  what 
seed  fell  from  the  small  birds'  tables.  They  grew  and  feathered 
very  fast,  but  were  still  covered  with  long  hair  like  filaments. 
^vhich  gave  them  a  very  curious  appearance.  Although  at  three 
weeks  old  they  were  well  able  to  fly,  they  seldom  did  so.  con- 
tenting themselves  with  running  and  skulking  in  the  long  grass 
and  other  cover,       At  five  weeks  old  there  was  still  the  same 


44 


The  iircat  Tiiuii 


c<)iii|iarali\  c  (litTercnce  in  size  l)et\vccn  the  llirt-e  Ijirds,  the 
lar,i;est  beiiij;'  (|iiitc  twice  the  size  ol  the  ^rnalle^t.  and  llie  third 
l)ir(l  bein!L>"  midway  between  the  two.  I  (h)n'i  know  wh:'tlier  this 
had  anvtln'nij'  to  do  witli  sex.  but   it  niav  ha\v>  l)een  so.  as  thev 


/>v   I!'.   Shore   />'.;// V 


^'(JU11^      l\llfoU>     Tili.-dlKMl. 


ah  looked  equalh'  liealtlu'  at  iliis  time,  and  I  had  every  exj^tec- 
t'l'i  jn  of  fully  i  earing;  tlieiii  I'nfortimately  a  chani.;"e  of 
weather  came  soon  after  this  and  1  lost  the  medium-sized  bird 
from  septic  pnetmionia  :  al.-ont  three  weeks  later  I  lost  the  small 
one  from  the  same  disease,  and  the  survivor  also  succumbed  a 
few  weeks  later.  1:)einL;'  at  ihe  time  nearly  as  lari^e  as  its  parents 
Such  are  the  vicissitudes  of  a\icultnre!  ! 

In  the  meantim.'  the  old  birds  had  ;i.L;ain  ,n(Mie  to  nest, 
b  U.  as  it  was  some  tin-?  before  1  conld  tind  it  in  th?  then  rather 
d'/'use  imderj^rowth.  I  decided  to  let  them  alone.  <  hi  the  J4th 
/viti^itst  they  hatched  off  two  vouul;"  ones  from  five  ei^.^'s.  These 
V.  ere  strong'  runners  at  a  dav  old.  and  adepts  at  takiui^'  cover: 
a  ;  the  weather  was  fine  and  the  nii.ihts  warm  I  h:;d  hopes  of 
r  -arinq-  them,  bttt  it  was  not  to  be.  for  a  week  later  ihey  liad 
c'iiappeared  and  T  never  found  their  bodies. 


Bird  Notes. 


Phntn  hy  \V.  Shore  Balh/. 
Youiiu  Eufous  Tinainon. 


Ph,,h)  hfi  W.  Shore  Bailij. 
Youni-'  Rufous  Tinamon. 


Correspondence.  45 

\\  ritin:^'  in  Arge)iti)!e  Ornithologx  Hudson  says:  — 
■  This  species  is  solitary  in  its  habits,  conceals  itself  very  closely 
'  in  the  fjrass,  and  flies  with  the  greatest  reluctance.  I  doubt  if  there  's 
'  any  bird  with  such  a  n-sounding  flight  as  the  Tinamou  :  the  whirr  of  its 
'  wings  can  onlv  be  compared  to  the  rattling  of  a  vehicle  uriven  at  great 
'  speed  over  a  s'rong  road.  From  the  moment  it  rises  unlM  it  alights 
'  again  there  is  no  cessation  in  the  ra])id  vibration  of  its  wings :  but 
'  like  a  ball  thrown  b\-  the  h.ind.  the  liird  flies  away  with  extraordinary 
'  violence  until  the  impelling  force  is  sjjent,  when  it  slopes  gradually 
'  towards  the  earth,  the  distance  it  is  able  to  accomplish  at  a  flight  being 
'  from  800  to  '.500  vards.  This  flight  it  can  repeat  when  driven  up  again, 
'  as  many  as  three  times,  after  which  the  bird  can  rise  no  more." 

"  The  call  of  the   Large   Partridge   is  heard  in   fine   weather     at     all 

'  seasons  of  the  year,  especially  near  sunset,  and  is  uttered  while  the  bird 

'  sits  concealed  in  the  grass,   manv  individuals  answering  each  other :   for 

'  although   1   call  it  a  solitar\-  bird,  it  being  a  rare  thing  to  see  even  two 

together,    many   1)irds   ,'ire   usually   found   living   near   each    other.        The 

song  or  call  is  composed  of  five  or  six  notes  of  various  length,   with  a 

mellow  flute-like  sound,  and  so  expressive  that  it  is  perhaps  the  sweetest 

music  heard  on  the  pampas.'' 

'■  The  eggs  are  usually  five  in  number;  nearly  round,  highlv  polished, 
and  of  a  dark  reddish-purple,  or  wine-colour:  but  this  beautnul  tint  in  a 
short  time  changes  to  a  dull  leaden  hue.  The  nest  is  a  mere  scrape, 
insufiiciently  lined  with  a  few  grass  leaves.  The  voung  birds  appear  to 
leave  the  mother  (or  f;ither,  for  it  is  probable  that  the  male  hatches  the 
eggs)  at  a  verv  early  period.  When  still  verv  small,  thev  are  found 
living,  like  the  adults,  a  solitary  life,  with  their  faculties,  includ- 
ing those  of  flight,  and  the  melodious  voice,  in  a  high  state  of  perfection." 


-o- 


Correspondence. 


OUR   .SOCIETY   AXD   ITS  JOURNAL. 

Sir, — Readers  of  Bjrd  Notes  do  not  alway  realise  how  very  mucli 
thev  themselves  contribute  to  the  value  of  its  contents,  and  how  much  toe 
Hon.  Editor  depends  upon  them  for  copy,  but  alas  in  vain.  News  and 
information  concerning  their  I'irds  and  Aviaries  and  all  the  incidental 
activities  and  events  which  are  so  vitally  interesting,  such  as  :  rare  arrivals, 
nest  boxes,  food,  are  all  more  or  less  a  common  bond  between  us,  and  none 
need  fear  that  they  are  giving  trouble,  or  that  their  news  is  of  no  importance — 
all  news  is  of  use  to  someone.  It  is  impossible  to  keep  members  fully 
informed  of  the  affairs  of  our  little  world  if  they  themselves  keep  the  titbits 
t.'ght  in  their  own  domain,  and  neglect  to  communicate  them  through  our 
pages  to  others.  All  keen  members  like  to  know  what  is  occurring  in  the 
aviaries  of  others,  therefore  consider  for  one  moment  and  keep  the  ball  rolling. 

Publicity  is  the  breath  of  our  cause  ;  let  us  one  and  ;ill  show  our  maga- 


46  Correspondence. 

zine  to  anyoiK-  keen  on  birds,  l)e  they  keen  on  En<jlisli  or  I'oreig'n,  unci  !)>■ 
this  means  obtain  new  members.  How  many  societies  which  have  shows  do 
not  even  know  of  our  existence:  I  trow  a  jjfoodly  few;  interest  tlieni.  and 
ol)tain  our  sujiport  at  their  sliows  and  a  class  or  classes  for  our  members, 
and  we  will  do  the  rest. 

It  has  been  freely  stated  at  various  times  that  members  would  be  glail 
to  show  others  their  aviaries  :  let  all  who  are  keen  on  the  followinp^,  drop  me 
a  line.  ( )ne  jM'oposes  to  sul)-di\ide  our  meml)ers  into  four  classes:  North. 
East,  South  antl  West  :  afterwartls  to  make  up  small  parties  to  visit  aviaries 
on  given  dates  suitable  to  the  members  who  are  to  be  visiied.  Let  us  have  a 
show  of  our  own,  each  meinber  to  contribute  to  the  fund  necessary,  to  provide 
prizes,  etc.  The  show  to  be  ojH-n  to  all,  whether  members  or  not.  If  found 
convenient  we  might  have  a  meeting,  for  a  concert  or  dinner.  Those 
sending  in  their  names  please  state  who  would  be  willing  to  act  as  Hon. 
Secretary  for  their  own  particular  district.  If  agreeable  to  one  or  all  of 
the  above  suggestions,  and  any  further  suggestion  will  be  received  with  thanks. 

Finally  we  want  all  members  to  do  their  share  in  increasing  the  gener.al 
interest  of  tlie  club  by  doing  all  in  their  power  as  above  stated  ;  otherwise  the 
prizes  for  the  best  article  of  the  year  will  be  withdrawn  at  the  end  of  me 
present  year,  as  we  regret  to  say  that  it  has  met  with  hardly  any  '•espouse. 

(Major)  A.   M.  SXAPE, 
Manchester,   14:2:22.  Hoti.  Sec. 

NEW   RACE   OF   BLUE-P.ONNET   PARRAKEETS. 

Sir, — The  new  race  of  Hlue-bonnet  Parrakeets  was  discovered  between 
Perth  and  South  Australia  and  West  of  Naretha,  where  apparently  it  is  quite 
common,  and  is  kept  as  a  cage  bird. 

It  resembles  the  common  form  in  size  md  general  markings,  but  the 
blue  on  the  forehead  is  a  oaler,  lirighter  shade,  and  the  red  ]iatch  on  the  bellv 
is  entirely  wanting,  tlie  whole  are;i  being  pale  lemon-yellow.  There  mav 
be  traces  of  red  under  the  l.iil,  and  the  wing-patch  is  a  kind  of  pinkish  shade, 
neither  olive  as  in  .raiitliorrlioiis.   nor  red  as  in  hoematorrhous. 

Havant,    10:2:22.  (The   Marquis   of)   TAVISTOCK. 

X'lSITINC    MEMP.ERS'    A\'IARIES. 

Siu, — I  heartily  agree  with  Mrs.  Read's  letter,  and  should  be  delighted 
at  any  time  for  any  member  to  come  and  look  at  my  biitls.  1  fear,  however. 
I  am  in  a  com|)arativelv  out  of  the  wav  locality,  and  also  that  1  have  not 
nuich  worth  showing,  but  any  member  is  welcome  to  see  what   I  have. 

Eeadenham    House,    Lincoln.    17:2:22.  (Ca])t.)    L    S.    RF.EX'I''. 


Bird  Notes. 


J'lioto   hy   II'.  Shore  l^aily. 


Azure  Jays. 


"^11  5\lgbts  !J\es«rv<i6. 


^rtarcb.    1922. 


BIRD  NOTES: 

-  THE  — 
JOURNAL     OF     THE     FOREIGN     BIRD     CLUB. 

Some  Blue  Jays. 

Bv  W.  Shore  Bailv. 

America  is  the 
home  of  the  Blue 
Jay.  Just  how 
m  any  species 
North  and  Sou'.h 
America  can  boast 
I  do  not  know, 
but  the  number 
must  be  large.  T 
have  met  with 
three  species  my- 
self out  there — the 
Eastern  Blue  Jay 
(C\a)wcitta  cris- 
tata)  ,  the  Blue- 
fronted  Jay  (C . 
stcUcri  frontalis), 
and  the  Coast  Jay 
(C.  stcllcri  carhoii- 
acca).  All  these 
birds  have  a  good  deal  of  blue  about  their  plumage;  in  fact, 
blue  seems  to  be  their  prevailing"  colour.  Even  our  English 
Jay  has  the  brilliant  blue  wing-coverts,  so  much  in  demand  bv 
our  Salmon  fishers.  The  habits  are  very  similar  in  each  species  ; 
very  inquisitive,  and  arrant  thieves.  They  are  nearly  always 
to  be  met  with  in  suital)le  localities,  and  I  Have  frequently  seen 
tliem  in  the  American  city  parks. 

On  ranches,  at  any  rate  where  poultry  are  kept,  they  are 
shy,  as  their  egg-stealing  habits  make  them  very  unpopular. 


Phnto  by  W 
Pileated  J.\y. 


Shore  Bailx 


4S 


Sot}ie  Blue  Javs. 


They  all  make  good  pets,  and  do  well  in    confinement, 
being  easily  catered  for,  as  they  are  practically  omnivorous. 

By  far  the  most  beautiful  member  of  this  family  is,  to 
my  mind,  the  Azure  Jay  {Cyanocorax  caeriilcus),  a  native  of  the 
\rgentine.  This  is  a  large  bird,  nearly  twice  the  size  of  the 
F.uropean  species.  With  the  exception  of  the  head  and  throat, 
which  are  black,  the  whole  of  the  plumage  is  a  brilliant  azure 
blue,  both  sexes  being  alike.  Very  few  of  iiie  so-called  Birds 
of  Paradise  can  excel  this  bird  in  beauty.  This  is  the  only  one 
of  the  Jays,  with  which  T  am  acquainted,  that  has  any  song;  most 


■■ 

1^ 

91 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^MK'  ^ '. 

^m| 

m-^ 

JS^          ^^1 

^K' 

9 

^^^^^^^Bp '^' ' 

m 

^^^^^fl 

Photo  bx  II  .  Shore  Baih'. 


Mexican   I  Hue   jav. 


of  them  are  harsh  and  noisy  screamers.  Both  my  birds  have  a 
well-sustained  song,  pitched  in  a  low  tone,  closely  resembling 
the  warblings  of  our  starling,  and  not  unlike  that  of  the 
Budgerigar.  They  also  have  other  and  harslier  calls,  uttered 
when  alarmed  or  otherwise  excited.  Both  birds  feed  each 
other  and  are  affectionate,  but  1  am  not  yet  certain  that  they  are 
a  true  pair.      Time  alone  will  show. 


Some  Blue  Jays.  49 

Another  pair  J  have,  from  Central  America,  are  only 
about  half  the  size.  The  colotir  areas  are  the  same,  except 
lower  parts,  which  are  black,  l)nt  the  l)lue  is  mttch  paler.  The}' 
were  sold  to  me  as  Yucatan  Jays,  but  Dr.  Amsler  tells  me  that 
these  have  yellow  leg^s.  and,  as  mine  are  blackish,  f  take  it  they 
must  be  referred  to  some  other  species. 

Another  bird  I  was  offered  recently  was  of  a  uniform 
scjoty  blue,  but  as  the  price  asked  was  hig-h,  and  it  was  not  a 
pretty  bird.  T  did  not  take  it.  This  may  have  been  Xanthura 
hcccheu. 

One  other  Jay  in  my  collection  is  the  Pileated  Jay  (Cyan- 
ocorax  chrysops).  This  is  a  pretty  bird,  with  a  great  deal  of 
white  about  it,  and  much  about  the  size  of  our  English  Jay 
It  has  a  damaged  wing  and  cannot  tiy,  but  this  disability  does  not 
seem  to  worry  it  greatly,  as  it  is  extremely  active  in  climbing 
about  the  bushes  and  perches  of  its  aviary. 

Writing  of  the  Azure  Jay  in  the  Ibis.  Mr.  J.  Graham  Kerr 
says:  "  Very  common  in  the  hardwood  forests,  and  sometimes 
strag'g'ling"  into  the  open.  Tt  has  been  described  as  being 
extremely  shy,  but  T  found  this  to  be  the  case  only  with  the 
scattered  individuals  one  sees  outside  the  limits  of  the  forest. 
Within  the  forest,  where  it  is  generally  found  in  company  with 
C.  chrysops.  it  even  exceeds  its  companion  in  boldness  and 
curiosity.  It  is  always  the  first  to  catch  sight  of  a  stranger 
within  the  forest,  hopping  about  in  the  branches  all  round  him, 
peering  at  him  curiously  and  all  the  while  raising  an  alarm  with 
harsh  cries  (caa-caa-caa).  The  natural  boldness  of  the  bird  w^as 
nell  shown  by  the  behaviour  of  one  shot  in  the  wing  by  Col. 
Ralcedo,  and  given  to  me.  The  wing  was  shattered  at  the 
carpal  joint,  so  I  snipped  off  the  entire  manus,  and  dusted 
iodoform  over  the  wound,  to  stop  the  bleeding.  The  bird 
remained  for  several  hours  very  weak  from  shock  and  loss  of 
blood,  but  next  morning  was  again  quite  lively.  It  hopped 
about  with  the  utmost  confidence,  ate  and  drank  out  of  my  hand, 
and  finally  had  the  presumption  to  jump  upon  my  knee,  and 
begin  to  tear  pieces  of  flesh  out  of  a  bird  which  I  was  dissecting 
at  the  time.  When  out  in  the  open,  on  tne  other  hand,  this 
species  is  exceedingly  wary  and  difficult  to  approach." 


50  Some  Notes  on  Crimson-wing  Parrakects. 

Some  Notes  on  Crimson-win^,'  Parraheets. 

( Ptistes  erythropterus.) 

By  iHE  Marquis  of  Tavistock. 

1  have  kept  tliis  very  beautiful  Australian  parrakeet  for 
many  years  and  under  different  conditions,  but  have  not  yet 
induced  it  to  breed  successfully. 

My  early  ventures  in  Crimson-winq-s  were  not  encour- 
as;in,n".  They  are  extremely  sensitive  to  septic  fever  infection 
and  1  had  the  misfortune,  when  living  at  my  old  home  i  -. 
Bedfordshire,  to  introduce  the  disease  into  my  collection  in  a 
very  virulent  form.  Every  Crimson-wing-  caught  it  and  died. 
and,  for  quite  a  number  of  years  afterwards,  odd  cases  occurred 
among  birds  particularly  liable  to  tiie  germs  and  Crimson-wings 
did  not  flourish.  Finally,  in  1914  I  decided  to  try  the  birds  at 
liberty,  and  I  released  three  good  pairs  with  cut  wings,  in 
grass  enclosure.  In  time  they  moulted  and  made  their  exit, 
staying  well,  and  promising  to  be  a  success.  But,  during  the 
winter  T  was  told  they  had  developed  a  passion  for  entering 
chimneys,  of  which  nothing  would  cure  them,  and  in  the  end 
every  one  of  the  six  met  an  untimely  fate. 

After  so  disastrous  an  experiment  I  gave  up  all  idea  of 
having  Crimson-wings  at  liberty  and  contented  myself  with 
keeping  one  or  two  in  my  aviaries.  They  did  not  breed,  as  T 
had  bad  luck  witii  my  hens,  and  the  one  which  lived  longest  was 
a  very  ancietit  bird,  who  seemed  to  have  been  caged  for  many 
years  before  I  had  her. 

In  I  lie  summer  of  1920  I  bought  a  pair  from  one  of  our 
members,  who  informed  me  that  they  would  not  agree.  When 
tliey  were  turned  into  an  aviary,  together,  the  cock  at  once 
attacked  the  hen,  but,  being  in  breeding  condition,  she  ignored 
the  amiable  way  in  which  he  pulled  out  her  feathers,  and  soon 
afterwards  they  were  observed  mating.  After  that  they  got  on 
quite  well  together,  and  the  hen  laid  several  eggs,  but  show.^  1 
no  inclination  to  sit.  Some  of  the  eggs  T  put  under  a  Yellow- 
bellied  Parrakeet  (Platyccrciis  favivcntris),  but  they  proved 
infertile.  Last  year  the  pair  did  nothing  and  when  they  began 
to  moult,  T  moved  them  from  the  Isle  of  Wight  to  my  aviaries 
near  Havant.  Besides  the  pair,  I  had  two  adult  cocks,  one  tame 
and  one  wild;  in  the  autumn  I  received  another    adult    cock 


Same  Notes  on  Cnnison-iK.nng  Parrakcets.  51 

and  two  young"  hens.  une  of  the  latter  died,  and  me  survivor 
was  kept  in  a  cage  during  the  winter.  In  October,  after  some 
hesitation.  1  decided  to  try  the  cock  of  the  pair  at  Hberty, 
intending  to  catch  him  up  at  once  should  he  show  any  weakness 
for  chimneys.  In  the  aviary  he  was  nervous  and  unsteady,  but 
1  hoped  that,  like  many  birds  which  are  wild  in  an  aviary,  he 
would  become  tamer  when  he  found  he  could  always  get  awav. 
In  this  he  justified  my  expectations.  L  boosing  a  line  afternoon 
without  much  wind,  1  drove  him  gently  out  and  retired  to  a 
distance  to  watch  iiis  behaviour.  lie  flew  into  a  small  tree 

near  the  aviary,  where  he  was  soon  joined  by  a  cock  iving,  who 
was  interested  in  him,  as  a  relative,  but  showed  no  desire  to 
molest  him.  After  a  few  minutes  he  went  into  some  taller 
trees  and  evidently  enjoying  his  liberty,  flew  from  one  to 
another,  followed  by  the  King,  maKing  a  half  circuit  of  the 
garden.  After  a  time  I  felt  a  little  uneasy,  as  his  flights  became 
longer  and  tended  to  take  him  further  from  home.  However, 
just  when  I  was  beginning"  to  think  that  he  meant  straying,  his 
mate  began  to  call  loudly  from  the  aviary  in  the  meadow:  he 
answered,  and  a  moment  later  came  swinging"  overhead,  and 
was  soon  back  at  tlie  place  where  ne  had  started;  1  knew,  then, 
that  all  was  well.  'J'he  hen  Crimson-wing's  concern  at  the 
departure  of  her  mate  was  much  greater  than  I  expected, 
considering"  that  the  only  attention  he  ever  paid  her  was  to 
chase  her  about,  scolding"  her  and  trying  to  bite  her.  It  did 
nnt  seem  a  ha])py  married  life,  but  hen  Crimson-wings  seem  to 
belong  to  that  peculiar  division  of  the  female  sex  whicn  prefers  .l 
husband  who  beats  you  to  the  monotony  of  tne  unmarried  state. 
The  cock  Crimson-wing,  also,  for  a  while  showed  a  certain 
jealous  concern  for  his  wife,  spending  a  lot  of  time  on  the  top 
of  the  aviary  imnting  off  cock  Barrabands  and  a  cock  Black-tail 
who  seemed  disposed  to  take  an  interest  in  the  grass  widow. 
The  Black-tail,  indeed,  fell  deeply  in  love  witii  her,  and  would 
hardly  leave  her  the  w'hole  of  the  winter,  somewhat  to  my 
annoyance,  for  instead  of  delighting  me  with  frequent  exhibi 
tions  of  his  glorious  flight,  as  he  had  been  in  the  habit  of  doing, 
he  sat  stolidly  by  her  all  day  and  all  night  and  gave  me  much 
trouble  and  anxiety  in  devising  means  of  protecting  him  from 
the  inclemency  of  the  weather  and  the  attacks  of  nocturnal 
vermin. 


:>*- 


Some  Notes  on  Crimson-wing  Farrakeets. 


The  flight  of  the  Crimson-wing"  has  been  compared  by 
Ciould  to  that  of  the  Peewit — a  not  inept  comparison,  akhougn 
the  parrakeet  lacks  the  pecuHar  rounded  wing  of  the  plover. 
Like  the  Barraband,  the  Crimson-wing  may  be  said  to  possess 
two  flights — a  dove-like  one,  which  is  used  when  the  bird  is 
passing  from  tree  to  tree,  and  a  graceful  swing  that  is  employed 
when  he  is  well  up  and  bent  on  travelling  some  distance ;  the 
latter  is  very  pleasing  to  watch,  quite  apart  from  the  bird's 
glorious  plumage,  which  makes  him  the  most  charming  additio  i 
that  it  is  possible  to  imagine  to  the  rather  sombre  tints  of  a 
winter  garden. 

The  Crimson-wing  at  liberty  soon  made  himself  at  home 
and  quickly  achieved  the  mastery  over  all  the  other  parrakeets, 
except  the  iving.  He  was  by  no  means  daunted  by  the  superi  jr 
size  and  huge  beaks  of  the  Great-bills  and  they  soon  learned  to 
give  him  a  wide  berth.  Fortunately,  also,  he  showed  no 
inclination  to  explore  the  chimneys  and  encouraged  by  his  good 
behaviour,  I  released  another  cock.  This  bird  had  already 
given  us  some  indication  of  the  pugnacious  disposition  whic'i 
is  the  one  serious  drawback  to  the  species.  Soon  after  his 
arrival  he  had  been  turned  into  an  aviary  with  a  pair  of  Black 
Cockatoos,  but  he  bullied  them  so  much  that  it  was  found 
necessary  to  remove  and  cage  him.  I  released  him  when  the 
King  and  the  other  cock  Crimson-wing  were  close  by.  He  fell 
upon  them  at  once  and  put  them  to  flight,  introduced  himself  to 
the  hen  Crimson-wing  by  a  volley  of  personal  abuse  and  a  clear 
intimation  that  he  would  like  to  bite  her.  and  then  settled  down 
to  enjoy  his  freedom.  Most  of  the  time  ne  associated  with  i 
pair  of  Indian  Ring-necks,  who  did  not  relish  his  company  at 
all,  but  were  unable  to  get  rid  of  him. 

I  next  turned  my  attention  to  cocks  No.  3  and  No.  4. 
No.  3  was  a  very  tame  bird,  who  won  a  prize  at  a  local  show. 
As  he  was  so  steady  and  had  so  many  companions  of  his  own 
kmd  about,  I  did  not  trouble  to  keep  him  shut  u])  to  get  used 
to  the  place,  but  turned  him  straight  out  (jn  arrival.  No.  4, 
by  the  way,  was  occupying  an  aviary  at  the  time.  No.  3  walked 
out  of  his  cage  quietly  enough  and  began  picking  about  the 
grass.  Then  he  caught  sight  of  an  Alexandrine  Parrakeet  in 
an  aviary  near  by.  and  flew  on  to  the  top  to  tell  her  how  much 
he  would  like  to  fight  her.       A  moment  later  No.  2  flew  down 


Some  Notes  on  Crimson-wing  Parrakeets.  53 

on  to  the  aviary.  "  The  very  thing  I've  waited  for  years!" 
cried  No.  3  and  Hke  a  parched  traveller  in  the  desert,  hurryinj^ 
to  a  spring,  he  rushed  joyfully  to  join  battle  with  his  companion. 
For  a  few  moments  there  was  a  good  old  row,  but  No.  3  soon 
discovered  that  he  had  more  than  met  his  match  and  was  glad 
to  retreat  minus  a  few  feathers.  Next  day  he  attacked  No.  .^ 
in  the  aviary  and  got  bitten  in  the  foot.  This  rather  disgusted 
him  with  the  place  and  he  strayed  about  a  mile  away,  where  he 
was  caught  and  returned  to  me  by  the  owner  of  the  cottage  he 
entered  when  he  became  hungry.  By  this  time  I  saw  that  my 
vision  of  four  Crimson-wings  at  liberty  could  not  be  realized. 
The  place  was  not  large  enough  for  such  bad-tempered  birds. 
I  feared  that  the  Ring-necks,  one  of  which  was  a  lutino,  would 
desert  if  so  continually  pestered  by  No.  2,  so  I  reluctantly  caught 
him  up  and  sold  No.  4.  No.  i  and  No.  3  have  done  much  to 
modify  my  opinion  that  Crimson-wings  are  hopeless  birds  at 
liberty.  Neither  has  strayed,  nor  gone  down  a  chimney,  and 
while  I  cannot  say  tnat  their  behaviour  to  the  13  other  parrakeets 
at  liberty  has  been  exemplary,  they  have  at  least  refrained  from 
conspicuous  misdemeanours.  From  the  point  of  view  of 
ornament,  I  cannot  speak  too  highly  of  them,  and  I  have  got 
more  pleasure  in  watching  them  during  their  five  months  of 
liberty,  than  they  could  give  me  during  a  lifetime  in  the  aviary. 
The  two  cocks  occasionally  associate  together,  but  on  the  whole 
they  are  not  on  very  friendly  terms,  and  are  more  often  apart ; 
frequently  No.  i  is  with  the  King,  and  ^.o.  3  with  the  hen. 
Soon  after  they  were  released  they  went  on  one  or  two  rather 
long  expeditions  together  and  were  seen  two  or  three  miles 
from  home,  but  of  late  they  have  seldom  left  the  garden. 
During  part  of  the  winter,  when  I  had  Barrabands  at  liberty,  T 
used  to  shut  up  as  many  birds  as  possible  at  nignt,  as  a  protection 
against  Brown  Owls,  which  nave  a  disastrous  fondness  for 
Polytelis  Parrakeets.  The  tame  Crimson-wing  always  roosted 
in  the  aviary,  but  No.  i,  together  with  an  Alexandrine  and  a 
Blue-bonnet,  was  smart  enough  to  hnd  his  way  out  again 
through  the  inward-pointing  funnel  of  wire-netting  which 
puzzled  less  resourceful  birds  into  believing  tney  were  prisoners 
for  the  nignt. 

In  February  I  used,  on  fine  days,  to  put  a  newly  imported 
hen  Barraband  out  in  a  cage  on  the  verandaii.      i\o.  i.  whose 


54  The  Awful  .'leakvorm. 

own  mate  had  been,  by  this  time,  more  or  less  appropriated  bv 
No.  3,  took  to  visitini4'  her  and  paying  her  his  addresses,  allowing 
me  to  approach  within  a  few  yards,  and  my  small  son  within  :\ 
few  feet,  while  he  was  so  engaged.  The  display  seemed  to 
consist  in  fetching  quantities  of  leaves,  and  pieces  of  green  stuff, 
and  chewing  them  up  in  the  lady's  presence.  Directly  one 
morsel  was  dropped,  he  was  off  to  fetch  another.  On  davs 
when  he  did  not  see  much  of  the  Barraband,  he  would  spend  his 
time  courting  the  hen  (ireat-bill,  who  regarded  him  with  fear 
and  dislike,  and  was  by  no  means  impressed  by  his  advances. 
It  would  seem,  therefore,  that  a  cock  Crimson-wing  will  mate 
with  almost  any  female  parrot  or  parrakeet  of  about  his  own 
size,  or  larger,  and  is  by  no  means  particular  in  his  choice  of  i 
partner. 

Since-  wrilinj;-  the  above  I  have  caui^ht  up  the  two  Ijirds  for  the  l)reed'ny 
season.  I  nia\-  add  tliai  tlie  scene  of  the  experiment  was  not  a  large  country 
demesne,  hut  a  liouse  and  grounds  of  moderate  size  on  ciie  outskirts  of  a 
town  and  hounded,  on  one  side,  l)y  a  Itusy  inihHc  road.  Tlie  sup]:)]y  of  cats 
is  a   very   Hljeral  one. 

0 

The  Awful  Mealworm. 

By  H.  L.  Sich. 

As  the  time  is  arriving  wlien  some  of  us  will  want 
insecti\orous  food  for  our  birds  I  think  the  following  will  be 
useful.  I  found  it  in  inid  Aiiijiials  in  Caf^tk'ity  by  A.  I). 
Bartlett.  the  late  superintendeiit  of  the  Zoological  Society's 
^'.ardens.  lie  states  that  he  tried,  year  after  year,  to  rear 
nippers  from  the  nest  by  feeding  them  on  the  usual  soft  food, 
scraped  beef,  hard-boiled  eggs,  ants'  eggs,  Uies,  spiders,  beetles. 
.'Kptatic  snails,  shrimps,  salmon  spawn,  antl  many  other  mixtures, 
but  all  failed,  until  his  assistant  suggested  scalding  the  meal- 
worms. 

"  It  was  soon  apparent  that  in  this  condition  the  meal- 

"  worms  could  be  digested     ....      from  tliat  moment  I 

"  liad  btit   little  trouble.        The  l)irds   fed  greedily  upon   the 

half-boiled   mealworms,   and    I    soon    fotmd  them   readv   to 

"  leave  tne  nest." 

I  have  not  tried  it  myself,  but  it  might  save  a  l)rood  of 
young  (Juail  or  other  birds  if  Vwv  ants'  eggs  fail,  or  prove 
unobtainable. 


iVl\  VcUozu-wingi'd  SngarhircL't. 


55 


My  Yellow-winged  Sugarbirds. 

By  Wesley  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  M.B  O.U. 

1  have  not  any 
of  this  species  in 
my  aviaries  at 
the  moment  bin 
have  had  several 
pairs  in  the 
course  of  my 
avicnhural  ex- 
perience, but 
have  never  had 
the  hick  to  suc- 
ceed in  breeding' 
this  exquisite 
species;  but,  be- 
fore giving  my 
personal  experi- 
ence will  make 
a  few  general 
remarks      about 


Photo  by  C.  E.  Lozc. 

Yellow-winfjed  Sugarbird. 


these  bejewelled  mites  of  tne  feathered-world. 

The  genus  Cocrcha  wafts  to  us  remembrances  of  gorgeous 
colour,  dainty  form,  and  graceful  movement.  They  range  over 
South  America  from  Cuba  to  Mexico,  to  Southern  Brazil  and 
Bolivia.  These  Blue  Creepers  of  the  tropics  of  America  rival 
the  Humming  Birds  in  all  their  fajry-like  attributes — neither  pen 
nor  brush  can  portray  their  grace  and  beauty. 

r^-om  traveller-natwralists'  records  we  glean  that  they  are 
low  ranging  ])ir(ls,  are  found  on  the  outskirts  of  forests,  and  the 
trees  of  open  wooded  districts;  here  they  are  perpetually  search- 
ing the  crevices,  bark,  etc.,  for  insects;  fruit  is  also  taken. 

Tlie  /->:it.  Mus.  Cat.  \'ol.  xi..  gives  four  s])ecies.  viz  • 
cyaiicd.  cacntlcd.  liiciihi.  and  iiifida.  Init  in  these  notes  we  shall 
only  (leal    willi   one-  -the     ^'ellow-\\  inged     Sugai  bird     {Cocrchi 

[")i:,scKn'Ti(i.\  :  Mtilc.  The  priin-ij^al  Ixxlx  colour  is  rich,  velvety 
puipK'-  l)KiL' ;  lores,  e-\  c-rcgion,  wiiiys,  and  tail  black;  cap  (crown  of  tlie 
bead)  pale  lurcpioise-blue,   with  a   slit^'bt   t^reenisli  tinye  :  inner   webs  of   wing- 


56  My  y clloW'ivingcd  Sngarbirds. 

feathers  and  underside  of  wings  yellow  ;  bill   (long  and  curved)  black ;  feet 
ruddy  flesh-colour.       Total   length  4^  inches;  tail   ig  inches. 

PcDialc.  Differs  from  the  male.  Above  green  with  centres  of 
feathers  darker ;  wings  and  tail  blackish  and  dyed  with  green ;  eye-streak 
whitish  ;  under  wing-coverts  and  inner  webs  of  wing  feathers  pale  yellow  ; 
under  surface  pale  yellowish-green,  faintly  stria-ted ;  bill  horn-colour ;  feet 
brownish  flesh-colour. 

Many  years  ago  1  wrote  that  Sngarbirds  agree  well 
together,  so  they  may  within  the  limits  of  a  cage,  but  later 
experience  has  taught  me  that  the  reverse  is  the  case,  so  far  as 
aviary-life  is  concerned. 

Now  to  return  to  our  topic — "  My  Yellow-winged  Sugar- 
birds  " — I  have  not  kept  them  as  cage  birds,  except  for  brief 
periods  during  the  winter  months,  so  I  shall  leave  this  aspect 
for  some  fellow  member  to  fill  in. 

First  I  will  deal  with  one  particular  pair  which  I  possessed 
for  the  three  years  preceding  the  war  in  my  Mitcham  aviary. 
This  pair  I  enjoyed  and  had  more  interest  from  than  any  others 
which  I  have  possessed  before  or  since.  I  forget  now  from  what 
source  they  came,  but  those  two  cocks  and  the  one  hen  will 
never  pass  from  my  recollection  while  memory  lasts.  They 
came  to  me  in  autumn,  were  caged  for  two  weeks  in  a  green- 
house, where  they  captured  many  small  fiies,  which  unw^arily  en- 
tered their  enclosure  attracted  by  the  ripe  banana,  which  formed 
part  of  the  Yellow-wings'  menu.  Then  I  transferred  them  to  one 
of  the  lobby  flights,  attached  to  the  main  aviary,  having  glass 
at  front,  side  and  part  of  top;  here  they  passed  the  winter — the 
only  heat  they  got  was  from  a  small  Beatrice  oil  stove,  which 
was  only  alight  on  frosty  nights,  and  during  severe  spells  day 
and  night.  As  the  area  of  tne  lobby  was  12ft.  by  loft.  the 
temperature  ruled  low,  and  their  milk-syrup-sop  was  frozen 
whenever  there  was  a  keen  frost;  nevertheless  they  did  well,  and 
the  following  April  saw  males  and  female  in  full  colour  and 
perfect  condition.  Early  in  May  I  opened  tne  lobby  door  an-.l 
drove  them  into  the  main  aviary,  which  had  a  ground  area  of 
about  300  superficial  feet  and  was  15ft.  liigh. 

Here  they  throve,  and,  though  they  took  some  syrup  and 
fruit,  lived  mainly  on  midges,  blight  and  other  small  insects. 
They  hac'  around  them  in  the  aviary  over  one  hundred  com- 
panions, ranging  in  size  from  a  thrush  to  a  gold-breasted 
waxbill,  and  mcluding  a  few  doves  and  quail.       At  this  period  I 


My  Yellozv-winged  Stigarbirds. 


57 


was  tied  to  business  all  the  week,  so  the  main  periods  of 
enjoyment  and  observation  of  the  birds  were  Saturday  afternoons 
and  Sundays.  Nearly  every  fine  Sunday  morning  found  me  on 
a  lounge  chair  in  front  of  the  aviary  to  observe  and  enjoy — a 
small  table  at  my  side,  upon  which  lay  notebook,  pencil  and 
smokes.  What  a  memory  those  Sunday  mornings  are !  I  am 
not  going  to  tell  the  whole  yarn  concerning  them,  for  just  now 
we  are  only  concerned  with  Cocrcba  cyanca. 

How  shall  I  describe  them  ?  What  shall  I  write  and  what 
shall  I  leave  unsaid  ?       Truly  a  difificult  question  ! 

First  a  word  as  to  size.  Total  length  4^  inches  does  not 
seem  to  imply  a  wee  bird,  yet  the  Yellow-wings  are  wee  fairy- 
like mites — ^the  measurements  given  in  a  bird  catalogue  are  from 
skins  and  taken  from  tip  of  beak  to  tip  of  tail,  so  that  the  actual 
body  of  the  bird  is  little  more  than  two  inches  long — often, 
owing  to  their  dainty,  graceful  contour,  tney  did  not  appear 
larger  than  the  wee  Zebra  Waxbill  when  viewed  together  in  the 
aviary. 


"S'cllow-wiiio;  Sugarbird  and  Zebra  Finches. 


The  aviary  being  15ft.  high  allowed  plenty  of  scope  for 
tree  and  plant  life,  and  hazel,  hawthorn,  elder,  etc.,  reached  the 
top,  with  the  topmost  twigs  growing  through  the  roof-netting 
of  flight.  Upon  these  the  Yellow-wings  proved  their  right  to 
l)e  called  "  Blue  Creepers  "  for  no  yellow  shows  until  the  wings 
are  expanded — up  and  down  the  stems  and  branches  they 
travelled  searching  unweariedly  for  every  insect  to  be  found, 
exactly  the  same  as  does  the  English  Tree  Creeper,  and  they 


58  My  )i' cllozi.'-zoini^cd  Sitgarbirdx. 

found  many.  Can  my  readers  inia.i;ine  wliat  they  looked  like 
while  s(j  occni)ied  ?  I  really  can't  de.scril)e  it — their  refnls^ent 
plumage  glittering'  like  scales  in  the  sun,  the  turquoise  crown 
coming  every  now  and  again  into  view  with  startling  clearness; 
then  there  would  be  a  nuttering  of  wings,  and  most  of  the  blue 
would  be  temporarily  obscured  by  a  display  of  sulpUur-yellow. 
Then  down  to  the  little  pool  iney  came  for  a  splash  and  refreshei 
after  their  exertions — would  that  1  could  describe  tnem  at  the 
pond  side  (the  i^ond  was  4ft.  by  3ft.).  how  wee  and  slim  they 
looked,  and  how  their  colours  flashed  as  they  drank,  then  more 
so  as  they  si)lashe(l  about  in  the  shallow  water  at  pond  side ;  then 
away  to  some  shady  twig  to  preen  and  dry  themselves.  But  they 
did  not  rest  long,  for  now  they  are  on  the  wing— moving  flashing 
jewels — satisfying  their  appetite  with  midges,  etc..  snapping 
lieaks  and  moving  throats,  demonstrating  how  adept  tliey  are  in 
cai)turing  their  minute  prey. 

After  a  few  weeks  1  noticed  that  one  male  was  solitary 
and  that  the  other  was  definitely  paired  up  with  the  female — at 
this  stage  they  did  not  (juarrel.  but  the  trio  were  no  longer  seen 
altogether  at  the  same  time,  and  the  bachelor  did  much  skulking 
and  was  not  often  in  the  picture.  Then  the  mated  pair  began 
collecting  rubbish  together — grass,  fine  roc  (lets,  moss,  cotton, 
string,  and  strips  of  paper — and  a  nest  was  commenced.  It  was 
something"  like  a  weaver's  nest,  but  smaller,  more  elliptical,  fiat- 
sided,  with  an  entrance  hole  at  the  top  of  one  of  the  tw"0  flat 
sides  (surely  I  ought  to  write  front!);  in  spite  of  iiie  mixed 
character  of  the  building  materials,  it  was  a  neat  and  pleasing 
construction.  I  meant  to  have  a  i)hoto  of  uiat  nest  when  it  was 
really  completed,  but  I  waited  too  long,  for  when  the  finishing 
touches  were  being  put  to  it  the  bachelor  Sugarbird  came  most 
decidedly  into  the  picture.  Filled  with  fury  he  attacked  the  nest 
and  tore  and  tore — in  a  couple  of  days  nothing  but  a  wTeck 
remained — I  have  never  seen  a  small  bird  so  destructive,  yet  he 
did  not  attack  the  builders,  but  such  was  me  effect  of  the  fitry 
with  which  he  attacked  the  nest  that  none  molested  him.  but  let 
him  alone  to  his  fell  work  in  the  centre  of  the  elder  bush— 
nor  did  the  builders  of  the  nest  seek  to  hinder  him;  they  mav 
have  done  so  in  the  beginning,  but  the  w  ork  of  destruction  was 
far  advanced  before  1  was  aware  of  it.  T  set  to  work  to  catch 
iij)  the  otld  male  -  no  light  task  in  so  large  a  jjlace-  in  the  e\u\  f 


I 


My  Yellow-winged  Sugarbirds.  59 

trapped  (as  I  thought)  him.  and  put  him  into  the  lobby  fli.ght 
ai^ain — alas !  1  caught  the  wrong  one,  as  I  found  the  hen 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  one  left  in  the  aviary ;  aftei 
the  lapse  of  two  days  I  succeeded  in  trapping  the  other  male, 
put  him  in  "  durance  vile,"  and  returned  the  other  to  the  aviary, 
when  he  was  at  once  joined  by  his  mate,  but  the  nest  was  not 
rei)aired.  nor  was  another  one  attempted,  and  though  the 
same  two  birds  spent  two  more  summers  in  the  aviary  they 
never  attempted  to  build  another  nest — that  is  the  nearest  1  have 
ever  come  to  breeding  Coereha  cyanca. 

In   1916  the  Mitcham  aviaries  were  dismantled,  and  the 
Sugarbirds,  with  many  others,  passed  into  other  hands. 

Sugarbirds  cannot  be  classed  as  hardy,  and  must  come 
indoors  from  November  to  April  inclusive.  Aloreover.  they 
need  watching  during  really  inclement  spells  in  the  summer,  and 
if  showing  real  discomfort  must  be  caught  and  taken  indoors, 
and  put  out  again  when  the  bad  period  nas  passed.  Of  course, 
the  aviculturist  has  to  learn  to  discriminate  between  "  being 
hipped  "  and  real  discomfort — humans  and  even  sparrows  suffer 
badly  from  tlie  former  during  long  spells  of  cold,  summer  rains, 
and  take  no  hurt  therefrom — Sugarbirds'  long  silky  plumage 
gets  soaked,  unless  tney  take  shelter,  during  continuous  rain 
and  they  lose  the  power  of  flight  for  the  time  being,  which,  how 
ever,  a  few  gleams  of  sunshine  soon  restore.  Fortunately  they 
have  the  instinct  either  to  remain  in  the  shelter,  or  seek  the  thick 
interior  of  some  cupressus  bush  while  the  rain  lasts,  and  a  rapid 
fly  to  and  fro  to  the  shelter  for  food  does  no  harm.  Certainly 
after  wet  those  who  keep  Sugarbirds  out  of  doors  should 
ascertain  that  all  is  well  or  they  may  needlessly  lose  them;  in 
this  condition  they  can  be  picked  up  with  the  hand — all  that  is 
needed  is  putting  them  into  a  cage,  hanging  in  the  shelter,  till 
dry,  when  the  cage  door  can  be  left  open  for  the  bird  to  depart  at 
will.  Appropos  of  this — some  years  ago  the  late  (.  a  ir.  ' 
Kennedy  and  I  spent  a  few  days  with  Mr.  H.  Willford.  In  on; 
of  his  aviaries  were  about  a  score  of  C .  cyanca  disporting  them- 
iv.l.ves  amid  a  tangle  of  bush  and  herbage,  all  males 
if  I  remember  aright,  and  what  a  sight  they  were; 
the  vv'eather  was  hot  and  fine,  but  while  we  were  looking 
on  a  sudden  and  very  heavy  summer  storm  caused  us  to  seek 
cover  in  a  near-by  shelter — soon  the  storm  passed,  and  the  sun 


6o  My  Yellow-winged  Sugarbirds. 

shone  again,  and  we  began  looking  about  again;  half  the  Sugar 
l)irds  seemed  to  have  disappeared,  but  a  search  revealed  them 
lielpless  in  tne  grass;  of  course  the  hot  sun  soon  put  them  right, 
and  they  were  quickly  on  the  wing  again;  but.  had  the  rain 
continued,  many  of  them  would  have  died  unless  help  had  come 
to  their  aid;  such  is  the  beginning  of  many  cases  of  summer 
pneumonia. 

Last  year  another  pair  adorned  my  aviary,  and,  of  course, 
the  tropical  weather  just  suited  them,  and  they  were  delightful — 
they  were  a  devoted  couple,  quite  "  Darby  and  Joan  "  style — 
they  never  ailed  the  whole  season.  How  one  could  rhapsodise 
of  their  exquisite  beauty  and  deportment,  but  I  am  holding 
myself  in  with  a  tight  rein  !  But  I  will  allow  myself  a  few  terse 
phrases.  Now  sitting  at  leisure  on  a  spray  of  cupressus, 
holding  sweet  converse,  indulging  in  little  loving  ""  embraces," 
and  quietly  preening  each  other's  plumage;  then  on  the  wing, 
fluttering  like  butterflies,  in  the  midst  of  a  cloud  of  midges,  when 
snapping  beaks  showed  what  havoc  they  were  working.  How 
brilliant  were  the  flashes  of  colour  one  got  every  now  and  again. 
Then  a  short  period  of  rest,  and  anon  they  w^ere  creeping. 
creeper-like,  round  and  round,  up  and  down,  searching  the  bark 
of  the  standards  supporting  the  roof  of  aviary  flight,  and  they 
did  not  search  in  vain ;  but  enough  :  I  have  prosed  on  to  an 
unseemly  length,  and  must  perforce  close  with  a  few  remarks  as 
to  their  diet. 

Diet  :  For  birds  in  a  cage  as  in  the  aviary,  the  main 
dietary  is  syrup-sop — milk,  honey,  a  little  unseasoned  meat 
extract  and  half-inch  cubes  of  sponge  cake — and  fruit.  I  also 
supply  insectile  mixture,  of  which  they  take  a  little,  mealworms 
very  sparingly,  but  any  small  spiders,  flies,  and  any  otUer  insects 
one  can  capture  can  be  given  freely.  In  the  aviary  they,  of 
course,  have  access  to  all  the  above  foods,  but,  as  far  as  mv 
observation  goes,  they  only  take  the  syrup-sop  and  fruit, 
capturing  all  the  insect  food  they  require  for  themselves. 

Who  will  be  the  first  to  breed  this  charming  species  ? 
Mr.  E.  J.  Brook  has,  I  think,  up  to  the  present,  come  the  nearest 
to  success,  but  no  young  birds  were  reared. 


Notes  on  a  Few  I'Vell-htown  Species.  6i 

Notes  on  a  Few  Well-hnown  Species. 

By  Edward  J.  Boosev. 

First  of  all  I  feel  I  owe  an  apology  to  the  readers  of  this 
article,  who  will  think  to  themselves — as  I  am  sure  a  great  many 
will — "  What  on  earth  does  this  fellow  want  to  write  an  article 
about  such  very  common  birds  for?" 

I  agree  entirely,  but  I  hold  a  certain  official  of  the 
Foreign  Bird  Club  responsible  for  the  outrage  in  suggesting 
that  I  should  do  so. 

At  the  same  time  T  feel  tliat  in  the  long  run  it  may  do 
good  in  making  other  members,  who  possess  really  valuable 
and  much  more  interesting  birds  than  mine  tnink.  "  Well  if  he 
writes  an  article,  having  only  kept  such  ordinary  birds,  why 
shouldn't  /?" — Resuic,  perhaps,  more  "  copy:" 

It  is  only  during  the  last  eighteen  months  that  I  have 
been  able  to  take  up  foreign  bird  keeping  at  all  seriouslv. 
Before  that  I  was  undergoing  that  rather  misnamed  process 
"  Education,"  at  a  private  school,  at  a  public  school,  and  finalK' 
abroad.  -Louring  all  that  time  I  kept  birds  off  and  on,  but  only 
the  more  common  kinds,  because,  as  I  was  away  for  eight  or 
n'ne  months  of  the  year,  it  seemed  useless  to  buy  anything  at  all 
expensive. 

My  first  birds  were  kept  in  a  crystal  palace  aviary  in  the 
nursery  when  I  was  eight  years  old. 

They  consisted  of  a  varied  selection  of  Waxbills,  Avada- 
vats  generally  predominating,  and  a  pair  of  Pekin  Robins. 
They  always  seemed  to  be  in  excellent  health,  which,  although 
they  led  such  a  dull  existence,  usually  seems  to  be  the  case  with 
Waxbills  kept  in  a  cage  indoors. 

Later  on  I  worried  my  father  so  persistently  for  an 
outdoor  aviary,  that  in  the  end  he  built  me  one,  mainly,  T  think, 
in  self-defence ! 

My  idea  of  an  aviary  in  those  days  was  a  small  brick  house, 
heated  by  hot  water  pipes.  The  hot  pipes  seemed  to  me  then 
all-important  for  birds  which  lived  in  a  hotter  climate  than  our 
own.  Accordingly,  a  small  brick  house  was  erected  joining 
a  peach-house,  and  the  hot  pipes  were  brought  through  the 
v/all  into  my  aviary.  In  this  I  kept  Waxbills,  various  Manni- 
kins,  Java  Sparrows,  Pekin  Robins,  Paradise  Whydahs,  Melba 
Finches,  Cutthroats,  Zebra  Finches,  and  Red-headed  Finches, 


6:2  Notts  on  a  Few  W ell-known  Species. 

and.  once  in  a  moment  of  almost  reckless  daring,  1  bougin    i 
pair  of  Red-faced  Lovebirds,  whicli,  however,  did  not  live  lonj^. 

1  very  soon  t;ot  rid  of  the  i\ed-lie;ui. .,  iiiicnes  (Amadina 
crythrocephala)  because  they  bullied  everything  within  reacn 
never  giving  any  other  bird  a  moment's  peace. 

The  Cutthroats  {Aniadiua  fasciata)  bullied  the  other  birds 
somewhat,  and,  when  they  got  tired  of  doing  that,  they  btiilt  a 
slovenly  nest  and  hatched  several  young  ones,  which  were 
mostly  thrown  out  of  the  nest  by  their  villainous  parents, when 
about  three  days  old. 

A  pair  of  Avadavats  (Sporaegintlius  amandava)  success- 
ftilly  reared  their  yotmg  ones  in  a  nest  in  a  German  canary 
cage,  till  they  were  a  week  or  ten  days  old.  when  they  shared 
the  same  fate  as  the  yotmg  Ctitthroats — I  know  now  that  1 
ought  to  have  given  them  more  live  food. 

The  hen  Alelba  h'inch  (I'yfdia  iiiclha)  always  seemed  to 
me  a  delicate  bird,  though  cocks  lived  for  years,  i  ney  remindea 
me,  I  remember,  very  much  of  Black-cheeked  \\  axbuis  in  their 
habits  and  disposition,  always  sktilking  in  low  bushes,  and 
seeming  to  like  to  remain  near  the  ground. 

Zebra  Finches  {Taoiiopygin  castauotis)  were  the  first 
birds  to  rear  young  successfully  in  my  aviary,  and  1  shall  never 
forget  my  immense  feeling"  of  satisfaction  when  I  first  saw  the 
young  ones  flying  about — T  felt  that  it  really  was  rather  an 
achievement — I  am  glad  I  did  not  know  then  ihat  tne  difficult}- 
is  rather  to  prevent  Zebra  Finches  breeding,  than  to  induce 
them  to  do  so!  Zebra  Finches  and  (iuinea  Pigs  have  this  in 
common,  that,  where  two  or  three  are  gathered  together,  there, 
with  as  little  delay  as  possible,  will  appear  two  or  three  more. 

I  have  got  at  the  present  time  five  pairs  of  Zebras,  which 
I  shall  put  up  for  breeding  about  the  beginning  of  .\pril,  an  1 
which  I  generally  depend  upon  to  pay  for  the  rest  of  my  birds" 
r>|)keep  for  the  season. 

Usually  the  cocks  are  separated  from  the  hens  about 
C^ctober,  because  I  have  found  that  winter-breeding  is,  on  thr 
whole,  unsatisfactory,  as  one  loses  several  hens  from  egg- 
binding  for  every  nest  of  young  successfully  reared. 

Tlie  cocks  which  are  in  the  aviary  at  the  present  moment 
spend  most  of  their  time  in  strutting  about  and  singing  their 
absurd  song  for  the  edification  of  the  hens,  which  are  in  a  large 
cage  out  of  sight,  but  within  hearing  distance. 


Notes  on  a  Fezi.'  ll'cll-knozoi  Species.  63 

Last  vear  1  boug'ht  some  Red-billed  {(Juelea  qiielea), 
Taha  [Pxroiiiehuia  iaha),  and  (irenadier  Weavers  {P.  oryx), 
which  I  turned  into  an  empty  aviary. 

The  Tahas  were  iminterestin^-  birds  and  never  attempted 
to  breed;  the  Red-bills  did  a  g-ood  deal  of  unmethodical  l)uilding-, 
that  is  to  say  they  tied  bits  of  hay  and  fibre  round  whatever 
branch  they  happened  to  l^e  nearest  to  at  the  moment,  and  then 
promi)tlv  fori^ot  about  it.  But  the  cock  (.Irenadier  was  a  most 
interesting^-  bird;  he  built  a  nest,  with  much  cl:attering-  and  win.n- 
tlap]')in,!.;-.  very  much  the  shape  of  a  ve.^etable  marrow,  with  a 
projectiui;-  porch,  completely  concealiui^-  the  entrance-hole, 
which  was  at  the  side,  towards  the  upper  end.  The  nest  was 
quite  thin  at  the  bottom,  and  one  could  see  the  eggs  through  it: 
the  top  was  thickly  matted,  and,  I  should  think,  almost 
waterproof. 

The  hen  laid  two  eggs  and  sat  for  a  week,  when  the 
cock  decided  that  the  nest  wanted  a  new  bottom;  and  when  his 
wife's  back  was  turned  for  a  minute,  he  quickly  w'renched  off 
the  bottom,  dropped  both  eggs  to  the  ground  and  repaired  the 
nest. 

The  hen,  however,  refused  to  consider  laying  again,  and 
T  can't  say  I  blame  her! 

The  only  attraction  of  Cockateels  (Calopsittacus  novac- 
hoJJandiae)  seems,  to  me,  to  be  the  ease  witii  which  they  can  be 
bred,  otherwise  I  have  always  found  them  hysterical,  uncon- 
trolled birds.  I  have  often  seen  a  perfectly  peaceful  aviary  of 
birds  rendered  panic-stricken  by  one  foolish  cockateel.  It  will 
suddenly  dash  wildly  from  end  to  end  of  the  aviary,  crest  erect, 
screaming  loudly,  and  all  for  no  apparent  reason.  Of  course, 
by  the  time  it  has  finished,  the  aviary  is  full  of  panting  birds, 
all  completely  unnerved. 

Some  time  ago  I  saw^  a  miserable,  shivering,  unclothed 
bird  in  a  dealers',  which  on  close  inspection  proved  to  be  a 
naked  Pennant  Parrakeet  (Platyccrcus  clcgans).  I  bought  it 
for  30s.  to  see  if  proper  treatment,  fresh  air.  Parish's  chemical 
food  and  magnesia  would  succeed  in  clothing  the  wretched  thing 
a  bit  better.  That  w^as  last  July;  by  ( )ctober  it  was  in  perfect 
feather,  and  had  a  half-grown  tail,  and  I  thought  myself  luckv 
to  have  got  a  hen  Pennant  for  30s.  The  only  thing  about  it 
was,  it  always  seemed  rather  an  odd  bird ;  its  movements  were 


6.4  Nuics  ON  a  Fezc  U'ell-kiiotvii  Species. 

jerky,  and  it  insisted  upon  sleeping,  hanging  from  the  roof  of 
its  cage.  However,  as  it  seemed  otherwise  quite  fit,  I  bought 
\  good  cock  for  it,  and  turned  them  both  into  a  karge  unuse  1 
;hicken-house,  witli  an  outside  run,  about  kist  October.  Tlie 
cock  refused  to  show  the  hen  the  respect  due  to  her  as  his  wife, 
and  treated  her  as  a  ratlier  tiresome  lunatic-at-Large ! 

There  they  lived  until  tlie  end  of  January,  when  the  hen 
died  suddenly  of  a  fit  (that,  I  think,  explains  the  30s.).  Rut 
I  should  be  interested  to  know  the  explanation  of  this  :  One 
morning  in  November  I  found  the  iien  minus  her  tail;  every 
feather  was  bitten  off  to  tiie  root  and  lying  on  the  ground,  and, 
from  that  day  till  the  day  she  died,  although  the  rest  of  her  body 
was  perfectly  feathered,  she  never  let  a  single  tail  feather  grow. 

I  am  now  on  the  look  out  for  a  good  hen,  as  the  cock 
is  an  extremely  line  bird  and  will  feed  out  of  my  hand,  and  T 
intend  to  try  breeding  them. 

I  have  also  got  a  pair  of  Redrumps  (Fscphoius  haema- 
toiiotus),  which  are  incubating  and  due  to  natch  ofT  in  about  a 
week's  time.       The  cock  is  bntish  bred,  the  hen  imported. 

The  cock  was  very  ill  in  Ts^ovember  with,  I  think,  enteritis, 
anyway  I  didn't  think  he  would  live;  however,  he  was  cured  by 
glycerine  mixed  with  a  very  little  salicylic  acid,  and,  by  being- 
kept  in  a  warm  room,  he  is  now  in  great  form  and  takes  his 
wife  down  to  have  a  bath  immediately  she  leaves  the  nest,  but 
as  far  as  I  can  see  he  never  does  any  sitting  himself.  In  the 
same  aviary  are  a  small  flock  of  Budgerigars  (McJopsittacus 
uiidulatus),  which  have  begun  breeding,  but  which  are  shortly 
going  into  an  aA'iary  by  themselves. 

Also,  in  a  large  cage  a  pair  of  Diamond  Sparrows 
{Sti\i^anoplcHra  i^nttiata):  and  indoors  a  hen  Senegal  Parrot 
[Pococcpholus  sc)ic gains),  which  is  extraordinarily  tame  and  a 
reallv  excellent  talker.  She  is  >->ntirely  devoid  of  fear,  as  I  got 
her  about  six  years  ago  as  a  nestling,  and  had  to  be  fed  on 
boiled  maize.  I  will  not  go  into  further  details  about  her, 
because  I  always  think  a  minute  account  of  someone  else's  pet 
])arrot  is  so  boring  for  other  people! 

That,  I  think,  completes  my  list  at  present.  I  try  to  keep 
as  much  to  hardy  Australian  birds  as  possible,  because  if,  as  I 
do,  one  has  to  go  to  London  every  day,  one  really  only  sees 
much  of  them  on  Saturdays  and  Sundays,  and  it  is  nardly  wortu 
while  keeping  delicate  soft  food  eaters. 


Corrcspoiidciicc.  65 

Correspondence. 

SULA  ISLAND  KING  PARRAKEET. 

5iR, — I  have  really  not  had  enough  opportunity  of  obscrv-ng  my  Sula 
Island  King  (Aprosjiiictiis  stilaciisis)  to  send  a  good  note  on  her.  since  she 
has  always  had   to   be   kept   at    Binstead.    I.    of   W. 

I  do  not   think  anything  is  known  of  the  species  ni  a  wild  state. 

M\-  bird  (  ',  )  is  about  one-third  smaller  than  the  eommon  Knig 
(.1.  cyuiiof^y^^iits)  :  head,  neck,  and  breast  dark  reci  ;  shoulders  and  wings 
green;  rump,  flights,  tail,  antl  jjart  of  the  nape  l)lue.  liill  blackish,  and 
proportionately  larger  than  that  of  the  common  King.  bnape  more  like 
that  of  a  ryrrliiilopsis  than  an  A prosiiiictiis.  The  bird  seems  quite  hard\- 
and  has  spent  the  last  two  winters  out  of  doors.  Last  summer  she  laid 
two  eggs  and  incubated  them,  but  they  proved  infertile.  Her  mate  is  a 
Red  Shining  Parrakect  with  whom  she  is  on  very  friendly  terms. 

Havant,   Eebruary   16,   1922.  (The  Marquis  of)  TAVISTOCK. 

;'.REEDL\(,  Till-:  PASSliRINE  PARROTLET  AT  LIBERTY. 

Sir, — I  have  succeeded  in  breeding  Passerine  Parrotlets  {Psittacula 
f>as.Keri)ia)  at  libcrt}-  this  year  for  the  first  time. 

it  would  be  r.ather  intei"esting  to  make  a  complete  record  of  all  the 
foreign  Ijirds  that  have  been  bred  in  this  country  at  liberty  and  full-winged — 
qi'ite  as  interestng,  I  think,  as  a  record  of  those  that  have  been  bred  in 
aviaries.  Each  form  of  aviculture  has  its  peculiar  advantages,  features  and 
difficulties. 

Havant,  October  21,   1921.  (The  Marquis  of)  TAVISTOCK. 

[We  much  regret  that  the  above,  slipped  between  other  papers,  has 
only  just  come  to  light.  Firstly  :  As  fully  a  detailed  account  as  possible 
of  this  episode  would  l)e  of  great  interest,  if  such  can  be  sent  in.  Secondly  : 
We  quite  agree  as  to  the  record,  but,  unfortunately,  at  the  present  time 
the  Editor  has  neither  the  health  nor  the  time  to  compile  such  a  record.  If 
any  member  can  undertake  same  we  shall  be  greatly  obliged,  and  only  too 
pleased  to  give  it  space  in  this  Journal,  which  we  certainly  desire  should 
represent  every  phase  of  aviculture — at  present  the  Editor  feels  he  must  devote 
what  energy  he  can  to  bring  Bird  Notes  out  at  its  proper  date. — En.] 

A  FEW  NOTES  OF  MY  PRESENT  BIRDS. 

Sir,— I  was  able  to  rejoin  the  F".B.C.  in  1921,  much  to  my  delight,  after 
Iiaving  had  to  give  up  bird-keeping  during  the  war,  with  the  sole  exce])tio'.i 
of  a   favourite  Grey  Parrot. 

In  September  1920  a  Brjizilian  friend  sent  me  a  Blue-fronted  .\mazon 
{Clirysotis  aestiva).  a  ]iair  of  Cactus  Conures  (Ccniurus  cacloruni),  ;ind  two 
Pope  Cardinals  [Paroaria  lan'ata).  I  had  to  keep  them  all  in  cages  during 
the  winter. 

Lhifortunately  one  of  the  conures  died  (cerebral  hemorrhage)  at  the 
end  of  about  three  months.  I  should  much  liKe  to  get  another,  to  mate 
with  the  one  I  have  left,  if  I  could  determine  its  sex.  I  should  then  put 
the  pair  into  a  good-sized  outdoor  aviary  in  May. 


66  Correspondence. 

As  lor  the  Amazon,  il  i.s  a  si)lciulid  spcciincii,  and  in  peTfccl  lu-allli,  l)Ut 
has  shown  no  signs  of  being  a  talker. 

I.ast  May  I  put  llic  Pope  Cardinals  into  a  sniaii  outdoor  avian — in 
lune  T  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  one  through  enteritis.  Luckily  I  w.is 
able  to  secure  another  from  Mr.  Rogers,  of  Liverpool,  and  there  seemed 
some  prospect  of  a  nest  being  built,  as  they  were  so  busy  carrying  various 
nesting  material  about,  but  nothing  happened.  They  have  survived  the 
winter,   and  are  very  ht,   so  one  has  hopes  for  this  season. 

I  was  now  most  anxious  to  make  an  attempt  at  breeding  some  .sj^ecies 
of  parrakeet  (my  special  fancyj  in  my  largest  aviary,  which  was  originally 
built  at  Cambridge,  then  taken  to  Bury,  Hunts.,  and  from  thence  here 
(Surrey).  I  wrote  to  the  Marquis  of  Tavistock  for  Stanley  I'arrakeets,  bu< 
none   were   for  sale  just  then. 

In  the  meantime  I  secured  a  pair  of  brotogcrys — one  the  All  (ireen, 
and  the  other  a  White-winged — charming  little  birds,  but  very  uninteresting 
in  an  aviary. 

Much  to  my  delight  in  June  I  heard  from  the  Marquis  of  Tavistock 
that  1  could  have  either  a  breeding  pair  of  Stanleys,  or  a  pair  of  young 
Barnards.  I  chose  the  Stanleys;  they  were  beautiful  birds,  and  all  went  we'i 
for  about  a  fortnight,  when,  to  my  horror,  one  mornuig  I  was  greeted  wit!; 
the  news  that  a  rat  had  eaten  the  cock  bird — my  feelings  were  too  acute  for 
words  !  It  was  the  first  rat  I  had  ever  had  in  an  aviary — it  was  afterwards 
trapped,  and  paid  the  penalty  of  its  crime,  which  was  some  small  consolation. 
However,  in  September  last  I  was  able  to  secure  another  cock  Stanley  from 
the  same  source,  a  young  one.  which  is  now  in  adult  plumage — the  pair  now 
have  an  outdoor  aviary,  with  shed,  covered  and  open  tiights.  to  themselves, 
and  I  await  results  !  Having  only  one  parrakeet  aviary  I  had  to  cage  the 
Brotogcrys,  which  seem  admirably  adapted  to  cage-life  and  quite  happv. 

Then,  I  wanted  something  to  keep  with  the  Pope  Cardinals  :  as  their 
aviary  was  too  large  to  be  sacrificed  to  one  pair  of  birds.  I  decided  upon  a 
pair  of  Indian  Mynahs — these  I  got  from  our  lulitor — they  were  magnificent 
specimens,  and  had  been  out  of  doors  through  the  winter  of  1920.  For  ;> 
month  or  two  all  went  well,  then  one  morning  a  corpse  lay  upon  the  ground — 
there  was  no  apparent  outward  cause  for  the  disaster — the  post  mortem  report 
was  cerebral  hemorrhage.  More  ill-luck  followed,  for  about  a  fortnight 
later  I  saw  the  other  Mynah  looking  very  "  puffed  up  " — the  next,  .alas!  b.e 
ceased  to  breathe — post  mortem  report  "  Congestion  of  the  lungs.  The 
awful  weather,  cold  rain  followed  by  a  frost,  was  too  much  for  it,  as  it  has 
been  for  many  birds  this  past  winter,  owing,  I  believe,  to  their  havin"-  become 
softened  "  by  the  preceding  tropical   summer. 

My  next  move  was  to  exchange  the  Brotogcrys  for  some  of  mv 
favourite  Green  Budgerigars.  These  are  now  living  in  perfect  harmony  with 
the  Cardinals,  and  I  propose,  as  soon  as  I  can  come  across  a  suitable  pair, 
adding  a  pair  of  Cockateels. 

Now  this  little  account  of  birds  is  brouglil  up-to-date.  For  it  the 
h'.ditor's  appeal  for  copy  is  responsible. 

Thames  Ditton,  March  9.  1922.  MARGARFT  RE.AD. 


C  orrcsf'oiiclcncc.  67 

LETTUCE  AS  GREENFOOD  FOR  BUDGERIGARS. 

SiK, — I  do  not  know  whether  it  will  interest  readers  of  "  B.N."  lo 
know  that  mv  Biuljjerigars  are  very  fond  of  French  lettuce,  whether  it  is 
ihev  have  seen  several  liritish  finches  1  have  eating  it,  and  have  taken  a 
Hking  to  it,  I  do  not  know,  but  they  certainly  do  eat,  and  appear  to  enjoy  it. 
It  seems  to  me  to  fill  a  want  in  their  diet  at  a  season  of  the  year  when 
their  natural  greenfood.   seeding  grass,   etc.,   is  not  procurable. 

A  noticeable  effect  on  my  Btidgerigars,  after  having  lettuce  for  a 
short  period,  is  that  they  seem  much  more  vigorous,  tighter  in  feather,  and 
arc  now  "  dancing  fit." 

Not  having  read  of  lettuce  being  given  to  Mclopslttaciis  undu.'atiis,  and 
having  given  same  from  an  experimental  point  of  view,  I  tnought  it  might 
interest  aviculturists  who  keep  these  popular  birds. 

Better  still,  1  should  like  the  opinion  of  other  members  on  lettuce 
as  a  food  for    Budgerigars. 

Perhaps  our  Editor's  opinion  will  be  more  valued  tnan  that  of  a  very 
raw  amateur. 

West    Hartlepool.    March    14.    igj2.  W..  R.    BEARBY. 

r  French  or  frame  lettuce  is  not  a  new  food  for  Budgerigars.  Both  a: 
the  press  and  practice  it  was  advocateu  and  used  in  jjre-war  times — but  il 
was  ccstiy  during  tne  war  and  fairly  so  since  the  armistice,  so  it  has  fallen 
in'o  disuse  a  little.  One  word  of  warning  concerning  it  we  would  repeat, 
viz  :  that  unless  the  leaves  are  very  young  the  central  fleshy  stem  should  be 
removed  from  each  leaf,  as  budgerigars  have  died  from  eating  same.  Also 
that  some  individuals  refuse  it.  Further,  the  Editor  has  been  giving  his 
budgerigars  seeding  and  flowering  grass  the  whole  of  this  year,  as  practicallv 
throughout  the  year  some  tufts  are  to  be  found  containing  a  few  seed  and 
flower  heads,  and,  if  dug  up  with  a  little  soil,  and  kept  in  a  room,  from  which 
frost  is  excluded,  for  twenty-four  hours  it  is  then  quite  safe  to  supply  to  th<: 
birds,  whatever  the  weather  may  be  outside. — Ed.] 

"  FRENCH    MOULT  "   WITH    BUDGERIGARS   AND    PARRAKEETS. 

Sir, — Mon.  Merel's  theory  in  regard  to  French  moult  not  being  due 
to  in-breeding ;  would  seem  to  be  supported  by  the  fact  that  it  often  occurs 
in  young  wild-caught  Hooded  Parrakeets,  and  more  rarely  in  the  case  of 
other   species. 

At  present  I  have  a  young  imported  Yellow-bellied  Parrakeet  who  is, 
I  fear,  going  to  develoj)  into  a  case  of  the  complaint.  He  arrived  with  full 
wings  and  tail,  but  has  now  moulted  all  his  primaries  and  long  tail-feathers, 
and  shows  no  sign  of  renewing  them,  while  he  has  also  ceased  producing 
new  body  feathers.       He  remains  bright  and  active  and  feeds  well. 

Strange  to  say,  unknown  among  wild  birds.  Red-rump  Parrakeets  have 
been  temporarily  almost  wiped  out  in  certain  districts  of  Australia  by  a  perfect 
epidemic   of   "  French   moult,"   an   observer  stating  that  he   found  the  birds 
running  about  the  ground  "  like  mice,"  perfectly  well,  but  unable  to  fly. 
Havant,   March   16,    19J2.  (The  Marques  of)  TAVISTOCK. 

Sir, — I  was  very  much  interested  in  your  article  on  Budgerigars  in  the 


68  Correspondence. 

last  issue  of  Bird  Notks  ;  especially  in  what  you  say  about  inbreeding.  I 
wonder  if  it  would  make  any  difference  u  the  birds  are  kept  in  a  large  wilder- 
ness aviary,  almost  as  if  they  were  at  liijerty.  I  believe  it  is  the  rule  with 
wild  birds  for  brothers  to  mate  with  sisters  :  and  this  must  have  gone  on  for 
many  generations ;  and  yet  the  wild  bird  does  not  seem  to  get  weaker  in 
constitution.  I  have  a  fairly  large  aviary  of  canaries,  out  of  doors.  I  put 
out  two  i)airs  in  it  in  191J:  now  there  are  about  lift\- ;  I  have  never  introduced 
any  fresh  blood,  and  yet  every  year  the  young  seem  as  healthy  as  ever. 
Now  they  build  nests  as  good  as  any  wild  linnet,  and  are  as  vigorous  and 
strong  as  any  wild  bird  about  the  garden.  There  is  not  the  least  deterioration 
even  though  many  of  them  are  crested.  In  cages  one  knows  that  inbreeding 
must  be  avoided,  especially  with  crested  birds,  but  it  does  not  apj)ear  to 
make  an)-  difference  in  a  large  aviary.  I  am  wonder'ng  if  Budgerigars  were 
kept  in  a  large  aviary  if  in-breeding  would  be  as  injurious  as  u  appears  to  l)e 
Sturminster  Newton.   March   16,   1922.  R.   E.   P.   GOKRlNGK. 

[My  opinion  is  (I  am  open  to  correction)  that  it  is  the  exception  and 
not  the  rule  for  brother  and  sister  to  mate  together  in  a  state  of  liberty  ;  their 
general  habits  almost  preclude  this. 

Most,  if  not  all,  the  Psittacidae  pair  for  life  in  their  wild  state,  but 
with  many  other  Families  this  is  not  the  case,  and  many  have  a  fresh  mate 
every  season. 

I  have  made  man\'  experiments  in  the  jjast  with  Budgerigars  and  some 
passerine  species,  and  have  found  that  never  of  their  ozvn  choice  zvill  brother 
dud  sister  mate;  and,  from  t!ie  basis  of  that  experience-  I  doubt  if  Mr. 
(iorringe's  canaries  so  mated. 

Put  two  pairs  of  the  same  species  into  an  aviary,  ring  the  progenx 
of  the  respective  pairs  with  different  coloured  rings,  and,  I  think 
(writing  from  the  results  of  my  own  experiments),  it  will  be  found  that  onl . 
under  compulsion  do  brother  and  sister  mate. 

Again  and  again  it  has  turned  out  that  when  a  single  pair  of  Zebra 
h'inches  (Taeniopygia  castonotis)  is  j^ut  into  an  av'ary.  all  their  progeny 
retained,  but  no  new  stock  introduced,  that  in  a  comp;iratively  few  years 
every  Zebra  Finch  will  have  died  out. 

My  experience  teaches  me  that  regulated  judicious  in-breeding  improves 
stock,  but  that,  unregulated  promiscous  in-breeding  has  the  reserve  effect. 
I  shall,  however,  welcome  the  exjjcrience  of  other  members. — W.  T.  P.vc.i:.  ; 

MY    BLACK-CAP    LORIES    (LORIUS  LORY). 

Sir, — As  I  see  you  put  a  note  in  November  I5ird  Notes  about  my 
Black-caps'  eggs,  I  may  say  she  sat  well  as  usual,  but  I  believe  the  egg  got 
chilled  owing  to  workmen  in  the  aviar\-  disturbing  the  hen ;  anyway,  the 
egg  failed  to  hatch  though  it  contained  a  perfectly  formed  chick.  Thus 
(iurii.  1921  this  p-'''r  of  birds  laid  foiu"  eggs,  two  of  which  got  broken,  one 
conta  ned  a  dead  ciiick  as  above,  and  one  hatched  out,  and  the  young  bir  1 
is  now  seven  months  old.  The  hen  is  now  very  busy  carrying  every  splinter 
of  w.  id  she  can  find  into  the  nest,  and  evidently  is  about  to  lav  again. 

Their  seven  months'  old  baby  is  a  lovely  strong  bird,  perfectly  feathered, 
btit  does  not  yet  possess  the  brilliant  red  plumage  of  his  parents.       He  can 


Editorial.  69 

talk,  and  allows  himself  to  be  handled  without  fear;  mimics  everything  fit 
licars,  and  certainly  promises  to  l)e  as  j^iftcd  a  bird  as  his  paren<:>;.  He  'S 
not  vet  full  {,'-rown  and  is  not  quite  so  bulky  as  his  i)areius.  He  is  not  only 
a  fjifted,  but  a  beautiful  and  interesting-  youn{;^ster. 

i'.ristol.  February  20.  19-.  (Mrs.)  MARCi.M^i'rr  r.LIR(  iF.SS.  F.Z.S. 

P.S.--1  should  like  to  add  that  I  <|uite  aj^rec  with  Mrs.  Koad's  letter 
about  visiting-  other  members'  aviaries.  f  am  only  too  pleased  to  sIkj^v 
mine  anv  time,  bv  appointment.  1  think  >uch  visits  and  ])irdly  talks  most 
interestins^-  to  all  bir<l-lover>. — M.li. 

Till'  \\A.\\VI.\(;  (AMPELIS  uAKhCLCS). 

SiK. —  In  re])ly  to  Capt.  Reeve's  question  re  Waxwintjs  :  I  kept  several 
fjefore  the  war,  and  had  hopes  of  breeding  them  ;  these,  however,  were  frus 
trated  by  some  interfering  Zebra  h'inchcs,  and  though  1  caught  them  up.  the 
VVaxwings  lost  interest  and  made  no  further  effort. 

They  are,  in  my  opinion,  delightful  aviary  birds,  always  sleek,  spick 
and  span,  harmless  to  the  smallest  Waxbill,  absolutely  indifferent  to  weather 
vicissitudes,  and  very  handsome.  They  are  confiding  birds,  and  verv 
affectionate  to  each  other;  they  keep  up  a  continual  soft  trilling  twitter  not 
loud  enough  to  become  annoying. 

Their  only  faults  are  greediness  and  a  disposition  to  lcthar,Lr\',  w'-"' 
lead  to  over-fatness  and  ultimately  to  fits,  but  if  care  be  taken  of  them  and 
they  are  not  allowed  too  many  mealworms,  they  live  well  in  a  fair-sized 
garden  aviary.  My  birds  had  a  soft-bill  mixture  enriched  with  grocers' 
currants  soaked  and  cut  in  half,  two  or  three  inealworms,  and  in  the  summer, 
live  ants'  eggs,  of  which  they  were  very  fond. 

Mr.  St.  Quintin  very  nearly  succeeded  in  breeding  Waxwings,  and 
wrote  an  account  of  them  in  one  of  the  early  volumes  of  TIte  Avicnltiiral 
Magazine. 

Fyndhurst.    March   _'3rd,    iq2J.  (Miss)   E.    F.    CHAWNER 

0 


Editorial. 

Nksting  Xotk.s  :     The  Alarqui.s  of  Tavistock  informs  us  . 

"  I  have  an  early  Ring-neck  Parrakeets'  nest  at  liberty.       The  hen  ,5 

■'  a  rather  poor-coloured  lutino.       The  cock  unfortunately  seems  to  have 

soine  skin  parasite  on  the  face,  as  he  has  bare  areas  which  he  rubs  a  good 

deal.        Probably  he  had  the  disease   when  he   came,   as   I   only  bought 

him   in    CJctober   as   a    freshly   imported   bird.        They   ina\   rear   healthv 

"  young,  but,  I  fear,  the  probability  is  against  it." 

The  Lady  Diinleath,  writing  on  March  8tn.  informs  ns 
tliat  the  three  young  canaries  hatched  out  of  doors  (vide  Feb- 
ruary Bird  Xotks,  page  26)  are  well  feathered  and  doing  well. 
A  later  note  (March  20)  states  that  all  three  young  birds  are  on 
^he  wing  and  flying  strongly. 


~o  Lditurial. 

Raki-;  Birds:  Mrs.  Burgess  iiit\>nns  us  tliai  ^lie  h,i  ■ 
latfl}'  acduired  a  true  pair  of  I'urple-breasted  Lories  (Lorii. 
liypDcnocliroiis),  which  she  beliexes  to  l)e  new  to  a\iculture.  and 
we  think  that  such  is  the  case.  She  lias  also  received  one  (or 
more)  ^'ellow-streaked  Lory  {(.'lialcof'sittdctis  sciniillaii:::). 
which  she  also  thinks  is  new  to  aviculture,  but  this  is  not  so,  as 
the  London  Zoo  and  private  aviculturists  possessed  this  specie^ 
in  pre-war  times,  and  it  has  appeared  on  the  show-bench  on 
several  occasions,  but  it  has  never  been  numerous  on  the 
market.  It  is  a  beautiful  species,  and  a  monochrome  figure  of 
it  api)eared  in  Bird  Notes  1909,  page  271,  in  connection  witli 
notes  on  the  L.C.B.A.  Show,  when  this  species  made  its  secon  1 
bow  to  the  public. 

Zoo  Notes  :  The  additions  during  Jainiary  numbered 
S2,  of  which  we  note  the  following  species  : 

2  Australian   Flowerpeckers   {Dicaeum   liirundciiacaeiim). 

1  Magnificent  Bird  of  Paradise  (Dipliyllodcs  hunstcni). 
12  Lilac-crowned  Fruit-Pigeons  {Ftilopits  coromilatus). 

2  Orange-bellied  Fruit-Pigeons  {P.  iozonus). 

3  Magnificent   Fruit-Pigeons   {Megaloprepla   ))Higiiipc<i}. 

2  Nutmeg  Fruit-Pigeons  {Myristicivora  bicolor) 
16  Bar-shouldered  Doves  (Geopelia  liumeralis). 

II  Australian  Green-winged  Doves  (Chaleophaps  chrysochlora). 
I   Nicobar  Pigeon  {Caloenas  mcobarica). 
*ii   Plumbeous  Quails  {Synaeciis  plumbeus). 
I  Australian  Rail   (Hypotaenidia  brachypiis). 

*  Nezv  to  the  Collection. 

All  the  above  are  on  deposit.  Of  the  permanent  additions 
we  note  but  two  species  : 

T   i)air  Ross's  Snow  Geese  (Llien  rossi). 

1  Farl's   Weka   Rail   {Ocydro)Jius   carii). 

The  additions  during  February  numbered  93.  These 
include  y;^  Indian  species  placed  on  deposit,  consisting  of: 

3  Dial  Birds  (Copsyclius  saularis). 

37  Dwarf  Turtle   Doves   (Onopclia   Inuiiilis). 
II   Tigrine  Turtle  Doves  {Spilopclia  tigriua). 

2  Collared  Turtle  Doves  (Turtur  farrago). 

16  Indian    Palm    Doves   (Stcgiiiatopclia   cavibaycnsis). 

4  Demoiselle   Cranes   {.iiitliropoidcs  rirgo). 

Among  the  purchases  and  gifts  are  the  following  inter- 
esting species,  but  nothing  new  to  the  coUcci'wn  : 
2  Lavard's    Bulbuls    (Pycnonotiis    layardi). 
I  Yellow  Hangnest  {Cassicus  pcrsicus). 


cq 


O 


M 


:aii  :aigbts  taes^rvcd. 


T^prll.   1922. 


BIRD  NOTES: 

—  THE  — 
JOURNAL     OF     THE     FOREIGN     BIRD     CLUB. 


"j"«". 


•J'^^^J^m'J'^J'm'. 


■-■-^^".■-■^-■-■-■-■-■-■J"- 


Tragopans. 

By  W.  Shore  Baily 


M 


A'(7(/V, 


<  )f  mese  haufl- 
some  birds  there 
appear  to  be  five 
species,  three  of 
which  inhabit  In- 
dia, and  the  others 
China. 

The  most  free'y 
imported  and  at 
the  same  time  the 
most  beautiful  is 
the  Crimson  Tra- 
i^opan  {I'ragopan 
satyra).  The  male 
is  a  magnificent 
creature ;  its  gen- 
eral body  colour 
being  crimson, 
covered  with  large 
white  spots.  In 
the  1d  r  e  e  d  i  n  g 
season       it        lias 


photo  ir.  Slioi 
Young-  C;il:>ot's  Tragopan. 
(( )ne  moiitlT  old). 

an  extraordinary  display,  developing  at  this  time  a  pair  of 
greenish-blue  horns  about  two  inches  long,  and  a  brilliant  blue 
gular  flap,  about  the  size  of  the  palm  of  a  man's  hand.  The 
first  time  I  saw  this  display  the  bird  was  in  a  thick  hedge,  and 
a)l  I  could  see  at  first  was  a  blue  patch,  which  shone  like  an 


jj  Troi^opaus. 

electric  lanii).  I  lia\e  many  times  since  seen  me  bird  displayini;" 
in  the  oi)en.  and  a  truly  wonderful  sight  it  is.  The  display  is 
often  accompanied  by  the  bird's  crow  or  call,  a  very  loud  and 
harsh  note,  and  entirely  unlike  that  of  any  of  uie  other  pheasants. 

Unforttmately  I  have  never  been  able  to  g"et  a  photo  of 
the  Satyra's  frontal  display,  although  I  am  able  to  send  one  of 
it  when  showing  off  sideways  as  it  were  without  the  inflation  cA 
the  gular  flap  and  horns. 

These  birds  are  very  hardy  and  make  capital  aviary  birds, 
but  they  require  good-sized  aviaries,  so  it  is  not  every  avicultur- 
ist  who  can  keep  them.  ihe  hen  lays  four  or  five  buff  eg'gs 
about  the  size  of  a  pullet's.  These  are  sometimes  marked  with 
a  zone  of  salmon-coloured  spots  at  the  larger  end.  The  chicks 
are  pretty  little  things  and  are  born  with  their  flight  feathers 
fully  developed,  so  they  can  more  or  less  fly  a  day  or  so  after 
leaving  the  egg.  I  have  not  found  them  very  difficult  to  rear, 
provided  a  good  supply  of  insect  food  can  be  supplied.  They 
grow  fairly  rapidly,  although  not  nearly  so  fast  as  young 
Crossoptilons,  whose  growth  is  simply  phenomenal,  but  the 
young  males  do  not  attain  their  full  plumage  their  first  season, 
as  is  the  case  with  most  of  the  other  pheasants. 

Another  very  handsome  Tragopan  is  Cabot's  (Tragopan 
caboti).  This  bird  comes  from  S.E.  China,  and  is  not  so  freely 
imported  as  T.  satyra.  It  is  buff  instead  of  crimson,  the  spots 
also  being  buff.  The  hens  and  immature  birds  are  very  like 
those  of  T.  satyra,  and  might  easily  be  mistaken  for  them. 
The  eggs,  three  or  four  in  number,  are  smaller  than  the  Crimson 
Tragopan's,  and  are  buff,  lightly  speckled  with  pink. 

Writing"  of  the  Crimson  Tragopan,  Mr.  Mume  gives  the 
following  excellent  account :    - 

'■  In  the  sutnmcr  tliey  arc  to  be  fouiul  at  elevation  of  from  8,000  to 
"  10,000  feet,  always  in  thick  cover,  by  preference  in  patches  of  the  slender 
"  reed-like  ringal  bamboo  in  the  neighbourhood  of  water.  Although  alwavs 
"  on  hills  near  to,  or  bordering  on  the  snow,  they  are  never  seen  amongst 
"  it  {except  i^erhaps  in  winter),  and  seem  to  shun  it  as  much  as  the  Blood 
"  Pheasant  delights  in  it.  lC\en  the  Moinial  will  be  seen  high  above  the 
"  forest,  well  U])  on  grassy  slopes  fringed  with  and  dotted  about  with 
"  patches  of  snow.  But  the  Tragopan  is  essentially  a  forest  bird,  rarclv. 
"  if  ever,  wandering  up  towards  the  snow,  or  into  the  open,  and,  although 
"  frequenting  perhaps  rather  their  outskirts  than  their  deeper  recesses, 


Bird  Notes. 


Photo  by  \V .  Shore   Baily. 
Crimson  Tragopaii.  ( c?  ). 


o 
o 

M 

OB 


Shama,  the  Hcsf  S(>)ig-hir(l .  73 

hardly   ever   voluntarily  quits  the   shelter   of   tlie   woods  rmd   their   dense 
undergfrowth." 

'■  I'^xccpt  by  ehance,  when  you  may  come  U]ion  a  male  sunniiii;' 
himself  or  preening  his  feathers  on  some  projecting;'  rock  or  hare  trunk 
of  a  f.allen  tree,  these  birds  are  never  to  he  seen,  unless  hy  :\Ui  of  three 
or  four  good  dogs,  who  will  speedily  rouse  them  up,  or  of  a  trained 
shikari,  who  will  call  them  out  by  cleverly  imitating  their  loud  l)leating 
cry.  If  you  ever  catch  a  glimpse  of  them  it  is  but  for  a  second ;  they 
drop  like  stones  from  their  perch,  and  dart  away  with  incredible  swiftness, 
.alwavs  running,  never,  so  far  as  I  have  seen,  rising  unless  you  accidental'v 
almost  walk  on  to  them,  or  h.ive  dogs  with  xou.  To  judge  from  those 
I  have  examined,  they  feed  much  on  insects,  young  green  shoots  ■  f 
bamboos,  and  on  some  onion-like  bulbs,  but  Mr.  Hodgson  notes  that 
those  he  examined  had  fed  on  wild  fruits,  rhododendron  seeds,  and  <v 
some  cases  entirely  on  aromatic  leaves,  bastard  cinnamon,  daphne,  etc. 

"  At  the  end  of  April,  and  very  likely  earlier,  the  males  are  heard 
continually  calling.  When  one  is  heard  calling  in  any  moderate-siz-^d 
patch  of  Jungle,  you  make  for  the  nearest  adjoining  cover,  and  work 
your  way  sufificiently  near  to  the  outside  to  get  a  view  of  the  intervening- 
space.  Then  you  squat,  and  your  man  begins  calling.  Very  soon  h.e 
is  answered,  too  often  by  some  wretch  of  a  bird  behind  you,  who*^)ersisvs 
in  ferreting  you  out,  gets  scent  of  you.  and  goes  ofif  with  a  series  of 
alarm  notes  that  frightens  every  other  bird  within  a  mile.  But  if  you 
are  in  luck  and  all  goes  well,  the  right  bird  and  the  right  bird  only  answers, 
and  answers  nearer  and  nearer,  till  just  as  your  dusky  comrade,  forgetting 
in  his  excitement  his  wonted  respect,  pinches  your  leg,  you  see  a  head 
emerge  for  a  second  from  the  liases  of  the  ringal  stems  opposite  ;  again 
and  again  the  head  comes  out  with  more  and  more  of  the  neck  turned 
rapidly  right  and  left,  and  then  out  darts  the  would-be  combatant  tow^ards 
you  ;  the  gun  goes  off,  everything  is  hidden  for  a  moment  in  the  smoke, 
hanging  on  the  damp  morning  air,  and  then — well  there  is  no  trace  ot 
the  Tragopan.  I  protest  that  this  is  an  exact  account  of  the  onlv  good 
chance  I  ever  had  at  one  of  these  birds  on  the  calling  lay."" 


Shama.  the  Best  Song-bird. 

By  J.  W.  Porter. 

Nothing"  influences  me  so  much  in  nature  as  her  music, 
the  singing  of  her  birds.  The  Nightingale  has  through  the 
ages  been  lauded  both  in  prose  and  poem,  and  rightly  so,  for 
in  a  state  of  freedom  the  music  of  this  glorious  bird  stands  out 
much  as  does  the  first  violin  in  an  orchestra  or  the  soloist 
in  some  choir  of  human  voices.       People  may  claim  that  this 


74  SluiDia.  the  Rest  Song-bird. 

distinction  is  gained  mainly  l)y  reason  of  its  song  being  poured 
out  in  the  stillness  of  the  night  when  all  other  bird  music  is 
hushed,  and  they  claim  that  if  the  Skylark  and  Blackcap  pos- 
sessed this  habit  they  too  would  be  similarly  praised.  To  these 
people  I  would  say,  go  and  listen  to  the  Persian  Nightingale. 
This  bird  sings  a  great  deal  more  than  our  Western  bird  bv 
day  and  possesses  a  much  more  powerful  song  if  slightly  less 
sweet  voice;  but  the  song  is  almost  identical.  To  hear  this 
bird's  beatitiful  notes  ringing  clear  and  resonant  above  all  the 
other  sounds  of  wild  life  impresses  one  to  such  an  extent  that 
he  is  not  likely  to  listen  to,  and  much  less  to  be  influenced  by 
the  claims  made  for  other  bird  music  with  which  he  is  familiar. 
A  far  more  simple  test  is  to  keep  a  Nightingale,  Skylark  and 
Blackcap  and  judge  from  the  exhibition  in  one's  own  bird-room ; 
here  again  the  Nightingale's  excellence  is  very  evident,  even 
though  no  captive  Western  Nightingale  ever  sings  in  captivity 
as  he  does  in  freedom.  He  is  a  bird  of  the  wild  and  not  of 
the  cage. 

It  is  hard  for  me  to  appreciate  when,  considering"  the 
number  of  people  who  keep  captive  birds,  the  large  sums  which 
pass  yearly  through  the  bird  dealers'  hands,  the  enormous  vari- 
ety of  birds  imported  from  ah  parts  of  the  earth,  and  of  the 
time  and  trouble  expended  by  their  keepers,  why  it  is  that  this 
greatest  possession  of  our  pets — a  gift  possessed  only  by  birds 
and  humans — is  so  little  considered.  The  working-man  fancier 
with  his  caged  Thrush,  Skylark  or  Linnet  is  the  true  bird-lover, 
for  he  keeps  a  bird,  as  did  the  people  of  the  East  centuries  before 
these  Western  countries  were  inhabited,  for  the  pleasure  it  gives 
him  of  listening  to  its  song,  and  not  for  its  grotesqueness  and 
garish  plumage.  We  see  in  the  canary  the  trend  of  this  habit. 
This  bird  was  originally  bred  for  song  and  kei)t  for  song  onlv, 
even  though  some  people  may  perhaps  have  been  attracted  by  its 
colour,  and  even  this  colour  did  not  satisfy,  as  wntness  the  pro- 
duction of  the  colour-fed  birds — a  pernicious  fancy  and  deterrent 
to  health.  Vanished  is  the  little  "  London  Fancy  canary,  i 
bird  who  could  sing,  and  in  his  place  we  have  unshapely  bodies 
for  show  purposes,  or  machine-rendered  songs  mechanical  and 
monotonous.  Even  to-day  we  have  a  group  of  people  talking 
of  a  canary  with  nightingale's  notes,  woodlark's  notes,  and 
blackcap's  notes,  yet  these  same  people  miglu  just  as  well  seek 


Sliaiiia,  the  /Scst  Sung-bird.  75 

for  the  "  Philosopher's  Stone."  If  they  only  considered  a 
little  more  deeply  and  scientilically  a  subject  on  which  in  other 
directions  they  will  si)end  hours  of  thougiit  and  labour  and 
money  too,  they  would  be  well  advised,  for  it  is  a  physical 
impossibility,  just  as  much  impossibility  in  fact  as  an  attempt 
to  imitate  the  notes  of  the  violin  with  a  tromljone  or  cornet. 
To  those  searching  for  the  perfect  songbird  in  captivity  success 
will  never  come  until  they  turn  their  attention  to  the  softbill 
I  am  one  of  the  seekers,  and  though  perfection  can  only  come 
with  years  of  training  and  selection  I  am  sure  tiiat  it  can  be  found 
in  the  Indian  Shama. 

If  a  search  were  made  throughout  the  world  to  find  hi 
embryo  a  wonderful  human  voice  which  would  by  training  reach 
the  nearest  point  to  perfection  the  searchers  would  naturally 
have  to  judge  entirely  by  the  range  of  the  imperfect  voice  and 
the  number  of  notes  it  could  compass  naturally  and  without 
effort.  'liiey  would  naturally  also  desire  that  the  temperament 
of  the  selected  should  be  a  suitable  one  to  undergo  tiie  training 
and  change  of  environment. 

A  comparison  between  tne  song  of  the  Nightingale  and 
the  Shama  always  seems  to  me  to  suggest  in  fact  that  of  a  trained 
and  untrained  human  voice.  I  have  often  listened  to  the  Shama 
singing  in  its  wild  state — a  kind  of  low  sweet  warble,  to  be  broken 
at  intervals  v\/ith  those  glorious  liquid  notes  found  ordy  in  the 
song  of  these  two  birds. 

Unfortunately  the  Shamas  brought  to  this  country  are 
seldom  good  song  specimens.  They  have  passed  through  tlie 
hands  of  the  dealers,  and  in  course  of  transit  have  learned  o 
imitate  the  notes  of  various  other  birds  with  which  they  have 
been  crowded.  For  instance  the  twittering  of  a  Budgerigar 
when  once  heard  by  a  Shama  is  never  forgotten  and  w-ill  always, 
sooner  or  later,  be  produced.  Nearly  every  Shama  which  has 
not  been  carefully  trained  and  isolated  has  acquired  notes  of  the 
various  Bulbuls,  and  these,  too,  when  once  learned  will  alwavs 
form  part  of  his  repertory. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  a  Shama  hand-reared  from 
the  nest  and  carefully  trained  to  sing  from  the  finger  more  or 
less  at  direction  is  always  a  very  expensive  bird.       The  price 


76  Suinc  Notes  of  My  Birds. 

required  in  India  for  a  really  tame  and  trained  singing  Shama 
will  often  be  more  than  we  pay  for  a  bird  from  a  dealer  in  this 
country. 

This  being  the  case,  would  it  not  be  possible  for  those 
l>ird  lovers  here  who  have  breeding  aviaries  to  concentrate  on 
producing  and  stabilising  this  bird  instead  of  giving  so  much 
thought  and  time  to  the  breeding  and  rearing  of  birds  like  the 
Budgerigar?  Surely  the  Shama  is  a  more  pleasing  production 
than  yellow  and  blue  budgerigars.  I  appreciate  the  great  diffi- 
culty of  obtaining  hen  Shamas;  but  if  a  number  of  people  were 
determined  to  obtain  these  birds  they  could  easily  enough  be  goi 
over.  It  has  always  appeared  to  me  that  there  must  be  a 
financial  reason  either  here  or  in  India  which  accounted  for  the 
scarcity  of  the  females.  It  is  not  a  rare  bird  in  India;  it  accli- 
matises very  quickly  and  is  healthy  and  easy  to  keep.  With  ;i 
number  of  young  hand-reared  Shamas  in  this  country  at  first 
hand  w-ith  people  willing  to  spend  time  and  patience  on  their 
education  the  whole  question  as  to  which  is  ciie  world's  greatest 
songbird  would  quickly  be  answered.  I  would  guarantee  that  :i 
nestling  Shama  kept  wholly  in  the  company  of  the  most  perfect 
singing  Nightingale  would  in  course  of  time  sing  that  very  same 
song,  not  for  a  few  brief  periods  of  the  year,  but  for  the  whole 
season.  What  would  add  greater  charm,  too.  perhaps  to  the 
song  when  rendered  in  our  homes  would  be  the  fact  that  it  would 
l3e  toned  down,  for  the  Shama  is  no  "  shrill  shouter  of  song." 
Tf  we  wished  it,  how  easily  too  we  might  add  to  such  a  song  say 
that  of  the  Blackcap,  the  Woodlark  or  the  Barred  Warbler. 


Some  Notes  of  My  Birds. 

By  Margaret  Burgess.  F.Z.S. 

UvAEAN      Parrakeets      (N ytjipliicus     iti'occnsis) :  In 

September  1921  I  see  I  was  asked  how  I  fed  my  Uvaean  Parra- 
keet.  It  was  not  a  newly  imported  specimen  when  it  came 
into  my  possession.  This  bird  has  never  ailed  with  me,  and. 
except  at  moulting  time,  is  always  a  picture  of  glossy  plumage 
and    perfect    health.       It  is  fed  on  all  kinds  of  seeds — canarv. 


Some  Notes  of  My  Birds.  yy 

hemp  (very  little),  millet,  and  parrot  seed  mixture — monkey 
nuts  it  simply  loves,  has  bread  and  milk  daily,  fruit — apple, 
grapes  are  greedily  eaten.  One  day  I  noticed  it  scratching 
among  the  litter  on  aviary  floor,  as  do  poultry,  and  I  closely 
watched  it  and  saw  it  fmd  mealworms,  which  had  crawled  in 
from  the  adjoining"  aviary.  It  now  eats  as  many  mealworms  as 
I  care  to  give  it,  and  watches  and  calls  at  once  on  seeing  the 
mealworm-box;  the  mealworm  is  sucked  completely  dry.  but 
the  skin  is  never  eaten.  I  believe  it  would  really  live  on  these 
insects  alone  if  I  would  allow  it — it  gets  and  eats  about  twenty 
daily.  Another  bird  which  has  a  weakness  for  mealworms  i> 
the  Rock  Pepler  Parrakeet  {Polytelis  meJanura),  of  whicii 
species  I  have  two  specimens,  but  only  one  of  them  takes  the 
mealworms  and  he  eats  them  greedily,  and  is  just  as  keen  for 
them  as  the  Uvaean.  Possibly  this  live-food  is  what  the  Uvaean 
needs  to  keep  it  in  health.  Have  any  of  our  members  us.^d 
them  before  for  this  species  ?       My  bird  bathes  freely. 

As  regards  mealworms;  all  my  Broadtails  like  them  an  1 
delight  in  hunting  among  the  ground  litter  for  them ;  one  of  my 
Hawk-headed  Parrots  also  is  fond  of  them;  but  this  bird  holds 
it  in  its  claws  the  same  as  a  nut  and  eats  the  whole  of  it.  I  find 
lots  of  Budgerigars  like  insectile  mixture,  and  I  give  them  a 
little  daily,  mixing  it  with  hot  water,  and  they  seem  to  enjoy  it 
especially  the  young  ones. 

Satix  Bower-kird  (I'tilonuyhyuchus  violaccns).  My 
specimen  is  becoming  very  interesting.  I  received  it  in  Decem- 
ber 1920  when  it  was  quite  a  young  bird  in  juvenile  plumage; 
some,  who  saw  it.  said  it  was  a  female.  Very  slowly,  the  last 
few  months,  it  has  been  changing  colour,  and  now  the  back  is 
becoming  glossy  black,  and  the  spots  on  the  breast  are  running 
LOgether;  the  eyes  are  blue  now  when  light  is  behind  them.  1 
once  read  it  took  .aree  years  for  a  young  male  to  i-each  adult 
plumage,  and  judging  from  my  bird  this  is  evidently  correct, 
and  I  shall  note  when  the  change  is  complete — my  bird  must  now 
be  approaching  three  }*ears  old.  He  is  a  most  beautiful  bird 
and  within  the  last  few  months  is  becoming  quite  tame; 
previously  it  would  not  even  come  to  the  ground  while  anyone 
was  watching.  It  is  perfectly  friendly  with  the  other  occupants 
of  the  aviary,  of  which  the  following  is  a  list : 
3  Glossy  Starlings  i   Spot-billed  Toucanette 


78  Some  Notes  of  My  Birds. 

I   Hill  Mynah  i   Canton  Alockini^-bird 

1  Cat  Bird  (Aiist.)  2   Harbets 

2  Hangnests  i    i'ileated  Jay 

Peace  did  not  always  reign  in  this  aviary;  it  used  tt 
contain  an  African  Pied  Starling,  so  1  sold  the  offender,  and 
peaceftil  harmony  now  reigns  supreme. 

Vasa  Parrot  {Coracopsis  fcisa),  and  Bare-eyed 
Cockatoo  (Cacatua  gyjiniopis).  We  are  having  great  fun 
just  now  watching  the  love  making  of  these  two  birds.  The 
Vasa  is  a  hen,  such  a  sweet  silly  old  thing;  1  have  been  told 
Vasas  are  dull  birds;  my  bird  is  certainly  not  so;  she  is  a  great 
talker,  keen  flyer,  never  still,  and  always  in  mischief.  She  is 
now  in  perfect  plumage,  very  glossy,  with  a  mealy  appearance 
over  her  feathers.  I  call  her  a  handsome  bird,  a  great  change 
and  contrast  in  colour  compared  with  the  l^'illiant  greens,  etc., 
of  the  other  parrots.  She  has  a  box,  which  she  delights  to  get 
the  Bare-eye  to  come  down  and  play  with  her  around  it ;  they 
have  a  rag  doll  which  is  greatly  loved,  also  the  Roseate  Cockatoo 
(Cacatua  roscicapiUa),  when  allowed,  delights  to  join  in  the  fun. 
The  Vasa  says  "  Come  on  Paul,  do!  come  on!"  Poor  Paul 
gets  no  peace  until  the  Vasa  gets  right  under  his  wings,  and 
Paul  (the  Bare-eye)  feeds  her.  Is  it  possible,  I  wonder,  for 
them  to  really  mate  ? 

Nesting  Notes:  I  believe  my  ived-collared  Lorikec'S 
(TricJioglossiis  nibritorqiies)  liave  eggs,  as  the  hen  ai)pears  to 
be  sitting. 

Blue  and  Blue-bred  Budgerigars  are  laying:  ditto  Zebra 
Finches  (Taenia pygia  castonotis). 

I  have  paired  Rosella  Parrakeets  (riatycerciis  exii)iiits). 
but  the  cock  bird  is  unfaithful  and  is  madly  in  love  with  a  hen 
Barnard's  (BanianfiKS  bar)iardi),  who  welcomes  his  advances; 
tliese  feed  each  other.  I  hardly  know  what  to  do,  as  the  Rosella 
\\u\  not  look  at  his  mate.  [You  nnist  either  let  them  follow 
their  own  sweet  will,  or  remove  the  hen  Barnard's  out  of  sight 
and  hearing  of  the  Rosella. — Ed.] 

^ly  Bell  Bird  (Manorhina  iiielaiiopiirys)  was  dancing  and 
displaying  this  morning  (March  27);  it  quit"  put  up  a  crest  and 


Diary  of  a  J'oyagc  from  Karachi  to  Marseilles.       79 

bowed,  then  sharply  turned  with  a  quick  strike  on  the  one  bell- 
note;  I  have  never  seen  this  done  before.  It  is  wonderful  how 
he  can  continue  the  sound  of  the  bell-notes,  many  times  in 
succession,  with  mouth  wide  open,  and  in  one  breath  the  sound 
proceeds  from  his  throat. 


Diary  of  a  Voyage  from  Karachi  to  Marseilles,  1920 

By  Hugh  Whistler,  F.Z.S. 

The  following-  rough  account  of  birds  noticed  during  the 
course  of  a  sea  voyage  from  India  does  not  lay  claim  to  any 
scientific  or  literary  pretensions.  It  has  always  been  my  custom 
while  at  sea  to  keep  a  note  of  all  birds  which  come  under 
observation,  and  it  occurs  to  me  that  possibly  some  of  our 
members,  whom  circumstances  do  not  allow  to  travel,  may  be 
interested  to  get  a  rough  idea  of  what  birds  can  be  seen  from  the 
deck  of  a  liner  passing  along  one  of  the  ordinary  sea  routes. 

Where  possible  I  have  indicated  the  position  of  the  ship 

at  noon,  and  the  number  of  miles  travelled  in  the  preceding  24 

hours. 

May  17TH.  Embarked  on  the  City  of  London  at  Kiamari 
(Karachi)  about  noon.  Hempriche's  Gull  {Larus 
hcmprichi)  in  full  breeding  plumage  was  very  common  in 
the  harbour.  A  few  Kites  (Milviis  govinda)  were  also 
round  the  ships. 

About  4  p.m.  a  stream  of  birds,  apparently  Phalacro- 
corax  javanicus,  in  V's  and  lines  was  passing  across  the 
harbour 

M.AY  i8th.  22°  GO  X  68°  45'  E.  206  miles.  No  birds  seen, 
though  land  was  occasionally  in  sight.  It  is  possible 
that  depth  of  water  rather  than  distance  from  land 
accounts  for  the  presence  or  absence  of  birds. 

May  [9TH.  Reached  Bombay  about  noon  and  lay  out  in  the 
harbour,  leaving  again  about  6  p.m.  The  most  common 
bird  seen  was  the  Kite  (Milvus  govinda).  Ihe  only 
Gulls  seen  were  a  single  bird  in  full  breeding  plumage, 
apparently  Larus  brunneicephalus,  and  a  party  of  about 


8o       Diary  of  a  Voyage  f)'o)ii  Karachi  to  Marseilles. 

a  dozen  seen  in  the  distance  which  were  a])parently  not  in 
full  plunia.s^e,  and  which  I  could  not  identify.  Two  or 
three  Swifts  {CypselHS  affinis)  passed  the  ship. 

May  20TI1.  i/°  54'  X  69°  10'  E.  218  miles.  A  single  Tropic 
l)ird,  probably  Phacthon  indicus,  was  flyinsj;'  for  some 
time  parallel  with  the  ship.  Once  it  stooped  but  unsuc- 
cessfully at  a  flying"  fish  exactly  after  the  manner  of  a 
Falcon,  and  later  on  it  fell  from  a  height  into  the  water 
with  a  splash  like  a  tern.       No  land  seen. 

M.^Y  JisT.  16°  52'  X  64°  11'  E.  292  miles.  Two  large 
1)rownish  looking  Shearwaters  passed  across  the  bows  of 
the  ship  !)efore  breakfast.  These  might  have  been  the 
Green-billed  Shearwater  {Fufjiims  chlororhynchus).  A 
single  Shearwater  was  seen  after  sunset. 

AIay  22ND.  15°  42'  N.  X  50"  07'  E.  300  miles.  A  large  white 
bird  seen  in  the  distance  early  was  probably  a  Gannet. 
A  fevv  Shearwaters  were  seen  during  the  day.  and 
appeared  to  be  mostly  small  of  a  uniform  brown  colour, 
though  one  Ijird  had  whitish  underparts  which  renders  it 
likely  to  have  been  Puffinns  pcrsicns. 

May  23RD.  14°  44'  N.  x  54°  18'  E.  285  miles.  Two  Masked 
Gannets  {Suia  cyaiiops)  appeared  about  7  a.m.,  and  for  a 
time  flew  just  o\er  the  forecastle  of  the  ship,  keeping 
close  together.  The  black  rectrices  and  remiges.  con- 
trasting with  the  pure  white  of  the  remainder  of  the 
plumage,  and  the  livid  bill  and  facial  skin  were  sufficient 
to  identify  the  birds  beyond  doubt. 

A  few  Shearwaters  of  the  dusky  type  were  seen  through- 
out the  day.  About  4  p.m.  a  distant  floc.v  of  white  birds, 
probably  Terns,  were  seen  busily  fishing  over  a  small 
patch  of  water. 

May  24111.  1  was  somewhat  astonished  to  see  a  party  of  two 
or  three  small  Black  Petrels  with  white  about  the  tail, 
as  it  is  new  to  my  experience  to  meet  Petrels  in  the 
Arabian  Sea.  From  a  study  of  distributions  it  is  probable 
that  they  were  the  Fork-tailed  Storm  Petrel  (Occauo- 
droiiia  leiicorrhoa).       .\  few  Shearwaters,  mostly  of  the 


Diary  of  a  Voyage  front  Karachi  to  Marseilles.       8i 

dusky  type,  but  one  witli  whitish  underparts  were  seen 
throug-hout  the  day.  It  was  impossible  to  identify  .i 
couple  of  Terns  which  flew  past  the  ship. 

May  25111.  12°  25'  X.  X  44°  13'  E.  312  miles.  We  passed 
Aden  about  8  a.m.,  and  Perim  about  4  p.m..  but  put  into 
neither  harbour.  A  few  white  birds  seen  in  the  distance 
were  apparently  Terns.  .Several  Hempriche's  Sooty 
(kills  (Lams  hcmf^richi)  were  seen  about  noon,  and  at 
Perim  they  became  numerous,  following  the  ship  until 
dusk ;  with  them  was  an  adult  Black-backed  Gull,  presum- 
ably Lants  affi)iis.  A  party  of  two  or  three  Petrels,  of 
the  same  species  as  those  seen  yesterday,  were  noted 
between  Aden  and  Perim.  A  single  Tropic  bird 
(Phaethon)  was  seen  in  the  distance. 

May  26th.  16°  20'  X.  x  41°  14'  E.  313  miles.  Several  Brown 
Boobies  {Sula  Icucogastcr)  were  observed  in  the  early 
morning  while  we  were  in  the  vicinity  of  some  rocky 
islands.      A  single  Tern  w'as  also  noted. 

May  27TH.  A  single  Tern  seen  in  the  far  distance  was  the  only 
bird  observed  during  the  day. 

May  28th.  25°  05'  X.  x  35°  47'  E.  314  miles.  A  Dove  of 
some  species  was  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Daedalus 
lighthouse,  which  is  built  on  a  long  shoal  visible  at  low- 
water  out  in  the  middle  of  the  Red  Sea. 

May  29TH.  29°  21'  X.  X  32°  39'  E.  309  miles.  X'o  birds  were 
seen  during  the  day  with  the  exception  of  a  single  whitish 
Gull,  until  we  reached  Suez  about  2  p.m.  Here  even 
there  was  practically  no  bird  life  in  the  harbour,  a  few 
Gulls  only  being  seen,  and  those  at  a  distance.  Two 
species  appeared  to  be  represented,  Black-backed  Gulls 
and  Lams  Icucophthahnus. 

May  301H.  We  reached  Portsaid  at  about  7  a.m.,  the  greater 
portion  of  the  Canal,  wdiich  is  alw^ays  of  great  interest  to 
the  naturalist,  being  traversed  by  night.  There  were  a 
few  Black-backed  Gulls  about  the  harbour,  and  for  a  little 
way  outside  it.  The  Common  Swallow  (Hirundo  rustica) 
was  seen  about  10  a.m. 

May  31.ST.      33°  34'  X"^.  X  27°  03'  E.  300  miles.    Xo  observations. 


82  Noics  on  J  limbic  and  Other  Wild  Life. 

Junk  isr.  The  only  sea  Ijirds  noted  (.lurin;^'  the  day  were  a 
couple  of  Herrini:;-  (jiills,  hut  it  was  imj)ossible  to  identify 
them  properly.  A  Turtle  Dove  about  10-30  a.m.,  and  a 
Tree  Pipit  about  6  p.m.  were  seen,  stragglers  on 
migration. 

JuxK  2XD.  ^S°  11'  X.  X  15°  36'  E.  316  mles.  A  most  interesting- 
day,  for  we  entered  the  Straits  of  Messina  about  11  a.m.. 
and  passed  Stromboli  about  3-30  p.m.  In  the  Straits  the 
land  lay  so  close  on  either  side,  and  was  so  clear  in  the 
bright  sunshine  that  with  tield  glasses  one  could  see  the 
towns  and  countryside  most  clearly,  and  even  trace 
remains  of  the  great  disaster  of  a  few^  years  back. 
Stromboli  was  smoking,  and  one  wondered  at  the  courage 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  small  villages  which  perch  in 
precarious  position  on  the  small  buttresses  of  land  which 
jut  out  at  the  base  of  the  giant  cone  which  rises  straight 
out  of  the  sea.  A  few  Shearwaters  and  many  adult 
Herring  Gulls  appeared  about  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
land,  but  the  only  migrant  seen  was  a  small  bird  which 
appeared  to  be  one  of  the  Yellow  Buntings. 

June  3RD.  We  approached  Sardinia  about  noon,  when  Herring 
("lulls  were  following  in  the  wake  of  the  ship.  In  the 
Straits  of  Bonifacio  there  were  some  species  of  Shear- 
water with  brown  upper  parts  and  a  white  undersurface. 
A  House  Martin  (ChcVidou  urhica)  visited  the  ship  in  the 
evening. 

Junk  4TH.  The  City  of  London  reached  Marseilles  in  the  early 
mornini^-,  and  I  abandoned  the  study  of  birds  in  favour 
of  the  desperate  rush  which  is  the  lot  of  those  wno  would 
essay  the  overland  route  ! 


^ _ 

Notes  on  Jungle  and  other  Wild  Life. 

By  Dr.  Casky  A.  Wood,  M.B.O.U. 

ri'lic  t'(jllo\Miiii-  was  fDiwardcd  to  inc.  acconi|)naicd  by  a  short  letter,  as 
follows  :  "  Dr.  Casey  Wood,  now  in  Soutli  America,  lias  asked  me  to  send 
"  \ou  tlie  enclosed  copy  of  a  letter  which  he  has  written  for  a  few  relatives 


Notes  on  JtDiglc  and  Other  IVild  Life.  83 

"  and  personal  friends,  and  which  there  has  been  no  opportunity  to  revise  cr 
"  correct.  Please  do  not  return  it,  but  dispose  of  it  in  any  way  you  choose. — 
"  Cora  Raymond  (Secretary)."  We  have  decided  to  publish  it  in  extenso 
as  received,  as  while  the  whole  of  it  does  not  refer  to  birds,  yet  it  is  all 
descriptive  of  wild-life  in  all  the  varied  faunas  of  the  tropical  jungle,  how  to 
leacli,  transit  details,  etc.,  and  will,  we  opine,  prove  of  practical  interest  to 
all  serious  aviculturists,  and  will  impart  some  insight  as  to  the  natural 
setting  of  many  of  the  si)ccics  which  adorn  our  aviaries. — Ed.  B.N.] 
Dear  Folks, — 

Last  year,  when  E.  and  I  spent  the  winter  on  the 
mainland  of  South  America,  I  wrote  a  short  and  unconnected 
account  of  our  experiences,  for  the  amusement  of  a  few  friends. 
These  random  sketches  were  intended  to  be  a  sort  of  Christmas 
greeting,  and  were  indeed  ready  for  the  typist  before  the  hohday 
season,  but  it  takes  so  mucli  time  to  reach  one's  correspondents 
from  the  Tropics  that  it  was  ahiiost  Easter  before  the  letters 
were  delivered 

I  suppose  this  is  the  proper  place  to  confess  that  E.  and 
the  writer  hope  to  complete  their  itinerary,  which  has  so  far 
been  something  like  this — California,  Chicago.  Montreal,  New 
York,  London,  Montreal,  Halifax,  Barbados,  and  Demerara, 
during  1921 — by  adding"  Trinidad.  Venezuela,  Curacoa,  Haiti, 
New  York  and  Washington.  London,  Montreal,  and  Chicago, 
finally  reaching  California  some  time  towards  the  end  of  1922. 
Sounds  like  a  circus  route  or  a  Cook's  Tour — doesn't  it? — btrt 
it  is  really  much  simpler  and  more  commonplace  than  either ! 

If  I  had  not  been  asked  so  frequently  my  motives  for 
visiting  once  more  the  Spanish  Main,  I  would  not  now  bore  you 
with  them.  (By  the  way,  1  did  not  know  until  I  had  read,  quite 
recently.  Lord  F.  Hamilton's  attractive  book.  Here,  There 
and  Ez'crywliere,  that  "  Main  "  has  nothing  to  do  with  a  body 
of  water,  but  is  an  abbreviation  of  "  Mainland,"  meaning 
thereby  the  former  possessions  of  the  Spaniards  in  South 
America). 

Ijuprimis,  I  am  desirous  some  time  in  the  future  to 
complete  certain  work  I  have  been  carrying  on  about  the  Eyes 
and  Eyesight  of  Birds.  After  all,  if  we  wish  to  study  eyesight 
in  its  numerous  manifestations  (human  vision  included)  or  hope 
to  penetrate  the  mystery  of  how  we  see,  it  is  to  bird  life  that  we 
must  apply.       That  I  may  intelligently  continue  these  studies 


84  Nuics  on  Jungle  and  Other  Jllld  Life. 

it  is  vitally  important  that  I  know  something-  of  Ornithology  in 
general,  and  of  the  related  departments  of  Natural  History — no 
mean  task.  i)i  course,  only  those  who  have  been  fortunate 
enough  to  have  given  a  whole  lifetime  to  such  pursuits  ever 
really  become  accomplished  zoologists ;  but  the  half-loaf  is  better 
than  none.  On  the  other  hand,  I  have  always  liked,  and  to 
some  extent  dabbled  in.  the  natural  sciences;  and  with  this  slight 
foundation  for  more  extensive  studies  trust  that  during  a  dili- 
gent pursuit  for.  say.  five  or  six  years,  of  ornithology  in  its 
literary  and  other  aspects  I  may  pick  up  sufficient  information  to 
justify  a  review,  by  no  means  final,  of  that  highly  specialised 
sense,  avian  vision,  and  perhaps  acquire  a  working  knowledge  of 
the  apparatus  that  apparently  brings  it  about  in  a  few  of  the 
fifteen  thousand  species  that  now  populate  the  bird  world.  As 
a  result  of  these  inquiries,  I  may  add  one  or  two  facts  to  those 
already  accepted.  Then,  later,  other  and  better  equipped 
observers  will  furnish  their  quota,  so  that  we  may  know  at  last 
something  about  a  subject  of  which  at  the  present  writing  little 
is  really  known.  Furthermore,  an  increase  of  our  knowledge 
of  eyesight  in  bird  families  will  with  certainty  help  to  an  under- 
standing of  the  same  function  in  Man. 

So,  that's  that;  but  there  are  other  reasons  why  we 
consider  the  Tropics  no  mean  place  in  which  to  spend  the  winter, 
among  them  the  fact  there  are  available  so  many  British  Colonial 
possessions,  with  their  charming  circles  of  well-read,  highly 
educated  and  widely  travelled  officials.  For  example,  during 
the  very  first  week  of  our  two  months'  residence  in  Barbados, 
the  U.S.  Consul.  Major  J.  J.  C.  Watson,  went  out  of  his  official 
way  to  arrange  a  luncheon  at  the  Bridgetown  Club  that  I  might 
meet  those  zoologists  of  the  Island  who  would  most  likely  be  of 
use  to  me  in  my  bird  investigations  and.  about  the  same  time, 
F  and  I  were  "  put  up  "  at  the  two  principal  clubs.  So  we 
were  able  to  see  not  a  little  of  the  charming  social  life  of  the 
colony. 

Although  we.  as  Americans  witliout  official  status,  had 
some  hesitation  about  writing  our  names  in  the  visitors'  book 
at  Government  House,  and  did  not.  as  a  matter  of  fact,  observe 
that  or  the  other  convention  of  a  first  call,  yet  in  spite  of  what 
some  peoole  might  regard  as  a  "  gaucherie,"  were  invited  there, 


A'otcs  on  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life.  85 

to  several  informal  functions,  and  had  a  chance  of  becominL;' 
acquainted  with  a  number  of  de'i.L^htful  people.  The  (Governor 
and  his  very  popular  wife  long"  ago  adopted  the  thoughtful 
custom  of  inviting"  to  their  family  Christmas  dinner  all  those 
homeless  unfortunates  who.  like  ouselves,  "  had  nowhere  to 
go."  Our  host  very  appropriately  called  us  his  "  Waifs  and 
Strays."  And  we  had  a  mighty  good  time — we  castaways. 
After  dinner  we  joined  in  the  children's  games,  danced  the 
Lancers,  had  a  final  round  of  blind-man's-buff,  and  topped  off 
with  something  E.  and  I  had  not  taken  part  in  for  years — Sir 
Koger  de  Coverley  !  It  would  have  made  you  feel  young  again 
if  you  could  have  watched  the  dignitaries  of  Church  and  State 
])laying"  "  hunt  the  slipper." 

I  am  well  aware  that  for  these  privileges  I  was  indebted 
to  no  merit  of  mine,  but  only  to  the  innate  kindliness  of  Sir 
Charles  and  Lady  O'Brien.  Possibly,  also,  an  old-time  friend 
between  Lady  O'Brien's  sister  and  my  w'ife  had  something  to 
do  with  it.  At  any  rate.  Sir  Charles  O'Brien,  who  is  one  of  a 
long  line  of  Colonial  Governors  and  Empire  builders,  not  only 
makes,  so  every  Barbadian  tells  me,  an  ideal  administrator,  but 
is  in  all  other  respects  very  much  of  a  gentleman — and  what 
more  remains  to  be  said  ?  E.  and  I  will  not  soon  forget 
Barbados  and  her  hospitable  people. 

Moreover,  we  do  not  seem  apprehensive  of  those  more 
or  less  mythical  dangers  popularly  attributed  to  tropical  jungle 
life.  In  virtue  of  that  state  of  mind  we  intend  to  brave  (?) 
these  dangers  and  discomforts.  First  of  all.  we  expect  to  make 
an  excursion  fifty  miles  up  the  Essequibo  River  to  a  place 
surrounded  by  the  illimitable  Guiana  forest,  where  we  shall  be 
exposed  to  about  the  same  troubles  and  accidents  that  accom- 
pany a  foray  into  the  wilds  of  Maine  or  Michigan,  and  that  ends 
in  a  stay  in  some  summer  hotel  on  the  shores  of  an  inland  lake. 
Certainly,  there  are  more  sand-flies  and  mosquitos  in  the 
last-named  locality  than  on  the  banks  of  the  Mazuruni ;  and  more 
snakes;  and  fewer  birds  and  just  as  many  flowers.  Then  there 
is  Kaietur  Falls,  but  as  these  are  accessible  only  to  such  women 
as  Mrs.  Theodore  Roosevelt.  Mrs.  Lestrade  and  Mrs.  Clementi. 
but  that's  anticipating  a  part  of  this  narrative ! 

The  visit  of  a  feathered  straggler  to  a  ship  at  sea  is  such  a 


■^fi  Notes  on  .Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life. 

common  experience  that  it  is  hardly  worth  mentioning  were  it 
not  for  the  questions  of  bird  psychology  that  such  incidents  often 
involve.  (Jn  our  way  from  Halifax  to  Bermuda  and  when 
some  four  hundred  miles  from  the  nearest  land,  a  Logger-head 
Shrike  flew  on  board.  Accompanying  us,  from  the  Nova 
Scotian  coast,  were  two  acceptable  forms  of  Butcher  Bird  food — 
a  couple  of  EngHsh  Sparrow^s  and  several  crates  of  cabbages 
(with  their  usual  families  of  cabbage-worms)  securely  roped  to 
uprights  on  the  forward  deck.  The  Shrike  (what  a  beautifully 
set-up  and  fearless  brigand  was  he !  )  first  dined  off  the  sparrows 
and  then,  after  a  day  or  two,  gave  his  attention  to  the  cabbages. 
He  must  have  improved  the  vegetables  greatly,  and  I  could  not 
resist  the  temptation  to  advise  the  consignee  at  Port  namilton 
that  he  should  advertise  arrival  of  a  special  lot  of  "bird-picked  " 
vegetables. 

The  Shrike  remained  with  us  for  several  days.  It  seemed 
to  some  of  us  that  he  stayed  until  the  cabbage  grubs  were 
exhausted,  and  then,  despising  the  dangers — if  there  were  any 
for  him — of  the  waste  of  waters,  flew  away.  My  friend.  Dr. 
Chas.  Richmond,  of  Washington,  a  widely  known  authority  on 
the  subject,  believes  that  birds  have  no  conception  of  a  moving- 
ship  as  such,  but  regard  it  as  part  of  the  land;  and  he  writes  me 
that  probably  this  Lanius  acted  just  as  any  accidental  visitor 
would  on  any  isolated  rock  in  the  Atlantic,  and  was  not  bothered 
to  ask  why  the  food  supply  was  sufificient  when  on  other  islets 
he  had  found  it  exceedingly  scarce. 

Another  bird  especially  attracted  by  ships  is  known  to 
sailors  as  the  Boatswain  Bird.  We  were  fortunate  in  having 
or.e  \\\ih  us  on  this  trip — appropriately  introduced  to  me  by  the 
functionary  whose  name  he  bore.  The  Tropic  Bird — to  give 
him  his  correct  designation — has  the  two  middle  feathers  of  his 
tail  so  arranged  (and  projecting)  that  they  are  said  to  resemble 
a  marline-spike,  and  so  to  suggest  the  officer  just  mentioned. 
The  verv  beautiful  individual  that  came  aboard  the  Cliaudiere 
was  Phacthon  (because  his  whole  life  is  spent  in  following  the 
chariot  of  the  simDAmericanus.  At  least  that  was  his  name 
the  last  time  I  looked  him  up;  and  we  have  frequent  re-christen- 
ings in  systematic  ornithology.  He  had  webbed  feet,  some 
black  markings  on  the  face  and  wings,  but  his  general  colouring 


Notes  on  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life.  87 

was  a  lovely  satiny  white.  After  he  had  been  duly  admired  and 
allowed  lo  rest  awhile,  he  returned  to  his  favourite  task  of 
attending'  the  horses  of  the  siui-(lod. 

In  the  harbour  at  Grenada  we  saw,  quite  close  at  hand, 
numerous  Frigate  or  Man-of-\Var  birds  (Fregata  aqitila). 
Farther  north  we  had  observed  individuals  flying  high  in  the 
air,  but  at  St.  (George's  there  w^as  ample  opportunity  to  study 
these  magnificent  birds  at  close  range,  for  they  often  flew  quite 
close  to  our  steamer.  The  Frigate  Bird  is  found  near  the 
equator  all  over  the  globe,  and  both  sexes  have  the  same  colour- 
ation above — a  chocolate  brown  with  a  metallic  sheen  that 
appears  shiny  black  to  the  distant  observer.  The  female  has 
w'hite  beneath,  and  her  outstretched  legs  are  plainly  pink,  while 
her  mate's  are  black.  The  body  is  relatively  small,  w^hile  the 
wings,  as  large  and  widespread  as  a  swan's,  give  the  bird  great 
buoyancy.  I  do  not  know  why,  but  these  birds — especially  the 
apparently  coal-black  male — remind  me  of  a  figure  of  Satan,  a 
detail  of  an  engraving  by  Gustave  Dore  that,  in  my  boyhood, 
hung  (a  cheerful  adornment)  in  my  bedroom.  This  fearsome 
object  was  placed  there  by  my  much-tried  Calvanist  nurse — 
whose  patient  soul  now  rests  with  the  Elect,  I  trust.  She 
expressed  the  justifiable  opinion  that  "  boys  like  you  "  require 
for  their  eternal  welfare  not  only  physical  but  mental  influences 
to  keep  tliem  in  the  straight  and  narrow.  Hence,  the  warning- 
portrait.  It  is  one  of  the  regrets  of  my  career  that  Nurse'h' 
faithful  works  should  have  proved  so  disappointing  and  that 
in  time,  I  came  to  look  upon  the  Mephistopheles  on  the  wah 
as  a  kind  of  guardian  angel.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  moment  I 
raw  the  great  glistening,  double-triangle  pinions  of  the  Frigate 
Bird  I  instantly  visualized  my  old  friend  the  Devil!  And  yet, 
as  Newton  says,  it  is  a  beautiful  sight  to  watch  one  or  more  of 
them  floating  overhead  against  the  deep  blue  sky.  the  long- 
forked  tail  alternately  opening  and  shutting  like  a  pair  of 
scissors,  and  the  head,  kept  to  w-indward,  inclined  from  side  to 
side.  The  wings  seem  to  be  fixed  in  one  position  in  all  directions 
ot  the  wind. 

The  Man-of-War  Bird  exhibits  some  wonderful  diving 
and  hunting  stunts  when,  from  on  high,  he  fishes  in  the  sea 
beneath  liini  or  chases  other  birds  to  rob  them  of  their  prey. 


88  Zoo  Report. 

Altogether  he  is  one  of  the  most  remarkal)]e  objects  to  be  seen 
about  the  Antilles. 

Later,  when  we  reached  the  South  American  Mainland, 
we  made  the  acquaintance  of  another  bird  fit  to  be  mentioned 
with  these  majestic  aves,  viz: — the  Swallow-tailed  Kite 
(Elanoidcs  furcaius).  This  feathered  beauty,  noted  because  of 
its  length  of  tail  and  wing,  has  a  black  body  but  a  white  head 
and  neck,  the  outstretched  wings  showing  from  below  a  broad, 
pa])er- white  band  extending  almost  from  one  wing-tip,  across 
the  l)ody,  to  a  corresponding  area  on  the  opposite  side. 

These  markings,  with  the  long,  bifurcated  tail,  make  a 
splendid  appearance  as  the  bird  goes  sailing  and  soaring  through 
the  blue. 

{To  he  coniinned). 

0 


Zoo    Report. 

Zoo  Notes  :  We  have  noted  from  time  to  time  most 
of  the  birds  given  in  the  following  lists,  taken  from  the  annual 
Report  of  the  Zoological  Society  of  London  for  1921,  but  we 
are  of  the  opinion  that  a  complete  list  will  be  of  interest  to  many 
readers. 

BIRDS  BRED  DURINf,  1921. 

]une     21.     2  American  Robins  (7";/;'<y;/.T  ;n/\(,^r(7/or/?/.9),  reared. 
June     2Q.     3  Bluebirds  (Sialia  sialis),  reared. 

3  Zebra  Finches  (Tcrniopygia  easta)njtis),  reared. 

1  Blue  Grosbeak  (Guiraca  ccrnilea),  reared. 

2  ("lambel's  Sparrows  (Zoiiotrichia  leucoplifvs  s^ani- 

beli),  reared. 
Sept.     n.     2   Leadbeater's  Cockatoos     (Cacatiia     leadhcaieri). 

reared. 
vSept.     II.      I   Cockatiel  (Cnlopsittacits  novcr-hoUandlcv),  reared. 
Oct.       18.      I   Cockatiel  (Calopsitiacus  iwvcr-Jwllaudice),  reared. 
July      18.     4  Budgerigars  (Melopsitiacus  undulafits).  reared. 
June     16.     2  Sacred  Ibises  (Ibis  ceihiopica).  reared. 
Oct.        8.      I   Sacred  Ibis  (Ibis  (rthiopica),  not  reared. 


July 

10- 

Sept. 

9- 

July 

13- 

Zou  Report.  89 

I  line     JJ.     i)  Mallard  l)ncks  (Anas  boscas),  reared. 

July       10.     4  Carolina     I  )uck.s     {fMiiil^roficssa     sf^o)isa).      two 

reared. 
June     27.     2  Southern  Trians^ular-siiotted     Pigeons    (Cohiniha 

ph(coiiota),  reared. 
June     28^.     I    Dwarf  Turtle  Dove  {Oiiopclia  hiiniilis),  reared. 
July      13.     2  Dwarf  Turtle  Doves  (Oiiopclia  liiiiiiHis),  reared. 
(  )ct.      25.      I    (leoffroy's   Dove  [I'cristcra  gcoffroii).  reared. 
June         I.      I    Brush  Bronze-winged  Pigeon    (J'liaps    clcgans). 

reared. 
June     21.      I    Brush  Bronze-winged  Pigeon     (Pliaps    clcgaiis), 

reared. 
)une       2.      1   Crested  Pigeon  (0 cypliaps  lopliotcs)  , reared. 
June       2.     2  Talpacoti  Doves  {ChamccpcVia  talpacoti),  reared. 
July       13.     4  Gambel's  Ouails  (Z.6>/'/;6'r/y.r  ^(?/n/?r/ij,  one  reared 
June     lO.     3  Himalayan  Monauls     (Lophophonis  hiipcyanns), 

not  reared. 
June     16.    13  Gold  Pheasants  (C7/rv^'6'/6>/'///<i' /'/r/».s-),  six  reared. 
June     16.     3  Silver  Pheasants  {(.Jeiuucus  iiycthcnwnts),  reared. 
2  Hybrid  Reeves's  and  Silver  Pheasants     {Synna- 

ticits  rccvcsi  x  Gcniucus  t}yct''cuicn{s),  reared. 
4  Hybrid   Lineated   Kaleege  and   Silver  Pheasants 

(Geuiucits  Uiicatus  x  G.  uycthcnicrus),  reared. 

2  North  American  Turkeys  {Mclcagris  amcricaiia), 
one  reared. 

3  Burmese  Peafowl  {I\wo  muiicus),  reared. ' 
I    White-necked  Crane  (Pseudogeranus  leucaiichcn) 

not   reared. 

SPECIES  new  to  the  COLLECTION  exhibited  during-  1921. 
Spizixits  canifrons  Blyth.       Finch-billed  Bulbul. 

Hab.  Yunnan. 
Ciiniyris  giittiiralis  Linn.       Scarlet-breasted  Sunbird. 

Hab.  Durban,  S.  Africa. 

Sicgaiiiira     paradisca     vcrrcauxi     Cass.         Eastern     Paradise 
Whydah-bird. 
Hab.  Mombasa. 


J^iiy 

-'3- 

July 

-^3- 

July 

-'3- 

Aug-. 

16. 

Mav 

6. 

90  Zoo  Report. 

Scriints  scofops  Sundev.       Sunde^•al^s  Seed-eater. 

Hab.   S.  Africa. 
Spreo  bicolor  Cimelin.      Pied  Starling. 

Hab.  S.  Africa. 
i'liolidaitgcs    Icitcogastcr     I'crrcatixi      Bocage.         Verreaiix's 
Amethyst   Starling. 

Hab.  Durban,  S.  Africa. 
Polio psar  iioiioricoliis  Jerd.       White-winged  !\lynah. 

Hab.  Yunnan. 
C\'a)nn-orax  cccrulcus  Vieill.       Azure  Jay. 

Hab.  S.  Brazil. 
Col  ins  affi)iis  Shelley.       East  African  Coly. 

Hab.  Mombasa. 
Saitroniarptis  tyro  Gray.       Aru  Island  Kingfisher. 

Hab.  Aru  Island. 
Coracias  caudatns  Linn.       Long-tailed  Roller. 

Hab.   S.   Africa. 
Aprosinictiis  aDiboiiiciisis  Linn.       Amboina  King  Parrakeet. 

Hab.  Amboina. 
A  star  IcKcosoiUKS  Sharpe.       Lesser  White  Goshawk. 

Hab.  Aru  Island. 
Ptilopiis  aiiyaiitiifrons  Gray.      Orange-fronted  Fruit  Pigeon. 

Hab.  Aru  Island. 
Mcgaloprcpia  magnifica  Temm.       Magnificent  Fruit  Pigeon. 

Hab.  S.E.  New  Guinea. 
Chalcophaf's    stcpliani    Keichenb.        Stephani's    Green-winged 
Pigeon. 

Hab.  New  Guinea. 
Mitita  salz'iiii  Reinli,       Salvin's  Razor-billed  Curassow. 

Hab.  Ecuador. 
Talcgallits  fiiscirostris  Salvad.       Brown-billed  Brush  Turkey. 

Hab.  Aru  Island. 
Rulabconiis  casta}iciz'ciitris  Gould.       Red-bellied  Rail. 

Hab.  Aru  Island. 


-<>- 


Correspondence.  91 

Correspondence. 

MILLET  SEKD  SAMPLES. 
SiK, — I  am  about  to  make  a  confession  of  deplorable  ignorance  after 
over  forty  years  of  aviculture.  I  have  been  starving  to  death,  and  nearly  to 
death,  some  dear  little  foreign  linches  1  have  had  over  twelve  years  !  1 
could  not  get  Indian  millet  locally,  so  always  sent  to  London  for  it,  until 
quite  lately,  when  I  found  it  was  (seemingly)  obtainable.  I  used  it,  just 
noticing  it  was  slightly  larger  and  brighter  than  the  ordinary,  so  apparently  a 
better  quality.  After  a  time  I  remarked  the  birds  seemed  dull  and  mopish, 
,-.0  unlike  their  usual  cheery  little  selves,  especially  in  the  spring  time  ;  they 
would  sit  huddled  together  as  one  sees  them  in  dealers'  shops,  neither  singing, 
nor  bathing,  nor  interesting  themselves  in  the  sod  of  flowering  grass  with 
which  they  are  always  supplied.  Too  late  I  discovered  this  Indian  millet  (?) 
though  scattered  about,  was  never  eaten — not  a  grain  of  it — and  the  little 
things  had  been  subsisting  on  white  millet,  and  only  a  scanty  supply  of  that, 
for  they  cared  little  about  it  in  ordinary  times.  There  was  always  a  supply 
of  canary  seed  for  other  birds,  but  that  I  knew  they  never  touched.  On 
discovering  what  was  amiss  I  at  once  gave  the  real  thing,  of  which  there 
happened  to  be  a  little  in  the  travelling  cage  of  some  new  arrivals,  until  I 
could  get  some  down  from  town,  and  the  survivors  happily  recovered.  The 
question  to  me  is  what  was  that  fatal  seed?  It  was  not  "  Brown  Millet," 
for  I  know  brown  millet.  This  query-  ma\-  be  a  display  of  ignorance,  but 
it  may  possibly  act  as  a  warning  to  other  aviculturists  of  less  ancient  date 
than  mx'self.       I  enclose  samples  of  the  seed. 

I'.ishops   Lydeard:   April    17,    1922.  (Mrs.)   E.   A.    H.    HARTLEY. 

[One  sample  was  the  seed  usually  sold  as  Indian  millet,  but  imperfectly 
cleaned;  the  other  was  a  good  sample  of  yellow  millet,  a  variety  which  few 
foreign  birds  will  eat,  or  only  take  a  little  under  the  stress  of  hunger- — it 
u.sually  appears  in  fair  quantity  in  young  chicken  mixtures,  and  would,  we  opine 
l)e  quite  wholesome  providing  the  birds  could  be  induced  to  eat  it  freely. — Ed.] 


STRAY      NOTES     ON     BIRDS     AND     MICE. 

Sir, — A  few  notes  may  be  useful  of  "  B.N.,"  though,  I  fear,  there 
is  little  that  is  new  or  of  particular  interest  to  record. 

Last  winter  1920-1,  as  an  experiment  I  allowed  the  hundred  birds  in 
m\  mixed  aviary  to  have  the  use  of  the  outside  flight  the  entire  winter,  and 
casualties  were  few.  I  dread  to  think  what  would  have  happened  under 
the  same  arrangement  this  winter — In  the  stone-walled  enclosed  aviary 
(15ft.  X  15ft.  X  15ft.)  I  have  had  fewer  losses  than  ever  before.  The 
Lavender  Finches,  Blue-breasted  Waxbills  and  similar  species  have  come 
through  in  fine  form,  and  are  now  in  breeding  condition. 

The  cock  Indigo  Bunting  changes  into  his  azure  breeding  plumage  in 
^larch  each  year ;  the  hen,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  died  recently  after  spending 
seven  years  in  the  aviary,  and  I  would  much  like  another. 

The  Cape  Canaries  {Serimis  canicollis)  are  wonderful  songsters,   and. 


g2  C.o)  rcspundoicc . 

nink-r  (1k'   luiliuii   ol'  a   particularly  .y'oud  !^oldliiK-li   imilr.   lasl   season's  young 
niali',^   >ini^'  heller   lliaii   llic   adults. 

Tin's  is  the  first  season  1  have  had  a  cock  I'lulltinch  ])ii>inj^'  in  the  aviary 
(.tiler  tlian   tlie  call   notes. 

.1//V('  :  The  walls  ol'  the  enclosed  aviary  have  larye  hunches  of  hrackcn 
hant^ini;-  (jn  them,  together  with  nest  hoxcs  as  winter  quarters  for  the  hirds. 
and  at  this  time  of  \ear  1  see  little  of  them — We  are,  of  course,  continually 
killing  odd  mice  that  we  see  in  the  place,  but  lately  it  seemed  to  me  that  the 
mousey  order  was  particularly  strong,  so  it  was  decided  to  shake  out  the 
bracken — eighty-three  mice,  okl  and  young,  were  bagged  in  the  ])rocess  1 
^\'e  thought  tliat  must  be  the  end  of  them,  but  tlu'  other  day  I  saw  a  mouse 
]>ut  its  head  out  of  the  hole  of  a  nest-bo.\  about  loins.  high  by  Oins.  wide  and 
deep  :  we  plugged  up  the  hole  and  ])lunged  the  box  into  a  water  tank  :  the 
ct)ntents  drowned  were  :  34  young  mice  of  all  ages,  4  adult  females,  and  _' 
adult  males.  1  nnist  be  excused  for  giving  all  this  a])]),arently  sim])le  detail, 
but  I  was  ver\-  interested,  as  I  did  not  know  that  mice  were  gregarious  to 
that  extent,   and  would  be  pleased  by  information. 

1  can  hear  you  say,  "  What  an  awful  waste  of  seed."  and  I  assure  \  ou 
i   think  so  too. 

H.   CAR1^\\'.\LK1•:R. 


COMPILING  .\  LIST  Ol-  I'ORLKLX  L'.IKDS  I'.KLD  .\T  LIDLRTY. 

SiK, — I  should  be  \ery  pleased  to  try  and  comjiile  a  list  of  foreign 
species  which  have  been  bred  at  libertx'  in  this  countrw  if  members  would 
kindly  assist  me  by  sending  information  as  to  species,  localit}'  and  (jwner. 

I  only  want  to  include  instances  where  both  parents  have  been  full- 
winged,    and   the   young   have   been    rearetl   to   be    indei)endent. 

Does  one  of  our  members  i)ossess  any  record  of  the  parrots,  etc.,  bred 
at   liberty  at  Northrepps  ? 

{The   .Manpu's   of)   T.W'lSTt  )fK. 
Warl.)linglon   House,    llavant.     April  Q,    igj2. 


IN-I'.RKLDINC;     DV     WILD      .SPLCIKS. 

SiK,  —  \<.)V\  are  ]>|-obal)ly  correct  in  sa\ing  that  with  man\-  birds  brother 
and  sister  do  not  norm.ilK-  m.ate  bv  preference.  Tiiere  is,  however,  one 
genus  where  brother  and  sister  always  normally  appear  to  mate.  In  manv 
years'  experience  with  (.'ranes  of  various  .species,  some  being  full-winged 
at  complete  liberty,  I  have  never  known  the  two  young  of  opposite  sexes 
fail  to  mate  with  each  other  on  reaching  maturity.  Tt  would  appear  that 
fresh  blood  is  only  introduci'd  into  crane  families  in  the  n.itural  state,  as  the 
result  of  the  death  of  a  bird  by  accident,  or  the  failure  of  an  egg  to  hatch, 
llavant.     April  7.   i9_'_>.  (The  Marquis  of)  TAVISTOCK. 


Corrcspo)idcncc.  93 

DIFFICULTY  OR  FAILURF  OF  WILD   lURDS  TO   RESCUL  TLllUK 

YOUNG. 

Sir, —  It  is  strange  how  rare  it  is,  even  for  the  most  intelligent  of 
birds,  to  rescue  their  young  by  using  the  lieak  to  lift  or  carry  them  when  they 
have  fallen  into  some  place  of  danger.  Cranes  arc  devoted  parents,  but 
if  their  chicks  become  imbedded  in  soft  mud,  they  are  quite  unable  to  release 
ilieni.  The  other  day  I  came  across  the  body  of  a  young  raven,  which  had 
fallen  from  its  nest  on  to  the  ground  not  many  feet  below.  It  must  have 
been  botii  visil)le  aiul  audible  tij  the  jjarents,  yet,  with  all  their  sagacity,  it  had 
not   occurred  to  them  to  carry  it   back. 

The  American  Xaturalist  and  writer  Long  records  having  seen  a 
Canadi;ni  gander  pull  his  offspring  out  of  a  bog  hole  into  which  it  had  fallen. 
1   have  alwavs  wanted  to  find  out  if  the  incident  were  fact   or  fiction. 

Havant.     .April  7.    1922.  (Tlit-  .Marquis  of)  TAVISTOCK. 


PHEASANTS  AND  ELDER  AS  GREENFOOD. 

Sir, — I  have  been  surprised  to  notice  the  Golden  Pheasants,  which 
have  been  entirely  wild  here,  for  more  th.in  twenty  years,  feeding  g'reedilv 
on  the  young  shoots  of  the  elder  trees.  The  foliage  of  this  tree  is  so  strongly 
flavoured  that  even   captive  birds  usually   leave   it   alone. 

Havant.     .March   2-.    iqjj.  (The   Marquis  of)   TAVISTOCK. 

I  Ca])live  birds  will  certainly  eat  elder,  though  less  freelv  than  thev 
do  other  kinds.  Some  years  ago,  when  1  lived  at  liedford  Park,  I  ])lanted 
elder  in  my  very  modest  aviary  in  the  hope  of  having  some  living  green  : 
1  allowed  the  bushes  to  get  a  start  before  turning  in  the  birds,  but  before 
a  year  had  passed  the  elder  bushes  were  a  mass  of  dead  sticks,  owing  to 
l!ie  birtls  refusing  to  allow  shoots  from  the  base,  or  buds  along  the  branches, 
to  develop.  Quail  were  responsible  for  the  destruction  of  the  base  shoots, 
and  various  passerine  species  for  the  branch  buds.  Later  I  built  an  aviarv 
a1  Mitcham.  enclo.sing  in  the  flight  large  clumps  of  elder,  hazel,  privet  and 
hawthorn  fifteen  feet  high — the  elder  had  lateral  arms  twelve  feet  long;  this 
elder  bush  was.  of  course,  too  huge  to  be  readily  killed  bv  the  birds,  but  tliey 
did  all  I  he  pniiiiug  required.  This,  of  course,  with  such  a  rapid  growing 
iree,  meant  "some"  ])runing  !  I  noticed  that  comparatively  few  flowers 
were  allowed,  these  being  eaten  in  the  bud  stage;  of  the  flowers  which  did 
open  only  an  occasional  berry  was  allowed  to  ripen,  as  these  were  readily 
eaten  in  the  green  stage.  I  have  seen  Pekin  Robins,  Black  and  also  Blue 
Tanagers,  Malabar  Mynahs,  and  Cardinals  feeding  on  the  unripe  berries,  i.e., 
berries  of  full  grown  size  but  totally  unripe.  On  one  occasion  the  late  LI. 
Goodchild  saw  them  doing  so,  and  was  very  astonished  when  I  told  him 
they  did  so  regularly.  As  regards  the  interesting  instance  recorded  above 
by  the  Marquis  of  Tavistock  I  can  make  no  comment  save  that  I  have  seen 
wild  Turdidae  feeding  on  unripe  elderberries.  Certainly,  e.xcept  in 
(luite  large  aviaries  captive  birds  will  not  allow  elder  to  e.xist  any  more  than 
more  edible  (from  our  ]ioint  of  view)  kinds  of  shrubs  and  plants. — W.  T.  Page] 


94  Post  Morton  Reports. 

ERRATA. 
Siu. — I  notice  two  errata  in  my  contributions  to  P.ikd  Notks  :  page  53, 
line  1  should  read  "  The  very  thing  I've  wailed  for  for  years  I'"  and  jiage  h-. 
last  paragraph  should  be  "Strange  to  say  //  is  not  unknown  among  wild  birds  :' 
A])ri]  7,   1922.  (The  Marquis  of)  TAVISTOCK. 


-<>- 


Post  Mortem  Reports. 

J'ide  rules  on  page  ii.  of  cover. 
Ykllow-billed  Cardinal  (9):      Capt.   Reeve,   Leadenham. — Decomposed. 
Violi:t-e.\ri:d  Waxbill  (  v  )  :     Duchess  of  Wellington. — Congestion  of  kmcs. 
Budgerigar  :      S.   Williams,   London,   N. — Congestion  of   lungs. 
Paradise  Whydah  :     T.   O.  Harrison,   Sunderland.^ — Bronchitis. 
Orange  Weaver  :     Mrs.  A.  Chalterton,  Ruislip. — Congestion  of  lungs. 
Blue  Budgerigar  :      Mrs.  Foster,  Torquay. ^ — Enteritis. 
Blue-breasted  Waxbill  :      Mrs.   Calvocoressi,   Liverpool. — Pneumonia. 
Indigo  Bunting  :      Mrs.   Calvocoressi,   Liverpool.- — Decomposed. 
Cockateel  (9):     Capt.  G.  E.  Rattigan,  Devon.- — Pneumonia. 
Yellow-billed  Cardinal  (9)  ^     Capt.  G.  E.  Rattigan.  Devon. — Decomposed 

NATH.  S.  LUCAS,  M.B.,  F.Z.S. 
Hon.   Pathologist. 


H 
O 

Q 
1—1 


ZAU  !J^igl)ts  yi&sarvcb,  !>ttay  ^  3un(t.   1922. 

BIRD  NOTES: 

—  THE  — 

JOURNAL     OF     THE     FOREIGN     BIRD     CLUB. 

"^-"-■-■-■-■-■-■-■-■j"-----"-"----^-*--."-".-.-.".-.-.-.-^,-.".--"-".-.-.*. 

May    in    My    Aviaries. 
By  W.  Shore  Baily,  F.Z.S. 

I  wonder  whether  any  of  our  members  can  remember  a 
May  in  any  way  similar  to  the  on.e  that  has  just  ended — /  can't ! 
From  an  a\'icuhural  point  of  view  it  lias  been  the  most  disastrous 
experienced  here  since  1  took  up  the  hobby  of  bird-keeping — not 
entirely  from  the  extraordinary  climatic  variations  we  have 
experienced,  but  partly  from  this  cause,  and  partly  from  a  series 
of  untoward  happenings. 

(  )n  the  1st  of  May  in  Wiltshire  the  weather  was  cold  and 
raw,  with  winds  steady  in  the  east;  the  elms  were  absolutely 
leafless,  and  the  hedges  entirely  bare;  in  spite  of  this  I  turned 
my  birds  into  the  outside  aviaries  at  the  usual  time.  Now,  at 
ihe  end  of  the  month,  we  have  semi-tropical  conditions,  the 
thermometer  for  the  last  ten  days  having  ranged  well  over  80 
degrees  in  the  shade,  and  the  poor  birds,  instead  of  suffering 
Irom  chiUs.  have  been  half  baked  by  the  hot  sun. 

The  following  daily  notes  may  be  of  interest  to  our  readers  : 

May  ist.—  A  great  loss  occurred.  My  cock  Tragopan, 
.1  most  beautiful  bird,  was  picked  up  dead.  It  had  burst  a 
blood  vessel  whilst  displaying.  When  found,  its  horns  were 
e.N tended,  as  was  the  gular  lap.  but  the  colours  were  fading. 

May  2ud. — Hen  Dick-cissel  died  of  enteric;  cock  Bobolink 
ki'led  by  Weaver. 

May  i^rr/.— Algerian  Chaffinch  and  Stni)e-headed  Gros- 
beak laid.  The  Chaffinch  built  a  neat  nest,  but  it  was  not 
covered  on  the  outside  with  lichen  as  is  usually  the  case  with  the 
nest  of  the  common  bird.  The  Grosbeak  built  this  time  in  a 
box;  four  eggs  were  laid  in  each  case. 


96  May  in  My  Ai'iarics. 

May  ^f//.  — l^ileated  Jay  lolled.  This  bird  was  in  an 
aviary  with  two  Azure  and  one  Yucatan  Jays,  and  they  had 
agreed  very  well  together  during"  the  winter.  The  head  and 
neck  of  this  bird  were  stripped  of  flesh  when  found. 

May  f,th. — Three  young"  Peacock  Pheasants  hatched. 
These  are  pretty  little  things  when  first  hatched,  the  back  being 
striped  with  buff  and  brown. 

-If ay  6th. — Crimson-headed  AIarsh-l)ird  killed.  This  bird 
was  picked  up  ag"ainst  tlie  wires  of  the  aviary,  and  on  being  sent 
t  the  taxidermist,  he  reported  that  it  showed  the  cla"wmarks  of 
a  cat,  but  suspect  the  Jays  in  the  adjoining  aviary  were  the 
culprits. 

May  /th.— Two  Yellow  Weavers  laid.  Military  Starling 
killed.  The  head  and  neck  of  this  bird  was  cleared  of  flesh  in  a 
similar  way  to  that  of  the  Jay. 

May  8tli. — Mistle  Thrush  sitting.  The  nest,  a  typical 
one.  was  built  on  the  lintel  of  the  door,  but  the  bird  sat  steadily 
in  spite  of  this. 

.U(;v  QfJi. — Military  Starling  and  Crimson-headed  Marsh- 
bird  killed.  The  heads  and  necks  of  these  birds  were  like  the 
others.  Suspected  a  cock  ( Jlivaceous  Thrush  which  was  seen 
chasing"  a  pair  of  Common  Quail.       Had  its  wing  cut. 

May  lotli. — vSpotted  Eagle  Owl  laid  a  soft  egg.  The  bird 
was  very  mopy  the  day  before  this  event,  and  I  thought  that  I 
should  lose  her.     Suspect  that  she  has  got  a  bit  too  fat.. 

May  nth. — Hen  Grey-headed  Sparrow  (Passer  diffusus) 
laid.  This  bird  was  mated  to  a  cock  Cutthroat,  who  was  in 
constant  attendance  at  the  nest. 

May  I2th. — Yellow-throated  S])arrow  laid  in  an  artificial 
nest-box.      Hen  Diuca  Finch  and  cock  ]\Iisto  Seed-finch  killed. 

Max  T^th. — Ground  Thrushes  nesting". 

Max  14th. — Cock  Ground  Thrush  missing.  This  bird 
had  been  suffering  severely  from  asthma,  and  I  concluded  that 
Hiis  was  the  cause  of  death. 

Max  ff^tli. — Pair  Shore  Larks  and  a  hen  Diamond  Dove 
killed  by  weasel.  This  little  brute  was  no  doubt  the  cause  of 
the  death  of  many  of  the  other  birds.  I  had  seen  it  in  the 
aviary  early  in  the  year,  but  as  the  little  Quail.  Larks,  and  other 


May  in  My  Aviaries. 


97 


Photo  by  IV.  Shore  Baily,  F.Z.S. 
Ovster-catcher's   Nest. 


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May  ill  My  Ai'iarics.  99 

May  2^ til. — Algerian  Chaffinch  hatched.  I  had  removed 
two  of  her  es^.^s  and  put  them  under  the  Stripe-headed  Grosbeak 
ien.  whose  own  egi^s  were  infertile.  The  nestHngs  w^ere  ugly 
little  things  and  w'ere  covered  with  long  white  down.  They 
only  lived  three  days,  as  neither  the  hen  Chaffinch  nor  the  hen 
( irosbeak  seem  to  be  able  to  find  suitable  food  for  them, 
ilthougli  they  brooded  them  very  carefully,  even  after  the  poor 
little  things  were  dead. 

May  2fitli. — Misto  Seed-finch  laid.  The  nest  was  in  a 
patch  of  grass  and  not  very  well  hidden.  It  is  lucky  that  the 
weasel  is  defunct. 

May  26th. — 2  Peacock  Pheasants  hatched. 

May  2jth. — Calif ornian  Quail  sitting.  Golden-breasted 
Bunting  missing. 

May  2S'tli. — Alanchurian  Pheasant  sitting  nine  eggs. 

May  2pfJi. — Alistle  Thrush  hatched  three  common 
Thrush's  eggs.  These  were  substituted  for  her  ow-n  eggs, 
which  were,   of  course,  infertile,  as  she  has  no  mate. 

May  joth. — ]\lonaul  laid.  A  fine  egg  very  similar  to  that 
of  the  Capercailzie.       Cock  Shore  Lark  died. 

\fay  ?/.?f. — Horned  Tiuinea  Fowl  sitting.  Demoiselle 
Cranes  playing  at  nesting.  I  have  had  this  pair  of  birds  six 
years — the  former  owner  had  them  seven  years.  This  is  the 
first  season  that  they  have  made  any  pretence  at  nesting.  The 
hen  spends  a  good  deal  of  her  time  incubating  a  stone. 

C^ 


Spring  Notes  for  1922. 

By  L.  F.  R.  Pullar.  F.Z.S. 
The  past  winter  was  a  mild  one.  and  I  lost  no  birds  from 
climatic  causes.  I  was,  however,  very  unfortunate  in  losing 
nn  pair  of  Peach-faced  Lovebirds  {Agapornis  puUaria).  These 
were  delayed  on  the  raihvay  on  their  return  from  a  show,  and 
this,  added  to  the  fact  that  the  stewards  had  not  supplied 
sufficient  seed,  caused  their  death.  I  have  only  recently  been 
able  to  get  another  pair.  The  only  other  losses  of  importance 
were  a  Virginian  Cardinal  (Cardinalis  cardhialls)  and  a  hen  Blue 
Bud^eriRar. 


100 


Sf^riiig  Notes  for  ip22. 


Most  of  my  pairs  have  now  been  removed  from  the 
indoor  flights  to  the  outdoor  aviaries.  My  aviaries  are  not  so 
crowded  this  season,  and  I  hope  for  better  breeding  results. 
L  ast  year  1  had  far  too  many  common  Budgerigars  and  odd 
birds,  but  these  have  now  been  disposed  of. 

Aviary  No.  i  :  This  is  a  small  affair  ( i6ft.  x  6ft. J,  but  it. 
is  a  useful  size  for  a  single  pair  of  Parrakeets.  In  it  I  have  a 
fine  pair  of  Red-headed  Conures  (Connrns  yuhruJarvatus)  which. 
I  hope,  will  nest.  Both  birds  are  very  tame,  but  1  have  not 
been  encouraging  this  lately,  as  I  find  that  very  tame  birds  are 
disinclined  to  breed. 

Aviary  No.  2:  This  measures  i6ft.  x  i6ft.,  and  in  it  I 
have  four  Prince  Lucian  Conures.  There  is  at  least  one  true 
pair  among  them,  and  I  am  hoping  that  these  will  nest.      These 


West   Side   of   Aviaries   Nos.    3.   4  and   5. 

are  my  favourites  among  the  conures,  although  they  are  not 
very  brightly  coloured.  Still  they  are  handsome  little  birds, 
and  do  not  scream  like  the  larger  conures.  Last  season  one 
pair  occupied  a  nest-box,  but  they  did  not  lay,  as  they  were 
disturbed  by  mice.  1  have  taken  care  that  this  shall  not  happen 
again.  The  other  occupants  of  tliis  aviary'are  a  pair  of  (ireen 
Cardinals,  which  are  great  favourites  of  mine,  and  are  nice 
birds  to  kee])  with  Parrakeets.  I  have  only  recently  bought 
this  pair,  but  the  hen  is  already  ins])ecting  nest-boxes. 


spring  Notes  for  jp22.  loi 

The  next  aviary  is  my  largest  and  measures  36ft.  x  24ft. 
In  it  I  have  the  following  pairs: 

J  pair  Jendaya  Conures  (Conurus  jendaya). 

I    pair  Brown-throated  Conures  (C  acruginosits). 

I  pair  Peach-faced  Lovebirds  (Agapornis  roseicollis). 

I   pair  White-winged  Parrakeets  {Brotogcrys  vircsccns). 

I  pair  Green  Cardinals  (Gubernatrix  cristata). 

T.  i^air  Californian  Quail  (Lophortyx  calif ornica). 

I  am  hoping  the  Brown-throated  Conures  will  nest,  as 
they  are  a  true  pair.  The  Green  Cardinals  successfully  reared 
one  young  bird  last  season  and  should  do  better  this  year.  The 
Jendaya  Conures  are  new  arrivals,  but  seem  quite  peaceful 
though  somewhat  noisy.  I  also  intend  adding  a  pair  of  some 
species  of  Australian  Parrakeets  to  this  aviary — probably 
Stanleys. 

All  the  aviaries  are  fitted  up  with  logs  and  nest-boxes, 
also  boxes  with  long  spotits.  The  latter  are  favourites  with 
al!  my  parrakeets. 

During  the  winter  I  bought  a  pair  of  charmingly-tame 
Orange-flanked  Parrakeets  (Brotogerys  pyrrhopterus).  These 
were  delightful  in  the  house,  but  as  they  had  their  wings  clipped, 
and  the  hen  was  none  too  strong,  I  decided  that  they  would 
TiOt  be  suitable  for  an  aviary.  I  therefore  parted  with  them 
with  much  regret.  A  strong,  full-winged  pair  would  be  most 
interesting  in  an  aviary,  but  I  do  not  think  they  could  stand 
bullying  by  other  birds.* 

I  have  also  a  pair  of  finger-tame  Illiger's  Macaws 
(Ara     Jiiaracana).  They     are     very     gentle     and     never 

attempt  to  bite.  I  have  not  yet  decided  whether  to  keep  these 
or  not,  as  I  think  they  will  cause  trouble  in  the  aviary.  At 
present  I  have  them  in  cages.  They  are  a  true  pair  and  I  am 
sure  they  would  nest  if  I  could  give  them  an  aviary  to  them- 
selves. Unfortunately  all  my  accommodation  is  full  for  this 
season.  They  are  not  noisy  for  Macaws  and  would  look  well 
on  the  wing  in  a  large  aviary. 

I  have  two  more  aviaries,  each  loft.  x  8ft.  In  the  first 
of  these  I  have  a  pair  of  Euops  Conures  (Conurus  euops).  I 
have  not  put  these  in  the  large  aviary  this  season  as  they  spoilt 
several  nests  last  year  through  inquisitiveness.       They  want  to 


102  Sf'ring  Notes  for  i(j22. 

see  what  is  in  every  nest,  and  nii^iit  kill  the  youn!^-  birds;  so  this 
year  I  have  ]mt  them  where  they  can  do  no  harm.  Still  they 
are  not  vicious  birds,  and  aj^ree  well  with  birds  of  their  own 
size  and  strength.  I   notice  that   since  the  moult   they  have 

much  larj^er  areas  of  scarlet  in  their  i)luma,L;e.  and  expect  this 
will  develop  still  more  as  they  become  fully  adult. 

My  last  aviary  is  devoted  to  Budt^erij^ars.  I  have  pairs 
of  Blue,  (Jlive,  Apple-green,  and  Blue-bred  Green,  and  hope  to 
have  a  good  number  of  young  by  the  end  of  the  season. 

The  beginning  of  the  season  always  finds  me  very  hopeful, 
and  I  picture  crowds  of  young  birds.  So  far  my  successes  have 
been  very  few  and  insignificant,  but  this  year  I  think  1  shall  do 
better,  as  my  aviaries  are  not  so  crowded;  moreover,  many  pairs 
which  I  got  in  the  late  summer  have  had  time  to  settle  down. 
Anyway,  I  wish  a  most  successful  season  to  all  members  of  the 
F.B.C. 

[A  pathetic  interest  attaches  to  the  above  notes,  dated 
April  25th,  as  they  are  the  last  which  can  reach  us  from  our 
young  member's  pen,  as  he  died  after  three  days'  painful  illness 
(pneumonia)  on  April  30th,  within  two  days  of  his  eighteenth 
birthday — he  is  a  distinct  loss  to  aviculture,  as  he  was  keenly 
intelligent  and  observant,  and  took  his  birdy  obsession  very 
seriously;  Bird  Notes  will  certainly  miss  his  seasonal  contril)u- 
tions.  To  his  sorrow'ing  ])arents  and  sister  we  tender  our 
])rofound  sym])athy. — Ed.] 

^ 


Notes  on  Jungle  and  other  Wild  Life. 

Bv  Dr.  Casky  A.  Wood.  M.B.O.U. 

(Coiiiimtcd  from  fage  88). 
Do  caged  birds  on  shipboard  suffer  from  seasickness? 
Well,  some  of  them  do.  One  rather  stormy  day,  when  between 
B)ermuda  and  Sombrero  Dight,  our  good  ship  rolled  and  tossed 
■I  good  deal,  and  some  of  the  passengers  retired  for  a  reason- - 
lohn  the  Third  was  noticed  to  be  frankly  and  freely  indulging-  in 
an  attack  of  ;;/<//  dc  111  cr.  It  was  not  an  ordinary  fit  of 
"  gagging."  but  the  genuine  article,  followed  by  that  unmis- 
takable "  gia/.ed  '"  look  about  the  eyes,  that  indifference  to  his 


Notes  oil  J iiiii^Ic  and  Other  IVlld  Life.  103 

f.ivourite  food,  and  tlial  wobljly,  i^roi^gy  state,  from  which  he 
did  not  recover  until  we  liad  reached  more  quiet  waters.  My 
observation  of  them  leads  me  to  believe  that,  except  when  at 
play,  parrots  strongly  object  to  swaying  branches  and  irregular 
swinging  cages;  in  their  sober  moments  they  seek  the  stiff 
limbs  of  steady  trees;  and,  as  all  naturalists  know,  they  nest  and 
Oii'ten  sleep,  like  woodpeckers,  in  holes  scooped  out  of  arboreal 
trunks.  Perhaps  that  is  one  explanation  of  the  large  mortality 
among  captive  birds  imported  from  Africa  and  America  in  small 
cages  and  across  stormy  seas. 

Speaking  of  parrots,  a  good  many  West  Indian  islands 
liave  had,  and  some  of  them  still  have,  varieties  of  these  beautiful 
and  highly  intelligent  birds  that  are,  in  certain  instances, 
peculiar  to  the  Antilles.  Austin  H.  Clarke,  who  has  written 
much  on  the  subject,  tells  us  that  the  parrakeet,  once  abundant 
in  the  hills  of  Barbados  (I  notice  that  the  Rev.  Grif^th  Hughes, 
writing  in  1750,  counts  the  "  Parakite  "  among  the  native  birds 
of  the  island),  has  suffered  the  same  fate  as  most  of  the  other 
West  Indian  parrots,  ])arrakeets  and  macaws.  Not  only  are 
they  unknown  to  any  living  native,  but  even  tradition  hardly 
records  their  early  existence.  Worst  of  all,  the  memory  of 
barely  a  single  species,  a  Cuban  variety  (Ava  tricolor)  is  pre- 
served as  a  museum  specimen.  It  seems  outrageous  that  these 
lovely  and  sensitive  animals  should  be  treated  by  both  natives 
and  (some)  wliites  as  game  birds,  and  that  the  edible  quality 
of  the  parrot  should  be  partly  responsible  for  his  extermination. 
Clarke  also  points  out  that  their  conversational  powers  and  their 
reputation  as  pets  led  to  wholesale  trafific  in  immature  birds,  and 
their  nesting  places  were  so  constantly  watched  that  scarcely 
any  of  the  young  were  allowed  to  go  free.  Then,  again, 
parrots  are  particular  about  their  food,  and  betray  their  presence 
liy  the  litter  of  torn  fruit  on  the  ground  about  trees  in  which  they 
habitually  feed.  Once  such  a  tree  is  discovered  all  the  (potj 
hunter  has  to  do  is  to  sit  nearby  and  shoot  the  birds  as  they  fly  in. 

Another  fatal  and  pathetic  quality  that  leads  to  the  easy 
destruction  of  these  s])ecies  by  their  human  enemies  is  the  parrot's 
devotion  to  his  mate  and  to  the  flock  of  which  the  pair  form  an 
essential  unit.  When  a  parrot  is  killed  or  wounded  the  others, 
hitherto  wild,  wary  and  una])proachable.  at  once  lose  all  fear 
of  the  hunter  in  their  solicitude  for  their  unfortunate  companion. 


104  Notes  on  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life. 

and  remain  in  the  vicinity  and  within  range  until  all  or  most  of 
them  are  killed. 

Still  another  cowardly  method  of  exterminating  these 
attractive  birds  is  to  place  a  tame  decoy  in  a  tree  with  a  line 
attached  to  his  leg,  the  pulling  upon  which  at  intervals  causes 
the  ca])tive  bird  to  call  out  and  thus  attract  passing  pairs  or 
flocks. 

As  recent  agitation  of  the  matter  has  resulted  in  the 
enactment  of  protective  laws  by  the  various  insular  legislatures, 
many  of  the  disappearing  parrots  may  be  saved,  but  some  of 
them  are  already  so  reduced  in  numbers  that  it  is  doubtful 
whether  they  will  survive. 

Although  the  indigenous  birds  of  Barbados  are,  like  those 
of  Bermuda — another  isolated,  non-continental,  island-- 
comparatively  numerous,  yet  they  are  divided  among  very  few 
species,  of  which  there  are  only  about  seventeen  in  the  former 
colony.  Nevertheless,  some  Barbadian  races,  like  that  curious 
animal,  the  Sea  Parrot  {Pnffnnis  aitdiiboni),  is  cjuite  rare  and 
seems  slated  for  extinction. 

1  must  tell  you  about  at  least  one  of  the  interesting  birds 
of  Barbados.  The  Sparrow  (Pyrrliitlagra  barbadensis),  was 
first  named  and  properly  described  by  an  old  friend — whose 
IcdDours  are  over  and  who  now  dwells  in  Burton's  City  of 
Surcease — Charles  B.  Cory,  lately  of  the  Field  Museum. 
Chicago.  This  charming  little  bird,  with  his  dove-coloured 
breast  and  darker,  grey  mantle,  is  a  fearless  and  friendly,  some 
say  impudent,  bird,  whose  chief  characteristic  is  that  he  invites 
himself  at  mealtime,  and  daily  and  regularly,  to  such  houses  as 
do  not  support  a  cat  or  other  objectional  deterrents.  Flying 
through  the  ever-open  window,  entirely  unmindful  of  the  human 
beings  within,  he  and  his  mate  ]:)erch  on  the  backs  of  chairs  or 
other  article  of  furniture,  and  look  about  for  something  to  eat. 
The  pair  that  attached  themselves  to  our  menage  were  inordin- 
ately fond  of  sugar,  and  at  tea-time  took  possession  of  the 
sugar  bowl  by  roosting  on  the  rim  of  the  same  as  soon  as  the 
maid  a]»])eared  with  the  tray.  One  of  the  birds  then  l)obbed  his 
head  into  the  sugar — not  a  very  sanitary  ]^erformance,  you  will 
say — and  with  a  dozen  or  so  grains  adhering  to  his  beak,  flew 
to  a  nearby  table,  upon  which  he  dislodged  the  sweet  particles 


Notes  oil  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life.  105 

bv  knockiny;  his  mandibles  on  the  wood.  Then  the  birds  picked 
up  the  particles  one  by  one,  repeating  the  process  until  they 
were  satisfied.  A  lady,  with  whom  I  was  discussing  this  matter, 
told  me  that  she  devised  what  she  thought  was  a  sure  cure  for 
the  "  nuisance  "  by  placing  d'oyleys,  weighted  along  their  edges, 
over  such  receptacles  as  milk  jugs,  bread  plates  and  sugar  con- 
tainers, but  it  was  of  little  avail  because  the  sparrows  soon 
learned  to  pull  off  the  protecting  cloths,  so  that  she  was  obliged 
to  follow  the  example  of  the  hotels  and  restaurants  and  support 
a  feline  or  two.  Cats  appear  to  be  the  only  animals,  unless  it 
be  the  (imported)  mongoose,  that  the  Barbados  sparrow  really 
fears. 

After  ample  observation  of  these  odd  little  birds.  I  am  of 
the  opinion  that  not  food  alone  impels  them  to  make  domiciliary 
visits.  Often,  following  a  full  meal,  and  when  there  were 
crumbs  lying  about  uneaten,  have  I  seen  a  sparrow  giving  the 
contents  of  my  room  the  "  once  over  "  in  the  minutest  detail, 
poking  into  wardrobes,  looking  into  shoes,  hopping  about  on 
tables  and  under  chairs  and  beds — even  searching  the  waste 
basket — to  satisfy  curiosity,  which,  I  am  convinced,  is  as  real  and 
pronounced  in  some  birds  as  it  is  said  to  be  in  some  men. 

When  one  remembers  that  during  his  three  voyages 
across  the  Atlantic  Columbus  discovered  nearly  all  the  West 
Indian  Islands,  and  that  from  these  dates  most  of  them  began 
ro  "  make  history,"  it  is  no  wonder  they  have  had  their  due 
share  of  it.  Nevis  Columbus  so  named  because  of  the  snow- 
like cloud  that  capped  its  volcanic  peak ;  and  there  they  proudly 
point  out  the  house  where  Alexander  Hamilton  was  born,  and 
still  more  proudly  exhibit  the  register  of  Fig  Tree  Church, 
containing  the  entry  of  Admiral  Nelson's  marriage.  The  date 
is  1787,  and  the  certificate  testifies  that  "  Capt.  Horatio  Nelson, 
of  H.M.S.  Bureas  was.  on  March  iith,  united  to  Frances 
I^erbert  Nisbet,  widow."  When  I  was  in  Barbados  and  my 
speech  betrayed  me  to  the  negro  "  who  had  lived  in  the  States," 
1  never  escaped  the  reminder  that  the  original  George  Wash- 
ington had  profited  by  living  in  their  midst. 

Apart  from  personal  contact  with  the  haunts  of  these  and 
other  celebrated  individuals.  I  recollect  that  in  and  about  these 
islands  there  occurred  many  famous  sea  fights  between  the 
English  and   PVench.        When   I   was   at   school   my  maternal 


loO  Xolcs  oil  J iiiiglr  anil  Other  Wild  Life. 

Liraiulfather,  a  ca])tain  in  tlie  navy,  left  me  most  of  his  library, 
one  of  the  consequences  of  which  was  that  I  had  to  use  his 
cij4"liteenth  century  Horace.  Virgil  (with  the  s's  like  f's)  and 
Itomer — totally  void  of  the  predigested  "  notes  "  of  my  more 
fortunate  fellows — and  regarded  this  unassisted  task  in  much 
the  same  light  as  the  remiger  on  the  second  row  of  the  trireme 
iliought  of  his  unhappy  lot;  but  it  was  quite  otherwise  with  five 
volumes  of  James'  Naval  History;  they  were  as  fascinating"  as 
any  novel  (dime  or  other)  then  accessible  to  me.  I  recollect  to 
tliis  day  tlie  story  of  H.M.S.  Diauwnd  Ruck,  which,  if  yuit 
remember,  please  pass  on  to  the  next  item.  Three  times  have  I 
,-een  the  Rock  during  the  past  two  years,  and  three  times  have 
1.  for  the  sake  of  old  memories,  scamied  it  attentixely. 

About  a  c[uarter  of  a  mile  from  tlie  south  coast  of 
Martinque,  between  that  French  island  and  St.  Lucia,  there  rises 
sheer  out  of  the  sea  a  naked  rock  that  suggests,  to  my  mind,  i. 
magnified  Flatiron  Building,  with  its  almost  straight  sides  and 
level  top.  It  was  between  this  rock  and  the  neighbouring- 
island  that  the  French  and  British  fleets  were  wont,  during  the 
Napoleonic  wars,  to  play  at  naval  hide-and-go-seek — to  the 
advantage  of  the  tirst-named.  until  Admiral  Hood  conceived  the 
original  plan  of  converting  the  rock  into  a  garrisoned  fortress. 
In  February.  1805.  the  crew  of  a  British  cruiser,  by  means  01 
ropes,  hauled  their  guns  to  the  summit;  and  there,  for  four 
months,  exposed  to  all  the  discomforts  of  a  liroiling  sun,  torren 
''al  rains  and  the  continued  assaults  of  an  active  enemy,  defied 
their  adversaries.  During  that  sixteen  weeks  it  wasn  t  healthy 
lor  a  French  ship  to  come  within  range  of  f^iaiuoiid  Rock! 
Many  a  historian  has  told  this  romantic  tale,  but  here  is  a  para- 
graph or  two  from  Aspinall's  li'csf  Indies: — "  Hood,  seeing 
that  the  h'rench  ships  escaped  him  by  running  between  this  rock 
and  the  Points  de  Diamante,  laid  his  seventy-four,  the  Centaur, 
close  alongside  the  Diamond,  made  a  hawser  fast  to  the  ship 
and  to  the  top  of  the  rock,  which  is  accessible  on  the  leeward 
side,  and  slung  with  a  traveller  three  long  24's  and  two  i8's  to 
the  summit,  the  sailors  looking  '  like  mice  hauling  a  little 
sausage.'  Scarcely  could  they  hear  the  (lovernor  on  the  top 
'h'recting  them  with  his  trumpet;  the  Centaur  lying  close  under. 
i'ke  a  cocoa-nut  shell  to  which  hawsers  are  affixed."  FTere 
Lieut.    L  W.   Maurice,   with   120   men  and  boys,   remained  for 


Motes  on  hiv.^lc  and  Other  Wild  Life.  107 

four  months,  their  nature-built  fortress  being  tlie  while  borne 
(;n  the  Admiralty  books  as  H.M.S.  Diamond  Rock.  h'rom  this 
commanding"  position  they  harassed  the  French  fleet  until  ist 
June,  1805,  when,  through  want  of  powder,  they  were  compelled 
to  surrender  to  a  h'rench  squadron  of  two  seventy-fours,  a 
frigate,  a  corvette,  a  schooner  and  eleven  gunboats,  upon  whom 
they  inflicted  severe  loss,  only  themselves  losing  two  men 
killed  and  one  wounded. 

South  America  may  be  regarded  as  the  homeland  of  ant 
life.  There  are  microscopic  ants,  small  ants,  medium-sized 
ants,  and  ants  so  large  that  they  may  easily  be  mistaken  for 
big  cockroaches.  There  are  also  stupid  ants  and  wise  ones,  as 
well  as  ants  that  possess  not  only  all  the  human  senses  but  other 
perceptions  that  we  wot  not  of. 

Here  is  one  of  our  numerous  experiences  of  these 
mysterious  creatures.  One  evening  E.  remarked  that  she  had 
seen  few  insects  about  the  hotel — some  flies,  fewer  cockroaches, 
and,  most  remarkable  of  all,  hardly  any  of  the  ant  races.  I 
replied  that  it  was  very  likely  due  to  the  excessively  dry  season. 
'I'hus  did  v.'e  both  attract  the  evil  eye  and  were  "  overlooked.  ' 
Half  an  hour  afterwards  we  were  astonished  by  a  solid  stream 
of  scavenger  ants  stretching  from  a  waste-paper  basket  (into 
which  I  had  most  improperly  thrown  a  small  box  containing  the 
remains  of  some  Christmas  bon-bons)  to  the  baseboard  of  the 
room.  This  mass  of  little  red  ants  was  an  inch  wide,  and  the 
column  made  straight  across  the  room,  ten  feet  away,  crossing 
over  but  never  going  around  any  of  the  obstructions  in  their 
path.  Every  foot  or  so  of  this  insect  army  was  ofificered  and 
controlled  by  larger  and  quite  different  coloured  ants,  who  ran 
hither  and  thither,  in  striking  contrast  to  the  ant  mass  that  was 
headed  always  in  the  same  direction — towards  the  crack  in  the 
baseboard — behind  which  they  disappeared.  After  watching 
this  phenomenon,  quite  common  in  tropical  countries  and 
occasionally  seen  in  temperate  localities,  E.  said  "  Why,  they 
seem  to  be  going  all  one  way  and  to  be  coming  from  the 
basket."  Investigation  proved  that  an  incoming  column  could 
be  traced  back  from  the  basket,  out  into  the  hall,  along  and 
past  two  fairly  large  adjoining  apartments,  into  and  across  a 
third  room,  to  emerge  from  its  baseboard  at  least  100  feet  from 
the  exit  in  my  room.      Thus  we  had  to  deal  with  a  solid  column 


io8  Notes  on  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life. 

or  stream  of  ofiicered  and  picketed  red  ants  (Monomorium 
pliaraonis  Linn.,  to  furnish  the  necessary  scientific  background) 
travelling-  along  and  forming  the  inch-wide  periphery  of  a  circle 
thirty  vards  in  diameter.  We  made  several  experiments  with 
this  ant  "  material,"  but  the  most  remarkable  incident  occurred 
when  we  removed  the  basket  altogether ;  marshalled  and 
captained  as  before,  the  pharaohic  host  disappeared  as  if  by 
magic  into  their  home  by  the  baseboard.  We  never  saw  them 
again,  unless  as  individuals,  as  isolated  detachments  or  as  small 
squads  scouting  for  miscroscopic  grains  of  food.  Doubtless 
it  is  an  easy  matter  for  the  close  student  of  Fabre  and  other 
psycho-entomologists  to  say  wdio  carried  the  first  news  of  the 
basket  treasure,  who  ordered  and  generalled  the  expeditionary 
forces,  and  who  eventually  sounded  the  general  retreat,  but  to 
mere  observers  like  E.  and  myself  the  mystery  deepens  the  more 
we  see  of  these  comparatively  simple  and  every-day  insects. 
As  for  the  Army  ants,  we  are  all  at  sea.  When  we  consider 
their  ways  we  are  not  wise. 

It  is  only  fair  to  add  to  these  platitudes  that  after  I  had 
penned  them  I  saw  the  following  account  of  the  activities  of  an 
alHed  species,  written  for  the  Demerara  Argosy,  January  i8th, 
1922,  by  a  well-knowni  Guiana  naturalist — Mr.  Harold  W.  P. 
Moore.  He  answers  several  of  these  questions,  and  says  : — 
"  I  •  M.iere  any  animal  other  than  man  that  can  so  clearly  inform 
another  of  its  kind  where  a  particular  object  is  that  the  one  told 
can  go  and  find  the  object  without  much  difficulty?  Yes,  there 
is.  and  the  animal  wdiich  shares  this  power  with  man  is  none 
Gth.er  than  the  ant.  Times  without  number  have  T  seen  ants 
tell  another  where  a  bit  of  food  could  be  found,  and  seen  this 
second  go  right  off  and  find  it,  but  it  comes  home  forcibly  to  me 
now  because  only  last  week  I  saw  it  done.  One  of  my  windows 
is  frequented  by  a  certain  kind  of  warlike  and  carnivorous  ant-- 
always  among  the  most  intelligent  of  the  lot  —which  is  in  the 
habit  of  taking  by  force  from  some  spiders  any  flies  or  other 
insects  these  may  happen  to  entrap.  When  the  ant  arrives  on 
the  scene,  the  s]')iders  soon  have  to  leave  them  in  possession  of 
whatever  prey  their  webs  and  skill  may  have  got  them.  They 
are  unable  to  fight  the  ants.  As  it  was  the  first  time  T  have  had 
an  opportunity  of  observing  this  particular  species  of  ant,  I 
thought  I  would  experiment  with  it,  as  I  have  done  before  with 


Notes  oil  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life.  109 

some  others.  I  killed  a  fly  and  placed  it  near  one  of  the  scout 
pnts  and  about  four  feet  from  where  their  domicile  was.  The 
ant  was  not  long"  in  finding  the  fly.  It  then  made  off  towards 
home.  Just  outside  it  met  a  comrade  with  which  it  remained  in 
(lose  contact  for  two  or  three  seconds,  the  latter  becoming"  more 
and  more  excited  while  they  were  together.  On  parting,  the 
first  ant  went  on  to  the  home,  while  the  second  started  off  in  the 
opposite  direction  at  a  brisk  run  along  the  path  traversed 
originally  by  the  first.  On  it  hurried  until  it  got  opposite  the 
flv  to  get  to  which  it  would  have  to  turn  aside  about  an  inch 
and  a  half  from  the  straight  path.  The  bend  seemed  to  puzzle 
it  a  little.  It  went  past  an  inch  or  two  and  returned,  and  did  so 
for  two  or  three  times,  evidently  hunting  for  the  trail  laid  by  the 
first.  Finally  it  picked  this  up,  turned  aside  and  was  at  its 
objective." 

Something"  more  wonderful  yet  can  be  seen  with  these 
ants.  The  scouts  or  small  workers  can  report  to  headquarters 
whether  an  object  they  have  found  is  dead  or  alive,  or  requires 
a  turn-out  of  the  big  workers  or  carvers,  as  I  call  them,  as  these 
are  ants  with  a  large  head  furnished  with  a  formidable  pair  of 
sharp  jaws  for  cutting  up  where  necessary,  an  object  found. 
Let  a  scout  find  a  few  grains  of  sugar,  for  instance.  When  the 
scouts  report  only  similar  small  workers  come  out  to  fetch  them 
in.  Let  them  find  a  small  dead  fly  which  they  can  handle  easily 
themselves.  There  is  no  turn-out  of  the  carvers.  Let  the 
scouts  report  a  dead  cock-roach.  The  carvers  come  out,  as  it 
is  a  big  object  and  may  need  not  only  some  carving  but  also 
the  superior  strength  of  the  big  workers  for  bringing  it  home. 
In  such  a  case  the  carvers  do  not  come  out  in  a  very  excited 
manner.  Let,  now,  the  scouts  report  a  small  live  moth,  or  a 
cockroach  wdiich,  though  you  have  smashed,  still  has  a  deal  of 
life  left,  or  a  stubborn  hard-back,  and  the  carvers  turn  out  in  a 
very  excited  manner,  and  hurry  along  with  jaws  agape  and 
threatening.  They  know  they  have  been  summoned  to  give  a 
speedy  quietus  to  some  troublesome  quarry." 

As  with  mosquitos  elsewhere,  the  tropical  species  are 
given  to  hiding  during  the  day  (preferably  in  dark  corners  and  in 
the  folds  of  black  clothing")  and  seeking  victims  during  the 
night ;  they  are  generally  nocturnal  animals.  Taking  advantage 
of  that  trait,  a  Barbadian  (or  Badian  as  they  sometimes    call 


iio  Notes  on  Jitiiglc  and  Other  Wild  Life. 

tlieniselves)  told  nic  lie  bad  been  able  to  keej)  bis  bouse  almost 
free  of  tbe  pests  by  placin!^"  in  eacli  room  a  l)lack-lined.  tin 
biscuit  box,  eacb  one  provided  witb  an  opening  tliree  or  four 
inches  square.  As  daylight  approaches,  the  insects  find  their 
way  into  this  favourite  nest,  which  during  the  day  is  covered, 
removed,  and  its  contents  appro])riately  dealt  with. 

Importunately  for  the  inhabitants,  there  is  no  native  malaria 
(i.e.,  no  anof'lieles)  in  Little  England;  hence,  the  device  just 
described  is  not  directed  against  disease-bearing  insects  so  much 
as  against  the  local  eiile.r.  a  vicious  beast,  small,  aggressive  and 
almost  noiseless,  so  that  one  is  usually  ignorant  of  the  creature's 
presence  until  he  bites. 

In  this  connection,  I  am  not  so  confident  as  I  once  was  of 
ihe  su])erior  eflicacy  that  the  screening  of  houses  and  verandahs 
affords  in  the  tropics  over  a  careful  provision  of  nets  over  the 
beds,  and  the  wearing  of  mosquito  boots.  A  number  of  houses 
and  one  whole  village  are  to  be  seen  in  the  Guiana  Colony  pro- 
tected after  the  American  plan  ;  but  with  an  irresponsible  colored 
population  to  deal  with  one  must  exercise  eternal  vigilance,  that 
exits  are  constantly  watched,  that  the  screening  does  not  inter- 
fere with  the  free  ingress  of  the  winds  of  heaven  to  every  nook 
and  comer  of  the  house — the  sine  qua  nou  of  life  for  white  people 
in  the  Tropics. 

No  more  in  equatorial  lands  than  up  north  can  there  be 
found  agreement  as  to  the  order  of  excellence  in  fruits. 
Which  do  you  really  prefer  (always  assuming  that  they  are  the 
best  of  their  kind),  apples,  peaches  or  pears?  Which  does  a 
St.  Lucian  like  better,  a  ripe  pineap])le  (which  we  all  know  is 
not  an  apple  at  all  and  doesn't  grow  on  a  pine  or  any  other  sort 
of  tree)  or  one  of  his  own  grafted  mangos?  If  anybody  is 
unwise  enough  to  ask  me  my  preferences  in  tropical  fruits,  I 
reply: — First  of  all,  give  me  every  morning  for  breakfast  half 
a  medium-sized  paw-paw,  iced  and  served  with  lime-juice  and 
sugar,  so  that  I  may  know  the  combined,  fruity  qualities  of  the 
musk  melon  and  the  peach;  then,  for  second  choice,  a  russet- 
brown  sabadillo,  whose  pink  flesh  stiggests  a  perfumed  water- 
melon; then,  a  ripe-on-the-tree  avocado,  or  alligator  pear,  also 
reinforced  by  a  ripe  lime;  then,  an  island  pineapple,  and,  finally, 
a  St.  Lucie  mango.      There  are  a  dozen  others  in  common  use 


Azotes  oil  Some  Forvis  of  Cissolopha.  iii 

(a  ripe-on-the-tree  yellow  banana  is  not  to  be  despised),  but  you 
may  i.^nore  them  if  you  can  conuuand  the  best  varieties  of  these 
five. 

(To  be  continued). 


^ 

Notes  on  Some  Forms   of   Cissolopha. 

By  Lrp:  S.  Crandall. 

After  reading-  Mr.  W.  Shore  Baily's  interesting  article  on 
Jays,  in  Bird  Notks,  for  March,  1922,  it  occurs  to  me  that  some 
notes  on  the  forms  of  Cissolopha,  which  usually  appear  in  the 
market  as  ""  Yucatan  Jays,"  might  not  be  amiss. 

Five  species  and  sub-species  of  this  genus  are  known, 
ranging"  from  Alexico  into  northern  Nicaragua.  In  general, 
all  have  the  head,  neck  and  underparts  black,  and  the  remainder 
of  the  plumage  some  shade  of  blue.  At  first  glance  they  seem 
\ery  much  alike,  but  on  closer  examination  it  is  found  that  they 
really  are  easily  distinguished.  Four  of  the  forms  have  been 
represented  in  the  collections  of  the  New  York  Zoological 
Society  from  time  to  time — we  have  three  of  them  at  this 
writing — but  the  fifth  I  have  never  seen  alive. 

The  typical  Yucatan  Jay  (C.  yncatanica)  is  by  far  the  most 
common  in  captivity  and  is  the  one  usually  seen. 

Adult  birds  may  be  known  from  the  other  forms  by  having 
the  head  free  from  crest,  the  irides  dark  in  colour,  and  the 
legs  yellow. 

Young  birds  of  this  species,  strangely  enough,  are  white 
where  the  old  birds  are  black,  and  have  the  beak  yellow  as  well. 
Tn  191 1,  in  collaboration  wath  Mr.  Wm.  Beebe,  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  describing  this  plumage  for  the  first  time,  as  well  as  some  of 
the   intermediate   stages. 

Beechey's  Jay  (C.  heechei)  has  a  circle  of  elongated, 
erectile  feathers  around  each  eye,  a  character  not  seen  in  any  of 
the  others.  Moreover,  the  iris  is  a  pale  greenish  yellow,  and 
the  legs  are  dark,  nearly  black,  in  colour. 

The  San-blas  Jay  (C.  san-blasiana  san-blasiana)  has  a 
scant  but  fairly  long,  recurved  crest,  just  back  of  the  base  of 


112  f'Jiinutm''  of  flic  ]'iirafa}i  Jay. 

the  bill  and  overhan.i^ins"  it.      It  also  has  the  le.^s  and  irides  dark. 

TiiK  AcAPULCo  JAV  (C.  s-h.  pidchra)  is  similar,  but  has  the 
blue  i)arls  uuicli  darker.  These  forms  are  not  easily  distin- 
guished when  only  one  is  seen,  but  when  livin,!^'  toi^ether  in  an 
aviary,  as  we  have  had  them  here,  the  difference  is  very  decided. 

The  fifth  form.  I Iarilaub's  Jay  (C  ))iclanucyanca)  I 
never  have  had  the  pleasure  of  seeinii'  alive,  but  it  has  a  heavy, 
bushv  crest,  so  that  it  should  easily  be  known  to  the  fortunate 
a\-iculturist  who  mi^ht  happen  on  it. 

\  am  aware  that  the  characters  noted  above  would  not 
suit  ihe  technical  systematist,  but  I  am  sure  they  will  serve  to 
identify  living'  l)irds  at  a  i^iance.  and  1  Lake  it  that  is  wdiat  i; 
wanted  l)v  the  a\iculturist. 


The  Undescribed  Juvenal  Plumage  of  the 
Yucatan  Jay. 

By  C.  William  Beebe.  Curator  of  Birds,  and  Lee  S.  Crandall, 

Assistant  Curator. 

SCIENTIFIC  CONTRIBUTIONS  OF  THE   NEW   YORK 

ZOOLOGICAL    SOCIETY. 

I. 

On  Septeml)er  3,  191 1,  three  jays  in  immature  plumaj^e 
were  received  from  "^'ucatan.  The  plumage  was  a  hitherto 
undescribed  one,  and  a  drawing  was  made  of  one  of  the  birds 
on  September  8.  The  subsequent  postjuvenal  moult  trans- 
formed the  birds  into  undoubted  Cissiloj^ha  yucata)iica.  This 
change  is  described  in  detail  in  Part  II.  of  the  present  paper. 

Both  Sharpe  (i)  and  Salvin  and  Codman  (2)  describe  the 
female  of  this  jay  as  differing  from  the  male  in  having  the  beak 
yellow  instead  of  black,  and  the  outer  rectrices  tipped  with 
white.  Our  collector  who  brought  north  the  yoiuig  birds, 
reflecting  the  o])inion  of  the  natives  in  Yucatan,  asserts  that  the 
white  rectrice  tips  alone  characterize  the  female.  Ridgway 
(4)  describes  the  adult  sexes  as  alike,  and  considers  the  vellow 


1_1877.     Sliarpo,   Cat.   Birds  Brit.  Miis.,   III..   133. 

2 — ]887.     Salvin  nud  Godman,  Biol.  Oent.-Amer.,  Avos.  I,  498,  pi.  3o. 

4—1904.     Ridgway,  Bull.  U.S.  Nat.  Mus.,  No.  50,  Part  III.,  Slo, 


Bird  Notes. 


Yucatan  Jay  in  Juvenal  Plumage. 

Reproduced  from  coloured  plate  in  Proceedings  of  New  York  Zool.  Soc. 


f'liiiihigc  of  the  Yucafan  Jay.  113 

beak  and  white-tipped  rectrices  as  "  immature  "  characters. 
''/his  he  evidently  bases  on  Chapman  (3)  whose  notes  on  this 
species  are  obtained  at  first  hand  in  the  field.  Cliapman  writes 
as  follows  : 

"  Current  descriptions  of  this  bird,  including  that  in  the 
'  Biologia.'  ascribe  the  differences  shown  by  certain  individuals 
in  the  colour  of  the  bill  and  tail  to  sex.  the  male  being  stated 
<o  have  a  black  bill  and  tail,  while  the  female  is  said  to  have 
the  bill  yellow  and  the  tail  tipped  with  white.  My  series  of 
twelve  specimens  shows  that  this  variation  is  not  sexual,  but  is 
evidently  due  to  age.  Thus  I  have  males  and  females  with 
black  bills  and  tails,  and  also  examples  of  both  sexes  in  which 
the  bill  is  yellow  and  the  tail  tipped  with  white.  The  series 
also  contains  intermediates  between  the  two  extremes. 

How  long  a  time  is  required  for  the  acquisition  of  the 
adult  plumage  remains  to  be  determined.  Apparently  at  least 
two  years,  for  each  group  of  jays  had  several  yellow-billed 
individuals,  about  one  in  every  four  birds  giving  evidence  of 
immaturity." 

The  chief  points  of  interest  may  be  thus  summed  up  : 

1.  The  Juvenal  plumage  of  CissUopho  yucatanica  'S 
characterized  chiefly  by  the  entire  head,  neck  and  under  parts 
being  wliite :  bill  and  eye-ring  orange  yellow;  iris  pale  hazel 
brown ;  all  but  the  central  rectrices  more  or  less  tipped  with 
white.  This  white  plumage  is  retained  from  the  time  of 
leaving  the  nest,  about  July  15th,  until  October. 

2.  The  first  wnnter  plumage  is  acquired  exactly  as  in  our 
northern  Cyanocitta  cristata  by  a  partial  postjuvenal  moult 
(Dwight  [5]),  reaching  its  height  in  October.  The  head,  neck 
and  underparts  become  black;  the  iris  darkens  to  a  cold  slaty 
gray;  the  primaries  and  rectrices  are  not  moulted,  but  if  the 
latter  are  accidentally  pulled  out,  they  are  replaced  with  feathers 
showing  no  trace  of  white. 

3.  The  advance  toward  an  adult  plumage  in  this  species 
is  marked  chiefly  by  an  increase  in  dark  pigment;  sudden  and 
complete  in  the  body  plumage  of  head,  neck  and  underparts  in 
the  fall  moult,  and  in  the  lateral  rectrices  in  the  first  moult  of  the 

3—1896.     Chapman,  Bull.  Amer.  Mus.  Nat.  His.,  VIII.,  282. 
5— 190n,     Dwight,  Ann.  N.  Y.  Acad.  Sci.,  XIII.,  152, 


114  riiinici^c  of  flic  Yiicaiau  Jay. 

following;'  year;  more  gradual  in  tlic  colour  of  the  iris;  and  still 
more  L;"ra(lual  in  tlie  colonr  ot  the  niandihles  and  cyc-rini;". 

II. 

Tr\'EXAL  PLUMAGE  OF  THREE  IXDIVIDUALS. 

Individual  A. — (Fig.  51 ). 

Seven  Weeks  Oed  (September  8.  191  t). 
Head,  neck,  breast,  belly  and  under  tail-coverts  pale 
creamy  white,  faintly  tinged  on  the  crown  with  blue,  all  of  the 
white  feathers  with  sooty  l)lack  bases;  above,  pale  blue,  with  a 
few  new  feathers  of  brighter  blue;  wing-coverts  like  the  back; 
remiges  sooty  black  on  inner  web  and  rachis,  (rachis  white 
below'),  outer  web  bright  bUie  like  new  back  feathers.  The 
blue  on  the  tip  of  the  inner  web  gradually  increases,  from  the 
outer  feathers  inward,  so  that  the  inner  secondary  is  uniform 
blue,  with  the  exception  of  the  proximal  portion  of  inner  web. 
Under  wing-coverts  sooty  black,  with  faint  lighter  bars;  tail 
bright  blue  above.  IV.ack  below;  rachis  black  above  and  below; 
thighs  brownish  black,  tinged  with  blue  at  the  tarsal  joint. 
Legs  and  feet  pale  yellow;  bill  orange  yellow.  Iris  dark  hazel 
brown.  A  small  patch  of  black  feathers  is  appearing  at  either 
side  of  the  breast  and  scattered  ones  throughout  the  rest  of  the 
underparts,  but  none  on  the  head.  In  both  this  and  the  other 
individuals  the  rectrices  are  so  broken  that  it  is  impossible  to 
state  the  amount  and  place  of  occurrence  of  the  white.  Bill 
;^2  mm.,  tarsus  46  mm. 

Sixteen-  Weeks  (Novemrer  18,  1911). 
Feathers  of  the  head,  neck  and  upper  breast  deep  black,  a 
few  white  feathers,  inter]^osecl  with  black  ones,  remain  above 
and  below  the  eyes  and  on  the  lores  and  chin.  The  lower  breast 
and  abdomen  are  slightly  tinged  with  blue,  which  becomes  more 
distinct  on  the  under  tail-covers.  The  back  and  scapulars  are 
uniform  bright  blue.  The  lesser  coverts,  carpal  edge  and  inner 
nedian  coverts  and  all  the  greater  coverts  have  not  as  yet  been 
moulted.  Wing  and  unplucked  tail  feathers  have  not  been 
renewed,  nor  have  the  under  wing-coverts  and  the  feathers  of 
the  thighs.  The  eye-lid  is  bright  yellow,  the  bill  and  legs  some- 
what paler.  The  iris  is  dark  slaty  gray.  All  of  the  feathers, 
e^  cept  rectrices,  remiges  and  upper  wing-coverts,  are   loose   in 


/'hiiiiagc  of  the  ]'i(cataii  Jay.  115 

texture,  the  Ijarljs  few,  lony  and  disconnected.       Bill  33  nnn., 
tarsus  46.5  nun. 

Individual  B. 
Sevkx  Weeks  Old. 
vSimilar  to  A,  except  that  the  sooty  bases  are  present  on 
only  a  few  isolated  feathers;  a  distinct  blue  tinge  on  tne  crown; 
thighs  wholly  bluish  black;  pectoral  tracts  of  incoming-  black 
feathers  further  advanced;  crown,  nape  and  sides  of  the  neck 
tliickly  sprinkled  with  Ijlack  l)lood-feathers.  Bill  orange  yellow. 
B'ill  35  mm.,  tarsus  47  mm, 

This  specimen  was  skinned  and  preserved  in  its  juvenal 
I-lumage. 

Individual  C. 
Seven  Weeks  Old. 

Shows  sooty  feather-bases  on  only  the  anterior  part  of 
crown,  where  they  are  very  pronounced.  Black  feathers  on 
breast  are  more  scattered  and  more  advanced  than  in  A  and  B , 
thighs  bluish  black.  One  or  two  dark  feathers  appear  on  the 
crown.  Bill  clear  orange  yellow.  Bill  31  nnn.,  tarsus  45  mm. 
Sixteen  Weeks  Old. 

Similar  to  A,  but  lireast  and  abdomen  uniform  black,  only 
the  under  tail  coverts  tinged  with  blue.  No  white  feathers 
remain.  The  thighs  are  deep  black,  very  slightly  tinged  with 
blue  near  the  tarsal  joint;  these  feathers  have  evidently  been 
renewed.  The  under  wing-coverts  have  been  moulted  and  are 
deep  black,  slightly  tinged  with  blue.  Back,  scapulars,  carpal 
edge,  and  wing-coverts  have  been  moulted,  but  not  the  remiges 
o-  rectrices.  Bill  and  legs  clear  yellow,  iris  dark  slaty  gray, 
Bill  33  mm.,  tarsus  47  nnn. 


In  my  Bird  Sanctuary. 

By  the  R.H.  Viscount  Grey,  K.G. 

[In  Pcarsoirs  Maga:::i)u\  June  issue,  a  most  interesting 
account  is  given  of  this  sanctuary  at  Fallodon.  We  make  the 
ft  llowing  extracts  with  our  apologies  and  thanks  to  Editor  and 
Author. --Ed.  B.N.] 


1 16  hi  My  Bird  Saiictiairy. 

My  bird  sanctuary  at  Fallodon  is  not  a  lari^e  one.  There 
is  no  park.  There  is  no  lake.  There  are  two  ponds,  the  larger 
of  them  less  than  an  acre,  a  flower  L;arden  of  fair  size,  and  1 
have  enclosed  round  the  ponds  two  or  three  acres  of  rough 
ground  planted  with  trees  and  shrubs.  That  is  the  place  in 
which  the  waterfowl  have  been  kept. 

Three  things  are  necessary  if  you  wish  to  keep  a  collection 
T  waterfowl. 

1.  A  fence  as  nearly  fox-proof  as  you  can  make  it. 

2.  Quietude — in  the  early  spring  when  they  are  in  pairs,  water- 

fowl spend  some  weeks  looking  about  for  nesting  places 
cautiously  and  quietly  by  themselves,  and,  if  they  find 
out  that  they  are  watched,  or  should  you  come  suddenly 
upon  them,  and  they  are  disturbed,  they  will  not  select 
that  nesting  place,  and  will  not  nest  at  all.  So  even 
in  the  case  of  oneself  or  the  g'ardener  (attendant),  care 
must  be  taken  not  to  walk  at  random  in  the  nesting" 
season  on  ground  where  birds  are  likely  to  nest,  for 
fear  of  destroying  the  chance  of  their  nesting  altogether. 

3.  A  daily  attendant  who  takes  an  interest  in  the  birds.       My 

gardener,  Mr.  Henderson,  does  this;  and  to  his  interest 
in  and  great  care  of  the  birds  is  due  the  credit  of 
such  success  as  has  been  attained  in  rearing  the  different 
species. 
It  is  given  up  to  waterfowl,  and  the  follovving  have 
successfully  bred : 

Surface-feeding  Ducks. — Mallard,  Widgeon.  Pintail.  Shoveller, 

Garganey,  and  Teal. 
Diving  Ducks. — Tufted,  Red-headed  or  common  Pochard.  Red- 
crested  and  White-eyed  Pochards. 

Breeding  of  the  Carolina  or  N.  American  Wood-Duck  : 
I  would  tell  of  one  incident  in  the  breeding"  of  the  Carolina  or 
North  American  Wood-duck  which  I  thought  of  considerable 
interest.  I  had  a  good  many  of  these  birds  at  one  time,  unpin- 
ioned  and  therefore  at  perfect  liberty  to  choose  a  nesting-place. 
Their  natural  nesting"  place  is  a  hole  in  a  tree.  One  of  my 
ducks  selected  a  hole  in  an  old  elm  tree  some  three-hundred  yards 
from  the  water.  There  she  nested  every  year  and  brought  out 
her  young.       The  hole  in  the  tree  was  a  considerable  distance 


/;;  My  Bird  Saiictiiory.  117 

above  the  ground,  and  Mr.  Henderson  (I  was  away  at  the 
time)  was  very  interested  to  know  how  the  duck  managed  to 
get  her  young  brought  down  to  the  ground. 

One  year  he  noted  the  day  she  began  to  sit,  and,  as  he 
knew  the  period  of  incubation,  on  the  morning  the  duck  was 
due  to  hatch  the  eggs  he  went  and  sat  down  a  Httle  distance 
away  opposite  the  ehn  tree. 

Presently  he  saw  the  duck  come  to  the  mouth  of  the  hole 
and  fiy  down  into  the  long  grass  underneath,  where  she  began 
calling.  Then  he  saw  the  little  ducks  come  to  the  edge  of  the 
hole,  and  fall,  one  at  a  time,  except  in  one  instance  where  two 
fell  together.  There  were  six  of  them  altogether,  and  he  told 
me  they  fell  like  corks  into  the  long  grass. 

Afterwards  I  had  the  height  from  the  ground  measured. 
and  the  depth  of  the  hole  in  the  tree  measured.  It  turned  out 
that  the  hole  was  two  feet  deep,  two  feet  perpendicular  from  the 
nest  to  the  mouth  of  the  hole.  The  hole  was  twenty-one  feet 
above  the  ground,  so  the  little  ducks,  newly-hatched  when  the 
mother  flew  out  of  the  hole,  had  first  of  all  in  the  dark  cavity  of 
the  tree  to  climb  up  two  feet  within  the  trunk,  then  come  to  the 
hole  and  throw  themselves  down,  and  after  having-  done  that,  to 
go  with  their  mother  for  three-hundred  yards  through  the  long- 
grass,  following  her  to  the  water. 

I  think  that  this  is  a  striking  incident.  Think  of  the  Httle 
ducks  left  in  the  nest.  Xewly-hatched  out.  they  had  no  feeding 
to  strengthen  them  after  leaving  the  egg.  That  they  came  out 
of  the  egg  with  such  vitality  and  vigour  that  they  could  accom- 
plish a  cHmb  of  two  feet  perpendicular,  and  after  a  drop  of 
twenty-one  feet  they  could  thereafter  go  off  three-hundred  yards 
through  long  grass,  is  a  tremendous  tribute  to  the  energy  of 
nature. 

You  will  observe  that  the  mother  duck  made  no  attempt 
to  carry  them  down.  Sometimes  I  have  read  in  books  that  the 
common  wild  duck  occasionally  nests  at  a  considerable  heighi 
from  the  ground.  I  have  seen  one  nest  about  seven  feet  from 
the  ground,  and  know  that  this  is  so;  but  when  I  see  it  stated 
that  in  such  cases  the  mallard  carries  the  young  ducks  down  to 
ihe  ground,  I  doubt  it.  I  think  if  any  duck  is  in  the  habit  of 
carrying  its  young  to  the  ground,  the  North  American  Wood- 


Ii8  /;/  .1/v  Hird  Sdiiciuary. 

duck  would  do  so,  as  its  natural  nestiny-})laces  are  in  hok-s  in 
trees  and  not  on  the  ground  like  our  common  wild  duck.  Since 
this  North  American  Wood-duck  made  no  attempt  to  carry  its 
young  down  to  the  ground,  I  am  doubtful  if  any  waterfowl 
v\ould  make  the  attempt  at  all.  1  will  not  say  it  is 
impossible 

Vkrsicolour  Teal  :  The  versicolour  teal  which  bred  ac 
Fallodon  were,  as  far  as  1  know,  the  only  birds  of  this  species 
to  breed  in  this  country.  Of  course,  I  cannot  be  sure.  There 
may  be  some  instances  I  have  not  heard  of.  These  bred  once 
with  me  and  the  sequel  is  curious.  Eight  were  reared,  so  i 
had  a  little  flock  of  ten  beautiful  versicoloured  teal.  The  sexes 
are  so  alike,  as  is  the  case  with  several  other  S.  American 
v/aterfowl,  that  young  males  and  females  are  difficult  to 
distinguish. 

Unfortunately,  out  of  the  eight  reared,  six  turned  out  to 
DC  drakes  and  only  two  were  ducks.  However,  that  made  three 
pairs  of  versicolour  teal.  One  pair  I  exchanged  with  dealers  for 
something  else  which  was  rare  and  which  I  wanted,  then  the  old 
duck  which  had  bred  died,  and  the  young  pair  left  were  in  the 
following  year  killed  by  a  fox,  which  somehow  got  into  the 
enclosure. 

I  found  myself  left  with  five  drakes.  Then  came  tiie  War. 
Of  course,  during  the  War  I  made  no  attempt  to  buy  any  birds 
o»'  replace  any  losses  by  purchase.       Two  drakes  I  sent  to  the 

Zoological  Gardens I  heard  of  one  female  of  the 

species  being  in  the  collection  at  Kew.  I  thought  it  w^ortli 
while  sending  one  of  my  drakes  to  Kew  to  mate  with  the  female 
which  had  no  mate,  so  I  did  that.  In  the  next  air-raid  a  piece 
o*^  our  own  shrapnel  fell  and  killed  the  female  at  Kew.  Soon 
after  that  food  became  impossible  to  get,  and  what  remained  of 
my  versicolour  drakes,  in  conmion  with  several  other  rare  things, 
l^erished.      That  completed  the  episode. 

DoMKS'i'ic  I.iFK  :  Of  course,  as  you  all  know,  w^ild  ducks 
are  monogamous  and  not  polygamous  like  pheasants.  They 
have  one  wife,  and  theirs  is  a  highly  developed  domestic  life  with 
great  evidence  of  affection.  When  the  drake  has  no  eclipse  the 
pt'ir  never  separate  during  the  year.  Where  the  drake  has  an 
eclipse  he  separates  when  in  eclipse,  and  when  he  conies  into 
plumage  again,  early  in  autumn,  which  most  of  the  waterfowl 


In  My  Bird  Sanctuary.  119 

do,  though  it  is  so  long-  before  the  breeding  season,  the  duck 
and  drake  come  together  again  and  spend  the  whole  of  the 
autumn  and  v\inter  displaying  every  sign  of  affection  in  each 
oiler's  company. 

The  greatest  instance  of  this  I  have  seen  I  will  tell  you  of. 
It  was  a  Red-crested  Pochard — a  British  species,  though  a  very 
rare  one.  ( )ne  drake  that  1  reared  was  never  pinioned  so  that 
lie  could  fly.  I  had  him  for  over  ten  years,  and  during  all  that 
time  he  had  never  been  away  once.  He  mated  with  a  duck,  a 
bird  of  his  own  species,  but  which  had  been  pinioned  and  could 
not  fly.  He  spent  years  with  her.  and  had  every  appearance 
of  being  happy  and  contented.  One  day,  early  in  the  year. 
Lis  mate  was  injured  by  some  vermin  and  practically  ripped 
open  on  one  side.  She  sat  on  the  bank  for  two  days,  perfectly 
helpless,  and  there  he  sat  by  her.  She  was  so  much  injured 
that  I  had  her  caught  and  put  out  of  her  pain.  There  was 
another  female  pinioned  red-crested  pochard  unmated,  and  I 
thought,  of  course,  he  would  mate  with  her;  but  he  would  pay 
no  attention  to  her.  He  spent,  if  I  recollect  the  time — it  was 
some  years  ago — two  or  three  weeks  flying  about  with  every 
sign  of  restl^'ssiiess  and  distress  from  one  pond  to  another, 
looking"  everywhere  for  his  old  mate.  I  had  had  him  for  some 
ten  years,  and  he  had  never  gone  away,  but  now,  aftei  two  or 
three  weeks  he  went.  He  flew  away,  and  I  never  saw  nan  again; 
it  was  as  if  he  had  gone  on  an  endless  search  of  the  world  for 
the  mate  lie  had  lost. 

That  sort  of  thing  is  very  interesting,  for  it  shows  the 
great  natural  affection  which  exists  amongst  birds  of  a  high]\^ 
developed  and  intelligent  species.  To  me  it  is  a  clear  proof 
ot  the  fact  that  the  relationship  between  the  more  highly 
developed  birds  is  one  of  real  domestic  happiness,  not  confined 
to  the  breeding  season  only  and  the  reproduction  of  species. 

I  know  that  swans  become  attached  to  eacli  other.  ^'ou 
can  see  it  is  so.  They  do  become  permanently  attached  to  each 
other,  and  have  domestic  happiness,  which  plays  a  large  part  in 
their  lives,  quite  apart  from  the  breeding  season. 

Length  of  Life:  Perhaps  you  would  like  to  know  how 
long  this  sort  of  bird  will  Hve.  A  great  many  of  my  birds  are 
unpinioned  and  fly  away,  but  in  the  case  of  a  pinioned  bird  you 


120  ///  .1/\'  Hird  Sanctuary. 

can  tell  how  lonj^"  it  lives.  The  longest-lived  bird  1  had  was  a 
Chiloe  widgeon  drake.  1  bought  him  as  a  full-grown  bird  in 
October  i(S8(S,  and  he  died  peacefully  and  obviously  of  old  age  in 
(Jctober  iQOcS.  I  do  not  know  how  old  he  w'as  when  I  bought 
him,  and  this  is  the  longest  life  1  have  known  of  any  of  my 
waterfowl.       (leese.  no  doubt,  live  much  longer. 

.A.'n'R.\CTKD  Wild  X'isitors:  Since  1  have  had  these 
waterfowl  of  different  kinds  at  Fallodon,  it  has  been  very  inter- 
esting" to  see  the  varieties  of  wild  ones  which  have  come  to  my 
ponds.  1  remember  when  I  was  a  boy  my  father  showing"  me  a 
place  on  one  of  the  burns  at  home  and  saying:  '  ^  iiat  is  the 
place  where  I  once  shot  a  teal."  And  that,  with  one  other 
.exception,  nothing  but  mallard  has  ever  been  shot  or  seen  on  the 
actual  property  at  home.  It  does  not  extend  to  the  sea,  and  the 
sea  ducks  do  not  come  to  it ;  but  I  myself  once,  after  a  great  gale 
in  the  winter,  shot  an  immature  widgeon  on  a  little  pool.  With 
these  exceptions  nothing  but  mallard  used  to  be  seen  on  the 
property  at  all. 

Now  every  year  my  ponds  are  visited  frequently  by  the 
Mallard.  Teal,  Widgeon,  Pintail,  Shoveller,  Pochard,  and 
Tufted  Ducks.  I  treat  the  enclosure  as  a  sanctuary.  That  shows 
how  so  many  birds,  considered  rare  by  those  who  shoot,  are 
often  passing  over,  especially  in  the  season  of  migration,  and, 
if  they  hear  birds  of  their  own  kind  calling  below,  will  come 
down  and  settle. 

One  very  interesting"  point  about  wild  things  is  how 
quickly  you  can  get  a  perfectly  wild  bird  tame.  I  remember 
one  December  afternoon  finding  a  wild  pintail  drake  on  the  pond. 
He  rose,  fiew  high  into  the  air  and  circled  round;  but  when  he 
saw  that  the  pinioned  and  tame  birds  did  not  follow  him,  after 
-much  fiying  at  a  great  height  he  lit  again  on  the  pond.  That 
evening"  when  I  was  feeding  the  birds  he  came  and  looked  on. 
and  within  a  week  he  would  come  out  with  the  others  to  feed 
and  Y)\ck  up  the  grain  I  threw  to  hini,  and  even  when  sonie  of  the 
grain  fell  on  his  ])ack  he  was  not  alarmed. 

.So  you  see  how  tameness  in  their  own  kind  gives  confi- 
fVnce  to  the  wildest  birds,  but  that  tameness,  that  confidence, 
is  associated  with  the  place,  which  does  not  cause  them  to  be 
les«;  wi'd  elsewhere  than  they  were. 

1  had  one  good  instance  of  that  in  the  case  of  a  drak'^ 


/;;  .1/3'  Hird  Sand  nary.  121 

Shoveller.  A  brilliant  bird  in  full  plumage,  he  came  one  year 
ir  February  or  March  and  stayed  on  my  ponds.  He  was  not 
always  there,  but  he  was  often  there,  and  he  adopted  all  the 
habits  of  my  tame  shovellers.  If  he  were  sitting"  on  the  bank 
and  I  walked  past  he  would  fly  five  or  six  yards  into  the  water 
and  sit  quite  unconcerned.  If  he  were  in  the  water  he  did  not 
offer  to  get  on  the  wing  at  all 

( )ne  day  after  lunch  1  had  a  walk  round  tlie  pond  and 
saw  he  was  not  there.  I  went  for  a  bicycle  ride,  and  coming 
back,  about  a  mile  from  home,  I  saw  on  a  pond  in  a  held,  not  on 
my  property,  a  shoveller  drake  in  full  plumage.  I  felt  morally 
certain  it  was  the  same  drake  which  had  come  to  my  ponds. 
The  pool  was  about  one-hundred  yards  from  the  road.  I  got  in 
tne  field  and  walked  straight  towards  him.  He  rose  off  the 
water,  went  high  in  the  air,  and  after  circling  about  I  saw  him 
go  straight  for  my  woods.  I  stepped  the  distance  at  wdiich 
he  had  risen,  and,  allowing  for  a  few  yards  of  water  I  could  not 
step,  the  distance  was  something  over  ninety  yards. 

I  l:icycled  straight  home,  and  went  straight  to  the  fartlier 
pc  nd  which  he  usually  frequented,  and  there  he  was  on  the  water, 
perfectly  unconcerned  and  tame.  That  is  a  very  striking  instance 
of  how  quickly  birds  find  out  when  a  place  is  a  sanctuary. 

[We  have  given  the  main  features  fairly  fully  of  this  inter- 
esting description  of  the  Fallodon  Waterfowl  Sanctuary,  which 
was  not  written  for  Pearson's  Magazine,  but  was  delivered  as  a 
lecture  by  Lord  Grey  to  the  Berwickshire  Naturalists'  Club,  and 
was  reproduced  by  permission  from  the  recently  issued  proceed- 
ings of  the  Club.  We  tender  thanks  and  apologies  to  the 
Berwickshire  Naturalists'  Club  for  the  above  partial  reprint  of 
Lord  Grey's  most  interesting  lecture.  The  article  is  illustrated 
by  L.  R.  Brightwell.  F.Z.S.,  two  of  whose  drawings  are  quaint 
and  full  of  quiet  humour  In  one  is  a  wire  fence,  on  the  left  of 
which  are  three  happy  contented  ducklings,  and  beneath  them 
one  reads  "  Fox-proof  " — on  the  right  is  a  discontented  and 
unhappy-looking  fox;  beneath  him  is  the  trite  title  "  sour- 
ckicklings.  ' 

Another  depicts  a  realistic  sketch  of  the  young  wood- 
ducks  dropping  to  the  ground  from  the  nest-hole;  just  above 
level  of  the  hole  is  a  peeping,  quizzical  squirrel. — Editor,  Bikij 

NOTE.S.] 


122 


Corrcspoudcncc. 


Correspondence. 


SIGNS  OI'"  TlllC  SEASON. 

Sir, — We  are  getting  grand  weather.  Tlie  birds  are  doing  fairly 
well,  l)Ut  nothing  definite  as  yet.  Blue  Rol)ins  (Sialia  sialis)  have  young  all 
but    ready  to  leave  the  nest. 

Baltimore  Hangncsts  (Icterus  galbula)  have  young  in  the  nest  eight 
or  nine  days  old.  and  1  am  hoping  they  ma\-  be  fu.ly  reared.  The  nesl 
(snai)shot  enclosed)  i>  built  at  the  hisjliest  point  of  the  aviary — practically  out 


Nest   of   Baltimore   Hangnest. 
of  reach  of  close  observation,  save  from  beneath.       .My  little  daughter  feeds 
the   Hangnest   with   mealworms  from  her  hand,   and  my   wife  too — the  cock 
l)ird  is  absolutely  tame,  and  runs  between  my  feet  for  live  food. 

X'irginian  Cardinals  (Cardiualis  cardiiuilis)  have  also  nested  and  have  a 
family  several  days  old.  1  expect  there  will  be  trouble  when  the  young  get 
about,  as  they  certainly  are  not  an  amiable  species,  and  the  birds  in  thi.s 
aviary  are  not  good  friends  as  it  is. 


Correspondence.  123 

American  R()l)in>  (Titrdiis  inigratoriiis]  have  already  liad  one  brood 
but  these  died  when  about  half-reared.  They  were  fully  exposed  to  the 
blazing  hot  sun.  riyhl  out  on  the  top  of  a  nest-box.  Looks  as  if  they  knew 
it  too.  for  they  have  nested  again  in  a  well-sheltered  place. 

The  only  }  oung  on  the  wing  as  yet  are  :  Peaceful  Doves  (Gco[^clia 
tranquilla).  Zebra  Finches  (Taoiiopygia  casianotis),  and  Cutthroats  [Aimidiiui 
fasciata). 

My  young  hybrid  ( iold-breasted  Waxbill  x  Avadavat  {Sporaci:;i)!tliiis 
subfiavHs  X  S.  aniandava)  hybrids  are  pretty  little  things — they  are  more  like 
the  avadavat,  but  have  a  little  yellow  on  the  breast  (Your  description  is  exactly 
similar  to  that  of  some  reared  by  Dr.  Easton  Scot  some  ten  years  ago — 
though  I  think  none  have  been  reared  in  the  interim. — Ed.) 

An  English  Thru.sh  mated  to  an  American  Robin  have  nested,  but  all 
their  five  eggs  were  clear — they  ought  to  breed  surely?  (Only  individuality 
stands  in  the  way,  i.e.,  the  inclination,  or  otherwise,  of  respective  birds). 

I  think  Pekin  Robins  (Liothrix  hit  ens)  also  have  young  in  the  nest. 
Woolton,  June  11,   1922.  H.  E.  BRIGHT. 

[We   think   the   signs  are   very  promising. — Ed.] 

MILLET  SEED. 

Siu, — I  was  most  interested  in  Mrs.  Hartley's  letter  on  her  experience  ot 
what  is  called  Indian  Millet,  a  sanijile  of  which  I  enclose  with  this  letter,  as 
I  am  anxious  to  know  whether  our  editor  thinks  it  is  yellow  millet.  I  got 
this  seed  over  from  England  and  mixed  it  up  with  Canary  and  a  little  white 
millet  for  four  Zebra  Finches,  which  were  j^erfectly  healthy  up  till  then ;  they 
got  rather  dull,  and  a  hen  got  very  bad  and  died.  I  thought  it  might  be 
the  new  seed  as  they  only  took  ill  after  I  gave  it  to  them.  The  seed  was 
changed  to  Canary  and  White  Millet,  a  new  hen  was  procured,  and  the  four 
are  now  in  perfect  health. 

I  am  starting  foreign  bird  keeping  again,  and  new  aviaries  will  shortly 
be  completed,  so  I  take  this  opportunity  of  thanking  our  editor  for  keeping 
up  Bird  Notes  to  its  high  standard,  especially  for  catering  so  much  for  the 
less  experienced  members  of  the  Foreign  Bird  Club. 

Belfast,  June  8,   1922.  W.  H.  WORKMAN. 

[The  sample  of  seed  sent  is  Yellow  Millet,  exactly  the  same  as  that 
referred  to  by  Mrs.  Hartley — but  I  find  a  difficulty  in  attributing  the  death 
to  its  use,  as  there  was  some  white  millet  in  your  seed  mixture ;  if  the  birds 
rite  the  seed  I  do  not  think  it  would  act  adversely  upon  them.  According  to 
my  experience  the  danger  lies  in  so  many  refusing  it  and  dying  from  lack  of 
ncurishment.- — Ed.] 

A  FEW  NOTES  FROM  A  FRENCH  AVIARY. 

Sir, — Four  young  Diamond  Finches  (Steganopleura  guttata)  left  the 
nest  a  fortnight  ago. 

I  have  bred  some  White  Bengalese  {Munia  doincstica). 

My  Red-rumped  {Psephotos  haematonotus),  and  Rosy-faced  Parrakeets 
(Agapornis  roseicoliis)  in  the  nest  ready  to  fly. 

My  Blue  Budgerigars  (Melopsitlacus  undulatus,  var.  cacruleii.^)  have 
some  young  in  the  nest-boxes. 


124  Correspondence. 

A   l)ad   start,   liowevor ;   too   mucli   rain  ami   cold, 
(icrv,  iM-aiicc,  April  27,  1922.  A.  i:iXuL'X. 

The  above  was  not  a  letter  written  for  publication,  but  part  of  a  private 
letter,   which  we  have  taken  the  liberty   of  publishing. ^Ed. 

SENILE  DECAY. 
Sir. — The  Post  Mortem  Report  given  below  is  interesting  to  nie  as  -t 
is  the  first  case  1  have  ever  known  of  a  bird  dying  of  jmre  old  age.       The 
r.M.  report  is  as  follows  : 

"  Versicolor  Amazon  to  hand.  I  think  your  estimate  of  its  age  is 
"  not  far  out.  I  very  carefully  examined  this  bird  and  could  Ihid  no  trace 
"  of  any  disease.  The  cause  of  death  is  senile  decay,  simply.  lie  was  the 
"  toughest  old  customer,  1  think.  1  have  ever  tackleil.  His  hide  was  as 
"  tough  as  a  Rhinoceros,  and  the  flesh  equally  tough." 

One  often  reads  of  Ijirds  dying  of  old  age,  but  in  practically  every 
case  it  is  merely  an  assumption  on  the  part  of  the  owner,  no  examination 
of  the  body  having  been  made.  Old  age  may  be  a  contributory  cause,  but 
i'  is  seldom  the  only  cause,  and  often  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  l)ird"s  death 
at  all. 

The  Versicolor  was  for  many  years  in  the  possession  of  Lord  Sherborne 
(Canon  Button),  and  previously  had  been  owned  by  a  lady.  As  long  as  I^ord 
Sherborne  lived  at  Bibury,  the  parrot  .spent  the  greater  part  of  the  .summer 
at  liberty  in  the  garden.  When  his  owner  moved  to  Cheltenham,  these 
summer  outings  were  no  longer  possiljle.  and  with  the  loss  of  his  liberty 
'  Jaco  "  began  to  show  signs  of  age.  On  the  death  of  my  frienci  he  came 
to  me,  but  was  so  decrepit  in  the  earl)-  summer  of  1920  that  1  thought  lie 
could  only  last  a  few  weeks.  I  turned  him  out  as  a  sort  of  forlorn  hope, 
and,  to  my  surprise,  found  that  he  could  fly  quite  strongly.  Me  imi)roved 
greatly,  and  when  I  caught  him  up  in  October,  was  quite  strong  again.  I 
kept  him  in  a  room  that  winter,  and  when  I  turned  him  out  next  spring  'le 
was  too  robust,  as  he  nearly  killed  the  cock  Great-billed  Parrakeet.  and 
started  courting  the  hen  !  I  was  therefore  obliged  to  put  him  in  an  aviary 
with  a  hen  (ioulding's  Amazon.  They  soon  took  to  one  another,  and  the 
X'ersicolor  fed  her  and  they  even  examined  a  nest-box. 

When  winter  came  1  put  him  back  in  a  room,  but  after  a  few  months 
the  Versicolor  caught  a  severe  chill  and  had  to  be  caged  in  a  warm  place. 
The  close  confinement  proved  too  much  iov  him.  and  some  time  later  he 
i^rew  very  weak  and  died. 

Had  it  not  been  for  his  ill-judged  attack  on  the  (ireat-bill.   I  believe  he 
would  be  still  alive,  as  another  .summer's  freedom  would  have  fortified  him 
against  winter  ailments.       He  remained  in  good  plumage  up  to  the  last. 
Havant,   April  2S,    1922.  (Lord)  TAVISTOCK. 

I'IRSTFRUITS  OF  THE  SILASOX. 

Sir, — The  birtls  are  doing  fairly  well  to  date.  iloth  paiis  of  Ouail 
binches  are  incubating.       Three  pairs  of  Zebra  Finches  have  young. 

Pairs  of  Long-tailed,  Masked,  and  Rufous-tailed  Crasslinchcs :  Chestnut- 
breasted,  and  Rufous-backed  Mannikins  are  all  busy  building. 

White  Java  Sparrows.  Cuban  and  Red-headed  Finches  are  incubating. 


Editorial.  125 

One  pair  of  Green  Cardinals  are  incubating  and  another  [tair  just  about 
to  lay  1  think.  Pairs  of  Red-crested,  and  Virginian  Cardinals  are  also 
incubating. 

In  fact  all  the  birds  are  nesting  or  showing  signs  of  so  doing.  Gouldian 
Finches  and  hen  Violet-eared  Waxbill  are  the  only  slackers  so  far ;  the  cock 
Violet-ear  is  verv  anxious  to  nest,  and  so  zvas  the  hen.  They  had  the  aviary 
to  themselves  for  a  few  days  in  early  April  and  had  actually  Inn'lt  and  com- 
pleted a  nest  in  the  shelter,  when  the  hen  liecame  very  ill  all  of  a  sudden,  and 
J  only  just  managed  to  save  her — she  lay  in  my  hand  as  though  dead,  so  it  was 
a  narrow  shave.  She  is  back  in  the  aviary  now  and  looking  very  fit.  but  shows 
no  desire  to  restart  nesting  operations  though  the  cock  is  very  keen  on  doing 
so.  The  Gouldian  Finches  have  only  been  out  a  few  days.  All  the  birds 
are  very  fit  in  spite  of  awful  weather. 

Kingskerswell,  May  3,  1922.  GERALD  E.  RATTIGAN. 

C^ 


Editorial. 

Latk  and  Irrk(;ular  Is.suk  oi"  thk  Club  Journal  :  ( )nce 
and  for  all  your  officers  disclaim  the  responsibility  for  this,  and 
the  Editor  is  decidedly  of  the  opinion  that,  even  if  he  could  spare 
the  time,  it  would  not  be  for  the  tj;"ood  progress  of  the  Journal 
or  the  Club  that  he  should  fill  the  missing"  pages  by  a  given 
date  each  month.  The  sole  cause  of  the  delay,  except  with  the 
January  issue,  is  the  lack  of  copy— -too  often  the  publishing  date 
comes  round  and  no  copy  in,  though  requests  are  often  sent 
round ;  as  a  consequence  things  have  to  be  put  through  in  a  very 
hurried  manner,  which  tends  neither  to  correct  English  nor 
general  excellence.  Foreign  journals  have  to  be  searched  for 
suitable  field  notes,  in  the  absence  of  purely  avicultural  matter, 
and  the  proofs  only  get  about  half  the  attention  really  called 
for — a  request  for  copy  brought  the  following  reply:  "too  busy 
on  more  remunerative  work."  Well,  if  the  Editor  (the  office 
is  only  Iionorary  and  he  desires  no  change)  takes  the  same  stand, 
wdiat  will  be  the  result  ?  We  leave  the  obvious  conclusion  to 
our  members'  common  sense,  but  would  point  out  that  even  if 
one  be  an  enthusiast  there  comes  a  day  when  it  is  a  case  of  "the 
last  straw  breaking  the  camel's  back!"  In  respect  of  this 
issue — we  stated  the  case  plainly  in  Notices  to  Members  in  April 
Bird  Notes — within  a  week  of  publishing  date  only  one  article 
was  in  hand. 

Yet  such  is  the  fatuosity  of  our  humanity  that  the  pub- 


ij6  Editorial. 

li,>-liei"  is  (lelui^ed  with  f^osf  cards  forsootli.  ccjinplainini;  of 
irrei^ularity,  etc. — some  even  threatening  resij^nation.  Well, 
so  far  as  the  Editor  is  concerned  let  them  resii^n  if  that  is  their 
sense  of  the  fitness  of  things,  and  the  sum  total  of  their  interest 
in  aviculture. 

The  publisher  cannot  and  will  not  in  such  cases  (that  is, 
when  the  issue  has  not  been  published)  send  any  reply,  but  will 
always  promptly  deal  with  cases  which  point  either  to  an 
omission  or  loss  in  post. 

The  case  is  this  :  we  lost  many  of  our  most  rei^ular 
contributors  in  the  War !  Are  we  to  conclude  that  we  who 
remain  have  not  sufficient  interest  or  energy  to  fill  the  gap  for  a 
time— a  little  self-denial  in  the  giving  up  of  possibly  well-earned 
leisure  to  the  writing  of  an  article,  or  chronicling  the  doing  of 
his  or  her  birds,  and  the  case  would  be  met.  We  have  well 
over  300  members,  and  if  200  articles  were  sent  in  annually  wUat 
a  Journal  we  should  have ! 

At  present  most  of  our  members  are  more  or  less  alseep. 
and  only  wake  up  wdien  they  find  Bird  Notks  has  not  come  to 
hand,  and  fear  they  are  not  getting  value  for  their  subscrii)tion 
of  20s.  per  year — the  fact  really  being  that  they  get  a  Journal 
worth  fully  double  the  subscription  they  pay. 

As  we  have  repeated  many  times  members  have  only  to 
do  their  part  for  the  Foreign  Bird  Club  and  its  Journal  to  be  r 
greater  success  in  the  future  than  in  the  best  days  of  the  past. 

Vour  officers  have  certainly  not  spared  themselves  in 
organising  the  affairs  of  the  club  to  the  best  of  their  ability,  but 
even  supermen  (they  do  not  claim  to  be  this)  cannot  "make 
bricks  without  straw." 

Some  may  consider  we  have  stated  the  case  too  strongly, 
and  that  we  might  have  used  a  little  diplomacy  in  setting  fortli 
the  issue — diplomatic  language  is  mostly  very  ambiguous,  and 
ours  is  a  plain  simple  case  and  its  remedy  the  same,  and  we  con- 
sider it  best  met  by  stating  the  fact  in  plain  language,  then  there 
can  be  no  misconception. 

At  the  same  time  we  do  not  wish  any  to  run  away  with 
the  idea  that  the  F.B.C.  is  nearing  its  end.  most  certainly  not. 
but  owing  to  the  slackness  of  part  of  our  membership  there  is  a 
danger  of  its  usefulness  and  progress  being  hindered  and 
marred.       As  stated,  we  have  a  membership  of  over  300,  and 


Editorial.  127 

this  number  will  increase  annually;  surely  it  is  not  too  much  to 
ask  that  at  least  200  members  send  one  article  about  their  birds 
and  their  doings  annually?  We  only  ask  our  members  to  "play 
the  game."  One  of  the  members  came  to  see  the  Editor's 
aviaries  and  birds  a  few  days  ago,  who  said  "You  are  not  doing 
as  much  in  birds  as  you  did  are  you?"  The  reply  had  to  be 
"I  have  to  neglect  my  birds  and  leave  them  to  others,  so  that 
Bird  Notes  may  appear  month  by  month.     /  crb  saf^/' 

Zoo  Notes  :     There  have  been  some  interesting  additions 
recently  in  the  section  A\^ES. 

The  Prince  of  Wales'  Collection. 

3  Indian  /Xdjutanls  (Lcptoj^tUus  ari^ala).     Nepal. 

I   Southern   Fruit-Pig;eon  (Crocopits  clilorogasfcr),     Nepal. 
g  Green-winyed   Doves  (Clialcopliaps  uidica).     Nepal. 

1  Goshawk  {Astiir  pahtnibarius).     Nepal. 

r  Wood-Francolin  (Francolinus  gidaris).     Nepal. 

0  Chukar   Partridges  (Caccabis  cliukar).     Nepal. 

2  Himalayan  Monauls  {Lophophorus  itupcyanus).     Nepal. 

1  Koklass  Pheasant  (Pucrasia  microhplia).     Nepal. 

2  Nepal  Kaleege  Pheasants  (Gennaeus  leucomehnus).     Nepal. 
5  Common   Peafowl   (Pa-i'o   cristata).     Nepal. 

The  above  arrived  April  7th. 

The  following  came  to  hand  on  May  22nd. 
2  Non])areil   Finches   {Erythntra   prasina).     Trenganu,    Malay   Peninsula. 
2  White-headed  Mannikins  {Munia  inaja).     Trenganu.  Malay  Peninsula. 
2  Java  Sparrows  (.1/.   oryzivora).     Trenganu,   Malay  Peninsula. 
2  Sharp-tailed  Finches  (Urolovcha  aciiticauda).    Trenganu,  Malay  Peninsula. 

*  I  White-bellied  Finch  (U.  leucogastra).     Trenganu,   Malay  Peninsula. 

I  White-billed  Hornbill  {Authracoceros  malayamis).     Pontianak,  Borneo. 
I  Blue-crowned  Hanging-Parrakeet  (Loriculus  galgitlns).     Malacca. 
I  Pagoda  Owl  {Syrnium  sinense).     Jahore,   Malay  Peninsula. 

1  Malayan  Hawk-Eagle  (Spisaetus  Ihnnaetns).     Jahore,  Malay  Peninsula. 

2  White-necked  Storks  (Dissoura  episcopus).     Borneo. 

*  5  Wagler's  Egrets  {Mesophoyx  intermedia).     Malacca. 

*  I  Black-crested  Bittern  {Gorsachius  melanopliiis).    Kedah,  Malay  Peninsula. 
2  Javan  Adjutants  (Leptoptilus  javanicus).     Kedah,  Malay  Peninsula. 

2  Javan  Adjutants  (Leptoptilus  javanicus).     British  N.   Borneo. 

5  Argus  Pheasants  {Argusianus  argus).     Trenganu,  Malay  Peninsula. 

4  Rufous-tailed  Fireback  Pheasants  {Acomiis  erythropthaJmns).     Trenganu, 

Malay  Peninsula 
I  Vieillot's  Fireback  Pheasants  (Lopliura  ntfa).  Trenganu,  Malay  Peninsula. 

5  Painted  Quails  (Excalfactoria  chinensis).     Trenganu,  Malay  Peninsula. 

T  Black-breasted  Button-Quail  (Turnix  taigoor).  Trenganu,  Malay  Peninsula 
5  Crowned  Wood-Partridges   (RoHuhis  rovh'oiil).     Pahang  and  Trenganu, 
Malay  Peninsula, 


I2S  Rcvicivs  and  Notices  of  New  Books. 

3  Lonjj-billod  Fnincolins  { Rhicotlicni  loiigirostris).  Pahang.  Malay  roninsiil-i 

4  Javan  Peafowl  {I'avo  iniiticus).     Trenganu,  Malay  Peninsula. 
I    Red  jungle-fowl  {Galliix  ii^nllits).     Trenganu,  Malay  I\-ninsula. 

*  2  (irev  Pigeons  {Cohimba  grisca).     llorneo. 

8  Nutmeg   Fruit-Pigeons  {Myristiclvora  bicolor).     Moluccas. 
I    lamhu  Fruit-Pigeon  {Leucotrcrou  jambu).     Kedah,  Malay  Peninsula. 
1    illue-lailed   Fruit-Pigeons   {Carpopliaga   concnma).      Moluccas. 
23  Spotted  Turtle-Doves  (Spilopclia  suralciisis).     Malay  Peninsula. 
I    P>arred  Dove  {Geopelia  striata).     India. 
6  ( ireen-winged   Doves   {Chalcophaps   hid'ica).       India. 
^  Javan  Tree-Ducks  {Dendrocygna  jaraiiica).      Pahang,  Malay  Peninsula. 

*  I   Sharpe's  Crane  {.iiitigoiic  sintrpci).      Kcdali,  Peninsula. 

l  White-breasted    (lallinules    (.\iuaiiroruis    pliociiiciira).      Trenganu,    Malav 
Peninsula. 

1  Water-Cock  (Gallicrcx  cincrca).     Trenganu.   Malay   Peninsula. 

The  foregoing'  and  the  following"  have  been  taken  from 
the  Zoological  Society's  Rcpori  on  the  Additio)is  to  the  Me)iag- 
eric. 

During  the   month   of  May  the   additions   were  quite 
numerous,  but  mostly  of  well-known  species.  Among  the 

more  interesting  additions  we  note  the  following : 

2  Crimson-lvacked  Tanagers  {Rliaiiipliococlns  dimidiatus).     Colombia. 

*  2  Red-rumped    Hangnests   {Icteni.<;  janiaicai).      Colombia. 

2  Red-underwing  Doves  {Lcptoptila  riifaxiUa).     Colombia. 
?  Purplish  Guans  {Penelope  purpiirasceus).     lirazil. 
The  only  breeding  records  given  are :  — 

May   ig.     2  Leadbeater's  Cockatoos  {Cacatua  leadbcatcri).     Parrot   House. 
31.     4   Budgerigars   (Mclop.<;iftacns  nnduJatus).     Parrot   House. 
*  New  to   tlie  Collection. 


^ 

Reviews  and  Notices  of  New  Boohs. 

OUR  MIGRANT  BIRDS  AND  HOW  TO  KXOW 
THEM.  By  E.  F.  M.  Elms;  Illustrated  by  many  excellent 
photo  reproductions.  London:  Thornton  Butterworth  Ltd.. 
15  Bedford  Street.  Strand.  W.C..  2.    6s.  net. 

Last  year  we  reviewed  Our  Resident  Hirds  by  the  same 
author;  Our  Migrant  Birds  is  a  com])anion  work,  and  its  plan 
and  general  arrangement  are  the  same.       Its  contents  are : 
Migrant   Birds   of   tlie    Gardens.     Orchards    and    Cultivated 

Districts. 
Migrant  Birds  of  the  Woods,  and  Well-wooded  Districts, 


Rc^'icics  and  Notices  of  Nczv  Books.  129 

Alii^rant  Birds  of  the  Commons.  Downs.  Mooiland  anii  Aloi'.n- 

tainous  Districts. 
Mii^Tant   Birds  of    the    Streams.    Rivers,    Lakes  and   Marsli 
Districts. 
The  half-tone  plates  are  well-printed  on  both  sides  and 
each  contains  four  illustrations,  most  of  wdiich  represent  episodes 
of  the  nestini^'  season.      Some  29  species  are  so  fi.qured. 

The  Author  states  in  liis  Introduction  that :  'Tn  the  tw~i 
volumes  I  have  endeavoured  to  cover  the  wdiole  subject  of 
British  Birds,  and  it  has  been  my  intention  to  provide  two 
little  companions  which  will  enable  the  bird-lover  to  identify 
without  trouble,  any  bird  he  may  see  at  any  season  of  the 
year.  If  this  result  be  achieved.  I  shall  feel  that  the  work- 
entailed  in  compilation  has  been  amply  repaid." 

How  far  he  may  have  succeeded  we  leave  the  individual 
reader  to  conclude  from  the  following  extract. 

Quail  {Coturmx  commums). 
"  Migrant  for  the  greater  part,  coming  in  spring  and 
"  departing  in  October;  but  some  are  resident.       Found  less 
abundantly  nowadays  in  England  than  formerly.       In  Scot- 
"  land,  distribution  limited:  in  Ireland,  rare." 

"  Haunts. — Both  cultivated  and  uncultivated  districts." 
"  Plumage. — Generally  sand-brown,  with  buff  shafts  to 
the  feathers.  Throat  and  collar  white,   margined  with 

black  and  finishing  with  black  patch  on  throat.  Forechest 
buff.  Three  parallel,  longtitudinal,  yellowish  streaks  on 
head;  underparts  white.  Bill,    feet,   and  legs  yellowish 

brown.  Length  8in.  Female  paler,  and  minus  the  cres- 
centic  collar  on  throat ;  chest  more  spotted.  Young  like 
female." 

Language. — Call-note  of  male,  three  piping  syllables, 
usually  written  '  click-lik-lik,'  or  *  wet  my  lips.'  Female's 
call,  a  low  musical  disyllabic.  Alarm-note,  much  like  the 
Partridge's." 

Habits. — An  expert  rtumer.  spending  most  of  its  time 
on  the  ground.  On  the  wing  it  is  like  a  miniature  Partridge 
flying  with  rapidly  vibrated  and  whirring  wings.  Usually 
monogamous,  the  males  fighting  very  fiercely  at  mating 
time!" 


130  Post  Moricm  Reports. 

"  Pood. — Insects,  small  slnL;"s.  seed  and  iL^'rain." 

'*  Nest. — May  or  June.    Two  broods  sometimes." 

"  Site. — In  a  little  hollow  scraped  in  the  j^ronnd;  among 

"  growing  herbage." 

"  Materials. — If  any,  a  few  dead  grasses." 

"  ^,§'^-^- — Seven  to  twelve.    Yellowish  white,  spotted  and 

*'  blotched  with  umber-brown." 

The  book  has  been  well  conceived  and  planned  with  care, 
and.  in  spite  of  the  apparently  endless  multiplicity  of  British  Bird 
books,  will  form  a  welcome  addition  to  the  bookshelves  of  all 
sludents  of  our  native  avifauna.  They  would  be  excellent  gift 
books  to  young  people  and  to  others  also  of  older  growth.  We 
opine  a  thin  paper  edition  of  Our  Resident  Birds  and  Our 
Migrant  Birds  bound  in  one  volume  would  be  cordially 
welcomed. 

O 

Post    Mortem    Reports. 

s,  Canaries  and  Lavi^nder  Finch  :  P.  J.  Calvocoressi. — All  acute  enteritis. 
These  birds  had  had  access  to  egg-food  which  was  stale  and  possibly 
infected  with  a  mould       This  food  should  only  be  used  quite  fresh. 

Gouldiax   Finch  :      Capt.   L.    11.   Wand. — Enteritis. 

Whydah-bird  and  Cordon  I'lku  :     Mrs.  Dennis.- — Pneumonia  in  both  cases. 

Blue-eri:ast!:d    Waxbill    and     Nonpareil    Bunting  :     Mrs.    Calvocoressi.-- 

Pneumonia   in  the   case   of   the   waxbill.        The   bunting   was   over   fat, 

and  its  lungs  congested. 
CoCK.vrEEi.  :  Ed.  Boosey.-The  bird  was  much  too  decomposed  for  examination. 
Siskin  :      T.   ().   Harrison. — The  cause  of  death  was  i)ncumonia.       The  l)ird 

was  too   fat. 
Amazon  Parrot:      H.  Westacott. — Congestion  of  lungs. 
Zebra  Finch  :     W.   H.  Workman.— Pneumonia. 

N.   S.   LUCAS.   M.B..  F.Z.S., 
Honorary   Pathologist. 


-^ 


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:AII  :ai3l)ts  !acscrvc6.  Uul?.    1922. 

BIRD  NOTES: 

—  THE  — 
JOURNAL     OF     THE     FOREIGN     BIRD     CLUB. 

Jiine  and  July  in  My  Aviaries. 

By  W.  Shore  Baily,  F.Z.S. 

At  the  beginning  of  this  month  most  of  the  birds  in  my 
Waders'  aviary  were  coming  into  colour.  Four  out  of  my  eight 
Knots  had  assumed  their  reddish-coloured  breasts;  the  cock 
Puffs  had  fully  developed  their  queer  necklaces,  ah  totally 
different  from  each  other,  so  that  a  non-birdy  observer  would 
take  them  to  be  birds  of  different  species;  the  only  Wader  in 
which,  so  far,  there  has  been  no  change  is  my  solitary  Grey 
Plover.  Two  years  ago  I  had  one  of  these  birds  that  came  into 
Of  the  other  birds  most  of  the  Whydahs  and  Weavers  are  either 
full  breeding  plumage,  and  he  really  was  a  handsome  bird  then, 
in  full  plumage,  or  showing  colour.  The  two  Giant  Whydahs 
look  particularly  handsome  as  they  fly  around  their  large 
aviaries.  Unfortunately  I  have  been  unable  to  get  hens  for 
them.  My  Demoiselle  Cranes  have  at  last  given  up    their 

attempt  to  produce  chicks  from  stones.  The  cock  has  been 
qrite  savage  recently.  On  one  occasion  a  cocker  puppy  about 
r,ix  months  old  followed  me  into  his  paddock,  when  the  cock 
Crane  promptly  came  at  him  open  mouthed  and  with  wing.s 
outspread — a  truly  alarming  object- -and  the  puppy  evidently 
thought  so,  as  he  took  refuge  between  my  legs,  only  to  be 
removed  by  a  vicious  peck  from  the  bird's  beak.  Verily  that 
puppy  flew,  but  the  Crane  covered  the  ground  nearly  as  quickly 
and  but  for  the  friendly  shelter  of  some  thick  bushes  the  little 
dog  would  have  had  a  sad  time.  I  was  much  amused,  as  the 
puppy  had  been  rather  fancying  himself  on  the  strength  of  being- 
able  to  make  my  Peacock  take  flight,  and  my  Adjutant  Storks 


13-  ///;/('  (ind  July  in  My  Aviaries. 

walk  off  from  their  dinner  in  a  more  or  less  dignified  manner. 
However,  I  notice  that  he  now  leaves  these  last  very  carefully 
alone,  if  he  happens  to  he  in  their  paddock.  Possibly  he  thinks 
the  Crane  experience  may  be  repeated. 

June  I  St. — Senegal  Sparrow  sitting  again. 

June  2nd. — Californian  Quail  sitting.  Very  prolific 
layers,  these. 

June  jrd. — Two  young  Necklace  Doves  left  nest. 

June  4th. — African  Diamond  Sparrow  sitting"  again. 
Cabani's  Weaver  sitting.  The  cock  weaver  has  built  nine  nests, 
all  perfect.  The  hen  weaver,  unlike  most  of  the  Hypanthornine 
weavers,  lays  white  eggs. 

June  ^th. — Cuban  Finch  and  Cape  Sparrows  sitting". 

June  6th. — Mistle  Thrush  nesting"  again.  This  makes 
the  third  time,  and  she  has  now  laid  thirteen  eggs  this  season. 

June  yth. — Six  little  Mantchurian  Pheasants  hatched. 
These  are  extraordinary  tame  little  birds,  and  they  grow  very 
fast  and  l^ecome  great  pets. 

June  8th. — Snow  Bunting"  nesting  in  coco-nut  husk.  A 
queer  place  for  such  a  bird.  The  nest  was  neatly  built  and 
lined  with  hair.  Unfortunately  at  time  of  waiting  no  eggs  have 
been  laid.  Last  year  one  built  a  nest  in  a  box.  which  was  lined 
with  feathers. 

June  Qth. — Grey  Singingfinch  sitting. 

June  loth. — Tinnamou  cock  calling  again.  Common 
Quail  nesting.  I  have  hunted  long  for  this  bird's  nest  but  so 
tar  without  success.  I  think  that  my  New  Guinea  Quail  must 
also  be  nesting,  as  the  cock  has  been  calling.  These  two 
species  are  very  shy. 

Ju)}c  nth. — Song  Sparrows  nesting.  T  have  two  pairs 
(jf  these  birds  in  adjacent  aviaries,  both  of  which  I  feel  sure 
liave  nests.  They  nest  on  the  ground  in  very  thick  cover,  but. 
;is  they  are  very  secretive  in  their  habits,  the  nests  are  very 
difficult  to  find.  The  cocks  are  continually  fighting  with  each 
other  through  the  wires. 

June  12th. — Two  young  Tinamous  hatched  under  hen. 

June  i^tli. — Algerian  Chaffinch  sitting  again. 

June  24th. — Second  pair  of  Misto     Seedfinches     sitting. 


a 


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June  and  July  in  My  Aviaries.  133 

Nest  in  centre  of  thick  bunch  of  grass. 

June  i^th. — First  pair  of  Misto  Seedfinches  hatched  four 
young. 

June  i6th. — Alantchurian  Pheasant  sitting". 

June  i/th. — Cabot's  Tragopan  hatched  three  young 
Iforned  Guinea  Fowl.  Four  of  these  eggs  had  been  placed 
under  her.  as  her  own  eggs  were  infertile. 

June  i8th. — Tinamou  sitting  on  six  eggs. 

June  igih. — Twite  sitting  on  four  eggs.  I  have  had  tw(j 
])airs  of  these  birds  in  my  large  aviary  for  three  seasons,  and  this 
is  tlie  first  time  either  have  nested.  The  nest  is  in  a  willow 
about  three  feet  from  the  ground. 

Ju)ic  20th. — Second  pair  of  Misto  vSeedfinches  hatched. 
Red-billed  Weaver  sitting;  the  first  time  in  these  aviaries  tli.it 
these  birds  have  laid.       Red  Ground  Dove  sitting. 

Ju)ie  2ist. — Yellow-throated  Sparrow^s  sitting  again. 
New  Guinea  Quail  hatched  three  young.  These  were  about  the 
size  of  Bumble  Bees  and  much  the  same  colour.  1  he  first  to 
be  born  in  England,   I  believe 

Ju)ie  22nd. — Cape  Sparrow  hatched.  Californian  Quail 
sitting. 

June  2^rd. — Diuca  Finch  laid  in  Snow  Bunting's  nest. 

June  24th. — Young  Chingolo  Sparrows  left  nest. 

Ju)ie  2^th. — Snow  Buntings  nesting  again.  This  time 
in  a  box. 

June  26ih. — Crimson-crowned  Weaver  laid;  this  is  also 
a  first  occurrence  in  these  aviaries.  The  hen  was  only  purchased 
at  Gamage's  a  week  ago.  The  cock  completed  the  nest  in  a 
day.      Eggs  pale  blue,  like  a  Wheatear's,  and  nearly  as  large. 

June  2yth. — My  keeper  brought  me  two  young  Stone 
Curlews.  I  couldn't  get  them  to  feed,  and  although  I  hand- 
fed  them  they  did  not  survive ;  this  is  the  second  failure  I  have 
had  with  these  birds. 

June  28th. — Bramble  Finches  sitting".  Red-fronted  Braz- 
ilian Sparrows  nesting.  The  cock  has  a  rather  nice  song,  and 
a  very  curious  display  when  courting  the  hen.  I  do  not  know 
their  scientific  name. 

June  2gth. — Stripe-headed  Grosbeak  sitting  again.  I  am 
afraid  that  her  eggs  will  be  again  infertile,  although  her  Misto 
Seedfinch  husband  pays  her  a  good  deal  of  attention.      Received 


134  J  Idle  and  July  in  My  Ai'larics. 

to-day  a  very  tine  young  pair  of  Spoonbills  from  Rotterdam. 
Most  interestint;-  birds. 

June  ^oth. — Fifteen  young  Horned  (iuineafowl  left  nest. 
Saw  two  young-  Plumbeous  Quail  to-day  for  the  first  time  since 
they  were  hatched.       Appear  to  be  growing  nicely. 

July  ist. — Four  young  Misto  Seedfinches  left  nest. 

July  2nd. — Snow  Bunting  laid. 

July  ^rd. — Black  Tanager  sitting. 

June  4th. — Two  young  Misto  Seedfinches  left  nest. 

J itl\<  ^th. — Three  Cuba  Finches  left  nest. 

J nly  6th. — Bearded  Tit  sitting.  Another  case  of  infertile 
eggs,  as  my  birds  are  both  hens. 

July  yth. — Visited  the  Duchess  of  Wellington's  aviaries. 
These  fine  aviaries  have  been  designed  by  the  Duchess  herself, 
and  constiucted  under  Her  Grace's  personal  supervision. 
Besides  being  extremely  ornamental,  they  are  most  suitable 
for  the  different  kind  of  birds  contained  therein,  as  there  is 
water,  growing  grass,  shrubs,  etc.,  in  all  of  them.  I  was 
particularly  struck  with  the  fine  flock  of  Giant  Whydahs,  most 
of  which  have  been  bred  in  the  aviaries.  The  pretty  Indigo 
Bunting  was  also  very  much  in  evidence,  and  one  or  two  pairs 
have  already  nested;  but  the  principle  event  this  season  is  the 
hatching  out  of  a  nest  of  young  Blue  Tanagers.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  Fler  Grace  will  succeed  in  rearing  these.  An 
account  of  this  would  greatly  interest  B.N.  readers. 

J  Illy  cV///.  Five  Tinamous  and  one  Black-winged  Pea 
Chick  hatched. 

July  pth. — Senegal  Sparrow  hatched. 

July  TOth. — Cape  Sparrows  left  nest.  One  of  the  young- 
ones  appears  to  be  abnormal,  as  it  has  a  broad  white  patch  across 
the  wings. 

July  I2ih. — Russ'  Weaver  sitting. 

July  I  ph. — Red  Ground  Dove  sitting. 

July  /^//k— Orchard  Finch  sitting  again.  Plumbeous 
Quail  chicks  now  strong  on  wing. 

July  15th. — Tinamou  sitting  again.  Whilst  looking  for 
nests  I  stepped  on  and  crushed  three  young,  day-old  Misto 
Seedfinches.  These  birds  make  their  nests  in  the  long  grass, 
and  cover  them  over  with  the  growing  grass  blades.     '  The 


Bird  Notes. 


(Photo  h;i   W.  Siinin  Bo//;/.   F.Z.S.) 

Mistle  Thrush  Incubating. 


Notes  On  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life.  135 

rtrst  lot  of  youiij^'  ones  are  now  independent  of  their  parents 
The  tirst  time  they  have  been  reared  in  England,  I  believe. 

July  i6th. — Five  young  Calif ornian  Quail  hatched. 

July  lyth. — Twite  hatched  four  young-  ones.  This  is 
my  second  pair.  The  second  nest  of  my  first  pair  was  destroyed 
ijy  other  birds.       The  same  fate  befell  my  Brambling's  nest. 

July  i8th. — Misto  Seedfinch  hatched  three  young. 

Jnly  / 9/ //.  —  Seven  Buffalo  Weavers  and  three  Gambian 
Sparrows  arrived  from  Dr.  Hopkinson.  who  brought  them  over 
with  him  from  the  (Gambia.  They  are  most  interesting  birds 
and  will,  I  hope,  survive,  and  in  due  course  go  to  nest.  These 
birds  make  communal  nests,  and  it  would  be  very  interesting  to 
get  photos,  etc.,  of  these  in  an  aviary.  It  was  very  good  of 
Dr.  Hopkinson  to  send  them  here. 

July  2()th. — ^'oung  Senegal  Sparrows  left  nest.  This  is 
also  for  the  first  time  in  these  aviaries,  although  I  have  had 
many  of  these  birds. 

July  2J.y^— Crimson-crowned  Weaver  sitting  on  three  eggs. 

July  22nd. — Plumbeous  Quails  have  now  driven  off  their 

young  and  are  evidently  looking  for  a  new  building  site.       The 

young  ones  appear  to  be  a  pair,  but  I  cannot  be  sure  of  this 

without  handling  them. 

July  2^rd. — Four  young  Californian  Quail  hatched. 
I^iftal  Weavers  died.  Whether  this  was  due  to  a  change  of 
(Met,  too  much  live  food  after  their  long  abstinence  from  this  on 
their  voyage  over,  I  am  unable  to  .say,  but  it  is  very  disap- 
pointing.   They  all  lost  the  use  of  their  legs  before  succumbing. 

July  24th. — Left  for  summer  holiday,  so  record  for  the 
rest  of  the  month  not  available. 


Notes  on  Jungle  and  other  Wild  Life. 

By  Dr.  Casey  A.  Wood,  M.B.O.U. 

(Continued  from  page  iii.) 

Two  voyages  to  the  West  Indies  have  convinced  me  that 
the  cheapest  and  most  satisfactory  method  of  really  "  seeing  " 
that  section  of  them  known  as  the  I-esser  Antilles,  is  to  organize 


ii,()  Notes  On  Jitui^lc  and  Oilier  Wild  Life. 

a  party  of  not  more  than  four  cons^enial  souls  unafraid  of  the 
sea,  and  set  sail  from  New  York  or  Halifax  for  Trinidad  or 
Demerara,  visit  in  the  usual  orthodox  fashion  the  ports  of  call 
at  the  various  islands.       This  part  of  the  plan  insures  an  intro- 
duction of  considerable  value  to  the  itinerary  subsequently  to  be 
followed,  permits  the  traveller  not  accustomed  to  tropical  life 
to  become  more  or  less  acclimated,  and  emphasizes  the  enjoy- 
n:ent    of  the  true  adventure.       This  last  consists,    briefly,     of 
engaging"    and  provisioning"  one  of  those  beautiful    schooners 
uhose  graceful  lines  and  lovely  white  sails  hold  the  attention  of 
every  visitor  to  the  Caribbean.       The  ideal  vessel  is,  of  course, 
clean,     well  manned,   roomy  and  properly  supplied    with    the 
necessaries    and  some  of  the  luxuries  of  West  Indian    travel. 
I ''or  details  consult  either  of  those  most  courteous    and    well- 
informed  of  men,  our  Consuls  at  Demerara  or  Trinidad,  whence 
the  expedition  should  set  out.       Early  in  January  is  the  bc.o; 
lime  to  start;  and  the  excursion  will  occupy  about  two  months — 
but  oh !  the  wonders  that  may  be  encountered  in  that  short  space 
by  the  right  kind  of  people !       Sailing  leisurely  along,  one  may 
visit  and  stay  as  long  as  one  likes,  not  only  at  the  usual  points 
of  interest,  but  an  opportunity  is  also  given  to  explore  comfort- 
ably   and     easily   fascinating   localities,    peoples     and     animals 
otherwise    inaccessible.        The  steamship  companies    offer    an 
excellent  chance  to  spend  a  few  weeks  in  this  enchanted  land, 
but  they,   not  being  run   for  recreation  alone,   are   obliged  to 
consider  profitable  freights,  harbor  facilities  ,etc.,  that  do  not 
always  jibe  with  one's  desires  to  visit  islands  or  ports  not  on 
their  schedules.      On  the  other  hand,  the  independent  schooner- 
yacht  goes  everywhere.       Just  think  what  it  would    mean    ^^o 
visit  this  far-stretching  archipelago — these  Antillean    Sporades 
.Mid  Cyclades  and  to  sail  the  blue  ocean  that  flows  between  them, 
set  in  everlasting  summer.      Few  seas  furnish  as  many  historical 
memories,   natural  beauties,   curious  animals    and    remarkable 
incidents  as  the  long  semi-circle  of  islands  and  islets  that  seem 
to  have  been  scattered  broadcast  by  some  mighty  sower  between 
the    Virgin     Islands  and  Sombrero   Light,   away    north,     and 
Trinidad,  almost  within  gun  shot  of  the  V'enezuelean  coast. 

Two  institutions  almost  peculiar  to  Georgetown  bear  n 
possible    message  to  those  who  do  not  think  it  necessary    to 


Notes  Oil  hoiglc  ivid  Other  Wild  Life.  137 

provide  a  substitute  for  the  "  poor  man's  club"  when  prohibition 
is  adopted  by  a  country  previously  addicted  to  the  consumption 
of  various  forms  of  alcoholic  beverages.  This  new  growth  is 
well  described  by  the  author — now  unfortunately  passed  on — of 
Georgetown  Vignettes."  He  begins  his  clever  description 
with  a  quotation  from  the  repertory  of  the  Demerara  Laureate 
as  follows  :  — 

When  mail  heart  is  sore  and  weary 

And  mah  love  is  growin'  cold. 

When  the  outlook  is  so  dreary 

An'  de  chile  she  gettin'  bold — 

Just  turn  to  you  "  bub  "  in  de  evenin'   ! 

The  author  then  assures  us  that  to  "  define  what  are  the 
ingredients  of  a  "  Bub  "  drink  does  not  require  the  scientific 
knowledge  of  a  professor.  A  "  bub  "  is  composed  principally 
of  an  infinitesimal  portion  of  milk,  with  a  maximum  quantity  of 
water,  a  fractional  part  of  ice,  a  few  grains  of  nutmeg  and  ten 
drops  of  syrup.  In  fact,  it  has  been  known  where  the  attendant, 
v.'hen  in  a  bad  mood,  has  reduced  the  drops  of  syrup  aforesaid 
tc-  seven. 

Running  the  "  bul)  "  a  close  race  in  popular  favour  is  the 
■  ;.!iave  ice  "  drink.  What  is  a  "  shave  ice?"  This  is  purely 
nnd  simply  a  piece  of  ice  shaved  by  a  sharp  "  planer  "  into  a 
glass  and  besprinkled  with  syrup.  A  large  glass  costs  one 
penny;  while  a  half  tumbler's  worth  can  be  purchased  for  a  cent. 
Us  chief  charm  lies  in  its  ability  to  slake  the  thirst  of  a  throat 
vearied  with  the  imbibings  of  too  much  "  coolie  throw  down," 
or  in  other  words  our  familiar  friend — cask  rum ! 

Having  let  our  readers  into  the  mysteries  of  "  bub  "  and 
"  shave  ice  "  manufacturing  we  pass  on  to  treat  of  the  attend- 
ants. These  depend  primarily  on  the  locality  where  the  saloons 
h.appen  to  be  situated.  In  High  America  and  Hincks  Streets, 
three  of  the  chief  thoroughfares  of  the  "  bub  "  and  "  shave  ice" 
monopoly,  the  lady  attendants  are  chiefly  of  the  Hindustani 
race,  while  in  the  purlieus  of  Charlestown,  Bourda,  Queen, 
Regent  and  Camp  Streets,  the  attendants  are  indirect  descend- 
rmts  of  sons  of  Ham. 

In  each  of  these  "  bub  "  shops  scattered    all    over    the 


13S  Nutcs  Oil  Jungle  mill  Other  Wild  Life. 

town  the  assets  of  tlie  proprietors  are  comprised  chiefly  in  the 
obihty  of  their  attendants  to  carry  to  a  successful  issue  promis- 
cuous flirtations  with  every  Johnnie  who  comes  along".  Be  the 
patron  a  young  Barrister-at-Law  out  for  a  night's  fun,  or  a 
"  centipede  "  just  eleased  from  prison,  after  serving  a  term  for 
carrying  a  stick  for  the  purpose  of  terrorizing"  the  public,  her 
smiles,  airs,  and  graces  must  be  equally  distributed.  An  attempt 
at  favouritism  has  been  known  to  end  disastrously. 

These  "  Imb  "  shops  undoubtedly  serve  a  useful  purpose. 
Wayfarers,  after  an  evening's  jaunt,  have  found  them  handy 
for  providing  a  smack  composed  chiefly  of  tw'o  or  more  slabs  of 
iDread  and  minute  portions  of  ham  plastered  between.  A 
peremptory  call  or  so  at  the  blushing"  damsel  behind  the  counter 
may  or  may  not  produce  a  daub  of  mustard  with  which  to  give 
the  horse  flesh  a  slight  flavour.  As  an  indication  of  how  much 
these  "  bub  "  shops  are  favoured  by  high  and  low  alike,  it  may 
be  mentioned  that  the  writer  of  this  sketch  once  received  from 
a  now  defunct  solicitor  an  invitation  to  lunch.  ilie  offer  was 
accepted,  and  the  party  at  once  "  adjourned  "  to  the  lawyer's 
oflfice.  Visions  of  a  sumptuous  feast,  ordered  from  the 
Victoria,  naturally  floated  before  one's  eyes.  But  all  specula- 
tion was  quickly  set  at  rest  when  a  smiling  "  bub  "  shop 
attendant  marched  in  with  a  waiter  whose  spotty  cloth  covering 
hid  two  large  glasses  of  "  bub  "  flanked  by  two  slabs  of  bread, 
ham  and  mustard. 

The  "  bub  "  was  gratefully  received,  for  a  varied 
experience  has  taught  one  that  it  is  sometimes  polite  to  be 
thankful  for  small  mercies,  even  though  they  lake  the  form  of 
penny  "  bubs  !  " 

Now  comes  the  sequel.  With  the  al)normal  growth  of 
these  small  saloons  there  has  come  a  corresponding  decline  in 
the  craving  for  strong  waters.  As  a  matter  of  fact  to  such  an 
extent  have  things  come  in  this  respect  for  the  spirit  dealers, 
that  there  is  now  on  foot  a  serious  project,  having  for  its  aim 
a  monster  petition  to  the  Governor  praying"  that  the  license  of 
the  "  bub  "  dispensers  should  be  used.  It  has  also  been  stat^ 
that  owing"  to  the  wave  of  temperance  now  sweeping"  over  the 
community  the  attendance  at  places  of  worship  in  Georgetown 
has  increased  ten  per  cent.  Even  habitual  drunkards,  now  few 
in  number,  look  as  they  pass  with  longing  at  the  cool  refreshing" 


Notes  On  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life.  139 

glasses  of  "  bub  "  as  they  are  dispensed  to  patrons  who  in  the 
now  remote  past  used  to  Hne  up  ten  deep  before  the  counters 
of  the  rumshops.  The  spirit  dealers  Hke  not  the  outlook,  and 
only  in  the  assistance  of  the  Government,  whcm  they  assume  to 
be  their  ally,  do  they  hope  to  obtain  relief. 

It  occasionally  happens  that  a  planter  whose  estate  is  far 
distant  from  the  conveniences  of  town  or  village  must  perforce 
be  emergency  guide,  friend  and  doctor — not  to  mention  minister 
and  priest — to  his  peasant  employees.  Bearing  on  this  fact  I 
recall  that  I  took  into  dinner,  on  one  of  the  islands,  a  very 
attractive  young  woman  who,  from  her  war  experience  in 
France,  acted  in  a  medical  capacity  to  the  ignorant  employees  on 
her  husband's  plantation.  1  asked  her  how  she  managed  the 
eye  diseases.  "  Oh,  I  have  had  very  few  of  them,  and  they 
generally  yielded  to  treatment  in  a  short  time.  My  last  case 
may  interest  you.  One  morning,  bright  and  early,  a  coloured 
man,  after  trying — as  they  generally  do — all  the  domestic 
remedies  at  hand,  came  to  see  me  with  a  badly  swollen  eye  and 
face.  I  diagnosed  the  trouble  as  an  abscess  of  the  eyelid,  and 
thought  a  poultice  might  help.  As  I  had  run  out  of  linseed 
meal  1  wrapped  up  for  the  man  a  large  slice  of  white  bread 
soaked  in  milk  and  sent  him  on  his  way  rejoicing,  with  directions 
to  apply  the  remedy  for  one  day  and  then  to  report.  To  my 
surprise  he  returned  the  same  afternoon  evidently  much 
improved;  it  seemed  as  if  the  abscess  had  "  broken."  Asked 
how  long  he  had  kept  the  poultice  on  his  eye  he  confessed  that 
he  thought  it  was  to  be  taken  internally.  '  Berry  good;  berry 
good;  me  like  him;  me  eat  him,'  and  in  view  of  its  miraculous 
effects  I  soaked  him  another  slice  which  completed  the  cure, 
and  established  my  reputation  as  a  doctor  of  wonderful  healing 
powers." 

Almost  every  island  in  the  Antilles  has  its  Botanic 
Gardens,  each  one  of  them  presenting  attractions  all  its  own ; 
and  none  should  be  neglected  by  the  tourist.  E.  and  I  liked 
especially  the  lovely  little  tropical  park  at  St.  Lucia,  and  were 
greatly  impressed  by  the  much  larger  and  better  kept  Gardens 
of  Dominica  where  especially  abide  not  only  everlasting  spring 
and  never  withering  flowers  but  also  pretty  nearly  every  curious 
tree  and  shrub  under  the  tropical  canopy. 


140  Notes  Oil  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life. 

Takint^"  it  all  in  all.  perhaps  the  Demerara  Botanic 
Gardens  are  the  most  attractive.  Nowhere  else  can  the  peculiar 
tropical  ves^'etation  of  South  America  be  studied  to  better  advan- 
tage, all  artistically  disposed  along  miles  of  well-kept  drives 
and  walks.  Palms  there  are  in  great  variety  and  abundance, 
including  the  majestic  royal,  the  somewhat  similar  cabbage 
palm,  the  Eta,  the  fan  or  traveller's  (so-called  because  of  the 
supply  of  water  to  be  found  at  the  base  of  its  leaves)  palm,  and 
many  another  curious  form. 

The  glorious  Victoria  Regia  lily  is  a  common  weed  in 
British  Guiana,  was  first  discovered  here  and  at  one  time  flour- 
ished in  some  of  the  drainage  canals  that  crisscross  the  city  of 
Georgetown.  When  it  was,  for  sanitary  reasons,  decided  to 
fill  these  trenches  this  huge  water-lily  was  banishel  to  the 
Gardens — its  ponds  and  canals — where  it  may  be  seen  by  the 
hundred,  with  its  immense  leaves,  enormous  buds  and  wonderful 
flowers.  Here,  too,  one  sees  other  water  lilies  of  great  size 
and  beauty — the  lotus  and  vast  numbers  of  the  red,  white  and 
blue  nymph ca.  Adjoining  the  Gardens  proper  are  40  acres  ct 
fWjjcrimental  nurseries  where  certain  economic  products — 
sugar-cane  in  particular — likely  to  be  of  value  to  the  colony  are 
grown.  As  might  be  expected  in  this  land  of  orchids,  the 
crrhid  house  is  often  redolent  of  bloom,  and  is  always  well 
worth  a  visit. 

The  traveller  will  be  charmed  by  the  animal  life  of  the 
( lai'dens,  and  especially  by  the  home-coming  flight  of  hundreds 
of  blue  herons,  white  egrets,  hawks  and  other  birds,  best  seen 
(from  5-30  to  6  p.m.)  just  before  they  settle  for  the  night  in  the 
liigh  trees  of  tne  "  Island" — a  small  bird  sanctuary  entirely 
surrounded  by  a  canal  or  moat.  This  body  of  water  is  filled 
with  flowering  lilies  whose  pads  support  numerous  large,  long- 
toed,  brilliant-coloured  jacanas  and  other  water-fowl  that  run 
along  the  wide  leaves,  while  flocks  of  Night  and  Day  herons  call 
and  squabble  for  a  favourite  resting  place  in  the  branches  above. 
All  things  considered,  this  sight  alone  is  worth  a  trip  to  British 
Guiana,  and  it  is  made  possible  by  a  sensible  bird  protection 
law  strictly  enforced. 


A  Cuckoo  Episode.  141 

In  these  same  gardens  is  to  be  seen,  among'  other  animals, 
that  curious  am])hibian,  the  manatee  or  "  sea-cow  " — not  cooped 
UP  in  a  cage  but  swimming  about  in  the  miles  of  canals  and  ponds 
that  supply  the  Gardens.  Come  any  morning  about  7-30  and 
ask  a  keeper  "  where  the  manatees  are  feeding." 

(To  be  continued.) 


A  Cuchoo  Episode. 

By  Capt.  J.  S.  Reeve,  F.Z.S.,  M.B.O.U. 

The  following  may  be  of  interest  to  our  readers  : 

A  Pied  Wagtail  Ijuilt  as  usual  on  the  house  here  (Lincoln), 
close  to  my  aviaries,  but  the  nest  was  destroyed  and  they  built 
ag;ain.  During  this  period,  on  May  i8th  a  Cuckoo  was  seen 
to  alight  on  the  creepers  close  to  the  nest ;  on  24th  there  was 
one  Wagtail's  egg;  on  25th  a  pair  of  Cuckoos  were  in  the 
garden,  both  "  cuckooing."  and  one  also  making  the  "  water- 
l)ubbling  "  sound;  one  of  these  was  seen  to  fly  to  tne  house, 
but,  unfortunately,  was  not  watched!  On  27th,  at  i  p.m.,  i 
examined  the  nest  and  found  two  Wagtail's  eggs  and  one 
Cuckoo's,  tnis  latter  being  of  a  rotund  shape  with  markings 
of  a  greenish  hue.  A  friend  arriving  that  afternoon,  who  was 
interested  in  birds,  at  9  p.m.  I  showed  them  to  him.  I  examined 
the  nest  next  day  at  i  p.m.,  when  lo  and  behold!  the  Cuckoo's 
tgg  was  gone,  the  nest  quite  undisturbed,  and  a  third  Wagtail's 
egg"  in  it !  (Jn  29th  there  were  four  Wagtail's  eggs,  and  the 
bird  duly  commenced  to  sit  on  them.  What  happened  to  the 
Cuckoo's  ei^'f^''!  Is  it  possible  that  the  Cuckoo  saw  me  twice 
go  to  the  nest  on  27th,  and  removed  the  &gg'^  I  searched  the 
wh.ole  garden  over  and  found  several  other  nests — Linnet's. 
inrush's.  Flycatcher's,  and  a  Lesser  White-throat's,  but  no 
Cuckoo's  egg,  and  I  know  of  no  other  pair  of  Wagtails  near  at 
hand.  I  have  since  been  told  of  the  case  of  a  Cuckoo  laying 
in  a  nest  in  an  open  greenhouse,  and  of  her  being  found  there 
in  the  greenhouse  a  day  or  two  afterwards.  It  is,  I  believe,  on 
record  by  Dr.   Chance  and  others  that  the  Cuckoo   has  been 


142  Stray  Notes  of  the  Saisoit. 

known  to  take  a  subsequent  interest  in  its  Ci^ys  and  even  youni,^ 
when  hatched,  but  has  it  ever  been  su.^•  .jested  or  recorded  that 
they  will  remove  their  eggs  in  case  of  danger  ?  It  does  seem  a 
possibility.  I  may  add  that  on  June  24th  1  found  two  Hedge 
.Sparrows'  nests,  each  with  three  eggs  and  a  Cuckoo's — one 
forty-seven  yards  from  where  the  Wagtail's  nest  was,  and  the 
other  seventy-seven  yards  on  beyond  the  first,  all  in  the  same 
garden;  the  nearer  of  these  two  clutches  was  slightly  incubated, 
the  Hedge  Sparrow's  eggs  being-  of  a  very  deep  blue  type  and 
small;  the  other  clutch  was  perfectly  fresh,  tnough  the  bird  was 
sitting,  but  they  were  of  a  perfectly  different  type,  very  long 
and  light  greenish-blue,  and  might  almost  have  been  taken  for 
Wheatear's  eggs.  The  two  Cuckoo's  eggs  were  of  entirely 
different  type  and  assimilated  more  or  less  to  their  respective 
clutches,  one  being  oval  and  lightly  marked  with  grey,  the 
other  elongated  and  well  marked  with  brown.  The  former  is 
about  an  inch  long,  and  the  latter  seven-eighths  of  an  inch. 
Each  exceeds  by  about  one-eighth  of  an  inch  the  length  of  the 
eggs  in  it3  clutch.  Again  1  searched  everywdiere  within  two 
or  three  hundred  yards  but  found  no  more  Hedge  Sparrows' 
nests  and  no  more  Cuckoos'  eggs! 

Another  deduction  which  may  seem  to  be  drawn  from  the 
first  part  of  my  story  is  that  the  CXickoo  finds  the  nests  in  the 
first  place  by  seeing  the  birds  building. 


Stray  Notes  of  the  Season.] 

By  Wesley  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  M.B.O.U. 

These  indeed  must  be  very  much  stray  notes,  for  I  have 
been  so  occupied  with  many  things  that  I  have  frequently  only 
seen  ni}^  birds  once  during  the  week.  Owing  to  the  adverse 
and  frequently  changing  w'eather  conditions,  there  is  much  more 
of  failure  to  chronicle  than  success,  even  with  such  species  as 
usually  triumph  over  our  inconsequent  English  weather,  and  T 
fear  the  same  record  will  prevail  in  many  (most)  aviaries  this 
season. 

Doves,  which  usually  do  well  here,  have  only  up  to  the 


Stray  Azotes  of  flic  Scaso>i.  143 

present  i)ro(luoed  a  single  youngster  successfully  reared;  still, 
with  all  the  disappointments  attendant  upon  aviculture,  it  has 
been  the  solace  and  interest  of  many  an  hour  during  the  many 
depressing  periods  of  recent  times. 

My  birds  are  not  as  numerous  as  they  were;  accidents, 
etc.,  have  robbed  me  of  many  rarities  and  pals,  and  I  have  made 
but  few  additions,  so  that  to-day  there  are  more  odd  birds  in 
the  aviary  than  mated  pairs.  Many  of  the  odd  ones  are  patri- 
archs with  a  history  and  old  friends  too,  so  they  remain,  till  in 
the  fulness  of  time  they  travel  West,  to  the  happy  hunting 
grounds  of  the  feathered  tribe.  Who  knows?  Perchance  at 
some  future  time  we  may  meet  again  upon  a  happier  shore ! 

My  newest  acquisitions  among  the  C olumbidac  were  a 
pair  of  Cape  Turtle  Doves  (Turtur  capicolo)  kindly  presented  to 
me  by  Mr.  Guy  Falkner,  being  part  of  a  consignment  personally 
brought  over  by  him  about  a  year  and  a  half  ago.  In  general 
appearance  they  much  resemble  the  common  Barbary  Turtle- 
Dove,  but  their  plumage  is  a  much  greyer  and  darker  tone, 
iliey  are  handsome  birds,  and  a  species  I  had  not  previously 
kept.  They  came  to  hand  in  late  summer  last  year,  soon  settled 
down  and  made  themselves  quite  at  home  in  my  largest  aviary, 
where  there  are  five  other  species  of  doves.  They  passed  the 
winter  without  apparent  discomfort,  and  this  spring  found  them 
in  perfect  health  and  plumage,  and  were  soon  sparring  with 
other  doves  for  the  more  suitable  nesting  sites ;  this  continued 
for  so  long  a  period  that  I  was  contemplating  removing  several 
of  the  doves  to  another  aviary,  when  one  morning  in  June  my 
attention  was  directed  to  the  top  of  a  mass  of  foliage  (Poly- 
gonum climbing  up  one  of  the  roof  standards),  by  one  of  the 
Cape  Turtle-Doves  flying  therefrom.  An  examination  revealed 
the  usually  sparse,  fragile  nest  and  in  it  a  fully  fledged  young  bird 
which  left  the  next  day,  and  is  now  (July  26)  disporting  itself 
m  the  aviary  almost  indistinguishable  from  its  parents,  who  are 
nesting  again.  The  young  bird  resembles  its  parents  in 
plumage  pattern  but  was  of  a  slightly  warmer  and  darker  hue, 
and  was  in  possession  of  a  partial  neck  ring  when  1  saw  it  in 
the  nest.  It  only  received  the  attention  of  what  I  took  to  be 
t.-e  male  parent  for  seven  days,  and  was  then  entirely  on  its  own 


T44  Stray  Notes  of  the  Season. 

I  should  say  that  neither  in  plumage  nor  contour  have  i 
been  able  to  detect  any  difference  in  the  sexes,  and  it  is  during" 
courting  displays  that  1  know  "  t'other  from  which. 

I  regret  my  brother  was  not  available  to  take  a  photo  of 
the  young  bird  in  the  nest,  for,  though  it  was  not  a  rare 
episode,  it  made  a  very  pleasing  picture  indeed,  the  nest  being 
almost  hidden  in  the  convolvulus-like  foliage.  It  was  just  to 
the  end  of  the  path  used  during  daily  visits  to  replenish  food 
-upplies,  situate  three  or  four  feet  above  one's  head. 

The  Indian  Green-wing  Doves  {Chalcophaps  indica)  are 
incubating.  Though,  perhaps,  one  of  the  species  longest 
known  to  aviculture  it  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the 
Columhidac.  Its  general  colour  is  deep  wine-red,  with  lustrous 
wing  of  deep  rich  grass-green,  which  vary  from  copper  to  deep 
blue-black  under  the  play  of  light ;  the  beak  and  feet  are  red — 
lovely  creatures  in  a  roomy  garden  aviary.  I  have  kept  the 
species  for  many  years  and  found  them  hardy  and  long-lived — 
ten  to  twelve  years  being  by  no  means  an  uncommon  period. 

Though  I  have  bred  this  species  on  several  occasions, 
and  as  recently  as  1920,  failures  have  been  more  numerous  than 
successes,  not  that  they  are  bad  sitters  or  parents,  but  rather 
because  of  wasting  their  efforts  in  attempts  to  construct  nests 
on  impossible  natural  sites,  though  numerous  artificial  platforms 
were  scattered  about  in  sheltered  positions  all  over  the  aviary — 
their  predilection  evidently  being  for  a  naturally  constructed 
nest  amid  the  branches  of  some  tree  or  bush.  Apparently,  at 
last  they  have  constructed  one  to  their  liking,  in  a  position  where 
;iny  human  would  have  said  a  nest  was  impossible — the  query 
is.  will  the  fragile,  sticky  platform  they  have  constructed  stand 
the  strain  of  storm,  incubation  and  brooding  of  the  young? 

The  X'inaceous  Turtle- Doves  {Tiirtitr  z'i)iaceus)  are  no 
better,  and  so  far  have  not  got  beyond  trying  to  construct  nests 
.'i.mid  the  branches,  which  the  alighting  of  other  birds  on  one  of 
the  branches  invariably  disperse.  This  was  the  case  with  this 
;\iir  last  season. 

Red  Mountain  Doves  (Geotrygou  moniana),  are  very 
handsome  and  hardy  doves,  comfortably  spending  tiie  whole 


Stray  Notes  of  the  Scasou.  145 

vear  out  of  doors,  and  usually  bringing  up  one  or  two  broods 
per  annum.  So  far  they  have  one  youngster  independent  this 
year,  and  are  now  looking  for  a  fresh  site  for  another  nest. 
They  spend  nearly  the  whole  of  their  time  upon  the  ground, 
have  rather  a  mournful  call  "  hoo-hoo,"  but  in  every  other 
respect  are  pleasing  and  attractive  occupants  of  the  aviary. 

I  have  put  these  dove  episodes  out  of  their  proper 
sequence,  and  I  will  now  give  a  few  other  episodes  in  their 
regular  order.  I  had  better  preface  my  remarks  by  stating  that 
last  autumn  I  put  in  the  aviary  two  Hedge  Accentors  and  four 
Chafifinches,  and  this  spring  a  hen  Goldfinch  procured  from  one 
of  the  villagers;  the  others  were  captured  on  my  holding.  I 
had  intended  to  capture  a  cock  Goldfinch^  these  are  plentiful 
on  the  holding,  but  a  pressure  of  duties  prevented  me  till  tne  wild 
birds  were  paired  up  and  then  I  would  not.  Also  there  are  a 
number  of  hybrid  Himalayan  Siskin  x  Border  Canary  in  the 
aviary,  which  have  been  there  several  years ;  up  to  the  present 
they  have  nested  several  times,  but  without  result — all  the  eggs 
have  proved  infertile,  apparently  they  are  barren  when  mated 
inter  se,  but  would  doubtless  produce  young  if  mated  either 
with  a  Himalayan  Siskin,  or  a  Border  Canary. 

The  first  episode  I  noticed  was  a  Hedge  Accentor's 
(Accentor  moditlar'is)  nest,  containing  four  blue  eggs,  of 
the  usual  kind  without  markings.  The  nest  was  quite  typical, 
cosily  lined,  a  perfect  picttire  of  bird  achitecture;  it  was  in 
rather  an  exposed  position,  in  a  fork  of  a  cupressus  bush  by  the 
side  of  a  path.  They  were  only  left  in  undisturbed  possession 
for  a  few  days.  I  suspect  the  spoiler  to  have  been  either  a 
Pekin  Robin  or  Pope  Cardinal.  The  mischief  was  evidently 
only  recent  when  I  noticed  it,  for  the  interior  of  the  nest  was  a 
mass  of  broken  and  partly-eaten  eggs,  quite  fresh  and  still  in 
Hquid  form.  I  think  they  are  nesting  again,  but  some  of  the 
bushes  are  so  overgrown  with  wild  convolvulus  that  it  is  quite 
impossible,  without  undue  interference,  to  ascertain  all  that  is 
taking  place  in  the  aviary  at  the  present  moment.  Many  years 
ago  a  brood  of  Accentors  were  reared  to  maturity  in  my  aviary, 
and  I  had  a  hankering  to  repeat  the  success. 

The  Chafifinches  (Fringilla  coelehs)  too,  I  desired  to  breed. 


146  Stray  Notes  of  the  Season. 

as.  though  yoimg  have  undoubtedly  been  reared  in  captivity, 
they  have  been  unobserved  successes,  and  I  wished  to  have  the 
pleasure  of  recording  a  fully  observed  success.  One  of  these 
pairs  supplied  the  next  episode.  They  constructed  a  nest  of 
hay,  grass-bents  and  fine  rootlets ;  it  was  exactly  similar  to  what 
we  are  accustomed  to  see  in  the  country-side  in  every  respect, 
except  that  it  lacked  lichen,  none  of  which  I  supplied;  in  all 
other  respects  it  was  a  replica  of  one  I  took  from  the  raspberry 
canes  on  my  holding.  They  were  very  secretive  in  their  opera- 
tions, and  the  nest  was  completed  and  one  egg  laid  before  it 
was  discovered;  five  days  later  it  contained  four  eggs,  and 
incubation  had  commenced.  The  nest  was  placed  in  a  mass  of 
Polygonum  creeper,  two  feet  below  that  of  the  Cape  Turtle- 
Doves.  lucubation  lasted  thirteen  days,  when  four  lusty  young 
fledglings  were  observed  in  the  nest — all  went  well  for  four 
days,  but  on  the  night  of  the  fourth  day  there  was  a  terrific  wind 
storm  accompanied  by  torrential  rain,  and  when  I  made  my 
visit  to  the  aviary  at  9-30  the  next  morning  two  dead  fledglings 
lay  beneath  the  nest,  and  two  dead  in  the  nest — they  were 
well-grown  and  well-nourished  for  their  age. 

The  nest  was  then  deserted,  and  I  am  assured  that  botli 
pairs  now  have  nests,  but  I  have  not  discovered  them  amid  the 
wild  tangle  of  bush  and  convolvulus. 

Next  I  saw  one  of  a  pair  of  Mealy  Redpolls  carrying 
bricks  for  Redpoll  castle,  but  the  chosen  site  was  not  the  final 
one.  for  the  home  was  not  completed;  but  I  have  since  seen 
them  carrying  nesting  material  into  a  wild  tangle  of  creeper 
and  bush,  so  presumably  their  home  will  be  completed  there — 
may  be  it  already  is. 

So  far  as  I  am  aware  Java  Sparrows.  Silverbills,  Pekin 
Robins.  Violet-eared  Waxbills.  and  various  weavers  have  not 
seriously  built  as  yet,  though  some  of  them  may  have  young 
hidden  among  the  tangled  growth. 

Owing  to  a  series  of  mishaps  last  summer  my  collection 
of  parrakeets  consists  mostly  of  odd  unmated  birds. 

By  the  kindness  of  Mrs.  Reed  I  have  secured  a  mate  for 
my  Blue-fronted  Amazon  {Chrysotis  aestk^a),  and  one  of  them 


/4t'7V7;'v  A'ofcs  from  Northern  Ireland.  147 

now  spends  a  lot  of  its  time  in  tlie  nest  lo,^'.  so  once  a.^ain 
one  hopes. 

The  same  apphes  to  pairs  of  Rosella  Parrakeets 
(Platxeereiis  eximius)  and  Cactus  Conures  (Connrus  cactorum), 
hut  the  happenini^'s  are  as  yet  "  in  the  lap  of  the  g"ods." 

A  fine  pair  of  Black  Cassiques  (Cossiciis  spec,  inccrt)  are 
in  the  pink  of  condition,  but,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  have  made 
no  attempt  to  go  to  nest,  though  mating  is  of  frequent  occur- 
rence. These  are  grand  birds,  glossy  black  with  purplish 
reflections,  whicn  latter  vary  considerably  according  to  the  play 
of  light.  They  are  birds  of  character,  and  of  fascinating 
demeanour — there  is  not  a  dull  moment  when  one  has  a  spare 
lialf  hour  to  spend  in  front  of  their  aviary. 

I  am  in  want  of  a  hen  Blossom-headed  Parrakeet,  cock 
Alexandrine  Parrakeet,  and  hen  Pekin  Robin,  if  any  member  can 
accommodate  me  with  acclimatised  specimens  to  complete. 

Though,  of  course,  breeding  is  our  paramount  aim.  it  is 
not  the  sum  total  of  the  pleasures  of  aviculture;  it  certainly 
supplies  most  of  its  disappointments.  The  economy  of  bird- 
life  that  leads  up  to  this  central  fact,  surrounds  it.  and  follows 
after  it.  in  all  its  varied  details,  rewards  careful  observation 
with  unending  interest  and  pleasure  as  the  season  runs  its 
course,  even  in  those  cases  when  full  breeding  success  is  not 
attained. 

I  have  tried  to  say  nothing  as  interestingly  as  possible; 
will  not  some  of  my  fellow  members  copy  my  bad  example,  and 
tell  us  of  the  doings  of  their  birds,  even  if  they  have  only 
commonplace  species  ? 

0 

Aviary  Notes  from  Northern  Ireland. 

By  W.  H.  Workman.  F.Z.S. 
Some  of  our  younger  members  may  be  interested  in  a  few- 
notes  on  my  new  aviary  and  a  description  of  the  various  Httle 
fitments  which  I  have  included  in  it,  and.  at  the  same  time,  T 
feel  I  am  complying  with  our  good  Editor's  wish  for  more  and 
more  copy  for  the  magazine,  which  has  done  so  much  to  keep 
alive  the  avicultural  hobby  during  the  long  years  of  the  war  and 
after,  when  we  were  unable  to  get  or  keep  foreign  birds  and  so 


MM 


Ai'ian'  Notes  from  Northern  Jrclaiul. 


turned  our  attention  to  the  miinterestint;-  bttt  useful  hen,  so  I 
turned  one  of  my  aviaries  into  an  intensive  fowl  house,  and  it 
is  this  tliat  1  now  have  had  reconstructed,  and  which  I  wish 
to  describe. 

The  fowl-house  was  a  lean-to  affair,  of  about  14ft.  lon;^ 
and  about  6ft.  wide,  havins::^  an  over-hang-ins.:,-  roof  of,  say, 
another  foot,  with  a  good  solid  cement  floor.  This  I  pretty 
well  pulled  to  pieces,  taking  away  the  front  and  division,  leaving 
only  the  one  end,  roof,  and  cement  floor.  I   then   got  the 

carpenter  to  divide  the  house  longtitudinally,  into  two  divisions, 
\i/:     a    shelter    for    night,    a    roofed-over    part    which    I    call 

■ ■ C:^^ 


i>fwj\r\ 


1^ 


^^^ 


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Q  I 


5^  -^ 


o  ^ 


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'^i     "of 


rian  and  Elevation. 
•Mr,    W.    II.    Workman's  Aviaries. 


Aviary  Notes  fi'oii}  Nurthcrn  Ireland.  149 

covered  flii^ht,  putting-  doors  between  and  windows — but  the 
plan  will  give  my  readers  a  much  better  idea  of  my  design,  in 
which  I  was  greatly  influenced  by  the  bird  houses  at  the  Zoo. 
and  in  a  very  small  way  I  tried  to  copy  them. 

This,  you  see.  gives  me  a  good  place  to  put  food  for  the 
birds,  but  more  of  this  anon.  We  now  proceeded  to  make 
the  flight.  This  is  made  of  half  inch  mesh  wire  lapped  together 
so  that  looking  through  the  front  and  sides  one  is  not  bothered 
with  great  lines  of  three  inch  timber  spoiling  the  view.  The 
flg-ht  therefore  is  about  14ft.  x  6ft.  x  7ft.  high,  and  like  the 
house  is  divided  into  three  divisions  (see  plan),  with  communi- 
cating doors  of  light  wood  framing  covered  with  half-inch  mesh 
wire.  From  the  elevation  you  will  see  that  the  roof  projects 
into  the  flight  about  one  foot;  this  certainly  makes  it  more 
difficult  to,  say,  catch  a  bird  or  drive  a  strange  bird  in  at  night, 
but  on  the  other  hand  it  is  a  splendid  place  for  them  to  sit  and 
sun  themselves  in  the  morning,  as  it  gets  very  warm  on  this 
roof,  and  they  are  protected  from  draught  by  a  deep  board 
running  along  the  roof  on  its  edge,  this  board  taxing  the 
wire  netting  of  the  flight. 

The  next  thing  I  had  to  think  out  was  the  arrangement  of 
the  flight.  I  flrst  made  a  gravel  path  running  straight  through 
next  to  the  cement  floor  of  the  covered  flight.  Then  I  got  the 
gardener  to  get  me  some  large  and  coarse  grass  sods  and  we 
planted  them  with  an  edging  of  boxwood.  As  the  weather 
turned  wet  we  had  no  trouble  with  the  grass  or  plants.  After 
T  got  the  sods  down  I  paid  a  visit  to  a  Nursery,  and  there  I  was 
much  disappointed  to  find  I  could  not  get  a  few  firs  as  I  was 
told  that  at  that  time  of  year  (June)  they  couldn't  be  moved,  but 
!  secured  some  fine  Box  trees,  so  I  put  a  small  one  and  a  big 
one  in  each  flight,  and  they  never  looked  back  in  spite  of 
warnings  by  various  gardeners. 

Our  next  consideration  was  perches,  so  I  cut  down  a  few 
Sycamore  seedlings,  when  the  top  parts  were  cleaned  of  leaves ; 
these  made  beautiful  shapely  perches,  and  the  birds  took  to  them 
.It  once.  Some  I  hung  up  to  the  rafters  of  the  flight,  others  I 
nailed  up  to  the  corners.  Next  I  cut  a  lot  of  small  branches, 
which  I  nailed  up  in  various  parts  of  the  covered  flight  and 
sleeping  compartment,  putting  in  between  various  nesting  boxes 


1^0  Editorial. 

of  different  sizes,   suitable  for  the  various  birds,   whicn   I   will 
describe  later. 

Now  as  to  feeding-  and  drinking  arrangements  :  I  made 
tliree  trays — one  for  each  division — about  14  inches  square,  and 
4  inches  deep,  putting  screw  eyes  at  each  corner  to  which  I 
attached  by  wire  hooks  four  pieces  of  small  sized  picture  chain. 
These  all  came  to  a  hook  in  the  centre  which  again  is  fastened 
to  a  screw  eye  in  the  roof.  Into  these  trays  I  put  glass  bowls 
(old  preserved  meat  bowls)  of  seed,  and  the  birds  drop  the  chaff 
out  of  the  bowls  into  the  trays,  so  the  fioor,  etc.,  is  kept  very 
clean.  It  then  becomes  an  easy  matter  to  tilt  up  the  trays 
of  chaff  into  the  bowls  and  riddle  out  the  good  seed  tliat  is  left. 
Eefill  the  bowls  with  fresh  seed  and  replace  them  in  their  trays. 
For  soft  food,  etc.,  I  use  the  little  delph  pots  that  one  gets 
potted  shrimps  in;  they  are  so  easily  cleaned  and  kept  fresh. 

For  water  I  use  enamelled  steel  dishes  of  various  depths 
to  suit  the  birds;  they  are  white  so  one  can  keep  them  spotless, 
and  thus  one  is  sure  of  the  birds  getting  fresh  drinking  and 
bathing  water. 

For  nesting  boxes,  I  made  a  number  from  all  sorts  of 
suitable  wooden  boxes  drilling  a  hole  with  an  "  Extension 
Bit  " — by  the  way  a  most  useful  instrument  because  it  drills  a 
hole  of  a  diameter  of  %in.  up  to  3  inches,  and  comes  in  useful 
for  all  sorts  of  purposes  connected  with  the  aviary. 

The  account  of  my  birds  must  form  another  story. 


Editorial. 

Breeding  of  Leadbeater's  Cockatoo  (Cacotua  lead- 
hcatcri).  One  does  not  often  hear  of  cockatoos  breeding  in 
captivity,  but  at  the  present  time  in  the  London  Zoo,  at  the  rear 
of  the  Parrot  House,  is  to  be  seen  a  happy  family  of  Lead- 
beater's — the  parent  pair  and  two  babies.  This  species  is  one 
of  the  most,  if  not  the  most  beautiful,  of  the  large  genus 
Cacatua.  Only  on  one  occasion  previously  has  complete  success 
been  attained  in  breeding  the  species  in  the  Gardens,  when  one 
or  two  young  birds  were  fully  reared  in  the  large  aviary  (now 
given  up  to  monkeys)  on  the  banks  of  the  canal,  almost  opposite 
the   Parrot   House.       Returning  to  the  nresent  success,   both 


Editorial.  151 

parents  shared  the  duties  of  incubation,  and  both  were  alike 
assiduous  in  feeding  and  caring"  for  their  progeny.  The  young 
birds  are  strong  and  lusty,  but,  at  present,  more  given  to 
climbing  than  flying. 

One  such  episode  as  the  above  compensates  tne  avicul- 
turist  for  the  many  disappointments  of  their  cult.  iiie  sights 
of  such  an  episode  through  all  its  varied  details  of  courtship, 
love,  incubation,  and  rearing  the  young,  are  never-to-be- 
forgotten-ones.  While  the  sight  of  these  fine  birds  in  the  full 
excitement  of  sexual  ardour,  with  the  glorious  crests  upraised, 
and  wings  and  tail  outspread  can  be  better  imagined  than 
described,   and   must   be  seen  to  be    fully   appreciated. 

It  is  a  notable  success  and  we  heartily  congratulate  those 
concerned  therein. 

Seasonal  Notes  :  The  season,  which  opened  so  hope- 
fully in  several  aviaries,  has  not  borne  out  its  earlier  promise. 
The  malignant  attitude  of  the  weather  towards  aviculture  has 
caused  the  loss  of  the  bulk  of  the  young  from  the  first  round 
of  nests, 

Mr.  H.  E.  Bright,  of  Woolton,  writes:  "  The  birds  have 
done  very  badly  lately,  have  lost  practically  all  my  young  ones 
through  the  cold  and  wet,  and  the  Hangnests  have  gone  into 
moult.  I  have  a  couple  of  young  Turtle-Doves,  which  may 
not  have  been  bred  previously — Isabelline  Turtle-Doves  Rogers 
called  them,  and  he  says  they  are  new." 

We  think  the  Isabelline  Turtle-Dove  has  been  bred  at 
the  London  Zoo. 

It  will  also  be  seen  from  the  notes  of  Messrs.  VV.  Shore 
Baily,  Capt.  Rattigan,  W.  T.  Page  and  others,  elsewhere  in 
this  issue,  that  the  unfavourable  conditions  so  far  this  season 
have  turned  many  very  probable  successes  into  failure ;  we  must 
hope  that  the  last  half  of  the  season  wnll  be  better  than  the 
first  portion  has  been — August  and  September  are  often  very 
fruitful  of  results  in  outdoor  aviaries. 

Even  at  the  London  Zoo  results  have  been  less  than 
usual,  though  two  notable  successes  have  been  attained  (noted 
elsewhere).  The  following  breeding  successes  and  more 
notable  arrivals  are  extracted  from  the  Society's  Report  011  the 
Additions  to  the  Menagerie  for  June: 


152  Correspondence. 

Hreeding  Successes. 
8  Carolina    Ducks  { LiUJif^roiiessa  sponsa). 

1  Chilian  Teal  (Ncttiuni  flaz'irostris). 

2  Sacred  Ibises  {Ibis  aethiopicus). 

Arrivals  :  These  have  Ijeen  (juile  numerous  anionj;-  the 
smaller  fringilline  and  ploecine  species,  but  mostly  of  well 
known  species — we  are  ])leased  to  note  the  influx  of  several 
species  which  have  been  really  scarce  durin,^-  the  war  and  since, 
ior  which  reason  we  include  them  in  the  list. 

I   Greater  Amethyst  Sunbird  {Chalcomitra  anietliystiiia). 
I   Malachite  Sunbird  (Nectarina  famosa). 
6  Pink-winged  Rosefmches  (Rhodospiza  ohsolcta). 
■•'   I   White-crested  Hornbill  (Ortholophus  Icucolo pints). 

I   Crowned  Hawk-Eag"le  (Spicaetits  coronatits). 
*   I   Apure  Tovi  Parrakeet  {Brotogerys  jugiilaris  apuroisis). 
10  Painted  Quails  (Excalfactoria  chincnsis). 
*  Nczu  to  the  Collection. 


Correspondence. 

STRAY     NeJTES. 

Sir, — Not  much  of  interest  lo  record  re  ni_\-  aviaries,  tun  such  as  tiicy 
an.,  the}'  may  possibly  be   of   some   interest. 

BEARDED  TITS  {Paiiunis  bianuiciis).  My  pair  nested  anil  laid 
five  eggs  in  a  coco-nut  shell,  all  clear.  1  had  the  same  result  last  year 
when  a  pair  (whether  the  same  pair  or  not  I  cannot  >ay,  for  I  then  had  two 
pairs)   laid  two  clutches   of   four   each — all   clear. 

TRIANfJULAR-SPOTTED  PIGEONS  (Colmnba  phaeonota).  I 
turned  out  into  my  grounds  two  pairs  of  this  species.  For  some  time  they 
i''  came  down  to  feed,  then  onl\-  three,  and  this  week  onlv  two — otherwise 
they  appear  to  have  done  well.  I  am  hoping  they  may  become  established 
I'Lre  at  liberty. 

In  the  a\-iar\-  my  old  pair  have  ,so  far  only  reared  one  young  bird 
this  season. 

R1':D-RU.MPED  PARR.\KEETS  (I'scpliotus  hacinaioiiotus).  These 
have  now  three  young  birds  in  the  nest-log. 

MILITARY  STARLINGS  (Tntp'mlis  militayis).  I  turned  my  pair  of 
this  species  into  my  large  aviary:  they  were  then  in  fine  form,  but  do  not 
ai.i)ear  to  have  attempted  to  nest:  the  cock  now  ajjpears  to  be  moulting. 

TURTLE  DOVES  (Tiirtur  coiiimuni.s)  :  A  pair  of  this  species  have 
appropriated  a  blackbird's  (or  thrush's)  nest,  placed  some  little  height  up  in  1 
box  tree  :   the  nest   now  contains  two  young  birds. 

Nothing   worthy   of  mention   re   my   other   species. 
Leadenham  ;      June   -'9,    1922.  J.    S.    REEVE. 


Correspondence.  153 

A  CASE  OF   LOXCiEVITY.   ETC. 
Sir, — I  have  only  a  small  number  of  foreign  l)irds,  which  consist  of  : 
3  Avadavats  {Sporaegintlius  amandava). 
I   pair  Cordon   Bleus   (Estrilda  plioenicotis). 
I,  (S ,  Zebra  Finch  (Tacniopygia  castavotis). 
3  Orange-check  Waxbills  (Sporaegintlius  melpodus). 
I    pair   African   Waxbills   (Estrilda   cincrea). 

1  pair  Silverbills  (Aidemosyue  cantans). 

2  Vv^eavers  (Species  ?) 

I   pair  Grey  Java   Sparrows  (Muuia   orysi^'ora). 

1  pair  Cutthroat    x    Red-headed  Finch  (Amadina  fasciata    x    A.   erytlirocc- 

pliala)  hybrids. 

2  pairs  each   Green,   and  Yellow   I'udgcrigars   (Mclopsittacns  imdiilatus). 
I    Red-crested  Cardinal   (['aroaria  cuctillata). 

I  also  have  Canaries.  Bullfinch,  (ireenfinch.  Linnet,  two  Goldfinches, 
three  White  Goldfinch-Canary  mules,  one  Greenfinch-Canary  mule.  The 
Linnet  mated  to  a  canary  has  bred  me  two  mules  this  season. 

I  would  like  to  tell  you  of  a  cock  Zebra  Finch,  which  came  to  me 
ii!  1915,  and  he  only  died  on  June  i8th  of  this  year.  For  some  time  i 
ke])t  him  alone,  as  I  had  no  mate  for  him,  but  early  this  year  I  got  a  hen 
with  whom  he  duly  mated  up.  He  was  a  very  lively  person  in  spite  of 
his  age,  and  I  miss  his  quaint  call  now,  as  he  was  such  a  taking  individual. 
1  do  not  know  his  age  when  he  came  to  me,  but  I  would  like  to  know  if 
In's  age  (cannot  be  less  than  eight  years  old)  is  a  record  for  this  species? 

Xo  bird  ever  sang  in  my  room  that  he  did  not  try  to  copy  in  his 
comical  way,  and  he  always  had  a  say  in  everything. 

He  had  no  bad  illness  all  the  years  he  was  with  me,  but  about  four 
days  before  he  died  was  so  stiff  he  could  not  manage  a  perch  at  all. 

I  thought  this  might  interest  readers,  but  I  hope  to  have  more 
interesting  items  to  record  later. 

Torquay;     June  28,    1922.  (Miss)  O^i     ..        BURN. 

DISPLAY     OF     BATH  I LD  A    RUFICAUDA. 
Sir, — I   wonder  if  a  rather  curious  part  of  the  display  of  the  Rufous- 
tailed  Grassfinch,  which  I  witnessed  this  morning,  has  been  recorded? 

I  got  a  few  pairs  for  turning  out  last  week,  as  the  species  did  verv 
well  with  me  at  liberty  before  the  war.  The  new  arrivals,  though  a  bit 
rough  in  plumage,  are  thriving  and  staying  in  the  most  exemi)lary  fashion. 
T(^-day  the  best  cock  and  hen  were  making  advances  to  each  other,  and 
the  cock  danced  to  her,  holding  a  piece  of  grass  in  his  beak  in  the  usual 
fashion  of  grassfinches  and  waxbills.  The  next  part  of  the  performance 
was,  however,  quite  new  to  me.  He  flew  very  slowly  round  a  clump  of 
bushes  making,  for  so  small  a  bird,  quite  a  loud  clapping  noise  with  his 
wings.  The  hen  then  went  up  to  him  and  took  the  grass  out  of  his  beak 
and  performed  the  same  flight,  accompanied  by  the  same  sound. 

Havant  :     July  16,   1922.  (The  Marquis  ofj  TAVISTOCK. 


154  J^ost  Mortem  Reports. 

CURRENT  NOTES  Ol-   MY  A\'IARTES. 

Sir. — T  am  havinr;-  a  fair  season,  tliougli  not  so  good  as  last.  Over- 
crowding- is  rcsponsi1)Ic  for  tliis  I  fear.  Imt  i  find  it  difficult  to  keep  the 
inmates  of  llie  aviaries  down  to  proper  l)rccdinf^-  numbers.  So  far  I  have 
on1v  tlic   following-  independent   of   their  parents  : 

5    Quail    Einches    (Orfygospica   polysona)    from    two    nests.  A    detailed 

account  of  this  success  will  follow  later. 
4  Zebra  Finches  {Tacniopygia  castanotis). 
2  Cuban  Finches  {Phonipara  caiwra). 
2  Red-crested  Cardinals   (Paroaria   cucullata). 
2  Cordon   Bleus   (Estrilda  plioenicotis). 

2  VirgMiian   Cardinals   (Cardinalis   cardinalis).        1    hand-reared    these. 
2  White  Java  Sparrows  {Mitnia   oryzivora). 

A  few  Budgerigars  and  Canaries,  and  another  brood  each  of  Rcd- 
crested  Cardinals,  and  Zebra  Finches  left  the  nest  three  days  ago. 

F.MLURES  :  Four  nests  of  Green  Cardinals  (Gitberuafrix  cristata)  came 
lo  grief.  Tliev  contained,  all  told,  no  less  than  foiirtcoi  young  birds,  and 
died  on  each  occasion  on  the  third  day.  Both  pairs  are  incubating  again, 
and  due  to  hatch  in  a  few  days ;  with  better  results  this  time,  I  hope. 
Altogether  a  pretty  rotten  season  so  far.  A  whole  heap  of  birds  are  incu- 
bating, etc.,  but  I  do  not  count  these  in  until  the  young  have  actually  left 
the  nest. 

The  young  hand-reared  Virginian  Cardinals  should,  I  think,  make 
\ery  attractive  pets. 

T  am  also  hand-rearing  Blackbirds,  Magpies,  and  a  few  Chaffinches, 
tiic   latter   to   try   and  obtain  a   hen    for   niule   lireeding. 

At  Ltbkrty  :  In  the  spring  I  tm-ned  out  loose  into  my  grounds  a  pair 
o*  Rufous-backed  Weavers  and  other  birds  .  The  Rufous-backs  stayed, 
built  a  nest  in  a  holly-bush,  directly  in  front  of  my  bedroom  window,  and 
overhanging  my  bee-hive;  a  chttch  of  eggs  was  duly  laid,  and  in  due  course 
lliev  lirought  forth  three  young  birds,  which  arc  now  with  their  parents 
disporting  al)out    my   grounds. 

Kingskerswell;  July  2,    1922.  G.   E.   RATTIGAN,   Capt. 


^y 


Post  Mortem  Reports. 


(Irky  SiNciNCFiNCii  :     A.  IT.  r.arnes,  London. — Congestion  of  lungs.       Fatty 

degeneration    of    liver.        Answered   by   jiost. 
Ri  n-cni.i.ARKD    LoKiKKKT  :      Cajit.    Reeve,    Leadenham. — .'\dvice     on      clinical 

observation   b\-    Capt.    Reeve.      .Answered    l)v    post. 
WiivnAH  :       .Mrs.    Cyril    i")ennis,    M;irket    Drayton. — Enteritis. 

C.   H.   HICKS. 


Bird  Notes. 


Photo  by    /'.  /:,'.  ile  'J.  (Juimen 
Group  of  Grass  fin  dies. 


^11  !^i3bt*  !J\es(irvc6,  August.    1922. 

BIRD  NOTES: 

—  THE  — 
JOURNAL     OF     THE     FOREIGN     BIRD     CLUB. 

Stray  Notes  from  Lady  Dunleath's  Aviary. 

By  the  Lady  Dunleath. 

I  liave  now  a  i^ood  many  birds,  mostly  ordinary  species, 
in  my  aviary.  haN'ini^-  added  a  few  more  at  intervals  as  oppor- 
tunity occurred.  One,  a  (llossy  Starlint;-  {Lamprocornis 
chalvbcus),  is  a  facsimile  of  the  one  which  lived  here  for  ten 
years;  another,  a  Military  Starling  (Trupialis  Diilitaris),  is  the 
first  I  have  ever  had  of  this  species  -these  two  I  got  from 
Gamag'e's. 

With  them  in  the  first  division  of  my  aviary  are  : 
Saffron  Finches  (Sycalis  fiavcola). 
Various  species  of  Weavers  and  Wliydahs. 
Pair  of  Budgerigars  (Melopsittaciis  iiiidulattis). 
Pekin   Robin   {Liothrix  lutciis). 
Baya  Cowbird  {Molot  lints  bay  a). 
Two  Cardinals 

Madagascar  Weavers  (Foiidia  madagascariensis). 
Pair  of  Cockateels  (Calopsittactts  novae-hoUandiae). 

Second  Division:  This  is  given  up  to  VVaxbills  and 
other  odd  Ploccidae,  SiS  follows: 

b  pairs  Avadavats  (Sporaeginthiis  ainandava). 

7  Grey  Waxbills  {Estrilda  cinerea). 

I   Blue-breasted  Waxbill   (£.   angolensis). 

I    Green   Siugingfinch   (Serimis  icterus). 

4  Black-headed   Nuns   (Munia  atricapilla). 

3  pairs  Zebra  Finches  (Taeniopygia  castanotis). 

I'he  Avadavats  (I  got  them  from  Hamlyn)  have  bred — 
a:  least  one  pair  has — and  have  four  young  ones  just  hatched 
(August  /).  They  built  a  lovely  nest,  like  a  wren's,  in  an  ivy 
liush,  and  I  am  hoping  the  young  will  be  successfully  reared. 
I  bought  these  birds  in  December  last,  kept  them  through  the 
winter  in  a  large  room  in  the  house,  the  only  heat  being  that 
radiating  from  two  incubators. 

One  pair  of  Zebra  Finches  have  nested,  and  now  they 


156        Stray  Notes  from   Lady  Du>ilcatli's  Aviary. 

have  a  family  of  three  flying  about  strongly.  They  built  their 
nest  in  a  fuchsia  bush,  very  like  a  wren's.  The  other  two  pairs 
have  nests  and  are,  I  believe,  incubating  clutches  of  eggs. 

The  (irey  Waxbills  have  not  nested.  I  bought  twelve  of 
these  charming,  if  freely  imported,  birds,  but  five  have  died;  I 
found  them  lying  dead,  fat  and  in  perfect  plumage — one  dropped 
dead  while  I  was  sitting  in  the  aviary  yesterday,  almost  at 
my  feet. 

The  other  birds  have  made  no  attempt  to  go  to  nest. 
Third  Division  :      Here  are  canaries  and  a  few  British 
finches,  doves,  etc.,  as  under: 

18  Canaries  (Serinus  canarhis,  dom.  var.) 

I   pair  Bullfinches  (Pyrrhula  europaea). 

I  pair  Shore  Larks  {Otocorys  alpestris). 

T   Snow  Bunting  (Plectrophenax  nivalis). 

I  Masked  Dove   9   (Oena  capensis). 

I  pair  Palm  Doves  {Turtur  senegalensis). 

I   pair  Calif ornian  Quail  {Lophortyx  californica). 

I  pair  Red-headed  Finches  (Amadina  erythroccpliala). 

The  canaries  were  all  bred  from  two  pairs  I  got  in  the 
Spring — one  pair  built  a  typical,  cup-shaped  nest  in  a  bush,  in 
the  open  flight,  in  February  last,  and,  in  spite  of  inclement 
weather  (cold  &  wet)  the  eggs  were  incubated  and  the  young 
were  successfully  reared — they  build  beautiful  nests  in  the 
bushes,  in  every  way  similar  to  those  of  the  wild  species.  There 
have  been  some  deaths,  but  eighteen  are  still  living;  they  do 
not  mind  cold,  but  cannot  stand  cold  and  damp;  we  have  had 
nothing  else  but  mist  and  fog  with  rain  for  the  past  three 
weeks,  and  my  yellow  cock,  which  has  fed  and  reared  many 
young  ones,  died — he  was  quite  well  two  days  ago — from  pneu- 
monia I  am  sure,  and  it  was  very  rapid.  I  have  never  yet  seen 
a  hen  canary  feed  her  young  ones ;  the  cocks  feed  both  her 
and  them. 

The  Bullfinches  have  had  three  nests,  but  have  not  reared 
any  young  this  year.  I  have  had  the  hen  (quite  tame)  since 
191 5 — she  was  taken  out  of  a  nest  in  Hampshire — the  cock  is  a 
local  bird ;  he  came  into  the  aviary  of  his  own  accord  and  is  very 
tame;  they  have  reared  young  in  past  years. 

The  Goldfinches  have  made  no  attempt  to  go  to  nest — they 
have  never  bred  with  me. 

The  Calif  ornian  Quail,  which  T  got  from  Gamage,  have 


Stray  Notes  from   Lady  Dunlcath's  Aviary 


o/ 


/ 


Soft-food  box — lid  draws  out. 


done  well  for  new  acquisitions.       The  hen  laid  fourteen  eggs 
in  a  scrape,  and  is  now  incubating  a  clutch  of  thirteen. 

I  also  have  a  pair  of  small  Egrets,  which  I  got  from  Mr. 
W.  T.  Page;  I  have  great  hopes  of  breeding  them  next  season. 
They  live  in  an  Insignis  near  the  pond;  they  are  pinioned,  yet 
can  fly  down  from  a  great  height,  but  not  up. 

All  my  birds  are  now  quite  ordinary,  but  very  interesting, 
and  all  tame. 

Food  and  Treatment:  I  always  feed  and  tend  them 
myself,  and  we  make  the  soft  food  of  crushed  hemp,  bread 
crumbs  dried  in  the  oven,  sponge  cake  crumbled  fine  and  put 
through  a  sieve,  and  crushed  cuttlebone — this  I  store  in  a  tin,  and 

moisten  (slightly)  the 
daily  portion  with  water 
or  grated  carrot — I  sup- 
ply this  in  small  wooden 
boxes,  4in.  by  2i/^in,; 
the  lid  has  an  oblong 
hole  to  prevent  the  food 
being  wasted.  Those 
used  for  seeds  have  six 
round  holes  in  the  lid.  It  does  not  get  sour,  and  the  birds, 
young  and  adults,  do  very  well  on  it. 

In  the  shelters  I  hang  shallow  wooden  trays  from  the 

roof,  and  place  the  boxes 
containing  seed,  etc.,  inside 
these,  thus  ensuring  little  or 
no  waste,  a  tidy  floor,  and  the 
foods  cannot  be  fouled 
by  mice. 

Mice  must  be  kept  down, 
and  I  get  rid  of  a  good  many 
by  means  of  a  box  of  pois- 
oned meal,  the  box  is  about 
i8in.  square,  with  a  wire  lid — 
only  mice  can  get  into  it — 
they  die  at  once  in  .ae  box. 

My  general  seed-mixture 
is  :  Canary,  white  millet  and 
rape  in  about  equal  parts,  and  a  little  hemp.       I    also    supply 


Seed  Trav  hanging-  in  Aviarv 
Shelter. 


158        Stray  Notes  from  Lady  Dnnleath's  Aviary. 

canary   seed  in  bulk  separately.         Indian   millet,   and     millet- 
sprays  are  supplied  for  the  waxbills  and  small  ornamental  finches. 
In  the  outdoor  fljii^hts  I  have  food  tables,  upon  which  I 
place  the  food-boxes;  these   I   protect  by   small   wood   framed 


'^^^y^/y-'/  '\^v\\^,. 


Food  Shelter  on   Outside  Table. 

tvlass  shelters — the  whole   front  is  open,   and,   the  back  being 
srlass.  the  birds  have  unrestricted  light  for  feeding. 

I  also  have  a  large  tray  on  a  table  in  which  1  sow  oats 
and  all  the  different  seeds,  and  the  birds  are  very  fond  of  this. 

On  another  table  I  have  a  wooden  box  in  which  I  keep 
\vater.  and  in  it  place  groundsel,  chickweed  and  other  greenfood. 

I  scatter  in  the  aviary  fine  hay  and  small  feathers 
(cliickens')  for  nest  material. 

Since  the  above  was  written  a  few  days  have  elapsed,  and, 
in  spite  of  cold  winds  and  constant  rain,  the  little  baby  Avadavats 
are  doing  very  well. 


Notes  on  Jungle  and  other  Wild  Life. 

By  Dr.  Casey  A.  Wood.  M.B.O.U. 

{Continued  jrom  page  141). 

Once  u'pon  a  time — I  use  this  phrase  because    it    seems 
appro{)riate  to  what  follows — I  was  greatly  interested    in    the 


Notes  on  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life.  159 

folklore  and  fairy-tales  (if  one  can  differentiate  the  two)  of  the 
(Suianese  Indians,  and  even  thoiiy;'ht  of  publishing  an  account  of 
certain  minor  aspects  of  the  subject,  the  details  of  which  I  would 
not  weary  you  with  for  the  world;  but  I  abandoned  tne  scheme, 
ii  for  no  other  reason  than  that  a  very  observant,  diligent  and 
painstaking  scholar  (for  many  years  resident  magistrate  in  the 
interior)  has  practically  covered  the  ground.  If  you  wish  to 
read  the  remarkable  and  fascinating  pages  of  this  truly  scientific 
Hans  Christian  Andersen,  write  to  the  Bureau  of  American 
Ethnology,  Washington.  D.C..  for  Dr.  Walter  E.  Roth's 
"  Inquiry  into  the  Animism  and  Folk-Lore  of  the  Guiana 
Indians."  For  instance,  this  is  How  the  Deer  got  his  Hoofs 
(p    212):  — 

"  The  Deer  met  the  Turtle  one  day.  while  cleaning  his 
hoofs — for  in  those  days  turtles  wore  hoofs  and  the  deer  had 
claws — and  said  :  '  My  friend,  you  have  nice  sandals.  (Sandals 
are  still  commonly  worn  in  the  hinterland  of  Guiana).  Let  us 
have  a  trial  of  them."  The  Turtle,  who  was  very  proud  of  his 
feet,  said:  '  Certainly.  Why  not?'  and  handed  them  over, 
receiving  in  exchange  the  Deer's  nails.  When  the  1  Jeer  put  on 
the  hoofs,  he  found  he  could  walk  ever  so  much  quicker  than 
before,  and  trotted  off.  The  poor  Turtle,  however,  found  his 
progress  impeded,  and  stood  still,  waiting"  every  minute  for  the 
Deer  to  return,  but  he  never  did."  Dr.  Roth  adds  that  among 
certain  tribes,  the  head  of  a  turtle  is  the  '  amulet  '  for  hunting- 
deer.       Well,  I  should  imagine  it  well  might  be! 

Likev.-ise  this  is  how  some  of  the  South  American  birds 
obtained  their  remarkable  colours  (tale  No.  142  and  notes):  — 

Once  there  was  war  among  the  Spirits  above  the  cloud^ 
oT  \vliich  the  Kiskadee  (Lanius  sulphuratus,  a  very  common  an) 
very  pretty  bird,  reminding  one  somewhat  of  our  meadow-lark), 
though  a  vaHant  little  bird,  greatly  disliked,  and  bandaged  his 
head  with  white  cotton,  pretending  to  be  sick,  but  being  detected, 
v.as  sentenced  to  wear  it  constantly. 

The  Trumpeter  Bird  (Psophia  crepitans)  and  the  King- 
fisher quarrelled  over  the  spoil  (of  the  war)  and  knocked  each 
other  into  the  ashes.  The  former  arose  with  patches  of  grey, 
while  the  other  became  grey  all  over.  The  Owl  discovered 
among  the  spoils  a  package  done  up  with  great  care,  which  he 


i6o  Notes  on  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life. 

found  contained  Darkness  only;  he  has  never  been  able  since 
to  endure  the  light  of  day." 

There  are  over  two  hundred  such  tales  illustrating  everv 
phase  of  life  among  the  Indians  of  this  region. 

In  the  same  volume  is  the  legend  of  that  wonder-spot,  the 
celebrated  Kaietur  Fall,  which  we  hope  soon  to  explore.      It  is 
given  in  the  words  of  Barrington  Brown,    its    discoverer :  - 
"  Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  large  village  above  the  fall, 
situated  on  the  little  savanna  (grassy  plain),  amongst  cue  inhabi- 
tants of  which  was  an  old  Indian,  who  had  arrived  at  that  period 
of  human  existence   when  his  life  had  become  a  burden  to  himself 
and  a  trouble  to  his  relatives.       Amongst  other  duties,  there 
devolved  upon  the  latter  the  tedious  one  of  extracting  the  jiggers 
from    his    toes    which  accumulated  there  day  by  day.       These 
duties    becoming  irksome  at  least,  it  was  arranged    that    the 
old  man  should  be  assisted  on  his  way  to  his  long  home,  that 
spirit-land   lying  two-days'   journey  beyond   the     setting     sun. 
He  was  accordingly  transferred,  with  his  pegall     (basket)     of 
worldly  goods,   from  his  house  to  a   woodskin   (boat)   on  the 
river  above  the  head  of  the  great  fall,  and  launched  forth  upon 
the  stream.       The  silent  flood  bore  him  to  its  brink,  where  the 
rushing  waters  received  him  in  their  deadly  grasp,  bearing"  his 
enfeebled  body  down  to  its  watery  grave  in  the  basin  below. 
Not  long  after,  strange  to  relate,  his  woodskin  appeared  in  the 
form  of  a  pointed  rock,  which  to  this  day  is  seen  not  far  from 
our  lower  barometer  station ;     while   on  the   sloping  mass   of 
talus  to  the  west  of  the  basin,  a  huge  square  rock  is  said  to  be 
his  petrified  pegall.       Thus  has  the  fall  been  named  Kaietur 
(Old  Man's  Fall)  in  memory  of  the  victim  of  this  trag'ic  event." 

One  more  tale  and  we  shall  leave  the  realm  of  Indian 
fancy.  I  choose  it  because  my  friend  Mr.  John  Ogilvie,  who 
has  lived  among  the  Indians  of  the  Guianas  for  twenty-five 
years,  showed  me  how  to  make  and  solve  the  puzzle.  In  spite 
of  the  excellent  cut  (page  i8o)  in  Roth's  I  can  assure  you  it 
is  not  as  easily  solved  as  one  might  think.  If  I  haven't  forgot- 
ten how  to  do  it,  when  next  we  meet,  I  shall  be  glad  to  show 
you.  This  is  the  story: — "  If  an  Indian  loses  his  way  in  the 
forest,  the  (Evil)  Spirit  is  the  cause.  The  Caribs,  however, 
know  how  to  circumvent  the  latter,  by  making  a  string  puzzle, 
which  is  left  on  the  pathway;  the  object  of  this  puzzle  consists 


Notes  oil  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life.  i6i 

in  removing",  without  cutting  or  breaking,  an  endless  string  from 
off  two  sticks  upon  which  it  has  been  placed.  The  Spirit 
coming  along  sees  the  puzzle,  starts  examining"  it.  and  tries  to 
get  the  string"  off;  indeed,  so  engrossed  does  he  become  that 
he  forgets  all  about  the  wanderer,  who  is  now  free  to  find  the 
road  again." 

Every  visitor  to  this  region  should  extend  his  journey 
to  Dutch  Guiana  or  Surinam  as  it  was  originally,  and  is  now 
officially  called.  It  exhibits  a  curious  mixture  of  Dutch 
modernity,  and  the  relics  of  slave  barbarism  not  to  be  seen 
elsewhere.  Surinam  was  colonized  by  Lord  Willoughby, 

Governor  of  Piarbados  in  1665,  and  became  a  flourishing"  plant- 
ation within  a  few  years.  It  was  not  until  more  than  a  century 
afterwards  that  the  British  acquired  their  present  holdings  on 
the  mainland.  These  dry  facts  are,  however,  subsidiary  to 
the  one  I  am  about  to  mention,  and  especially  ought  it  to  be 
known  to  persons  like  myself,  whose  folk  for  many  generations 
before   the    British   occupation   lived  on    Long   Island.  In 

1667  that  parcel  of  land  and  "  some  waste  territory  adjoining," 
were  by  the  terms  of  the  Peace  of  Breda  prartically  traded  by 
Holland  for  Surinam.  Probably  you  and  I  would  have  done 
the  same  thing,  because  the  British  possession  was  apparently 
of  more  value  than  the  bare  farmer-fisherland  along  the  Sound! 
Then,  again,  Surinam  was  next  door  to  other  Dutch  colonies 
while  New  Amsterdam  was  only  an  isolated  gateway  to  hostile 
territory;  better  let  it  go,  and  take  something  of  actual  value 
v.hile  the  taking  was  good.  Still,  somehow  or  other  the 
Dutch  guessed  wrong,  because  I  am  informed  that  I  could  buy 
pretty  nearly  all  Surinam  for  the  present  value  placed  on  those 
600  acres  on  Long  Island  which,  somewhere  around  1676,  were 
apportioned  to  my  patentee  ancestors  Edmond  and  Josian  Wood. 

Quite  a  library  of  books  and  pamphlets  resulted,  as  you 
know,  from  this  provision  of  the  Breda  treaty,  not  tne  least 
interesting  of  which  is  one,  a  broadside  by  an  English  planter 
of  Surinam,  protesting  in  fervid  terms  against  being  turned  over 
to  the  tender  mercies  of  Holland;  indeed  Barbados,  Virginia, 
and  several  other  colonies  were  the  gainers  by  immigration  from 
Surinam  after  its  surrender  to  the  new  Masters,  the  Dutch 
meantime  trying  to  discourage  this  exodus,  and  especiall/  of 


i62  Notes  on  Juui^lc  and  Other  Wild  Life. 

those  planters  alnmdaiitly  su|)i)licd  with  slaves — most  valuable 
property. 

Speakint;"  of  slaves,  it  will  be  remembered  that  it  was  here 
in  British  Guiana  that  the  Anti-Slavery  Society  (first  established 
in  Enj^iand  about  1873)  found  their  most  effective  appeal,  in  the 
person  of  a  protagonist  of  our  John  Brown.  There  had  already 
been  several  uprisings  of  enslaved  Africans  in  other  colonies, 
and  the  Guiana  whites — few  in  number — were  naturally  appre- 
hensive of  another  on  their  own  plantations.  In  the  year  1823 
these  fears  were  realized,  for  the  blacks  rose  in  rebellion  against 
their     white     owners.  Th    Rev.    John    Smith,     an    English 

missionary,  was  accused  of  encouraging  the  uprising,  which  was 
soon  suppressed,  and  a  number  of  the  slaves  hanged.  The 
charges  against  Smith  were  probably  not  true,  although  he  was 
opposed  to  slavery  and  hoped  for  its  abolition. 

Whatever  the  technical  merits  or  demerits  of  the  case 
may  have  been,  he  w^as  arrested  in  a  most  brutal  manner  and, 
while  ill  of  a  serious  disease,  was  thrown  into  prison  and 
charged  with  being  a  chief  cause  of  the  negro  insurrection,  or 
that  at  least  he  "  did  promote,  as  far  is  in  him  lay,  discontent 
and  dissatisfaction  in  the  minds  of  the  negro-slaves."  lie  was 
found  guilty  of  the  charge  and  sentenced  to  be  hanged,  but 
before  the  order  of  the  Court  could  be  carried  out  the 
Demerara  Martyr  "  died  in  the  common  iail.  Smith's  death 
proved  of  greater  value  to  the  cause  of  emancipation  than  all 
his  previous  efforts  to  free  the  enslaved.  The  circumstances 
of  his  arrest,  trial  and  death  were  published  through  England, 
and  the  discussion  and  agitation  that  followed  contributed  not  a 
Httle  to  the  passage  of  an  Act  (August  j8,  1833)  abolishing 
slavery  in  every  British  possession. 

Under  the  caption  "  The  Trail  to  Kaietur,  the  Great 
South  American  Falls,  \^22  feet  high,  and  400  feet  wide,"  Eleanor 
Beers  Lestrade  writes  for  Scribncrs  Magazine,  page  562  (about 
December)  1920,  one  of  the  best  descriptions  of  this  world- 
wonder  that  1  have  read.  The  article  is  illustrated  by 
photographs  taken  by  the  author  which  give  a  better  idea  of  the 
fall  and  cataracts  than  many  of  the  larger  pictures  that  one  finds 
in  the  shops  here.  Not  that  any  picture,  great  or  small,  can 
do  more  than  suggest  the  awful  majesty  of  Kaietur ! 


Notes  on  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life.  163 

Mrs.  Lestrade  says  that  until  her  trip  in  the  Spring  of 
1920,  no  American  woman  had  ever  seen  the  Falls,  and  that  it 
had  not  been  visited  by  more  than  a  hundred  white  men.  and  at 
tlie  most  by  ten  white  women.  These  figures  have  not  been 
much  increased  to  the  present  date. 

The  great  fall  (four  times  as  high  as  Niagara)  is  on  the 
Potaro  River,  a  branch  of  the  Essequibo,  about  200  miles  in  the 
interior  of  British  Guiana  and  less  than  five  degrees  from  the 
equator.  The  only  feasible  plan  for  reaching  it  is  by  means  of 
rest  houses  and  other  provisions  made  by  the  firm  of  Sprostons, 
Limited,  who  control  most  of  the  transportation  facilities.  I 
wish  I  had  space  and  time  to  describe  the  journey  by  forest, 
mountain  and  river;  as  it  is,  you  will  find  full  accounts  in  the 
"  literature  "  fvumished  by  Sprostons  as  well  as  by  the  Geo- 
graphic Magazine  and  by  recent  work  on  the  colony.  I  will 
only  say  that  any  m.an  (or  woman)  in  good  health  and  reasonable 
vigour  may  easily  undertake  the  four  7-walks  because  not  only 
are  the  forest  trails  well  kept,  but  the  mountain  paths  are  shaded 
all  the  way  by  the  evergreen  jungle.  It  is  always  cool  in  the 
depths  of  the  tropical  bush.  As  for  mosquitos,  dangerous 
snakes,  jaguars,  hostile  Indians — well,  there  are  not  and 
probably  never  were  any !  An  ordinary  expedition  occupies 
less  than  a  fortnight,  and  five  of  us  made  the  journey  at  a  cost 
of  less  than  $200  each;  not  bad  when  one  remembers  that  after 
we  left  the  last  portage,  to  which  we  were  brought  by  a  steam 
launch,  our  human  outfit  included  fourteen  (mostly  Indians) 
paddlers,  bearers  and  other  servants.  All  our  provisions, 
sleeping  material,  etc.,  had  to  be  carried  on  the  backs  of  bearers 
around  several  cataracts,  and  several  miles  over  a  mountain 
trail  to  reach  the  elevated  plateau  whence  the  Potaro  plunges 
into  the  Kaietur  gorge. 

My  four  compagnons  de  voyage  were  all — whatever  else 
Uiey  may  have  been  in  life — sincere  and  eager  worshippers  at 
Nature's  o])en  slirine,"  and  I  think  we  all  profited  much  from 
the  discussions  prompted  by  the  flora  and  fauna  seen  by  the 
wav.  The  names  of  my  travel  friends  were  Dr.  Harold 
("\^or(.\.  of  (  )malia,  Xeb.,  Major  Chester  Davis,  U.S.  Consul  for 
-ritish  (juiana.  Major  F.  C.  Shorey,  of  Montreal,  and  Mr.  E. 
C  Freeland,  Chemist  to  Plantation  Uitvlugt,  one  of  the  largest 
sugar  estates  in  the  colony. 


164  Happenings  in  Our  Aviaries. 

Happenings  in  Our  Aviaries. 

By  Dr.  E.  Sprawson. 

The  following  happenings  in  our  breeding  aviary  are 
forwarded,  as  they  may  possibly  be  of  some  little  interest  to 
others  : 

Zebra  Finches  {Tacniopygia  castanotis) :  Two  pairs 
have  been  laying  and  sitting,  but  have  not  yet  brought  anything 
forth. 

FiREFiNCPiES  (Estrilda  7nininia)  have  brought  forth  one 
lusty  youngster  who  is  now  commencing  to  show  male  coloura- 
tion. The  parents  now  have  two  more  young  in  the  nest.  I 
am  not  quite  sure  that  the  two  parents  are  of  the  same  species, 
as  the  male  which  I  purchased  last  year  in  immature  plumage 
has  never  shown  any  white  dots  on  his  sides;  he  was  in  with  a 
consignment  of  Senegal  birds  and  many  other  ordinary  Fire- 
fmches,  so  I  presume  this  is  merely  a  slight  variation  from  the 
normal — but  would  be  glad  to  know. 

RuFous-TAiLED  Grassfinches  (Bathilda  ruficauda)  have 
four  very  fine  and  now  quite  independent  young,  and  the  parents 
are  now  sitting  again.  These  birds  nested  several  times  both 
in  1920  and  1921 — always  in  the  open  in  a  bush  or  creeper,  and 
though  each  year  they  had  one  or  more  young  leave  the  nest 
they  never  reached  the  age  of  independence — rains  always  soaked 
the  nest  or  drowned  the  young.  This  year  they  nested  in  a 
box,  and  in  spite  of  the  wet  have  succeeded;  their  second  nest 
they  began  in  a  rose  busli,  so  I  pulled  it  down  and  they  have 
again  gone  to  a  box. 

GouLDiAN  Finches  (Poepliila  goiildiae):  We  have  two 
pairs  of  these — Black-headed,  and  at  the  moment  both  pairs  have 
young,  four  and  six  days  old  respectively;  we  have  bred  these 
birds  to  maturity  on  three  previous  years — indeed,  one  of  the 
hens  which  has  young  now  we  bred  here  last  year. 

Pectoral  Finches  {Miinia  pccturaJ'is) :  We  recently 
acquired  a  pair  of  these;  once  before  we  had  young  up  to  ten 
days  old,  but  it  was  too  late  in  the  year  for  complete  success. 
Several  males  that  we  have  had  have  all,  when  courting,  had  the 
same  habit  of  collecting  all  the  small  white  stones  they  could 
fmd  in  the  aviary,  for  what  purpose  it  is  somewhat  difficult  to 


Q 


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o 


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h- ( 

a 
o 


Happenings  in  Our  Aviaries.  165 

imagine;  our  first  knowledge  of  this  was  in  1914  when  we  found 
some  dozen  or  more  small  white  stones  the  size  of  a  pea  on  the 
top  of  an  Avadavat's  nest.  One  wondered  who  the  practical 
joker  was,  and  often  afterwards  used  to  see  the  male  pectoral 
carrying  similar  stones  about  the  aviary. 

We  were  unfortunate  enough  in  the  very  early  part  of 
this  year  to  lose  our  last  hen  Parrot  Finch — one  we  had  bred 
in  1919,  and  a  very  fine  bird — otherwise  we,  or  rather  my  wife, 
in  my  absence  abroad,  had  bred  one  or  more  each  year  for  five 
years  in  succession — nice  birds,  easy  to  breed,  but  not  easy  to 
sex  with  certainty. 

A  male  Cordon  Bleu  {EstrUda  phocnicotis)  paired  with  a 
hen  Cuban  hlnch  {Phonipara  canora)  this  year,  and  had  two 
nests,  but  the  eggs  have  proved  infertile.  The  rain  and  cold 
killed  the  Cordon  Bleu  about  a  fortnight  ago,  so  they  won't 
have  another  chance,  but  anyway  one  is  not  particularly  fond 
of  hybrids. 

We  have  a  pair  of  birds  we  are  not  quite  certain  of  the 
name  of — now  I  think  going  to  nest;  we  got  them  from  Mr. 
Castang  about  two  months  or  more  ago.  I  think  he  called 
them  Bearded  Seedeaters,  or  South  African  Green  Singing 
finches — they  are  certainly  larger  and  finer  than  the  ordinary 
Green  Singingfinch,  and  are  easily  sexed;  the  picture  in  Butler's 
book  of  the  Green  Singingfinch  is  a  very  good  representation  of 
the  male,  though  not  quite  a  deep  enough  yellow,  but  what  is 
its  real  name  ? 

A  relative  brought  me  over  about  a  fortnight  ago  four 
Sydney  Waxbills — extremely  fit — we  turned  them  out  thinking 
we  were  going  to  have  some  fine  weather,  but  in  spite  of  the  rain 
and  cold  since  then  they  are  as  fit  as  ever. 

There  are  thirty-three  birds,  exclusive  of  young,  in  this 
aviary. 


The  Breeding  of  the  Crimson-winged  Parraheet. 

By  the  Marquis  of  Tavistock. 

In  a  former  article  I  described  a  successful  experiment  in 
wintering  cock  Crimson-wings  at  liberty.       Three  birds  were 


i66  Breeding   uf  Cntnsun-ivinged  Farrakeet. 

actually  released,  but  one  proved  too  spiteful  and  had  to  be 
got  rid  of.  The  remaining  two  were  caught  up  at  tne  begin- 
ning of  March  and  provided  with  mates  in  different  aviaries. 
One  of  the  females  was  a  young  bird,  imported  last  autumn, 
jMul  I  was  not  very  surprised  that  she  did  not  come  into  breeding 
condition,  but  moulted  early  in  the  summer  instead,  without,  I 
am  glad  to  say,  donning  male  attire,  after  the  all  too  common 
custom  of  innnature  "  hens  "  of  this  species.  The  other  1 
had  had  two  years.  The  first  summer  she  laid  several  eggs, 
but  entirely  refused  to  sit  or  look  at  a  nest-box.  Last  year 
she  did  not  even  lay. 

This  year,  acting  on  the  advice  of  a  friend  in  Australia, 
1  provded  her  with  a  new  type  of  nest.  According  to  my 
friend.  Crimson-wings  in  their  native  haunts  frequently  enter  a 
hole  in  a  tree  thirty  or  forty  feet  up,  but  the  actual  nest  is  usually 
almost  on  a  level  with  the  ground,  the  bird  descending  to  the 
very  bottom  of  the  hollow  interior.  I  therefore  obtained  a 
section  of  a  hollow  tree  trunk  about  6ft.  in  length,  set  it  up  on 
end,  made  the  inside  climbable  with  a  strip  of  wire  netting, 
fixed  a  scooped-out  block  of  wood  on  the  bottom  for  tne  actual 
nest,  fastened  a  "  lid  "  on  the  top  and  made  the  entrance  hole 
immediately  beneath  the  lid,  with  a  piece  of  cork  bark  under  it 
for  the  birds  to  cling  to. 

It  might  be  wise,  at  this  ])oint,  to  caution  readers  against 
following  the  example  of  an  aviculturist  who  imitated  my  nest 
hut  forgot  my  warning  about  the  climbable  interior.  x  xi&  result 
was  that  the  hen's  first  entrance  of  the  log  was  also  her  last,  for 
she  perished  of  starvation  at  the  bottom ! 

The  new  home  fortunately  met  with  the  Crimson-wings' 
approval.  The  cock,  who  worried  very  little  at  the  Iolo  of  his 
liberty,  soon  began  to  examine  it,  and  condescended  to  that 
brief,  lukewarm  and  reluctant  friendship  with  his  wife,  which  in 
Crimson-wing  circles  seems  to  be  the  nearest  approach  to 
married  love.  By  the  end  of  April  the  hen  was  also  visiting 
the  log,  and  in  the  first  days  of  May  she  began  to  sit  and  was 
very  seldom  seen.  At  the  end  of  the  month  a  faint  squeak- 

ing announced  the  arrival  of  a  young  one,  and  the  cock  began 
to  spend  a  good  deal  of  time  inside  the  nest,  even  roosting 
there  now  and  then.  About  the  middle  of  July  the  youngster 
emerged,  and  an  examination  of  the  log  revealed  one  addled 


A  Seeker  after  Bird  Marts.  167 

et^i^.  The  youni^  bird  was  well  feathered  and  well  grown,  but 
for  some  reason  seemed  extremely  weak  and  hardly  able  to 
walk  or  fly.  It  is  possible  that  it  injured  itself  in  its  first  use 
of  its  wini^s.  I  did  not  think  it  would  li\e.  but  latner  to  my 
surprise  it  has  improved  steadily.  At  the  time  of  writin,^ 
( .-\u,L;nst;  4th)  it  can  walk  well,  climb  very  fairly,  and  is  begin- 
ning;" to  fly  with  increasing  strength,  and  cannot  very  readily 
1  e  distinguished  from  its  mother.  The  parents  still  seem  fond 
of  it,  although  they  are  in  full  moult;  indeed  the  old  cock  is 
much  fonder  of  liis  child  than  of  his  wife,  for  he  never  attempts 
:o  hurt  the  former,  while  the  latter  he  chivies  and  bullies  with 
renewed  zest ;  one  would  expect  her  to  be  glad  when  I  turn 
him  out  again,  but  last  year  she  rather  missed  him  and  was 
cjuite  unhappy — there  is  no  accounting  for  tastes,  either  in  man 
or  bird ! 

A 


A  Seeher  after  Bird  Marts. 

By  Mrs.  U.  Dickinson. 

I  wonder  if  anyone  shares  my  hobby,  so  amusing  and 
instructive  to  myself,  and  so  distressing  and  irksome  to  my 
companions,  of  setting  out,  immediately  that  one  arrives  in  a 
new  country,  or  one's  ship  touches  briefly  at  a  hitherto  unknown 
port,  in  search  of  the  Bird  Shops. 

This  apparently  harmless  occupation  takes  an  astonishing- 
hold  on  you,  as  you  develop  a  strange  skill  and  secret  satisfaction 
in  learning  how  to  meet  and  overcome  the  reluctance  of  hotel 
authorities,  chief  stewards,  butchers,  etc.,  on  ships,  railway 
employees,  and  one's  travelling  companions,  to  housing,  putting 
up  with,  carrying  about,  and  finding  rare  foods  for,  the  extra- 
ordinary collection  you  joyfully  bring  from  the  birdshops. 

It  is  great  fun,  for  you  never  know  whether  you  will  find 
that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  a  bird  shop,  and  that  birds  are 
even  seldom  offered  in  the  market  places,  or  that  there  is  a 
whole  "  Street  of  the  Birdsellers,"  as  we  found  in  Calcutta, 
where  the  variety  of  birds,  and  the  noise,  was  so  confusing  that 
I  feel  sure  I  missed  the  best  ones,  through  being  dazed  and 
exhausted  with  choosing.  There  at  least  eight  merchants 

were  clamouring  for  your  notice,  thrusting  reluctant  parrakeets. 


i68  A  Seeker  after  Bird  Marts. 

liandciiffed  on  to  minute  swings,  in  your  face,  dragg'ini^-  birds, 
unknown  to  fame,  out  by  claw  for  inspection,  thrustini^  aside 
birds  you  were  choosing-  with  difficuhy,  and  making  the  amateur 
Hindustani  speaker  feel  thoroughly  ill  at  ease. 

My  usual  impression  is  that  a  really  successful  Ijird  mart, 
or  shop,  must  be  in  close  proximity  to  coal  wharfs,  or  at  least 
have  a  faint  aureole  of  coal  dust  round  it. 

In  Colombo,  in  Marseilles,  in  Port  Said,  this  peculiarity 
l)revailed,  or  if  not  coal  dust,  or  sand,  a  strange  atmosphere 
I)ervaded,  if  not  seen,  often  strongly  felt  on  a  hot  day.  In 
any  case  the  locality  is  remote  and  grimy. 

At  Port  Said  I  found  only  some  Manunoth  Crested  Larks, 
in  dozens,  whereas  I  had  hoped  for  some  rare  African  Finches, 
or  Weavers  to  make  up  the  job  lot  of  Weavers  hastily  gathered 
in  Marseilles,  said  to  be  the  last  coming  in,  as  it  was  the  early 
days  of  the  war.  I  took  them  out  East,  and  was  greatly 
mystified  by  them  until  they  began  to  come  into  colour,  as  I 
had  no  books  of  reference  till  later.  I  believe  it  is  better  to 
go  in  for  this  sport  in  considerable  ignorance. 

The  thrills  I  experienced  in  Bombay  when  I  was  offered 
Rangoon  Bulbuls,"  which  were  delightful  and  taking  crested 
birds — so  handsome  in  glossy  black  and  chestnut-red  and  when 
they  turn  out  to  be  Buntings  {Melophus  mclanictcrus),  caught 
locally,  they  are  none  the  less  delightful.  This  is  a  showy, 
graceful  bird  in  a  big  aviary. 

The  same  man  offered  me  "  Basra  Bulbuls,"  which 
doubtless  came  from  the  nearest  cold  climate  in  India. 

In  Agra,  they  sold  me  "  Nepali  Shamas,"  intelligent, 
beautiful  birds,  but  proving  to  be  Black-headed  Sibias !  They 
were  the  best  of  pals  and  the  sweetest  birds  I  have  kept,  accom- 
panied Ijy  a  "  Thrush,"  said  to  come  from  some  obscure 
province,  which  was  in  reality  a  rather  dingy,  slatey,  mottled 
Babbler,  who  became  the  unfailing  Clown  and  Court  Fool  of 
every  cage  or  aviary  he  lived  in.  They  offered  me  two  price- 
less birds  called  "  The  Sun  "  and  "  The  Moon,"  so  talented 
and  rare  that  I  hesitated  at  asking  their  price,  and.  noticing  that 
"  The  Moon."  was  in  a  species  of  fit.  or  eclipse,  I  pleaded 
poverty,  and  turned  to  a  lovely  Scimitar  Babbler,  but  failed  to 
buy    him.         I    think   the   others  were   really     Pied     Mynahs 


Bird  Notes. 


From  life  hy  H.  Goodchild. 

Black-headed  Sibia. 
( Malacias  cai)istrata). 


A  Seeker  after  Bird  Marts.  169 

(Sturnopastor  contra),  but  being  quite  new  to  my  eye,  and  the 
owner  praising  them  so  much,  I  thought  them  something  beyond 
mortal  ken.  Native  bird-sellers  think  very  highly  of  these 
birds,  and  train  them  to  a  wonderful  state  of  intelligence  and 
tameness.  I  found  them  rather  delicate  and  bad  travellers, 
but  clever. 

These  were  all  at  the  "  Fine  Art  and  Animal  Emporium  " 
at  Agra,  the  account  of  which  would  fill  volumes,  and  the 
advertisement  of  which  was  absolutely  unique,  but,  although 
it?,  promoters  guaranteed  to  provide  Giraffes,  Lions,  etc.,  I 
cannot  recall  any  symptoms  of  "  Fine  Art  "  about  it.  I  was 
guided  to  it  from  a  slum  street  in  Agra,  and  went  through 
such  an  alarming  laybrinth  of  tiny  alleys  and  precipitous  stairs, 
up  and  down,  that  I  feel  sure  the  cages  must  have  been  moved 
in  and  out  through  the  windows,  which,  I  think,  were  in  the 
rcof !  !  As  I  was  creeping  through  the  narrow  door,  a  terrific 
looking,  enormous  dog  nearly  knocked  me  down,  and  made  the 
stifling  air  vibrate  with  its  furious  barking.  He  was  a  Thibetan 
Mastiff,  bred  in  the  monastries  of  their  remote  hills,  as  his 
owner  remarked,  when  full  grown  "  will  grow  as  an  ass,  as 
liis  father  was,"  or  in  other  words,  as  big  as  a  donkey. 

Colombo  was  my  easiest  hunting  ground  for  a  long  time. 
"  Leo,"  the  owner  of  that  bird  shop,  had  such  a  variety  and 
such  nice  things — lovely  Red  P>uit-eating  Parrots,  the  most 
gentle  and  pathetic  of  fowls,  of  which  he  would  only  sell  pairs, 
as  single  ones  pined  immediately.  Alas !  I  could  not  make 
them  thrive,  even  in  our  damp,  hot  climate;  perhaps  they  need 
?  dry  climate  really. 

Cages  of  delightful  young  Painted  Barbets  greeteu  you, 
clamouring  for  a  feed,  their  absurd  beaks  agape,  stiff  Httle 
whiskers  bristling  with  excitement,  and  probably  several  of 
them  with  the  strange  sort  of  Bagpipes  of  Skin,  peculiar  to 
their  necks,  inflated  to  produce  their  extraordinary  and  horribly 
noisy  cry ;  one  never  notices  that  the  neck  has  anything  unusual 
about  it  until  they  begin  their  call  by  inflating  it.  I  was  very 
fond  of  these  absurd  and  prettily  coloured  little  Barbets 
iXantholacma-hacmatoccphala).  "  Leo  "  recommended  them 
to  buyers,  as  having  "  a  very  pretty  whistle."  Heavens  !  what 
appalling  taste !  We  used  to  buy,  by  the  dozen,  miserable  tiny 
Avadavatish  birds,  from  the  hundreds  huddled  together,  where 


170  A  Seeker  after  ll'ird  Marts. 

tliey  were  out  of  colour,  viz  :  entirely  without  feathers  except 
tor  a  few  stumps  ou  their  heads,  for  the  fun  of  seeing  what 
they  turned  into,  when  healthy  conditions  hastened  their  moult. 

Alas!  those  happy  days  came  to  a  sad  end.  for  '  Leo  " 
was  tactless  enoui^h  to  get  shot,  when  in  the  front  of  a  very 
unsettled  mob  in  the  Ceylon  riots,  and  that,  doubtless  by 
mistake,  for  I  cannot  believe  he  could  have  been  a  seditious 
character — he  used  to  apologise  so  prettily  when  his  young- 
bear's  chain  got  too  loose  and  it  kept  you  imprisoned  in  a  corner 
of  the  shop,  while  he  was  haggling  with  a  neighbour  outside. 
I  was  far  out  in  the  country,  and  his  widow  failed  to  let  me  know 
when  she  had  a  sale,  and  the  stock  was  practically  given  away, 
1  hear. 

My  most  difficult  marts  were,  I  think,  in  Java  and 
Bangalore.  In  the  latter  the  old  man  sometimes  refused  to 
sell  to  me,  but  he  did  not  often  have  uncommon  things,  I  think ; 
I  got  a  nice  ( ireen  Oriole  from  him,  which,  alas!  escaped  after 
■■{  week,  and  many  Red-whiskered  Bulbuls  {Otucompsa  jocosa). 
l)ut  his  mind  was  always  on  Fighting  Quails — he  was  a  bad 
business  man  ! 

In  Java  you  have  to  drive  round  and  find  the  birds,  which 
merchants  carry,  strung  in  stacks  of  cages,  from  each  end  of  a 
bamboo  shoulder  pingal,  and  offer  for  sale  in  the  streets,  moving 
along  constantly.  I  never  got  anyone  in  Batavia  or  Bandoeing 
to  divulge  where  these  bird-sellers  collect  when  in  repose,  but 
they  spend  all  day  running  with  a  crab-like  gait,  and  to  my  mind 
always  away  from  the  would-be  buyer.  I  saw  four  kinds  of 
young  Mynahs.  half-grown,  together  in  a  tiny  cage,  varying 
from  the  common  browny-black  one.  to  the  beautiful  Java  pure 
white  Mynah.  with  black  bars  on  the  wings  {(iraeulit^iea 
melauoptera),  the  intermediates  being  real  crossbreds  of  streaky 
greys  and  unsettled  colourings.  T  found  the  white  one  a 
(k'liglitful  pet. 

1  was  buying  a  job  lot  of  some  smallish  greeny  "  jungle 
liirrls,  with  a  pretty  orange  streak  on  the  brows  and  cheeks, 
apparently  Bulbul  relatives,  which  the  man  said  he  would  let 
nie  hive  the  lot  (7)  at  the  price  of  one.  as  he  was  tired  of  them, 
when,  feeling  a  strange  bumbling  on  my  feet.  I  discovered  tw'o 
yoimg  Ilornbills  poking  and  prying  (when  they  could  balance 
their     heads    into   a   useable    ])osition)    round     my     shoes — he 


A   Seeker  after  Bird  Marts.  iy\ 

explained  that  they  hked  to  be  loose  when  he  was  still.  Eacli 
beak  was  as  long  as  a  candle  box!  and  they  were  being  Lrotied 
about  in  a  minute  cage,  at  the  bottom  of  a  stack  of  eight  oi 
ten  other  cages.  Some  instinct  prompted  me  not  to  buy  these, 
which  was  lucky,  as  1  should  have  had  to  carry  them  off  on  some 
months  of  travelling,  which  fate  decreed  immediately  after,  and 
they  look  so  immobile,  and  I  feel  sure  eat  vast  amounts  of 
possibly  tmattainable  fruits. 

My  husband  saw  these  Hornbills  several  times  in  Sumatra, 
being  carried  like  a  parcel  in  a  small  sling  of  grass  maiLUig  with 
a  vast  beak  sticking  out  on  one  side,  and  tiny  wedge  of  tail  on 
the  other,  but  with  what  motive  he  never  found  out ;  was  it  for 
ornament?  Surely  not  for  food!  !  Instead  of  the  Hornbids 
1  bought  a  big  wdiistling  olive  green  bird,  about  the  size  of  a 
Ivfissel  Thrush,  which  I  since  found  was  a  Bulbul  {Tracnycomus 
ochroeepliaius),  and  1  heard  it  wild  several  times  in  Sumatra; 
its  note  is  so  extraordinary,  with  a  thrilling,  penetrating,  but 
beautiful  tone,  quite  overpowering  in  a  room,  and  1  hear  that 
the  full  song  is  gorgeous.  They  command  big  prices  as  cage 
birds  in  Java  and  Singapore.  I  wonder  if  this  bird  comes  on 
to  the  English  market  at  all  ?  They  w^ould  be  very  lovely  to 
li-.ten  to  in  a  big  aviary.  Mine  was  distressingly  wild  until  I 
put  him  in  with  my  job  lot  of  jungly  birds,  when  he  calmed 
down  at  once. 

Would  not  some  of  my  fellow-members  kindly  write  of 
tpcir  adventures  and  successes  during  remote  bird  shop  explora- 
tion ?       It  would  be  so  interestinti'. 


<- 


Records  of  Birds  which  have  Bred  in  Captivity. 

By  Dr.  E.  Hopkinson,  U.S.O.,  M.A.,  M.B.,  F,Z.S.,  etc. 

Some  years  back  I  compiled  a  Hst  of  the  records  of  birds 
which  have  been  bred  in  captivity;  this  appeared  in  Bird  Notes 
in  1918  and  1919. 

Here  I  have  arranged  the  PASSERIFORMES  records  in 
lWO  lists  to  supply  the  information  in  a  shorter  and  more  con- 
venient form,  by  leaving  the  references  out,  as  for  those 
interested  they  are  available  in  the  original  account. 


172  Records  of  IVirds  Bred  in  Capik'ify. 

The  first  list  contains  the  records  which  1  consider  sufficient 
to  establish  entirely  the  event  recorded;  the  second  the  more 
doubtful  or  incomplete  records,  which  require  amplihcation, 
veritication  or  further  details.  From  a  practical  point  of  view 
ihe  birds  in  List  i  may  be  considered  to  have  certainly  been  bred; 
those  in  List  2,  probably  or  in  some  cases  possibly. 

For  the  general  plan  and  the  original  references,  etc..  sec 
Bird  Notes,  1918.  57  ct  seq. 

The  numbers  before  the  names  in  list  i  are  those  used  in 
the  original  list.  A  few  new  records  (unnumbered)  and  refer- 
ences have  been  added,  though  these  are  by  no  means  complete 
or  include  all  the  recent  successes. 

When  an  entry  is  followed  by  the  word  "  abroad  "  only, 
■'"  means  that  I  know  no  British  record. 

In  list  2  I  give  shortly  whatever  reference  appeared 
originally;  in  list  i  only  new  references  are  given,  the  absence 
of  any  addition  to  the  name  indicating  that  the  breeding  of  the 
species  concerned  is  established  by  the  references  given  in  the 
original  list. 

Latin  names  are  not  used  for  the  well-known  species. 

I  hope  that  those  who  can  will  assist  with  corrections  and 
additions. 

E.  HOPKINSON. 

P.S. — The  following  are  extracts  from  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Page,  giving  details  and  additions  which  I  unfortunately  received 
too  late  to  incorporate  in  the  Lists.  I  therefore  give  them 
here  with  references  to  this  page  under  the  different  entries. 

I  hope  others  will  follow  this  good  example  and  supply 
further  details  and  especially  references,  that  is.  where  recorded, 
date,  breeder's  name,  etc.,  so  that  the  present  double  and 
incomplete  list  may  be  converted  into  a  complete  and  single 
one,  containing"  sufficient  dated  references  to  published 
records. — E.H. 

(A)  "  I  see  you  have  no  mention  of  HIMALAYAN  SISKIN 
(spinoides)  x  CANARY.  Dr.  Scott  bred  this  cross  in  1915,  and  I  have  some 
ol'  the  living  hybrids  in  my  aviary  at  the  present  time."  W.T.P. 

(Where  is  the  record?  E.H.  A  like  question  needs  answering  in 
many  other  places). 

(B)  "  Re  134.  BENGALESE  Hybrids.  I  think  I  have  seen  living 
specimens     at      L.C.B.A.    Shows    of    all    of   them As      regards 


Records  uf  Birds  Bred  in  Captivity.  173 

i'.liN(;ALESE    X    NUTMEG   FINCH,   thore   has  been  more  than   one  note 

al)out  it  in  B.N Henstock,  our  pubhsher,  bred  it  first,  and  two 

of  the  hybrids  hved  for  quite  a  few  years  in  my  aviaries."   W.T.P. 

(C)  "  Re   17b.     Cissopsis  Icveriana.     My  record  IS  the  Zoo  one.       I 
saw  the  young-  1:)ird  on  tlie  wing  and  finding  insects  .     .     .  for  itself."  W.T.P. 

(D)  "  Re   856.      So    far   as    I    know   frontalis   has   not    been   bred  in 
luigland  :  sijiiainifroiis  lias  lieen  l)rcd  by  several,  Teschemaker  first."  W.T.P. 

(E)  •'  GOLDFINCH  and  SISKIN  Hybrids."  (List  2),  "  I  have  seen 
all   these  at  the  large  Bird  Shows."  W.T.P." 

(F)  "  Spiiiiis   irtcricus    x    CANARY.      I   have  seen  this  hybrid,     but 
have   no  detail  : — not   bred   by   a    member   of   the   F.B.C."    W.T.P. 

(G)  "  LINNET  X  CUT-THROAT.      I  saw  the  hybrid,  but  we  refused 
a  medal  for  it.  as  there  was  so  little  observed  data."  W.T.P. 

(H)      "  HOUSE   SPARROW    x    YELLOW    SPARROW."        (This 
cross)  "  has  been  bred  in  England  by  Suggitt  (first)  and  myself  later."  W.T.P. 

(I)     The  "  CAPE  CANARY  (S.  canicollis)  has  been  bred."  W.T.P. 
(J)     "  ZEBRA  WAXBILL  x  AVADAVAT  is  authentic.     It  was  bred 
by  Dr.  Scott     ....     I  have  a  skin  of  one  of  them."  W.T.P. 


LIST  I. 

RlXORDS     OF     BlUDS     BRKD     IN    CAPTIVITY, 

which  may  be  considered  complete. 


FRINGILLIDAE. 
GREENFINCH.       Fairly  frequently.     And  Hybrids. 

GREENFINCH    x    HIMALAYAN  SISKIN.     Hypacanthis  spinoidcs. 
teste  Shore  Baily,  A.M.   1919,  92. 
x  MEXICAN  ROSEFINCH,  Carpodacus  mexicanus 
X  "  SIBERIAN    ROSEFINCH."      See    B.N.    1916, 
206,   256;    1917,   Insets,  pp  22,   31;    1918,    123. 


2.     CHINESE  GREENFINCH.     And  Hybrids. 

CHINESE  GREENFINCH    x   GOLDFINCH. 

CHINESE   GREENFINCH 

■ hybrid   X   GREENFINCH. 

5,     HAWFINCH. 

6      YELLOW-BELLIED   GROSBEAK,  Pheucticus  chrvsogaster. 


ROSE-BREASTED   GROSBEAK. 


8.     BLACK-HEADED  GROSBEAK,  Zamelodia  melanoccphala. 


9.  BLUE  GROSBEAK. 

TROPICAL  SEED-FINCH,    Oryzobonis  torridns. 
Abroad.   Holland.   Blaauw.  See  A.M.   1918,  40 

10.  WHITE-THROATED   FINCH.   SporophUa  albi'rvln-. 

W'HITE-THROATED  FINCH    x   GREY  FINCH. 

11.  GREY  FINCFI,  Sp.  grisea. 


174  Records  of  Hirds  Hrcd  in  Caf'fn'ity. 

.     l':ULIiR'S   FINCH,  Sp.   snpcrciliaris.     Abroad. 


13.  BLACK-HEADED   Sl^ERMOPHILA,   Sp.    inclaiwccpliala.     Abroad. 

14.  GUTTURAL  FINCH. 


15.     liLACK    SEED-FLNCFL    Melopyrrlia    nigra. 


16.     OLIVE  CUBA  FINCH.  Euethia  oUvacca. 


17.     LITTLE  FINCH,   E.  pusilla. 


18.     CUBA   FINCH,   E.    canora. 


19.  DUSKY  FINCH,  E.   bicolor. 

20.  JACARINI  FINCH. 


21.     RED  CARDINAL. 
And  Hybrids. 
RED  C. 'x    RED-CRESTED  C.  (Incomplete,     "  one  deformed  young- 
one   lived  seven  weeks  ") 


15LUE  CHAFFINCH 


23      CHAFFINCH. 
And  Hybrids. 
CHAFFINCH   x   BRAMBLEFINCH. 

X    GREENFINCH.   Page,   and   I   think  a  more  recent 

record. 
X   CANARY.  Ditto. 


2.\      BRAMBLEFINCH. 
And  Hybrids. 
P.RAA1BLEFINCH    x    CFIAFFINCH. 

A  recent  record:  Reeve  (after  1907);  see  B.N.  1907,  174:  and  A.M. 
1911,  349;  (One  exhibited  at  the  L.C.B.A.  Show,  1910.  was  almost 
certainly  wild-caught). 


GOLDFINCH. 
And  Hybrids. 
GOLDFINCH    x    fllMALAYAN  GOLDFINCH.  CardueUs  caniceps. 
X  TWITE,  Scotland  1919;  teste  A.  Silver,  A.M.  1919,  13 


j;j.     RED   SISKIN.   Spiuiis   citcullatus. 
And  Hybrids. 
RED  SISKIN    X    CANARY. 


BLACK-HEADED  SISKIN.  .?.  ictcrkiis. 
And    Hybrids 
BLACK-HEADED   SISKIN    x    SISKIN. 


*33.  HIMALAYAN    SISKIN.    Hypacantliis    spiiwides. 
And    Ilvbrids. 
HIMALAYAN  SISKIN  x  CANARY.      See  above  P.S.,  A.  page  172. 
IHAIM.AYA^T  SISKIN   y  GREliNFINCH.    Bright.  1916.     See  B.N. 
1916,  183.       This  cross  also  reported  the  reverse  way,  B.N.  1917,  195. 


Records  of  Birds  Bred  in  Captivity.  175 

HLMALAYAX  SISKIN— (iREliNFlXCH  hybrid   x   GRKKNFINCH; 
see  B.N.   1917,   195. 
*  In   the   records   under  33  it    is   specifically    stated   that  they   refer  to 
spinoidcs,   but   I  think  that  in   some   other  records  this  bird  and  the  Sikhim 
Siskin,  Spinus  tibctaniis  have  been  confused. 


30.  SIKHIM  SISKIN,  Spinus  tibetauus.  (?  if  the  record  (Teschemakerj 
under  HIMALAYAN  SISKIN,  B.N.  1918,  p.  95,  does  not  properly 
refer  to  .?.  tibctanus). 


36.     MEALY   REDPOLL. 


37.     REDPOLL,     (fuller  record  desirable). 
And   Hybrids. 
REDPOLL    X    TWITE.     See  A.M.    1919,    12.    "  bred  in   London. 


3S.     DESERT  BULLFINCH,  Erythrospisa  githai^iiiea  amantium. 
And    Hybrids. 
DESERT  BULLFINCH  x  CANARY.  Abroad  see  Despott,  Ibis,  1917, 
303.  (in  Malta  about  1916). 


■if).     LESSER  ROCK-SPARROW,  Petronia  dcntata.       Abroad. 


4J.     CINNAMON  SPARROW,  Passer  ciunamomeus. 


43.     CAPE  SPARROW. 
And   Hybrids 
CAPE   SPARROW    x    YELLOW  SPARROW\ 
X   HOUSE  SPARROW. 


4-1.     GREY-HEADED   SPARROW.      (Probably   P.    griseus,    the    commonh 
imported  \V.   African   species). 
Hybrid  record  only. 
GREY-HEADED  S.    x    CAPE  SPARROW. 


YELLOW^  SPARROW\  P.  luteits. 
And    Hybrids. 
YELLOW  SPARROW    x    TREE  SPARROW. 


4I     GOLDEN  SPARROW,  P.  enchlorus.     Abroad. 


47.     ALARIO  FINCH. 
And  Hybrids. 
ALARIO   x   CANARY. 


40      ANGOLA  STN(JNG  FINCH,  PoUospisa  ansohvsis 
And  Hybrids. 
ANGOLA  S.  F.x  CAPE  CANARY.      Abroad 

x  ST.  HELENA  SEED-EATER.  First  breed^r 
Chawner,  1916.  F.B.C.  medal  See  B  N.  1917! 
p.  72.  (N.B.  in  the  Feb.  pink  inset  the  parentage 
is  given  the  reverse  way — an  error). 

50      GREY  SINGING  FINCH,  Poliospica  leucopygia. 

51.     CAPE  CANARY,  .Scrinus  canicolUs.     (no  records  found) 
But  Flybrids,  ^' 

CAPE  CANARY   x   ST.  HELENA  SEED-EATFR 
x   CANARY. 


52.     SULPHUR  SEED-EATER,  6-.  snlphuratiis. 


176  Records  of  Birds  Bred  in  Captivity. 

And    llvhrids. 
Sin.l'HUR  S.   X  WHlTlvTHROATliD  SliLD-EATEK.  S.  albigularis 


53.     ST.   HELl':Ny\  .SEliD-l':ATER,  S.  flaviventris. 
And  Hybrids. 

ST.  h1':e1':na  seed-eater  x  canary. 


54    (.r1':i-:n  singing  finch. 


56.     CANARY. 

And  Hybrids. 
CANARY  X  LINNET,  SISKIN,  GOLDFINCH,  SAFFRON 
FINCH,  BULLFINCH,  and  vice-i'ersa;  GREENFINCH  x  CAN- 
ARY, CHAFFINCH  X,  GOLDFINCH  X,  TWITE  X,  LINNI'T  X, 
REDPOLL  X,  MEALY  REDPOLL  X,  SISKIN  X,  CITRIL  X,  RliD 
SISKIN  X.  ULACK-lll'.ADED  SISKIN  X,  AMERICAN  SISKIN  X, 
ALARIO  X,  DESERT  BULLFINCH  X,  *GREY  SINGINCi  FINCIi 
X,  ANGOLA  SINGING  FINCH  X,  CAPE  CANARY  X,  SULPHUR 
SEED-EATER  X,  ST.  HELENA  SEEDEATER  X,  GREEN 
SINGING  FINCH  X,  SERIN  X,  SAFFRON  FINCH  X,  SCARLET 
ROSEFINCH  X.  PURPLE  FINCH  X,  MEXICAN  ROSEFINCH  X, 
INDIGO   BUNTING  X. 

Of  the  above  some  are  commonly  bred  and  all  the  records,  I  think, 
are  reliable. 

Of  the  three  following  one  cannot  think  the  same  : 
Orange    Bishop    X    Canary, 
Bengalese   x   Canary, 
Natal  Zostcrops    x    Canary, 
(See  note,  B.N.  1918,   139). 


SAFFRON   FINCH. 
And  Hybrids, 
SAFFRON   FINCH    x    ARGENTINE   SAFFRON    FINCH. 


58.  ARGENTINE  SAFFRON  FINCH,  Sycalis  pelzelni. 

59.  LEAST  SAFFRON  FINCPI.  .S.  minor. 

61.     SCARLET  ROSEFINCH.     Abroad. 
And  Hybrids. 
SCARLET  ROSEFINCH    x    GREENFINCH. 


6^      MEXICAN  ROSEFINCH,  C.  mexicanus. 


63A  PINK-BROWED     ROSEFINCH,       C.     rJwdopephis     (or     perhaps 
rhodochrous). 


6j      CROSSBILL.     A  record  in   1910.     See  A.  Silver,  A.M.   1911,   109. 


65.     BULLFINCH. 
And  Hybrids. 
BULLFINCH   x   GOLDFINCH,  1915.  White.     See  Cage-birds,  Nov. 
20,   1915,  reprinted  May  31,   1919. 


66.  PiNh:  (;rosbeak. 

67.  REED  BUNTING. 


*Add      after     DESERT     BULLFINCH     x,     "HIMALAYAN     SISKIN 
(Spmoides)  X  CANARY."     See  P.S.  (A),  page  172. 


Records  of  Birds  Bred  in  Captivity.  177 

69.     CIRL  BUNTING. 

b8.     YELLOWHAMMER      (1  think  I  have  heard  of  success,  but  have  no 
record). 


70.     MOORISH  HOUSE-BUNTING,  FringiUaria  saharae. 


■2.     BLACK-THROATED  BUNTING,  Spiza  amcricana. 


72-     SNOW-BIRD,  Jiinco  hiemalis. 


74.     WHITE-CROWNED    SONG-SPARROW,    Zonotnchia   Iciicoplirys. 
Hybrid  record  only. 
WHITE-CROWNED  SONG-SPARROW  x  CHINGOLO  S.-S. 


75.  CHINGOLO   SONG-SPARROW,   Brachyspisa  pileata. 

76.  INDIGO  BUNTING. 

And  Hybrids. 
INDIGO    X   NONPAREIL. 

X  CANARY.    Abroad. 


77.     NONPAREIL   BUNTING. 


78.     VARIED  BUNTING.       Abroad. 

RAINBOW   BUNTING,    Fasserina   leclancheri.        Mayer   in    France. 
See   B.N.    1920,   254. 


79.     TOWHEE,  Pipilo  erythrophthalmus.      Abroad. 


80      ORCHARD  FINCH,  Phrygilus  friUiceti. 
81.     DIUCA  FINCH 


82.  PILEATED   FINCH,   Corypkospingus  pileatus. 

83.  RED-CRORNED   FINCH.       Abroad. 


84.     RED-CRESTED  CARDINAL,  Paroaria  cucuUata. 
And  Hybrids 
RED-CRESTED  C.    x   POPE 

X  GREEN  CARDINAL. 


85.     POPE.  P.  larvata. 


86      GREEN  CARDINAL.  Gtibernatrix  cristata. 


{To  be  continued). 
♦ 


Rearing  of  Tataupa  Tinamous. 

In  L'OISEAU  for  June  1922,  Mons.  P.  Vendrau,  gives  an  interesting 
account  of  this  species  reproducing  its  kind  in  captivity,  and  the  followng  is 
an  abridged  account   of   same. — Ed.   B.N. 

In  1921  my  breeding  pair  of  this  species  after  wintering  in  an  open-air 
covered    aviary,    commenced    nesting    operations — laying   at    irregular    periods 


17'*^  Rcariiii^  ol  TaUntj-'a  Tiiiauioiis. 

from  April  iitl:  to  JStli,  Hic  tirsl  of  these  eggs  was  broken  and  the  remainder 
jiiii   under  a  l)antam,  wlio  desertecL 

Tlie  hen  Tinaniou  again  laid — eggs  being  laid  on  Ma)'  I2th.  i6th  and 
jjncl.  and  on  Mav  25th  she  was  incubating  a  clutch  of  four  eggs — being  dis- 
turbed she  deserted  and  the  eggs  were  given  to  a  l)antam — three  were  hatched 
out,  one  egg  being  clear- — the  l)antam  was  inattentive  and  cruslied  tlie 
chicks  beneath  her. 

On  May  29th  and  June  3rd  L  found  two  more  broken  eggs,  so  I 
modified  the  aviary,  making  a  retreat  to  which  they  could  go  unseen,  though 
I  was  able  to  watch  them  unnoticed.  Subsecjuently  I  saw  the  hen  Tinamou 
construct  a  nest  of  grass  and  feathers — I  saw  the  first  egg  on  June  9th  and 
others  were  laid  on  the  uth,  15th.  and  i8th  respectively.  On  the  latter 
date  she  was  incubating  closely,  only  leaving  her  eggs  for  food — before  leav- 
ing she  completely  covered  the  egg.s — the  male  took  no  jiart  in  incubation. 

On  the  morning  of  July  8th  I  saw  some  egg  shells  outside  the  nest  and 
n  little  black  head  showed  beneath  its  mother — I  did  not  disturb  them,  but  in 
the  evening  I  saw  her  in  the  aviary  with  three  chicks — she  had  left  the  nest 
about  four  hours,  still  leaving  two  eggs  in  the  nest — the  fifth  egg  being  laid, 
I  believe,  about  June  20th,  after  incubation  had  commenced.  The  following 
day  I  saw  the  hen  chasing  her  mate  and  violently  pecking  him  about  the 
head — I  immediately  caught  her  up  and  put  her  and  the  three  chicks  into  a 
small  inner  aviary. 

Although  the  two  eggs  she  left  in  the  nest  were  ciuite  cold  I  put  them 
under  a  bantam,  and,  on  July  loth  I  found  a  young  chick  under  the  bantam, 
the  other  egg  being  clear — I  put  the  chick  with  the  hen  Tinamou,  who  took 
to  it  at  once — she  reared  all  four,  they  arc  very  fine  and  vigorous  birds. 
The  young  Tinamous  ate  the  insectile  mi.xture  freel}-,  and  were  very  keen 
on  mealworms. 

It  is  noticeable  that,  contrary  to  other  species  of  tinamous,  the  hen 
alone  incubated  the  egg  and  reared  the  young. 

After  the  young  were  reared  1  reunited  the  parents,  who  got  on  very 
well  together. 


Erratum. 

Pas'e  131,  July  issue;  transpose  lines  9  and  10. 


Bird  Notes. 


Photo  btj   W.  Shore  Bailtj,    F.Z.S. 
Nest  and  Eggs  of  Misto  Seedfinch. 


TWl  !5\lgbts  !5\cscrv(i6.  September.    1922 

BIRD  NOTES: 

—  THE  — 
JOURNAL     OF     THE     FOREIGN     BIRD     CLUB. 

•.■.■.-.■.■.-^■-"-■-■-■-■-■-■-■-■-■-^-■-■-"■■-■iAi"--.----"---"-----"-"-"-*- 

The  Breeding  of  the  Misto  Seedfinch. 

(Sycalis  lufeiventrts.) 

By  W.  Shore  Baily,  F.Z.S. 

You  published  last  year  an  account  of  the  nesting'  of  this 
little  finch,  and  I  am  now  able  to  send  you  a  few  notes  on  the 
successful  rearing-  of  young. 

This  spring  I  bought  two  more  pairs  from  De  Von,  who 
was  advertising  them  as  Field  Saffrons;  my  original  pair,  as 
Gome  of  your  readers  may  remember,  were  privately 
imported.  These  birds  seem  to  be  very  rarely  imported  by  the 
dealers,  and,  when  they  do  come  over,  are,  I  have  no  doubt, 
offered  as  Saffron  Finches,  but  Saffron  Finches  they  certainly 
are  not.  nor  are  they.  1  should  imagine,  very  closely  related  to 
tlicm.  The  two  Saffron  Finches  with  which  I  am  acquainted — 
-V.  pclzclni  and  S.  fai'coJa — are  much  more  nearly  related  to 
Sparrows.  They  build  in  holes  a  large  untidy  nest,  and  their 
eggs  are  indistinguishable  from  some  varieties  of  our  English 
Sparrows'.  The  Seedfinch,  on  the  other  hand,  nests  on  the 
ground,  in  the  centre  of  a  thick  tuft  of  grass;  the  eggs  are 
about  half  the  size  of  the  common  Saffron,  white  with  pink 
or  red  spots,  sometimes  all  over,  and  sometimes  at  the  larger  end 
cnly. 

At  the  beginning  of  May  I  turned  my  three  pairs  into 
different  aviaries.  One  of  the  cocks  was  promptly  killed  by  a 
Weaver;  me  other  tw^o  pairs  settled  down  nicely.  Ihe  first 
to  nest  was  my  original  pair,  but  as  these  eggs  were  rather 
exposed  I  took  them  for  my  collection.  They  soon  w^ent  to 
nest  again,  this  time  in  a  heavier  clump  of  grass.  The  first  egg 
was  laid  on  May  25th,  and  she  commenced  to  sit  three  days 
later.  On  Jtuie  17th  I  noticed  four  naked  young  ones  in  the 
nest,       These   were  fed   by  both   parents,    from   the   start,    on 


i8o  Ih-ccdiii^ij;  of  the  Misto  Seed  finch. 

small  insects,  but  after  a  few  days  bread  and  milk,  and  seed 
mixture  were  taken  by  the  parents.  The  young  ones  feathered 
fast,  and  when  they  left  the  nest  on  Jttly  ist  were  strong  on 
the  wing. 

In  the  meantime  the  second  pair  had  also  gone  to  nest 
in  very  thick  grass.  The  nest  could  only  be  seen  by  parting 
the  grass,  which  was  a  foot  or  more  high.  The  hen  reached 
the  nest  by  a  short  run  way.  This  nest  must  have  been  dry 
even  in  very  wet  weather.  Here  again  four  young  ones  left 
the  nest — all  strong  fliers.  In  colour  they  were  a  greyish- 
brown,  heavily  striated  on  the  back  and  wings,  with  the  under 
parts  buflish-white,  slightly  striped  on  the  throat  with  brown. 

Both  pairs  of  birds  again  went  to  nest  in  July.  1  stepped 
upon  and  annihilated  one  nest  whilst  walking  across  the 
aviary,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  same  fate  must 
have  nappened  to  the  other,  as  I  left  a  brood  of  fottr  when  1 
went  for  my  holiday,  and  forgot  to  warn  my  man  of  the  exact 
position  of  the  nest.  When  I  returned  they  had  disappeared, 
and  the  old  hen  as  well,  and  I  expect  that  he  planted  his  foot 
on  them.  When  I  was  at  damage's  one  day  in  August  I 
secured  a  single  bird  that  they  told  me  had  been  brought  over 
privately;  they  did  not  know  what  it  was.  This  has  turned  out 
to  be  a  cock. 

Writing  of  the  Misto  Seedfinch  in  Argentine  Ornitholugy, 
Httdson  says  :  — 

"  This  i.s  a  slender,  graceful  bird,  less  than  the  Canar\-  in  size;  the 
"  wlioU'  upper  ])lumage  yellowishi-olive  with  dun  markings,  the  lower 
"  surface  of  a  dull  yellow.  The  female  is  a  little  smaller  than  the  male, 
"  and  her  colours  are  somewhat  dimmer.  This  species  is  resident  and 
"  gregarious  in  the  Argentine  Republic,  and  in  autumn  frequently  congre- 
'■  gates  in  flocks  of  several  thousands.  They  are  not  so  universally 
■■  distributed  as  the  Chin.golo,  and  are  not  wood  birds,  but  frequent  open 
■■  ]ilains  abounding  in  thistles  and  other  coarse  herbage,  which  affords  them 
■'  shelter.  In  (ultivated  districts  where  their  food  is  most  abundant, 
"  they  are  exccssi\cly  numerous,  and  after  the  harvest  has  been  gathered 
"  frec[uent  the  fields  in  immense  flocks.  W'hile  feetling  the  flocks  scatter 
■'  over  a  large  area  of  ground,  being  broken  u]i  into  small  companies  of  a 
"  dozen  or  more  birds,  rmd  at  such  times  are  so  intent  on  their  food  that  a 
■'  person  can  walk  about  amongst  them  without  disturbing  them.  Thev 
"  take  flight  very  suddenly,  bursting  into  a  thousand  chirping,  scolding 
"  notes,  pur.sue  each  other  through  the  air,  and  then  wneeling  about  for  a 
"  minute  or  two,  suddenly  drop  down  into  the  grass  again,  and  are  as 
"  silent   as  ever." 


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Notes  on  Rcd-shiniug  Parrakccfs.  i8i 

"  The  nest  is  well  built,  deep  and  well  concealed,  sometimes  resting 
on  the  ground,  but  frequently  raised  above  it.  It  contains  five  long, 
pointed  eggs,  with  ;i  white  or  bluish-white  ground  colour,  and  thickly 
spotted  with  brown.  I  have  frequently  found  the  eggs  of  the  '  Molothrus  ' 
in  its  nest,  but  have  never  been  able  to  see  this  bird  feeuing  or  followed 
by  a  young  "  Molothrus.'  PossiI)ly  if  it  ever  hatches  this  parasitical 
egg  at  all,  the  young  Cowbird  's  st:ir\ed  by  the  delicate  food  supplied  by 
its  foster-parents." 


Some  Notes  on  Red-shining  Parraheets. 

By  the  M.arquis  of  Tavistock. 

Tlie  Fijian  Parrakeets  of  the  small  g'eniis  Pyrrhulopsis 
are  very  rare,  nowadays,  in  the  foreign  bird  trade;  indeed  I 
have  never  seen  a  newly-imported  specimen  offered  by  an 
English  dealer,  other  than  the  late  Mr.  Cotton,  of  Sheffield. 
Conseqitently,  nearh^  all  1  have  had  have  come  to  me  through 
private  channels. 

The  three  best-known  Pyrrhulopsis  are  the  Red-shining,  the 
Tabuan  and  the  Masked.  T  believe  there  is  a  fourth  species, 
or  local  race,  but  I  have  never  seen  even  a  stuffed  specimen, 
and  cannot  describe  it.  My  experience  of  iabuan  Parrakeets 
is  limited  to  a  moribund  female  I  received  from  the  Zoo,  in  the 
last  stages  of  chronic  enteritis.  I  hoped  that  a  diet  of  fruit 
might  save  her;  however,  it  did  not,  although  the  poor  thing 
tried  her  best,  eating  and  hanging  on  to  life  with  a  tenacity  I 
have  never  seen  equalled.  Tabuan  Parrakeets  seem  to  be 
smaller  than  Red-shining;  they  have  the  head,  neck  and  breast 
maroon,  the  back  and  wings  shining  green,  nuchal  patch  blue, 
and  flight  and  tail  feathers  of  much  the  s?ime  colour;  the  beak 
is  black  and  rather  large.  Of  Masked  Parrakeets  I  have  only 
seen  one,  and  I  believe  they  are  very  rare,  even  in  their  own 
country,  having  been  practically  exterminated  by  soine  brainless 
idiot  W'ho  introduced  the  mongoose  into  the  island  they  inhabit. 
My  bird,  "  Georgie,"  is  a  quaint  old  fellow,  and  has  already 
formed  the  subject  of  an  article.  He  spends  his  summers  at 
liberty  in  the  garden,  and  his  winters  in  a  big  cage  in  a  warm 
room.  He  appears  to  be  extremely  ancient,  and  is  neither  very 
sound  in  wind  nor  strong  of  wing,  but  he  still  manages  to  enjoy 
life  and  is  a  great  character.       He  takes  no  interest  in  anv  of 


i(S_>  Notes  uii  Kcii-sliiniug  Parrakecis. 

the  other  birds  and  is  afraid  of  most  of  them,  allowing  even 
tlie  little  cock  Many-colour  to  bully  him.  He  is.  however, 
quite  willing  to  share  his  dinner  peacefully  with  rabbits  or  rats, 
eating  out  of  the  same  dish  !  He  dislikes  being  touched,  but 
is  fond  of  human  society,  especially  of  men.  He  sometimes 
pulls  ladies'  skirts  and  pretends  to  bite  their  feet,  but  rather,  I 
should  say,  from  mischief  than  real  malice.  He  has  a  great 
liking  for  coming  into  the  house,  but  is  not  encouraged,  as  he 
knocks  over  flower  vases  and  inkpots  and  devours  fountain 
pens,  notepaper,  and  the  fruit  in  the  dining-room.  He  has  a 
passion  for  indigestible  viand.s,  particularly  bread  and  butter, 
tea,  cod-liver  oil,  ink  and  tobacco,  and,  as  he  not  infrequently 
indulges  his  tastes  when  no  one  is  about  to  restrain  him,  it  is 
really  astonishing  that  he  still  survives !  His  only  natural  cry 
nppears  to  be  a  very  harsh  and  hideous  screech,  and  in  addition 
lie  possesses  a  little  English  conversation,  including  a  most 
consumptive  cough.  His  plumage  is  a  very  glossy  green,  with 
blue  flights,  tail  blue  washed  with  green,  forehead  and  cheeks 
black,  centre  of  breast  yellow,  and  abdomen  orange. 

I  have  had  several  Red  Shining  Parrakeets,  but  alas !  they 
mostly  belong  to  the  past  tense,  for  they  are  terribly  difficult 
to  acclimatize.  My  first,  a  beautiful  female,  I  received  from  an 
aviculturist  in  England.  She  was  a  gentle,  rather  timid  bird, 
and  died  of  swallowing  a  berberis  thorn.  T  cannot  remember 
tliat  her  plumage  was  different  from  a  male's  in  any  respect. 
Some  writers  on  aviculture  speak  of  Red  Shining  Parrakeets  as 
if  they  were  near  relatives  of  the  Australian  King.  Both  are 
green  birds,  with  red  heads  and  breasts,  and  there  the  resem- 
blance ends.  In  voice,  flight,  and  habits  generally  the  Red 
Shining  is  no  more  like  a  King  than  it  is  like  a  Grey  Parrot. 
.My  next  venture  in  Red  Shning  consisted  in  three  newly- 
imported  young  birds.  They  looked  well  on  arrival,  and  1 
turned  two  into  an  aviary  and  kept  one  in  a  cage.  All  were 
dead  within  a  month.  The  fourth  and  worst  of  the  same  lot 
was  retained  by  the  importer  and  kept  in  a  cage,  and  he  sold 
him  to  me  later  in  magnificent  condition.  This  bird  won  first 
prize  at  (^lympia  and  is  still  alive.  He  lives  with  a  female 
A  pros))}lctus  siiluciisis  and  is  outdoors  all  the  year  round.  He 
ii-   much   attached  to   his  mate,   but   very  vicious   with   human 


Notes  on  Rcd-sh'uiiiig  I'arrakccts.  183 

beings.       He  has  two  calls — a  deep,  soft  "  Hor!""  and  a  loud, 
harsh  screech. 

At  the  end  of  last  winter  1  received  five  more  Red 
Shining-  Parrakeets  out  of  six  originally  shipped.  1  thought 
to  myself  that  now  I  knew  what  to  do  and  began  to  conjure 
up  rosy  visions  of  young  Red  Shining  and  Red  Shining  at 
hberty.  How  glorious  they  would  look,  and  in  their  own 
country  they  are  reputed  to  be  good  stayers.  Clearly  the  best 
way  to  manage  newly-imported  Red  Shining  was  to  put  them  in 
cages  in  a  warm  room,  and  allow  them  some  fruit,  but  not  too 
nnich.  However,  "  the  best  laid  schemes  of  men  and  mice —  "  ; 
in  the  first  place,  the  birds  were  terribly  shy.  Whenever  a 
person  entered  the  birdroom.  they  rushed  into  a  corner  of  the 
cage  and  tucked  their  heads  under  their  breasts  to  shut  out  the 
horrid  sight.  Then  one  died;  post  mortem  revealed  the  old 
enemy,  chronic  enteritis;  a  few  weeks  and  another  died;  this  time 
aspergillosis;  a  few  weeks  more  and  a  third  died — chronic 
enteritis  again.  This  was  awful;  my  rosy  visions  vanished,  and 
"  We  all  go  the  same  way  home  "  seemed  to  be  the  programme 
to  be  anticipated.  The  only  crumb  of  comfort  in  tlie  melan- 
choly exodus  lay  in  the  fact  that  all  three  of  the  dead  birds  were 
cocks.  It  was  clear  that  they  could  not  possibly  do  worse, 
however  I  treated  them,  and  as  it  was  now  May,  my  thoughts 
turned  to  outdoors  (about  tnis  time  No.  4  was  reported  off  its 
food).  It  seemed  useless  to  give  such  nervous  birds  complete 
liberty,  so  I  prepared  a  big,  sunny,  grass-grown  aviary  for  their 
reception,  filling  the  dark  part  of  the  shelter  with  branches. 
I  thought  they  would  probably  spend  all  their  time  sulking  on 
the  ground  in  the  corner,  but  although  they  retreated  hastil.v 
in.to  the  shelter  they  kept  to  the  branches.  Later,  when  every- 
thing" was  quiet,  I  saw  them  exploring  the  flight,  obviously 
hoping  to  find  a  way  to  complete  freedom,  but  not  wholly 
dissatisfied  with  their  surroundings.  They  also  began  to  utter 
tlieir  call — a  short,  loud  cry,  something  between  a  croak  and  a 
squawk.  From  that  day  to  this  they  have  never  "  looked  back  ;" 
they  are  still  very  nervous  and  retreat  hurriedly  into  the  furthest 
corner  of  the  shelter,  if  closely  approached,  but  they  will  tolerate 
tlie  sight  of  human  beings  up  to  within  20  yards.  In  July  I  was 
sm-prised  to  see  the  smaller  bird  feed  the  other,  so  I  am  in 
hopes  that  I  have  a  true  pair,  especially  as  the  bird  that  was  fed 


184  I' our  Species  oj  Loz'c birds. 

is  the  master,  and  did  not  seem  to  solicit  its  companion's 
attention.  Red  Shinins^'  are  very  active  birds;  they  fly  to  and 
fro  and  walk  about  with  long',  quick  strides,  and  the  action 
ot  a  pheasant,  rather  than  a  parrot.  I  never  see  them  on  the 
ground,  though  "  (ieorgie  "  is  very  terrestrial  in  his  habits. 

Experience  and  observation,  coupled  with  what  I  have 
heard  from  the  friend  who  sent  the  birds  and  had  much  better 
luck  with  them  than  I,  makes  me  think  that  the  right  way  to 
treat  newly-im])orted  Red  Shining  is  to  turn  them  out  all 
together  in  a  room,  giving  them  a  rich  and  varied  diet  and  not 
stinting  them  of  anything".  Caging  is  bad  for  such  active, 
nervous  birds ;  it  impairs  their  health  and  lowers  their  spirits. 
Anyhow,  that  is  what  I  shall  do  if  I  ever  receive  a  fresh  lot. 
One  has  to  live  and  learn  ! 


Four  Species  of  Lovebirds. 

By  J.  W.  Bearbv. 

Lavkndkr-hk.aded  Lovebird  {Agaponiis  ania  [presum- 
ably]):  1  purchased  my  pair  in  October  1921,  when  they  were 
in  very  pitiable  condition,  with  flights  badly  broken,  etc. 

I  have  found  them  very  timid  and  most  difTicult  to  tame ; 
when  approached  they  crouch  in  a  corner  of  their  flight  and 
utter  repeatedly  a  snake-like  hiss.  The  hen  in  particular,  in 
spite  of  this  timidity,  is  very  pugnacious  toward  all  the  other 
occupants  of  the  flight,  the  largest  of  which  are  a  pair  of  I^lum- 
hcads.  An  amusing"  and  curious  mode  of  attack  is.  by  rolling 
over  on  her  back  and  fighting"  with  claws  and  beak — thus  she 
invariably  manages  to  frighten  any  opponent. 

Flight  very  rapid  and  climbing  powers  simply  wonderful. 

Their  favourite  seed  are  :  white  millet,  good  fat  oats  and 
hemp.  Millet  sprays  they  are  particularly  fond  of,  and  they 
can  easily  eat  a  large  spray  per  diem.  Cracked  sunflower 
they  relish  (no  need  to  crack  it.  Ed.).  A  bundle  of  seeding 
grass  is  a  special  treat,  and  they  spend  hours  pulling  it  to  pieces. 

I  have  repeatedly  seen  the  male  feeding  his  mate,  but, 
so  far,  they  have  made  no  attempt  to  go  to  nest. 

In  this  flight  1  have  bred  (joldfinch-Linnet  hybrids,  and 


I'uur  Species   of   Lovebirds.  185 

the  Lavender-heads  in  no  way  interfered  with  the  Linnet  dtiring 
the  period  of  incubation. 

Red-faced  Lovebird  {Agaponiis  puUaria):  The  beauty 
01  this  charming-  species  was  too  great  a  temptation  when  1  first 
saw  them  and  I  fell :  their  beautiful  colour  harmony — brilliant 
contrasted  w-ith  their  vivid  red  head  and  beak^was  quite  beyond 
resistance,  and  I  brought  them  away  with  me. 

This  species,  when  first  imported,  is  undoubtedly  very 
('elicate.  I  purchased  mine  last  February,  during  very  frosty 
weather;  the  hen  speedily  went  West.  I  replaced  her  and  kept 
the  pair  in  my  dining-room,  where  a  fire  was  continually 
burning;  they  both  speedily  improved  in  plumage,  and  became 
very  tame.  Both  birds  bathe  and  invariably  choose  a  sunny 
day  for  their  ablutions.  They  are  murderously  inclined  to  all 
(jther  birds  with  whom  they  come  in  contact,  and,  in  fact, 
often  deal  each  other  severe  blows  with  their  powerful  beaks. 

Their  demeanour  is  not  lively;  they  strike  one  as  being 
generally  stupidly  inactive,  but  have  occasional  bitrsts  of  vivacity 
v.dien  their  deportment  is  very  amusing.  They  have  never 
made  any  attempt  to  go  to  nest,  but  I  have  never  encouraged 
-.1  as  in  the  case  of  all  my  lovebirds  they  were  newly-imported, 
and  before  attempting  their  breeding  my  idea  was  to  study  their 
wants  and  get  them  thoroughly  acclimatised  for  another  season. 

I  feed  on  equal  part's  of  canary,  white  millet,  oats,  and  a 
llL'.lc  hemp;  they  are  passionately  fond  of  millet  sprays,  in  fa;ct, 
A,  hen  this  food  is  available,  will  eat  little  else,  and,  I  should  say, 
would  easily  thrive  thereupon.  As  spring  advanced  they 
readily  took  to  grapes,  pear,  and  any  fruit  of  a  sweet,  juicy 
r.atnre;  groundsel,  seeding  grass,  and  lettuce  they  eat  freely  too. 

Rosy  or  Peach-faced  Lovebird  (Agaponiis  roseicoUis) : 
These  are  really  a  larger  and  paler  edition  of  puUaria — their 
;;oft  green  plumage,  vivid  l)lue  back-patch,  and  undoubtedly 
peach-coloured  face,  easily  make  them  first  favoin^ites  with  me, 
and  they  are  undoubtedly  the  most  attractive,  vigorous  and 
hurdy  of  the  A gaporni. 

They  have  an  ear-piercing  note,  but  this,  to  me,  is  a 
cheerful  contrast  to  their  quieter  brethren.  My  pair  are  in 
perfect  plumage,  and  they  have  shown  a  decfcled  inclination  to 
go  to  nest — they  live  in  a  cage  2ft.  x  2ft.  x  4ft.  high — but,  as 


i86  I'our  Species  of  Lovebirds. 

my  aviary  accommodation  is,  tliis  season,  decidedly  limited,  1 
have  not  been  able  to  give  them  full  scope.  1  should  imagine 
this  species  is  not  at  all  difficult  to  breed,  at  least,  with  my  pair 
I  have  every  hopes  of  success  next  season. 

Their  main  dietary  is  a  mixture  of  canary,  large  millet, 
oats  and  hemp;  they  are  very  fond  of  the  latter,  but  1  gi\e  them 
very  little,  for  if  their  liking  is  gratified  they  become  fat  and 
gross  very  cjuickly,  and  are  then  very  sluggish.  As  extras 
they  get  one  millet  spray  per  diem,  with  an  occasional  bunch  of 
seeding"  grass,  and  this  seems  to  fulfil  all  their  wants.  Fruit 
is  invariably  in  their  cage,  but  they  practically  ignore  it,  straw- 
berries beng  about  the  only  fruit  I  have  seen  them  touch. 

Bluk-winged  Lovebird  or  I'.asserine  Parrotlet 
{Psiitacula  passerina) :  These  active  little  birds  are  unlike  any 
of  the  preceding"  trio  in  their  actions,  and  I  believe  they  must 
belong  to  a  different  group.  They  are  very  active  indeed,  and 
to  be  seen  to  advantage  must  be  in  a  large  aviary,  where  the 
cock  can  display  his  brilliant  blue  rump  and  wing  patches  in 
flight. 

My  pair  are  practically  hardy  and  in  finest  condition. 
Their  sleek  green  plumage,  peering  black  eyes,  and  fiesh- 
colcured  beaks  form  a  pleasing  combination,  and  an  equally 
p'.easing  contrast  to  the  other  occupants  of  the  flight. 
Although  they  took  ]:)ossession  of  a  large  husk,  nothing  has 
r'^sulted,  not  even  eggs.  Their  mode  of  hollowing  out  a  husk 
ry  scratching"  and  tearing  pieces  off  witli  their  beaks  is  similar 
to  that  of  the  Budgerigar.  They  never  attempted  to  carry  any 
nesting"  material,  and  I  rather  think  a  small  rustic  log  nest  with 
a  spout  to  run  dov/n  would  suit  them  best.  They  are  very 
active  on  the  ground,  very  quick  in  flight,  and  cpiite  inoffensive 
and  harmless  to  other  birds.  I   consider  them  a  charming 

addition  to  any  mixed  series  of  birds. 

Their  bill  of  fare  is  a  very  simple  niatter  :  oats,  canary, 
millet,  hemp,  and  even  sunflower  and  safflower  seeds  are  eaten. 
Sweet  fruits  of  any  kind  they  eat  freely,  and  nothing  in  the 
green-food  line  seems  to  come  amiss  to  these  active  little 
{•arrotlets. 


I'isiis  to  Members'  Aviaries.  187 

Visits  to  Members'  Aviaries. 

Bv  Wkslev  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  M.B.O.U. 

On  August  i8th  the  writer  commenced  a  tifteen  days' 
vacation  among  three  members'  aviaries.  Two  days  were 
spent  with  Mr.  H.  E.  Bright  at  Woolton,  Liverpool,  eleven  days 
with  Capt.  G.  E.  Rattigan,  S.  Devon,  and  two  days  with  Mr. 
vShore  Baily  at  Westbury,  and  I  now  propose  describing  their 
aviaries  and  birds  in  the  order  given  above. 

Mr.  Bright's  Aviaries  and  Birds:  Mr.  Bright  gave 
a  detailed  description  of  his  aviaries,  with  photos,  in  Bird 
Notes  for  March  and  April  1921,  and  thereto  I  must,  in  the 
main,  refer  my  readers  as  to  the  aviaries  themselves;  certainly 
this  description  does  not  at  all  flatter  the  aviaries. 

'FJie  Main,  or  Large  Aviary  (No.  i). — This  is  an  admirable 
aviary  in  every  respect,  fully  equipped  for  the  comfort  of  the 
birds,  and  I  was  very  pleased  to  note  that  Mr.  Bright  had 
fully  gripped  the  main  essential  of  a  really  good  Foreign  Bird 
Aviary,  viz  :  that  the  shelter  is  fully  as  important  as  the  flight. 
This  will  be  realised  when  I  state  that  the  shelter  has  a  ground 
area  of  27  feet  by  25  feet,  and  is  fully  15  feet  high  at  the  ridge 
of  its  span  roof.  The  flight  is  52  feet  by  30  feet,  and  about 
15ft.  high  at  the  ridge.  The  shelter  is  a  substantial  building, 
being  constructed  of  glazed  bricks  for  a  height  of  3ft.  all 
round,  and  on  this  low  wall  the  wooden  superstructure  is 
erected.  It  is  well  lighted  by  windows  at  the  front  and  along 
one  side,  and  one  large  skylight  and  four  smaller  ones  in  the 
roof.  As  you  enter  the  shelter  a  portion  about  8ft.  wide  is 
partitioned  off  by  a  wire  netting  screen,  and  at  the  end  of  this 
portion  are  two  decent  flights  against  the  back  wall — several 
large  cages  hang  on  the  wall  for  new  arrivals,  etc. — apart  from 
these  fixtures  this  portion  forms  one  large  flight,  in  which  at 
the  time  of  my  visit  certain  overflow  birds  were  disporting 
themselves.  This  portion  is  termed  the  birdroom  for  the 
purpose  of  these  notes.  The  other  portion  of  this  building, 
some  19  X  25  feet,  forms  the  shelter  proper.  Here  the  bulk 
of  the  food  vessels  are  placed,  also  very  many  tree  branches 
are  fixed  reaching  from  floor  to  roof,  and  forming  a  thicket  of 
perching  accommodation  some  6  x  25  feet.  The  roof  of  this 
building  overhangs  into  the  flight,  forming  a  verandah,  which 


i,S8  I'isits  to  MoJihcrs'  Ai'iarics. 

is  tileii,  and  makes  a  pleasant  observation  post  in  any  weather. 
Under  this  veranchdi  were  several  nests,  one  containing-  several 
lusty  young-  Blue  Robins  (.Sialia  sialis),  judging  by  the  noise 
they  made.  The  flight  is  planted  with  numerous  trees  and 
shrubs,  and  the  roof's  standard  covered  with  various  climbing- 
plants,  mostly  hops.  Grass  and  other  herbage  irregularly 
cover  the  open  ground,  the  eartli  beneath  the  bushes  being 
mostly  bare  of  growtli;  a  happy  combination  wliich  fully  meets 
the  nui-iierous  collection  of  birds  which  occupy  this  practical 
avian  paradise. 

Herein  I  noted  the  following  species:  — 

FiNCiiKS  :  Cuban  (J'lio)iipara  canora).  Zebra  (I'acuiopyg'ui  castaiiotis). 
Long-tailed  flrass  (i'ocphila  aciiticaiichi),  Masked  (irass  {P.  pcrsonata), 
Lavender  (Lai^oiiosticla  cacnilcsccus).  Cutthroat  (Ainadiua  fasciafa).  Red- 
headed (.1.  cryl'r.roccphaia).  Cheslnut-hreasted  [MiDiia  rastaucithorax). 
Ptctoral  (.1/.  pcclonilis). 

Do\'i:.s  :  Diamond  {(.icopclia  niiicata),  t'eacefui  (G-  plac'nhiu  Isabeliinc 
{Turtur  is:ibel!ina),  (ieoffroy's  (I'cristera  gcoffroyi),  I^alm  (I'ltrlur  sciicgal- 
ensis),  Masked  (Ociia  capci/sis),  Plumed  (jround  {Loplinpliaps  Iciicagiistcr). 
Uwarf  Ground  (Chaiiiacpcha  gnsecla). 

Fruit-Pigeon.s  :  Lilac-crowned  {I'tilapus  coroniilatits)  and  a  lovely 
pair  of  uncertain   species. 

Cardinals  :  (jreen  {Cube matrix  cristata).  \'irt;inian  (Cartiiiuilis 
cardinalis),    and    Pope    {Paroaria   doiiiinica). 

Whydahs  :  Red-collared  (Peiithctriu  ardciis).  Paradise  {Stcgamtra 
paradisea),   (jiant    {Chocra   procuc),   and   Queen   (Vidua  regia). 

Wkavi'Irs  :  Orange  (Pyroiiiclaiia  fnu!cisc(Uni).  Napoleon  (/'.  afra). 
Taha  {/'.  talia).  Crimson-crowned  (/'.  flaiiiDiiccps).  and  Red-billed  {(Jitclca 
quelca). 

Man.\ikin.s  :  Rufous-backed      (Spcniicstcs      iiigriccps'i.      Silverbills 

(Aidonosyiie   cantans),   and  White  Java   Sparrow   {Mitiiia   oryaivora). 

Waxbills  :  Avadavat  iSpomeginthus  atnandava).  (lolden-breasted  {S. 
sttbflaznis),  (Jrange-cheeked  (S.  Jiieipodus),  Grey  {Estrclda  ciiicrca),  P)lue- 
breasted  (li.  angoleusis).  Cordon  Bleu  (E.  phocnicotis). 

I'lUNTiNcs  :  South  American  (Species  iiiccrt).  Nonpareil  {Cyanospiza 
ciris).  Indigo  (C.  cyaiica).  Red-crested  ImucIi  (Coryphospiiigus  cristatiis). 
Rainbow   (Cyauospisa  leclaiiclieri).  and   Rock  (h'rijigiUuria  tahapisi). 

Gkosbkaks  :  iSlue  {Guiraci  cyanca).  Yellow-bellied  (Mvccrobas 
melanoxantlius).  Large  (species  nicert)  and  Bluish  (Spcrmoplnla  caouicscens). 

F.TCKTUAS  :  Pekin  Robin  (l.iotlirix  lutciis),  IJaltiniore  Oriole  (Icterus 
galbula).  I'.lue  Robins  (Siaiia  siuiis).  Migratorv  Thrush  (Turdus  inigratorius). 
Scarlet  Tanager  (h'hanipliocoelits  brasilus).  Pectoral  Tanager  (Euplionia 
pectoralis).  Chinese  Ouiil  (E.xcalj  act  aria  cliiiiciisis).  While-cheeked  Bulbuls 
(Otoco)upsa  leucogeiiys). 

Yoljxc,  Birds  on  the  wing  and  fending  for  theiuselves. 


Visits  to  Moiibcrs'  Aviaries.  189 

Many  young  birds  had  perished,  ahnost  as  soon  as  they  left  the 
nest,  owing  to  the  prevailing  cold,  wet  weather,  but  I  noticed 
the  following  in  some  numbers  : 

Peaceful   Doves  lieoffroy's  Doves 

Masked   Doves  Cutthroats   (a   small   tiock) 

Diamond   Doves  Zebra  Finches  (a  small  flock) 

Isabelline   Doves 

The  sound  of  young  calling  for  food  was  incessant  from 
all  parts  of  the  aviary,  and  if  the  remaining  portion  of  the 
season  be  fairly  fine  and  sunny  the  above  will  be  added  to 
materially. 

Spfxie.s  Np:sting  and  Fekding  : 
Virginian  Cardinal  Geoffroy's   Dove 

Blue   Robin  White-breasted  (spec,  inccrt)* 

Cuban  Finches  Palm  Doves 

Zebra  Finches  Ijlue  Grosbeaks 

Cutthroats  Long--tailed  Grassfinches 

I  am  not  describing  these  episodes,  nor  the  young  birds 
fully,  as  1  wish  Mr.  Bright  to  do  this  later. 

In  this  fine  aviary  I  watched  the  parent  birds,  from  the 
verandah,  collecting  gentles  and  other  insects,  then  ofi  to  the 
nests  to  meet  the  wants  of  their  offspring,  their  arrival  being 
heralded  by  the  squalling  of  their  young — sweet  sounds  for  the 
aviculturist — till   their   lusty   appetites    were    satisfied.  The 

panorama  of  bird  life  was  most  fascinating,  as  one  species  after 
another  flashed  into  the  picture  :  the  wee  Chinese  Quail  foraging 
amid  the  grass  and  herbage,  or  scampering  hurriedly  across 
the  verandah  tiles  to  the  shelter  for  seed;  the  flight  of  the  lovely 
and  many-hued  Lilac-crowned  Fruit-Pigeon  (as  brilliant  as  the 
Gold-fronted  Chloropsis),  the  mannerisms  and  characteristics  of 
the  many  species,  the  harmony  of  their  song — cooing  of  doves, 
trilling  of  finches,  liquid  notes  of  Pekin  Robin,  etc.- -making  a 
complete  whole  of  absorbing  interest,  a  pleasing  and  interesting 
picture  burnt  into  the  memory  beyond  the  power  of  time  to 
eradicate — but  time  and  space  alike  forbid  lingering,  and  the 
pen  of  Mr.  Bright  must  fill  the  gap  of  descriptive  detail. 

*\  could  not  get  to  Brit.  Museum  nor  Zoo  Library,  so  sent  a  rough  sketch 
to  the  former  authorities  and  they  believe  the  species  to  the  Phlogoevas 
margaritae  from   New  (niiuea 

A  letter  from.  Mr.  Bright,  dated  Se])tcmber  jotli,  states  that  this  pair  have 
two  fully  pledged  young  almost    ready   to  leave  the  nest. — W.T.P. 


190 


I'isits  io  Members'  Avianes. 


In  the  Birdroom  (part  of  shelter)  1  noticed  flying  at  large 
a  pair  of  Red  Rosella  Parrakeets  {I'latycercus  eximius),  a 
single  Mealy  Rosella  (P.  palUdiccps],  and  a  pair  of  Green 
Cardinals  (G .  eristata).  In  the  two  smaller  flights  were  pairs 
of  Bauer's  (I'latycercus  conariits).  and  Adelaide  Parrakeets  {!'. 
adelaidae). 

Adjoining  tills  Aviary  (No.  1)  were  three  other  flights, 
Nos.  2,  3,  and  4,  respectively. 

N  j.  2  Aviarv. — This  aviary  is  really  spacious,  and  has  an 
open-fronted  lean-to  shed  at  the  back;  like  No.  i  there  is  an 
abundance  of  living  cover  and  ground  herbage,  and  there  are 
few  species  which  would  not  feel  inclined  to  reproduce  their 
kind  when  located  therein. 

Here  I  saw  the  following  species  : 

I    pair   Red-shouldered    Jilackhiriis    (Agelaiiis  p/iocuiccits). 

I  Orange-headed  Troupial 

1   Migratory  Thrush  (Turdus  inigratorhis). 

I   pair   Brazilian  Pigeons  (Coluviba  spcciosa). 

The  pair  of  Brazilian  Pigeons  are.  I  believe,  new  to 
aviculture;  they  are  very  handsome,  though  not  exactly  brightly 
coloured,  but  they  strike  the  eye  at  once  and  arrest  one  by 
their  beauty. 

General  colouration  dark,  rich,  vinous-brown  (almost 
cinnamon),  with  the  whole  head  grey,  picked  out  laterally,  with 
fine  distinct  black  lines;  this,  combined  with  a  red  beak,  gives  a 
colour  harmony  that  must  be  seen  to  be  fully  ap])reciated.  This 
pair  of  birds  were  brought  over  privately  by  Maj.  A.  E.  Snape, 
when  returning  home  from  Brazil  last  year.  They  have  just 
come  into  adult  plumage,  and  should  breed  next  season. 

i\o.  3  Aviary. — This  is  similar  to  No.  2.  but  -lot  so  wide, 
lieing  approximately  30  x  15  feet,  with  a  shelter  at  the  far  end. 

Here  were  but  two  pairs  of  birds — a  pair  jf  X'irginian 
Cardinals  {Cardinalis  cardinalis),  which  have  fully  reared  one 
young  bird;  and  a  pair  of  Crested  Doves  (Ocyphaps  lophutes). 
v/hich  have  nested  but  not  reared  any  young  this  season,  the 
nest  being  drowned  out  during  heavy  rair. 

No.  4  Aviary. — This  is  a  replica  of  No.  3,  and  a  fine  pair 
of  W'liite-crested  Jay  Thrushes  {(iarnila.v  leuculuphus) 
enjoy    sole  occupancy,  yet  up  to  the  present  have    made    no 


I'isits  to  Members'  Aviaries.  191 

attempt  to  go  to  nest.  They  are  bold,  audacious  bhds,  full  of 
character  and  activity,  and  are  most  interesting"  to  sit  and  watch, 
for  they  court  observation.  Their  song^  (laugh?)  is  very 
similar  to  that  of  the  Laughing-  Kingfisher,  but  not  quite  so  loud  ; 
however,  it  certainly  is  not  inaudible! 

The  Upper  Aviaries:  No.  i  and  2  are  merely  open  wire 
flights,  with  small  cupboard-like  shelters,  for  parrakeets.  No.  i 
was  unoccupied,  while  No.  2  housed  a  pair  of  Pennant  Parra- 
keets (Platyeercus  elegans);  these  were  a  pair  of  fine  robust 
birds,  in  good  health  and  vigour,  but  heavily  in  moult. 

These  two  aviaries  were  separated  from  a  range  of 
converted  Pigeon  Houses,  forming  aviaries  3,  4,  5,  6,  and  7  of 
the  upper  series.  These  have,  as  yet,  no  outer  flights,  but 
these  are  in  contemplation  and  will,  I  opine,  be  uii  fait  accouipli 
for  next  season. 

Pigeons,  a  former  ]iol:)by  of  Mr.  Bright's,  which  is  not  entirely 
No.  3  was  occuj)ie(l  by  a  small  flock  of  Bald-facecl  l^imbler 
relinquished.  In  the  house  are  a  goodly  array  of  challenge 
cups,  etc.,  trophies  of  Mr.  Bright's  prowess  with  these  birds  in 
the  past. 

No.  4  contained  a  pair  of  Stanley  Parrakeets  (Platyeercus 
ieterotis),  a  Migratory  Thrush  (Turd us  migratorius),  and  a 
Geogroy's  Dove  (Peristera  geoffroyi),  all  in  the  pink  of 
condition. 

No.  5  was  the  home  of  several  pairs  of  blue-bred  Green 
Budgerii^-ars  (Melopsittaens  uuduJatus)  and  several  of  their 
progeny;  also  a  pair  of  Cockateels  (Calopsittacus  novac- 
hollandiae),  which  have  reared  young  this  season. 

No.  6  housed  fine  pairs  of  Diamond  Doves  (Ceopclia 
ruiicafa).  and  Dwarf  fi round  Doves  (Chamacpclia  grisea). 

Lastly  No.  7  confined  a  handsome  pair  of  Blue  Jays 
(Cyauocitta  cristata)  whose  full  beauty  one  had  to  imagine 
as  thev  were  in  full  moult,  and  they  needed  to  be  in  an  open 
flight  for  the  play  of  light  to  bring  out  their  gorgeous  beautv 
in  full  measure. 

This  brings  my  description  of  these  fine  aviaries  and  birds 
to  a  conclu-sion.  The  social  side  of  my  visit  will  not  interest 
my  readers,  though  it  certainly  did  our  two  selves,  as  we  yarned 
of  avicultural  experiences  generally — many  avian  battles  were 


192  Breeding  of  the  Nezv-Guinea  Quail. 

fcniLilit  o'er  ai^ain.  I  spent  two  days  and  three  nights  at  Woolton 
Tower  and  bade  ,qood-bye  to  my  host  and  hostess  on  the  Monday 
morning  at  Lime  Street  Station,  Liverpool,  where  1  entrained 
{o\-  Xewton  Abbot.        To   he  eontinucd. 


The  Breeding  of  the  New-Guinea  Quail 

{Synaceus  plumbeus). 
Bv  W.  Shore  Baily,  F.Z.S. 

My  first  introduction  to  these  attractive  Httle  birds  took 
place  two  years  ago  at  Hamlyn's.  Whilst  look  around  his 
cages  I  noticed  in  one  of  them  a  rather  sombre-looking  bird 
brooding  an  egg.  I  recognised  it  as  a  Quail  of  sorts,  but  as 
it  was  a  species  I  had  not  seen  before,  I  decided  to  buy  it. 
Having"  been  kept  for  so  long  in  a  small  cage  it  was  very  tame, 
and  it  would  come  on  one's  hand  for  mealworms  when  called. 
It  was  quite  a  charming  little  pet.  I  kept  it  indoors  all  winter, 
where  it  laid  one  or  two  more  eggs.  In  the  spring  I  turned  it 
into  an  outdoor  aviary,  giving  it,  as  a  mate,  a  cock  Common 
Quail,  but  although  the  latter  paid  her  every  attention,  she  would 
have  nothing  to  do  with  him  for  a  long  time.  At  last,  w'hen 
she  did  make  up  her  mind  to  suffer  his  attentions,  she  suddenly 
succiuubed  to  an  attack  of  pneumonia. 

'I  his  Spring  the  London  Zoo  offered  me  another  pair, 
and  I  was  very  glad  to  get  them.  They  were  extraordinarily 
wild,  and,  on  being  turned  into  the  aviary,  in  which  there  was  a 
good  deal  of  cover,  they  promptly  disappeared,  and  it  was  only 
occasionally  that  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  them  for  a  moment. 

About  the  middle  of  June  I  felt  sure  that  the  hen  was 
sitting,  and  a  careful  search  revealed  the  nest,  which  was  very 
well  hidden  in  a  clump  of  grass.  This  contained  seven  eggs, 
somewhat  smaller  than  those  of  the  Californian  Quail,  and  very 
large  for  the  bird.  These  were  covered  with  fine  spots,  and  I 
have  occasionally  seen  those  of  the  Californian  bird  marked 
very  like  them. 

( Jn  June  J4th  I  surprised  the  hen  with  three  young  ones, 
apparently  about  a  couple  of  days  old.  The  four  eggs  left  in 
the  nest  had  all  young  ones  just  ready  to  hatch;  something  had 
probably  disturbed  the  hen,  causing  her  to  leave  the  nest  too 
soon.      I  saw  no  more  of  either  the  young  ones  or  their  pairents 


!X 


O    ^ 


CS 


■z) 

5?: 


Notes  on  Jungle  and  Other  Jl'ild  Life.  193 

until  Inly  2nd,  when  T  surprised  them  together  scratching'  in 
the  run.  I  again  saw  them  a  week  later,  and  again  on  the  15th; 
on  the  last  occasion  they  got  up  at  my  feet  and  flew  strongly 
across  the  aviary.  Shortly  after  this  I  went  for  my  summer 
holiday,  returning  for  one  day  on  August  loth.  Suspecting 
that  the  hen  was  again  sitting,  I  was  hunting-  through  the  long 
grass,  when  I  had  the  misfortune  to  step  upon  and  kill  the 
young  cock.  He  was  practically  in  full  adult  plumage,  and  I 
could  only  tell  him  from  the  old  bird  by  the  difference  in  the 
colour  of  the  eye,  which  in  the  adult  is  crimson,  and  in  the 
juvenile  reddish-brown. 

At  this  time  the  hen  was  undoubtedly  sitting,  although 
1  could  not  find  the  nest  in  the  time  at  my  disposal,  but  on  my 
return  on  August  21st,  I  found  it  under  a  tuft  of  grass  on  the 
edge  of  the  pond,  and  congratulated  myself  on  not  having 
stepped  on  it,  when  looking  for  it  on  my  first  visit.  Every 
egg  had  apparently  hatched,  and  a  few  days  afterwards  1  caught 
sight  of  five  little  ones.  At  the  time  of  writing,  August  30th, 
they  are  quite  nice  little  birds,  but  still  only  very  occasionally 
visible. 

The  cock  bird  is  rather  bigger  than  the  Indian  Jungle 
Quails  and  is  plum-coloured  all  over;  the  hen  is  mottled  much 
like  the  European  Quail,  but  much  darker  in  ground  colour. 
They  are  nice  aviary  birds. 

C^ 


Notes  on  Jungle  and  other  Wild  Life. 

By  Dr.  Casey  A.  Wood,  M.B.O.U. 
Continued  from  page  i6t;. 
The  approach  to  the  Falls  was  exceedingly  interesting 
and  attractive.  Charles  VVatertcn  (Wanderings  in  South 
\mcrica),  the  naturalist  word-painter,  says  of  it :  — "  He  who  can 
distinguish  the  beauties  of  uncultured  nature,  and  whose  ear 
is  not  shut  to  the  wild  sounds  in  the  weeds,  will  be  delighted 
in  passing  up  the  river  Demerara.  Every  now  and  then  the 
maam  (tinamou)  sends  forth  one  long  and  plaintive  whistle  from 
the  depths  of  the  forest,  and  then  stops;  whilst  the  yelping  of 
the  toucan  and  the  shrill  voice  of  the  bird  called  "  pi-pi-yo  " 
(Gold  or  (ireenheart  Bird)  are  heard  during  the  interval.       The 


[94  Notes  (>)i  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life. 

campanero,  or  Bell  Bird,  never  fails  to  attract  the  attention  of 
-the  passeng-er;  at  a  distance  of  nearly  three  miles  you  may  hear 
this  snow-white  bird  tollini^'  every  4  or  5  minutes,  like  the  distant 
convent  bell.  From  six  to  nine  in  the  morning  the  forests 
resound  with  the  mingled  cries  and  strains  of  the  feathered  race; 
after  this  they  gradually  die  away!" 

In  this  connection  I  must  point  out  that  few  are  the  birds 
whose  notes  or  calls  are  similarly  interpreted  by  even  a  majority 
of  careful  and  competent  observers.  The  fact  reminds  me  of 
the  differences  of  opinion  expressed  on  viewing  the  newly-painted 
portrait  of  a  friend;  each  of  us  sees  it  differently.  And  so  with 
bird  notes;  each  of  us  hears  them  differently.  We  had  a 
concrete  example  of  this  truth  as  we  five  sat  in  our  boat  on  the 
upper  Potaro  listening  to  and  watching  carefully  the  vocal 
performance — for  such  it  deserves  to  be  designated — of  numer- 
ous Bell  Birds  (J^avosoria  alba).  They  are  snow-white  beauties, 
about  the  size  of  a  large  blue  jay.  and  have  a  curious,  long, 
black,  erectile,  pipe-stem-like  wattle,  partly  covered  with  white 
feathers,  attached  to  the  centre  of  the  forehead.  After  listening 
for  an  hour  or  so  to  the  bird's  double-note,  or  "  tolling  "  call, 
each  of  us  was  asked  to  say  what  well-known  sound  it  resembles. 
None  of  us  thought  it  recalled  Waterton's  "  distant  convent 
bell;"  one  said  "  it's  exactly  like  the  sound  caused  by  a  single 
stroke  on  a  triangle;"  another  "  one  stroke  of  a  blacksmith's 
hammer  on  his  anvil;"  still  another  "  a  single  blast  of  a  police- 
man's whistle,  heard  a  hundred  yards  away;"  another  "one 
blow  on  a  medium-range  tube  of  the  xylophone;"  and  fifthly, 
a  stroke  on  a  loud  dimier  gong."  J.  J.  Ouelch  (Chubb's 
Birds  of  BritisJi  (hiiana.  Vol.  II..  p.  xxxi.)  adds  something  to 
his  confusion  of  similes  by  giving  it  as  his  opinion  that — the 
campanero's  call  varies  with  age  and  sex. 

So  numerotis  and  so  beautiful  were  the  brids  we  saw  on 
tliis  trip  that  the  necessarily  brief  references  to  them  in  this 
letter  might  better,  perhaps,  not  ha^•e  been  made,  partly  because 
the  tale  may  be  fatiguing  and  partly  because  you  may  think  that 
those  mentioned  are  the  chief  ones  to  excite  wonder  and  admira- 
tion, although  the  truth  is  that  there  are  dozens  of  others  equally 
lirilliant  and  even  more  remarkable.  Just  consider  a  few  of 
the  latter — the  cotingas,  for  instance,  of  which  the  scarlet 
variety,  ablaze  with  reddened  areas  from  head  to  tail ;  the  purple- 


Notes  oil  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life.  195 

breasted— throat  and  breast  of  a  deep  purple,  wings  and  tail 
black,  and  the  remainder  of  his  body  a  beautiful  shining  blue! 
Finally,  the  Pompadour  Cotinga  (Xipholcna  punicea)  is  entirely 
purple  except  that  his  wings  are  white  edged  with  brown. 

Visualize,  also,  the  toucans  and  the  toucanets.  One 
thinks  chiefly  of  their  enormous  bills,  but  even  these  are 
gorgeously  painted  in  tints  that  are  repeated  in  their  still  more 
brilliant  plumage.  Then  the  iridescent  macaws  (those  studies 
in  splendid  pigmentation)  as  well  as  the  other  highly  tinted 
parrots  and  parrakeets;  likewise  the  lovely  trogons  and 
jacamars,  in  addition  to  flocks  of  snowwhite  egrets,  scarlet 
ibises,  eagles,  hawks  and  water  birds — all  these  form  but  a 
small  fraction  of  the  colonial  avifauna. 

Kaietour  (Patamona  word  meaning  Old  Man's  Fall)  is 
really  pronounced  Ky-too-eh,  but  as  the  last  syllable  is  accom- 
panied by  a  sort  of  subdued  click,  which  none  but  an  Indian  can 
indicate,  the  generally  received  spelling  is  about  as  nearly 
correct  as  we  are  likely  to  get  it. 

The  fall  was  discovered  in  1870  by  Barrington  Brown, 
Government  Surveyor.  Sir  Everard  im  Thurn  {Amongst  the 
Indians  of  Guiana)  visited  it  during  the  dry  season  of  1878.  He 
then  remarked  that  in  his  opinion  the  entrance  to  the  Kaietour 
gorge — at  Amatuk — furnishes  the  most  beautiful  scenery  of  this 
lovely  tropical  river ;  and  all  our  party  agreed  with  him.  "  If," 
says  he,  '"  the  whole  valley  of  the  Potaro  is  fairyland,  then  the 
Kaietour  Ravine  is  the  penetralia  of  fairyland."  Of  the  fall 
itself,  seen  close  at  hand  and  from  above,  he  exclaims  "  Then, 
and  only  then,  the  splendid,  and  in  the  most  solemn  sense  of  the 
word,  awful  beauty  of  the  Kaietour  burst  upon  me.  Seven 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  below,  encircled  by  black  boulders,  lay  a 
great  pool,  into  which  the  column  of  white  water,  graceful  as  a 
ceaseless  flight  of  innumerable  rockets,  thundered  from  my 
side.  Behind  the  fall,  through  the  thinnest  parts  of  the  veil 
of  foam  and  mist,  the  great  black  cavern  made  the  white  of  the 
v.ater  look  yet  more  white." 

This  was  during  the  dry  season,  when  comparatively 
little  water  rolled  into  the  deep  gorge.  However,  a  second 
visit  was  made  when  the  Potaro  was  in  flood,  at  the  end  of  a 
rainy  season,  with  an  entirely  different  picture:  — 


196  Notes  oil  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life. 

"  It  was  then  beautiful  and  terrible,  but  now  it  is 
sometliins;-  which  it  is  useless  to  try  and  describe.  Then  a 
narrow  river,  not  a  third  of  its  present  width,  fell  over  the  cliff 
in  a  column  of  white  water,  and  was  broug:ht  into  startling- 
prominence  by  the  darkness  of  the  great  cave  behind,  and  this 
column  of  water,  before  it  reached  the  small  black  pool  below, 
had  narrowed  to  a  point.  Now  an  indescribable,  almost  incon- 
ceivable vast  curtain  of  waiter — I  can  find  no  other  phrase — (some 
400  feet  in  width)  rolled  over  the  top  of  the  cliff,  retaining  its 
full  width  until  it  crashed  into  the  boiling  water  of  the  pool, 
which  filled  the  whole  space  below^  and  at  the  surface  of  this 
pool  itself  only  the  outer  cave  was  visible,  for  the  greater  part 
was  beaten  and  hurled  up  in  a  great  high  mass  of  surf  and 
spray." 

There  are  several  projecting  rocks  from  which  mile  upon 
mile  of  the  river's  course  at  the  bottom  of  the  canon  can  be 
seen  from  above.  Unlike  the  cliffs  of  the  Yosemite  and  Niagara, 
the  deep  water-worn  cleft  of  the  Potaro  is  completely  and  perma- 
nently verdure-clad  with  vines,  mosses,  trees,  shrubs,  bromeliads 
etc.,  from  the  water's  edge  to  the  plateau  above.  The  constant 
fight  for  life  in  the  tropical  forest,  with  its  everlasting  spring- 
time, leaves  few  areas  free  of  plant  growth,  and  this  marvel 
adds  greatly  to  beauty  and  charm  of  '.ropical  panoramas.  The 
abrupt  walls  of  the  Kaietour  gorge  also  bear  thousands  of 
nany-coloured  flowers,  while  up,  down  and  across  the  abyss 
fly  macaws,  Amazon  parrots,  cassiques  (tropical  orioles),  eagles, 
hawks  and   numerous   other  birds.  I   saw  many  swallows 

skimming  the  surface  of  the  foaming  waters,  but,  although  they 
are  reported  as  flying  past  the  wall  of  falling  water  into  the 
dark  cavern  behind  it,  none  of  our  party  witnessed  that 
phenomenon. 

The  bed  of  the  river  below  the  great  fall  is  dotted  here 
and  there  by  a  number  of  round  and  oval  islets  that  recall  the 
wick'^H  Rishop  Hanno's  island  on  the  Rhine  except  that  the 
castellatCLi  super-structures  of  the  Potaro  resolve  themselves, 
by  the  aid  of  a  glass,  into  the  usual  trees  and  vines. 

To  be  eontinued. 
^ 


Birds  zcliich   have   been   Bred   in   Caf'tii'ity.  197 

Records  of  Birds  which  have  Bred  in  Captivity. 

By  Dr.  E.  Hopkinson,  D.S.O.,  M.A.,  M.B.,  F,Z.S.,  etc. 

PLOCEIDAE. 
81      PIN-TAILED  WHYDAH. 


.^9.     LONG-TAILED  WHYDAH,   Diatropura  progne. 


90.     RED-COLLARED  WHYDAH,    CoUostntthus  aniens. 
And  Hybrids. 
RED-COLLARED  WHYDAH    x    YELLOW-BACK I'lD  WHYDAH. 


91.  WHITE-WINGED  WHYDAH,   C.   a.bonotata. 

92.  JACKSON'S   WHYDAH,    IJrcpaiioplectcs  jacksoui. 

SHAFT-TAILED   WHYDAH,    /'.    regia. 
RED-SHOULDERED   WHYDAH,    L.    axillaris. 
Abroad,   See   note,   B.N.    191S,    156. 


93.     COMBASOU. 


94.     CRIMSON-CROWNED   BISHOP.   Pyromclana  fiamviiceps. 

Abroad.       I   think  also  a   recent   success  in   England,    but   have   not 
the  record. 
And  Hybrids. 
CRIMSON-CROWNED  lilSllOP  x  RED-COLLARED  WHYDAH. 

95      BLACK-BELLIED   BISHOP,   P.    iiigrivciitris.      Abroad. 


9b.     GRENADIER  BISHOP,  1'.  oryx. 


cjj      ORANGE   BISHOP.   P.  fraiiciscana. 
98.     KAFFIR  FINCH,  P.  capciisis.    Abroad. 
90.     TAHA  BISHOP,  P.  taha. 
100.     NAPOLEON    BISHOP,    P.   afra. 


joi.     rOKl'LRHliAD  WEAV1-:R,    Qitclca  crythrops.      Abroad. 

103      TWO-COLOURED  MANNIKIN,   Lepidopygia  bicolor.     Abroad. 
And  Hybrids 
TWO-COLOURED   M.    x    AFRICAN   SILVERBILL.     Abroad. 


104.     RUFOUS-P.ACKED  iMANNIKIN,  L.  nigriceps 
loq      BIB  FINCH,   /-.   nana. 


iy8  Birds  zvhich  liavc  been  Bred  in  Captiz'iiy 

And  Hybrids. 
BIB   FINCH     X    INDIAN    SIJAERIULL. 
X   BRONZE  MANNIKIN. 


lOb.     BRONZE   MANNIKIN.       Abroad. 
And  Hybrids. 
BRONZI':  M.    X   RUEOUS-BACKED  M. 
X    MAGPIE  MANNIKIN. 
X   BENGALESE. 
BRONZE  MANNIKIN 

— hybrid    X    BENGALESE. 

BENGALESE 


MAGPIE   MANNIKIN,    Aiiianrcsthes  fruigilluidcs. 

And   Hybrids. 
MAGPIE  M.   X   I'.ENGALESE. 

X   SILVERIULL  (prolwbly  .AERICAN).     llri-ht,   191;. 
Sec   B.N.    igi/,   245. 


108.     QUAIL   EINGH,    Ortyi^os/^ica  pulyzoua. 


loq.     W.   AFRICAN   OUAIL   I-INCII.    O.   atricoUis.     Abroad. 


FIREFINCH. 

And  Hybrids. 
FIREFINCH  X  SPOTTED  !■  IRb:FINCH.     First  breeder  Lucas,  1917. 

See  B.N.    1917,   250. 
SPOTTED  FIREFINCH,  Lagonosticta  rufopicta.     Abroad. 

In  France  :    Mayer.     See  B.N.   1920,  254. 
GREY-BACKED  FIREFINCH.   L.  polionoia  (?).     Aliroad 

In  France  :    Mayer.     See  B.N.   ]g20.  254. 


112      GREEN   A\ADAVAT. 


113.     CUTTHROAT. 

And  Hybrids. 
CUTTHROAT    x    RED-PIb:ADED   FINCH. 


T14.     RED-HEADED   FINCH. 


i.r.     DIAMOND  SPARROW. 
And  Hybrids. 
DIAMOND  SPARROW   x   ZEBRA  FINCH. 


no      PAINTED   FINCH,    liwblcma  picta. 


MELBA  FINCH. 
And   Hybrids. 


Hirds  7i'/;;V/;  Iio'i'c  hccii  Hrcd  in  Captirity.  199 

MELBA  FINCH    x  CORDON  BLEU  .  Aljioad.     In  France,  Dccoux, 
1919.       See  A.M.    1919.   no. 

118.     AURORA   FINCH.    Pytciia   plioenicoptcm. 


uq.     ZFHRA  1-INCH. 
And    Hybrids. 
ZEIiRA    I'INCH    X    illClilLXO    I'.       Al.road 

X  AFRICAN  SIL\'F..1ULL.  Page. 
X  I.ONG-TAILFD  GRASSFINCH. 
X   ST.  HELENA  WAX  BILL.       Abroad  teste  Paoe. 


i_'o.     BICHICNO   FINCH. 
And    Hybrids. 
BICH1<:N0'  X    ZEP.RA   FINCH. 


121.    black-rumpi<:d  bk"heno  finch. 


122.     AVADAVAT. 

And    Hybrids. 
AVADAVAT    x    ZEBRA   WAXBILL. 


123      ZEBRA  WAXBILL,  Spnraci;iiitlii!s  siibflm'us.  (A  real  record  required). 


ORANGE-CHEEK   WAXBILL. 


U.S.     JAVA  SPARROW. 
And    Hybrids. 
JAVA    X    CUTTHROAT.     (Record  needs  fuller  details,  etc.) 
X   AFRICAN  SILVERBILL. 


126.     MAIA    FINCH.       Abroad. 


127.     TRICOLOURED  MANNIKIN,  Mioiia  lualacca.     Hybrid  record  only. 
TRICOLOURED  MANNIKIN   x    I'.ENGALESE. 


128.     CHOCOLATE   MANNIKIN,    .1/.    atricapilla. 
And    Hybrids. 
CHOCOLATE  M.    x    MAJA.       ?  PAbroad  only 


129.     CHF.STNUT   FINCH,    .1/.    castaneithorax. 
And   Hybrids. 
CHESTNUT  FINCH    x    LNDiAN  SILVERBILL.     A  recent  record. 
Brijjht,    B.N.    1Q17,    244. 


130.     YELLOW-RUMPED    FINCH,    .1/.    xanthoprymna. 
i^i.     NUTMEG  FINCH. 


200  Hirds  icliich  have  been  bred  'ui  Captivity. 


Ami    llyl>rids. 
NUTMKC    X    lUli    I'INCll. 

i'.1':n(;ali. 


132.     PKCTOKAI.    I'lXC'll,    n.   pcct oralis. 


133.     STKIATI-'.!^    I'lXC'll,    I'rvloiicha  striata. 
And    Myhn'cls. 

STRiA'iM';i')  V.  X  i'.1':.\'(;ales1':. 


134.    iii-:\c;al '-K. 

And   Hybrids. 
(Sec   r.S.    (11.)   p  a.   above). 

DEN(;ALi':si':  x  sharp-tailed  finch. 

bi=:n(;ali:s1':  x  sharp-tailed  i-ixch. 
x  striated  finch. 

x    NUTMEG    FINCH. 
X    flRONZE  MANNIKIX. 
X   BIB  FINCH. 
X  CHESTNUT  FINCH. 

Of  the   ,-(b()ve   all   except    "■  \'<\h    I'incli  "    nred   fuller   records. 


H\lirid    I'lcnoalese    x    Xulme<'-    I'inch. 


135      SIIAKI' T All.i:!)    I'-IXCH. 
Aii.l    Nvbri.N. 
SHAKl'-T  \l',i:i)    I'LXCH     x     IU':X(  iAI.l'.Sb:. 


136.     CHFi\l\\     I-IXCII.    .\uicinosyne  luodcsta. 
i?7.     INOIAX    SlIAl'killLL. 


Birds  z>.'hicli  liai'c  been  Bred  in  Caf^tiz'ity.  201 

And   Hybrids. 
INDIAN  SIIAI'.RHILL    x    BIU  FINCH. 


38      AFRICAN   SILVFRBILL. 
And  Hybrids. 
AFRICAN  SIL\'I':R1ULL    x    OLIVE  FINCH.    (Note:   I'loccidac    x 

FritJgJIlidae). 
X  SHARP-TAILED  FINCH, 
x  NUTMEG  FINCH.  See  P..N.  1920.  178 
x    BENGALESE.       Abroad. 


:<,Q.     SYDNICY   WAXRILL,    Aci^intha   temporalis. 


ip      RII1T)U.S-TAIL1:D    GRASSFINCH.    HatliUda    nihcauda. 


|i.     LONG-TAILED   GRASSFLVCH,   Poephila  acuticanda. 
And    Hybrids. 
LONG-TAILF.D  GRASSFINCH    x    AIASKlvD  GRASSl'INCH. 


14J.     PARSON   FINCH.  P.   cliicta. 
And    Hybrids. 
PARSON   FINCH    x    LON(;-TAILED  GRASSFINCH. 

X    I'.ENCiALhSE.      Aljroad. 


U3.     .MASKED  (;RASSFINCH,  P.  pirsonafa. 


144.     GOULDIAN    FINCH.    (ISlack-  and   Red-headed) 


145.     PIN-TAILED  NONPAREIL.  Erythnira  prasnia.     Abroad. 


146.     PARROT  FINCH. 
And   Hybrids. 
PARROT  FINCFI    x   TRICOLOURI-D  PARROT  F.     Abroad. 


148.     TRICOLOURED    PARROT   FINCH.      Abroad. 


149.     CRIMSON   I'-LNCH.  Neoclnnia  phaetun. 


151.     GRF,Y  WAXI1H.L. 
And   Hybrids. 
GRI<:Y  WAXBILL    x    CRTMSON-RUMPED  W.  Pstnlda  riiodnpyi^a. 
Abroad. 


153.    lav!:nd1':r  vvaxbill. 
j 54.    cordon  blf.u. 


iS=;.     BLUIM'.REASTF.D  WAXBILL. 


202  Bints  a'/';;r//  luii'c  nccii  Bred  in  Laptiviiy 

And  Hybrids. 
HLUI'-BRKASTl-:i)  WAX  HILL   x   CORDON  HLEU. 


156.     SCALY-FK0NT1':D   weaver,   Sporopipes  sqttamifrons. 
See  P.S.  (D.)  page      above. 
l''RONTAL  WEAVER,  5.  frontalis.       Abroad. 

1^7.     P.Ul'FALO  WEAVER.      Abroad. 


158.     CHESTNUT-BACKED  WEAVER,    Melauopteryx  castaneifusca. 
Abroad. 


159.     RUI'OUS-NECKED  WEAX'liR.   Uyphantorms  cucnllatus. 
And   Hybrids. 
RUFOUS-NECKED    WEAVER    x    SPOTTED-BACKED   W  . 
H.  spUonotHS. 


ibo.     Notliing-  to  add  to  tliis  record.   B.N.    1920,   253. 

162.  BLACK-HEADED   WEAVIlR.   Sitagra   melanoccpluila. 

163.  CABANIS'   WEAVER,    6".    cabanisi.       Abroad. 


164.     LITTLE   MASKED  WEA\ER,   .9.   luteola. 


i6v     Bl.ACK-FRONTED  WEAVER,   i\   velata. 


iW).     HALF-MASKED  WEAVER,   5'.   inteUina. 


167.     CAPE   GOLDEN    W1':AVER,   .S'.    capeiisis   or   olivacca. 


ifi8.     MADAGASCAR  WE-AVER,   Foudia  inadagascarlensis.     Abroad. 
169.     BAYA  WEAVER.      Abroad. 


170.     BENGAL  BAYA.     Abroad. 


171.     MANYAR   WEAVER.     Abroad. 


To  be  continued. 


A  Java  Sparroiv  Episode.  203 

A  Java   Sparrow,    {Munia  oryzivora)  Episode. 

Bv  Wksley  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  AI.B.U.U. 

I  have  always  had  a  hkini;-  for  this,  sol-called,  clumsy  and 
heavily  built  species.  It  has  a  very  handsome  and  striking- 
appearance  in  a  large  wilderness  aviary  among  a  mixed  series 
ot  birds,  moreover,  it  is  nearly  always  in  the  picture.  This 
liking  began  in  the  early  days  of  my  avicultural  experience,  and 
i<-  has  lasted  through  the  trail  of  years  right  up  to  the  present 
time,  though  the  freshness  of  early  acquaintance  has  passed. 

I  have  bred  a  goodly  number  of  them  one  time  and 
another — I  am  writing  only  of  the  wild  Grey  Java  Sparrow — 
though  it  is  a  shy  breeding  species  in  captivity,  unless  it  is 
crossed  with  the  White  variety,  when  the  reverse  becomes  the 
case.  But  it  is  to  record  a  special  episode  that  1  am  penning 
these  notes.  In  1916,  among  a  consignment  of  Indian  birds,  I 
received  quite  a  few  Grey  Java  Sparrows,  and  yielding  to  the 
aforementioned  liking  for  the  species  I  put  what  I  believed  to  be 
three  pairs  into  my  large  wilderness  aviary,  and,  so  far  as  I 
know,  not  a  sngle  youngster  has  been  reared  till  the  present 
season — in  fact,  I  do  not  think  any  of  the  pairs  ever  made  any 
attempt  to  go  to  nest,  which  is  quite  in  accord  with  the  tradi- 
tion of  the  species. 

On  Septemlier  2nd.  going  into  the  aviary  to  have  a 
look  at  my  birds,  on  my  return  from  a  fortnight  in  lovely 
Devon,  I  was  surprised  to  see  two  young  Java  Sparrow's  on  the 
wing,  and  a  short  search  revealed  the  nest  in  a  Hartz  travelling- 
cage  in  the  covered  part  of  the  flight;  there  may  be  more,  but 
I  have  not  seen  others  as  yet.  The  point  of  these  notes  is 
that  one  of  these  youngsters  has  an  entirely  black  head  and 
neck,  while  the  other  is  quite  normal ;  hereby  hangs  a  tale ! 

In  the  course  of  years  I  have  successfully  reared  over  a 
hundred  of  this  species,  and  )icvcr  before  have  I  had  a  black- 
headed  youngster.  The  normal  juvenal  is  similar  to  that  of 
the  adults,  but  much  Hghter  and  with  the  different  colour  areas 
not  sharply  contrasted  as  in  the  adults.  In  colour,  the  juvenal 
beaks  vary  considerably,  some  being  quite  blackish  witn  pinkish 
patches  gleaming  through,  others  almost  white,  streaked  with 
blnck  and  pinkish  tints  showing  here  and  there. 


204  P.ditorial. 

I  have  said  1  never  had  a  l)lack-headed  youngster  before — 
true,  but  many  years  ago  I  possessed  an  aduh  exactly  similar 
to  my  present  young  bird. 

In  the  "  green  "  and  palmy  days  of  yore  a  good  few 
black-headed  specimens  used  to  be  seen  among  the  dealers' 
stocks  of  this  si)ecies,  and  many  dealers  used  to  sell  these  as 
hens,  and  in  my  greenness  I  was  "  had  "  on  one  occasion,  and 
1  came  away  with  two,  said  to  be  a  pair,  one  with  head  and  neck 
shining  black,  and  the  other  a  normal  white-cheeked  specimen; 
they  never  paired,  nor  did  I  ever  see  either  of  them  carrying 
nesting  material — later  experience  has  taught  me  they  were  two 
males.  Later  I  procitred  a  certain,  white-clieeked  hen,  and  both 
n"iy  birds  cotn  ted  her;  she  chose  the  while-cheeked  cock,  and 
afterwards  presented  me  with  my  tirst  brood  of  young  (irey 
Java  Sparrows,  all  of  whom  had  white  cheeks  in  the  juvenal 
plumage,  though  not  so  pure  a  white  as  tliose  of  their  parents. 

The  black-headed  cock  above  referred  to  remained  with 
me  five  years;  when  I  picked  it  up  dead  it  never  changed  at  all. 
so,  apparently,  these  black-headed  specimens  are  merely  a 
colour  variation  of  the  species.  It  has  been  many  years  since 
I  saw  a  black-headed  specimen  among  dealers'  stocks.  Thus  1 
am  greatly  interested  in  my  young  grey  Java  with  the  black 
head  and  neck,  and  await  its  first  two  moults  with  much  interest 
?nd  curiosity.  Will  it  remain  as  it  is,  or  moult  out  a  normal 
specimen  ? 


Editorial. 

Aviculture  in  Jap.an  :  We  have  received  from  our 
member  T.  Z.  Takano  a  very  interesting  communication  from 
which  we  quote  the  following  items. 

They  have  an  avicultural  society  in  Japan — "  Tori-no-Kai," 
which  translated  is  The  Japan  Cage  Bird  Club.  The  organ  of 
the  club  is  "  Kaidori  " — "  Cage  Birds,"  which  is  issued  at 
irregular  intervals.  Two  copies  have  been  sent  us.  and  as  soon 
as  we  can  secure  a  translation,  extracts,  at  any  rate,  therefrom 
will  be  publislied  in  this  journal. 

The  Ja])an  Cage  Bird  Club  has  seventy  members,  most 
of  them  being  either  enthusiastic  aviculturists  or  famoits  orni- 
thologists. Some   of  them   have   many   aviaries,   breeding 


Editorial.  205 

successfully  Parrakeets,  Partridge  and  other  game  birds,  etc. 

Recently  Crown  Partridges  were  imported,  but  many 
died  owing  to  the  cold  climate. 

African  birds  are  very  rare  in  Japan,  but  Australian  and 
Indian  are,  at  times,  freely  imported. 

In  Japan  insectivorous  birds  a' e  kept  by  a  special  paste, 
;onsisting  of ;  bean  and  rice  powder,  dried  fresh  water  fish,  and 
rice  bran.  Firstly  :  green  salad  mashed,  then  add  the  moistened 
powder.  The  quantity  of  fish  powder  is  regulated  by  the 
species  of  birds  it  is  required  for. 

Mr.  Takano  also  sent  your  Editor  a  copy  of  the  "  most 
ancient  avicultural  book  in  Japan,"  Yobnko-dori,  "  which  was 
published  in  17 10  by  So-sei-do — to  add  to  his  collection  of 
avicultural  books."  We  hope,  when  a  translation  has  been 
secured,  to  summarise  it  in  Bird  Notes. 

We  shall  be  grateful  if  Mr.  Takano  will  send  us  detailed 
accounts  of  Japanese  successes  in  breeding  birds  in  captivity; 
also  Field  Notes  of  their  native  birds,  with  photos  if  possible. 

A  Rare  Dove:  Our  member  Mr.  H.  E.  Bright  is  to  be 
congratulated  on  the  possession  of  a  pair  of  Phlogocnas  mar- 
garitac.  which  we  believe  to  be  new  to  aviculture  (sec  page  i8() 
ill  this  issue).  When  visiting  Mr.  Brig"ht  last  month  it  was 
difificult  to  get  a  close  or  long  enough  view,  so  that  we  were 
unable  to  place  them,  but  the  richness  of  their  colouration 
caused  us  to  assume  them  to  be  Fruit-Pigeons.  However,  we 
made  a  rough  sketch,  and  later  sent  this  to  the  Curator  of  the 
Birdroom,  British  Museum,  and  they  believe  them  to  be  as 
above.  This  shows  them  to  be  a  near  relative  of  the  Bleeding- 
heart  Pigeon  (P.  luzonica)  from  which,  however,  they  differ 
entirely  in  deportment  and  colouration,  and  to  which  we  have 
given  the  trivial  name  of  White-breasted  Pigeon  or  Dove.  The 
l^'leeding-heart  Pigeon  spends,  in  captivity,  most  of  its  time  upon 
the  ground;  the  White-breasted  is  more  aboreal  and  during  two 
rlavs  we  did  not  see  it  upon  the  ground  at  all.  The  general 
colouration  is  rich  vinous-cinnamon,  refulgent  with  a  ])urplish 
sheen;  upper  eye-streak,  lower  eye  region,  whole  of  the  throat 
and  breast  white,  narrowly  margined  with  black;  the  whole  of 
their  appearance  being  very  handsome  and  gorgeously  beautiful. 
Tlipy  have  successfully  nested,  and  two  fine  young  birds  are 


2o6  Correspondence. 

now  (Septeml)ei"  24)  on  the  wini;.  The  juvenal  phiniaj^e  is 
blackish  cinriamon,  reHeved  with  one  or  two  huffish  streaks,  no 
white  sliowins^"  at  all  at  present.  VVe  are  not  commentins^  further 
at  the  present,  as  Mr.  Brii.;ht  will  i^'ive  a  detailed  account  of  his 
success  in  a  near  issue. 


Correspondence. 

UNEXPECTED     BREEDING     OF     GREEN     AND     YELLOW 
BUDGERIGARS     IN     SAME     NEST. 

.Sir, — Four  young  budgerigars  have  flown  from  the  nest — the  first  a 
(Jreen  ;  the  second  a  Yellow  the  following  Saturday;  the  third  a  Green  last 
Thursdav,    and   the   fourth,    another   Yellow,    to-day. 

I  was  much  surprised  at  getting  Yellows,  as  they  were  supposed  to 
be  a  very  ordinary  Cireen  Budgerigar.  I  think  there  are  some  more  eggs 
''n  the  nest. 

The  funny  thing  about  these  birds  breeding  is  that  my  sister's 
children  had  the  above  pair  of  birds  for  two  years  in  their  nursery,  and  they 
never  made  any  attempt  to  go  to  nest.  Last  winter  they  and  their  parents 
went  abroad,  and  the  budgerigars  were  given  to  me ;  I  kept  them  in  the 
dining-room  during  the  winter,  and  put  them  into  mv  outdoor  aviary  at  the 
end  of  May,  when  they  went  to  nest  at  once,   with  the  above  result. 

Manston  Rectory.  Dorset :  RE(  ilNALD  E.  P.  GORRINGE. 

August    lb,     IQ22. 


Post    Mortem    Reports. 


P.\RRAKEF.T  :     Capt.  J.  S.  Reeve,  Leadenham. — E.nteritis. 

Jay  :     C.   Dell,  Saltwood.- — Pneumonia. 

Dunlin  :     M.  R.  Tomlinson,  Midlothian. — Pneumonia  and  Nephritis. 

C.   H.   HICKS. 


00  CO 

00        00 
„0     On„o     0„ 


w. 

o 

Q 


o 


^U  !aigbt5  !^cservc6.  October.    1922 

BIRD  NOTES: 

—  THE  — 
JOURNAL     OF     THE     FOREIGN     BIRD     CLUB. 

The  Manchurian  Eared  Pheasant. 
( Crossoptilon  manchurium.) 

By  W.  Shore  Baily.  F.Z.S. 

There  are  five  varieties  of  this  handsome  pheasant,  all 
inhabiting-  the  mountains  of  China  and  Thibet,  where  they  are 
found  in  the  forests  up  to  an  elevation  of  io,oog  feet.  Naturally 
they  are  very  hardy  birds,  and  make  most  suitable  occupants  of 
our  aviaries. 

Unfortunately  only  the  above  species  seems  to  come  over, 
and  these  not  very  frequently. 

I  think  it  was  three  years  ago  that  1  got  my  birds  from 
Hamlyn,  and  he  was,  if  I  remember  rightly,  offering  five  or 
six  pairs  at  the  time. 

The  first  season  the  hen  laid  several  eggs,  but  did  not 
attempt  to  sit.  The  eggs  were  placed  under  a  hen.  but  only 
one  hatched  out.  This  grew  remarkably  cjuickly  and  made  a 
fine  bird,  which  was  duly  disposed  of  in  the  autumn. 

ihis  season  I  had  better  luck;  the  hen  Pheasant  built  a 
nest  in  a  privet  hedge  and  started  incubating  ten  eggs ;  these  I 
removed  to  a  broody  hen.  and  on  June  loth  six  hatched  out. 
They  Avere  pretty  little  things,  about  the  size  of  Orpington 
chicks.  From  the  start  they  refused  nothing  in  the  shape  of 
food,  although  they  showed  a  decided  preference  for  live-food; 
they  were  also  very  fond  of  green-stuff,  particularly  lettuce. 
They  grew  apace,  and  started  feathering  very  early  in  the  same 
manner  as  do  the  Tragopan  chicks.  The  most  remarkable 
thing  about  these  birds,  however,  is  their  extreme  tameness. 
They  are  now  practically  full-grown,  and  they  will,  if  permitted, 
fly  upon  my  head  and  shoulders,  and  I  am  sure  that  if  I  were  to 
let  them  out  of  their  aviary  they  would  follow  me  anywhere. 


2o8  The  Cockateel  at  Liberty. 

Unfortunately  they  have  no  discrimination,  and  in  my  absence 
they  would  be  equally  likely  to  follow  any  -stranger  who 
happened  to  pass  by.  When  they  were  quite  small,  I  put  them 
into  a  paddock,  with  the  hen  confined  in  a  coop,  as  is  the  usual 
custom  with  gamekeepers  when  rearing  common  pheasants. 
This  did  not  aiiswer  with  these  birds  at  all,  as  they  evidently 
followed  someone  who  was  passing  their  coop  on  the  way  to 
the  house,  and  lost  themselves  in  the  shrubberies.  I  thought 
myself  lucky  to  find  them  again.  One  found  its  way  upstairs 
mto  one  of  the  bedrooms,  and  the  last  one  found  was  heard 
crying  outside  the  kitchen  door  at  ten  o'clock  at  night. 

In  a  country  park,  or  isolated  grounds,  they  would  be 
a  great  ornament,  and  would  do  well,  as  they  could  look  after 
themselves  with  dogs  and  cats,  and  would  run  but  little  risk 
from  vermin  other  than   foxes.  However,   one  very  rarely 

hears  of  them  being  kept  this  way,  but  Mons.  Delacour  tells  me 
that  his  birds  do  well  under  these  conditions  in  France. 

According  to  Abbe  David  :  — 

"  The  brown  Crossopfilon.  which  is  known  by  the  name  of  Hoki  in 
"  Pekin,  is  resident  on  some  of  the  wooded  parts  of  the  mountains  of 
"  PechiH,  but  for  some  years  past  it  has  become  very  rare,  and  it  cannot 
"  be  long  before  it  completely  disappears,  partly  on  account  of  the  constant 
"  persecution  it  is  subjected  to,  and  partly  from  the  destruction  of  the 
"  woods  which  form  its  headquarters.  It  is  an  extremely  gentle  and 
"  sociable  bird,  living  in  large  flocks,  and  subsisting  chiefly  on  grain, 
"  buds,  leaves,  roots  and  insects.  It  seems  well  adapted  for  domestication, 
"  the  more  so  as  it  is  easily  fed;  but  in  captivity  one  must  provide  the 
"  shade  of  a  park  and  the  neighbourhood  of  a  clear  stream  of  water — that 
"  is,  similar  surroundings  to  those  it  is  accustomed  to  in  its  wild  state." 


The  Cochafceel  at  Liberty. 

By  the  Marquis  of  Tavistock. 

In  articles  which  I  have  written  on  parrakeet  keeping  I 
liave  always  given  Calopsittaciis  novac-hollondiac  a  very  bad 
cliaracter  as  a  non-stayer  at  liberty.  I  am  not  sure,  however, 
that  I  have  not  done  the  bird  an  injustice,  and  that  my  previous 
failures  have  not  been  due  to  my  making  a  very  elementary 
mistake — that  of  keeping  the  mate  of  the  bird  at  liberty  in  a 
place  where  it  could  not  be  easily  seen  and  visited. 


o 

o 


A   Visit  to  an  Indian  Jheel.  209 

Hearin.i^,  some  time  ago,  of  a  person  who  had  kept  a 
male  cockateel  and  his  family  at  liberty  for  a  considerable  time, 
cnly  losing-  them  when  he  unwisely  released  the  old  hen  also, 
'  thouglit  I  would  make  one  more  experiment  to  see  if,  after 
nil,  the  cockateel  does  not  belong  to  that  class  of  swift-flying 
parrakeets,  the  males  of  which  will  stay  so  long  as  their  mates 
are  in  confinement. 

Accordingly  I  placed  a  pair  in  a  suitable  aviary  with 
plenty  of  tall  trees  at  the  back  of  it,  and  after  a  week  or  two 
released  the  cock,  having  taken  the  precaution  to  keep  him 
without  food  since  the  early  morning.  His  behaviour  at  first 
was  not  promising.  He  was  soon  on  the  wing  at  a  great 
height  looking  at  any  moment  as  if  he  might  dash  away  and 
travel  for  miles,  but  the  hen  did  her  duty  as  a  call  bird,  and 
tl'ough  he  flew  as  swift  and  wild  as  any  bird  I  have  released, 
he  kept  circling  back  over  the  garden  and  never  really  went 
t.T  away.  Most  of  the  afternoon  and  evening  he  drifted  about 
the  sky,  often  hanging  in  the  wind  like  a  gull,  a  method  of 
^iir^ht  uncommon  in  the  parrakeet  family,  and  as  far  as  I  know 
confined  to  this  species.  Next  day  he  was  still  about,  and  in 
di  f  course  came  and  fed  on  the  top  of  the  aviary.  He  now 
seems  to  have  quite  settled  down  and  treats  me  :o  frequent 
exhibitions  of  his  beautiful  flight,  which  is  only  surpassed  in 
speed  and  grace  by  the  Polytelis  family.  As  it  is,  he  rises 
higher,  and  keeps  longer  on  the  wing  than  they  do.  When  in 
the  air  he  is  usually  pursued  by  a  crowd  of  indignant  swallows, 
who  seem  to  mistake  him  for  some  kind  of  hawk,  a  not 
unnatural  mistake,  for  he  is  decidedly  hawk-like  in  the  shape 
of    his    wings.  When  settling  down  in  a  tree    he    always 

selects  a  dead  branch,  never  one  which  has  thick  foliage. 

If  he  continues  to  prosper  I  shall  get  a  second  pair  and 
have  another  cock  at  liberty,  cockateels  being  amiable  birds  and 
not  inclined  to  annov  their  neiehbours. 


A  Visit  to  an  Indian  Jheel. 

By  Hugh  Whistler,  F.Z.S.  (Indian  Police). 

In  the  Gurdaspur  district  of  the  Punjab  there  is  a  famous 
duckjheel  known  as  the  Keishopura  jheel,  which,  during  the  cold 


210  A   Visit  to  0)1  Indian  Jhccl. 

weather,  for  years  past  has  been  visited  by  numberless  sports- 
men. It  has  long  been  my  ambition  to  visit  this  place  and 
examine  its  capabilities  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  Naturalist 
rather  than  of  the  sportsman.  At  length  the  opportunity  came 
and  I  motored  over  to  Gurdaspur  on  the  nth  September,  1922, 
in  company  with  Mr.  C.  H.  Donald.  F.Z.S.  (Warden  of 
Fisheries),  and  spent  the  night  there.  This  gave  us  the 
opportunity  of  visiting  the  jheel  that  evening  and  again  in  the 
early  morning.  The  jheel  is  some  three  or  four  miles  north 
rf  Gurdaspur,  and  extends  for  miles.  We  were,  or  course,  in 
the  time  at  our  disposal,  only  able  to  examine  a  very  small 
portion  of  it.  For  convenience  sake  I  combine  the  observations 
of  the  two  visits  into  one. 

the  approach  to  Keishopura  is  along  a  rough  unmetalled 
road  fringed  by  fine  Sheesham  trees  through  a  wide  cultivated 
plain,  and  at  the  time  of  our  visit  in  the  "  Rains,"  when 
vegetation  is  lush  and  green  throughout  the  country,  the  jheel 
was  not  noticeable  until  we  were  almost  at  the  edge.  It  is 
growing  year  by  year  more  closed  with  weeds  and  rushes  and 
that  pest  the  Water  Hyacinth,  and  in  the  portion  that  we 
visited  no  open  water  was  visible.  Belts  of  tall  bullrushes 
and  reeds  alternated  with  patches  choked  with  grass  and  lotus. 

All  the  country  round  about  was  full  of  Yellow  Wagtails 
i'T  various  stages  of  ]^lumage.  belonging  to  several  races  of 
Motacilla  flai'a.  A  flock  of  some  200  white  birds,  probably 
Spoonbills  (Platalca  Jciicorodia)  could  be  seen  in  the  distance 
flying"  over  the  jheel. 

As  the  car  drew  up  on  the  road  at  the  edge  of  the  actual 
marsh  we  could  see  a  variety  of  bird  life  close  to  us,  so  we 
strolled  down  to  the  water's  edge  to  enjoy  this  before  joining 
llie  boatmen  who  were  to  pole  us  about  the  water. 

Along  the  grassy  margin  Paddy  birds  {Ardcola  grayi) 
were  fishing,  here  standing  motionless  with  head  hunched  into 
shoulders,  there  stalking  warily  towards  some  luckless  frog 
with  such  a  stealthy  movement  that  it  would  liardly  be  possible 
to  be  slower  without  being  stationary.  Our  approach  disturbed 
tlie  anglers,  and  they  took  to  flight  with  that  sudden  flash  of 
white  wings  which  comes  as  an  evergreen  surprise.  I  know 
no  sudden  transformation  of  a  dull  bird  to  a  conspicuous  one 
similar  to  it,  save  in  the  case  of  the  Blue  Roller  (Coracias  indica). 


A   I'isit  to  an  Indian  Jliccl.  2II 

His  chani2:e  Iroin  a  sombre  tigure  on  a  branch  to  a  brilliant 
harlequin  in  blue  will  remain  an  ever  new  delight  and  surprise 
to  the  end  of  my  service  in  the  east.  Here  and  there  amongst 
the  Paddy  birds  was  a  meditative  pair  of  Red- wattled  Lapwings 
(Sarcogra)uiinfs  i)idiciis)  who  refused  to  pay  us  the  conii)]iment 
of  alarm. 

As  we  neared  the  water  we  witnessed  the  usual  scurry  of 
Water  Hens  {CaU'uiula  cJilurupus)  to  the  shelter  of  the  rushes 
jmd  the  tangles  of  huge  lotus  leaves.  Some  of  them  had  been 
feeding  on  the  grass,  recalling"  bygone  memories  of  many  an 
English  lawn.  As  the  Waterhens  took  to  flight  they  disturbed 
a  couple  of  graceful  Pheasant-tailed  Jacanas  (Flydrophasianns 
cl(Criiigits)  who  liad  been  feeding"  with  them. 

Recent  rain  liad  caused  the  water  to  o\erflow  into  por- 
tions of  some  small  patches  of  sugarcane,  and  they  had  become 
ideal  cover  and  feeding"  ground  for  the  various  birds. 
'.  ventured  into  one  of  them  in  pursuit  of  a  party  of  Striated 
Babblers  {Argya  carlii).  l)ut  my  |)rogress  in  the  thick  rustling 
cover  was  too  noisy,  and  the  Babblers  kept  out  of  my  clutches, 
always  chuckling  and  squeaking"  a  little  ahead.  However,  the 
pursuit  was  of  value  as  it  revealed  the  presence  of  a  party  of 
Blue-throats  {Cxa)iccuJa  snccica)  who  must  have  just  arrived 
cm  passage. 

Time  was  short,  so  we  abandonded  this  fascinating  ground 
and  made  for  the  boats.  •  These  were  merely  shallow,  flat- 
bottomed  trays,  square  at  the  stern  and  sharply  pointed  in  the 
bows,  admirably  adapted  to  the  shallow  weed-grown  water  and 
tor  pushing"  a  way  through  the  clumps  of  rushes.  We  settled 
ourselves  in  separate  boats,  sitting"  on  a  pile  of  grass  on  the 
bottom,  and  were  poled  along  by  the  lightly  clad  owners,  who 
stood  upright  in  the  stern  and  manoeuvred  their  flimsy  craft  with 
a  long  pole  and  exceeding"  skill. 

The  boatmen,  of  course,  wanted  to  take  us  after  the  few 
Pochards  and  Teal  which  were  said  already  to  have  arrived, 
but  we  explained  that  we  were  after  humbler  fry  and  wanted 
first  to  punt  al)out  the  reedbeds  to  see  what  they  held. 

We  moved  first  through  a  comparatively  open  area  where 
there  was  only  thick  water  grass  about  a  foot  above  the  surface. 
A  patch  of  this  was  filled  with  fish  traps.       These  were  in  the 


.312  .1    risif  to  ail  Indian  JIiccl. 

form  of  small  funnel  traps  of  reed  stems  roughly  covered  over 
with  weeds,  and  set  in  gaps,  left  a  series  of  parallel  fences 
about  five  feet  apart,  of  neat  little  reed  screens.  A  small 
inferior  fish  is  all  that  is  caught,  and  this  is  used  by  the  fishermen 
(or  food;  it  is  too  poor  for  sale.  A  small  boy  was  setting 
numberless  nooses  of  horsehair  in  some  reeds  near  by,  for  any 
small  water  l)ird  that  might  be  caught ;  all  species  go  into  the 
pot  alike. 

1  liese  patches  of  watergrass  proved  to  Ijc  full  of  the 
Eastern  Baillon's  Crake  {Porcaiia  piisilla)  which  the  men  said 
had  only  just  arrived.  As  the  boats  moved  along  the  little 
Crakes  rose  from  the  grass  in  all  directions  flying  weakly  for 
some  ten  to  twenty  yards  and  then  flopping  back  into  the  cover. 
In  one  or  two  places  where  flooded  patches  of  rice  were  near 
enough  to  afford  good  feeding  they  were  very  numerous. 

At  length  we  reached  the  belts  of  Bullrush  and  found  that 
they  had  their  own  particular  fauna.  The  most  noticeable 
species  was  the  Striated  Weaver  (Ploccus  Jiuuigar).  These 
birds  were  very  abundant  and  breeding  in  small  loose 
colonies.  As  we  poled  through  the  rushes  we  came  on  the 
nests  in  all  directions.  These  are  built  in  rather  a  curious 
manner.  The  tips  of  some  twenty  reeds  growing  a  small 
distance  apart  are  bent  over  inwards  so  as  to  form  the  radii  of 
an  irregular  circle,  and  at  the  centre,  where  they  meet,  a  typical 
Weaver's  nest  of  fine  shreds  of  reed  is  constructed  on  the  ends 
of  the  reeds  and  holding  them  all  together.  The  nest  is  not 
sking  from  the  reeds,  but  they  pass  in  and  out  through  the 
walls  of  the  structure.  The  nest  is  thus  in  the  centre  of  an 
elastic  framework  which  gives  easily  to  the  wind  and  holds  the 
nest  well  clear  of  the  water.  In  shape  the  actual  structure 
is  much  the  same  as  that  of  the  common  Ploccus  baya  of  dry 
land,  but  the  entrance  funnels  are  much  shorter — only  two  or 
three  inches  in  length.  The  breeding  season  was  apparently 
■ust  beginning,  as  1  could  find  only  one  or  two  nests 
V  ith  eggs  or  chicks.  The  majority  were  half-built,  the 
strips  of  material  still  green;  many  half-built  nests  were, 
however,  dry  and  faded,  and  it  appears  as  if  many,  for  some 
cause,  are  abandoned  by  their  builders — perhaps  through 
dissatisfaction  with  the  spring  of  the  supporting  reeds.  The 
Weavers  were  flying  in  twos  and  threes  all  over  the  place,  and 


A   I'isif  to  ail  Indian  Jhcd.  213 

the  attractive  little  warble  of  the  cocks  issued  from  every  patch 
of  cover.  Vet  I  found  it  diftlcult  to  secure  specimens  as  they 
settled  low  in  the  reeds,  and  were  therefore  invisible  more  than 
a  few  yards  away.  To  shoot  them  frying'  would  be  certainly 
to  lose  them  among-st  the  dense  reeds.    The  ei^gs  are  pure  white. 

As  the  boats  moved  slowly  on  we  disturbed  other  denizens 
of  the  reeds;  various  small  warblers  fhtted  here  and  there 
or  clicked  unseen  in  the  shadows.  Ever  and  anon  the  grass- 
hopper-like song  of  a  F'antail  Warbler  {Cisticola  ciirsitoria) 
sounded  overhead  as  one  passed  over  with  his  mounting  flight. 
Jn  addition  to  the  birds  that  have  already  been  mentioned  we 
flushed  many  little  Yellow  Bitterns  (Ardcita  sinensis)  and  Purple 
(rallinules   (Porphyrio   )}iclanoccphahi).  The    tiny     Bitterns 

looked  very  neaf  with  their  straight,  strong  flight  in  contrast 
to  the  Gallinules  who  rose  trailing  their  long  legs  to  fly  but  a 
short  distance  and  then  drop  heavily  into  the  reeds.  A  couple 
of  Purple  Herons  (Ardca  purpurea)  were  seen  flying  in  the 
distance. 

Here  and  there  stray  Kites  (Milvus  govinda)  and  Marsh 
Harriers  (Circus  acruginosus)  were  beating  over  the  jheel,  and 
i  saw  one  of  the  latter  badly  mobbed  by  a  Pheasant-tailed  Jacana 
whose  chicks  were  probably  in  the  neighbourhood.  Once  there 
was  a  sharp  scurry,  and  a  young  Pallid  Harrier  (Circus  pallidus) 
in  the  ringtail  phtmage  drove  some  bird  down  in  the  reeds  in 
front  of  me,  but  rose  with  empty  talons. 

The  Coots  (Fulica  atra)  had  apparently  not  arrived,  as  I 
only  saw  one.  A  hurried  glimpse  of  a  passing  bird  added  a 
Water  Rail  (Rallus  aquaticus)  to  my  list. 

Here  and  there  in  the  reeds  could  be  heard  the  dull  booming 
call  of  the  Crow  Pheasant  or  Concal  (Ccntropus  sinensis),  an 
ungainly  black  and  chestnut  Cuckoo  which  the  novice  in  India 
always  assumes  must  be  a  game  bird. 

Duck  were  conspicuous  by  their  absence. 

Although  they  are  not  Avater  birds  one  cannot  omit  to 
mention  three  species  who  are  almost  always  found  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  water  in  India.  The  Blue-tailed  Bee-eaters 
(M crops  pliilippinus)  were  hawking  here,  there  and  everywhere, 
over  reed  bed  and  lotus,  along  the  road  and  over  the  fields. 
These  birds  collect  in  hundreds  at  night  to  roost  in  the  bull- 


214  Happenings  in  Our  Aviaries. 

rushes,  and  then  their  calls  sound  like  the  chirping  of 
innumerable  crickets. 

The  Wire-tailed  Swallows  {Hirundo  sinithii)  were 
common  about  the  edge  of  the  jheel.  and  with  theiu  were  a  few 
Common  Swallows  (Hinindo  rustica). 

I'he  best  of  things  must  end.  and  it  was  time  to  return 
to  the  car.  As  we  landed  the  boats  a  Kingtisher  {Alcedo  hispida) 
was  disturbed  from  his  perch  at  the  water's  edge.  We 
lingered  for  a  moment  to  watch  his  larger  relative  the  Pied 
Kingfisher  (Ccrylc  rudis)  hover  and  dive;  twice  he  plunged  and 
emerged  with  empty  beak.  The  third  time  brought  luck,  and 
as  he  flew'  off  in  triumph  with  a  fish  we  turned  towards  the  car, 
also  with  our  spoil. 


Happenings  in  Our  Aviaries. 

By  Dr.  E.  Sprawson,  M.C,  F.Z.S.,  etc. 

(Continued  from  page  i6j). 

Following  on  my  notes  to  you  in  August  some  of  our 
hopes  materialised  and  some  did  not. 

RuFOUs-TAiLKD  ( iRASSFiNCHEs  (BafliUda  riifieauda). 
These  did  very  well,  having  brought  up  their  hrst  family  of 
four;  they  exceeded  expectations  on  September  13th  and  14th 
by  bringing  out  of  their  box-nest  five  more  babies  which,  in 
spite  of  the  weather,  they  brought  u})  to  independence.  We 
caught  them  up  for  the  winter  two  or  three  days  ago.  but  we 
have  since  lost  one.  The  parents  are  now   (October   nth) 

sitting  again,  having  commenced  to  on  the  5th,  but.  of  course, 
it  is  too  late  now,  and  we  shall  take  them  in  soon.  However, 
they  have  done  quite  well  this  year.  We  have  never  seen  the 
adults  go  through  the  courtship  performance  the  ]\Iarquis  of 
Tavistock  writes  about,  but  several  times  during  August  we 
saw  one  or  two  of  the  young  from  the  first  nest — young  males 
evidently — and  still,  of  course,  in  their  immature  plumage,  fly 
the  length  of  the  aviary,  bearing  a  grass  stalk  and  making  the 
noisy,  flapping  and  slow  flight  he  describes- -flying  towards 
ether  young  of  the  same  species. 

FiREFiNCMKs  {  La gonostieta  minima ).       This  species  also 


Happenings  in  Our  Aviaries.  215 

brought  out  two  more  young — the  young  cock  from  the  first 
nest,  unhke  his  father,  is  now  showing  the  white  dots  on  his 
sides  as  he  is  coming  into  adult  plumage.  These  parents  also 
are  now  sitting  again — of  which  more  anon. 

GouLDiAN  FiNCHKS  (FocpliHa  gouldiac).  Of  these,  one 
nest  did  not  materialise  beyond  the  state  wlien  I  last  wrote — the 
other  hatched  out  five  chicks  and  brought  four  of  them  up  to 
independence;  the  four  were  of  very  different  ages,  or  rather 
degrees  of  development,  when  they  left  the  nest.  One  of  them, 
though  not  the  smallest,  seemed  a  very  backward  youngster — 
we  lost  it  a  day  or  so  ago,  so  we  sent  it  and  the  young  Rufous- 
tail  to  the  Natural  flistory  Museum,  South  Kensington,  where 
it  seems  they  had  no  skins  of  innnature  young  of  either  of  these 
species. 

Both  pairs  then  went  to  nest  again,  but  this  time  there 
was  a  good  deal  of  quarrelling  while  choosing  nests,  the 
result  being  four  out  of  five  infertile  eggs  in  one  nest,  and  three 
out  of  five  in  the  other.  The  one  pair  left  their  single  baby 
to  unkind  fate  from  the  start.  The  other  pair  fed  well  for  over 
a  week  and  then,  or  possibly  on  account  of  the  cold  weather, 
they  too  stopped  feeding,  so  that  on  Saturday  last  we  found  one 
young  one  dead,  and  the  other  with  empty  crop  and  rather  cold. 
Seeing  the  parents  would  have  nought  to  do  with  it  we  put  it 
by  way  of  experiment  into  the  firefinch's  nest  (as  I  mentioned 
above,  they  are  sitting)  and,  to  our  surprise,  they  took  to  it  and 
seem  fearfully  proud  of  it.  I  don't  for  a  moment  suppose  we 
shall  rear  it,  but  it  is  still  going  on  well  after  four  days'  care 
b;  the  Firefinches,  who  promptly  drove  away  the  parent 
Gouldians  when  the  young  one  began  to  call  for  food.  It  is 
rather  amusing — the  Gouldians  always  feed  their  young  mainly 
on  canary  seed;  the  Firefinches  give  none,  but  feed  on  Indian 
millet  and  insects — still  the  young  one  seems  to  be  doing  very 
well  on  it;  also  young  Gouldians  simply  yell  for  their  food, 
whereas  young  Firefinches  are  almost  silent.  The  Firefinches 
seem  to  think  this  yelling  on  the  young  Gouldian's  part 
unseemly  and  somewhat  of  a  reflection  on  their  care  of  it,  so  at 
the  first  sign  of  a  yell  they  cram  him  with  food  to  keep  quiet ! 
Beyond  the  above  we  have  Red  Avadavats  (Sporaeginthus 
ainandava)  sitting,  but  too  late  one  fears.  The  nest  is  a  very 
neat  globular  grass  structure  about  .six  inches  off  the  ground. 


Ji6  Notes  OH  Jungle  and   Oilier   inid   Life. 

Though  so  near  London,  we  are  infested  with  Owls  here; 
would  that  some  member  would  inform  us  how  to  keep  them 
away — they  have  only  actually  injured  one  of  our  birds  so  far, 
but.  too  often,  in  the  morning  one  finds  a  bald  head,  the  result 
of  being  frightened  on  to  the  wire  by  owls  in  the  night,  and  a 
bird  without  feathers  on  its  crown  looks  hideous  till  it  grows 
them  again. 

The  cock  Rufous-tail — the  parent  of  the  above  men- 
tioned young  is  one  of  the  seventeen  bred  in  1916  by  Lady 
Smiuelson,  from  whom  we  obtained  it  in  that  year. 

Later  (October  17) :  The  young  Gouldian  in  the  Fire- 
finches'  nest  died  two  days  ago.  South  Kensington  reports 
a  yellow  and  diseased  liver  " — probably  a  fatty  one — its 
cliange  of  diet  evidently  did  not  agree  with  it. 

The  Avadavat's  eggs  turned  out  to  be  infertile;  the 
Rufous-tails  had  six  fertile  eggs  in  their  third  nest,  which,  as 
too  late  for  this  year,  will  also  repose  in  South  Kensington. 


Notes  on  Jungle  and  other  Wild  Life. 

By  Dr.  Casey  A.  Wood,  M.B.O.U. 
Continued  from  page  ig6. 

Second  in  splendour  only  to  the  Falls  themselves  are  the 
lo\ely  mist  and  other  meteorologic  effects  produced  by  the 
roaring  mass  of  falling  waters  as  they  are  dashed  into  foam 
on  the  rocks  below;  indeed  it  is  only  by  watching  the  ever- 
changing  river  valley  from  sunrise  to  sunset  that  one  can 
appreciate  the  dissolving  views  to  be  seen  in  and  about  the 
Kaieteur  Valley.  I  was  so  impressed  by  their  weird  beauty 
tnat  I  proposed  (to  myself)  to  name  this  million-year-old 
canyon  the  Gorge  of  the  Enchanted  Mists.  I  am  confident  you 
will  agree,  when  you  visit  it,  that  the  title  is  not  undeserved. 

In  the  early  morning  (we  generally  rose  before  daybreak) 
I  he  spray  and  fog  filled  most  of  the  depths  and  overflowed  the 
margins  of  the  gorge;  soon,  under  the  influence  of  the  sun's 
rays  the  silvery  curtain  was  drawn  and  several  miles  of  glim- 
mering but  placid  stream  was  seen  above  the  Fall,  shortly 
followed  by  a  sight  of  the  reddish  water  plunging,  in  several 
divisions,   over  the  rocky  ledge.       Nothing  more  of  the   Fall 


Notes  on  Jungle  and  Other  U'Ud   Life.  217 

itself  was  visible,  but  far  below  one  was  able  to  identify,  if 
dimly,  two  or  three  cataracts,  swirling-,  boiling"  and  tumbling 
over  the  rocky  bottom  and  separated  from  one  another  by  half- 
miles  of  comparatixely  quiet  water. 

About  500  feet  from  the  floor  of  the  ravine  several  small 
waterfalls  become  visible,  one  near  the  Great  Fall  bearing  that 
universal  but  often  appropriate  name,  "  The  Bridal  V^eil." 
And  now,  while  the  boiling,  roaring  maelstrom  beneath  is 
swathed  in  a  giant  roll  of  cotton — fog",  the  upper  half  is  revealed 
in  all  its  feathery  glory,  giving"  a  wholly  new  impression  of  the 
repuussee  wall  of  water.  This  scene  persists  for  perhaps 
twenty  minutes,  when  the  deeper  mists  roll  aside  and  the  whole 
breadth  and  height  of  Kaieteur,  pillared  on  either  side  by  great 
colunms  of  paper-white  fog,  bursts  upon  the  astonished  visitor. 
Soon  cue  upper  fourth  of  each  lateral  column  joins  its  fellow, 
making"  a  Roman  arch  that  frames  the  tremendous  wall  of 
falling  water. 

Again  the  scene  changes,  and  the  arch  becomes  a  round, 
an  oval,  or  a  square  frame,  through  which  the  greater  part  of 
the  falling  water-mass  is  on  exhibition,  as  in  a  giant  picture 
gallery. 

Another  and  not  uncommon  scene  results  from  the 
uniform  thinning"  of  the  cloud-veil  that  just  previously  obscured 
the  entire  fall.  Then  the  appearance  reminds  one  strongly  of 
those  stage  effects  obtained  on  looking  from  a  darkened 
auditorium  through  clieesecloth  clouds;  one  sees  dimly  and  in 
weird  fashion  the  objects  beyond.  Upon  an  infinitely  grander 
scale  is  a  wonderful  and  rapidly  dissolving"  a])i)arition  of  a  huge 
yellow-brown  mass  of  water  behind  the  white  but  translucent 
veil  of  mist. 

Finally,  a  "  close-up  "  view  of  the  Falls  is  to  be  obtained 
by  walking  along  the  margin  of  the  chasm  quite  to  the  lateral 
table  rock  that  almost  overhangs  the  falling  water.  If  your 
n.ervous  system  is  in  good  order  you  may  lie  prone  upon  your 
stomach,  with  head  and  neck  projecting  well  into  space,  and 
look  down,  down.  900  feet  along,  indeed  almost  parallel  with, 
the  immense  sheet  of  water  that  rolls  past  to  where  it  crashes 
upon  the  jagged  rocks  below  and  rebounds  from  them  fifty 
leet  in  the  air.  Tt  is  an  awful  and  impressive  sight.  Don't 
try  it  unless  you  are  sure  of  foot  and  clear  of  brain!       At  the 


2i8  Nutcs  uii  Jungle  and   Oilier  ('  iUI   Life. 

same  time,  no  view  of  the  Great  Fall  can  i,nve  one  as  true  an 
idea  of  the  mighty  plmige  taken  by  that  4O0-foot-wi(le  mass  of 
roaring  waters. 

One  of  our  party,  jjerhaps  the  most  athletic  pedestrian 
and  hill-clisber  of  the  outfit,  could  not  l)e  persuaded  to 
ai)])roach  within  20  feet  of  the  table  rock.  lie  said  it  "  gave 
him  the  creei)s  "'  even  to  watch  me  as  1  lay  staring  down  into 
the  depths  of  the  abyss.  Such  a  state  of  mind  argues  no  lack 
of  bravery,  any  more  than  the  ability  to  look  the  fall  in  the  face 
shows  the  opposite.  In  both  instances  it  is  simply  a  state  of 
mind — probably  congenital — comparable  to  the  impulse  some 
folks  feel  to  jump  off  a  high  tower  or  from  a  belfry,  while  others 
love  to  dangle  their  feet  from  the  loftiest  pinnacle  of  a  cathedral. 

From  this  near  point  of  view  the  rainbows  of  the  Fall 
are  generally  seen  to  best  advantage.  They  are  often  double 
and  sometimes  trij^le,  while  the  arcs  are  wonderfully  complete. 
Aloreover,  monochron^e  bows  --usually  rosy-red — were  seen 
during  our  visit — due,  of  course,  to  cloud  reflections. 

J  he  whole  of  the  Potaro  canyon  also  unfolds  itself  from 
this  point  and  directly  in  front  for  a  distance  of  ten  miles.  It 
reveals  a  deep  and  gradually  widening  valley,  green-clothed, 
with  a  thin  median  ribbon  of  silver  water  ])eeping  out  of  the 
vegetation  here  and  there;  the  stream  sometimes  at  rest,  some- 
times stirred  into  foam  as  it  rushes  into  ra])i(ls  and  i)Ours  over 
rocks  not  yet  worn  into  a  smooth  river  bed. 

As  the  shadows  of  the  afternoon  lengthen  in  the  canyon, 
and  the  evening  sounds  of  bird,  fiog  and  bat  (there  were  plenty 
of  the  last-named  under  our  rest  house  rafters)  began,  the 
change  of  scenery  on  the  giant  stage  of  the  Kaieteur  became 
marked  and  rapid — but  these  are  incapable  of  description  (at 
least  by  me)  because  they  must  be  seen  to  be  realized — just 
like  the  colour-wonder  of  the  ( ireat  Canyon  of  the  Colorado. 

All  the  foregoing  has  to  do  with  the  Potaro  at  half-flood. 
-Not  only  is  a  new  Kaieteur  born  at  low  water  but  there  is  a 
third  renaissance,  they  tell  me,  when  the  river  overflows,  as  in 
June  after  prolonged  rains:  so  that  fully  to  appreciate  the 
charms  of  this  region  one  should  visit  it  at  various  seasons, 
when  all  three  conditions  ])re\ail.  and  remain  a  week  or  so  on 
each  occasion. 

To  be  eunclndcd. 


Records  of  Hirds  z^'liich  liai'c  Hvcd  in  C'af'tn'ity.       jk; 

Records  of  Birds  which  have  Bred  in  Captivity. 

Bv  Dr.  E.  Hopkixsox.  D.S.O..  AI.A.,  M.B..  F.Z.S..  etc. 

(Continued  from  f^age  202). 

TANAGRIDAE. 
172.     BISHOP  TANAGER,   Tanagra   episcopus. 


173.     WESTER.\    PAL.M   TANAGER,    T.   palmanmi    mchinoptcra. 

T74.     SCARLET"   TANAGER,    Rhainphocoeltts   brasilicnsis. 

YELLOW-RUMPED   TANAGER.    R.    icferoiwtus.        First    breeder, 
I'.rook,    1917.     See  P).N.    1917,   197. 


175.     BLACK   TANAGER,    Tachyphoniis    riifus.        (Record    omitted    in    tht 
Bird  Notks   List,    1918,  p.   268,   and  also  the  next). 


176      MAGPIE  TANAGER,   Cissopsis  leveriaua. 

In  Page's  list,  but  the  only  record  I  know  is  "  Zoo.  1912,  where  the 
young  died  after  leaving  the  nest,  so  unless  there  is  another  record, 
this  cannot  yet  appear  in  the  list  of  successes.  (See  P.S.  (C)  p.  above) 

ICTERIDAE. 
177.     REDAVINCiED  BLACKBIRD.  Ai^elaeus  phocniccus. 

BR()WN-HP:ADED  troUPIAL;^  a.  froutaUs.  Shore  Bailv,  1920. 
See  B.N.  1920,  160. 


178.     PURPLE  CRACKLE,    Quiscalds   qiiiscala.       Abroad. 

STURNIDAE. 
t8o.     ANDAMAN  STARLING,  Spod'wpsar  andamanensis. 
And  Hybrids. 
ANDAMAN  ST.\RLING    x    MALABAR  MYNA. 


181.     MALABAR  MYNA.  S.  nialabaricus. 

MALAP.AR   MYNA    x    ANDAMAN   STARLING. 


182.     PAGODA  MYNA. 


183.     COMMON   MYNA.   Acridothcrcs  trisfis. 


i«4.     INDIAN  MYNA.  A.  gingianls. 


CORVIDAE. 
192.     EASTERN   BLUE  ATAGPIE.   Cyanopolins  cyaneus. 

193-     SPANISH   BLUE  MAGPIE,   C.  cooki. 


194.     OCCIPITAL  BLUE  PIE,   Urocissa  occipitalis. 

PTILONOTORHYNCHIDAE 
196.     REGENT  BIRD. 


ALAUDIDAE. 
197.     BLACK   LARK. 


198.     SKYLARK. 


199.     CRESTED  LARK. 

WHITE-CHEEKRD  FINCH-LARK,  Eremopteryx  smitki. 


220      Records  of  Birds  zchich  have  Bred  in  Captiz'ity 

[•"irst  breeder,  Shore  Baily,   1917.  See  B.N.    1917,   133. 

-Also  at  Zoo,   1917.     See  B.N.   1917,   175. 

{P.   lencotis  in  the  accounts  in  B.N.,    but    ahnost    certainly    the 
S.  African  Svntlii,   NOT  the  East  African  leucotis). 


MOTACILLIDAE. 
200.     PII'.D  WAGTAIL. 


203.     YELLOW  WAGTAIL. 

205.  ROCK  PIPIT. 

206.  GREAT  TIT. 


207      PLESKE'S  TIT,   Cyavistes  pleskei.        Hybrid  record  only. 
PLESKE'S  TIT    X    AZURE  TIT. 


ZOSTEROPIDAE. 
209      INDIAN   WHITE-EYE,   Z.   palpebrosa. 


210.     NATAL  WHITE-EYES,  Z.  virens. 


LANIIDAE. 
211.     RED-BACKED  SHRIKE. 


ARTAMIDAE. 
212.     WHITE-EYEBROWED  WOOD-SWALLOW,   Artamns  superciUans. 

SYLVIIDAE. 
214.     TAILOR-BIRD,  Stitona  siitoria.     Abroad. 


216.     BLACKCAP. 


217.     BLUE  WREN,   Malurns  superbus. 


MIMIDAE. 
218.     MOCKING  BIRD. 


210.     CAT  BIRD. 


TURDIDAE. 
GREY-WINGED  OUZEL. 

And  Hybrids. 
GREY-WINGED  OUZEL  x  BLACKBIRD. 

X  ARGENTINE  BROWN  OUZEL. 


223.     TICKELL'S  OUZEL.   Mertila  unicohr. 


224.  ARGENTINE  BROWN  OUZEL,  Scmiwenila  jitcvatra. 

225.  WHITE-THROATED   GROUND-THRUSH,    Gcocichhi   cyanonota. 

226.  ORANGE-HEADED  GROUND-THRUSH.  G.  atrlm. 


22q.     AMERICAN  ROBIN.  Turdiis  migratorius. 
And  Hybrids. 


AMERICAN      ROBIN      x      WHITE-BELLIED     OUZEL.     Meruh 

albh'cnirir. 

230.     SONG   TMRUS1I.        1    know   no  record  but   tlnl    of  Paee    but   surelv 
this  .-nd  t1u'    m.-u-kbird   HA\'K   been   bred.  " 


Visits  to  Members'  Aviaries 


Hybrids. 
SONG  THRUSH   x   BLACKBIRD. 


231 
232 
233 
234 
235 
236 

237 
238 

239 

240 
241 


ROCK  THRUSH. 
HEDGE  SPARROW. 


JERDON'S  ACCENTOR. 
BLACK  REDSTART. 


NIGHTINGALE.       Yarrell. 

SPROSSER. 

DAYAL  BIRD. 

SHAMA. 

STONECHAT. 


PIED  BUSH-CHAT,  Saxicola  caprata.       Abroad. 
BLUE  ROBIN. 


TIMELIIDAE. 
243.     PEKIN  ROBIN. 


244.  SILVER-EARED  MESIA. 

245.  BEARDED  TIT. 


PYCNONOTIDAE. 

246.     RED-VENTED   BULBUL.      Page. 
And  Hybrids. 
RED-VENTED   x   RED-WHISKERED  BULBUL. 


248.  RED-WHISKERED  BULBUL,   Otocompsa  emeria. 

249.  WHITE-EARED  BULBUL,   0.  Icucotis.     Zoo.   1922. 

To   be  covtimied. 


-O- 


Visits  to  Members'  Aviaries. 

By  Wesley  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  M.B.O.U. 
Continued  from  page  ip2. 

Corrigenda  :  On  pa.t^^e  188  line  5.  for  "  roof's  standard  "  read 
roof  standards.  Page  191  transpose  lines  16  and  17. 
Capt.  G.  E.  Rattigan's  Aviaries  and  Birds  :  On  arrival 
I  was  most  cordially  welcomed  by  my  host  and  hostess,  and  that 
evening  T  did  the  aviaries  and  birdroom.  Here  I  had  more 
leisure     for    observation,    for    I    spent    eleven   interesting    and 


222  risits  io  Mcnihcrs'  Ai'iarics. 

pleasant  days  at  Fluder  House.  Kingskerswell,  which  is  situated 
about  midway  between  Torquay  and  Newton  Abbot,  the  weather 
on  the  whole  beinj^  fine,  but  dull  and  unsettled. 

Capt.  Rattigan's  aviaries  have  already  been  described  in 
this  Journal,  and  except  for  the  addition  of  a  Parrakeet  aviary, 
o^  which  more  anon,  they  are  unaltered,  save  for  the  develop- 
ment of  plants  and  shrubs — the  whole  effect  is  very  pleasing", 
ihe  birds  happy  and  contented  as  shown  by  the  breeding  results, 
which  are  good  considering  the  abnormally  cold,  wet  summer — 
there  have  been  some  later  results,  of  which  we  shall  get  details 
later  from  Capt.  Rattigan's  pen.  The  two  small  photos 
illustrating  these  notes  give  a  fair  idea  of  the  flights  of  the  two 
large  aviaries,  and  show  clearly  their  natural  character.  These 
are  only  summer  aviaries,  so  the  shelter  sheds  are  of  but 
moderate  dimensions,  their  occupants  migrating  to  the  birdroom 
for  the  autumn  and  winter  months.  Results  have  certainly 
proved  them  to  be  very  practical  aviaries  for  the  conditions 
under  which  the  birds  are  kept.  If  the  birds  occupied  the 
aviaries  all  the  year  round  the  shelter  sheds  would  require  to  be 
T5ft.  X  12ft.  instead  of  the  8ft.  x  6ft.  they  are. 

77/r  Large  Apiary:  This  is  divided  into  two  sections, 
cne  for  finches,  waxbills,  etc.,  and  the  other  for  larger  birds, 
<ind  quarrelsome  individuals  of  the  smaller  species.  Each 
section  has  a  flight  27ft.  x  24ft.,  and  a  shelter  shed  8ft.  x  6ft. 
The  flights  are  planted  with  sufficient  herbage,  bushes  and 
shrubs  to  provide  ample  cover  for  the  ground  and  arboreal 
species  which  occupy  them,  yet  are  sufticiently  open  to  allow  of 
the  birds  being  easily  observed.  In  front  of  these  two  aviaries 
I  spent  many  hap])y  and  interesting  hours  watching  the  doings 
of  their  inmates. 

Many  birds  were  nesting,  incubating  or  feeding  young, 
and  under  these  conditions  the  competitive  instinct  of  the  birds 
came  out  very  clearly,  as  also  did  a  sort  of  live  and  let  live" 
spirit  which  seemed  to  govern  the  action  of  most  of  the  birds, 
but  did  not  obliterate  the  former  trait.  If  anything  this  aviary, 
though  a  roomy  one,  contained  too  many  pairs  for  a  breeding- 
aviary,  as  well  as  fairly  numerous  unmated  individuals — these 
latter  I  noticed  mostly  kept  together  species  by  species,  though 
making  occasional  "  intrusive  calls  "  to  the  domiciles  of  the 
mated  pairs,  thus  causing  a  certain  amount  of    "  langwidge  " 


Bird  Notes. 


Larga  Bird's  Section  of  Capt.  G.  E.  Rattigaii's  Lai-ge  Aviary. 


*'                        1 

riin/os  by   Capt.  G.  E.  Raltigan.   F.Z.S. 
Lookiuy    thiougli  the  fliylits  of  Capt.  G.  E.  Ruttigan's  Large 

Aviary. 


yisits  to  Members'  Aviaries.  223 

and    light  sparring;  but,  generadly  speaking,    amiability    and 
general  good  nature  prevailed. 

The  Small  Birds'  Section  contained  quite  a  representative 
series  of  Ploceinc  and  FringiUine  species,  and  I  actually  saw  the 
following : 

1  pair  Violet-ear  Waxbills   {Granatina  granatina). 

2  pairs  Quail   Finches   (Ortygospisa  polysona). 

3  pairs  Zebra  Finches  (Taeniopygia  castanotis). 

1  pair  White  Java  Sparrows  (Mitnia  orysivora,  var.  abla). 

2  pairs   Cuban  Finches   (Phonipara  canora). 

I  pair   Red-headed    Finches    (Amadina   erytlirocephala). 

I  pair  Saffron  Finches  {Sycalis  flaveola). 

I  pair   Diamond  Finches   {Steganopleura  guttata). 

1  pair  Lavender  Finches  {Lagouosticta  caerulescens). 

I  pair  Grey  Singing   Finches   {Serlnus   leucopygia). 

1  c?   Green  Singing  Finch  (.S".  icterus). 

2  S  Lined  Finches  (Sporophila  lineola). 

2  pairs  Masked  Grassfinches  (Poepliila  personata). 
I  pair   Long-tailed   Grassfinches   (P.   acuticauda). 

1  pair  R.   H.  Gouldian  Grassfinches  {P.  gouldiae). 

2  pairs  Rufous-backed   Mannikins   (Spcrmestes  nigriceps) 
I  pair  Bronze-winged  Mannikins  {S.   ciicnilata). 

I  pair  Black-headed  Mannikins  (Munia  atricapiUd). 

I  pair   Chestnut-breasted   Finches   (M.    castaneithorax) 

I  pair  Linnets  {Linota  caunabina). 

1  pair  Bullfinches  (Pyrrhula  etiropaca). 

2  r{    I    V'    Avadavats  (Sporacginthus  anianda^'a). 
I  pair  Orange-cheek  Waxbills  {S.  mclpodus). 

1   pair   Cordon    Bleus    [Estrilda   plwenicotis). 

1  pair   Diamond   Doves   (Geopclia   cuneata). 

I    c?    Nightingale  (Daiiliiis  lu.';cii!ia). 

I   S   Grenadier  Weaver  {Pyrovielava  oryx). 

I    cT   Orange  Weaver  (A  franciscana). 

I    c?   2    9    Red-billed  Weaver  {Qiielea  quelea). 

T   r?  Queen  Whvdah  (Vidua  regia). 

There  were  also  young  Cordon  Bleus.  Cuban  and  Zebra 
Finches  on  the  wing,  mostly  still  being  fed  by  their  parents. 
Young  birds,  as  soon  as  able  to  fend  for  themselves,  are  caught 
up  arid  removed  to  the  birdroom. 

Species  which  have  successfully  reared  young: 
Cuban  Finches  Cordon  Bleus 

Zebra  Finches  Rufous-backed  Mannikins 

Quail  Finches  Linnets 

Long-tailed  Grassfinches  White  Java  Sparrows 

Pleasing  Features  :     Certainly  not  the  least  pleasing  were 


224 


Visits  to  Members'  Aviaries. 


the  Cordon  Bleus  and  Lavender  Finches,  yet  not  a  whit  behind 
them  were  the  Violet-eared  Waxbills;  the  soft,  dehcate  beauty 
of  the  two  former,  and  the  more  decided  beautiful  colouration 
of  the  latter  held  one  almost  speechless,  as  the  eye  followed 
them  flashing-  about  in  a  setting  of  living-green.  Their  vivacity 
<  nd  almost  ceaseless  activity  held  one  entranced — it  is  doubtful 
if  the  Lavenders  are  a  true  pair,  for  both  birds  had  mostly  a 
piece  of  grass  or  hay  in  their  beak  as  they  flashed  about  from 
one  point  of  vantage  to  another.  "  Handsome  is  that  hand- 
some does,"  so  of  this  beautiful  trio  the  palm  must  go  to  the 
Cordon  Bleus,  for  they  have  bred  freely,  one  pair  having  fully 
reared  three  broods  of  three,  two  and  tv.o  respectively. 

The  so-called  sombre  species,  too,  made  a  brave  display 
if  hot  of  such  elegant  form  as  the  waxbills.  Who  can  truly 
call  the  Chestnut-breasted,  Bronze-winged  and  Rufous-backed 
Mannikins  plain  or  sombre  ?  With  this  trio  it  is  the  Rufous- 
backs  that  have  fulfilled  the  purpose  of  life,  viz :  to  reproduce 
their  kind — quite  a  few  have  they  fully  reared,  the  older  of 
which  were  to  be  seen  in  the  birdroom  in  parti-coloured  gar- 
ments, in  the  intermediate  stage  of  passing  from  the  juvenal  to 
adult  plumage. 

Another  quietly  coloured  species  that  has  done  its  duty 
in  this  respect  is  that  quaint  little  ground  bird,  the  Quail  Finch. 
Amid  the  grass  and  herbage  they  found  a  quiet  retreat,  built 
their  home  and  reared  several  families — more  than  one  at  any 
rate.  Only  close  observation  brings  this  unassuming,  quaint, 
but  exceedingly  pretty  little  finch  into  the  picture. 

Despite  their  lethargic  reputation,  the  mannikins  in  the 
early  part  of  the  day  and  the  whole  of  the  evening  (during  noon- 
tide heat  all  species  are  more  or  less  listless  and  dull)  they  were 
certainly  neither  stupid  nor  dull,  quite  the  reverse,  being  full 
of  vim,  activity,  and  energy,  incessantly  on  the  go  the  whole 
time,  and  a  pleasing  picture  they  made  too.  Of  course,  their 
movements  are  neither  so  elegant  nor  so  graceful  as  those  of 
some  of  the  other  groups;  pleasing  and  interesting  they 
certainly  are  was  the  comment  I  made  as  I  watched  these 
particular  individuals  in  a  state  of  restrained  liberty  amid 
'A  natural  setting. 

Grassfinches :  These  and  Mannikins  are  nearly  akin,  in 
fact.  Dr.  A.  C  Butler  has  well  called  the  former    "  brightly 


I'isits  to  Members'  Ai'iarics.  225 

coloured  Mannikiiis  " — during"  the  portions  of  the  day,  when  all 
diurnal  creatures  are  active,  grassfinches  do  their  bit  to  make 
the  world  go  round — these  also  were  active  during  the  morning 
and  evening  hours,  adolescence  only  being  evident  during  the 
early  afternoon — I  must  make  two  exceptions,  viz  :  the  Alasked 
(jrasstinch  and  (iouldian  Finch;  both  these  are  certainly 
lethargic  species,  the  latter  especially  so,  for  in  spite  of  bizarre, 
piebald  colouration,  it  was,  to  the  writer,  the  one  dull  and 
uninteresting  species  in  the  aviary;  they  had  not  gone  to  nest 
(a  recent  letter  from  Capt.  Rattigan  informs  me  that  they  have, 
since  my  visit,  nested  and  brought  forth  one  young  bird),  a;nd 
the  only  things  they  seemed  to  wake  up  for  were  to  feed,  bathe, 
and  preen  their  plumage,  and  except  at  these  brief  periods  their 
bright  colouration  was  not  sulKicient  to  lift  them  from  the  dull 
and  uninteresting".  Of  course,  to  the  student,  all  bird-life  is 
interesting",  whatever  the  colour  of  their  garments  or  their 
characteristics  may  be,  but  I  have  written  as  they  appeared  to 
me,  as  I  sat  meditatively  observing  them,  with  an  eye  to  Copy 
tor  Bird  Notes,  during  my  ten  days'  visit. 

As  1  have  already  said  young  birds  are  removed  when  able 
to  look  after  themselves,  so  that  only  one  or  two  instances  of 
family  parties  were  in  evidence,  viz  :  Cuban  and  Zebra  Finches, 
Cordon  Blues  and  Rufous-backed  Mannikins,  and  fascinating" 
l)ictures  they  made,  too,  foraging  in  their  family  groups  amid 
the  herbage,  then  as  the  parent  birds  picked  something  up, 
came  the  plaintive,  querulous  call  of  the  young  to  be  fed — how 
the  Zebra  Finch  family  group  forced  themselves  into 
notice,  as  they  backed  away  from  their  parents  and  yelled 
"  blue  murder"  for  grub.  How  keen  at  live-food  time  was 
the  competition  to  obtain  the  largest  supply  among  the  various 
species,  both  parents  filHng  their  beaks  and  making  alternate 
visits  to  the  nests  while  the  supply  lasted.  I  must  pause,  as 
this  description  is  getting  too  lengthy  though  one  would  fain 
hrger. 

Large  Birds'  Scetion  :  This  was  occupied  mostly  by 
Cardinals  and  quarrelsome  individuals  ejected  from  the  Smaill 
Birds'  Section.       It  contaiined  the  following  species  : 

I  pair  Green  Cardinals  {Gnbernatrix  cristata). 

I  pair  Gre}'  Cardinals  (Paroaria  cucnUata). 

I  pair  Virginian  Cardinals  (Cardinalis   cardinalis). 

I  pair  Lilac-crowned  Fruit-Pigeons   {P  til  opus   coromilatus) 


226  Visits  to  Members'  Aviaries. 

I  pair  Necklace   Doves  {Tiirtur  tigrivus). 

I  pair  Californian   Quail   {Lophotyx  califurnica). 

1   (S    Pintail  Whydah   (Vidua  principalis). 

This  section,  like  the  previous  one,  also  has  plenty  of 
natural  cover,  yet  the  nests  I  saw  therein  were  either  on  top 
of  or  inside  wooden  nest  boxes,  but  there  were  two  nests  in 
bushes,  in  which  young  had  been  hatched  but  not  reared, 
presumably  owing  to  heavy  rain  storms  at  that  period,  so  that, 
apparently  the  Green  Cardinals  had  reasoned  the  matter  out  and 
decided  that  in  this  deuce  of  a  climate  it  was  folly  having  too 
airy  a  mansion,  and  their  wisdom  came  in  for  my  warm 
conmiendation. 

Here,  too,  the  competitive  instinct  was  very  apparent 
when  insect  supplies  were  given  out — there,  after  throw-ing 
down  a  few  insects,  Capt.  Rattigan  stood,  shooing  off  the  other 
cardinals  while  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Green  got  enough  for  their  babies, 
but  all  the  "  shooing  "  in  the  world  did  not  prevent  the  Greys 
and  Virginians  getting  a  look-in — directly  one  of  tlie  (greens 
was  off  guard  or  the  aviculturist  one  ceased  "  shooing."  Of  the 
two  avicultural  onlookers  one  cussed  the  Greys  and  Virginians 
as  unworthy  pirates,  the  other  silently  applauded  their  successful 
pertinacity.  I  was  glad  later  to  learn  that  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Green  successfully  reared  their  babies.  It  is  astonishmg  how 
sc>on  wild  species  adapt  themselves  to  altered  conditions. 

Equally  interesting,  too,  to  note  that  the  offspring  of 
uncannily  tame  parents  possess  all  the  wild  instincts  of  those 
born  in  their  native  wilds,  and,  as  soon  as  they  have  found  the 
full  use  of  their  wings,  after  making  their  exit  from  the  nest, 
<'ire  as  wild  and  unapproachable  for  a  time  as  those  freeborn. 

These  three  species  of  Cardinals,  etc.,  made  quite  a  nice 
picture  in  their  semi-natural  quarters,  and.  though  not  always 
amiable  species  when  kept  together,  they  maintained  a  sort  of 
amiable  tolerance  towards  each  other,  as  a  rule. 

The  (irey  Cardinals  also  successfully  nested  and  reared 
young,  but  the  Virginians  forsook  their  offspring  when  a  few 
days  old,  but  Capt.  Rattigan  succeeded  in  ])ringing  up  two  In- 
hand-feeding  them  with  soft-food  and  insects. 

The  Budgerigars'  Aviary  :  This  aviary,  an  enclosed  one, 
is  mainly  given  up  to  Budgerigars,  of  which  it  contained  quite  a 


Visits  to  Members'  Aviaries. 


227 


few — old  and  yount^" — it  also  housed  a  few  other  species,   for 
which  there  was  no  accommodation  elsewhere,  viz  : 

I    9   Green  Cardinal  (G".  cristata). 

I  pair  Barbary  Turtle  Doves  (7'.  risorius). 

t    9    Red  Mountain  Dove  {Geotrygon  montana). 

I    9    Orange   Bishop   {Pyronielana  franciscana). 

These  do  not  call  for  further  comment,  save  that  all  were 
ir  tip-top  condition  in  every  way. 

The  Farrakeet  Aviary  :  This  is  a  new  structure,  and  an 
excellent  aviary,  too.  The  back  and  one  end  consist  of  concrete 
built  dog"  kennels  of  which  there  are  three,  each  one  forming' 
a  roomy  shelter,  and  all  have  outlets  to  the  same  roomy  flight, 
which  also  is  well  sheltered  by  a  thick  shrubbery  bordering  the 
lawn.      It  contained  the  follow^ing  : 

I   pair  Pennant's  Parrakeets  (Platycercus  elegans). 

I  pair  Peach-faced  Lovebirds  {Agapornis  roseicapilla). 

I  pair  Blossom-headed  Parrakeets  (Palaeornis  cyanocepkala). 

I  pair  Cockateels  {Calopsitfacus  novae-hollandiae). 

I    9    Green  Cardinal  (G.   cristata). 

I   J    Pope  Cardinal  {Faroaria  larvata). 


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SHRUBBERY. 
Ground  Plan  Capt.    Rattigan's  Parrakeet  Aviary. 
A. — Open   doorways  to   Shelter. 

These  converted  dog  kennels  have  made  a  really  capital 
parrakeet  aviary,  and  I  opine  young  will  be  reared  therein.  The 
floors  of  flight  and  shelters  are  concrete,  so  that  it  is  fairly 
secure  against  rats  and  other  vermin. 

JAizun   Birdroow  :  This  is  a   small   wooden   portable 

building,   for  the  purpose  of  breeding  and  flighting  canaries. 
The  only  alien  it  contained  was  an  exquisite  Crimson  Finch. 


228  Visits  to  Members'  Aviaries. 

Barn  Birdroom  :  This  is  a  large  room,  some  40ft.  x 
20ft.,  lofty,  and  well-lighted.  It  is  really  a  combined  store  and 
birdroom.  Along  the  entrance  end  and  part  of  the  front  are 
a  number  of  iron  bins,  and  in  these  the  various  seeds  and  meals 
are  stored.  The  centre  of  the  room  is  occupied  by  two  roomy 
flights.  Into  this  room  come  the  bulk  of  the  birds  during 
the  autumn  and  winter  months,  also  the  young  birds  when  able 
Lo  fend  for  themselves.  However,     it    contains    a    goodly 

number  of  birds  all  the  year  round,  and  some  species  are  bred 
in  the  flights  and  cages  each  season. 

In  the  flight  cages  round  the  sides  of  the  room  I  noted : 

Cornish  Chough  Hand-reared  Thrushes 

Yellow-wing  Sugarbird  Hand-reared  Virginian  Cardinal 

Young  Zebra  Finches  Greenfinch 

Yorkshire  Canaries  Young  Grey  Cardinals 

Hand-reared  Blackbirds  Pekin  Robin 

Young  Cuban  Finches  Canaries 

Young  Cordon  Bleus  Red-headed  Finch 

Young  Rufous-backed  Mannikins  Nightingale 

Young  Blackcap 

In  Centre  Flight  No.  i :       This  contained  a  good  number 
of  young  birds.       I  noted  the  following: 
Canaries  Siskin-Canary  Mules 

Young  Quail  Finches  Red-headed  Finch-CuUhroat  Hybrids 

I  pair  White  Java  Sparrows  Young  Zebra  Finches 

I  pair  Crimson  Finches  Silverbill 

Also  cock  Blue  Budgerigar  mated  with  a  blue-bred  Green, 

with  a  brood  of  young  in  the  husk,  among  which  was  one  Blue. 

Centre  Flight  No.  2  :       This  contained  but  few  birds,  viz  : 

1  pair  Green  Cardinals,  feeding  young. 

2  (S  Blue-bred  Green  Budgerigars 
I  (S  Greenfinch 

I  S  Chaffinch. 

This  brings  my  description  of  this  practical  accommoda- 
tion to  a  close — I  have  purposely  refrained  from  going  into  too 
close  detail  as  to  the  doings  of  the  birds,  as  I  hope  Capt. 
Rattigan  will  spin  the  yarn  himself. 

I  must  mention,  in  conclusion,  that  in  the  spring  Capt. 
Rattigan  released  a  few  weavers,  which  he  had  found  trouble- 
some in  the  aviary,  and  they  stayed  fairly  well  about  the  paddock 
and  garden.      A  pair  of  Rufous-necked  Weavers  (Hyphantornis 


Stray  Az^iary  Notes.  229 

ciicuUaiiis)  nested  in  the  shnil)l)ery  aloni^'  one  side  of  the  lawn 
and  broui^ht  tip  three  youny  birds  successfnlly.  Some  of  these 
weavers  are  still  about,  and  I  saw  several,  including  an  Orange 
Weaver,  in  full  colour,  but  it  was  only  a  glimpse  I  caught  of 
this  brilliant  species — most  of  the  "  at  liberty  "  birds  were  in 
eclipse  plumage  and  not  easy  to  detect  amid  the  very  ntimerous 
avifauna  of  the  garden. 

The   last   morning   of  my   visit   came,    and   amid   almost 
tropical  rain  I  passed  to  the  station  and  entrained  for  Westbury, 
Wilts.,  but  this  accotint  I  must  leave  to  another  issue. 
To  be  continued. 


Stray    Aviary    Notes. 

By  Herbert  Carr-Walker. 

This  has  been  almost  a  futile  breeding  season,  and 
successes  few  and  far  between,  yet  I  have  achieved  a  success 
which  I  have  tried  to  gain  for  many  years  past,  but  hitherto 
failure  has  always  dogged  my  efforts.  I  have  always  been  bent 
upon  breeding  British  Bullfinches,  and  this  season  my  desire 
has  been  achieved. 

I  can  find  no  one  in  this  part  of  the  world  (Yorks.)  who 
has  successfully  bred  them,  though  a  friend  of  mine  has  tried  for 
twenty  years  to  do  so.  I  believe  the  cause  of  so  many  failures 
is  the  dif^culty  of  getting  the  right  food  for  them  in  the  early 
stages.  The  first  intimation  I  got  that  they  were  nesting  was 
noticing  the  cock  bird  very  busy  collecting  small  flies 
from  the  wire-netting,  and  I  at  once  suspected  he  was  feeding 
young,  and  on  this  assumption  arranged  for  a  daily  supply  of 
all  kinds  of  wild  grass  seeds.  A  little  later  tw^o  exceedingly 
strong  young  birds  left  the  nest.  They  have  now  moulted  and 
taken  on  their  black-caps,  but  both  are  females.  Needless  to 
say  I  am  much  gratified. 

I  see  in  September  Bird  Notes  that  Dr.  Hopkinson  has 
included  tlie  Spice  Finch  x  Silverbill  hybrids,  which  were  bred 
here,  in  his  Hst.  It  may  be  of  interest  to  give  a  few  notes  of 
this  1920  episode.  I  still  have  two  of  the  hybrids,  and  very 
pretty  birds  they  are,  too — could  they  be  put  to    any    useful 


230  Stray  Aviary  Notes. 

l^nrpose  [siicli  hylji-ids  are  rarely  fertile  when  paired  inter  se. 
but  mated  to  either  of  the  parent  species  fertile  eggs  are  usuallv 
produced. — Ed.]  ?  Their  nest  was  of  the  usual  globular  typr 
with  entrance  hole  at  the  front,  and,  so  far  as  I  observed  the  male 
parent  took  entire  charge  of  the  young-  as  to  feeding  and 
protecting  them — the  Silverbill  (African  or  Indian  form? — Ed.), 
a  newly  imported  bird,  died  soon  after  the  young  made  their 
exit  from  the  nest.  The  cock  Spice  Finch  died  recently  wdiile  in 
the  moult.  An  interesting  feature  has  been  that  the  Spice 
Finch  and  his  family  have  been  inseparable,  right  up  to  the 
tmie  of  his  death — where  one  went  the  others  alw-ays  followed. 

Tlie  outstanding"  feature  of  this  season  in  my  aviary  has 
been  the  breeding  of  the  Cutthroats  [Aniadina  fasciata) — did  the 
inclement  weather  suit  them  ?  My  two  pairs  fully  reared  a 
score  of  young  birds.  Some  seasons  I  have  not  reared  a  single 
youngster  of  this  species  ! 

The  article  on  the  merits  of  the  Shama  as  a  song  bird  in 
tliis  Journal  a  few  issues  back,  tilled  me  with  a  desire  to  possess 
cne,  and  during'  the  summer  I  acquired  a  newly  imported 
specimen.  He  is  now  through  the  moult  and  in  perfect  condi- 
tion. \viiat  satisfactory  birds  tney  are!  My  bird  i-as  always 
been  finger-tame  with  me,  and  his  song  a  perfect  delight;  the 
variety  of  it,  with  a  wonderful  rang'e  of  notes,  make  it  the 
most  fascinating  bird  I  have  ever  kept.  He  will  sing  under 
any  and  all  conditions,  in  day  or  artificial  light,  and  is  at  his  best 
with  people  about  him.       Shyness  or  fear  he  is  a  stranger  to. 

Tn  him  I  have  found  another  favourite  bird. 

[Re  breeding  Bullfinches  :  P  or  many  years  past  I  have 
not  kept  this  species,  but  in  the  comparatively  early  days  of  my 
avicultural  experience  I  bred  them  quite  freely,  but  it  was  only 
after  a  number  of  failures  that  success  was  attained.  So  far 
as  I  know  very  few^  Bullfinches  are  reared  in  captivity.  Quite 
a  few  hybrids  have  been  reared — such  have  appeared  on  the 
.'how  bench  at  various  times,  fairly  regularly  too — by  crossing 
with  some  other  species  of  indigenous  finch.  linnet,  redpoll,  etc. 
T  attributed  my  success  with  the  Bullfinch  to  unlimited  green- 
food — grasses  and  other  garden  weeds,  sprays  from  rose  and 
fruit-trees.  I  did  not  supply  any  live  insects,  and  their  quarters 
nurely  a  roomy  i)acking-case-cage. — W.T.P.] 


Sitcccssful  Breeding  of  tlic  Isabcllinc  Turtle  Dove.  231 

Successful  Breeding  of  the  Isabelline  Turtle  Dove. 

(Turtur  isabeUiniis). 

By  H.  Bright,  F.Z.S. 

The  lsal:>elHne  Turtle  Dove  bears  a  strong  resemblance 
o  the  Wild  Turtle  Dove  (1\  turtur).  but  is  of  a  warmer  colour- 
ation and  presents  an  even  more  pleasing  appearance. 

Dcseription  :  Entire  head,  back  of  neck  sandy  -brown 
(isabelline);  upper  back  fawn-colour;  lower  back,  rump,  and 
upper  tail-coverts  dark  fawn-colour,  the  feathers  of  the  lower 
back  with  dtisky  centres;  wings  cinnamon-brown;  under  parts 
vinotis-brown;  abdomen  and  ventral  region  white;  tail:  central 
feathers  dusky-brown,  broadly  tipped  with  brown,  remaining 
feathers  blackish-brown,  Ijroadly  tipped  whitish  fawn-colour 
On  the  sides  of  the  neck  are  two  blackish  patches  variegated 
with  fawn-colour,  and  the  neck  is  flushed  with  refulgent  vinous 
pink.  Bare  skin  round  the  eyes  red;  legs  and  feet  red.  Total 
length  11^  inches,  of  which  the  tail  meastires  nearly  5  inches 
(approx.  47-^in.), 

The  female  is  slightly  duller,  more  slenderly  built,  and  the 
ashy-wash  on  the  sides  of  body  and  back  more  distinct  than  in 
the  male. 

Juvenal  plumage,  very  similar  to  adults,  but  paler,  and 
*he  underparts  are  sandy-brown;  no  neck  ])atches. 

It  is  a  native  of  N.E.  Africa,  and  is  a  very  pretty  and 
handsome  dove. 

1  obtained  these  1)irds  from  Mr.  Rogers,  of  Liverpool, 
who,  1  believe,  got  them  from  the  Giza  Zoo  at  Cairo.  There 
were  four  of  this  species  among  various  other  doves,  and  I 
liked  them  so  well  that  I  brought  them  away  with  me.  On  my 
arrival  home,  the  weather  l)eing  warm  and  fine,  I  selected  what 
T  felt  sure  were  a  true  pair,  and  turned  them  into  my  large 
aviary — I  had  no  hesitation  in  doing  this,  as  the  birds  were  in 
I)erfect  condition  and  plumage. 

The  outward  difference  between  the  sexes  being  infinit- 
esimal, I  first  picked  out,  as  a  hen,  the  smallest  and  slimmest 
bird  of  the  four,  and  then  took  the  largest  and  boldest  of  the 
other  three,  and  felt  pretty  sure  that  T  had  picked  out  a  true 
l-vair,  and  later  events  proved  this  to  be  correct.      The  other  two 


2T,2  Successful  Brccdiiii^  of  the  Isabcllinc  Turilc  Dove. 

I  put  into  another  aviary,  and  1  feel  sure  they  are  both  of  the 
same  sex,  as  they  have  never  shown  the  least  inclination  to  pair, 
nor  make  any  attempt  to  construct  a  nest.  I  believe  them 
:o  be  males. 

The  pair  in  the  large  aviary  settled  down  almost  at  once, 
and  in  about  a  fortnight  I  saw  the  cock  driving"  the  hen  about 
and  displaying  to  her,  but,  at  first,  she  took  but  little  notice 
of  him — she  evidently  had  not  fully  got  over  the  importation 
journey  and  change  of  home,  but  the  male  persisted,  and  a  little 
later  I  saw  her  carrying  small  twigs  into  a  clump  of  elder 
bushes,  in  the  forks  of  which  they  constructed  a  fairly  substan- 
tial nest  of  stout  twigs  for  the  base,  and  finer  twigs  on  top. 
The  hen  laid  almost  inunediately,  and  in  due  course  hatched 
out  two  squabs,  which  were  fully  reared.  They  remained  in 
'he  nest  until  they  were  fully  feathered,  and  there  was  barely 
room  for  both.  I  looked  at  them  several  times  and  began  to 
v/onder  when  they  would  venture  out,  for  they  appeared  as  well 
grown  as  their  parents.  Eventually  I  saw  one  young  bird 
perching"  in  the  elder  quite  close  to  the  nest.  When  at  last  they 
began  to  go  about  the  aviary  they  were  able  to  do  so  as  easily 
■is  their  parents.  This  is  quite  different  to  most  species  of 
doves,  as  the  young  mostly  leave  the  nest  at  a  very  early  age, 
and,  being  somewhat  helpless  at  tirst,  losses  are  not  uncommon, 
and  I  was  gratified  that  the  Isabellines  were  wiser  than  most 
of  their  kind. 

The  parent  birds  soon  brought  them  over  to  the  seed  tray, 
and  they  started  at  once  to  pick  up  seed  for  themselves. 

Without  loss  of  time  the  hen  laid  again  in  the  same  nest, 
and  brought  out  another  pair  of  strong  young  doves  as  before. 

They  at  once  went  to  nest  again,  as  before  occupying 
the  original  nest,  and  brought  out  another  pair  of  equally  strong- 
young  birds,  though  the  weather  was  then  quite  cold,  with 
much  rain. 

Just  before  the  above  pair  was  hatched  I  wanted  to  send 
a  pair  away  to  a  friend,  and  had  great  trouble  in  picking  them 
(;ut,  owing  to  the  adult  hen  l)eing  in  moult  and  the  earlier 
youngsters  with  the  adult  plumage  all  but  complete. 

When  the  young  left  the  nest  they  lacked  the  dark  bodv 
markings  and  neck  patches  of  the  adults  and  their  plumage 
generally  was  paler  than  tii;it  of  their  parents. 


Correspondence.  233 

This  species  are  no  trouble  in  the  aviary  among  the  other 
thirty  or  so  z'.mW  doves  of  various  species,  only  showing  a 
little  temper  when  their  nest  was  too  closely  approached.  The 
young  were  equally  amiable,  and  did  not  interfere  at  all  with 
their  parents'  subsequent  nesting  operations,  nor  with  the  later 
young  birds  after  their  exit  from  the  nest. 

When  Mr.  Page  was  here  on  a  visit  in  July  last  he  rather 
thought  this  species  had  been  bred  at  the  London  Zoo,  but 
subsequent  enquiries  prove  that  they  have  not  yet  had  the 
species  in  their  collection,  so,  apparently,  this  is  the  first  time 
Isabellines  have  reared  young  in  England. 


-<>- 


Correspondence. 

ENGLISH    TICK-KILLING    BIRDS. 

Sir, — I  have  recently  lost  two  Australian  finches  at  liberty  from,  what 
appears  to  be,  an  unusual  cause.  Some  days  ago  I  noticed  a  Crimson  Finch 
with  a  large  grey  tick,  about  the  size  of  a  pea,  on  his  cheek.  The  bird's 
eye  on  the  same  side  was  quite  closed  up.  I  caught  him  in  the  evening, 
and  with  some  difficulty  removed  the  tick.  I  then  let  him  go  but  never  saw 
him  again,  and  he  is  clearly  dead. 

Not  long  afterwards  I  noticed  a  Diamond  Finch  that  seemed  ill.  It 
did  not  show  the  ordinary  symptoms  of  chill,  pneumonia,  or  egg-binding,  but 
had  a  dazed  appearance.  I  caught  it  up  and  found  it  in  excellent  condition, 
but  it  died  the  same  day.  The  aviary  attendant  found  another  large  tick 
on  its  head,  which  had  escaped  my  observation,  owing  to  its  resemblance  in 
colour  to  the  bird's  plumage. 

It  may  seem  unlikely  that  a  single  parasite  could  kill  a  healthy  finch, 
although  a  man  would  certainly  feel  seedy  if  he  had  a  creature  the  size 
of  a  cat  hanging  on  to  him  and  sucking  his  blood  ! 

On  the  other  hand  certain  diseases  fatal  to  cattle  are  conveyed  by 
the  bites  of  South  African  ticks,  while  in  Australia  there  are  ticks  whose  bite 
i^  fatal  to  carnivorous  animals  ;  so  it  may  be  that  British  ticks  are  capable  of 
killing  small  foreign  birds. 

Havant.  (The  Marquis  of)  TAVISTOCK. 

Sir, — The  following  report  confirms  my  idea  that  the  birds  were 
killed  by  ticks  : 

"  The  Diamond  Finch  was  undoubtedly  killed  by  the  tick  you  mention, 
"which.  I  presume,  from  your  description  to  be  a  sheep  tick.  This 
"  beast  had  bit  the  bird  in  both  eyes,  also  on  various  parts  of  the  head, 
"  the  whole  of  the  head  being  covered  with  blood.  The  body  was  quite 
"  free  of  wounds,  and  was  sucked  dry  of  blood.  When  I  am  mounting  a 
"  ram's  head,    I  have  often   been  bit  by   them,  and  I  can  tell  you  get   an 


234  Correspondence. 

"  interesting  and  lively  time  until  you  get  rid  of   them,  so  I  pity  the  poor 
"  little  bird  who  gets  one  en  it. — F.  Kirby,  F. Z.S.I." 

I  wonder  if  British  birds  are  ever  attacked  ? 
■Tavant:   Odtoher  6th.    1922.  (The   Marquis  of)  TAVISTOCK. 


Nesting  of  the  Cape  Turtle  Dove  (Turtiir  capicola.) 

My  fellow  member  Mr.  Guy  Falkner  wrote  me  in  the 
late  summer  of  1921  if  T  would  accept  a  pair  of  this  species;  he 
liad  brought  a  few  back  with  him  when  he  returned  from  Africa, 
which  at  the  time  were  on  deposit  at  the  London  Zoo  (I  believe 
they  have  since  been  presented  to  the  Zoological  Society),  and 
as  I  had  never  kept  this  species  previously,  I  accepted  his  offer 
with  much  pleasure.  They  duly  arrived,  in  the  late  autumn  of 
last  year,  I  think,  and  I  became  quite  interested  in  them. 
On  arrival  I  put  them  into  my  large  aviary,  where  they  passed 
the  winter  without  mishap. 

In  appearance  they  are  very  like  the  common  Barbary 
Turtle  Dove  {T .  risorius),  but  are  much  greyer  in  tone,  and  of 
slightly  more  slender  build.  As  I  find  it  difficult  to  get  them 
sufficiently  near  to  make  a  close  description  of  their  plumage  I 
am  quoting  same  from  the  British  Museum  Catalogue. 

"  Adult  male. — Pileum  leaden  grey,  lighter  on  the  forehead,  and 
"  shadint-  into  vinous-grey  on  the  sides  of  the  head,  neck  and  chest, 
"  anterior  part  of  the  cheeks  and  throat  grey;  ;i  l)Iack  line  on  the  lores, 
"  not  always  well  defined;  on  the  hind  neck  a  broad  black  collar,  partly 
"edged  above  and  below  with  grey;  back,  inner  upper  wing-coverts, 
"innermost  secondaries,  and  scapulars  grey-brown;  passing  into  leaden 
"grey  on  outer  upper  wing-coverts;  lower  back  and  rump  grey-brown 
"along  the  middle,  leaden  grey  on  the  sides;  upper  tail-coverts  grey- 
"  brown ;  middle  of  abdomen  buffy  white;  under  tail  coverts  white; 
"  primary-coverts  and  quills  blackish,  with  pale  narrow  edges;  under  wing- 
"  coverts  leaden  grey;  central  tail  feathers  brown-grey;  the  lateral  ones 
"  black  on  the  basal  half ;  the  terminal  half  it  white  on  the  outer  feathers. 
"  grev  on  the  innei  ones;  tail  underneath  black  on  the  basal  half,  white 
"  on  the  tcrnn'nal  one,  the  outer  feathers  have  the  outer  web  white ;  '  iris 
"brown,  bill  black;  legs  pinkish-red."  Total  length  10.5  inches,  wing  6, 
"  tail  4.6  bill  0.55,   tarsus  0.85." 

"  Female. — Similar  to  the  male." 

"  Yovng. — Duller  and  with  pale  edges  to  the  feathers  of  the  upper 
"  parts." 

"  Habitat. — Cape  Colony,  extending  into  Natal  and  Southern 
"  Transvaal." 

Brit.   Mns.  Cat.  Vo!    21.,  pp    425-6 
To  be  continued. 


"^Vll  flights  5\c5<irvc6.  ^ovambcr,    1922 

BIRD  NOTES: 

—  THE  — 
JOURNAL     OF     THE     FOREIGN     BIRD     CLUB 

Quail   Finches,  (Ortygospiza  polyzona). 
Bv  Capt.  Ci.  E.  Rattigax,  F.Z.S. 

So  far  as  1  am  aware  there  has  been  no  instance  of  the 
successful  breeding"  of  Quail  h'inches  since  they  were  bred  for 
the  first  time  on  record  by  that  extremely  clever  aviculturist, 
Mr.  Reginald  i'hillipps.  At  all  events,  no  record  ot  such  an 
event,  if  it  occurred,  appears  to  have  been  published.  A  very 
delightful  account  of  Air.  Phillipps'  success  appears,  from  his 
pen.  in  tne  Avicultural  Magazine  of  May  1908.  Third  Series, 
\'^ol.  I.,  page  2)7-  to  wliich  I  would  refer  my  readers.  Aly  own 
experience  with  these  charming"  little  birds  differed  in  some 
respects  from  that  of  .Mr.  Phi]]ii)s.  llie  Ouail  Finch  is  unlike 
most  of  the  mannikins,  in  which  family  it  is,  rather  unhappily. 
T  think,  included.  (Note. — 1  say  unhappily  because  it  certainly 
does  not  resemble  the  mannikins  either  in  appearance  or  habits, 
and  it  is  anything  l)ut  dull  and  lethargic,  all  of  which  terms 
have  been  applied  with  some  justice  to  the  other  species  of 
mannikins.  Nor  do  I  know  of  any  other  mannikin  possessing 
a  red  bill).  The  sexes  are  easily  distinguished.  A  rough 
description  of  the  plumage  is  :  — Cock  :  Brown  above,  outer  tail 
feathers  edged  with  white;  throat  and  cheeks  black;  a  large 
vvdiite  spot  on  chin;  a  broad  white  orbital  ring;  below  greyish, 
barred  black  and  \\'hite  and  passing  to  chestnut  on  lower  breast. 
Beak  red;  feet  brown  ;  irides  hazel.  Female  :  Altogether  duller; 
breast  and  sides  barred  brown  and  white,  and  it  lacks  the  black 
on  cheeks  and  throat. 

FIELD    NOTES. 

Habitat. — From  Abyssinia  to  Eastern  Cape  Colony  and 
on  the  west  from  Senegal  to  Angola.  JVild  Life. — Shelley, 
m  Birds  of  Africa,  quotes  Stark  as  follows: — "These  pretty 
little  birds  are  usually  met  with  in  small  flocks  on  open,  grassy 


236  OiKiil  /''niches. 

fliits.  Here  tliey  feed  on  the  .ground,  under  the  S'rass.  on 
frdlen  seeds.  11  distur])ed,  they  rise  suddenly  with  a  curious 
metallic  "  chirp,"  Hy  a  short  distance  and  settle  ai^ain  directly 
en  the  .ground  without  tirst  perching;"  on  1:)ushes  or  weeds,  but 
they  sometimes  rise  with  their  usual  sharp  cry,  and  fall  ag^ain  on 
the  spot  from  whicli  they  rose."  Mr.  T.  Ayres  i^ives  the 
fcllowini^"  account  of  a  nest  found  near  Potchefstroom  on  the 
30th  April : — "  The  nest  was  a  very  rough  structure,  placed  on 
the  ;^"roimd  amonj^st  the  j^^rass,  and  not  easily  seen  from  its 
heiui^"  composed  of  dead  blades  of  "rass;  it  was  hned  with  a  few 
coarse  feathers,  and  in  shape  much  like  the  nests  of  some  of  the 
Sunbirds,  with  a  projectin,^'  cave  over  the  entrance,  but  all  very 
rou^'h.       The  et^g's  were  five  in  number,  and  pure  white. 

NESTING    NOTES. 

I  procured  my  first  pair  of  these  birds  in  1921,  and  this 
pair  nested,  and  reared  two  youngsters  for  me  that  year.  Not 
wishing  to  disturb  them,  I  left  them  unmolested,  and  though 
I  knew  the  position  of  the  nest,  it  was  not  until  after  me  young 
had  flown  that  I  searched  for  and  found  the  nest,  not,  however, 
without  some  considerable  difficulty.  This  nest,  which  extern- 
ally exactly  resembled  the  others  described  hereafter,  contained 
one  infertile  egg,  pure  white,  and  a  roimded  ovate  in  shape. 

This  season  (1922)  1  commenced  operations  with  two 
pairs.  These  were  turned  out  into  a  large  naturally-planted 
aviary,  together  with  a  mixed  assortment  of  other  small 
foreigners  on  the  8th  April.  The  weather  for  the  next  few 
days  was  sim[)ly  vile.  On  the  tSth  April,  quite  a  nice  day  for  a 
change,  I  noticed  a  cock  Quail  Finch  flying  around  in  a  some- 
what undecided  manner  with  bits  of  grass,  or  rather  fine,  dead 
grass.  The  next  morning  I  found  him  visiting  a  clump  of 
maidenhair  bush,  and  on  closer  examination  I  found  traces  of 
the  commencement  of  a  nest.  This  was  completed  on  the  20th 
April,  though  feathers  were  continually  added  by  the  cock  even 
after  the  young  had  hatched.  Incidentally,  the  cock  alone 
seems  to  do  all  the  fetch  and  carrying  of  materials  needed 
for  the  construction  of  the  nest,  though  I  fancy  the  hen  lends 
her  aid  to  the  construction  thereof.  The  nest  so  far  from  being 
an  "  untidv  structure  "  was  very  neatly  and  compa:ctly  built, 
and    was  composed   of  fine  grass   cosilv  lined   with     feathers. 


Quail  Pinches.  237 

About  the  shape  and  size  of  a  cricket  ball,  or  perhaps  a  shade 
larger,  it  was  about  a  foot  from  the  i^round,  about  the  middle 
of  the  bush  and  very  well  concealed.  It  was  beautifully  woven 
together  and,  I  should  say,  waterproof.  When  a])proachin,g- 
I't  the  old  birds  would  always  circle  around  for  a  few  seconds 
before  ali.ghtini;-,  as  they  always  did  finally,  on  the  top  of  the 
bush.  There  another  slight  pause  took  place,  and  finally  a  rapid 
little  run  down  to  the  nest.  This  was  the  procedure  invariably 
adopted,  and  they  always  alighted  upon  exactly  the  same  spot 
on  the  bush  and  always  after  a  sHght  pause  followed  the  queer, 
hurried  little  zig-zag  run  down  into  the  nest.  The  first  egg  was 
laid  on  the  2Tst  April,  and  the  clutch  of  five  eggs  completed 
on  the  25th  inst.  Incubation  commenced  with  the  laying  of  the 
first  egg,  and  both  sexes  share  in  the  duties  of  incubation,  one 
relieving  the  other  about  every  two  hours.  No  attempt  at 
raising  a  second  brood  has  ever  been  undertaken  by  any  of  my 
birds.  The  eggs  did  not  hatch  until  the  10th  June  or  19  days 
later,  by  which  time  I  had  almost  made  up  my  mind  that  they 
were  all  duds.  The  young,  four  in  number,  were  jet  black  in 
colour,  sparsely  covered  with  greyish  down.  All  went  well 
uV  the  20tn  May,  when,  on  making  my  usual  rounds  of  inspec- 
tion after  tea.  I  found  to  my  horror  that  the  poor  little  quail 
finches  had  been  thrown  out  of  the  nest  and  were  lying  as  thougli 
dead  about  two  feet  away  on  the  ground.  I  picked  up  three 
of  them ;  the  fourth  had  vanished  without  trace,  but  they  felt 
quite  cold  and  appeared  to  be  lifeless  except  that  the  blood  was 
still  slowly  oozing  from  a  nasty  wound  over  the  base  of  the  bill 
rf  one  of  them.  This  fact  encouraged  me  to  hope  that  there 
might  yet  be  some  slender  chance  of  saving  them.  I  therefore 
took  them  inside  the  house,  and  after  wrapping  them  in  warm 
cotton  wool,  held  them  over  a  stove.  My  efforts  were  soon 
rewarded,  and  in  a  surprisingly  short  time  I  had  the  satisfaction 
'•f  seeing  the  little  things  begin  to  show^  signs  of  returning  to 
life.  I  placed  them,  still  wrapped  in  cotton  wool,  in  a  small 
cardboard  box  and  left  them  near  the  stove.  In  about  an  hour 
and  a  hailf  they  had  completely  recovered  and  began  to  gape 
hungrily  for  food.  I  noticed  that  their  crops  were  crammed 
V'ith  millet  seed,  which  was  plainly  visible,  and  appeared  to 
contain  nothing  else.  The  old  birds  are  fond  of  mealworms, 
but  none  were  supplied  to  this  aviary  during  this  period,  and  1 


2T,^  (Juail  /■i)iclics. 

belie\e  the  youni;  to  have  been  entirely  raised  on  seed,  and 
ahnost  entirely  on  dry  seed,  for  there  was  very  little  seeding 
L'.rass  available  in  their  aviary  at  that  time  this  year.  Now  the 
qnestion  arose  :  should  I  return  the  youni^sters  to  their  parents. 
who  had  probably  deserted  the  nest  lonii"  since,  or  entrust  them 
to  a  canary  to  rear?  With  some  considerable  misgiving  I  selected 
the  former  alternative  and,  having  replaced  the  youngsters,  sat 
near  by  to  await  events.  An  hour  passed,  and  although  one  or 
other  of  the  parents  alighted  occasionally  in  the  grass  near  by, 
neither  seemed  in  the  least  inclined  to  venture  a  nearer  approach. 
-U  was  now  growing  dusk,  and  fearing  the  little  birds  would 
('ie  of  chill  or  starvation,  I  decided  on  a  bold  course  of  action, 
which  was  no  less  than  to  catch  up  both  parents  and  introduc': 
ti  em  one  after  another  into  the  nest  with  the  object,  of  course, 
of  showing  them  that  their  prodigals  had  returned  home. 
I  successfully  carried  out  this  manoeuvre  and,  after  introducing 
ench  parent,  held  my  hand  over  the  entrance  of  the  nest  for 
al  out  a  minute  in  order  to  gi\-e  it  time  to  recover  from  its  fright 
and  to  realise  the  presence  in  the  nest  of  the  young  birds. 
I'lie  lien  dashed  out  as  soon  as  I  had  removed  my  hand,  but  the 
cock  slaved  in  tlie  nest  for  al)out  a  couple  of  minutes  later,  and 
[  liad  hopes!  Xor  did  tliey  prove  x'ain,  for  about  20  minutes 
],''ter  it  was  just  liglit  enough  to  see  the  little  cock  bird  alight 
'Ml  the  maidenhair  bush  in  the  usual  spot,  and,  after  a  very  long 
and  nerve-racking  pause,  toddle  down  quickly  into  the  nest. 
Mv  relief  can  l)e  ]:)erhaps  better  imagined  than  described! 
I ','1(1  tlie  plan  failed  I  had  decided  upon  caging  all  the  family 
v\i  together  and  hoping  for  the  best.  The  three  young  birds 
filially  left  the  nest  on  the  27th  May,  or  17  days  after  hatching, 
''"hey  were  very  strong  on  the  wing  and  have  never  looked  back 
-ince  that   nearly  disastrous  day. 

The  second  i>air,  which  occupied  the  same  aviary,  com- 
inenccd  operations  on  the  28th  April.  The  nest  was  completed 
^.'1  the  29th,  and  the  first  egg  laid  on  the  30th  April.  The  nest 
was  placed  on  the  ground  in  a  small  tuft  of  grass  in  a  rather 
bare  patch,  about  three  feet  behind  a  small  cump  of  bamboos. 
F.xcept  that  it  was  not  quite  so  neatly  made  and  was  lined  with 
one  or  two  fronds  of  bamboo  besides  the  usual  feathers,  this 
nest  exactly  resembled  the  one  already  described.  (It  would 
ajipear  that  the  lining  of  the  nest  varies  slightly,  for  last  year's 


(J nail  I' niches.  J39 

nest  contained  a  lining;  of  rabbit's  fur  in  addition  to  feathers). 
The  chUcli  in  this  instance,  however,  only  numbered  three.  The 
ei:g-s  hatched  on  the  i8th  May,  or  18  days  after  the  layin.y-  of  the 
first  c,Lj",i.i'.  Tlie  incubation  period  of  this  species  appears  to 
d'ffer  rather  unexi)ectedly  from  that  which  is  usual  for  other 
small  birds.  The  younj^-  left  the  nest  on  the  4th  June,  but  were 
very  weak  on  the  winLi',  and,  I  think,  left  the  nest  a  bit  too  soon, 
owing-,  probably,  to  the  fact  that  I  runi^'  them  in  the  nest  on 
the  previous  evening".  However,  they  throve  well,  and  were 
soon  almost  as  strong  and  lusty  as  the  youngsters  from  the  hrst 
nest.  One  pair  of  these  youngsters  went  to  our  Editor's 
aviaries,  where  I  hope  they  may  do  as  well  for  him  as  their 
parents  did  for  me;  a  second  pair  is  booked  to  a  well  known 
J'^ench  aviculturist. 

A  I'EW  GENERAL  REMAkKS. 
Quail  Finches  are  really  charming  and,  in  my  opinion, 
n.ost  attractively  coloured  little  fellows.  The  cock  esi:)ecially 
i^'  a  regular  little  dandy  and  keeps  his  plumage  as  spic  and  s'pan 
as  possible.  They  are.  of  all  birds,  the  most  peaceably  disposed 
and  law  abiding"  citizens  in  a  small  mixed  collection  of  various 
species,  both  towards  all  other  birds,  as  well  as  their  own 
species.  Except  during  the  actual  excitement  of  the  breeding 
season  I  have  never  seen  them  take  part  even  in  the  smallest 
squabble.  As  this  period  approaches,  however,  the  little  cocks 
grow  more  and  more  excited,  and  later  possibly  assault  all  and 
sundry  who  venture  to  approach  the  vicinity  of  their  nests  with 
much  angry  and  excited  chirruping".  At  such  times  the  two 
cocks  frequently  engage  in  pitched  battles,  rising  into  the  air 
vvuth  shrill  metallic  chirps  of  indigmation.  There  the  contest 
is  continued  for  a  few  seconds,  after  which  each  returns  to  his 
own  territory  none  the  worse  for  the  encounter,  and  from  thence 
each  bursts  forth  into  a  comic  little  paean  of  victory.  My  old 
birds  seldon"!  alight  anywhere  save  on  the  ground,  though  when 
disturbed  they  will  sometimes  perch  on  the  top  of  an  old  ivv-clad 
stump  in  their  aviary,  but  one  of  my  young  hens,  now  in  an 
inside  flight,  perches  as  frequently  i:p  aloft  as  ui)on  the  ground. 
Mr.  Phillipps'  description  of  their  love  song  is,  T  think,  a  verv 
ril)t  one,  so  I  am  taking  the  lib?rtv  of  quoting"  it  ///  c.vtcuso.  1  le 
^vrites  as  follows: — "  When  T  was  a  boy.  there  was  a  certain 
cottager's  garden  which  had  in  it  a  large  cherry  tree,  and  vear 


240  Oitail  Fi)ichcs. 

by  year,  as  the  season  of  the  cherries  came  rouiiih  in  order 
10  frighten  away  the  birds,  the  old  man  used  to  fix  up  in  the 
tree  a  clapper  arrangement  which  was  worked  by  a  diminutive 
windmill.  As  the  sails  revolved,  two  heavy,  loosely-hung 
pieces  of  iron  were  banged  against  an  empty  gunpov/der 
cannister — a  common  object  in  old  muzzle-loading  days — with 
results  w'hich  were  more  audible  than  musical ;  and  I  do  not 
know  of  anything  which  reminds  me  so  much  of  this  ingenious 
contrivance  of  the  old  cottager  as  the  staccato  song  of  the  Quail 
Finch,  which  goes  somewhat  as  follows  : — Click  clack  click  dike 
cluck  deck  click  cloih  cluck  dick  deck  clack  cluck 
dike  cloike,  etc.,  etc.  Now  if  this  score  be  read  slowly,  it 
may  appear  a  little  tedious;  it  should  be  galloped  through,  as 
when  a  gust  of  wind  whirls  round  the  arms  of  the  windmill, 
and  great  care  must  be  exercised  lest  a  slur  or  a  false  note  be 
uttered;  and  as  the  wind  is  uncertain  and  unequal,  so  the  song 
bursts  forth  at  one  time  with  startling  suddenness;  at  another 
just  for  a  little  spell;  at  another  for  a  prolonged  period,  accord- 
ing to  the  spirit  of  the  moment.  I  am  conscious  that  no 
com.bination  of  words  which  may  be  found  in  any  dictionarv 
can  adequately  describe  this  unrivalled  composition — but  it  has 
only  to  be  heard  to  be  appreciated  !  "  With  the  latter  sentiment 
T  am  in  thorough  accord.  Towards  evening  all  the  Quail 
I^^inches  grow  very  restless  and  fly  round  and  round  the  aviary, 
making  a  tremendous  clatter.  Their  usual  flight  is  a  curious 
sort  of  bobbing  motion,  and  they  often  drop  to  earth  with 
surprising  abruptness.  But  they  sometimes  make  use  of  a 
much  more  rapid  and  what  one  might  term  purposeful  flight, 
when  the  bobbing  motion  is  almost  entirely  absent.  The  love 
dance  is  very  curious.  The  little  cock  faces  the  hen  and  draws 
himself  up  very  straight  and  to  his  full  height,  and  then  rapidly 
vibrates  his  wings  "  singing  "  hard  all  the  time.  The  wings 
are  kept  half  open  and  held  out  stiffly,  and  then  follows  this 
otremely  rapid,  vibrating  motion,  almost  a  sort  of  shivering. 
I  have  sometimes  seen  a  large  moth  go  through  a  very  similar 
sort  of  vibrating  motion  with  its  wings,  and  of  a  truth  the  bird 
•♦  such  moments  more  resembles  a  large  moth  than  a  bird. 
Usually  it  stands  quite  still  but  occasionally  it  will  pivouette 
slowly  and  almost  on  tip-toe  as  it  were  around  the  hen  with  its 
feet  apparently  only  just  touching  the  ground.       In  fact  it  is 


Siicccssfitl  Breeding  of  the  Whiic-brcasicd  Duvc.     241 

propelled,  at  such  moments,  more  by  its  \vintj;s  than  by  its 
feet,  for  such  is  the  extraordinary  pitch  of  nervous  excitement 
into  which  the  little  chap  is  thrown  that  the  fever  is  even 
communicated  to  its  leg's  which  shiver  like  those  of  a  man 
with  the  palsy,  and  are,  1  am  sure,  quite  incapable  of  performing' 
their  usual  functions.  I  have  covered  a  lot  of  space  in  trying 
to  pay  some  tribute  to  the  attractive  qualities  of  this  little  bird, 
and  yet  feel  paiiifully  conscious  of  the  fact  that  I  have  altogether 
and  signally  failed  to  do  it  justice.  I  can  only  hope  then  that 
some  abler  pen  than  mine  will  one  day  be  dedicated  to  its 
service. 

0 

Successful  Breeding  of  the  White-breasted  Dove. 

( PhJogoenas  margaritae). 
By  H.  E.  Bright,  F.Z.S. 

Mr.  Page  has  already  given  a  description  of  these  l^eautiful 
Doves  or  Pigeons,  so  I  cannot  do  better  than  quote  him.       He 
calls  them:    "  a  near  relative  of  the  Bleeding- Heart    Pigeon, 
"  from  which,  however,  they  widely  differ  in  deportment  and 
"  colouration,  and  to  which  we  have  given  the  trivial  name  of 
"  \\  nite-breasted   Dove  or    Pigeon.  The   Bleeding-Heart 

"  Pigeon  in  captivity  spends  most  of  its  time  upon  the  ground, 
"  and  during  two  days   we  did  not   see  the   White-breasted 
"  u])on  the  ground  at  all.       The  general  colouration  of  this 
"  S])ecies  is  rich  vinous-cinnamon  refulgent   with  a  purplish 
"  sheen;   upper  eye-streak,   lower  eye-region,    whole   of  the 
"  throat  and  breast  white,  narrowly  margined  with  black;  the 
"  whole     of    their    appearance    being    very    handsome    and 
"  gorgeously   beautiful  " — 1    have,    since    Mr.    Page's    visit. 
discovered  a  point  of  importance  which  we  both  niissed  when 
locking  at  the  birds.       It  is  the  means,  in  my  pair  at  all  events. 
o:   distinguishing  the  sexes.       In  the  male  bird  the  white  eye- 
streak  meets  over  the  base  of  the  beak ;  in  the  hen  bird  there  is  a 
narrow  dividing  line  where  the  dark  colour  of  the  head  runs 
rght  down  to  the  beak,  cutting  through  the  white.       I  noticed 
this  while  looking  at  the  hen  as  she  brooded  her  young.       .She 
was  very  tame  at  this  ]')eriod.  and  allowed  one  to  come  within  a 


24-    Succi'ssfitl  Brccdiiii^  of  llw  li'liifc-hreasted  Dove. 

foot  of  the  nest  without  her  Ijeing'  disturbed,  or  causing"  her  to 
leave  the  nest. 

Tliey  came  over  in  a  consignment  of  Australian  birds, 
though  their  native  habitat  is  New  Ciuinea;  1  was  assured  they 
were  a  true  pair.  l)ut  was  much  amused  later  on,  when  talking 
to  their  owner,  to  hear  that  he  thought  they  were  two  cocks; 
he  had  evidently  not  noticed  the  above  mentioned  difference. 
They  had  been  well  cared  for  on  their  long  journey;  and  were 
ir  good  condition,  except  that  one  had  its  wing  cut  short  right 
across  the  primary  flights. 

On  arrival  I  gave  them  their  liberty  in  my  large  aviary, 
thinking  they  would  ])e  all  right,  but  found  the  cut-winged  bird 
cHml:)ed  u])  as  high  as  possible,  and  then  went  bump  on  the 
floor  of  the  aviary  when  anyone  was  near,  so  I  had  to  cage  it 
i;ntil  the  flights  were  renewed.  Ths  took  some  weeks,  but 
may  have  induced  the  inclination  to  breed.  When  the  power  of 
fiiglit  was  restOTed,  the  weather  being  fine,  this  bird  was  given 
i*^s  lil)erty,  and  the  two  l)irds  evidently  enjoyed  the  reunion. 

The  desire  to  nest  was  innnediately  manifest;  a  site  was 
soon  chosen,  a  well-sheltered  spot  in  a  creeper  growing  thickly 
.»!■  one  of  the  roof-standards  of  the  out-door  flight.  Here  they 
constructed  the  usual  flimsy  dove  nest,  consisting  of  a  few  thin 
twigs  loosely  put  together.  'J'he  hen  sat  closely,  but  the  cock 
was  very  wild  and  used  to  dash  off  when  anyone  came  near  the 
aviary.  I  am  convinced  one  young  bird  was  hatched  out.  but 
1  never  saw  it.  though  1  saw  them  feeding  for  a  few  days  and 
then  they  deserted  the  nest  and  1  found  only  an  egg  there ;  both 
V'est  and  egg  were  of  typical  dove-type.  I  think  the  cock  must 
liave  dragged  out  the  young  bird  in  one  of  his  wild  rushes. 

Almost  at  once  they  went  to  nest  again,  selecting  a  pre- 
cisely similar  position  for  the  nest,  but  this  time  it  was  the 
corner,  creeper-clad  post,  l)y  the  door  of  the  aviary,  and,  I  must 
-ay,  1  had  very  faint  hopes  of  any  young  being  reared  in  such  a 
position,  considering  the  wildness  of  the  cock  bird.  However, 
fortune  favoured  me  and  all  went  well.  The  apology  for  a 
nest  was  duly  completed,  and  two  eggs  deposited  therein.  The 
hen  was  very  steady,  sitting  closely,  in  fact,  never  left  her  eggs 
or  young  except  on  one  occasion  when  they  were  just  about 
readv  to   flv.   and   T   alarmed  her  bv  undue  curiositv — I    badlv 


Sitcccsslnl  Hrcvdiiig  ol  the  W liitc-brcasicd  Duvc.     243 

wanted  a  look  at  her  family.  She  got  nervous  and  dashed  off 
wildly,  and  simultaneously  out  flopped  first  one  and  then  the 
other  of  the  two  young"  birds.  It  was  a  cold,  damp  evening, 
so  I  thought  I  would  try  and  put  them  back  in  the  nest — I  had 
tried  this  on  several  occasions  with  the  young"  of  other  species 
of  doves,  but  always  found  them  jump  out  again — but  had  very 
slig"ht  hopes  they  would  remain  in  the  nest ;  however,  this  time 
1  g'ot  both  of  them  and  put  them  in  tog"ether,  keeping"  my  hand 
over  for  a  little  time,  then  taking"  it  away  quickly  when  I  saw 
the  hen  coming"  back.  I  slipped  away,  and  the  hen  came  right 
on  to  the  nest  and  settled  down  for  the  night  previous  to  this 
one  youngster  came  very  near  to  disaster,  for,  when  they  were 
about  four  days  old,  the  cock  bird,  in  or.e  of  his  wild  rushes, 
drag'ged  one  of  them  out  of  the  nest;  fortunately  it  was  found 
and  returned  to  the  nest  in  time.  After  the  former  episode 
the  young"  remained  two  more  days  in  the  nest,  althoug"h  one 
of  them  was  well  able  to  g"et  about  when  T  disturbed  them ;  the 
younger  one  is  less  fully  feathered. 

After  leaving  the  nest  I  never  saw  a  sig'n  of  them  for  a 
full  week,  then  I  found  one,  and  a  few  days  later  saw  the  other, 
but  it  was  days  later  still  before  the  parent  birds  brought  them 
into  the  bird-house,  where  the  birds  are  fed. 

i\'ow  ((Jctoljei  23.)  tlicy  coirc  regularly,  and  I  have  seen 
tliem  feeding"  on  several  occasions  They  are  rather  unusual 
looking"  birds,  being"  smoky-black  all  over,  except  for  a  slightly 
grey  shade  on  face  and  breast.  There  is  hardly  a  trace  of  the 
beautiful  purphsh  sheen  of  the  old  birds,  and  no  white  markings. 
Their  beaks  are  light  horn-colour,  but  quickly  beginning  to  turn 
darker.  What  I  take  to  be  the  young  hen  is  a  little  lighter  in 
colour  and  a  little  greyer  on  face  and  breast  than  the  other  one. 
which,  I  presume,  is  a  cock,  also  at  present  a  little  smaller. 

Although  my  birds  spend  very  little  time  on  the  ground, 
I  think  they  have  a  very  decided  look  of  the  Bleeding"  Heart 
Pigeon.  The  only  sound  I  have  heard  them  make  is  a  very 
'unmusical  grunt.  The  cock  made  this  noise  continually  when 
tlriving  the  hen  to  nest. 

They  still  go  about  with  their  two  young,  which  are 
very  wild,  and  have  evidently  tinished  all  breeding  operations 
for  this  season. 


244    Sitcccssfitl  Hrccdiitg  of  the  W hitc-hrcastcd  Dove. 

I  have  found  them  quite  i^ood  tempered  with  other  doves, 
of  which  there  are  a  i^ood  numljer  in  the  aviary,  not  interfering^' 
with  them  in  any  way,  nor  have  the  other  doves  molested  them. 

[As  Mr.  Bri.^ht  quotes  me,  1  may  l^e  permitted  to  add  a 
few  hues — the  description  quoted  is  a  very  sketchy  one,  and 
even  at  that  was  taken  under  g'reat  difficulty,  for  they  were 
very  wild,  aiid  a  near  ap])roach  was  impossible — and  the  coloura- 
tion of  some  parts  was  only  perceptible  durin,^'  their  wild  dashes 
from  one  part  of  the  aviary  to  another,  so,  for  comparison 
nuri)oses,  I  append  their  description  as  !..;"iven  in  the  Brit.  Mus. 
Cat.  \'o\.  xxi.,  taken,  of  course,  from  skins:  — 

•■  Adult  Male:  Upper  part  of  head,  upper  hind  neck,  and  a  sub- 
"  ocular  hand  from  the  liase  of  tlie  lower  mandi1)le  to  tlie  nape  of  the 
"  neck  black  :  lores,  sides  of  the  foreiiead,  superciliary  strii)e,  tliroat  and 
'■  crop  region  pure  white;  feathers  of  lower  hind  neck,  mantle,  upper  back, 
■■  scapulars,  and  upper  wing-coverts  brown-black  with  beautiful  ])urple 
"  edges;  rumj)  l)rown-black  with  purple  reflections;  lower  breast,  abdomen 
"  and  under  tail-coverts  slate-black,  the  feathers  on  the  sides  of  the 
"breast  with  purplish  edges;  cjuills,  primarx-coverts  and  under  wing- 
■  covcils  brow^n-black  :  under  surface  of  the  quills  slate-lilack  ;  tail  black; 
'•bill  black;  feet  dull  brown-red;  iris  black  (D'Alberlis).  Total  length 
"  aliout  9^  inches,   wing  5^  inches." 

Some  of  the  discrepancy  is  the  difference  between  life 
nnd  death,  the  remainder  is  accounted  for  by  the  difference  of 
having  a  skin  in  the  hand  and  desci  ibini.;'  the  bird  as  it  disported 
in  the  aviary.  Under  the  play  of  lii.;ht  the  colouration  was  as 
described  at  the  beginning'  of  these  notes — purple  edges 
becoming  merged  under  the  conditions  into  a  general  sheen, 
which  appeared  as  it  flew  to  be  strongest  on  hind  neck,  lower 
back  and  sides  of  breast.  When  at  rest  under  the  shelter  roof 
very  little  purple  could  be  seen  from  the  nearest  point  it  allowed 
:■''  to  approach.  I  congratulate  our  member,  not  only  upon 
liie  possession  of  a  rare  and  beautiful  species,  but  also  upon  his 
hick  with  and  management  of  them — it  is  a  niedal  well 
earned. — W.  T.  P.\(;e.  I 


-O— 


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Weaver's  4  Wi?yt<at?'s   A^v^ar^y 
16 


fir^cp  €.5rr-a.l\   S'lrds     A^\iary 


jSryall 3i'^ds'  Aviarv 

14 


SrnaW  ^f'di  ^^iar\/ 
13 


PttjcIT  Bir<is'  /^vi'ar^^ 

13 


$^oil'b"-i!iAviarij 


SiyjHjirjj'/liia'y    ^ 
10 


7       Sbt'Tci- 


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sb;'"" 


T  A  r  H 

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><  i-S          i9 

S\?t\rir 

1                  ov 

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9^^raw^  Ic  itAttt, 


Visits  to  M outers'  Az'iorics.  245 

Visits  to  Members'  Aviaries. 

By  Wesley  T.  Page.  F.Z.S.,  M.B.O.U. 
{Continued  from  page  22p). 

Mr.  Shork  Baily's  Aviaries  and  Birds:  On    my 

arrival  at  Boyers  House  I  met  my  host  and  hostess;  it  was  still 
raining-,  but  after  tea  and  avicultural  gossip,  we  walked  through 
the  aviaries  in  waterproofs — do  I  hear?  "  What  mad  fools  those 
aviculturists  are  " — well,  we  do  not  mind,  gibe  on,  dear  reader, 
it  you  draw  any  satisfaction  therefrom — we  would  not  deny  you 
this  pleasure  for  worlds!  Then  came  dinner  and  a  long  talk 
before  retirement  for  the  night. 

Aviculture  here  is  upon  a  large  scale — there  are  twenty 
aviaries,  not  one  of  them  small,  and  several  are  huge  enclosures, 
besides  the  pheasant  runs,  crane  and  pea-fowl  paddot-ks.  and 
the  waterfowl  on  the  lake — one  clear  day  was  all  too  short  to 
take  them  in,  and  there  was  altogether  too  nuich  to  visualise 
them  for  future  use.  effectually  and  mentally,  even  with  the  aid  of 
notes — as  it  is.  I  missed  the  pheasantries  altogether  except  for 
the  Crossoptilons.  Therefore,  though  my  description  must 
necessarily  be  crude,  it  cannot  be  crow^ded  within  the  compass 
rf  one  instalment,  nor  justice  be  done  either  to  the  accommoda- 
tion or  the  large  series  of  birds,  and.  of  course,  in  so  short  a 
period  I  did  not  glimpse  all  of  them — however,  if  my  readers 
are  as  interested  in  my  notes  as  I  was  during  the  few  hours  I  was 
jotting  them  down  amid  the  birds,  this  description  will  not  have 
been  written  in  vain. 

The  aviaries  generally  have  a  rough  natural  character, 
plenty  of  herbage  and  bush  cover,  yet  all  have  an  open 
appear-ance — there  are,  however,  plenty  of  retreats  and  natural 
cover  for  the  birds.  For  the  roof-standards  willow,  silver 
poplar  and  elder  poles  (green-wood)  were  used;  most  of  them 
have  grown,  and,  though  cut  back  annually,  they  form  thick 
bushes,  with  plenty  of  stubby  forked  bi-anches  for  nesting  sites — 
tins  intensifies  the  rouglr  natural  aspect  of  the  aviaries,  there 
being  only  the  wire  netting  above  one's  head  and  round  the 
sides  to  remind  one  the  birds  are  enjoyingf  only  restrained 
liberty,  and  some  of  the  aviaries  are  so  huge  that  even  this 
nnpression  is  lost.  The  accompanying  ground  plan  and  photos 
of  the  weaver  aviary  will  enforce  what  I  have  written,  and  the 


24()  risits  to  Members'  Ai'iancs. 

careful  thought  that  has  been  expended  upon  tlieir  planning, 
also  how  effectually  extension  has  been  carried  on,  so  as  to 
form  a  complete  whole.  The  numbers  on  the  ground  plan  are 
mine  and  may  not  accord  with  those  Air.  Shore  Baily  uses;  they 
were  given  as  1  walked  round,  so  as  to  enable  me  to  localise  my 
notes,  which  latter  mostly  consisted  of  a  list  of  the  birds  1  saw. 
With  this  introduction  I  will  now  ask  my  readers  to  accompany 
MS  in  our  wahv  through  the  aviaries.  1  may  say  all  this  accom- 
modation runs  along  one  side  and  the  back  of  the  lawn,  thick 
shrubberies  shutting  them  out  of  vision  from  the  house  windows. 

Aviar\'  No.  i. — Aviaries  Nos.  i  to  8  are  constructed 
round  the  stable  and  garage  yard,  the  shelters  of  Nos.  7  and  8 
being  the  ])ortioned-ofT  stable.  No.  i  stands  alone,  a  roomy 
aviary  fully  15ft.  high — this  is  given  uj)  to  a  pair  of  African 
Spotted  Eagle-Owls  {Bubo  inaciilosiis)  which  have  already  been 
described  by  their  owner — they  are  handsome  l)irds,  in  psrfect 
condition,  and  should  ultimately  breed. 

Aviaries  2  to  8  form  one  range  on  the  op]>osite  side  of 
the  yard,  and  consist  of  a  long  shed  with  wire-netting  front  and 
partitioned  off  into  the  respective  divisions.  They  are  roomy 
:ind  form  very  effective  parrakeet  aviaries. 

No.  2:  This  contained  several  Pearly  Conures  {ryrrliitra 
i'crlaia),  a  rare  and  pretty  species,  which  next  season  should 
win  our  member  yet  another  F.B.C  breeding  medal. 

Their  description  from  Brit.  Miis.  Cat.  is  as  follows: 

"  Adult:      Green;   a  dull   frontal  Ijand,   another   on   the   lower  pari   of 

"  hind  neck;  cheeks,  ni)]ier  hreast,  sides,  vent,  outermost  upi)er  tail-coverts, 
bluish  :  pileimi  and  najie  hrown  ;  cheeks  more  or  less  greenish  on  the 
upper  part;  ear-coverts  brown-grey;  throat  and  breast  lirown,  with  lighter 

"  edges;  feathers  of  the  breast  with  two  cross-bands- — a  broader  one  light 
brown,  and  a  second  one  narrow  and  1)!ackish  at  Up:  a  brown-red  patch 
on  middle  of  abdomen,  sometimes  scarcely  visible,  .and  always  more  or 
less  hidden  by  liie  green  edges  of  the  feathers  ;  b;istard-wing  and  ))i-imary- 

"  coverts  blue:  first  primary  black,  the  remainder  deep  blue,  with  a 
narrow  brighter  edge  on  the  outer  webs;  secondaries  blue,  with  the  outer 
webs  green  ;  tertials  green  ;  bend  of  the  wings  and  smaller  under  wing- 
coverts  red,  the  greater  ones  blackish,  sometimes  some  of  them  reddish; 

"  quills  underneath  blackish  with  a  slight  olive  tinge;  tail  above  brown-red, 
but  redder  at  the  base  of  the  inner  web  of  the  feathers;  bill  horn-brown; 

"  feet  dusky.       Total   length  9.5  inches,    wing  5,   tail   4.6,   bill  o.hs,   tarsus 

•'  0.42.— B.L.C.,   Vol.         p.   22--8." 

T  quote  the  above  as  the  light  was  not  good,  and  tmder  the 


I'isits  to  .]J cinbcrs'  Ariarics.  247 

sl.;ulo\v  of  the  roof  one  could  not  rce  nnu-h,  neither  were  they 
steady  enough  to  allow  close,  continued  observation. 

No.  J  :        Similar  dimensions  but  empty. 

No.  4  :  This  aviary  contained  a  flock  of  blue-bred  Green 
Budgerigars  {Melopsittacus  iiiidnlatus)  which  had  not  proved 
(most  aviarists  have  had  similar  experiences  this  season)  as 
prolific  as  usual. 

No.  5  :  This  enclosure  was  given  up  to  Cockateels 
iCdlof^sittaciis  novac-hoUandiac),  and  contained  adults  and 
young  birds. 

No.  6:       Empty. 

No.  ~:  This  contained  a  pair  of  Maximilian's  Parrots 
{Pionns  iJia.viDuliaiii).  and  a  pair  of  hybrid  Necklace-Senega:! 
l-)oves,  which  are  fertile  inter  sc. 

No.  8:  Here  were  housed  a  fine  pair  of  Azure  Jays 
(Cyonocorax  cacriilcus),  as  beautiful  as  Fairy  Blue-Birds,  but 
as  Mr.  Shore  Baily  has  already  described  this  handsome  species 
(B.N.,  1922,  p.  47)  I  need  not  linger  thereupon,  with  so  mucli 
I0  describe.  They  were  in  perfect  health,  and  one  wonders 
that  they  have  not  bred. 

No.  q:  This  aviary  consisted  of  a  roomy  run  and 
shelter,  and  contained  a  small  flock  of  young  Manchurian 
Crossoptilons  (CrossoptUun  niaiicliiiriciiiii) — see  last  isstie  of 
B.N. — I  bespoke  a  pair  of  them,  which  have  just  come  to  hand, 
and  are  very  strong,  handsome  birds — they  do  full  credit  to  Mr. 
Shore  Baily's  skilful  rearing. 

\'Ve  now  pass  on  to  the  naturally  planted  wilderness 
aviaries,  one  or  two  of  which  are  merely  summer  quarters  for 
their  occupants.  All  have  streamlets  of  running  water 
meandering  through  them. 

S}iiall  Birds'  Aznary  No.  10:  This  is  about  20ft.  square 
approximately,  well  planted  with  privet  and  various  evergreen 
shrubs,  with  a  nice  shelter  in  one  corner.       It  contained  : 

5  young-  Peacock  Pheasants  (I'olyplcctron  cliiuquis). 

1    p.'iir   Saffron   Finches   {Sycalis  fiavcola). 

I   pair  Lilac-crowned  Fruit  Pigeons  (Ptilolnpns  coroniilatus). 

1  pair  Grey  Cardinals  {Paroaria  cucullata). 
T    c?    S.A.   Dick-cissel  (Spisa  amcricayjd) 

2  African  Thrushes  (species  incerf) 


j^X  I'isits  to  McDihcrs'  A'l'inrics. 

All  were  in  iierfect  health,  apparently  contented  and 
liai)py.  The   young"    I'eacock    I'heasants    were   birds    of   the 

year  and  a  hne  quintet. 

S))iall  Hirds'  Ai'iarx  No.  ii  :  Similar  to  number  ten.  but 
with  no  shelter.       Here  were  housed: 

I  pair  New  Guinea  Quail  {Synaccus  plmnhcns)  and  Im-qocI  of  3-oung. 

1    Kcd   Mountain   Dove   (Geotry'^oii    Dioutana). 

I    pair  Cordon    i'leus   {Estrilda  phoenicotis). 

i    pair   iUack-cheek  Waxbills  {listrilda  crythroiiota). 

1    pair  Grey   Singin.t^tinclies   (Serinus  leucopygiiis). 

Algerian  Chaffinch  mated  to  English  Chaffinch. 

I    pair   African   Rock    Buntings   {Fingilla    taUapisi). 

I   pair  Pope  Cardinals  [Faroaria  larvata). 

\   S  Black-headed  Siskin  (Chrysomitris  icterica). 

A  very  pretty  crowd  they  formed  too,  dispersed  amid 
liiC  living  greenery;  especially  interesting  were  the  family  party 
■  •(  New  Guinea  Quail — this  is  a  rare  species,  and  with  it  our 
member  gains  another  F.B.C.  breeding  medal— at  the  least 
movement  the  chicks  scattered  and  became  invisible  amid  the 
ground  herbage.       Vide  a  past  issue  of  current  vol.  of  B.N. 

Small  Birds'  Ai'iary  No.  12:  A  roomy  natural  aviary 
some  40ft.  by  15ft.       It  contained: 

I  pair  iMonaul  Pheasants  {Lopliophonts  iiupcymnis)  with  one  egg. 
1    pair   Red-collared  Wh.ydahs   (Pentlictria  ardois). 
I    pair  Cuban   i-'inches   (Phonipara   cmwra). 
•   pair  Rock  Buntings  (Frivgilla  tahapisi). 

The  Monauls  formed  a  gorgeous  spectacle  as  they  moved 
about  the  aviary:  the  hues  of  their  iridescent  plumage  change 
with  almost  every  movement  and  beggar  description.  The 
other  species  are  beautiful  but  well  known :  the  Rock  Buntings 
are  rare,  though  odd  specimens  have  occurred  for  some  years 
past. 

Small  Birds'  .Iz'iary  iVo.  ly.  Similar  in  size  and 
character  to  number  twelve.     Disporting  about  the  aviary  were  : 

1    jjair   Mislo  wSeed-finches  {^ycalis  Intcivoitris).       See   .Sept.    B.X.,   |).    \yq. 

I    pair   Zebra   Finches    {Taoiiopygia    casfanotis). 

Goldfinch  mated  to  Sikhim  Siskin  (C".   tibcfoiiux). 

I  ])air  Brazilian  Finches  (species  hiccrt). 

As  Mr.  Shore  Baily  has  already  told  the  tale  of  the  breeding 
if  the  Misto  Seedfinehes  (another  medal  record),  there  is  little 
for  me  to  add — they  are  of  unpretentious  appearance  and  do 
not  make  as  good  a  show  as  do  many  of  the  freely  imported 


J'isits  to  Members'  Ai'inrics.  249 

species.  The  Brazilian  (for  want  of  a  better  name)  l-'inches 
are  new  to  me,  and.  1  think,  rare  in  this  country  as  Hve  birds. 
The  few  particulars  I  mana.yed  to  glimpse  concerning  them 
are — frontal-band,  throat,  and  mmp  brick-red.  rest  of  plumage 
greyish-brown. 

Small  Birds'  Az'iary  No.  14  :  A  replica  of  the  foregoing, 
but  it  has  a  good  shelter  (Nos.  \2  and  13  have  no  shelters).  In 
this  aviary  the  growing"  cover  is  excellently  arranged,  nice  open 
spaces,  yet  ample  cover;  it  was  easy  to  ])ick  out  the  birds,  though 
this  aviary  had  but  few  occupants,  viz  : 

^    pair  Talpacoti    Doves   {Chamaeplia   talpacuti). 

I  Scaly  Dove  {Scardafella  squamosa). 

I  pair  Buffalo  Weavers  {Textor  niger  or  scncgaloisis). 

T   pair  Rock   Buntings  {Fringilla   taliapisi). 

3   S.   African   Buntings   (Fringillaria   impetuani). 

1    0    Bearded  Tits   {Panurus   bianuicits). 

I    cf    (jreen  Singingfinch   {Seri)Uis   icterus). 

The  Talpacoti  Dove  is  usually  a  free-breeding  species, 
yet  in  apparently  ideal  surroundings  this  pair  has  not  reared 
any  young  this  season,  so  far  as  my  notes  go — one,  however, 
could  hardly  expect  any  self-respecting  bird  to  go  to  nest  in 
such  weather  as  we  ha\'e  experienced  this  past  season.  The 
Buffalo  Weavers  are  uncommon  and  new  comers — these  formed 
part  of  a  consig-nment  of  African  birds  brought  over  by  Dr.  E. 
Hopkinson  early  in  the  summer — they  have  settled  down  well, 
but  up  to  the  time  of  my  visit  had  made  no  attempt  to  go  to 
nest.  'Hie  S.A.  Buntings  were  either  on  the  wing  or  skulking 
in  dark  corners  while  I  was  in  the  aviary,  so  I  got  no  oppor- 
tunity to  note  details  of  their  plumage. 

Finch  and  Small  Birds'  .Az'iary  No.  75:  A  still  larger 
aviary  and  beautifully  arranged,  though  it  contains  no  shelter, 
the  birds  migrating  elsewhere  for  the  winter  months.  One 
would  have  expected,  considering  the  space,  excellency  of 
natural  cover,  and  the  fewness  of  the  occupants  for  so  large 
an  aviary,  that  every  pair  would  have  gone  to  nest  and  found 
all  the  live-food  they  required  for  the  rearing  of  their  young 
•  V.  the  aviary.  But,  owing  probably  to  the  inclement  season, 
tilings  have  not  worked  out  that  way. 
Here  I  saw  : 

2   King    Ouzels    (Turdus   torqiiatns) 

T   pair  Cliineolo  Sono'-Sparrows  {Zonotricliia  pileata). 

I   \r.\\r  Misto   Seed-Finches  {.Sycalis  Intcivcutris). 


250  I'isits  1()  M t'Dihow'  .\riancs 

3   o    Paradise  Whydahs  {Stegaiiura  paradisea). 

I    Q    Crimson  Tragopan   {Tragopan  satyra).     Male   died. 

I  pair  Diamond  Doves  (GcopcUa  cuncata). 

The  only  family  party  I  saw  was  that  of  the  Chinj^olo 
Song-Sparrows,  and  I  watched  them  delightedly.  ( iarbed  in 
blackish-brown,  brown,  and  white,  yet  their  shar]ily-contrasted 
colour-pattern  made  them  noticeable  and  pleasing  birds  ;  they  are 
also  songsters  worthy  their  name.  Misto  Finches  have  bred, 
but  I  did  not  see  any  of  the  young  in  this  aviary;  but,  if  I 
recollect  aright,  they  had  a  brood  in  the  nest. 

IV cavers'  and  Whydahs'  Ai'iary  No.  lO  :  This  is  a  huge 
nnd  beautiful  aviary,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  photo  which 
illustrates  these  notes.  A  pleasing  feature  of  all  these  wilderness 
aviaries  is  the  miniature  streamlets  of  running  water  which 
Txieander  through  them,  with,  in  the  larger  ones,  clumps  of  tall 
reeds  and   willows   on  their  banks.  At  the   bottom   of  this 

aviary  there  is  a  large  shelter-shed  (a  roomy  aviary  in  itself), 
Mith  open  front,  and  a  good  depth  of  shingly  gravel  over  the 
floor.  Round  several   of  the   roof-standards   were   climbing 

rampant  brambles,  carrying  masses  of  fruit.  Again  the  birds 
vere  few  for  the  space,  but  all  the  more  charming  to  watch  for 
tliat — they  were  almost  as  free  as  in  their  native  wilds.  I  had 
an  hour  of  delighted  interest  in  this  aviary,  and  the  memor}' 
thereof  will  not  soon  fade.      I  noted  the  following  : 

.\dult  pair  Manchurian  Crossoptilons  (Crossoptiloii  viiiiiclniricuin). 

■  pair  Cape  Sparrows  (Passer  arciiatiis)  and  young". 

T  pair  Yellow-tliroated  Si)arro\vs  {species  iiicert.)  from   I'.rit.    I^.  .\frica. 

1    pair   Shore    Larks   {(Uocorys   alpestris). 

I    pair   Snow   Buntings    (Plectroplicnax   iih'olis). 

I    cf    Abyssinian   Weaver    {Hyphantoniis    melanoccpliala). 

I   c?  and  2  9   Bramble  Finches  {Fringilla  montifr'ingiUa). 

1    9    Weaver   (species   inccrt.) 

JVadcrs'  Az'iarics  i/  and  18:  Description  left  over  till 
next  momn. 

i\o.  IQ\  A  roomy  aviary  at  least  13ft.  high,  occupied 
i)v  a  fine  pair  of  Bengal  Eagle  Owls  (Bubo  bcngalcnsis)  which 
have  been  fully  described  in  past  issues  of  "  B.N." — they  are 
now  fully  adult  and  an  extremely  fine  pair. 

No.  20  :  A  replica  of  above,  containing  a  very  fine  [vair  of 
Falkland  Island  Eagie-Owls  (Bubo  z'iri;;inianus  falklandi 
islajidii). 

(To  be  continued). 


'>      r    o 


IS  c 


August,  ScpicDihcr  and  October  hi  My  A'Z'iarics.     251 

August,  September,  and  October  in    My  Aviaries. 

By  W.  Shore  Baily,  F.Z.S. 

My  summer  holidays  caused  an  unavoidable  break  in 
the  notes  on  the  happenings  in  my  aviaries. 

August  joth. — I  returned  for  one  day  and  found  that  the 
ycung    Twites     had     f^own ;    the     Crimson-crowned    Weavers 


Photo  by   IV 
Twite  at  Nest. 


Sliore  Bail\i.  F.Z.S. 


(Pyroinclaua  fammiccps)  had  hatched  two  young  ones,  but  these 
l^ad  been  drowned  in  a  heavy  rain  storm;  the  Red-billed  Weavers 
(Quclca  quclca),  whose  nest  was  more  sheltered,  had  two  well- 
ftathered  young  ones  in  the  nest;  the  Egyptian  Quail  {Cotoruix 


2^2    .\i(g,usi,  Scf'icniher  and  October  in  My  A7>iarics. 

conininnis)  had  brought  off  a  g-ood  brood  of  little  ones;  two 
young  I'inamous  were  lieing  reared  in  a  foster-mother.  The 
JMumbeous  Quail  (Syitaccus  plumbcus)  were  also  sitting  again, 
l)ut  in  looking  for  the  nest,  I  had  the  misfortune  to  step  upon 
and  kill  one  of  the  first  young  ones — a  very  handsome  little  cock. 
.\ugust  15th. — I  again  visited  the  aviaries  and  found  that 
ilie  Plumbeous  Quail  had  hatched  out  five  young  chicks;  my  pair 
(>f  Pope  Cardinals  {Paroaria  larvata)  were  sitting,  as  also  were 
my  Red  (iround  Doves  {Gcofry^^oii  uwniaua).  Nothing  else 
liad  occurred  of  much  interest. 

Au^s;iist  2()tli. — Returned  from  holiday  and     found    that 
Calif  ornian  Quails    {Lophortyx  calif  or  nica)    had  a  nice  lot  of 
young  chicks  running  about,  and  that  the  Rufous  Tinamous 
{ Rlixiichotiis  rufcsccns)  were  again  incubating. 
August  22nd. — Hybrid  Dove  left  nest. 
August  24th. — Cuban  Finch  {Phonipara  canora)  sitting. 
August  26th. — Second  pair  of  Calif  ornian  Quail  brought 
off  a  good  hatch. 

August  2/tlj. — Pope  Cardinal  sitting  again.  Her  first 
nest  of  eggs  failed  to  hatch. 

August  28th. — Nine  Rosey-billed  Ducklings  {M ctopiana 
pcposaca)  hatched.  As  it  was  so  late  in  the  season,  I  trans- 
ferred them  to  a  foster-mother,  where  they  are  doing  well. 

August  2gth. — (Guinea-fowl  hatched  seven  young  ones. 
These  were  a  second  brood.  They  met  with  a  trag'ic  end,  as. 
when  they  were  a  few-  weeks  old  they  got  through  the  wire 
netting  into  the  Adjutant  Storks'  paddock,  and  were  promptly 
swallowed  by  these  birds. 

August  ^oth. — Mahali  Weaver  (Ploccpasscr  mahali) 
finished  constructing  a  large  nest.  This  was  almost  as  large 
ar,  a  football,  and  much  the  same  shape;  it  had  an  entrance  hole 
m  the  side.  The  interior  is  roughly  lined  with  sheep's  w^ool. 
and  the  1)ird  uses  it  to  roost  in  at  night.  I  have  no  hen  with 
him,  but  he  badly  wants  a  mate,  as  he  is  alw-ays  singing  and 
displaying  to  the  other  birds  in  the  aviary  with  him. 

August  ^ist. — Had  a  visit  from  our  Editor.  Mr.  Weslev 
T  Page.  and.  needless  to  say,  had  several  long  chats  on  birdy 
matters. 

September  ist.—  -*Caha.n\s'  Weaver  {Hyphantornis  vclatus) 

*  Daniara  Weaver  Bird — Anderssotis  Birds  of  Damara  Land. — Ed. 


CO 

O 

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CQ 


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^  I 

C      " 


/^     <o 


Aitgitst.  Scl'toJibcr  and  Octubcr  in  My  Ai'iarics.     253 

sitting-  again.  This  is  the  third  time,  and  on  each  occasion  the 
ep'gs  have  been  infertile. 

September  2nd. — Saw  a  large  flock  of  Fieldfares  flying- 
over.  This  is  very  early  (the  earliest  record)  for  this  part  of 
the  country. 

Scptoiiber  V'd. — Cape  Sparrow  (Passer  arcuotus)  laid. 

Sepfonber  4th. — Buffalo  Weaver  and  Scaly  Dove  died, 
from  the  result  of  a  very  cold  night  I  suspect. 

September  jith. — Red  (iround  Dove  ((/'.  iJiuntana)  sitting 
again.  In  every  case  this  season  they  have  deserted  their  eggs 
just  as  they  were  on  the  point  of  hatching. 

Septonber  6th. — Second  pair  of  Cuba  h^inches  (P.  eanora) 
sitting. 

September  8tli. — Hybrid  Doves  hatclied  one  young  squall. 

Septeniber  Qtli. — Rats  invaded  Waders"  aviary,  and  before 
we  could  catch  them  they  killed  a  troop  of  Quail,  hve  Knots, 
and  my  only  Reeve. 

September  intJi. — Xecklace  Senegal  Dove  liatched  out 
cue  young  squal). 

September  i^tli. — Had  a  visit  from  Dr.  Hopkinson.  He 
had  met  with  very  many  of  my  Ijirds  in  their  wild  state,  and  he 
was  able  to  name  for  me  some  brown  buntings  1  have  had  for 
years,  which  no  one  who  had  seen  them  previously  had  been 
able  to  do  so.  The  birds  were  Fringillaria  impetuani,  and  I 
hope  one  day  to  be  able  to  record  their  successful  l)reeding 
in  my  aviaries. 

September  lOtli. — Cape  Sparrows  hatched. 

September  i8th. — Tinamou  gave  up  sitting— eggs  infertile. 

September  20th. — Hybrid  Dove  left  nest. 

September  21st. — Young  Yellow-rumj^ed  Serin  (Serijiiis 
a}igolensis)  on  the  wing.  This  youngster  must  have  been  at 
least  a  month  old,  and  probably  more,  when  T  first  saw  it. 
f  never  found  the  nest,  and  the  young  bird  nmst  have  lain  very 
low.  Probably  this  was  the  reason  it  survived,  as,  where  there 
are  many  birds  in  the  aviary,  these  little  finches  have  but  a  small 
chance  of  surviving. 

September  2.////. — Snow  P.unting  (Plectrophena.r  ji'n'alis) 
(bed.  These  birds  do  not  seem  to  live  long  in  an  a\iary.  1 
have  had  quite  a  flock,  but  none  of  them  have  lived  more  than 


254     Aiti^iist.  Scl^icDibcr  and  October  in  My  /Iviarics. 

two  years  with  iiie.*  One  would  have  thought  that  there 
sliotild  be  no  (hfficuUy  with  stich  liardy  birds. 

September  25th. — (Jiant  Whydahs  (Cliera  proenc)  shed 
their  tails,  both  on  the  same  day. 

Septejiiber  2jth. — Necklace-Senegal  Dove  hybrid  left  nest. 

September  2Qtli. — J'lunibcous  (_)iiail  (.V.  plitmheits)  laying 
again. 

Or/o/'rr.--  1  )uring  this  month  we  aim  to  get  most  of  the 
l/irds  caught  up  and  placed  in  their  winter  quarters.  Where 
the  aviaries  are  large  the  only  way  is  to  trap  them,  and  this  is 
often  a  lengthy  process,  as  the  birds  once  they  have  seen  their 
companions  being  captured,  get  shy  of  the  traps  and  will  refuse 
to  go  near  them.  I  have  more  than  once  had  birds  die  of 
starvation  rather  than  enter  them.  In  the  smaller  aviaries  we 
catch  them  up  with  a  hand  net,  and  not  always  without 
casualties. 

October   ^t;/. — Cuba   lynches  {J\   canora)   sitting    again 
It  was  very  late  but  T  gave  her  a  chance. 

October  ^^th. — Young  Ca])e  Sparrows  {f\  arciiatits)  left 
nest,  but  the  early  mornings  were  very  cold,  and  they  did  not 
long  stu'vive. 

October  12th. — Pope  Cardinals  (/'.  larvata)  laid  again — 
eggs  removed. 

October  lOtli. — Cuba  I'lnch  (/'.  canora)  hatclied  out. 

October  20th. — Lilac-crowned  Fruit-Pigeon   sick.  In 

SI, ite  of  every  care  it  died  ten  days  later  from  ])neumonia.  Wc 
had  a  Aery  hea\y  frost,  following  a  wet  night,  and  this  proved 
too  much  for  the  hen,  although  the  cock  was  not  affected. 
These  birds  would  always  roost  oittside,  unless  at  roosting  time 
the  weather  was  very  wild  and  wet. 

October  :;otIi. — I'ook  Cuba  Finches  and  their  yoting 
iiiside.       \'erv  nice  little  l)irds. 


1   had  a  cock  wliicli  lived  7^  years  in  my  avia'^y  'j"t  ^^  was  an  exception  ; 
its  male  died  nine  months  after  arrival.— Ed. 


S3 

o 
o 


Notes  0)1  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life.  255 

Notes  on  Jungle  and  other  Wild  Life. 

By  Dr.  Casey  A.  Wood,  M.B.O.U. 
(C'ontinued  from  ["ogc  218). 

It  is,  of  course,  a  yreat  temptation  to  talk  about  the 
wonderful  orehids  of  the  Guiatws,  but  who  am  I  to  discuss,  even 
•  n  the  haphazard  fashion  of  this  informal  letter  a  subject  that 
has  been  treated  many  times  by  a  dozen  competent  botanists  ? 
For  example.  Rodway  {Timchr'u  Xo\.  VIII.,  1894,  p.  1-270) 
nearly  thirty  years  ag"o  described  in  his  interesting  fashion 
about  300  varieties. 

Since  that  date  possibly  a  hundred  new  species  have  been 
identified  and  described.  ( )f  these  400  species  I  have  seen  in  the 
jungle,  botanic  t^ardens  and  elsewhere,  about  50  varieties  in 
bloom  and  100  more  flowerless;  and  have  owned  and  become 
somewhat  familiar  with  about  thirty  species.  So  you  perceive 
how  experienced  an  orchidist  I  am!  However,  I  happen  to 
know  that  few  South  American  orchids  are  easily  collected,  and 
how  many  of  them  love  to  blush  and  bloom  near  the  top  of  a 
g'iant  fig  or  a  tall  Eta  palm,  practically  inaccessible  to  the 
ordinary  climber,  even  if  he  survives  the  onset  of  regiments  of 
ferocious  ants  lying  in  wait  to  "  eat  'em  alive  "  who  venture 
aloft.  Moreover,  the  rootlets  of  these  aerial  plants,  often  inter- 
twined with  "  bush  ropes  "  or  lianas,  frequently  harbour 
scorpions,  tarantulas  and  centipedes  that  do  not  respect  the  feel- 
ings of  an  intruder.  Tlie  rarest  and  most  interesting  are  not,  as  a 
rule,  found  on  the  banks  of  accessible  rivers  and  creeks,  but  are 
to  be  sought  in  the  depths  of  the  forest,  in  distant  swamps  and 
:n  the  far  interior,  where  the  white  man  is  seldom  or  never  seen. 
It  is,  accordingly,  to  the  Indian,  the  bush  negro,  and  the  bovi- 
ander  that  one  looks  for  the  usual  supply  of  these  curious  plants. 

They  are  brought  to  Georgetown  and  generally  find  a 
ready  purchaser. 

I  started  an  orchid  garden  at  the  Zoological  Station  last 
year,  but  soon  exhausted  the  local  supply,  so  far  as  species 
was  concerned.  I  also  found  that  the  natives  brought  in  of 
other  varieties  plants  that  were  fated  to  bloom  "  next  month." 
The  majority  of  these  grew  and  flourished  as  plants,  but  forgot 
ro  burst  into  flower  at  the  appointed  date.       However,  I  took 


256  A'utcs  oil  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life. 

much  pleasure  in  watching'  my  plants  grow,  in  their  various  odd 
fashions,  and  had  a  good  time  with  them.  Most  were  epiphytes 
and,  wired  to  an  old  stump  or  tree,  or  suspended  in  improvised 
containers  from  any  overliead  sup])ort,  flourished  exceedingly. 
\  few  grow  honestly  and  in  approved  manner  from  a  bed  of 
sand;  but  these  were  regarded  as  rare. 

Rodway  has  pointed  out  how  often  the  species  of  a 
particular  genus  inhabit  the  different  life-planes  of  the  Guiana 
jungle.  Take,  for  example,  the  genus  Casctuin,  of  which 
('.  discolor  is  i)robably  the  oldest  form.  This  pale,  yellow- 
green  variety,  with  its  hood-like  ffowers,  prefers  sand-reefs  and 
old  charcoal  pits.  C.  inacrocarpum-  "  has  made  a  leap  upward, 
and  lodged  itself  in  the  lower  branches  of  trees,  often  just 
above  the  surface  of  creek  or  swamp,  while  C".  longifolinm  has 
got  to  the  top  of  the  Eta  palm  and  settled  under  its  crown." 

After  receiving  in  the  neighbourhood  of  twenty  bites  for 
every  ])lant  at  whose  capture  1  assisted,  1  decided  to  collect  no 
more  until  1  was  able  to  acquire  by  purchase  something  rich 
and  rare  in  the  orchid  line.  L'inally  the  opportunity  presented 
itself,  and  I  now  rest  from  my  labours,  because,  outside  one 
of  E's  windows,  and  securely  fastened  to  the  jalousie  thereof 
i.j  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  if  not  an  exceedingly  rare  specimen, 
of  Cattlcya  z'iolacca  sul^erba  from  the  distant  Rupununi.  It 
licars,  in  addition  to  a  number  of  buds  of  promise,  five  lovely 
rosy-purple  flowers,  each  about  five  inches  across  and  borne  on 
the  apex  of  a  club-shaped  bulb,  the  latter  attended  by  two  thick, 
rigid,  shiny  leaves.  Even  if  we  have  no  additional  blooms,  we 
rejoice  in  the  present  radiance  of  these  glorious  flow^ers,  and 
when  we  leave  the  colony  we  shall  present  this  rare  plant  to 
someone  who  will  cherish  its  aristocratic  loveliness  and  who 
will,  1  am  sure,  be  rewarded  by  a  renewal  of  its  purple  glory. 

And  now  it  is  time  to  say  farewell  to  both  South  America 
and  to  you:  and  if  we  three  never  meet  again,  I  hope  two  of 
iis  had  a  good  gossip  about  the  "'  thing's  that  are." 

CASEY  A.  WOOD. 

P.S. — The  normal  human  being  delights  in  the  experience 
cf  a  "  one-man"  comi)anionsliip  of  whatever  sex  or  species. 
That  is  the  reason  for  admiring"  the  attachment  of  tlie  soldier 
for  his  horse,  of  the  hunter  for  his  dog.       J-fe  who  goes  through 


Notes  on  Jitiii^lc  and  Other  Wild  Life. 


-:>/ 


life  without  knowing"  the  single  purpose  affection  of  a  collie  or 
an  Airedale  for  his  master  has  missed  something.  To  be  fully 
aware  that  some  one  animal  believes  in  you  "  through  and 
tlirough  "  and,  clinging  to  you  alone,  or  to  you  before  all 
others,  hangs  upon  your  words  and  lives  upon  your  approval, 
not  because  you  are  wise,  wealthy  or  beautiful,  but  sim})ly 
because  "  you  are  you  " — such  unselfish  devotion  is  mighty 
rare  in  this  unhappy  world,  and  is  well  worth  living  for. 

This  quality,  best  known  among  the  canine  race,  is  by 
no  means  confined  to  them ;  and  you  would  be  surprised  to  learn, 
if  you  have  not  studied  the  subject,  how  developed  it  is  in  many 
species  of  birds.  It  is  marked  in  parrots,  not  only  in  the 
larger  species — Amazons,  African  greys.  Macaws,  etc., — but 
among  many  of  the  parrakeets.  lorikeets,  conures  and  others. 

Numerous  individuals  of  these  highly  intelligent  birds 
have  made  faithful  and  acceptable  companions  for  their  human 
relatives. 

Just  why  a  parrot  selects  some  particular  man,  woman  or 
child  as  his  "  aflfinity  "  nobody  exactly  knows,  except  that 
domesticated  lairds  generally  carry  out,  as  far  as  possible,  the 
inherited,  daily  programme  of  their  wild  state.  Being  mono- 
gamous (parrots  mate  early  and  retain  the  same  companion 
until  death  parts  them),  roosting,  feeding,  flying,  and  living 
their  forest  life,  strictly  paired;  it  appears  that  when  tamed  and 
debarred  from  mating  with  one  of  their  own  species  tney  choose 
an.other,  of  the  human  race! 

Happy  is  the  bird  who  has  really  found  a  mate  for  whom 
liis  soul  longs,  and  thrice  unhappy  if  surrounded  by  uncongenial 
people  who,  knowing  him  not.  have  bought  him  merely  on 
account  of  his  beautiful  plumage  or  his  conversational  powers 
without  consideration  of  the  all-important  question  "  does  he 
like  me  ?" — not,      do  I  like  him  ?" 

When  I  was  at  the  N.Y.  Zoological  Station,  Kartabo,  last 
year.  1  was  fortunate  in  making  the  acquaintance  of  another 
one-man  "  bird,  a  fine,  Indian-raised  example  of  the  Curassow 
(Crax  nigra)  or,  as  the  Guiana  natives  call  him,  the  Powee  or 
Powis  Bird,  from  his  plaintive  call  of  poivec-poivcc.  He  had  a 
beautiful,  black,  iridescent  mantle,  white,  downy  underparts, 
and  a  highly  ornamental,  curly  crest;  and  was  about  the  size 
of  a  small  turkey. 


258  Notes  0)1  Jioigle  and  Other  Wild  Life. 

Under  the  name  "  Craxy,"  lie  roamed  at  will  about  the 
Station.  We  became  great  friends,  and  eventually  he  would 
allow  none  but  me  to  touch  him.  We  often  took  walks  together 
and  afforded  much  amusement  to  my  associates  when  they  saw 
this  bird,  witli  dignified  gait  and  an  apparent  sense  of  his  impor- 
tance, strutting"  along  a  jungle  trail  with  his  solitary  human 
companion.  As  night  came  on  he  always  waited  about  until  I 
was  ready  to  accompany  him,  a  hundred  yards  away,  to  his 
favourite  roosting  tree — an  immense  wild  fig  that  overhung" 
the  Cuyuni  River — at  the  very  top  of  which,  perhaps  forty  yards 
from  the  ground,  he  spent  the  night.  Arriving  at  the  tree, 
be  slowly  climbed  and  flew  from  limb  to  limb  until  I  lost  him 
from  view  amid  the  thick  foliage  and  in  the  fast  falling  shades 
o^  the  tropical  night.  At  daybreak  Craxy  was  wont  to  fly  froni 
his  tree,  as  straight  as  he  could,  to  my  tent,  but,  I  fear,  not 
always  making"  a  good  shot  of  it.  At  least  I  was  several  times 
accosted  at  breakfast  with  a  remark  like  this  :  "  That  confounded 
bird  of  yours  landed  on  my  tent  early  this  morning  and  woke 

me  out  of  a  sound  sleep;  the  next  time  he  does  it ."       ^ Jf 

course  I  apologised  and  explained  that  I,  too.  was  waked  by  a 
chorus  of  powee-powec' s  that  did  not  cease  until  T  rose  and, 
pyjama-clad,  led  the  hungry  l)ird  around  to  the  cook  and  begged 
some  favourite  scraps  for  his  breakfast. 

During"  the  day  Craxy  lived  around  the  Station,  occasion- 
ally visiting  the  laboratory,  from  which  he  was  often 
ignominiously  expelled  by  some  investigator  whose  "  material 
■  le  had  examined  for  the  purpose  of  deciding  whether  it  was 
edible  or  not.  Otherwise  his  time  was  largely  occupied  in 
the  useful  work  of  exterminating"  grasshoppers  and  other  insects. 
At  length  the  time  arrived  for  me  to  leave  Kartabo  and  for 
Craxy  to  be  sent  to  the  Bronx  Park,  for  which  he  was  originally 
slnted,  and  as  only  I  could  do  it  easily  I  had  to  commit  the  crime 
oT  caging  this  free  bird.  Oh  f  how  I  hated  the  job!  It  was 
no  trick  at  all  to  lure  him  into  the  wire  enclosure  provided  for 
birds  awaiting  transportation,  and  then  to  close 'the  door  as  I 
emerged,  but  "  alas  ,the  silence  in  the  trees  "!  The  outraged 
bird  would  not  even  look  at  nie  next  day,  and  would  not  come 
at  my  call.  I  did  not  blame  him,  for  had  I  not  deserted  and 
betrayed  him?  However,  the  day  before  I  left  we  w^ere,  I 
think,  entirely  reconciled,  and  I  forgiven.       During  the  night  I 


Nesting  of  the  Caf^e  Turtle  Dove.  259 

visited  him  in  his  cage,  calhng  softly,  "  powee-powee-powee." 
He  came  over,  put  out  his  lovely  crested  head  and  allowed 
himself  to  be  caressed  as  in  the  old  days.  And  now  I  am 
v/ordering  if  Craxy  will  recognise  me  when  I  visit  him  at  the 
Bronx  next  month  ? 

♦ — 

Nesting  of  the  Cape  Turtle  Dove. 

(Turtiir  capicola). 
By  Wesley  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  M.B.O.U. 

{Continued  from  page  2^4). 

Quite  early  in  the  present  year  I  noticed  the  male  courting 
the  female,  and  driving  her  about  considerably;  a  little  later  I 
noticed  them  together  searching  the  different  quarters  of  the 
aviary,  evidently  prospecting  for  a  nest-site ;  still  later  I  saw 
them  carrying  small  sticks  about,  but  they  were  very  secretive, 
though  I  know  one  or  two  abortive  attempts  were  made  to 
construct  a  nest ;  then  I  missed  one  of  the  birds  and  concluded 
that  incubation  had  begun — pressure  on  my  time  kept  me  from 
searching  for  the  nest  for  fully  a  fortnight.  When  the  oppor- 
tunity came  I  took  a  good  look  round  for  their  nest,  and  at  last 
I  found  it  and  then  discovered  that  I  had  been  passing  it 
closely  daily  as  I  went  in  to  the  shelter  to  renew  food  supplies ; 
!t  was  about  twelve  inches  above  the  height  of  my  head.  A 
slight  rustling  drew  my  attention  to  it.  A  roof-standard,  loft. 
high,  supporting  the  front  of  roof  of  covered  part  of  flight,  was 
encircled  by  a  dense  mass  (about  I2ins.  through)  of  Polygonum 
creeper,  at  the  height  of  7ft.,  where  the  nest  was  placed,  the 
creeper  had  been  trodden  flat  and  thereupon  had  been  con- 
structed quite  a  substantial  nest  for  a  dove;  the  grow^th  of 
creeper  was  much  thinner  above  the  nest,  but  sufflciently  thick 
to  conceal  it  effectually — the  creeper  grew  thruogh  the  roof 
netting  and  formed  a  dense  cone  above  it,  leaving  it  well- 
sheltered  as  well  as  well-concealed;  but  for  the  movement  of 
the  birds  I  should  not  have  discovered  it.  A  look  into  the 
rest  revealed  two  half-developed  squabs,  an  ugly  mass  of  pen 
feathers;  a  week  later  they  left  the  nest,  fully  fledged,  robust, 
but  of  weak  flight.  They  spent  two  or  three  days  upon  the 
ground,  mostly  in  the  shelter,  where  I  saw  their  parents  feed 


26o      Records  of  Birds  zvliich  lunw  Bred  in  Ca/^tiz'ify. 

them  several  times.  ( )n  the  fourth  day  after  tlieir  exit  from 
the  nest  they  were  flying'  strongly  and  followed  their  parents 
where'er  they  went. 

From  subsecjuent  nests  J  gleaned  that  the  incubation 
period  was  fourteen  days,  and  that  the  young  left  the  nest  on 
the  fourteenth  to  sixteenth  day  after  hatching. 

In  all  at  least  four  clutches  of  eggs  were  laid,  the  same 
nest  being'  used  on  each  occasion.  The  eggs  were  white  and 
almost  as  round  as  a  marble,  smallish  for  the  size  of  the  bird. 
Six  young  birds  have  been  fully  reared. 

These  are  handsome  doves  for  the  mixed  aviary,  of 
graceful  contour  and  pleasing  colouration,  amiable  witli  other 
birds,  non-interfering  in  every  respect,  yet  quite  able  to  keep 
nil  comers  from  intruding  upon  the  nest. 

So  far  as  I  know  the  young  never  went  near  the  nest  once 
they  had  flown,  at  any  rate  I  never  saw  them. 

As  soon  as  the  adult  hen  was  nesting  again,  the  young 
were  forsaken  by  both  parents  and  had  to  look  entirely  after 
themselves,  proving  to  be  quite  as  amiable  as  their  parents,  yet 
fully  able  to  take  their  own  part — there  were  five  other  species. 
o<"  doves  in  the  aviary,  some  of  them  the  reverse  of  amiable, 
but  all  the  vouni>-  which  left  the  nest  (six  in  all)  have  sur\-ive(l. 


Post  Mortenis  for  the  Month. 

For   Rules  7'/(/r  ]>;i,ijc  ii.   of  Cm-cr. 
i-';u):2J.        \\'hitk   Java    Sparrciw    (?):  from    T.    ().    Harrison,    Esq., 

Sumlerland. — .'\cuU'    intlamniation    of    oviduct    and    cloaca  ;    a    sofl-shellcd 

egg  was  present.       The  l)ird  was  otherwise  in  good  condition. 
]6  :  10  -.22.      Orakgi-:  Wkavicu  (M.ile) :      from  Mrs.  Alice  Chatterton,  Ruisl'p.^ 

'i'lie  liird  was  excessively  fat.   with  fatt\-  degeneration  of  the  liver,   and  a 

terminal  bronchitis. 

2o:io:2J.        Mkai.y    Roski.i.a    (.Male):        from    T.    (loodwin,    F.s'i.,    London. 
.S.E. — The  h'rd  was  very  thin  and  wasted,  with  .an  acute  Catarrhal  enteritis. 

October  31st,   1922.  (^   H     HTCK.S. 


o  CC 

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'HAll  !^lgbt$  !J\(i$(trvc6.  i>(iccmbcr.    1922 

BIRD  NOTES: 

—  THE  — 

JOURNAL     OF     THE     FOREIGN     BIRD     CLUB. 
^i■-■-■lr-■-■-■.■.■^.■---■-■■■-■-^i*--.■-■-■■■.■-■«-.■.-.■,■.■.■«■--.■.■-*. 

Visits  to  Members'  Aviaries. 

By  Wesley  T.  Page.  F.Z.S..  M.B.O.U. 
(Caiichtdcd  from  page  2§o). 

Note:  Plate  "  In  Weavers'  Aviary,"  facings  pag'e  251, 
should  face  page  250. 

CORRIGENDA:  I^age  22~  line  16  for  "  roseicapilla  " 
read  roseicollis;  page  248,  lines  12  and  26.  and  page  249,  line  14, 
for  "  Fn>igilla  "  read  Fringillaria. 

TifK  W'adkrs'  Aviary  :  This  is  a  really  extensive  and 
beautiful  enclosure,  a  pond  at  either  end,  the  top  one  being', 
except  in  the  centre,  a  dense  mass  of  reeds  and  rushes,  and  the 
lower  one  with  a  larg"e  patch  of  sea-g'ravel  in  front  of  it,  while 
down  one  side  of  the  aviary  meandered  a  shallow  streamlet, 
its  margins  being-  studded  with  reeds,  flags  and  other  bog" 
plants,  and,  in  the  writer's  opinion,  the  whole  formed  an  ideal 
home  for  Waders  and  Mar.sh-birds.  Some  idea  of  its  beauty, 
practical  character,  and  extent  is  indicated  in  the  photo-plate 
illustrating-  these  notes. 

Wandering-  about,  or  on  the  wing",  apparently  cpiite  at 
home  in  their  quarters,  I  noted  the  following-  species  : 

Spoonbills  (Platalea  Icuconxiia) 

Scarlet   Ibis  {Eudociiini.s-  ruber). 

r.nr-tail  Godwit  (I.'iniosa  lappoiiica). 

Civcy    Plover    {Sqiiatarnla    helvetica). 

Knots    (Tringa    camttus). 

Dunlin   (T .  alpina). 

RulTs  and  Reeves  {Machetes  pugna.v). 

Peacock   Pheasants   (Polyplectron    chiiiquis-). 

Common  Quail   (Coturnix  communis). 

Hybrid   Senegal-Necklace   Doves. 

Mislo   Sees-Finches   [Sycalis   httcii'entris). 


j62  I'isils  1(>   McDihcrs'   .\7'ia)-ics. 

Slri|)(.'  lioaded   ( H'osbeal^s  [I'lilinsplza    :^iil(iris\. 

Twites  (Lin  at  a  flaviros/ris). 

(irey-licadcd  Sparrows  {i'asscr  (lilliisiis). 

J'led-headed    Hunting   (Entbcriza   lutcohi) 

Java  Sjjarrows  (Miiiiia  oryzii'ora). 

Russ'  Weaver  {Qiiclca  nissi). 

Mistlc-Tlirusli    {Tiinliis   ^'isriroriix). 

Ring  Ouzels   [T .   torquatus). 

Shore    I,;iri<s  (Otocorys  al/^cstris). 

Cabot's    Tragopan    {Tnii^^nf^ini    caboti). 

W'liite-lireasted   Water-Tlen    (Aiiiatironiis   pliooiicnra). 

All  the  roof  supports,  few  silver  poplar  but  mostly 
willow,  have  i^rown  and  make  excellent  cover  and  nesting"  sites 
for  the  passerine  species.  1  fain  would  describe,  if  1  could,  the 
shallow  stream  running"  down  one  side  of  the  aviary,  startin,^' 
just  to  the  left  of  the  reed-bed  pond  at  the  top  of.  and  disappear- 
iuij;  at  the  bottom  end  of  the  aviary,  amid  the  sea-i^ravel,  findin;^' 
its  way,  of  course,  into  the  small  lake-like  pond  of  open-water, 
which  adjoins  (meets)  the  sea-gravel  and  has  a  background  of 
reeds  and  other  herbage,  while  stretching"  away  on  the  right  is  ri 
stretch  of  reedy,  flag'g'y,  weedy  growth,  and  amid  this  T  watched 
the  waders  pass  to  and  fro — while  many  (most  of  them)  ar " 
resident  species;  how  seldom  we  see  them,  and  how  they  differ 
in  form  and  deportment  from  the  more  in  evidence  British 
species. 

There  were  other  Rails  (Water-Hens)  in  the  aviary,  but  1 
only  caught  a  momentary  glim]:)se  of  the  White-breasted  Water- 
Hen  (an  Indian  species  which,  T  think,  Mr.  Shore  Baily  got 
from  me):  they  had  an  ample  cover,  and  appeared  and  disap- 
peared as  easily  as  does  the  English  Moorhen  at  home  on  its 
n.ative  heath.  T  have  no  note  of  the  other  species,  as  I  only 
listed  what  T  saw. 

Even  now  I've  not  described  that  streamlet  running  the 
entire  length  of  the  aviary,  save  to  state  where  it  began  and 
ran  to.  It  was  a  rtmning  length  of  open  and  cover  on  one 
side  the  streamlet  or  the  other:  here  a  small  cltnnii  of  willows, 
their  leaves  flicking  the  sitrface  of  the  stream  (not  much  water 
there  though),  there  a  bunch  of  reed,  now  a  series  of  flags,  and 
water  dock  does  the  needful,  both  for  picturesque  effect  and 
l^iactical  purpose.  The  birds  certainly  did  wade  and  bathe  here, 
pa;:serines  as  well  as  waders — what  a  foraging  ground  it  was  for 


l''isils  to  Members'  Ai'iaries.  ::6^ 

;ill  of  ihem.  and  what  an  amount  of  meaty  food  they  i^ained  there- 
from my  eyes  had  abundant  evidence. 

In  this,  thoui^'h  a  waders'  aviary.  Misto  Seed-finches. 
Grey-headed  Sparrows.  Twites,  Quail,  etc..  have  nested  and 
successfully  reared  their  youn.L;-.  I)ut.  so  far  as  the  writer  is 
aware  none  of  tlie  waders  have  nested  up  to  the  present-  - 
undoubtedly  this  is  a  pleasant  experience  for  the  future,  for, 
with  such  accommodation,  it  is  sure  to  come. 

It  is  beyond  me  to  describe  the  internal  natural  lieauty 
of  this  aviary,  but  the  photo-rejjroduction  will  .i;ive  some  idea 
of  ])art  of  it — it  would  need  at  least  half  a  dozen  photos  to 
eflectively  H£iure  the  whole,  and  these  would  reqtu're  to  be  in 
colour  if  they  were  to  tell  the  whole  story. 

The  Lakk  :  A  nice  photo  of  this  ])icturesque  piece  of 
water  appeared  in  a  back  vol.  of  P>iri)  Xotks,  when  it  was  well 
stocked;  now  it  is  very  different ;  the  beauty  of  the  spot  remains, 
but  the  fine  wealth  of  water-fowl  is  no  more,  for  durino-  the 
war  the  foxes  broke  throu!j;'h  the  fences,  and  all  that  are  left  of 
ihi'  lart^'e  flock  of  wnter-fowl  are  a  comparatively  few.  mostly 
G.id  birds,  as  under  : 

l';iir   Ro.sy-hilled   Ducks  (Mctopiana  prcposacu). 

|)riir  Cliiloe  Wigcoii   (Mareca  sibilatrix}. 

2  Cliilian   Teal   (Nettium  favlrostris).     Piotli   drakes. 

(^    Yellow-billed   Duck   (Anas  iindulata). 

{f    Ked-headed   Pochard   (Nyroca  ferina). 

Pair  Common  Wigeon  (Mareca  penclopc). 

(^    Upland    Goose    (Cliloepliaga   viagellanica). 

Some  Cliiloe  W'iL'.eon  hybrids.   Moorhens,  and  2  Common  Ducks. 

Still,  amid  the  quietude  of  the  late  afternoon  and  the 
beauty  of  the  scene,  they  made  a  brave  and  interesting"  picture. 
'J  here  was  plenty  to  attract  and  interest,  for,  now  they  were 
sailing"  buoyantly  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  now  beneath  it 
wirh  the  onlooker  expectantly  watching"  for  their  re-.ippea ranee, 
and  anon  in  the  air  above  it — as  it  were  as  a  whole  seeing  them 
indulge  in  almost  every  form  of  exercise  and  activity  under  the 
^v.n.  But,  I  fain  would  have  had  to  write  of  re-prodtiction 
Ijrocesses — stop,  tin's  was  not  entirely  absent,  for  in  a  coop  on 
the  lawn  were  a  brood  of  some  half-dozen  healthy  ycung  Rosy- 
iiilled  ducklings,  only  a  few  days  old  but  promising"  well. 

Thi:  Paddocks  :  The^^  ^dioined  the  Waders'  aviary 


264  I'isits  to  }f embers'  Az.'iarics. 

and  consisted  of  a  meadow  partitioned  off  into  the  three  paddock 
enclosures,  a  stream  crossed  the  left  side  of  meadow  with  a 
paddock  on  either  side  of  it.  In  the  far  one  were  fine  pairs  of 
Demosille  (^ranes  (Anthrapoidcs  z'irgo)  and  Horned  (ininea 
Fowl  in  the  very  pink  of  condition. 

In  the  next  were  pairs  of  T.esser  Adjutant  Storks 
{Lcptof'tiliis  jaTaiiiciis),  Black-wing"ed  Peafowl  (Pa-i'o  DJiiticiis). 
and  Upland  Cieese  (Chlocpliaga  magcUanica). 

The  peafowl  were  simply  g"or!L;"eous,  and  a  nice  little 
troupe  of  their  prog'eny  were  picking-  up  a  living-,  on  their  own, 
en  the  tennis  lawn. 

\  must  have  a  word  en  passant  about  the  Adjutant  Storks, 
wdiich  were  one  of  my  private  importations,  and  which  I  much 
regretted  not  having"  the  space  to  retain  myself — I  had  a  small 
paddock,  30-40  yards  square,  I  could  have  given  luem,  but 
there  was  no  pond,  so  I  let  them  most  reluctantly,  depart  for 
Boyers  House,  w^here  they  have  done  well,  being  now  in  full 
adult  plumage  and  looking  "  very  fine  and  handsome  "'  in  spite 
of  their  vulterine  bald  heads  and  necks ;  their  plumage  was 
spotless,  and  their  colouration  beatitiful  l^lue-grey,  black  and 
white — they  are  to  be  found  (seen)  in  every  mood  from  gay  to 
solemn,  the  sublime  to  the  ridiculous,  as  also  in  every  posture 
from  dignity  to  the  comic-ridictilous — at  one  moment  advancing 
\\ith  slow  step,  dignified  and  solemn  mein.  the  next  dancing 
for  all  they  are  worth  as  if  to  a  full  jazz  orchestra!  Rut 
enough,  instead  of  writing  prose,  one  needs  the  pencil  of  a 
lightning  caricturist,  then  one  could  adequately  tell  their  trup 
story,  pages  long,  in  comic  pictures!  "  Not  Solomon  in  all 
his  glory  was  arrayed  like  one  of  these." 

Trulv.  he  was  not ! 

The  last  paddock  contained  one  of  the  finest  jiairs  of 
Upland  (leese  1  have  ever  seen,  and  six  young  Pheasants 
( Phasianiis  rolchicus). 


E.vliihitiiig  Foreign   Hinls.  265 

Exhibiting   Foreign    Birds. 

TORQUAY  FUR  AND  FEATHER  SHOW. 
:^th  and  6th  Decemljer.  lyjj. 
By  Capt.  Ci.  E.  Rattigan.  T'.Z.S. 
l'\)REiGX  Bird  Section.  Judge — Mr.  C",  House, 
1  am  sendinj^-  a  few  notes  on  the  Foreis^n  Bird  Section 
<i  the  above  show  in  the  hope  that  it  may  be  of  interest  to  some 
o!  the  readers  of  "  B.X.."  more  especially  to  former 
o.hibitors.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  interest  of  former  years 
in  forei.iiii  bird  exhibiting-  may  once  again  be  aroused,  and  that 
ill  the  near  fnture  our  shows  will  even  eclipse  the  wonderful 
displays  of  forei.^n  s])ecies  seen  in  ])re-war  days.  It  is  noi^ 
everyone,  unhajjpily,  who  can  afford  to  purchase  the  wonderful 
and  rare  species  which  from  time  to  time  tind  their  way  over  to 
this  country.  To  the  vast  majority  then,  a  bird  show  affords  the 
only  possible  chance  of  seeing'  such  glories  of  nature  in  the 
flesh.  A  really  good  display  of  foreign  birds  is  an  education 
i.i  itself,  and  a  source  of  the  keenest  delight  to  masses  of  the 
general  public.  ^loreover,  it  gives  birth  to  a  desire  in  many 
•I  visitor  to  such  a  show  to  himself  or  herself  possess  some  of 
the  fairy-like  creatures  exhibited.  A  real  and  wide  interest  in 
I'oreign  Bird  Keeping  is  thus  awakened  which,  in  turn,  means 
many  more  jjotential  members  for  the  ''  F.B.C."  an  end  towards 
which  it  is  obviously  both  the  duty  and  to  the  interest  of  us  all 
to  strive.  The  main  objection  to  sending  foreign  birds  to 
shows  is  the,  unhappily,  very  real  danger  invoh'ed  of  losing 
them  through  the  carelessness,  or  lack  of  knowledge  as  to  the 
proper  treatment  needed  by  their  charges,  of  the  stewards  con- 
cerned. I  have  myself  suffered  severely  in  the  past,  so  am  well 
aware  of  the  risk  one  runs  under  such  conditions,  a  risk  I 
should  certainly  not  care  to  incur  again.  But.  granted  good 
and  efficient  stev\'ards  who  are  genuinely  devoted  to  the  interests 
C't  their  charges,  and  all  risk  is  practically  eliminated,  for  I 
have  never  found  that  birds  suffer  to  any  extent  on  a  rail 
jcurney,  however  long,  providing,  of  course,  that  they  have 
been  properly  packed  for  travelling,  and  water  dishes  and 
sticky  food,  etc.,  removed  or  ])roperly  confined,  dranted  such 
conditions  T  always  think  that  a  person  who  still  refuses  to  allow 


266  ILvliihiting  f'orcign  Birds. 

liis  birds  to  be  exiiibited.  must  ba\-e  much  (jf  the  miser  in  his 
make-up,  preferring  to  selfishly  gloat  over  his  avian  treasures 
to  sharing  his  joy  at  their  living  beautv  with  others.  Where  a 
competent  person  is  known  to  be  in  entire  charge  of  the  exhibits 
therefore,  keepers  of  rare  and  even  of  the  common,  though 
often  none  the  less  beautiful,  species  should  have  no  hesitation 
in  sending  of  their  best,  and,  as  I  have  alreadv  indicated,  by 
such  prblic-spirited  action  our  society  cannot  fail  to  be 
immensely  benefited.  Would  it  not  be  possible  for  experienced 
members  of  the  F.B.C.  in  different  parts  of  the  country  to 
undertake  such  duties  at  their  various  centres  ?  I  for  one  would 
have  no  hesitation  in  sending  valuable  birds  to  a  show  where 
they  would  be  under  the  guaranteed  and  personal  supervision 
of  an  experienced  aviculturist.  To   set   the   ball     rolling     I 

guaranteed  six  classes  at  the  recent  Torquay  show.  To  our 
members  Mrs.  Burgess  and  the  Marquis  of  Tavistock  my 
grateful  thanks  are  due  for  their  public-spirited  action  in 
sending  such  lovely  and  rare  examples  of  their  famous  collec- 
tions, and,  it  is  very  largely  through  their  generous  support  that 
tliis  section  of  the  exhibition  proved  the  great  success  it  was. 
The  one  solitary  fiy  in  the  ointment  was  that  the  task  of  deciding 
upon  th'"  merits  of  the  rarities  exhibited  proved,  unhappily, 
beyond  the  capacity  of  the  judge.  I  will  now  briefly  discuss 
the  different  classes  in  order  of  classification  •  — 

CLASS  227.        BUD(iERlGARS— All  Colours  (7). 

1st  and  Special,  Mrs.  Burgess:  A  really  fine  pair  Blues, 
\\onderful  size,  colour,  and  markings.  One  of  the  best  pairs  I 
have  seen,  and  in  faultless  condition. 

2nd,  Mrs.  Burgess  :     Pair  Yellows  of  a  deej),  rich  colour. 

3r(l,  Miss  Blackl)urn  :  Quite  the  finest  i)air  of  Greens 
'  have  ever  seen,  in  the  most  ])erfect  condition.  Although 
pure  Creens.  several  people  mistook  these  birds  for  Blue-breds. 
because  they  showed  considerable  areas  of  blue.  They  were 
exceptionally  large  birds,  and  their  feathers  shone  with  the 
bloom  of  health.  A  real  credit  to  their  very  enthusiastic  and 
sporting  owner. 

V.H.C.:  M.C.;  and  C.  Mrs.  Burgess,  with  good 
examples  of  the  jade  (sea-green).  Olive  and  Cream  varieties. 
The  latter  was  new  to  me.       A  very  charnfing  display  of  the 


Exliihifiiig  Foreign  Birds.  267 

various  colour  varieties,  and  a  very  popular  exhibit  with  the 
public.  There  were  quite  twenty  enquiries  for  the  Blues,  but 
the  present  hij^h  price  of  these  birds  places  them  beyond  the 
reach  of  most  people. 

CLASS  22^.  PARKOTS,  COCKATOOS.  AX!)  MACAWS  (7). 

I  and  s]j..  Mrs.  Bur.^ess  :  A  fine  cock  Eclectus  Parrot, 
a  most  striking;'  and  beautiful  bird.  thouL;"h.  for  a  parrot  of  sober 
,yarb,  beiiii^'  a  \ivid,  metallic  tureen  of  various  shades,  the 
primaries  beini^'  dark  blue,  and  the  sides  and  inner  wint^-coverts 
scarlet.  The  female  of  this  species  is  a  truly  s])lendid  creature 
arrayed  in  a  j^'arment  of  crimson  vehet  with  a  broad  band  of 
purplish  blue  upon  the  breast. 

2.  The  Marquis  of  Tavistock:  A  fine  hen  (iany-(  iani^" 
C  ockatoo. 

3,  The  Marquis  of  Tavistock  :  A  lovely  cock  Gany-Gang'. 
j\  very  attractive  bird  and,  I  should  imaiiine.  a  most  charmint^' 
r-nd  intelli.ii'ent  pet.  It  appeared  to  take  a  .great  interest  in  the 
proceedings,  and  was  a  great  favourite  with  the  public,  though 
'I  was  at  the  same  time  treated  with  the  respect  that  its  somewhat 
f(.rmidable  appearance  inspired.  'Jdie  two  birds  formed  a;i 
ir.teresting"  contrast,  the  hen  being"  of  a  dusky  grey  colour,  each 
ftather  edged  with  lig^hter  grey;  whilst  the  cock  is  resplendent 
with  the  whole  of  the  head  and  crest  a  brilliant  scarlet.  The 
ciest  is  strangely  reminiscent  in  shajjc  of  the  ancient  Roman 
ITelmet.  Of  these  two  birds  the  hen  is  decidedly  the  larger, 
but  I  am  unable  to  say  whether  such  difference  in  size  is  a 
constant  feature.  Whether  the  decision  of  the  judge  v^as 
influenced  by  this  circumstance  I  do  not  know,  Init  T  could 
(h'scover  no  other  explanation  as  to  why  he  placed  the  hen  in 
front  of  the  cock,  as  both  birds  were  in  the  same  faultles-^ 
condition,  and  from  the  above  it  will  be  easily  apparent  that 
the  cock  is  a  very  much  more  striking  and  attractively  coloured 
bird  than  its  mate.  One  derives  a  certain  amount  of  quiet 
amusement  from  the  comments  of  certain  "  know-all  members 
(•\  tin  oublic.  The  birds  under  discussion,  for  instance,  were 
describefl  bv  a  ladv  visitor  as  being"  so  common  in  Xew  South 
WaPs  Cv;r>  tint  no  one  out  there  would  dream  of  taking'  the 
trouble  to  cau'e   ore  !  ! 


268  Bxliihitiiig  Foreign  Birds. 

Keserve,  Mrs.  Burgess  :  A  nice  example  of  the  Bare-Eye 
Cockatoo. 

V.H.C.,  Mrs.  Burg-ess:  A  Vasa  Parrot  in  fine  form  but 
not,  in  my  humble  opinion,  a  very  attractive  looking  specierj. 

Reserve  in  this  class  originally  fell  to  a  hen  Alexandrine 
Parrakeet,  an  amazing  decision  indeed  from  every  point  of 
view.  Being  entered  in  the  wrong  class,  this  placing  was 
subsequently  set  aside. 

CLASS  229.  PARRAKEETS  INCLUDING  LOVEBIRDS  ' 

I  and  Sp.,  Mrs.  Curry:  A  charming  specimen  of  the 
Elossom-headed  Parrakeet,  put  down'  in  the  best  possible 
condition,  but  an  extremely  kicky  winner  in  such  e.xalted 
company.  1  may  add  that  the  placings  throughout  this  class 
were  utterly  incomprehensible  to  me.  ( )ne  can  only  suppose 
that  the  judge,  not  being  familiar  with  the  species  before  him. 
was  forced  to  make  random  selections;  Ijut  even  so,  he  was 
unlucky,  for  almost  any  other  combination  he  might  have 
chanced  upon  would  have  given  better  results  than  the  one 
actually  adopted. 

2,  Mrs.  Burgess:  .A.  magnificent  Crimson-wing  Parra- 
keet, and,  like  ahnost  all  this  lady's  exhibits,  in  the  most  perfect 
exhibition  condition.  The  healthy  appearance  of  these  birds, 
and  indeed  of  all  the  exhibits,  was  a  real  joy  to  behold,  and 
spoke  volumes  for  the  aforethought  and  care  lavished  upon 
them  by  their  owners. 

3,  Mrs.  Burgess  :  A  nice  Adelaide,  but  \evy  nervous  at 
first.      It  became  nmch  more  at  home  on  the  second  day. 

V.H.C..  Mrs.  Burgess:  BARRABAND'S  PARRA- 
KEET :  A  veally  lovely  exhibit  in  the  most  exquisite  condition. 
Not  a  feather  ruffled,  and  carrying  a  sheen  and  gloss  upon  its 
plumage  which  I  can  only  liken  to  that  a  well  groomed 
thoroughbred  carries  on  its  coat.  Would  have  been  hard  to 
beat  in  any  company,  and  should,  without  peradventure.  have 
occupied  one  of  the  premier  positions  here. 

V.H.C.,  Lord  Tavistock:  QUEEN  ALEXANDRA 
PARRAKEET:  A  dehghtful  exhil)it,  and.  like  the  Layard's 
m.entioned  below,  a  1:)eautiftil  blend  of  softly  harmonising 
colours  seldom  met  with  in  this  family  of  birds.      Unhap])ily  't 


Exhibiting  h'orcign  Birds.  269 

looked  very  "  soft  "  on  arrival  and  during;'  the  judt^insi',  and 
Dcrsisted  in  crouchini^-  at  the  bottom  of  its  cage  with  its  head 
thrust  into  the  farthest  corner.  This,  of  course,  seriously 
compromised  its  chances.  Later  it  seemed  to  grow  even  worse 
and  sat  with  its  head  under  its  wing,  and  feathers  all  puffed 
out.  I  believe  now  that  it  was  merely  suffering"  from  a  bad 
attack  of  nerves.  However,   this  may  have   been,     I     was 

seriously  alarmed  at  the  time  and  in  desperation  flung  in  a 
handful  of  mealworms.  It  began  to  nibble  these  at  once,  and 
in  about  half  an  hour,  to  my  utmost  relief,  was  as  lively  as 
could  be,  and  upon  its  perch  looking  out  eagerly  for  a  further 
supply.  Curiously  enough  all  its  former  shyness  now  com- 
])letely  vanished  and  it  took  mealworms  from  my  Angers  without 
tlie  least  hesitation.  One  could  only  wish  that  it  had  been 
judged  as  it  ai)])eared  throughout  the  second  day  of  the  show. 

Also  in  this  class  were  fine  Red-rump  and  Pennant  Parra- 
keets,  but  these,  of  course,  were  altogether  outclassed  here. 
The  bird  occupying  the  last  and  only  cardless  position  was  a 
T.ayard's  Parrakeet,  the  property  of  I^ord  Tavistock,  and  a 
native,  the  owner  informs  me,  of  Ceylon.  This  bird  was 
probably  the  rarest  one  present,  and,  so  far  as  T  can  ascertain, 
has  seldom  appeared  on  the  show  bench.  This  bird,  like  the 
Barraband.  was  an  example  of  the  pitch  of  perfection  to  which 
a  cage  bird  can  be  brought  by  care  and  skilful  management. 
Coloured  in  the  softest  shades  of  purple  and  green  it  is  a  bird 
of  real  beauty,  carrying  a  sheen  on  its  plumage  comparable 
to  a  ripe  peach.  Apart  from  its  rarity  the  bird  merited  the 
highest  commendation,  both  for  its  superb  condition  and  for 
the  wondrous  harmony  of  its  softly  blended  colouration.  How^ 
it  failed  so  utterly  to  catch  the  judge's  eye  on  this  occasion  is 
one  of  those  things  no   fellow  can  understand. 

CLASS    230.        WHYDAHS,     JAVA     SPARR(;WS     ANT 
OTHER  COAOIOX.   NAMED  SPECIES  (15). 

r  and  2  Specials.  Mrs.  Burgess  :  A  nice  pair  of  Cordon 
Bleus,  b'Jt  the  hen  had  lost  a  few  feathers  off  its  crown  during 
the  journey,  and  they  were,  I  think,  for  this  reason  if  no  other, 
iucky  to  win  here. 

2  and  Sp.,  Capt.  Rattigan  :  A  nice  Pin-tail  W  hydah  in 
exhibition  condition. 


270  llxJiihitiui^  Foreign  Hirds. 

3,  Mrs.  C".  j.  Sliey  :  A  very  fine  ( )ran^e  Bishop.  Mrs. 
Sliey  is  a  famous  exhibitor  af  pre-war  days,  and  this  bird 
amply  demonstrated  that  her  hand  had  lost  none  of  its  old 
cunning'. 

No  Reserve  appears  to  have  been  awarded  in  this  class, 
though  the  largest. 

V.H.C.,  Mrs.  Curry,  Mrs.  Shey,  and  Capt.  Rattigan  with 
Cordon  Bleus  (hen  bare  on  head),  a  Cordon  Bleu,  and  Paradise 
Whydah  respectively.  A  perfect  pair  Fire  h'inches  and  lovely 
pair  Green  Avadavats  signally  failed  to  attract  the  judge,  though 
these  might  with  advantage  have  occupied  the  two  premier 
positions. 

CLASS  J31.      ANY  OTHER  SPECIES  SEEDEATER. 

I  and  2  Specials,  Capt.  Rattigan  :  A  hne  ])air  \'iolet- 
eared  Waxl)ills. 

2.  Ca])':.  Rattigan:  An  excellent  pair  Masked  (irass- 
linches.       \'ery  steady. 

3,  Capt.  Rattigan  :  l^erfect  pair  Long-tailed  Crasshnches. 
but  unsteady. 

Res.,  Mrs.  Burgess:  A  purplish-blue  tinted  finch  unknow:i 
to  me.  A  trifle  rough  or  should  have  stood  at  the  top  of  the 
class.  Pcrhnps  the  owner  will  be  kind  enough  to  furnish  a 
few  details  concerning  this  1)ird.  \MLC.  :  A  very  fine  Black- 
headed  (/irosbeak.  This  bird  is  almost  an  exact  re]ilica.  as 
regards  the  distribution  of  its  colours,  of  our  bramblehnch. 
Should  ha\e  stood  much  higher. 

Also  exhibited  :  Pairs  of  Cul:)an  Finches,  Rufus-backed 
Mannikins.  and  a  fine  Red-crest?d  ]'"inch  exhibited  l)y  Mrs. 
Burgess:  the  latter  bird  was  in  fnultless  condition  and  very 
steady.  Li  my  opinion  it  should  have  won.  but  was  obviously 
unknown  to  the  judge. 

CLASS  232.  TAXAGERS.  SUGAR  AND  SUX  BIRDS. 
FRUIT  PTGEOXS.  AND  A.O.V.  INSECTROR. ,  CS  (7). 
I  and  2  Specials,  also  .S]-)ecial  for  Best  Cage  Bird,  Capt. 
Rattigan:  A  Superb  Tanager,  and.  alth'm'^h  1  sav  it  who 
sliouldn't.  the  fmest  both  in  rcenrd  to  size,  colour  and  condition 
^   have  ever  come  across.       I   h')nestlv  think  it  well  deserved 


Exhibiiing  Foreign  Birds.  zjl 

its  position  in  the  class,  thoiig'h  the  special  for  best  cage  bird 
ought  to  have  been  bestowed  elsewhere. 

2,  Capt.  Rattigan  :       A  very  fine  Shama. 

3,  Mrs.  Burgess:  A  lovely  Green  Sugarbird.  A  most 
charming-  and  attractive  exhibit,  again  in  faultless  condition. 
There  seem  to  be  many  different  species  of  (ireen  Sugarbirds, 
which  differ  consideraljly  both  in  size,  shape  and  colour.  This 
was  one  of  the  large  forms  and  of  a  dark  green  colour. 

V.H.C.,  ATrs  Burgess:  Pileated  Jay:  A  truly  magni- 
ficent bird,  clothed  in  a  garment  of  turquoise-blue,  black, 
jrarple  ard  white  i)lush.  Attracted  a  tremendous  lot  of  attention. 
One  of  the  earlier  visitors  indeed  is  said  to  have  described  it 
a;'  one  of  the  Birds  of  Paradise!  After  this  I  thought  perhaps 
it  would  add  to  the  interest  of  the  exhibits  to  have  them  all 
labelled,  and  my  wnfe  very  kindly  wTote  out  the  names  of  each 
oi  large  slips  of  paper,  which  I  had  afiixed  to  the  top  of  the 
cages.  Also  in  this  class  :  Lilac-crowned  Fruit-Pigeon  and 
Amethyst  Starling. 

In  conclusion  T  may  add  that  this  magnificent  array  of 
rare  foreign  birds  j^roved  of  the  greatest  attraction  to  the 
public,  few  of  whom  had  seen  anything  approaching  such  a 
display  of  avian  beauty.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  such  a 
collection  of  wonderful  birds  has  never  before  been  benched 
n  the  West  if  England,  and  I  once  again  tender  my  sincerest 
thanks  to  all  who  helped  to  make  this  exhibition  such  a  splendid 
success.  Next  year  we  hope  with  the  kindly  aid  of  members  of 
tlie  F.B.C.  to  do  even  better,  and,  seeing  that  all  being  well, 
cur  esteemed  Editor  has  most  kindly  consented  to  officiate. 
Exhibitors  can  safely  count  upon  their  birds  receiving  their 
deserts. 

Just  as  T  lay  aside  my  pen  I  learn  that  all  the  above  exhibits 
reached  their  destinations  safely. 


Records  of  Birds  which  have  Bred  in  Captivity. 

By  Dr.  E.  Hopki\son,  D.S.O.,  M.A.,  M.B..  F.Z.S.,  etc. 

(Coiifiniicd  from  fagc  22/j. 

TJST  2. 

I\ci.(ircls  of  liirds  which  have  been  lircd  in  captivit\-  wliicli  requii-e  fuller  detail 


_7-       kvcunis  oj  H'lrds  ichicli  hai'c  bred  in  C'al'tirily. 
(;k1':f.n1'INCH. 

Hylin'ds. 
(il<l':i<:Nl'l\'CH    X   JAPANESE  (iREENFlNCH.     Vale.   P.igc. 
X   CHAFFINCH.     Page. 
X    BULLFINCH.     Vale   Page. 
X   CANARY.        Vale.       Page. 


C11IN1':S1':  (iRJLl'.NFlNCH. 
Hybrids. 
CHl'NILSI':  (I.    X   (iKl<:ENFINCH.     Page. 

(•'  Siberian  "'  (1.  iii  Page's  list;  obviously  a  slip! 


1',LACK-TAIL1-:D   IIAW1<INCH.    Enphom  nicloiura. 
Abroad,  teste  Russ. 
Have  onlv  records  of  partial  success  in  tbc  Drilish   Isles. 


HAWFINCH. 

Hvbrids. 
HAWFINCH   X   liULLI'INCH  (?)  Longdon.  igi().    Sec  P.iun  Notks. 

1917.  39- 

R1':D  CARDINAL. 

Hvbrids. 
KI'.D  CARDLX.AL    x    C.RFEN  CARDINAL.     Page. 


COLDFINCH. 

Hybrids  (E). 
GOLDFINCH   X    (;REI'.NFINCH.       Vale.     Page. 

X    lAPANESE  CREENFINCPL       Vale. 

x   CH.AFI'-INCH.       Vale. 

X    SISKIN.        Vale.      Page 

X    LINNET.       Vale.     Page. 

X    REDPOLL.       Vale.     Page. 

X    CANARY.       Vale.     Page. 

X    F-ULLFINCH         Page. 

SISKIN.     Page.  

Hybrids  (E). 
SISKIN    X   ( IREENFlNCH.       X'.ilc.     Page. 
X    COLDFINCH.       Wale.      Page. 
X    TWITE        Page. 
X    LINNET.       Vale.     Pace. 
X    SUL^n-lUR  SEEDEATER.       Page. 
X   ST.    HELENA  S1':f:DEATI':R.       Page. 
(I'-)  See  P.S.   (E)  n.    173  above. 


CITKIL  FINCH. 
1  Ixbrids. 
CITRIL   X   CAXWRA'      "  in  evidence  at  llie  S.  Ker.sin    '.dh  .Must'um 
\'ale. 


I.I.  \CK-lll':.\DI'.r)    SISKIN.        Spiiiiis    ictcriciis. 
Hybrids. 
BLACK-Ili:.\Dl'.n     S.      X    CANARY.  Page.        (See    P.S.    iV) 

]>.    17^  above). 
X    CAPE  CANAR^\       Page.       (Tbis  entr\ 
in    Page's    list    almost    certainly    refers 
to     Russ'    "  Srli\\arzkopfi>j"e    Zeisig     x 
Tbis  is  the  Cicrman   name 
of    the    AL.VRIO.  The    same    mav 

also   apply   to   the   preceding   entr\    and 
therefore   invalidate   it   as    well). 


Records  of  Birds  which  have  hrcd  in  Captivity.       273 

AMERICAN   SISKIN. 
Hyl)rids. 
AMIlRICAN  S.    X    CANARY.       Paffe. 


MIMALAYAN  SISKIN  (or  GREENFINCH).      H ypaauitlil.s  spUioldes. 


SIKlil.M    SISKIN.      Spinus  tibetauus. 

?   if   the  Ijicc'dinjj  rccord.s   of   tliese   two   species   are   not   confused). 


TWITI-..        Page 

TWIT!':    X    (;RI':1':NEINC1I.  Vale.      Page. 

X   (iOLDFINCH.       Page. 
X    SISKIN.       Vale.      Pa^-e. 
X    CANARY.       Vale.      Paee, 


LINNET.       Page. 
Hybrids. 
LINNET    X    GREENMNCH.       Vale.      Page. 
X    GOLDFINCH.       Vale.      Page. 
X   TWITI-:.       Vale.     Page. 
X    GREY   SINGING   FINCH.        Page. 
X    CANARY.       Vale.      Page. 
X    BULLLFINCH.       Vale.   Page. 

X     CUTTFIROAT.     Amadina    fascmta.    (PLOCFJDAE!) 
RECORD.   Croker,   1914.     B.N.    1915,   261. 
(See  P.S.  (G),  p.  173  above). 


MEALY    RF.DPOLL. 
Hybrids. 
ME.'XLY  R.    X    CANARY.       Vale.     Page. 
X   BULLF'INCH.        Vale. 


Rl'  DPOLL.    Page.*  The  onlv  attempt  at  a  record  I  can  find  is  A.M.  iii.  ^xi. 
ILlirids. 
kl':DPOLr,    X    GREI':NF1NCH.       Vale.      Page. 
X   fiOLDFINCH.       Page. 
X   SISKIN.       Vale.      Page. 
X   LINNET.       Vale. 
X   CANARY.       Vale.     Page. 
X    P.ULLFINCH.       Vale.      Page, 
*  I   successfully  bred  thi.s  species  myself  in    1915". — W.  T.   Page 

TRl'.l-:   SPARROW.       Page. 
Hybrids. 
TREE  SPARROW^    x    HOUSE  S.       Vale.      Pa-e 
X   YELLOW  S.       Page. 


HOITSE   SPARROW.       Page. 
Hybrids. 
HOUSE  SPARROW    x    TREl'    SPARROW        Paoe 

X    YELLOW  SPARROW.       Abroad,  teste 
Russ,  and  .see  P.S.  (H),  p.   173  above. 

GOLDEN  SPARROW.     Passer  eitclilonts.       Abroad  by  Russ,  teste  Russ 

ALARIO  FINCH. 
Llvbrids. 
AL.ARIO    X   GREY  SINGING  FINCH.       Page. 

X  CAPE  CANARY.      Abroad,  teste  Page. 


274      Records  of  Birds  z^'hlch  Jiavc  bred  in  Capi'iv'ity. 

ANGOLA  SINGING  FINCH.       Poliospiza  angnlaisis. 
Hybrids. 
ANGOLA   S.    F.    X    CANARY.       S.    Africa.  See   15. N.    1920,    71. 

(breeder   not    named). 
X   CAPE   CANARY.       Abroad,   teste   Russ. 


GREY  SING1N(;  inNCIi.       P.  leucopygia. 
Hybrids. 
GREY  S.   1'.    X    (;RI':1':N  S.b".       Pai^e. 

X    CANARY.       Vale.     Page. 
X    LINN1':T.       Vale.     Page. 
CAPE   CANARY.       Scrinus   canicollis.  Can   find   no   record.        See   P.S. 

(I),  page  173  above. 
Flybrids. 
CAPE  CANARY    x    ALARIO.     A.M.   (n.s.)  iv.   134.  but    ?  this  wav 
or  7'icc-7'crsii.       Al)road,   teste   Page. 


SULPHUR  SEliDEATFR. 
Hybrids. 
SULPHUR  S.    X    CANARY.       Page. 


ST    HELENA  SEEDEATER. 
Hybrids. 
ST.  HELENA  S.    x   GREY  SINGING  FINCH.       Page. 
X   SAFFRON  FINCH.       Page. 


GREEN    SINGING    FINCH.        Page.  "easily    bred        iai)road):        first 

breeder  Russ."  teste  Russ. 
Hybrids. 
GREEN  S.  F.    X   SISKIN.       Page. 
X   ALARIO.       Page. 
X   GREY  S.  F.       Page. 
X   CANARY.       Vale.      Page. 


SERIN  FINCH..       Page.       Sec  also  A.M.  iv.    14. 
Hybrids. 
SERIN    X   GREEN   SINGING   FINCH.       Page. 
X    CANARY.    Vale.      Page. 


CANARY.        M;inv   of  the  liy'irid  records   need  ani])lification. 

SAFFRON  FINCH.       Sycalis  flavcola. 
Hybrids. 
SAFFRON   V.    X   ST.    HELENA   Sl^.EDl^ATER.       Page. 
X   CANARY.       Page. 


^'b:LLO\VISH  FINCH.       Sycalis  arrensis.       Page. 


SCARLET    ROSEFINCH.        Carpnijacus    erythrinus. 
Hybrids. 
SCARLET   ROSEFINCH    x    CANARY.       Vale   (al)road). 

"mentioned  authoritatiycly  by  Dr.   Russ.  writes  Dr.  A.  (i.    ii'.itler. 
Wale  in  a  footnote  to  his  list. 


I'l'RIM.b:    FINCH. 
Hybrids. 
PURPLE.   FINCH    x    CANARY.       Wale.      Page 


MI'.XICAN   ROSEFINCH. 

MEXICAN    ROSEFINCH     x    CANARY.        Page. 


Records  of  H'rds  Zi^hicii  lurz'c  bred  in  Cafth'ity.       2y^ 


I'.ULLFINCH. 
Hybrids. 
BULLFINCH   X   CANARY.       Vale.      Page. 


RFED  BUNTING. 
Hybrids. 
RI':r:D   ['..    X    Yl^J.LOW  B.       Vale. 

r.l.ACK-CRFSTl'LD    BUNTING.       Mcloplnis   viclaiiictcnis.     Onl\ 
of  incomplete  success.     De  Quinccy.       See  B.N.   191S.  -fii- 

L\r.|(;()    I'.UNTING. 
H\'brids. 
INDIGO   BUNTING    x    CANARY.       Base.     Vale. 


BOPI-:  CARDIN.-VL.     I'lvoana  larvata. 
Hybrids. 
POPb":    X    RF.D-CRFSTED  CARDINAL.        Pa 


PLOCEIDAE. 
AKADlSb:  WHYDAH.       Abroad,   teste  A.   G.    P.utler  .<;:   Page. 


Rl^.D-BILLED  WEAVI':R.        Qnclea   quclea.        Page. 


I'IREFINCH.        Lai^oiiosticta   sencgala. 
Hybrids. 
FIREFINCH     X    GREY   WAXBILL.       Abroad,   teste   Page. 

X    LAVENDER  WAXBILL.         Abroad,   teste   Page. 
"  uncertain  which  \yav  "   Butler,  A.M.  n.s,  iv.  350, 
X   ZEBRA    WAXBTLL:  "  Abroad,     teste     Page. 

Butler,   as   above. 


ROSY   IILACK-BELLIF.D  FIREFINCH.       L.  rhodoparia.       ?  does  Russ' 
note  (i.   ]i.  hji  "  a  new  '  rother  Astrild  '  "  refer  to  this  species? 

CUTTHROAT. 
Hybrids. 
CUTTflROAT    X     lAVA    SPARROW.        Abroad,    teste    PaPc. 


iJKD-HI'ADin")   FINCH. 
Hybrids. 
RED-HEADI-D  finch    X   CUTTHROAT.       Page      Russ 
X   JAVA   SP.    (WFIITEk        Page. 

Zl'.BRA  W.^XBILL.       .S-.   subflaTus.       Russ.      Page. 
FlybTids. 
ZI'.BRA   W.    X    FIREFINCH.       Abroad,   teste   Page. 
X   GREY  WAXBILL.       Ditto. 
X  AVAD/WAT.  Page.  Russ.  See  P.S.  {]).  p.   17^  aboye 

ORANGI'-CHEEK  WAXBILL.       S.  mclpodus. 
Flybrids. 
ORANGE-CHEEK   W.    x    ST.    HELENA   W.       Abroad,    teste    Russ 
&  Page. 
X    GREY    WAXBILL.  Ditto. 


MATA   FINCH.        Muiiia   luaja.       Abroad   Page  and    Russ 
Hybrids. 
.MATA    X   CUTTHROAT.       Page. 

X    STRIATED  FINCH.       Page,     (prol)ably    =    x    Benoali) 
X   CHOCOLATE    MANNIKIN.        Page  '  (abroad) 
X   CHESTNUT    FINCW         pj,o-e    (abiWl), 


lyi^      h'ccovds  of  P.'i-ds  wliich  h.ai'c  bred  in  C'of'tivity. 

X    PARSON    T'INCll.        Page   (abroad). 

(tliesc  4  also  recorded  A.M.  n.s.  iv.  352.  A.  G.    Ikitlc 


CHOCOLATE    MANNIKIN.        Muriia   atricapiUa. 
Hybrids. 
CHOCOLATK   Al.    x    .MAjA.       Abroad,   icslc    Russ  X:   Pago. 


CHl^STNUT  I'INCH.       M.    castancithorax. 
Hyl^rids. 
CHESTNUT  I'INCH  x  MA|A.     Abroad,  tesK- Page. 

X    CHOCOLATE      MANNHON.  Abroad, 

teste   Page. 
X   STRIATED   EINCLL    Abroad,   teste   Page. 
X    P.ENGALL        Abroad,    teste    Page.        (See 
also  P>utler  A.M.   i.  c). 


NUTMEG   EINCH.       .1/.   puiictulata. 
Plybrids. 
NUTMEG    X   STRIATED  EINCH.       Abroad,  teste  Page     (but    ? 
X    Bengali). 
X    P.RONZE   MANNIKIN.        Page. 
X   AERICAN   SILVERBILL.       Page. 


STRIATI>:D  EINCH.       Uroloncha  striata. 
Hybrids. 
STRIATED  EINCH   x   CHESTNUT  p-INCH.  Abroad,  Page  X:  Russ 
X   SHARP-TAILED   E.        Page. 
X  MATA    F.      Abroad,  Page  &  Russ. 
X    NUTMEG  F.     Abroad,   Page  &  Russ. 
X    AFRICAN    SILV1':RP,ILL':        Abroad,    Page 

&   Russ. 
X    Py\RSON   EINCH.      Abro.id,    Page   .^-    Russ. 


r?ENGALI.        Some   of   tlie    h\brid   records    need   amplification. 


SHARP-TAILED  EINCH.       V.  acuficauda. 
LIvbrids. 
SHARP-TAILI'.D   finch    X    .STRIAT1':D   E.       Page. 

X   AFRICAN    SHA'l'.RIULL.        Page. 


CHERRY  FINCH.       Aidcmosyuc  modcsta. 
Hybrids. 
CHERRY  FINCH    x    MASKED  GRASSEINCH.       Page. 


INDIAN   SILVERP.ILL.       A.    malahanca. 
Hybrids. 
INDIAN   S.    X    RIP.   FINCLL       Page. 


AERICAN  SHA'l'.RP.ILL.       .1.   caiitaiis. 
Hybrids. 
AFRICAN  S.    X    INDIAN  S.        Page.        Russ.       (?   wliicli   \\:\v). 
X    TAA'A   SPARROW.       Abroad,   teste  Page. 
X   ZEP.RA   FINCLL       Abroad     teste  Page. 
X    >L\IA  IHNCII.       Abroad,  teste  Page. 
X   STRIATED   EINCH.        Page. 
X    SYDN1':Y    WANl'.ILL.        Abroad,    teste    Page. 
X   GREY   WAX  BILL.        Abroad,    teste    Page.' 
X      ST.    HELENA    W.         See    I'.utler    A.M.    n.s.    iv. 
p.   3=;2,   and   for   other   Ploceid   hybrids. 


P\RSON  FINCLL       PocphUa  civcta. 


Records  of  Hirds  -iCliuli  liai'c  br-.^d  lu  C'li'^iknty.       2/j 

Hybrids. 
PARSON   F.    X    .MA|A    MNCll.       Abroad,   teste   Pag-e. 


PARROT    FINCH.        iirvlliruni    psittacca. 
Hybrids. 
PARROT  F.    X    I'1':AI.I':'S   parrot   finch.        I'aee. 


CRIMSON  FINCH.       Ncoclniiia  phaeton. 
liybrids. 
CRIMSON   FINCH    x    l.ONG-TAILED   CRASSFINCI 1.       Al)road, 
teste  Page. 
X    RCFOUS-TAILFD    (iRASSF.  Ditto. 


ST.   HELENA  WAXCII-I..       Tbe   records  all    need   ami-lificatifin. 


GREY  WAXBILL 
Hybrids. 
GREY  W.    X   ORANGE-CHEEK  W  .      Abroad,  teste  Pat^e. 
X   ST.    HELENA   VV.       Page. 


LAVENDER  WAXBILL. 
Hybrids. 
LAVENDER  W.    x    I'lREFINCH.       Abroad,   teste   Page. 
Uncertain  vvbicli  way. 


CORDON  BLEU. 
Hybrids. 
CORDON    X    ST.    H1':LENA   WAXBILL.       Abroad     teste    Page. 


STURNIDAE. 
COMMON   STARLING.       Paee. 


BROWN  MYNA.       Acthiopsar  fiiscus.       Abroad,   Berlin  Zoo.   teste   Butler, 


CRESTED    MYNA.    Ac.    rri<;tafclhLs\  Weiner,    teste    Russ,    but     ?    teste 

Dr.   Butler. 


GLOSSY    STARLING.      Records    need    confirmation    and    details. 


COR  VI  DAE. 
RAVEN.       Paire. 


CARRION   CROW.        Hybrids.      Vale.    (?   produced   in   captivitv). 
HOODED  CROW. 
LAY.       Page. 


MOTACILLIDAE. 
WHITE  WAGTAIL.        Page. 


GREY  WAGTAIL.       Page. 
Hybrids. 
GREY    X    YELLOW   W.       Page. 
X   PIED  W.       Page. 


TREE   PIPIT.        Page. 


ZOSTEROPIDAE. 
N.\TAL    WHITE-EYE    (Z.    vircn.s]    cross    with    CANARY     '!•     reported! 
See   B.N.    1920,   71. 


jy^  Post  Mortem  Rcf^orts. 

AMPELIDAE. 
W'AXW^ING.        Tnconi])letc.      "young  hatched   twice  in    1903,"    Si     Onmlin, 
A.M.    n.s.    vii.    IIS- 


SYLVITDAE. 
(lARDKN    WARBLER.        Page. 


TURDIDAE. 
in.ACKIURD.        Page. 
l-[ybrids. 
r.LACKBIRD    X    (iREY-WlNGED   OUZEL.       Abroad,   teste   Page 

MISSb:L   THRUSH.       Page. 


RING  OUZEL.       Page  ("  but  doubtful  if  fully  reared."    Page). 
SON(;   THRUSH.        Page. 


PYCNONOTIDAE. 
Rb:n-\M-:NTED    PULI'.UL.        Page. 


SYRIAN   P.ULP.UL.       Abroad,  teste  Page. 


MENURIDAE. 
1  A'lvlvi'TRD.        .Said    to    have    produced    hybrids    witli    the    dome.stic    fowl, 
r^age.        h'oreign    li.st. 


I-IRR.VTA  :     Page  200.  record  134,  "  P.S.,  A. P.  above,"  read  p.  172  above. 
Page  202,  record   156,  "  A.  above,"  read  p.   172  above. 
Page  219,  record  178,  for  "  Quiscalds  "  read  Qitiscalus. 
Page  2:9,  record  176,  "P.S.,  C.P.  above,"  read  p.   173  above. 
Page  2T9,  record    192,  for  "Cycinopoliiis,  read  Cvauopnlins. 
FINIS. 


Post   Mortem    Reports. 

2:11  -.22.        Ca\.\]?v   (,5):      from    Mrs.    i\'Iay   S.    Dennis,    Alarket    Drayton. — 

]3ouble   imeumonia. 
4-11  :22.       Red-fackd  Lovkbird  (9'I:    from  W.  R.  Rearby.  West  Hartlepool. 

Catarrhal   enteritis,    with   a   terminal   congestion   of   lungs.      (Answered 

by  post). 
23:11  122.        N.M'OLKAN  Wk.wrr   (  c?  )  i     from  T.    O.    Harrison,    Sunderland. — 

Haemorrhage   from    ruptured    liver.      (Answered   by    post). 
29:11  -.22.       WniTK  Jav.\  Sparrow  (9):    from  Capt.  H.  S.  Stokes.  Rugeley, 

Staffs. — Double   ]Mieumonia.        (Answered  by  post). 
December  3,    19-^2.  C.    H.    HICKS. 
<^ 

Correspondence. 

TO   KEEP  OWLS   AND  C^TS   FROM    INfURlNC.   BIRDS. 

Sir,— When  1  kept  small  birds  1  had  the  same  difficulty  with  owls  as 
r^r.  S])rawson  describes.  I  defeated  them  by  stretching  a  double  top  of 
v.ire-netting  over  mv  open  flights.  leaving  a  foot  between  the  two  layers 
of   netting.       Owls  and  cats  very  quickly  learnt  that  they  could  not  reach 


Concspondcncc.  279 

llie  inniales.  and  left  off  Iryinq-  frf)m  above.  In  addition,  as  I  found  small 
hirds  very  fond  of  roosting  close  to  the  wires,  I  fastened  a  good  thick  bundle 
o*"  heather  to  the  outside  of  the  aviary  wherever  a  perch  or  bush  was  near 
tl'.c  wires.  This  completely  hid  the  bird  from  the  owls,  so  that  it  could 
neither  be  frightened  nor  injured  by  them.  After  adopting  this  plan  I  never 
los;  a  l)n-d  from  owls  or  cats.  (Miss)  E.   F.   CHAWNER. 

BREEDING  r.ULLFINCHES  IN  CAPTIVITY. 
Sir, — "  Re  Breeding  Bullfinches."  I  never  found  any  difficulty  in 
breechng  them  in  a  small  aviary,  with  an  opeu  flight  containing  a  few  thuja 
trees.  The  nests  were  always  built  of  heather  twigs  and  lined  with  dried 
grass.  The  eggs  were  almost  invariably  fertile  and  the  young  fully  reared 
with  no  assistance  from  me  ;  in  fact  the  more  they  were  left  to  themselves 
llie  better  they  did.  A  good  many  other  birds  were  in  the  same  aviary, 
bnt  I  did  not  find  that  they  interfered  with  the  Bullfinches,  except  when  a 
cock  Pckin  Robin,  who  had  young  close  by-,  annoyed  his  neighbours  by 
insisting  on  feeding  their  babies  as  well  as  his  own. 

(Miss)   E.   F.   CHAWNER. 

ENGLISH   TICK    KILLING    BIRDS. 
Sir, — Since  my  last  communication  on  this  matter  I  have  had  another 
letter  from  Mr.   Kirby,  as  follows  : 

"  I  have  had,  ])erhaps,  an  unicpie  e.xperience  of  gaining  information  in 
"  my  profession,  as  my  father  and  grandfather  both  followed  the  same 
'■  calling,  and,  1  have  a  son  who  is  making  out  to  be  a  good  student  at  the 
"  san:e  game.  AIv  profession  has  always  been  mv  hobby,  so  that  I  have 
"  taken  a  great  deal  of  notice  of  things  which  might  have  escaped  anyone 
"  less  observant." 

"  My  first  experience  of  TICKS  was  when  I  was  a  boy,  that  brute  I 
"  got  from  a  sheep's  head — it  bit  me  on  the  thigh,  dad  wanted  to  know 
'■  why  I  was  so  uncasv.  After  explanation  he  told  me  to  go  and  examine 
"  myself,  and,  F  found  the  brute  on  my  thigh,  where  it  had  dug  itself 
"  well   in." 

"  The  next  one  I  found  on  the  head  of  a  Common  Snipe,  that,  I  remember, 
'  had  been  picked  up  alive.  The  bird  was  very  badh'  bitten  about  the 
''  head  and  eyes;  the  body  was  in  a  very  bad  and  poor  condition,  as  though 
"  its  tormentor  had  been  on  it  some  time." 

"  I  also  rememl)er  finding  one  on  a  Chaffinch — that  was  aljout  five 
"  years  ago." 

"  The  most  remarkable  was  one  I  found  on  the  head  of  a  Mole,  that  had 
"  been  caught  in  a  traj).  The  mole  was  in  a  poor  state,  with  blood  on 
"  the  head;  same  as  the  birds.  How  it  got  on  the  mole  it  is  hard  to  say. 
"  unless  it  had  dropped  on  a  mound  made  by  the  moles." 

"  If  a  tick  once  gets  foothold  he  is  a  sticker  ....  they  are  perfect 
"  demons.  I  shall  be  glad  to  answer  any  questions,  as  the  .subject  interests 
"  me  greatly.— F.    KIRBY,   R.Z.S.I.,   Nov.   20,    1922." 

Mr.   Kirby  recently  had  a  Starling  sent  to  him  which  had  been  killed 
bv  a  TICK,  and  presented  the  same  appearance  as  my  finches  on  post  mortem 
examination  being  made.       The  bird  was  picked  up  alive,  and  died  soon  after. 
Havant,  Nov.  23.  1922,  (The  Marquis  of)  TAVISTOCK. 


I 


280 


General  hides. 


General  Index. 

o 


Accentor,    145. 

Jerdon's,   221.  ] 

American  Sparrow   Hawk,  12. 
-Vvadavats.  19,  26.  61,  153,   155,  199, 
215,  216,    223. 
,,  Breedino;,   19. 

Green,    198. 
Aviaries    Ang..  Sept.  &  Oct.  in  My, 
251. 
,,         Capt.     Keeve's     &     Birds, 

21-5. 
,,         Current  Notes  in  My,  154. 
Desolation  of  War  in   My, 
25-8.  _        j 

Dr.   Sprawson's,    &  Birds, 
164-5,  214-8.  I 

,,         Happenings  in  our,    164-5, 
214-8. 
June  ct  July  in  My,  131. 
.',         Lady     Dunleath's,       Stray, 
Notes,   from,   19,     25-8, 
155-8. 
May  in  My,  95-9. 
Mr.     Bright's,     &      Birds, 

187-92. 
Mr.  Shore  Bailey's  245-50, 

261-4. 
My,  &  Birds,  21-5. 
Seeing    other  Memhers'   & 

Birds,  19. 
Notes  from   Northern    Ire- 
land, 147-50. 
Visits  to    Members',     187, 

222,  245,  261. 
Visiting  Members', 
Aviarv,    Budgerigars',  226. 
,,  '       Finch,  249. 

Larger  Birds',  225. 
Notes,  Stray,   229. 
Parrakeet,  227. 
Small  Birds'.  223,  247-9. 
;,         AVaders',  261. 

Weaver   &  Whydah,   250 


B 


19,  46, 


Babbler,  Stiiated,    211. 

Barbets,   78. 

Bathida  Ruficauda,   Display  of,  153 

Bee-eater,  Blue-tailed,    213. 

Bengalese,  200,  276 


Bell  Bird,   78,    194. 
,,     Bird  Boat.s-wain's,  86. 
,,     Cat,  220. 
,,     Catalogue,  Aust.,    78. 

Compiling  a    Li.st    of    Foreign. 

bi'ed  at  liberty,   92. 
,,     Dyhal,  (Dial),  "70,   221. 
,,      Frigate,  87. 
,,     Lyre,  278. 
,,     Man-of-War,    87. 
,,     Marts,   Seeker  After.    167-71. 
,,     Paddy,   210,  211. 

Record    of,    which   have     Bred. 
171,   197,  219,  271. 
,,     Regent,  219. 

Satin  Bower-,   77. 
,,     Shama,  The  Best  Song,  73. 
,.     Seeker  After,  Marts,  167-7L 
,,     Snow,  177. 

Birds,  Hunnning,  54. 
.,       in  Paddocks,   263. 
on  the   Lake,  263. 
,,      Tick  Killing,  233,  279. 
Bishop,  Black-bellied,  197. 

Crimson-crowned,   197. 
Grenadier,    197. 
j        .,       Kaffir,    197. 

Napoleon,  197. 
Orange,  197. 
,,       Tab  a,  197. 
Bishops,  25. 

(See  also  Weaver). 
Bittern    Yellow.  213. 
Blackbird,  220,  228,  278. 

Red-winged,  219. 
Blackcap,  30,    74,  220,  228. 
Black-capped,  Lories,  My,    68. 
Bhiebirds.  88. 
Bobolink.  95. 
Boobies,  Brown,  81. 
Bower-Bird,  Satin,  77. 
Bramblings,  24,  31,  33,    34,  35,    36. 

37,  38,  133,  135,  174,  250. 
Bronze-wing  Mannikins,  5. 

Breeding  Avadavats,    19. 

Budgerigars      Green      and 

Yellow,   from  same    nest, 

206. 
Budgerigars,     Continental 

Methods,    of,  32. 
Bullfinches,  229,  230,  27'.' 


General  Index. 


281 


Hreeding  (Jardinals,   189-90. 
,,         Cirl   Bunting,  21. 
.,         Crimsong  -  wing        Pana 
keets,   165-7. 
Doves,   189,  231-8.  241-4. 
Kinclie.s,   189-90. 
,,         Grass-finclies,  189-90. 
,,         Isabelline  Doves,   231. 

]\Ianchuiian    Eared-Pheas- 
ant, 207-8. 
,,         Misto    Seed-Fincli,    179-81 
,,         New  Guinea  Quail,  192-3. 
,,         Passerine      Parrotlet        at 
Libertv,   65. 
Quail   Finches,   235-41. 
,,         Red-rump  Parrakeets,   22. 
,,         Results,  19,   39, 
,,         Tat.aupa  Tinanious,    177. 
,,         Ti'iangular-spotted 

Pigeons,  22. 
,,         White  -  breasted        Dove, 
241-4. 
Zebra  Finches,  19. 

]-!udgerigurs>  25,   32,  40,  41,    227. 
.,  Apple-Green,   32,    102. 

Blue,  78,  79,  102,    123, 
228.  _ 
,,  Breeding  Green  t\:   Yel- 

low, from  same  Nest, 
206. 

,,  Continental       Methods 

of  Breeding,  32. 
"  French  Moult,"   32. 
,,  Green,   66,  67,  77,     88, 

99,   102,   153,  206. 
,,  Green      blue-bred,     32, 

41,  78,  102,  191,  228, 
247. 
Olive,  32,   102. 
Yellow,  41,  153,  206. 
Biiihul,  Finch-billed,  89,  278. 
].iHyard's,   70. 
,,        Red-vented,    221. 
,,       Red-whiskered,   221. 
,,       Syrian,  279. 

White-eared,  221. 

Bullfinch,  27,  155,  176,  223,  229,  230, 
275,  279. 
Desert,   174. 
hunting,  African  Rock,    248,  249. 

Black-crested,  275. 

Black-throated,  177. 

Cirl,  24,  177. 

Golden-breasted,  99. 

Indigo,  91,  134,  177,  275. 

Moorish  House,   177. 

Nonpareil,   177. 

Rainbow,  177. 

Reed,   26,    176,  275. 


Bunting  Snow,   24,  25,  26,  132,  l.')3, 
134.  250. 
,,         Towhee,  177. 
,,         Varied,  177. 

Yellow,  82,   177. 
Buntings,  21. 
Burrowing,   Owl,  9. 
Busli-Chat,  Pied,  221. 
Buzzard,   Red-shouldered,    12. 


Canary,  176,  274. 

Cape,  91,  171,  175,  274. 
Canaries,  26,  228. 

Cardinal,  Green,  40,   100,    101,    125, 
177,   190,   225,  226,    227, 
228. 
Grey,  225,  226,  228,   247. 
Pope,     65,    66,     177,    227, 

248,  252,  254,   275. 
Red,  174,  272. 
Red-crested,  40,   125,   153, 

154,   157. 
Virginian,    99,     122,     125, 
154,  190,  225,  226,  228. 
Y'ellow-billed,  23,   40,  41. 
Cassique,   Black,   147. 
r'at  Bird,  220. 
Chaffinch,  Algerian,  95,  99. 
Blue,   174. 

Nesting   of    Algerian,    13, 
95,   99. 
Chat,  Pied  Bush,  221. 

,,       Stone,  221. 
Chicken-Hawk,    12. 
Chough,  Cornish,  228 
Cockateel,  63,  88,  208,  247. 
at  Liberty,  208. 
Cockatoo,  Bare-eyed,  78. 

,,  Leadbeater's  88,   150. 

,,  Roseate,  78. 

Collection  at  London   Zoo,  Prince  of 

Wales',  127-8. 
Coly,    East  African,    90. 
Combasou,  197. 
(Jonure,  Brown-throated,   101. 
Cactus,  65. 
Euops,  101. 
,,        Jendaya,  101. 
Pearly,    246. 
Prince  Lucian,   22,    100. 
Red-headed,  100. 
Cordon  Bleu,  25,   153,  154,  165,  201, 

223,  224,  228,  248,  277. 
Correspondence.  18,  45,   65,  91,  122, 

152,  206,    233,   278. 
Cotinga,  Pompadour,  195. 
Courser,   Temminck's,    29. 
Cowbird,  Baya,  25. 


^2 


be  II  era  I  Index 


Crake,   Eastern   Baillou's,   212. 
Crane,  Demoiselle,  70,   Hy,   181,   2G-. 

,,       White-necked,  89. 
Cranes,  25. 

Crossbills,  21,  25,  27,  176. 
l^row  Carrion,  277. 
,,     Hooded,  277. 
Cuckoo,  141,  213. 

,,         Episode,  A,  141. 
Curassows,  42,  90. 
Curlew,  Stone,  133 
Cutthroat,  61,  62,  96,    123,  198,  230 
275. 


Dayal  (Dial)  Bird,  221. 

Decay,  Senile,  124. 

Diary  of  Voyage   from  Karachi,  to 

Marseilles,   79. 
Dick-Cissel,    A.  Am.,  95,  247. 
Diet  for  Mannikins,   3. 
Difficulty    or  Failure  of  Wild    Bird- 
to  Rescue   their  Young,   93 
Dove,  Barbary  Turtle,   143,  227    234 
Bar-shouldered,  70. 
,,       Cape  Turtle,   143,    146,  259. 
,,      Common,  56.  81,   152. 
..      Collared  Turtle,   70, 
:        Crested,    190. 

Diamond,  96,   191,  223,  250. 
Dwarf-Ground,    191. 

.,       Turtle,  70,  82,   89. 
Geoffroy's,    89,  91. 
Green-winged    (Aust.),   7(J. 
Vl"d.),   144. 
Isabelline  Turtle,  151,  231. 
Masked,  25. 

Necklace,   98,     132,  226,    253 
254 

,,      Pahn'(lnd),    70. 
.,       Peaceful,  123. 
;,       R?d  C round,    133,     134,    252 
253. 

,,      Mountain,  144,  227,  248 
„      Scaly,   249. 
,,      Talpacoti.   80,  249. 
,,      Tigrine  Turtle,   70. 
,,      Vinaceous  Turtle,   144. 
,,      White-breasted,  205. 
Doves,   189 

Duck,  Carolina,  89,  152. 
,.  Chilian  Teal,  263. 
,;       Mallard     89. 

Red-headed  Pochard,  263. 
''       Rosv-billed,  252,  263. 
:        W^ood.  N.  Am.,  116,   118. 
;,       Yellow-billed,   263. 


Ducks,  Diving,  116,    118,  119,     120, 
121. 
,,         Surface    Feeding,     116,   118, 
119,    120,  121. 


Eagle-Hawk.  Crowned,  152. 

Eagle-OwI,    Bengal,   250. 

Spotted,  96,  246. 
Editorial,   15,  69.  125,  150,  204. 
l':grets,   VVhite,  140,    157. 
Elder  as  food  for  Pheasants.  93. 
F.pisode.    A  Cuckoo,  141. 

A   Java    Sparrow,   203-4. 
!''xliii)iting   l''oreign    Birds.     17.     ^ 
265. 


Falcon,  80. 

I'incli,  .Mario,   175,  273. 

,,        Angola  Singing,  174,  274. 
.Vrgentme  Sallron,   176. 
Aurora,  199. 

Bearded   Seal v-f routed,   202. 
Bengalese,  200,   276. 
Bib,  9.  197. 
Bi.'heno's,    199. 
Black-headed,   9,    174. 
,,  .,  ,,  Seed,    174. 

,,  ,,      Seed,    i74. 

,,  .,       rumped        Bicheno's, 

199. 
-tailed  Haw-,  272. 
Blue  Chaif-,   174. 
Bramble-,  133,  135,  174,  250. 
Brazilian,   248. 
Bull-,  27,   155,  176,  223,  229, 

230,  275,   279. 
Chaff-,   27.   174,  228,  248. 
•    ,,         Cherry,    200,  276. 

Chestnut -breasted,     3,      124, 
199,  224,  276. 
,,         Chinese  Green-,  173,  272. 
Citril,  272. 
Crimson,  201,  227,  228,  233, 

277. 
Cuban,  124,    132,    134,     154, 
165,       174,      223. 
225,  228,  248,  252, 
254. 
Cutthroat,  61,     62,  96,    123, 

198,   230,  275. 
Desert  Bull-,  174. 
Diamond,  123,  198,  223,  233. 
Diuca,  96,   133,  177. 
Duskv,   174. 
Euler's,  174. 


General  Index. 


:>S. 


^3 


Finch,  Fire-,  25,  164,  198,   214,  215, 
216,   275. 
Gold,  25,  27,  155,  174,  272. 
Gouldian,  125,  164,  201,  215, 
216,  223,  225. 
,,        Grass-,  225. 

Green-,    173,  272. 
,,  ,,        Singing,     176,       22'5, 

249,  274. 
Grey,   173,  175. 
,,  ,,     -backed  Fire-,   198. 

„  ,,     Singing,  132,  175,   223, 

248,   274. 
,,         Guttural,    174. 
Haw-,  173,  272. 
,,         Jacarini,    174. 
,,         -Lark,  White-cheeked,  219. 

Lavender,  91,  223,   224. 
,,  Least   Saffron,     176. 

Lined.  223. 
,,         Little,   174. 

,,        Long-tailed  Grass-,    124,  201, 
223. 
Maja,   199,  276. 
-Masked     Grass-,      124,     201, 

223. 
Meiba,  61.  62,   198. 
,,         Mexican   Rose-,  176,  275.    ... 
,,        Misto  Seed-.  96,  99.   132,  133, 
134,    135,     179-S 
248,  249,  250. 
,,         Nutmeg,   199.  276. 
.,         Olive  Cuba,  174. 
Orchard,   134,    177. 
Painted,   198. 
Parrot,  165,  201,  277. 
,,         Parson,   201,    277. 

Pectoral,  5,  164,   200. 
Pileated,    177. 
,,        Pink-eyebi-owed    Hose-,    176. 
,,  ,,  -winged    Rose-,   152. 

,,        Purple,  274. 

Quail,  40,  124,  154,  198,  22'^, 
224,  235. 
W.  African,   198. 
,,         Red  crowned,   177. 
,,  ,,  -headed,   25,  26,    40,    61, 

62,  124,    198,   223, 
228,  275. 

,.         Ribbon,  25. 

Rose-,  152,  176,  274,  275. 
,,         Ro.sv      Black -bellied       Fire-, 

275. 
,,         Rufou.s-tailed     Grass-,      124, 
153,  164.  201,  214, 
215-6. 
Saffron,     40,   176,    177,     179, 

223,    247.    274. 
Scaly-crowned,  24,  202. 
,,        Scarlet   Rose-,    176,  274. 


Finch,  Serin,  274. 

Sharp-tailed,  200,  276. 
Spice,  230. 
,,         Spotted,    Fire-,    198. 
,,         Striated,  200,  276. 
,,         Tri-coloured,  9. 
,,         ,,  ,,         Parrot,  201. 

,,        Tropical  Seed-,    173. 
,,         White-headed,  9,    173. 
,,         Vellowisli,  275. 
,.         Yellow-runipod,  199. 

Zebra,  19,  25,  61,  62,  68,  69, 

78,    88,    123,     124. 

154,  155,  164.  198. 

199.     223,    225,     228, 

248. 

finches.   Foreign,  21. 

,,         in  "Waders'  Aviary,  263. 
Finch-Lark,  White-cheokeJ,  21 Q. 
Firefinch,    25,   164,     198,     214,     215, 
216,  275. 
,,  Gre^'-backed,  198. 

,,  Rosv   Black-bellied,   275. 

Spotted,   198. 
First  fruits  of  the  Season,    124. 
Flower-pecker,  Aust.,  70. 
Flycatcher,  141. 
Food    and  Treatment,   157. 
Foreign  Bird  Exhibiting,  17-8,  265. 

Birds  at  Liberty,  92. 
French  Moult  with    Budgerigars     <fe 

Parrakeets,   32,   67. 
Fruit-Pigeon,  Lilac-crowned,  70,  189, 
225,  247.   254. 
,,         ,,         Magnific'3nt,  'O,    90 
,,         ,,        Nutmeg,   70. 
,,  ,,         Orange -bellied,  70,  90. 

G. 

Gallinule.   Purple,  213. 
Gannet.  Masked,   80. 
Goldfinch,  25,  27,   155,  174,  272. 
Goose    Ross'  Snow,  70. 

,,  Upland,  32,  263,  264. 
GoshaAvk,  Lesser  White,  90. 
Grackle,  Black-necked,  21. 

,,       Purple,  219. 
Gi'assfinch,  225. 

,,  Long-tailed,      124,      201, 

223 
Masked,  124,    201,  223. 
:.  Rufous-tailed,    124,    153, 

164,       201,       211, 
215-6. 
Greenfinch,  173,  272. 

..  Chinese,   173,  272. 

filrosbeak.    Black-headed,    173. 
Blue,  88,    173. 
Pine.   176. 


284 


(jeiicral  Index 


Grosbeak,  Rose -breasted,  ITS 

,,         Stripe-lieaded,      95,       99 
133. 
Yellow-billed,   173. 
Ground -Dove,  Dwarf,    191. 

Med,    133,     134,     252. 
253. 
Giouud-TluiisJ),  African,  28,  96,  247. 
,,  ,,  Orange-headed, 

220. 
White-throated, 
220. 
Guans,  42. 
Guinea-fowl,    Horned,  99,    133,     134 

252,   264. 
Gull,  Blac-k-backed,   81. 
,,     Henipriclii's,   79,   81. 
.,     Herrinc;,   82. 


H. 


IIanj2;ne.st,  78. 

Baltimore,    122. 
Yellow,  70,  151. 
Happenings   in  Our  Aviaries,    164-5, 

214-8. 
Harrier,  Mar.sh,   213. 
Pallid,  213. 
Hawfinch,  173,  272. 

Black-tailed,   272. 
Hawk,  Am.   Sparrow,    12. 
,,       Chicken-,  12. 

Lesser,   White  Gos-,    90. 
Red-shouldered  Buzzard,    12 
Hawks,   140. 
Hens,   Water-.    211. 

White-breasted   Water-,    262. 
Heron,  Brown,   140. 
Purple,  213. 
Hornbill.    White-ciested.    152. 
Hybrid  Avadavat,    173,  199.  275. 

Bengalese,      172,     173,      198, 
199,  200,  201,   276. 
Blackbird,  220,  221,    278. 
Bulbul,    Red-vented,   221. 
Red-whiskered, 
221. 
Bunting,   Indigo,    176.    275. 
,.  .,  Nonpareil,    177. 

Reed,  275. 
Yellow,   275. 
Canaries,  172,    174,  175,  176 
272,  273,  274,  275 
Cordon    Bleu,    199.  202,  277 
,.       Cardinal,    174,  177,  272. 

,,         Green.   272. 
,,  ,,         Pope,  275. 

Red,   174.    272. 
„  ,,         Red-crested,      174 

275. 


Hybrid,   Cutthroat,    173,      198,     199, 
273,  275,  276. 
Fincli,  Alario,   175,  176.  '>7.3 
274. 
)>  ,,         Angola  Singing,    175 

176,  274. 
)>  ,,        Argt.    Saffron,    176. 

,,        Bib,     198,     200,     201 
276. 
))  ,,        Bicheno's,   199. 

•  ,  ,,        Bramble,    174. 

Bull-,  176,   272,    27.; 
275. 
,,        Chaff-,  174,   176,  272 
^)  ,,        Cherry,  276. 

)>  ;,        Chestnut-breasted, 

199,  200,  276. 
>)  ,,        Chinese   Green-.    17'), 

272. 
CitriC  176,    272, 
5)  ,,        C'l-imson.  277. 

;)  ,,        Diamond,   198. 

>.  ,,        Desert      Bull-,       175 

176. 
Fire-,    198,  275,  277. 
Gold-,    173,   174,    176 

272,  273, 

M  M        Green-,  173,  174,  175. 

176,  272,  273. 

)j  ,,        Green    Singing,     176 

274. 

Grey,  173. 

))  ,,        Grev    Singing,       176 

273,  274. 
,..        Haw-,  272. 

,,  ,,        L.      T.     Gras,*.-,     199. 

201,  277. 
^faja,  276,   277. 
^fasked   Gras.s-,    201 

276. 
]Melba,    199. 
Nutmeg,      173,      200. 

201,  276. 
Olive,  201. 
Parrot,  201,  277. 
Par.son,    276,   277. 
Purple,    176,    274. 
Red-headed,      198, 
275. 
,  ,,        Rose-,  173,    176,  274, 

275. 
,        R.  T.  Grass-,  277. 
Saffron,    176,   274. 
Sei-in,    176. 
Sharp-tailed,         200, 

201,  276,    277. 
Spice,  200. 
Striated,      200.      276 

277. 
White-throated,    173. 


CtCncraJ  Index. 


-'c^S 


Hvhiid,  Finch,  Zebra,  198,  199,  277. 
.,       Java,   Sparrous,      199.     275 
277. 
Linnets,   173,  176,  272,    273, 

274, 
:Nrannikins,     197,     19S,     199, 

200,  276,  277. 
Mvnahs.    219. 

Ouzels,  220.   278. 

Redpolls,  175,  176;  272,  273. 

Robin,  220. 
,.       Reedeutei-s,     175,     176,     272, 

274. 
,.       Silvevbills,    197,    198,      199. 

201,  276. 

.,       Siskins,   172,    173.  17^,    175. 
176,  272,  273.  27^1 
,,       Song-S])arrovvs,    177. 

Sparrows,     172,      173,     175, 
199,  273.  275,  277. 
Starlings,  219. 
..       Twites,    174,   ]7'\    176.    272, 
273. 
Thinsli?s,  220,    221. 
Tits,   220. 
,.       Wagtails,  278. 
.,       Waxbills,  173,  199,201.  202, 
*  275,  276,  277. 

Weavers.  197,  202. 
Whvdahs,   197. 
Wigeon,  263. 
Hybrids,  Lists  of.  8,  123,  229,   247. 


I. 


Ibis,  Saored,  88,  152. 
ii:-breeding  of   Wild   Species,  92. 
Indian    Little  Owl.   11. 


.lacana.   Pheasant-tailed,   211,   213. 
lav    Ac-apnlco,    1'2. 
.,     Aznre,  48,  49,  90,   96,  98,  247. 

Beechev's,  111. 
,,     Blue,   191. 

,,       Am.,  47. 
,,      Ea.stern,   47. 
■fronted,   47. 
some,    47-9. 
..      Coa.st,    47. 
..     Ensrlish.  49,  277. 
.,     Hartlaubs's,   112. 
.,     Jn venal  plumages   of    Yucatan, 

112. 
,,     Pileated,    49,  78,  96. 
.,     Si,n-blas.    111. 
,.     -Thrush,  White-cre.sted,  190. 
,,     Yucatan,   48,  9Q,  98,  111,    112. 
Ja.vs,  Some  Blue,  47-9. 


K. 


Key  to  Plate  (Jan.  i  i-ontisi)iece),  8. 
Kingfisher,  214. 

Aru  Island,  90. 

Pied,  214. 
Kiskadee,  159. 
Kite,  .Swallow-tailed,  88. 
Kites,   79,  213. 
Knots,  253. 


L. 


Lapwing,  Red-wattled,  211. 
Lark,   Black,  219. 
,,       Cre.sted,  219. 

Shore,  25,  96.  99,  250. 
Skv,  219. 

Wiiite-eared   Finch-,   219. 
Wood,   21. 
Jxttuce  for  Budgerigars,   67. 
Lilac-crowned  Fruit-Pigeon,  70,  189, 

225,  247,  254. 
Linnet,  273. 

Green,  27.' 
List  of  Birds,  Hybrid,  8. 

in  same   Aviarv,    100. 

101,  155,    156,  188, 
189,  190,  223,    225, 
226,    227,  228,  261, 
262,  263. 
.       ..        .,         Mannikins,   2,   3. 

Record   of,     Bred     in 
Captivity,        171, 
197,  219\    271. 
Longevity,   A   case  of,  153. 
Tjorik'^et,  Red-collared,  78. 
Loi-y,    Black-capped,    68. 

Purple-breasted,   70. 
Yellow-streaked,   70. 
Lovebird,  Black-faced,  38. 

Blue-winged,    186. 
Lavendei-headed,   184. 
Peach-faced,  99,  101,  185. 
Red-faced,  185. 
Lovebirds     Four   Species  of,   184-6. 
Lyi-e  Bird,   278. 


M. 


-Macaw,  Illiger's.   101. 
:\ragpie,    Eastern  Blue,  219. 
Spanish,   Blue,   219. 
Occipital  Blue,   219. 
Viaunikin,  Black-headed,  223. 

Bronze -winged.     5,      198, 

223,  224. 
Chestnut-brea.sted,    224. 
Chocolate,  199,  276. 


286 


General  Index. 


40, 
224. 


96. 


7.     99-2. 


Manuikiii,  Common,  61,  235. 

.,  Magpie  (Pied),  6,  197 

Maja,    199. 
,,  Riifou.s-backed,      5, 

124,   197,  223, 
,,  Tri -coloured,  199, 

,,  Two-coloured,    197. 

,;  Yellovv-rumped,    4. 

IVIaniiikiiis,    1-9. 

,,  Diet  for  3. 

I\Iar.sh-Bird,   Scarlet-headed,   28, 
IMartin,   House,    82. 
^leiiibers'   Aviaries  &  Birds,    Seeing 
Otlier   19,  46. 
,,  ,,  ,,         Visits 

to,    46,      18 
24-5,   261. 
Mesia,   Silver-eared,    221. 
.Mocking-Bird,    220. 
Monaul,  Himalayan,  89. 
Alooi'lien,  262. 
Alynali.  Brown,   277. 
Crested,  277. 
Common,  219. 
Indian,   66,  78,   219. 
Malabar,   219. 
;,        Pagoda,  219. 
,,         White-winged,   90. 


N. 


Nesting  of   Algerian  ChafFnich.      13, 
99. 

Am.  Robin,  123. 
,,         Avadavats,  62,  215. 

Baltimore  Oriole,   122. 
,,         Bearded  Tits,    152. 
,,         Black -cheeked        Waxbills 

98. 
,,         Bramblefinch,   31. 

Budgerigars,   32,    206. 

Cape  Turtle  Dove,  143,  234, 
259. 

Common  Quail,  29. 

Firefinch,   164,  214. 

Gouldian   Finch.    164. 

Java  Sparrow,   203-4. 
;,         Peaceful   Dove,    123. 

Pectoral   Fincli,    164. 

Quail    Finch,   153,    235. 
,,         Red    INIountain  Dove, 
,.         Red-rump   Parrakeet, 
,;         R.   T.   Grassfinch,   164, 

Snow    Bunting,   31. 

Triangular  Spotted  Pigeon, 
152. 

Turtle  Dove,  152. 

Virginian   Cardinal.    122. 

Waxwing,  69. 
,,        Weavers,  63. 


214. 


145. 
152. 
214. 


Nesting  of    Zebra  Finch,  19,  164. 
Nightingale.  73,  74,  75,  76,  221,  223, 

228. 
Nonijareil,    Bunting,   177. 

Pin-tailed,  201. 
Notes,  Earlv  Strav,   28. 

,,      for  Spring"  1922,  Stray,  99. 
,,       from  a  French  Aviary,   123. 
,,       from       our        President's 

Aviaries  19. 
,,  Nesting,  69,  151. 
,,       of  the  Season,    144. 

on      a       Few        Well-known 
Species,    61. 
,.       on  Birds  and  Mice,  stiay,  91. 
on  Jungle    and     other    Wild 
Life,  82,   102,  135,  ;58. 
193,  216,  255. 
,,       on   My  Birds,    76. 
,,       on  Red  Shining   Parrakeets, 

181-6. 
,,       on     Some     Forms    of     Cisso- 

lopha.  111. 
,,       on  Owls  and  Hawks,  9. 
,.      Strav,   152. 

Black-headed,  25. 


Nun, 

Other 
Ouzel 

Owl.' 


0. 

Members'     Aviaries,     Seeing, 
19,  46. 
,    Argt.  Brown,  220. 
Grey- winged,   220. 
Ring,    28,   249,   278. 
Tickell's,   220. 
Bengal    Eagle,   250. 
,,     Brown,  53,  216. 
.,     Burrowing,   9. 
,.     Falkland  Island,    250. 
,,     Indian   Little,  11. 
,.     Spotted  Eagle,  96,    246. 
,;      Cral,  11. 
Owls  and  Cats  from  Birds.  To  Keep, 
279. 
,,     and  Hawks,  Notes  on  Some,  9. 


P. 


ikeet.  Adelaide,  190. 

,  Alexandrine,    52,  53,  147, 

,  Apure   Tovi,  152. 

,  Barnard's,  78. 

Barraband's,  51,  53,  54. 
,  Black-tailed,   5lj    52. 

,  Blossom-headed,   22,    147, 

227. 
Blue-Bonnet,   46. 

New    Race 
of,  46. 
-winged,  22. 


General  Index. 


287 


Paniikeet,  Crimson-wing,  50,  52,  53, 
54,    165-7. 
})  >7  J)       Some 

Notes  on,  50. 
,,  Hooded,  67. 

King,  51,  52,  53,  65,  90. 
,,  Masked,  181. 

,,  Mealy  Rosella,  190. 

,,  Orange-flanked,    101. 

,,  Passerine,  65,   186. 

Pennant,   63,   191,    227. 
,,  Red-rumped,  22,     64,  67, 

123,   152. 

,,  -Shining,   181-4. 
,,  Ring-necked,     Ind.,      52, 

53;  69. 
,,  Rock  Pepkir,  77. 

Rosella,  78,    147,    190. 
Ro.sv-faced,   123. 
Stanley,  66,   101,   191. 
Tabnan,  181. 
,,  Uvaean,    76,    77. 

,,  ^Yhite-^vinged,  101. 

Yellow-bellied,  50,  67. 
Parrakeets,  21,  34,    35,   36,  38,  208. 
Parrotlet,    Passerine,   65,    186. 
Parrot,   B.  F.  Ama/on,   6:>,    66,  146. 
Grey,  65. 
Hawk-headed,   77. 
,,         Maximilian's,  247. 
,,         Senegal,  64. 
Vasa,   78. 
Parrots,  103. 
Partridge    42. 

PeafowL  Black- winged,  264. 
Peregrine   Falcon   Epi'oues,    18 
Petrel,  Fork-tailed  Storm,   80,  81. 
Pheasant.  Cabot's.   32. 

Common,  42,  264. 
Crow-,   213. 
Crossoptilon,       32,      245, 

247. 
Gold,  89. 
,,  Manchurian     Eared-,     32, 

99,  132,    133,  207,    245, 
247,  2.50. 
Monaul,    248. 
Peacock,  96,  99,  247. 
Satvra.  29.    32,  98. 
Silver. '89.  ■ 
Pie  Accipital  Blue,  219. 
Pigeon,  Af.  Speckled,   24. 

Aust.  Crested,  89,  190. 
Bleeding-heart,    205,    241. 
,,        Brazilian,    190. 
,,        Brush   Bronze-winged,  89. 
,,         Lilac-crowned     Fruit-,      70. 
189,  225,  247,  2-54. 
Magnificent  ]-.-uit  ,  70,  90. 
,,        Nicobar,  70. 


Pigeon,   Nutmeg  Fruit-,  70. 

,,        Orange-bellied     Fruit,      70, 

90. 
,,         Stephani's        Green- winged, 
90. 
Triangular-Spotted,    22,  24, 

89.  152. 
Tumbler  (B.F.),    191. 
White-breasted,    205,   241. 
Wood,  24. 
Pipit,  Rock,  220. 
.,       Tree,  82,  278. 
Plover,  30. 
Pochard,  211. 

Red-headed,  263. 
Post    Mortem  Reports,  2C,   94,  130, 

154,  260,  279. 
President,   A  few    Notes    from    our, 

19. 
Prospect,  The,  15-6. 

Q. 

Quail,    African,  29. 

Calif ornian.    31,  40,   1.33,  135, 

155.  226,  252. 
Chine.se,  189. 

Common,  29,  30,  54.    .56,    96, 
2.53. 
,,       Egyptian,  29,  251,   252. 
,,       Finch,  40,   124,  154,  198,  223, 
224,  235. 
Gambel's,    89. 
,,       New  Guinea,     70,     1-32,     134, 
248,  252,  254. 
Painted,   1.52. 
,,  ■     Plumbeous,   70,  132,   134,  248, 
2.52,  254. 
Quail  Finch,  40,  124,  1.54.  198,  223, 
224.  235. 
„     W.  Af.  198. 


R. 


Rail,  Aust.,  70. 

,,     Earl's  Weka,   70. 
,.     Red-billed,  90. 
,;     Water,  213. 
Raven,   277. 
Records  of  Birds  Bred  in  Captivity, 

171.    197,  219,  271. 
Redpoll,  26,  175,  273. 

Mealy,  146,  175,  273. 
Red-shoiddered   Buzzard-Hawk,    12. 
Pedstart.   Black,  221. 
Regent  Bird,  219. 

Reports,  Post  Mortem,   20,  94,  130, 
154,    260,   279. 
Zoo,  88,  127. 


288 


Cicncral  Index. 


Ileviews  and   Notices  of  New  Books, 

128. 
Kohin.  Aiuerican,   SS,  123,  220. 
,,       Blue,  122,  188. 

Pekin,   25,  61,  123,  146,  147, 
221,  228. 
llobins,  28. 
Rock  Tbmsh,  221. 
Uoller,   Blue,   21U,   221. 
Long-tailed,  90. 
Kosetineli,    152,   176. 

Mexican,    176.   275. 

Pink-biowed,   176. 

,,     -winged,  152. 

Scarlet,    176,  274. 


S. 


Samples,    ^Millet,   91.    12.3. 
Sanctuary,  In   My  Bird,  115. 
Scottish  National  Show,   17. 
Season,   l^'irstfruits   of    the,   124. 

,,       Signs  of  the,  122, 
Seed-eater,  St.  Helena,   176,  274 
Sulphur,  175,  274. 
,,  Sundevall's,    90. 

Seed-Finch,  Black,  174. 

.,  ,,         -headed,    9, 

,,  Torrid,   173. 

Seed,  Millet,  91,  123. 
bteker  after  Bird   INlarts.   167-71 
Serni,   Yellow-runiped,   253. 
Shama,  22,  73,  74,  75,  76,  221,  2 
The    Best     Song    Bird, 
Shearwater,   Green-billed,  80,  82 
Show,  Scottish  National,   17. 

Torquay  F.  t^-  F.,  265-71. 
Slu'ike,   Logger-headed,   86. 

..       Red-backed     220. 
Silverbill,  Af.,    201,   276. 
Ind.,  200,  276. 
Silverbills.  25,  146,   153,  230. 
Silver-eared    Mesia,  221. 
Singingfinch,  Angola,  17i,  274 
Green,  176,   223, 
274. 
Grey,  132,     175, 
248,  274. 
Siskin   American,  273. 

.,       Black-headed,   174,   248 

Hinalavan,  174,  273. 
,,       lied,  174. 

Sikliim,  175,   273. 
SLskins,  24,  272. 
Snow-Bird,  177. 

Society  it  Its   Journal,  Our,   J5. 
Softl)il!s,  21. 
Song-Sparrow,  132. 

Chingolo,    133.      17' 
249,  253. 


174 


.30. 
73. 


249, 
223 

272 


Song-Spario\\  White-crowned.  177. 
Sparrow,  Af.    Diamond,   132. 

Cape,  132,  133,  134,  175, 
250,    253,  254. 

Chingolo  Song-.  133,  177, 
249,   253. 

Cinnamon,    175. 

Diamond,   198. 

English,  86. 

Gambel's,    88. 

Gambian,  135. 

Golden,    l75.   273. 

Gre.v-headed,   96,    175. 

Grev  J.iva,  Ci,     146,     153, 

Hedge,    142,  221. 
Hou.se,  273. 
Le.sser  Rock,   175. 
Red-fronLv'd  lira/i.'ian,  1.33. 
Senegal,    132,   134,    135. 
Tree,  273. 
\\  hite-crowned  Song-,  177. 
,.     Java,  40,     124,     154. 
223,  228. 
Yellow.    175. 

,,         -throated,         96, 
133,   250. 
S.ioonhills,   134,  210. 
Sprosser,  221. 
Starling,  22.   277. 

Andaman.  219. 
Glossv,   77,   277. 
Military,  28,  96,  152. 
Pied,  90. 

\'erreaux's   Amethyst,    90. 
Stouecluit,  221. 
Stork,  Adjutant,    131. 

'iCssei-  Adjutant,   264. 
Sugarhird,     Yellow-winged,     23,    55, 

m,  57,  58,  59,  228. 
Sunbird,   Great   Amethyst,    152. 
Malachite,    152. 
Sc-a.rlet-breasted,    89. 
Suallow,  Common,   81,    214. 

AVirotailed,    214. 
Swift,  80. 


T. 


Tailor  Bird,   220. 
Tauager,  Archbisiiop,  22. 

Bishop,   219. 

Black,  219. 

.,      -backed,     23,       24, 
134. 

Blue.   1.34. 

Magpie,  219. 

Scarlet,  219. 

AYesteru  Palm,   219. 


(icneral  liidcx 


289 


Tanai^er,  YeUow-riimped,  219. 
Teal,~211. 

,,     Cliilian,    152,    263. 
Tern,  81. 

'I brush.  Af.  Ground-,  28,  96,  247. 
AT.   Olivaceous,  29,   96. 
Common,  56,  74,  123,  141. 
,,-        Migratory,    190. 

Mistle,   29,  31,   96,  99,  132. 

278. 
Orange-headed        Ground-, 

220. 
Rock,  221. 
Song,   220,    278. 
Wliite-crested  Jay-,    190. 
,,     -throated     Ground-, 
220. 
Tick   Killing  Birds,  233-4,  279. 
Tinamou,   132,   133,   134. 
,,  Great,  42. 

Tataupa,   177. 
Tit,  Bearded,  24,  134,  152,   221,  249 
,,    Great,  220. 
,,    Pleske's,  220 
Tits,  27. 

Toucan,  Sulpluir-breasted,  23. 
'I'oucanette,  Spot-billed,  22,    77. 

Cabot's,  32. 
'I'ragopan,   Crimson,    71,  72,  73,     95 
133,  207,  250- 
Satyra,  29,   32,  98. 
'^I'roupial,  Brown-headed,  219. 
Trumpeter  Bird,   1.59. 
Turkey.   Brown-billed   Brush,    90. 

N.  Am.,  89. 
Twites,  24,  132,   135,  273. 


Ural  Owl,    11. 


U. 


Visiting  Other  Members'    Aviaries 

19.   46. 
Visits  to    Members'     Aviaries,     187 

222,  245,  261. 
Visit   to  an  Indian  Jheel,  209. 

W. 

Waders,    29. 
Wagtail,  Grev,  278. 

Red,  141,  220. 
White,    277. 

Yellow,   210,   220. 
Warbler,    Pan -tailed,  213. 

Garden,   278. 
Waterfowl,  32,  42. 
Water-Hen,   262. 

White-breasted,   262. 


Waxbill,  Black-cheeked,  62,  98,  248. 
Blue-breasted,  25,  91,  201. 
Ccmimon,    21,  25,    26,    61, 

69. 
Oulresne's,  39. 
Gold-breasted   39,   40,    56 
Grey,    156,   201,   2777 
Lavender,   201,   277. 
Orange-cheeked,    156,    199, 

223,   275. 
St.  Helena,  277. 
Sydney,   201. 
Violet-eared,   40,   125,    1  16, 

223,  224. 
Zebra,' 6'2,    199.    275. 
\Vaxwings,  24,  69,  278. 
Weaver.    Abvssinian,  25(K 
Bava,  202. 
Bengal,  Baya,    202. 
Black-fronted.    202. 
.,     -headed,  202. 
Buffalo,  135,  202,   249,   258. 
Cabanis',  202,  252. 
Cape,    197. 
Cape  Golden,  202. 
Chestnut-backed,    202. 
Crimson-crowned,   133,    135, 

197,  251. 
Frontal,  202. 
Gienadier,   63,  197,   223. 
Half-masked,  202. 
Hyphantoi-nine,    132. 
Kaffir,   197. 
Little  Masked,   202. 
Madagascar,  202. 
Mahali,   252. 
Manyar  Baya,  202. 
Napoleon,    197. 
Orange,   197,   223,  229. 
Poker-head,  197. 
Red-billed,  24,  39,    63,    95, 

133,  223,   251,  275. 
,,     -headed,    21,   197. 
Rufous-necked,   202,    228. 
Russ',  134. 
Scalv-f routed,   202. 
Striated,  212. 
Taha,  63,  197. 
Yellow,  96. 
Weavers,   21,  95. 
Whydah,  Eastern  Paradise,  89. 

Giant,   131,    134,   197,   254. 
Jackson's,  197. 
,,         Long-tailed,    197. 

Paradise,  61,   250,  275. 
Pintail,    197,   226. 
Queen,  197^  223 
Red -coll  a  red,  197,   248. 
Sbaft-tailed,    197. 


290 


(ioicral   Index. 


Wliydali,    Wliite  winged,    197. 
Wlivdahs,    25. 
Wli'ite-eye,  Af.,  23. 
End.,  220. 
Natal,    220,    278. 
Whitethi'oat,  Lesser,   141. 
Wiseon,  Chiloe,  32,    263. 

Coiiiinon,    263. 
Wild   Birds,    Diffirmlty  or    failure   to 
Rescue  Young,   93, 
,,     Species,  Inbreeding   of,    92. 
Woodlarks,   21. 
Wood-Swallow,  White-eyeb rowed, 

220. 
Wron.   Blue.   220. 


Z. 


/ehra  Finch,  19,   25,  61,  62,  68,   69. 
78,    88,    123,     124,    154. 
155,   164,  198,  199,  223, 
225,    228,  248. 
Breeding   of.    19,     164. 
'[ostcrops,  Af  .  23. 
Ind.,  220. 
Natal,  220,  278. 


Index  to  Genera  and  Sf'eeics. 


291 


Index  to  Genera  and  Species. 


<- 


A. 

Accentor   iiwditlaris,    145 
Acomiis  crythrophthalmus,    127 
Acridotlieres  gingiamis,   -:i9 

tristis,  219 
acuticamia.   Foe.   188,   201.  223 

Uro.  127,  276 
adclaidac.  Pla.  190 
Acgnitha  temporalis,  201 
aeniginostis.  Cir.  213 

Con.   101 
aestiva,  Clir.  65,  146 
acthiopica.  Ibi.  88.   152 
Acthiopsar  cristatclius.  277 

fiisciis,   277 
affinis.  Col.  90 

■..  C^r/).    80 

,.       Lar.  81 
o/ra,  F_vr.  188,  197 
Agapornis  pitllaria,  99 

roseicollis.    iot,    123.   227 
Agclacus  frontalis,  219 

phoenlceiis.   190,  219 
.Mdeiiiosyue  cantans,   153.   188.  276 
lualabarica.  276 
modesta,  200,  276 
a/fta,  f'az;.  194 
albigularis.  Ser.   176 
^.  .S-Z-o.  173 

albivcntris.   Mer.  220 
albonotata.  Col.   197 
.Alcedo  liispida.   214 
alpestris.   Ota.   156,  250,  262 
alpina,  Tri.  261 

Aiiiadi)hi  er\throccphala,  40,     62.     153, 
156.   188.  223 
fasciata,  49,  62.  123,  153,  188. 
230.  273 
aviandava.   .Spa.    19.   62,    123,    m^.    I^^ 

188.   223 
.Ainanrestlies  fringilloides.   198 
Aiiiauroniis  phoenicura.    128,   262 
amboinensis,  Apr.  90 
awericana,  Mel.  89 

.9/>/.   177,  247 
amcsthystina,  Cha.   152 
Aiupelidae,  278 
.1  iiipelis  garrtdns.  69 
.^Hfl^^■  6ojca.f,  89 

undnlata,  263 
atidavianensis.  Spo.  219 
aiigoloisis.  list.   155,   188 
Po/.   175,  274 


augolensis,  Ser.  253 
Anthracoceros  inalayanus.   127 
.Autliropoidcs  7'irgo.  70,  254 
Antigone  s/iarpei,   128 

Iprosniictiis  amboinensis,  90 
cyanopygius,  65 
siilaensis,   65 
.ln7  maracana.  loi 

,.     tricolor,  103 
arcitatiis,  I'as.  250,  253,  254 

I  )■(/(•(/  purpurea.  213 
ardeus,  Col.   197 

P^».  188,  248 
Ardeola  grayi.  210 
Ardctta  sinensis,  213 
iirgalii.    Lcp.    127 
argus.  -Arg.   127 
Argusianits  argus.   127 
-Irij^va  earlii,  21 1 
Artanius  sutercdiaris,  220 
arvensis,  Syc.  274 
aquaticus.    Ral.   213 
aquila,  Fre.  87 
.Aslur  leucosomiis.  90 

palumbarius.    127 
Athene  brama,    11 
a/;-u,   F;(/.  213 

atricapilla,  Mun.   155,   199.  223,  276 
atricollis.   Ort.   198 
aiiduboni,  Puf.   104 
aurautiifrons.  Fti.  go 
axillaris,   Uro,   197 


B. 


barbadensis.  Fyr.    104 
Barnardius  barnardi.  78 
Bathilda  ruficauda.  153.  164.  201.  214 
&ava,   Mo/.    15^ 
:,       P/o.  2ii 
beech ci.  Cis.   11 1 
bcccheii,  Xan.  49 
bcngalensis.   Bub.   2=;o 
hiarinicus.  Pan.    152,   249 
bicolor.  Fue.   174 

/.f/'.    J97 

.Ifyr.   70,    128 

.S'j^r.   90 
borealis.  But.   12 
boscas,  .Ana.  89 
hracliypus.    Hyp.    70 
Brachyspiza  pileata.    177 
brama,  .4  th.   11 
brasiliensis,  Rha.  219 


292 


J ndcx  to  Genera  and  Speeies. 


brasiiius.  Rha,   188 

Brototrcrys  jui^ularis  apitroisis,    152 

jiyrrhoptcnts.   101 

firica.  66 

znrescens,    10 1 
bniiinciccpJialus,   Lar.  79 
Bubo  bengal ensis,  250 
maculosa.  246 

virginianus  falkhnidi  island ii.  2^ 
Butco  borcalJs,  12 

C. 

cabanisi.  Si/.  202 
caboti,  Tra.  72,  262 
Cacatua  gymnopis,  78 

,,         leadbeatcri.  88,   T28.  159 
Caccabis  cliukar,   127 
cactorum,  Con.  65,  147 
caenilea.  Coe.  SS 

Gui.  88 
cacriilcsccns.   Lai;.   188,  223 

Spe.   188 
cacritleus,  Cya.  48,  90,  247 
californica.  Lop.  40,  iot,   156,  226,  25: 
Callistc  melanota.  23 
Caloenas  nicobarica.  70 
CalopsJttacns  novac-hollandiae,  63.   88 

155,   191.  208,   227,  247 
cainbayensis,  Ste.  70 
caimriiis,  Ser.  156 
caniccps,   Car.    174 
canicollis,   Ser.   91.    173,    175,   274 
canifrons,  Spi.  89 
cannabina,  Lin.  223 
canora.  Eue.  174 

P//0.  154.  164,  188.  223,  248,  25: 
253,  254 
canlans.  Aid.  153,  188,  276 
caiuita.  Tri.   261 
capcnsis.   Oen.   156,   188 

Pa'*".  197 

.97/.  202 
capicola.  Tnr.  143,  234,  259 
capistrata,  Mai.   168 
capitata.  Par.  23,  40 
caprafa.  Sax.  221 
Cardinalis  cardinalis.  99,    122,   154,   188 

190,  225 
Carduclis  caniceps.   174 
Carphophaga  concinna.    128 
Carpodacus  erythrimis.  274 

mexicaniis.  173,  176 
rhodopeplus,  176 
Cassictis,   147 
Ca,f,f;V»5  pcrsicus.  70 
casfaneifnsca,  Mel.  202 
castancithorax,  Miin.  188,  189,  223,  27e 
casfaneivcntris,  Eul.  90 
castiuiotis.  To".   iq,  40,  62,  68,  78,  88, 
123,  ]-■;,  !'  1.  if".  :^:.  t88,  223,  24F 


candattis.  Cor.  90 
Ceiitropiis  sinensis,  213 
Chalconiitra   amethystina.    152 
Cerylc  rudis,  214 
Chalcophaps  chrysochlora,  70 

indica,  127,  128,  144 
stcphani,  90 
CIniicopsitlacus  scintillans,  70 
clialybciis,   Lam.  22,    155 
Chamacpelia  griseola,  188,   191 
talpacoii,  88,  249 
Chelidon  iirbica,  82 
Chen  rossi,  70 
cheringiis,  Hyd.  211 
chinensis,  Exc.  127.  152,  i88 
chinquis,   Pol.  24J,  261 
Chloephaga  magellanica.  263,  264 
rhlorogaster,   Cro.    127 
chloropHs,  Gal.  211 
rhlororJiynchiis,  Puf.  80 
Clioera  procne.  188 
chrysochlora,  Cha.  70 
chrysogaster.  Phe.   173 
Chrysolophiis  pictus,  89 
Chrysomitris  icterica,  24S 
,,  spinas .  22 

,.  libetanus.  248 

chrysops.  Cya.  49 
Clirysofis  acstiva.  65,  146 
rhiikar.  Cac.  127 
'•incta,  Poc.  201,  277 
■inerea.  Est.  it;^,  t;^,  18S 

Grt/.  128 
cinnam omens.  Pas.  175 
Cinnyris  gufturalis.  89 
Circus  aeruginosus.   213 

pallid  US,  213 
r/.s-/.s-,  Cva.   188 
cirlns,   Emb.  21 
Cissoloplia  bcechei.  iiT 

,,  mclanoc\anea,  112 

san-blasiana  pulchra,   112 
j.-Z?.  san-blasiana,    11 1 
vucafanica,   iii,   112-4 
Cissopsis  Icvcriana,  173,  219 
Cisticola  cursitoria,   213 
iitrina.  Gen.  220 
Ciltocincla  nnicrura.  22 
corlcbs,  Fri.   145 
Coercba  cacrnlea,  55 

fva'Jra.  23,  55-60 
Incida.  55 
,.         nitida,    55 
colchicus,  Pha.  264 
CoUoslrnthus  albonotata,  197 

ardctis,   197 
C alius  afjinis.  90 
Colnmba  grisca,  128 

,,         phaeonota,  22,  89.  152 
,,        speciosa,   190 


Index  to  Genera  and  Species. 


-'93 


couimunis.   Cot.   129,  261 

Tur.  152 
roncinna.  Car.  128 
contra,  Stu.    169 
Conurus  aeruginosus,   loi 
,,         cactoruni,  65,  147 
,,         euops,   loi 
,,        jendaya,    10 1 
,,         riibrolarvafus,     00 
cocki,  Cya.  219 
Copsychus  saularis,  70 
Ccracias  caudatus,  90 

,,         indica,  210 
Coracopsis  vasa,  78 
coronatiis,  Spi.  152 
coronulatus.  Pti.  70,  188,  225,  247 
Corz'idae,  277 

Coryphosphingus  crisfatiis,  188 
pUeatus,  177 
Coturnix  communis,  129,  261 
crepitans,  Pso.  159 
cristata,  Cya.  47,  113,  191 

,,         Gk6.  40,  loi,  154,  177,  188.  190 

225,  227 
,,        Paz/.  127 
cristatelliis,  Aet.  277 
cristatiis,  Cor.  188 

,,         For.  24 
Crocopus  chlorogaster,   127 
Crossoptilon   manchuriciim,      207,   247, 

250 
cucuUata.  Par.  40,    153,    154,    177,   225, 
247 
,,  5'/>?.  223 

-S"/-/.  174 
cucuUatus,  Hyp.  202,  229 
cuneata,  Geo.   188,   191,  223,  250 
ciinicularia,  Spe.  9 
cursitoria,  Cis.  213 
cyanea,  Coe.  23,  55-60 
Cra.  188 
Gmj.   188 
Cyanecula  stiecica,  211 
cyaneiis^   Cya.   219 
C_va»7j^e^  pleskei,  220 
cyanocephala.  Pal.  22,  227 
Cyanocifta  cristata.  47,  113,  191 
,,  stelleri  carbonacea,  47 

,,  ,,        frontalis,  47 

CyoMocorojr  caeruleus,  48,  90,  247 

,,  chrysops,  49 

cyanonota,  Geo.  220 
Cyanopolius  cooki,  219 

,,  cyaw^Mj,  219 

cyanops,  Sut.  80 
cyanopygius,  Apr.  65 
Cyanospiza  ciris,  188 
,,  cyaweo,  188 

leclancheri,   188 
Cypselus  affinis,  80 


D. 

Daulias  luscinia,  223 
Dendrocygna  javanica,  128 
dentata.  Pet.  175 
Diatropura  procnc.   197 
Dicacum  hiruudinaceum,   70 
diffusus.  Pas.  96.  262 
dimidiatus,  Rha.   128 
Diphyllodes  hunsteini,  70 
Dissoura  episcopus,  127 
domestica,  Mun.    123 
dominica.  Par.  188 
Donacilda  pectoralis,  200 
Drepranoplectes  jacksoni.  T97 
dufresni.  Est.  39 


for/f,  OC3/.  70 
earlii^   .irg.   211 
Elanoides  furcatus.  88 
elegans,  Plia.  89 

,,        P/a.  63,  191,  227 
Emberiza  cirhis,  21 

,,  lutcola,  262 

Emblema  picta,  198 
Eophona  mrlanura.  272 
episcopus,  Dis.  127 
Tow.  219 
Cremoptery.r  sniithi,  219 
erythrimis.  Car.  274 
erythrocephala    Ama.  40,  62.   153,   156, 

188,  223' 
crythronota.  Est.  248 
erythrops.  Que.  21,  197 
crythropterus.  Pti.  50 
erytltrophtlialmus.   .ico.   127 

P'/'-   177' 
Erythrura  prasina,    127,   201 

,,  psittacea.  277 

Erythrospiza      githaganea      amavtimn. 

Estrilda  angolciisis.   155,   188 

,,         cinerca.   153,    155,    188 

,,        dufresni,  39 

,,         erythronota,  248 

,,         minima,    164 

,,         phoenicotis.  23,   153.   m4,   164. 
188,  223.  248 
rJwdopygia,   201 
euchlorus.  Pas.   175,  273 
Eudocimus  ruber,  261 
Etiethia  bicolor.  174 

,,         can  or  a,   174 

,,         oiivacca,   174 
pusilla,  174 
Eulabeornis  casfavciz'ciifris.  90 
euops.  Con.  loi 
Euphonia  pectoralis,  188 


294 


hidcx  to  LJciicra  and  Species. 


curopaea,  Pyr.   156,  223 
F.xcalfactoria  chinensis,  127,  152,  188 
cximiiis,  Pla.  78,   147,   190 


F. 


Falco  sparvensis,   12 

famosa,  Nee.  152 

farrago ,  Tur.  70 

fascJata,    Ama.    40,    62,    123,    153,    188, 

-'30,  273  ,         '        ' 

ferina,  Nyr.  263 
flammiceps,  Pyr.  188,  197,  251 
flava,  Mot.  210 

fiaxieola,  Syc.  40,  155,  179,  223.  247  ,  274 
flaviro.';tris,   Lin.  24,  262 
Net.  152,  263 
flaviventris.  Pla.  50 

,,         Ser.  176 
Foitdia  madagasearieiisis,  155,  202 
franeiscaiia,  Pyr.   188,   197,  223,  227 
Francolinits  gular'ts.   VTj 
Fregata  aqiiila,   87 
FringiUa  eoelebs,   145 

,,         montifringilla,   24,   250 
,,         spod'w  genes,  13-5 
FringUlaria  hnpcttiani.  249,  253,  261 
saliarae.  177 

,,  taliapisi,  188,  248,  249 

fringiUoidcs,  Ama.   198 
frontalis,  Aeg.  219 

^/>o.  173,  202 
fruticeti,  Phr.  \yy 
fucvatra,  Sem.  220 
Fiiliea  atra,  213 
fiircafus,  Ela.  88 
fitseirostris,  Tal.  go 
fiiseus.  Aet.  277 

G. 

galbiihi,  let.   122.   188 
galgulus.   Lor.   127 
GalUerex  ehierea,  128 
Gallits  gallus,  128 
GaUunda  chloropus,  211 
gambeli.  Lop.  8g 
garntius.  Amp.  69 
Garrulax  leueolophus.  190 
Geiniaeiis  leneomelamis.   127 

lineatits,  89 

nyethemenis.  89 
Geoeiehhi  eitrina.  220 

cyanonota,    220 

litsibs^rupa,  28 
veoffrori.  Per.  89,  188.  191 
Geopelia  cnueata.  188,  191.  223,  250 
Ininieralis.   70 
placida.  t88 

striata.  128 


Geopelia  Iranquilla,    123 

Gcotrygon   )>iontana,     T44,     227,      248, 

-'52,  253 
gingianus,  Acr.  219 
githaginea  amantium,   Ery.    175 
Gorsachius  melanolophus,   127 
gouldiae,  Poe.  164,  215,  223 
govinda.  Mil.  79,  213 
Graculipica  melanoptera,  170 
Graiiatijia  grariatiiia,  223 
grayi,  .4rd.  210 
grisea.  Col.   128 
griseola,  Cha.  188,  191 
griseiis.  Pas.  175 
guianensis.  Lei.    28 
Gubernatrix  cristata,  40,   loi,   154.   177, 

188,   190.  225,  227 
Guiraea  cyanea,    188 
gnlaris,  Fra.  127 

Po/.  261,  262 
guttata,  Ste.  64,   123,  220 
guttiiralis,  Cin.  89 
gym.nopsis,  Cae.  78 

H. 

haematocepliala,  Xan.  169 
haematonotus,  Pse.   22,  64,    123,    152 
haematorrhoiis^  Pse  46 
helvetica,  Squ.  261 
hempriehi,  Lar.  79,  81 
hiemalis.  Jun.   lyj 
hirundinaeeum.  Die.  70 
Hintudo  rustica,  214 
smithii^  214 
hispida.  Ale.  214 
linmeralis,  Geo.  70 
JnimiUs.   Ono.  70,  89 
hunsteni.  Dip.  70 

Hypacanthis.  spinoides,   173,   174,   273 
Hyphantornis  eueiiUatits.  202,  228 

,,  melanocephala^  250 

,,  spilonotus,  2or 

,.  velatus,  252 

hypoenochroiis.  Lor.  70 
Hypotaenidia  brachypns,  70 
HxdropJiasianiis  elicri)igiis.  211 


I. 


/^/^  aethiopiea.  88,  152 
icterica,  Chr.  248 
iciericus,  Spi.  272 
icteronitis,   Rha.   219 
ieterotis,   Pla.    191 
leterus  galbula,  122.  188 

jamaicai,    128 
icterus.  Ser.  155.  223.  249 

6"y>i.   173,   174 
imp.etuani,  Fri.  249,  253 


Index  to  (iciicra  n)id  S farcies. 


^95 


impeyaniis,   Lop.  89,    127,  248 
indica,  Clia.   127,   128,  144 

,,         Cor.   210 
iiidicns.   Plia.   80 
Sar.  211 
ititermedia,  Mes.   127 
isabcUina.  Tiir.  188,  231 
ico>ni.<;.  Pfi.  70 


jacksorii.   Ore.    197 
jaiubu,   Leu.   128 
janiaicai,  let.  128 
javanica.  Den.  128 
javauiciis.  Lcp.  127.  264 

P/(a.  79 
jendaya.  Con.  loi 
jocosa.  Oto.  170 
jugularjs  apurevsis.  Bra.  152 
Jnnco  hiciualis.  177 

L. 

Lai^ouosticia  cacnilcicciis.   188,  223 
minima,  214 
polionota,  198 
rhodoparia,  275 
,,  rnfopicta,    198 

s en c gala,  275 
Laiuprofornis  clialybcits.  22.   155 
Lampronessa  sponsa,  89,  152 
Lanius  sulphuratus,  159 
lappoiiiea,  Lim.  261 
Lams  affinis,  81 
,,       brunneieephalus,  79 
hempriehi,  79,  81 
leucophtlialmus,   81 
larvafa.  Par.  65,  227,  248,  252,  254.  275 
hiyardi.  Pye.  70 
leadbcaferi,  Cae.  88,  128,  150 
leclaneheri  ,Cya.  188 
Faj.  177 
Leistes  guianensis,  28 
Lcpidopygia  bicolor.  197 
(wwa,  197 
nigrieeps,  197 
Lcptoptila  rnfaxiUa,   128 
Icucanchan,  Pse.  89 
kiteogaster.  Lop.  188 
Leptoptihis  argala.   127 

javanicus.   127,  264 
5'm/.  81 

verreaiixi.  Phi.  90 
leucogasfra^  Uro.  127 
'eueogenys,  Oto.  188 
lei'eolophu.<;.  Gar.  190 
Or/.  152 
Iciieoiiiclanus,  Gen.  127 
Iciienplirys.   Znn.   88,    177 


iencophthaltmis,   Lar.   81 
letieopygia,  Pol.   175,  274 
leiieopygius,  Ser.  223,  248 
leueorodia,  Pla.  210,  261 
leneorrhoa,    Oce.   80 
leneosomus,   Ast.   90 
IcKcotis,   Oto.  221 
Pjf.  220 
Leueotrcron  jambii,   128 
lez'eriana,  Cis.  173,  219 
Uninaetus,  Spi.  127 
Liinosa  lapponiea.   261 
lineatus.   Gen.  89 
liiieola.  Spo.  223 
Linota  cannabina.  22^ 

.,         fiavirostris,  24,  262 
Liothrix  liiteus,   155,    188 
litsibsiriipa,  Geo.  28 
longirostris,  Rhi.   128 
Lophophaps  leueogastcr^    188 
Loplioplionts  inipeyanus.  89,  127,  248 
Lophortyx  califormca,    40,     101,     156, 
226,  252 
gambehi.  89 
lopliofes,   Ocy.  89,  190 
Lophura  rtifa,  127 
Loricidus  galgultts,   \2'j 
Lorius  hypoenochroHs.  70 

/orv,  68 
/orv.   Lor.  69 
hiciani,   Pyr.  22 
lucida,  Coc.  88 
htscinia,   Dan.   223 
luteii'cntris,  Sye.  179,  248,  249,  261 
htfeola.   Etnb.  262 

.S";'/.  202 
hffciis,  Lio.  155,   188 

Pfli-.   175 

M. 

Machetes  pugnax,  261 
macrura,  Cit.  22 
maculirostris.  Sel.  22 
maciiJosus,   Bub.   246 
'iiadagascaric7isis.  Foil.  155,  202 
mageUanica,  Chi.  263,  264 
magnipca.  Meg.  70,  "90 
mahali,  Plo.  252 
'»a/a,   Mn».    127,  276 
lualabarica.  Aid.  276 
^/»o.   219 
malacca,  Mun.   199 
Malacias  capistrata,  168 
malayana.   Ant.   127 
Mahtnts  sitperbus,   220 
manchuHcitm,  Cro.   207,   247,   250 
iiiangar,  Plo.   212 
Maitorhiiia  mclanophrys,  78 
niaracana.   .Ara.   loi 


296 


1  udcx  to  Genera  and  Species 


Mareca  penelope,  263 
.,        sibilairix,  263 
nuirgaritae.  Phi.  241 
viaximiUani,   Pio.    247 
Megaloprepia  magnifica,  70,  90 
iiic'.ba,  Pyt.  63 
melanicterus,  Mel.   168,  275 
melmiocephala.  Hyp.  250 
,,  Por.  213 

,,  Sit.  202 

Spo.  174 
Za)n.   173 
melanocyanca,  Cis.   112 
melanonota,   Cal.   23 
melanophus,  Geo.   127 
inelanophyrs,  Man.  78 
melanoptera,  Gra.  170 
Mclanoptcryx  castaneifusca.  202 
vicIaiio.ranfliHS,  Myc.  188 
luclanitra,  Eop.  272 

..      .    Po/.  77 
Mcleagris  amcricana.  89 
Mclophus  melanicterus,  168,  275 
Melopsittaciis  undiilatiis,  40,  64,  67,  88, 
128,   153,   155, 
191.  247 
,,  ,,     z'a;"  caerulea,    123 

Mclopyrrha  nigra,  ly^ 
melpodus,  Spo.  153,  188,  223,  275 
viemoricolns,  Pol.  90 
Menuridae,  278 
Menila  albiventris,  220 

nnirolor,  220 
Merop.'i  philippiniis,  213 
Mesophoyx  intermedia,    127 
Metopiana  preposaco,  252,  263 
mcxicauus.  Car.  173,  176 
microlopha,  Pnc.  i2y 
migratorius,  Titr.  88,     123,     188,     190, 

T91,  220 
milifaris,  Tru.   152,   155 
Mik'us  govinda,  79,  213 
minima,  Est.  164 

Lo^.  214 
>iii)ior,  Syc.  176 
Mifua  salvini,  go 
modesta.  Aid.  200,  276 
^nodularis.  .Ace.  145 
Molothnis    baya,    155 
moiitaua,  Geo.  T44,  227.  248,  252,  253 
montifrin^illa,  Fri.  24.  250 
Motacillidae,   277 
Motacilla  flava.  210 
Miinia  atricapilla.   155,  199,  223,  276 

castancithorax,  188,  199,  223,  276 

domcsfica,  123 

"2a/a,  127,  276 

malacca,  199 

on'^/t'ora,  40,  127.  153,  154,  188 
203.  223,  262 


Munia  pectoralis,  164,   188 

,.        punctulata,  276 

,,        xanthoprymna,  199 
muticus^  Pav.  89,   128,  264 
Mycerobas  melanoxanthus,  188 
Myristicivora  bicolor,  70,  128 

N. 

MflHa,  Lt"/).   197 
Nectarinia  famosa,  152 
Neochmia  phaeton,  201,  277 
Nettium  fiavirostris,   152,  263 
nicobarica,  Cal.  70 
niger,  Tex.  249 
nigra,  Mel.   174 
vigriceps,  Lep.  197 

^/"e.  40,  188,  223 
nigriventris,  Pyr.    197 
nitida,  Coe.  55 
nivalis.  Pie.  24,  156,  250,  253 
novae-hollandiae,  Cal.  63,  88,  155,  191, 

208,  227,  247 
nycthemerus.  Gen.  89 
Nymphicits  uvaeensis,  76 
Nyroca  ferina,  263 


0. 


obsoleta,  Rho.  152 
occipitalis,   Uro.  219 
Oceanodroma  leucorrhoa,  80 
ochrocephalus,  Tra.   171 
Ocvdromus  earli.  70 
OcypJtaps  Jophotes,  89,  190 
Opho   capensis,    156,    188 
olivacea,  Eite.  174 
6"//.  202 
Onopelia  humilis,  70,  89 
ornata.  Tan.  22 
Ortholophiis  leucolophus,  152 
Ortvgospica  atricollis,   198 

polysona.     40,     154,     198, 
223,  235 
or^^jr,  Pv''-  63,  197,  223 
oryzivora,  Mun.  40,   127,   153,   154,   18S 

203,  223,  262 
Orysoborns  torridus,  173 
Otocompsa  emeria,  221 

jocosa.  T70 

leucogenys,  18S 

leucotis,  221 
0?ofon'.f  alpestris,    156,   250,   262 

P. 

Palaeornis  cyanocephala,  22,   227 

pallidiceps,  Pla.  190 

paJlidus,    Cir.    213 

pahnarum  melanoptera.  Tan.  219 


Index-  to  Genera  and  Sepcies. 


297 


palpebrosa,  Zos.  220 
palumbariiis,  Ast.   127 
Panurus  biarmicus,   152,  249 
paradisea,  Ste.   188,  250 

verreauxi,  Ste.  89 
Paroaria  capitata,  23,  40,  247 

,,         cuciillata,  40,  153,  154,  177,  225 
,,        dominica,   188 
,,         larvata,     65,     227,     248,     252 
254,  275 
Parus  cristatus,  24 
Passer  arciiatus,  250,  253 
,,         cinnamomeus.    175 
,,         diffusus,  96,   262 
,,         eitchlorus,   175,  273 
griseus,  175 
Passer  luteus,  175 
Passerina  leclancheri,  177 
passerina,   Psi.   22,  65 
Paz^o   cristata,    127 

,,      miiticiis,  89,  128,  264 
pect oralis,  Don.  200 
£;</>.  188 
ilfj<M.  164,  188 
pclseini,  Syc.  176,  179 
Penelope,  Mar.  263 
Penelope  purpurascens,  128 
Penthetria  ardens,  188,  248 
Peristera  geoffron,  89,   t88,   191 
perlata,  Pyr.  246 
persicus,  Cas.  70 
Pj</.  80 
personata,  Poe.   188.  201,  223 
Persana  ptisilla.  212 
Petronia  dentata,  175 
phaeonota,  Col.  22,  89,   152 
Phaethori  indicus,  80 
phaeton,  Neo.  201,  277 
Phalacrocorax  javanicus,  79 
Phaps  elegans,  89 
Phasianus  colckiciis.  264 
Pheiicticus  shrysogaster.    173 
philippintis,  Mer.  213 
Phlogoenas  margaritae,  241 
phoenicens.  Age.   190,  219 
phoenicoptera,  Pyt.  199 
i^hoenicotis.  Est.  -22,,  153,  154,   165,  188 

223,  248 
t>hoenicnra,  Aina.  128,  262 
PhoUdauges  leucogaster  verreauxi,  90 
Phonipara  canora,    154,    164,    188,   223, 

248,  252,  253,  254 
Phrygilus  fruticeti,  lyy 
picta,  Emb.   198 
pictus,  Chr.  89 
pileata.  Bra.   177 
Zow.  249 
pileatus.  Cor.   177 
Pi  onus  tnaximiliana,  247 
Pipilo  erythrophthalmus .   177 


Platalea  leucorodia,  210,  261 
Platycercus  adelaidae,   190 

,,  elegans,  63,   191,  227 

,,  eximius,  78,   147,   190 

,,  flaviventris,  50 

,,  icterotis,  191 

,,  pallidiceps,   190 

,,  zonarius,  190 

Plectrophanes  nivalis,  24,  156,  250,  253 
pleskei,  Cya.  220 
Ploceidae,   1-9,  275 
Plocepasser  inahali.  252 
Ploceus  baya,  212 

,,         man  gar,  212 
plumbeus,  Syn.  70,  192,  248,  252,  254 
PoeoccpJialus  senegalensis,  64 
Poephila  acuticauda,  188,  201,  223 
cincta,  201,  277 
gouldiae,    164,   215,   223 
,,         personata,   188,  201,  220 
polionota.  Lag.  198 
Poliopsar  gularis,    261.  262 
memoricolus,  90 
Poliospisa  angolensis,  175,  274 
leucopygia,    175,   274 
Polyplectron  chinquis,  247,  261 
Polytelis  melanura,   yy 
polysona,  Ort.  40,  154,   198,  223,  235 
Porpliyrio  nielanocephalus,  213 
prasina,  Ery.  127,  201 
preposca.  Met.  252,  263 
principalis,  Vid.  226 
procne,  Clio.  128,  253 

DJb.   197 
Psephotus  haeniatonotus,   23,   64,    123, 
152 
haematorrhous,  46 
xanthorrhous,  46 
Pseudogeranus  leucauchen,  89 
psittacea,  Ery.  277 
Psittacida  passerina,  22,  65 
Psophia  crepitans,    159 
Ptilopus  aurantiifrons,  90 

coronulatus,  70,   188,  225,  247 
iozonus,  70 
PtUonorhynchus  violaceus.   yy 
Ptistcs  erythropterus,  50 
Pucrasia  microlopha,  127 
Puffinus  auduboni,  104 
,,         chlororhynchus,  80 
,,        persicus,  80 
pugnax,  Mac.  261 
pullaria,  Aga.  99 
punctulata,  Mun.  276 
punica,  Xip.  195 
purpurascens.   Gal.   128 
purpurea,  Ard.  213 
pusilla,  Eue.  174 
,,        Por.  212 
Pycnonotidae,  278 


298 


IiidiW  io  Genera  and  Species. 


P\cvo)!ottis  layardi,  70 
I'yromelana  afra,  188,  197 
capcnsis,   197 
flammiceps,    i88,    197, 
franc'iscana.    188,    197, 

.    -27. 
nigriventris,    197 
oryx,  63,   197,  223 
taha,  63.  188,  197 
pyrrhoptcrus,  Bro.  loi 
Pyrrhida  europaea,  156,  223 
Pyrrhulagra  bar  badensis.   104 
Pyrrlnihiuda  Icucotis.  220 
Pyrrhulopsis^  65,  181 
Pyrrluira  Juciani,  22 

perlata,  246 
Pytclia  mclba,  62 

pliocniroptcra,  T99 


Oiiclea  qitclca,  24,  188,  275 

erythrops,  2t.  53,   K57.  223, 
russi,  262 

qmscala.   Qui.  219 

Qitiscahts  quiscala.  210 


R. 

Ralliis  aquaticHS,  213 

re  eve  si.  Syr.  89 

'■ro-/a,  F?J.  188.  197.  223 

Rhaiiiphocochis  brasih'cn.';i.s\  21Q 
brasiliu.'!,  188 
dimidiatns.  128 
irfcronotus.  219 

Rhisoihera  longiroslris,  128 

rhodoparia.   Lag.  275 

rJwdopcphis,  Car.  176 

rliodopyga,   Est.   201 

Rhodospiza  ohsolcfa.  152 

Rhynchotns  rufescens,   42-5 

risorius,  Tur.  227 

Rolluhis  roulroul.   127 

roseicflUis,  Aga.  loi,  123.  227.  261 

rossi,  Che.  70 

roulroul,   Rol.    127 

ruber.  End.  261 

rubroJarz'atus.  Con.   too 

rudis,  Cer.  214 

r  It  f  axil  la.  Lep.  128 

rufescens,   Rliy.  42-5 

ruficauda.   Pat.   153.   164.  2or.  214 

rufopicta.   Lag.    198 

ntfus,  Tac.  219 

rKjjf.  Qm.  262 

rustica.  Hir.  81,  214 


S. 


saliarae,  Fri.    xyy 
251  i  falvini,  Mit.  90 
122,,' san-blasian-a  s.-b.,   Cis.    in 
,,         ,,        pulclira.  Cis.   1  12 
Sarcogranimus  indie  its,   21 1 
s-atyra,  Tra.  71.  250 
saularis,  Cop.  70 
Sauromarptis  tyro,  90 
Saxicola  caprata.  220 
Scardafella  squamosa,  249 
scinf Hiatus,  Clia.  70 
^■cotops,  Ser.  90 
Sclenidcra  maciilirostris,   22 
Semhnerula  fucvatra.  220 
senegala,  Lag.  275 
senegalensis,  Tex.  249 

rt(r.   T56,    188 
Po£?.  64 
Scrivus  albigularis,  176 
angolensis,  253 
,,         canarius,  156 

canicoUis,  91.  173,  175,  27-I 
251        ,,         flaviventris,   176 

,,        icterus.  155,  223,  249 
,,         lencopygius.  223,   248 
,,        scot  ops,  90 
,,         sulphuratus,  175 
sharpei,  Ant.  128 
^m/Za  sialis,  88,  122,  t88 
sibilatrix.  Mar.  263 
sinense,  Syr.  127 
sinensis,  Ard.  213 
,,         CcH.  213 
Sifagra  cabanisi,  202 
,,         capcnsis,  202 
,,         luteoia.  202 
,,         melanoccpUala,  202 
,,         oliracca.  202 
7'elafa.  202 
vitcUina,  202 
smithi.  Ere.  219 
stnithii,  Hir.  214 
sparvensis,  Fal.  12 
ipeciosa.  Col.  190 
Speotyto  cunicularia,  9 
Spermestes  cucuUata,  223 

,,  nigriceps,  40,  188.  223 

Spermophila  cacruleseens,   188 
spilcnoius,  Hyp.  202 
Spilopelia  s'iratensis.  128 

tio^riva,   70 
spinoides.  Hyp.  172.  173.   174.   175,  273 
Spinus  cucuUatus,  T74 
,,         icfcricus.   272 

icterus,   173,    174 
tibe'anus,  175.  273 
<;piniis,   Chr.    '  1 
Spisixus   canifrons,   89 


hidc.v  1()  (,'ciicra  and  S/^ccics. 


299 


Spisa  aiiicricana.   177.  -4" 

Spicactits  coronalus,  152 

limnactiis,   1J7 

apodiogetics,  Fri.  13-5 

Spodiopsar  audaiuojioisis.  J 19 

iiia!ab(irica.  219 

sponsa,  Lain.  89,  153 

Sporaegiiithiis  amandava,    19,   62,    123, 

153-  155,  188,  223 

,,  luelpodus,  153,  188,  223, 

-75 
,,  sitbflavns,  40,    123,    188, 

199,  275 
Sporopliila  albigtilaris,  173 

,,  lineola,  223 

,,  vielanocephala,  174 

,,  snpcrciliaris,   174 

Sporopipcs  frontalis,    173,   202 

,,  squamifrons,  24,  173,  202 

Sprco   bicolor,  90 
squamifrons,  Spo.  24,  173,  202 
squamosa.  Sea.   249 
Sqnatarola  helvetica,  261 
Steganoplcura  guttata,  64,  123,  223 
Stegariura  paradisca,   188,  249 

,,  ,.  verreauxi,  89 

Stegmatopelia  cambayensis,  70 
stellcri  earbonacea.  Cya.  47 

frontalis,  Cya.  47 
stephani,  Cha.  90 
striata,   Geo.   128 

,,         C7ro.  200,  276 
6'/W.r  uralcnsis,  11 
Sturnidae,  277 
Stnrywpastor  eontra,  169 
subflavus,  Spo.  40.  123,  188,  199,  275 
suecica,  Cya.  21 1 
6'm/i  cyanops,  80 

,,     leucogaster.  Si 
sulaensis,  Apr.  65 
sulphuratns,  Lan.  159 

,,  vS^J".         175 

superbus,  Mai.  220 
superciliaris.   Art.   220 
,.    _         .9/'rt.  174 
suratevsis,  Spi.   128 
Sutoria  sntoria.  220 
Sycalis  arz'ensis,   274 

flaT'eola,     40.     155,      179,     223, 
247,  274       '■ 

,,         luteiventris,    170,    248,   249,   261 

,,         ininor^    176 

,,         pehelni,  176,  179 
Syh'iidae,  278 
Syrmatieus  reevesi,  89 
.9yMafrMJ  plumbeus,  70,  192,  248,  252 
Syrnium  sinense,  127 


T. 


Taehypltonus  rtifits,  219 
Taeniopygia  castanotis,   \q,  62,  68,  78, 
88,  123,  153,  154.  155,  164,  188,  223  248 
/a/za,  Fjr.  63,  188,  197 
tahapisi,   Fri.    188,    248,    249 
faigoor,  Tur,  127 
Talegallus  fuscirostris.   90 
'alpaeoti,  Cha.  89,  249 
Tanagra  episcopus,  219 
,,         ornata,  22 

,,         palmarum    melanoptera,   219 
temporalis,  Aeg.  201 
Textor  niger,  249 

senegalensis.  249 
'ibetanus,  Chr.  2j8 

.S"/"/.   175.  273 
figrina.  Spi.  70 
li^rinus.  Tur.   226 
tirica,  Bro.  66 
forquatus,  Tiir.  249,  262 
Trachycomus  ochrocephalus.   171 
Tragopan  caboti,  72,  262 
satyra,  71,  72 
'ranquilla,   Geo.    123 
Trichoglossus    rubritorques,    78 
'rirolor,  Ara.    103 
'^riuga  alpina,  261 

canuta,   261 
'ristis,   .icr.   219 
Trnpialis  militariiis,   152,   155 
Turdidae.   28,   278 

Turdus   migratorius,   88,    123,    188,    190 
191,  220 

forquatus,    249,    262 

'oiscivorus,  262 
Tjiniix  taigoor,   127 
turtvr,  Tur.  231 
Turtur  capicola,  143.  234,  259 

communis,  152 

farrago,  70 

isabellina,  188,  231 

ri sarins,  227 

senegalensis,   156,   188 

tigrinus,  226 

turtur,   231 

7'iuacens.    144 
'vro,  .V(7K.  go 


U. 


■indulata.  Ana.  263 

■wdulatus,  Mel.  40,  64,  67,  88,  128,  153 
155,  191'.  247 
7'or  caerulea,  Mel.  123 
unicolor,  Mer.  220 
uralensis,  Str.   it 
urbica,  Che.  82 
t^rncissa  occipitalis,  219 


300 


Index  to   Genera  and  Species. 


Urolo)iclia  acitiicauda,   127,  276 

leucogastra,    127 

striata,  200,  276 
m'accnsis,  Nyin.  76 
U robrachya   axillaris.    1Q7 

V. 

vasa,  Cor.  78 
Vavasoria  alba,  194 
7'clata,  Sit.  202 
vclatus.  Hyp.  252 
Vidua  principalis,  226 

,,       regia,  188,  197,  223 
vinaceus,  Tur.  144 
violaceus,  Pti.  yy 
virens.  Zos.  23,  220,  278 
viresccns,  Bro.  loi 

virginianus  falklandi  islandii.   Bub.   250 
virgo.  Ant.  70,  264 
viscivorus,  Tur.  262 
vitelliva.  Sit.  202 


Xantholaeina  haematocephala,  169 
xanthopryiiina.  .Mun.  199 
xanthorrhous,  Pse.  46 
Xanthura  beechei,  49 
Xipholena  punicea,   195 

Y. 

yucatanica,  Cis,  111,   112-4 


Z. 

Zamelodia  melanocephala^   173 
zonarius,  PI  a.  190 
Zonoirichia  leucophrys.  8S.   177 
Zosteropidac.  278 
Zostcrops  palpcbrosa.  220 

p Heat  a,  249 

virens,  23.  220.  278 


JANUARY  1922. 

The  Foreign  Bird  Club. 

President : 
The   Lady   Dunleath. 

Vice  Presidents : 
H    R.   Filmer  E    IIoi)kinson,  D.S.O.,  xM.A..  M.L!. 

E.  J.  Brook,  F.Z.S. 

Council: 
H.G.  The  Duchess  of  Wellington  Dr.   N.  S.   Lucas,  F.Z.S. 

The  Countess  of  Winchilsea  Dr.  j.  1".  R.  AIcDonagh 

Lady    Kathleen    Pilkington  Capt.   G.    \:.   Rattigan,   F.Z.S. 

The  Hon.   Mrs.  G.   Bourke  Rev.   G.   II.   Raynor,   M.A. 

Mrs.  A.   E.   H.   Hartley  W.  T.   Rogers 

Dr.    M.   Amsler,   F.Z.S.  Maj.   A.   F.   Snape,   R.A.F. 

W.  Shore  Baily  '  R.  Suggitt 

Capt.  W.  A.   Bainbridge,   A.S.C.  A.   SutcHffe 

W.  Bamford  W.   R.  Temple 

H.  E.  Bright  H.  Willford 

E.  W.   Chaplin 

Hon.  Editor: 
Weslev  T.  Page,  M.B.O.U.,  F.Z.S.,  Langstone,  Lingfield.  Surrey. 

Hon.  Secretaries : 
Hon.  Busines.s  Secret.vry  :  Maj.  A.  E.  Snape,  32  Corporation  St.,  Manchester 

Hon.    Exhieitional   Secret.\ry  :      S.    Williams.     Oakleigh,     no     Riverway, 
Palmer's  Green,  London,  N.   13. 

Hon,  Tre.xsurer  :     S.   Williams,   Oakleigh,    no  Riverway,   Palmer's  Green, 

London,  N.   13. 

For   Committees   and   other   Offlcers   vide    February   issite. 


-<>- 


Notices  to  Members. 

The  Magazine  :  January  issue,  owing  to  revision  of  Roll,  etc.,  is 
always  late,  but  this  issue  is  much  later  than  usual,  and  for  this  the  Editor  is 
not  disposed  to  apologise — the  cause  lies  with  the  members,  viz  :  shortage  of 
"  copy,"  and  the  remedy,  as  to  future  issue,  it  must  be  obvious,  also  lies 
with  them. 

It  is  a  week  later  than  need  have  been,  but  illness  has  made  this 
unavoidable — some  very  late  "  copy  "  has  been  used,  and  has  had  to  go 
through  without  any  proof  revision  whatever. 

Adverts.  :  Members  are  requested  to  note  the  alterations  concerning 
these,  especially  Trade  Adverts.  Remittances  should  accompany  all  copy 
for  adverts,  or  they  cannot  be  inserted. 


New  Members  :  We  urgf  all  to  assist  in  increasing  our  Roll ;  the 
Club  needs  a  larger  membership,  and  there  are  many  bird-keepers  and 
aviculturists  who  know  nothing  about  F.B.C.  or  its  Journal  I^ird  Notes. 
With  our  widely  spread  membership  this  defect  should  soon  be  removed. 
The  Editor  or  Secretary  will  promptly  send  a  specimen  copy  to  any  address 
sent  them,  and  such  candidate  for  membership  as  proposed  by  the  member 
who  sent  in  their  name,  or  members  can  use  one  of  their  own  copies  as  a 
specimen  (it  will  be  at  once  replaced  upon  application).  A  little  united  effort 
and  our  Roll  should  be  nearly  double  its  present  strength  by  1923. 

WESLEY  T.  PAGE,  Hon.  Editor. 

MAJ.   A.   E.   SNAPE.   Hon.    Business  Secretary. 

^ 

Deficit  and  inustratioii  Funds. 

These  two  funds  need  all  the  heliJ  members  can  give  them.  The  com- 
mittee acknowledge  with  best  thanks  the  following  : 

£       s.     d. 

Baily,  W.  Shore     0     to      0 

Best,  Cyril  (o. p.  sub.)  o       1       0 

Cushney,  C o     10      0 

Pettigrew,  C 0     10      0 

Sich,  H.  L 100 

Tavistock,  The  Marquis  of     o     10       o 

0 

Proposed  for  Election  as  Members. 

Porter,  j.  \V.,  c/o  Commonwealtii  Trust  Ltd..  35,  Old  Jewry,  London,  E.C.  2 

By  Capt.  G.  E.  Rattigan. 

0 

Register  of  Club  Breeders. 

*  Indicates  ability  10  suppl}-  as  soon  as  young  are  oKl  enough  to  be  removed 

from  their  parents. 

*  Baily,   VV.   Shork,    Boyers  House,   Westbury,   Wilts. 

Rosella   Parrakeets  Bronze-wing  Doves 

Stanley  Parrakeets  Brush   Bronze-wing  Doves 

Conures  Necklace  Doves 

Diamond  Doves 

*  BouRKE,   Hon.  Mrs.  G.,  75,  Gloucester  Place,  London,  W. 

Blue    Budgerigars 

*  Burgess,  Mrs.  M..  Helston  House,  56,  St.  John's  Road,  Clifton.  Bristol. 

Blue  Budgerigars  Green-blue-bred   Budgerigars 

Olive   Budgerigars  Roller  Canaries 

Yellow  Budgerigars 


*  Chatterton,  Mrs.  A.,  Talodi,  King's  F.nd  Avenue,  Ruislip,  Middlesex. 

Budgerigars  Cockatecls 

Zcjjra  Finches 

*  Calvocoressi,  p.  J.,  Home  Oey,  Croxttth  Drive,  Liverpool. 

Blue-bred'  Green  Budgerigars  Zebra  Finches 

*  Marsden,  J.,  F.Z.S..  The  Bungalow,  Banks  Lane,  Hcysham  Harbour,  Lanes 

Green   (Blue-bred)   Budgerigars 

*  PiTHiE,   Miss  D.,   68.   Clarendon   Road,   Southsea,    Portsmouth. 

Zebra  Finches. 

*  MoNTEFiOBE,   Mrs.   H.   Sebag.   F.ast  Cliff  Lodge,   Ramsgate. 

Green  Budgerigars  Cockateels 

Tavkstock,   The  Marquis  of,   Wrtrblington   House,   Havant,    Hants. 
Stanley   Parrakeets  •       Barnard's   Parrakeets 

*  Tracey,   Mrs.  A.  L.,   Halshan),  Tcignmouth,   Devon. 

Zebra  Finches. 

*  Young,  H.  R.,  76,  Mitcham  Lane,  Streatham,  London,  S.W.,  16. 

Zebra  Finches. 

Any  member  wishing  their  name  added  to  this  register  must  send  in 
their  name  with  full  particulars  as  to  species  they  possess  breeding  pairs  of, 
to  the  Hon.  Business  Secretarv. 


The  Bird  Market. 

Members'  Rates:  One  penny  per  word;  minimum  one  shilhng. 
Non-members  and  all  Trade  advertisers  must  apply  to  the  Agents  (vide  page 
in.  of  cover).  Advertisements  for  respective  issues  must  be  sent  to  the 
Hon.   Editor  not  later  than  the  8th  of  each  month. 

MEMBERS'  SALES,   EXCHANGES,  AND  WANTS 

.  FOR  SALE :     Senegal  Parrot,   tame,   perfect,   accHmatised,     believed    hen ; 
£4   los.   or  offer. — Windybank,   Blaen,   Canterbury. 

FOR  SALE  :  Three  young  Cockateels,  April  hatched,  two  hens  17s.  6d.  each, 
cock  15s.  Two  pairs  Yellow  Budgerigars  i8s.  6d.  per  pair ;  two  pairs 
Blue-bred  15s.  pair.  All  outdoor  aviary-bred.— Mrs.  Mackness,  22  Cypress 
Road,   Finchley,   London :    N.,   3. 

FOR  SALE  :  Fine,  true  pair,  Black  Cassicjues,  healthy  and  in  perfect  order, 
£10. — Page,   Langstone,   Lingfield,   Surrey. 

PEDIGREE  UTILITY  POULTRY  :      Only  the  very  best  suppHed  in  White 
Wyandottes,  Rhode  Island  Reds,  Light  Sussex,  and  Runner  Ducks. 
Speciality  3  months  pullets.  • 

Sitting  eggs  daily^chicks  weekly.  ' 

W.  A.  Bainbridge,  Keyneston  Manor  Poultry  Farm,  Blandford,  Dorset, 


RULES. 

I.  rile  objects  of  ■■  Thk  FoRFiGX  EiRD  CiA'i!*'  shall  bf  the  mutual 
encouragement  and  assistance  of  the  meniljers  in  kcepin;;  and  breeding  all 
species  of  I'irds,  and  the  exhibitinfj-  of  Foreifjn  I'irds  and  the  improvement 
of   Shows  in  rcfifard  to  them. 

2.  The  Club  shall  be  compused  of  members.  b'.vcry  member  shall 
pay  an  entrance  fee  of  5s.,  and  an  annual  subscription  of  Jos.  Subscrip- 
tions sh.'ill  l)e  due  and  payable  in  advance  on  the  ist  of  January  in  each 
vear.  If  any  member's  subscription  shall  be  more  than  tin-ee  months  overdue, 
he  shall  be  .suspended  from  all  benefits  of  the  Club,  and  if  more  than  nine 
months  overdue,  notice  of  his  having  ceased  to  be  a  member  of  the  Club,  and 
of  the  cause,  may  he  puljlished  in  Notices  to  iMeml)ers  :  and  on  such  notice 
being-  published  he  shall  cease  to  be  a  member  accordingly,  but  his  liability 
for  overdue  subscriptions  shall  continue. 

3.  New  Members  shall  be  proposed  in  writing  by  a  Member  of  the 
Club :  and  the  name  and  address  of  every  person  thus  proposed,  with  the 
name  of  the  person  proposing  him,  shall  be  published  in  the  Notices  to  Mem- 
bers. Unless  the  Candidate  shall,  within  fourteen  days  after  the  publication 
of  his  name,  be  objected  to  by  at  least  two  I^Iembers,  he  shall  be  duly  elected. 
If  two  or  more  Members  shall  lodge  with  either  of  the  Secretaries  objections 
to  any  Candidate  he  shall  not  be  elected,  but  the  signature  to  the  signed 
objections  must  be  verified  by  the  Scrutineer.  The  Secretaries  and  the 
Scrutineer  shall  not  disclose  the  names  of  the  objectors. 

4.  Any  member  wishing  to  resign  at  the  end  of  the  current  year  of 
the  Club  shall  give  notice  of  intention  to  one  of  the  Secretaries  before  the 
31st  of  December,  and  in  default  of  such  notice  he  shall  be  liable  for  the 
following  year's  subscription. 

5.  The  Officers  of  the  Club  shall  be  elected  from  the  Members,  and 
shall  consist  of  a  President,  one  or  more  Vice-presidents,  an  Auditor,  a 
Scrutineer,  one  or  more  Secretaries,  a  Treasurer,  a  Veternary  Surgeon,  a 
Council  of  Twenty-four  Members  and  such  number  of  Judges  as  shall  from 
time  to  time  be  determined  by  the  Council.  The  Editor,  Secretaries,  Treas- 
urer, President  and  Veterinary  Surgeon  shall  be  ex-oificio  members  of  the 
Council. 

Three  Members  of  the  Council  shall  retire  annually  by  seniority,  but 
are  eligible  for  re-election.  The  Editor,  Secretaries,  and  Treasurer  shall  be 
elected  trienially.  The  Council  and  Judges  '^hall  be  elected  in  a  manner 
hereinafter-  provided.  The  other  officers  shall  be  elected  annually  at  .x 
meeting  of  the  Council,  immediately  after  their  own  election. 

6.  The  election  for  the  three  annual  vacancies  on  the  Council,  and  the 
Judges,  shall  take  place  every  year  between  the  15th  November  and  the  5th 
December.  The  Secretaries  shall  ascertain  which  of  the  Members  are  willing 
to  stand  for  election  to  office,  and  shall  send  to  each  Member  of  the  Club,  on 


or  about  the  15th  of  November,  a  voting  paper  containing  a  list  of  all  such 
members,  showing  the  oflices  for  which  they  are  respectively  seeking  election. 
Each  Member  shall  make  a  ( x )  opposite  the  names  of  those  for  whom  he 
desires  to  vote,  and  shall  sign  the  paper  at  the  foot,  and  send  it  in  a  sealed 
envelope  to  the  Scrutineer,  so  that  he  may  receive  it  before  5th  December. 
The  Scrutineer  shall  prepare  a  return  of  the  officers  elected,  showing  the 
number  of  votes  recorded  for  each  Candidate,  and  send  it  to  one  of  the  Secre- 
taries for  publication  in  the  Notices  to  Members  for  December.  The 
Scrutineer  shall  not  reveal  to  any  person  how  any  Member  shall  have  voted. 
In  the  event  of  an  equality  of  votes  the  president  shall  have  a  casting  vote. 

7.  Dealers  in  birds  shall  not  be  eligible  for  election  to  any  office  in 
the  Club,  except  that  of  Judge.  l'"or  the  purpose  of  this  rule,  any  Member 
who  habitually  buys  birds  with  the  intention  of  selling  them  again,  shall  be 
deemed  a  bird  dealer.  Before  the  annual  election  of  officers,  4be  Secretaries 
shall  submit  to  the  Council  the  list  of  Members  wilHng  to  stand  for  election 
to  the  Secretar}  ship,  the  Treasurership,  and  the  Council ;  and  the  Council 
shall  remove  from  the  list  the  name  of  any  Candidate  who  shall  be,  in  the 
opinion  of  the  Council,  a  dealer  in  birds,  within  the  meaning  of  this  rule.  The 
decision  of  the  Council  or  of  any  Committee  to  whom  the  Council  shall 
delegate  its  power  under  this  rule,  shall  be  final.  When  a  dealer  is  proposed 
as  a  Member  of  this  Club,  the  fact  of  his  being  a  dealer  shall  be  stated  in 
the  Notices  to  Members. 

S.  It  shall  be  lawful  for  the  Council  to  delegate  any  of  its  powers  to 
a  committee. 

9.  The  Council  may  appoint  an  Arbitration  Committee,  which  may 
decide  questions  at  issue  between  Members,  when  requested  to  do  so  by  both 
parties.  Any  decision  of  such  Committee  shall  be  final.  Except  to  the 
extent  permitted  by  this  rule,  the  Club  and  its  officers  shall  decHne  to  concern 
themselves  with  disputes  between  Members. 

10.  The  Council  shall  have  power  to  alter  and' add  to  these  Rules,  but 
shall  give  the  members  notice  of  any  proposed  alteration  or  addition,  and  in 
the  event  of  six  members  objecting  thereto  within  fourteen  days,  the  proposed 
alterations  or  additions  shall  be  submitted  to  the  voles  of  the  Members. 
Failing  such  objection  the  alteration  shall  date  from  its  adoption  by  the 
Council. 

11.  The  Council  shall  have  power  to  expel  any  member  at  any  time. 

12.  Neither  the  office  of  Scrutineer  nor  that  of  Auditor  shall  be  held 
for  two  consecutive  years  by  the  sam.e  person.  The  Scrutineer  shall  not  be  a 
Candidate  at  any  Election  at  which  he  acts  as  Scrutineci'. 

13.  If  any  .office  becomes  vacant  at  any  time  than  at  the  end  of 
the  current  year  of  the  Club,  the  Council  shall  have  pawer  tO;  appoint  anv 
Member  to  fill  the  vacancv. 


14-  The  decision  of  a  majority  of  the  Council  shall  be  final  and 
binding  on  the  Club,  but  a  resolution  passed  by  the  Council  shall  not  be  acted 
upon  unless  there  be  an  absolute  majority  of  the  Council  (and  not  merely  of 
those  voting)  in  its  favour. 


RULES  GOVERNING  CLUB'S  PATRONAGE  AT 

SHOWS. 

I.  The  Patronage  of  the  F.B.C.  is  given  at  all  OPEN  SHOWS,  provided  the 
following  conditions  are  observed. 

(a)  J^t  least  three  classes  must  be  provided  for  FOREIGN  BIRBS 
(excluding  local  and  members'  classes,  in  which  no  bird  competing  for 
F.B.C.  patronage  may  be  shown). 

(6)  The  classification  and  name  of  the  judge  must  be  submitted  by 
Show  Secretaries,  when  applying  for  patronage. 

(c)  Those  societies  obtaining  patronage  must  print  in  the  schedule 
that  the  section  is  under  the  patronage  of  the  F.B.C. 

{d)  That  no  alteration  (amalgamation  or  cancellation)  of  classes  must 
be  made,  or  the  judges  changed  without  giving  notice  to  the  Hon.  Show 
Secretary  of  the  F.B.C,  in  which  case  the  original  patronage  does  not 
hold  good. 

2  All  MEDALS  are  awarded  to  BEST  BIRDS  (but  the  Committee  have 
the  right  to  award  extra  medals  for  special  purposes)  and  no  silver 
medal  is  granted  where  less  than  six  classes  are  provided. 

3.  Members  of  the  F.B.C.  vmst  place  F.B.C.  after  each  entry  on  entry  forms, 

and  should  request  show  secretaries  to  print  these  initials  in  their 
catalogues. 

4.  No  Member  can  win  more  than  two  medals  in  a  season,  i.e.:  one  silver 

and  one  bronze,  or  more  than  one  medal  at  the  same  show. 

5.  The   London  Silver  Cup  is  offered  for  competition  at  all   Shows  under 

patronage  in  the  London  Postal  District,  where  ten  or  more  classes  are 
given,  and  the  Provincial  Silver  Cup  at  Shows  outside  th*s  area,  for 
points  gained  throughout  the  season  by  nominated  birds. 

4.  These  Cups  become  the  property  of  those  who  have  won  them  three  times 
(not  necessarily  in  succession),  and  only  three  birds  at  each  Show  can 
be  nominated,  which  is  done  by  writing  the  word  "  Cup  "  after  the 
entries  on  entry  form.  If  members  nominate  more  than  three  birds 
they  will  be  disqualified  for  that  show. 

7.  These  conditions  only  hold  good  where  Show  Societies  and  Members 
observe  the  rules.      Failure  to  conform  annuls  all  offers,  and  the  birds 


/ 


^' 


of  a  member  whose  subscription  is  unpaid  at  the  time  of  making  an 
entry  are  inehgible  to  compete. 

Points  for  the  Cup  to  count  as  follows  :  ist,  7  points;  2nd,  6  points;  and 
one  point  off  for  each  lower  award.  Should  a  tie  take  place,  the 
member  taking  the  most  prize  money  to  win. 

Any  item  not  herein  provided  for,  may  be  dealt  with  at  the  discretion  of 
The  Show  Committee. 


0 

RULES  RE  BREEDING  MEDALS. 

The  F.B.C.  Medal  for  Breeding  a  Species  or  Hybrid  for  the  first  time  in 
captivity  in  Great  Britain,  will  be  awarded  on  the  following  conditions 
only  : 

(a)  As  detailed  an  account  of  the  success  as  possible  must  be  sent 
for  publication  in  Bird  Notes  as  soon  as  the  young  can  fend  for 
themselves. 

(b)  The  Awards  Committee,  whose  decision  shall  be  final,  to  make 
the  awards  from  the  Secretary's  data,  and  the  published  articles  record- 
ing successes. 

(c)  The  awards  will  be  made,  and  the  medals  distributed  at  the 
close  of  each  successive  season,  or  as  soon  afterwards  as  the  publica- 
tion of  said  articles  permit. 

SPECIES  :  The  young  must  be  reared  to  be  independent  of  their  parents. 
The  eggs  must  be  incubated  and  the  young  reared  by  the  pair  of  birds 
producing  the  eggs,  or  the  record  is  not  eligible  for  the  medal ;  except 
in  the  case  of  parasitic  species. 

HYBRIDS  :  For  any  cross  not  previously  reared  in  captivity,  between 
any  two  species — the  domestic  Canary  as  one  of  the  parents  alone  being 
excepted.       A  cross  between  any  two  species  is  only  once  recognised, 

e.g..  Parson  Finch  x  Long-tailed  Grassfinch,  and  Long-tailed  Grass- 
finch  X  Parson  Finch  are  reckoned  as  the  same  Hybrid  for  the  purposes 
qf  this  award,  and  whichever  was  secured  first  would  hold  the  record. 
The  eggs  must  be  incubated  and  the  young  reared  by  the  pair  of  birds 
producing  the  eggs,  or  the  record  will  not  be  eligible  for  a  medal. 


ROLL  OF  MEMBERS. 

Honorary  Me))iber. 
FiLMKK,  H.  R.  {Founder),  Brcndon,  22,  Canington  Road,  Brighton. 


AiNSWORTH,  A.,  13  Henry  St.,  Kilbronie,  Wellington,  New  Zealand.  (August, 

1920). 
Allan,  J.  W.,   Bondgate,   Alnwick.       (April,   191 1). 
Amslek,    Dr.    Maurice,    Jiion   Court    House,    High   Street,    Eton,    Windsor. 

(March,   1909). 
Arnold,  R.,  Tower  House,  Leigham  Court  Road,  Streatahm,  London,  S.W. 

16.       (March,   1912). 
Arnott,  Pktkr,  Grant  Street,  Alloa.       (December,  1913). 
Atkinson,  Capt.  F.  B.,  Gallowhill,  Morpeth,  Northumberland.      (Aug.  1920J. 
Ayton,  Ed.,  71  Grosvenor  Street,  London,  W.,  i.       (March,  1918). 

Baily,  W.  Shore,  Boyers  House,  Westbury,  Wilts.       (June,  1909). 
Bainbridge,  Capt.  W.  A.,   Keynston  Manor.  Tarrant   Keynston,   Blandford. 

(September  191 2). 
Bamford.  Wm.,  Bridgecroft,  Kent  Road,  Harrogate.       (June,  1904). 
Barnard.  T.  T.,  Duncote  Hall,  Towcester. 

Barnes,  A.  H.,  34  Gledstaines  Road,  Baron's  Court,  London.  W.  (May,  1921) 
Bartels.  O.,  "  Orchida,"  Mayne,  Brisbane,  Queensland,  Australia.  (Jan.  1917) 
Bath,  Marchioness  of,  Longleat,  Warminster.       (May,  J921). 
Batty,  Capt.  W.  R.,  11  Park  Road,  Southport.       (October,  1915). 
Beaeby,  W.  R.,  34,  Church  Street,  West  Hartlepool.      (January,  1922). 
Beatv.  S.,  Strathnarn,  Davey  Lane.  Alderlcy  Edge,  Manchester.    (Mar.  1908). 
Beebi\  C.  W..  Curator  of  Ornithology,  New  York  Zoological  Park,  New  York 

City,  U.S.A.       (July.  1911). 
Best,  Cyril,  Pye  Bridge,  .Mfreton.  Derbyshire.       (August.  1921). 
BiRBECK,  W.,  Stoke  Holy  Cross,  Norwich.       (September,  1920). 
Bledisloe.  Lady,  Lydney  Park,  uhDUcester.       (January.  1922). 
BoosKY.  E.  j.,  The  (^cdars.  Bromley  Common,  Kent.      (February,  1921). 
BouRKE.   Hon.   Mrs.   Gwendolin,     75  Gloucester  Place.     Portman    Square, 

London.  W.  I.       (Dec.  1909)^  >  :>  "^     .  .:.•." 

;;(>    ■FIELD.  Miss  M^iiiazdEiere,  New- Milton.  Jianls.      (January,  .1908). 
Bowring,  Miss  Clara,  Ascot  Heath  Lodge,  Ascot,  Berks.      (July,  1914). 
uKuniT.  Herbert,  Woo'ion  Tower,  Woolton.  Liverpool.       iv-clober.   1911). 
J'.KDOK.  E.  J.,  I'.Z.S..  lloddam  Castle.  I'xclefechan,  Dumfrieshire.  (Mar.  1908) 
Browninc.  \\  .  II..  16  Cooper  Square,  New  York.  U.S;A.      (February,  1910). 


BuKTON,  Reginald  P.,  Caerhyn,  Llandrindod  Wells,  Radnorshire.      (Jan.  19131 
Burgess.  Mrs.,  Helston  House,  5O  St.  John  St..  Clifton,  liristol.    (Sept.  1915) 

Calvocoresi,  p.  J.,  Holm?  Hay,  Croxteth  Drive,  Liverpool.    (October,  1916) 

Capern,  F.,  Lewin's  Mead,  Bristol.       (October,   1907). 

Carr,     Percy,      Ormond     Lodge,      Newbold  on-Stour,      Stratford-on-Avon. 

(November,   1918). 
Carr,    R.    H.,    Norman    House,    Uppingham    Road,    Jiushby,    Nr.    Leicester. 

(November,   1919). 
Case,  Mrs.  A.  M.,  Holmbury,  Silverdale  Road,  Jiastbourne.  (February,  1918). 
Chaplin,    Mrs.    Drummond,     Government     House,      Salisbury,      Rhodesia. 

(July,    1914). 
Chaplin,  E.  W.,  The  Firs,  Great  Amwell,  Ware.  September,   1903). 

Chatterton,  Mrs.,  Talodi,  King's  luid  Avenue,  Ruislip,  Middlesex.  (Jan.  1915) 
Chawner,  Miss  E.  F.,  Forest  Bank,  Lyndhurst,  Hants.       (July,  1910). 
Child,  F.  R.,  Braemar,  Downs  Road,  Luton,  Beds.       (March,  1920). 
Christie,  Mrs.  G.,  Kellas,  By  Elgin.       (January,  1913). 
Clarke,  L.  Hyde,  Woodlands,  St.  Olave's,  Gt.  Yarmouh.      (October,  1918). 
Clarke,  S.,  "  Vue  du  Lac,"  Fermain,  Guernsey.       (August,  1911). 
Cleeburg,  Chas.,  junr.,  Bellevue  House,  Dumfries,  N.B.       (December,  1916) 
CoNNELL,  Mrs.  Knatchbull,  The  Orchard,  Brockenhurst,  Hants.    (July,  1912) 
Cook,  Mrs.  A.  M.,  F.Z.S.,  5  Lancaster  Road,  Hampstead,  London,  N.W.  3. 

(February,   1916). 
Croker,  Chas.  E.,  Burrow  Inch,  Lower  Bourne,  Farnham.      (October,  191 1) 
Crow,  C.  F.,  Lindsey  Bank  House,  Grimsby.       (October,  1915). 
CuRRiE,  J.,   128  Willowbrae  Road,  Edinburgh  .     (August,   1913). 
CusHNY,  Charles,  c/o  Messrs.  Neish,  Howell  and  Haldane,  47  Watl-ng  St., 

St.  Paul's,  E.C.       (Orig.  Mem.) 

Davies,  Mrs.  M.  H.,  St.  Ann's,  Tintern,  Chepstow.       (January,   1914). 
Davey,  R.  W.,  33  St.  Luke's  Road,  Totterdown,  Bristol.      (November,  1919). 
Decoux,  a.,  Gery,  Par  Aixe-sur-Vienne,  France.       (May,  1919)- 
Delacour,  Jean,  Chateau  de  Cleres,  Cleres  (Seine-Inferieurc),  France.    (Janu- 
ary, 1910). 
Dennis,  Mrs.  Harold,  Lisk  Court,  Wooton,  LO.W.  (January,  1904). 
Dennis,  Mrs.  Ctril,  Oakley  Hall,  Market  Drayton,  Salop.      (June,  1920). 
Dell,  C  E.,  9  Greenhill  Road,  Harrow.      (January,  1914). 
Dickinson,  Mrs.  E.,  The  Bridges,  Upper  Slaughter,  Gloucester.     (Jan.  1918). 
Dobbie,  J.,  Waverley  Works,  Leith,  Edinburgh.       (April,   1906). 
Dunleath,  The  Lady,  Ballywater  Park,  Ballywater,  co.  Down.      (Nov.  1901). 
Dyott,  Miss  Mary,  Freeford,  Lichfield.      (November,  1912). 


10 

Earle,  J.  Hudson,  Newgate  House,  Cottingham,  Hull.       (March,  1914) 

Ebrill,  Wm..  "  Greenville,"  South  Circular  Road,  T,imcrick.       (April,  1906). 

Edmunds,  W.,  Blenheim,  Park  Road,  Swanage,  Dorset.       (November,  1909). 

Edwards,  J.,   1224  East  Forty-third  Street,  Los  Angeles,  California,  U.S.A. 
(January,    1920). 

Ellis,  Miss  J.  G.,  Cranbrook  Hall,  Windsor.       (January,  1920). 

Ezra,  A.,  F.Z.S.,  Foxwarren  Park,  Cobliam,  Surrey-       (January,  1911). 

Ezra,  D.,  3  Kyd  Street,  Calcutta,  India.       (August,   1912). 

Falkner,  Guy,  Boodles  Club,  St.  James"  St.,  London.  W.   i.       (Nov.  1916). 

Fasey,  Wm.  R.,  The  Oaks,  Holly  Bush  Hill,  Snaresbrook,  N.E.      (Jan.  1903). 

Few,  T.  H.,  Hyde  House,  Hart  Hill,  Luton,  Beds.'      (January,  1920). 

Fisher,  W.  H.,  The  Bush  Hotel,  Farnham.       (May,   1908). 

Fitch-Daglish,  Dr.   E.,  F.Z.S.,  8  Beaulieu   \~llas,   Finsbury  Park,  London, 
N.  4.       (April,   1919J. 

Ford,  ^.  Freeman,  215  South  Grand  Avenue,  Pasadena,  California,  U.S.A. 
(October,   1918). 

Foster,  T.,  Fairlight,   Babbacombe,  Torquay.       (March,   1914). 

Fowler-Ward,  Dr.  F.,  40  Berners  Street,  Ipswich.       (October,  1913). 

Frost,  W.  J.  C,  6  Wards  Ave.,  Fulham,  S.W.  6.       (August,  1913). 

Garcke,  Mrs.  C,  Wye  Lodge,  Maidenhead.       (June,  1916). 

Gerrard,  Miss  M.,  32  Lung  Arno  A.  Vc?pucer,  Florence,  Italy.      (June  1914) 
Italy.       (June,   1914). 

Gills,   R.   H.,     79  Lordships   Park,     Stoke   Newington.     London  :     N.,    16. 
(February,   1919). 

Goodwin,  T.  J.,  185  Old  Kent  Road,  London,  S.E.      (January,  1920). 

Gorringe,   The    Rev.    Reginald,    Mansion   Rectory,     Sturminster     Newton, 
Dorset.       (December,   1902). 

GR.^Y,    H.,     M.R.C.V.S.,     i    Redfield   Lane,     luirls'     Court    Road,     S.W.    5. 
(May,   1906). 

Grossmith,  J.  L.,  The  Grange,  Bickley,  Kent.       (January,   1913). 

Grove,  Mrs.  Julian,  Brattemsley  House,  Lymington,  Hants.      (March,  1917) 

GuRNEY,  G.   H.,  Keswick  Hall,  Norwich.       (June.   1913). 

Hand,   Miss   R.,   Brumcombe,   Boars.  Hill.   Oxford.       (January,    1919). 
Harbord,  Miss  M.  L.,  Lorton  Park  Hou.s.e.  Lorton,  Cockermouth.       (April 
1916). 

Harcourt,  The  Rt.   Hon.  Viscount  Lewis,  P.C,     Mincham  Park.    Oxford. 
(April,  1914). 


II 

Harper,   E.   W.,   F.Z.S.,   M.B.O.U.,   c/o   Thos.   Cook   and   Sons.   Calcutta, 
India.      (October,  igoy). 

Harris,  Chas.,  F.Z.S.,  127  King's  Cross  Road,  London,  W.C.    (April,  1910J. 

Harrison,  T.  O.,   127  Hastings  Street,  Sunderland.       (March,   1918). 

Hartley,  Mrs.  E.  A.,  Lynchfield,  B'shop's  Lydeard,  Taunton.       (Sept.  1907). 

Hawkins,  J.   E.,   Belvedere,   Streetley   Lane,    Four   Oaks,    Sutton   Coldfield, 
Birmingham.       (April,   1915). 

Hawkins,  L.  W.,  20  Norton  Folgate.  London  :   E.,   i.       (Orig.  Mem.). 

Hebb,  T.,  Brooklea,  The  Downs,  Luton.       (August,  1912). 

Henstock,  J.  H.,  Market  Place,  Ashbourne,  Derbyshire.       (March,   1907). 

Hewitt,  F.  W.  .G.,  The  Old  Hall,  Weelsby,  Grimsby.       (April,  1909). 

Hincks,  Miss  E.  M.,  Easterlands,  Wellington,  Somerset.      (December,  1904). 

Hopkinson,     Emilus,      D.S.O.,     M.A.,     M.B.,     Bathurst,     Gambia,     West 
Africa.       (October,    1901). 

Horne,  a.,  Bon-Na-Coille,  Murtle,  Aberdeen.       (August,   1917). 

Hume,  James,  Hepscott,  Morpeth.       (June,  1903). 

HunninGs,  Lieut.  A.,  F.S.L,  Town  Hall,  Marc  St.,  Hackney,  London,  N.E. 
(March,   1918). 

Jeakins,  a.  E.,  Winscottie,  Simla,  India.       (April,   1916). 

Jersey,  The  Couness  of,   Middleton  Park,   Bicester.       November,    1912). 

Johnson,  Miss  L.  Sturton,  Orotava  House,  Ore,  Hastings.       (Sept.,  1910). 

Kennedy,  Mrs.,  7  Albion  Road,  Sutton,  Surrey.       (May,   1908). 

Kewley,  Mrs.  M.  A.,  Barwich  House,  Yeovil,  Somerset.      (September,  1910) 

King,  A.,   iioi  South  Orange  Grove  Ave.,  Pasadena,  California,  U.S.A. 
(March,  1920). 

Knobel,  Miss  E.  Maud,  32  Tavistock  Square,  London,  W.C.      (Dec.  191 1). 

Li'callier,  Mme.  G.,  109  Rue  de  la  Republique,  Candebee-Les-Elbeuf,  Seine- 
Inf.,  France.       (August,   1919). 

Legh  de  Legh,  Col.  H.,  Shincliffe,  near  Durham.       (April,  1911). 

LiLFORD,  The  Lord,  Lilford  Hall,  Oundle,  Northants.       (January,   1914). 

Livings,  M..  L.-,  39  Ca,mbridge  Road,  Gunnersbiiry,  W.  4.       (March,  1920). 

.LoNGDON,  Mrs.  C.  .A.,,Arreton,  Epsom  Road,  Guildford.       (February,  1909). 

Low,  G.  E.,  14  Royal  Terrace  East,  Kingstown.       (May,  1914). 

Lowndes,  Capt;  D.  G.',  Lansdowne,'  Garwhai,  U.P.  India.      (March,  1920). 

Lucas,  Miss  Emma,  Bramblehurst,  East  Grinstead,  Sussex.       (Sept.,  1913). 


12 


Lucas,  Capt.  N.  S.,  M.B.,  FZ.S.,  {Hon.  Pathologist),  19  Westbourne  Ter- 
race, Hyde  Park,  I.(,;Kl(;n,  V.'.  J.       (January,  1914).  .;■■-.  -     C-'  • 

MaDonaoh,  J.  Li.  R.,  M.R.C.S..  L.R.C.r..  F.Z.S..  L.L.S..  4  Wimpole  Street. 
London,  W.       (January,   1903) 

McDonald,    Miss,     TJie   Cottage.     Hollington    Park.  -eonard's-on-Sca. 

(Rejoined  January,   1922). 

McCall,   Rev.   R.    Hork.  Thome  Rectory,   Yeovil.        (October,    1921). 

Macdonald,  Miss  V.,  F.Z.S.,  Ipley  Manor,  Marchwood,  Hants.       (Jan.  1921) 

Mackay,  Kknneth  S.,  Imber  Cross,  Thames  Ditton.  Surrey.       (May,  1921). 

Macknkss,  Mrs.  N.,  Cypress  Road,  Church  End,  Finchley,  N.       (June,  1916) 

Mai'I'in.  Stanlky,   12  Albert  Hall  Man.sions,  Kens'ngton  Gore.  London.  S.W. 

Mar.'^di:n,  J.,  F.Z.S.,  The  Bungalow,  Banks  Lane,  Heysham  Harbour,  More- 
cambe.  Lanes.       (March,   1914). 

Marshall,  M.  M..  South  Grand  Ave.,  Pa.sadena,  California.  U.S.A.     (March. 
1919). 

Master,  G.,  M.B..  B.C..  86.  Guildhall  Street.  Bury  St.  Edmunds.  (Nov.  190,3). 

?klAXWELL-jACKSON,  Miss  M.,  Berry  End,  Knaresborough,  Yorks.     (Jan.  1913). 

Maxwell.  C  T.,  i  Shardcroft  Aven.,  Heme  Hill,  S.E.       (December,  1908). 

MiLLSUM,  (J.,  The  Firs,  Westwood,  Margate.       (July,  1907). 

Molyneux,   W.,     Rua  Gen  Gurjao.    33,     Pont    do    Caju,     Rio   de  Janeiro. 
(January,   1922). 

Montague,  G.  R.,  63  Croxted  Road.  Dulwich,  S.E.  21.       (February,  1909). 

Montgomery,   W.    G..   c/'o   Mrs.    Hulse.   Alexandra   Road.    Hornsea.    Hull. 
(January,   1913). 

Mortimer,    Mrs.,   Wigmore,    Holmvvood,    Surrey.        (Orig.    Mem.) 

MuNDY,  Miss  Sybil,  Grendon  Hall.  Grendon.  Northampton.       (Atijg-,   iQn)- 

MuLVEY,  W.  E.,  5  Overleigh  Road,  Chester.       (January,  1921). 

Murray,  S.,  14  Beauford  Gardens,  Lewisham,  S.W.   i.       (October,  1920). 

Murton  Marshall,  122  Sloane  Street,  Chelsea,  London.  S.W.  i.    (Aug.  1913) 

Nairne.   Dr.   S.,   Burleigh  Mead.   Hatfield.   Herts.       (January,   1920). 

Oakey,  W..  The  .Anglers'   Inn.   Pole  Street.  Preston.       (Orig.  Mem.) 

Oberholser.  Harry  C.  2805.  i8th  Street.  X.W..  Washington.  D.C..  U.S.A. 
(December,  1903). 

C^Reilly,  Nicholas  S..  144  Eastern  Road.  Kemp  Town.  Brighton.      (Orig'. 
Mem.) 


J3 

r\i:i;.  \V.  '1.,  F.Z.S.,  M.i'.JJ.U.,  (Jlou.  Editor,,   l.angitoiie,  Lingtit-ld.  Surrey 
(May,  1905). 

I'ainter,  \'.  Kknyon,  Cles-claiid.  Ohio,  U.S.A.       ( N'ovember.   19101. 

P.\RKi:i^   S.  T..   42.    Turner   Ro;id,     Dereham   Road.     Norwich.        (Rejoined 
January.    1922). 

P.vrKRSON,  Mrs.  A.,   15,   Brunswick  (".ardens,  Campden   Hill.   London,  W.,  8. 
(Rejoined  January,   1922). 

I'KRKiN"-^.  E..  Chester  Hill,  Woodchester,  Stroud,  (iloucs.       (February,  1903). 

Pktticrkw,  M.,  b  Fifth  Avenue.  Kelvinside,  Glasgow.  W.       (January.  1920). 

Pini.Mrs.  E.  R.,  12  Waltham  Terrace.  Bluckrock,  Ireland.      (September,  1915) 

P,KK,  L.  G..  F.Z.S.,  King  Barrow.  W'areham.      (December,  1910). 

Pii.KiNGTON,  Lady  Kathleen,  Chevet  Park.  Wakefield.      (September,  1908). 

PiTHiK,  Miss  D.  E.,  68  Clarendon  Road,  Southsea,  Portsmouth  (rej.  Jan.  1918) 

PoLL.ACK,  A.  J.,  Loretto  House,  Heaton.   Bradford.       (August,   1917). 

Pond.   Mrs.  T..  Wylfa,   Llangollen.       (November,    1902). 

PoPK.   Mrs.   Howden,  Tiverton,   Devon.       (February,   1914). 

PoRTicR.  J.  W.,  c/o  Commonwealth  Trust  Ltd.,  35,  Old  Jewry,  London.  E.C.  2 

Porter.  S.,  .Sehvyn  House.  Old  Normanton,  Derby.       (August,   1920). 

Powell,  Miss  M.  M.,  Hawthorn  Ilous?,  Oakhill  Park,  Old  Swan,  Liverpool. 

Prior.  F.,  Nala  Lodge.  Stoke  Hill.  Worplesden,  Guildford.       (July,   1920). 
(May,   1914). 

PpRfeEAU,   Mrs.   G.   A..    16  Evelyn   Court,     Lansdown  Terrace.     Cheltenham. 
(September,  1916). 

PtJLLAR,    Lawrence   H.    F.,    F.Z.S.,    Dunbarnie   Cottage.    Bridge     of     Earn, 
Perthshire.       (October,   1913). 

PuRVi.s.  Mrs.  C.  J.,  West  Acres,  Alnwick,  Northumberland.     (October,  19x1) 
Pyman,  E.  E..  West  House,  Hartlepool.       (May,   1919). 

QuiNCEY,  R.  DE  QuiNCEY.  Inglewood,  Chislehurst,  Kent.       (Auguse.  1910). 

Rabb,  D.  S..  Inglewood.  California.  U.S.A.       (August,  1920). 
Rattig.an,  G.  E.,  Fluder,  Kingskerswell,  Nr.  Newton  Abbott.  (March,  1909). 
Rayn'or.  Rev.  G.  H.,  M.A..  The  Lilacs,  Brampton,  Huntingdon.    (Dec.  1909) 
Read,  Mrs.  W.  H.,  Church  Croft.  Thames  t)ittbh,  Surrey,    (rej.  Jan.  1921) 
Reeve,  Capt.  J.  S.,  F.Z.S.,  Leadenham  House,  Lincoln.       (March,   1908). 
Restall,  J.  A.,  82  Cambridge  Street.  Birmingham.       (November,  1903). 
.Rice,  L.  K.,  Hirstmonceux,  Sussex.       (January,  1922). 
RoBBiNS,  H.,  37  New  Oxford  Street,  London,  W.C.  i.      (October,  1508). 


14 

Rogers,  W.  T.,  21   Priory  Villas,  New  Road,  Brentwood.       {October,   1907) 

RoTHERWELL,  JAjiKS  K.,  153  Scwcll  Avenuc,  r'rnokline,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 
(February,   191 1). 

RuMSEY,  Lacy.  23  Rua  de  Tt-rjia  Pinlo,  \'illa  Nova  do  Gaya,  Oporto,  Por- 
tugal.      (October,   191 1). 

Ryan,  G.  E.,  (P>ar-at-Lawj,  31  Porchcsler  Terrace,  Hyde  Park,  W.  2. 
(November,   1Q13). 

Schuyl,   D.   G..    12  Toe-HaringvHet.   Rotterdam,   Holland.       (January    1914). 

Scott,  Capt.  B.   Hamilton,  Hamildean,  Ipswich.       (July,   1910). 

Scott,  A.  H.,  Furze  Creek,  Bosliam.  Sussex.       (October,  1915). 

Sebag-Montefiore,  Mrs.,  East  Cliffe  Lodge,  Ramsgate.       (May,  1914). 

SiCH,  H.  L.,  Corney  House,  Bur'ington  Lane,  Chiswick,  London,  W.  4. 
(June,  1908). 

Silver,  Allen,   F.Z.S.,    18  Baneswell   Road,   Newport,   Mon.       (Rej.    1920). 

Simpson,  R.  E..  i  Highthorne  (irove,  Armley,  Leeds.       (December.  1907). 

Slade,  G.  J.,  34  Milton  Road,  Fitzhugh,  Southampton.       (February,  1915). 

Smith,  W.  W.,  43  Connaught  Road,  Harlesden,  N.W.  10.       (April,  1920). 

Snape,  Maj.  A.  E.,  R.A.F.,  {Hon.  Business  Sccrcta)-y),  5  Ryburn  'Avenue, 
Marton,   Blackpool.       (March,   1918). 

Snarey,  H.,  21  Leamington  Road,  Blackburn.       (March,   1911). 

SouTHCOMBE,  S.  L.,  Hill  House,  Stoke-under-Ham,  Somerset.     Sept.  1910). 

Sprankling,  E..  Brookland  Cottage,  South  Road,  Taunton.     (February,  1908) 

Sprawson,  Capt.  E.,  M.C.,  M.R.C.S.,  etc.,  68  Southwood  Land,  Highgate, 
London,  N.  6.       (October,   1913). 

Sproston,  Mrs.,  The  Elm  House.   Nantwich.       (Jannary,   1911). 

Stewart,  B.  T.,  Glenhurst,  The  Crosspaths.  Radlett,  Herts.     (February,  1914) 

Storey,  Mrs.  A.,  Hawling  Manor,  Andoverford,  Glos.       (November,  1912). 

Stott,  a.  E..  15  East  Parade,  Leeds.       (Januarj-,  1915). 

Street,  E.,  The  Poplars,  Oatwoods,  Anslow,  Burton-on-Trent.      (May,  1909) 

Strickland,  E.  A.,   16  Alma  Road,  Windsor.       (May,   1912). 

SuGGiTT,  R.,  Suggitt's  Lane,  Cleethorpes,  Grimsby.       (December,   1903). 

SuGGiTT,  W.  E.,  Suggitt's  Lane,  Cleethorpes,  Grimsby.       (January,  1915). 

SuTCLiFFE,  Albert,  Fairholme,  Welholme  Road,  Grimsby.       (May,   1907). 

Swayne,   Henry  A.,   29  Percy  Place,   Dublin.       (January,    1913). 

Sykes,  J.,  16  Shorthope  Street,  Musselburgh.       (January,   1912). 

Taintegines,  Baronnk  le  Clement  de.  Cleveland,  Minehead,  Somerset. 
(August,  1913). 


15 

Takano,  T.  Z.,  0/  Shicliome,  lloncho,  \'okohama,  Jai)an.       (January   igjj). 
Taka-Tankasa,   X.,    io(.i.   Hononurucho  Azabu,  Tokyo,  Japan.       (Jan.,   1922). 
Tavistock,  The  Marquis  of,  Warblington  House,  Havant,  Hants.    (Jan.  1913) 
Temple,  W.  R.,  The  Lawn.   Datchet.  Ikicks.       (Dcccml^er,  1908). 
TOMLINSON,  Malcolm  R.,  Shepherd's  House.  Inveresk.  Midlothian.       (April. 

1913)- 
Townsend,  S.  -M..  3  Swift  Street.  Fr.lham,  S.W.       (Orig.  Mem.). 
Tracy,  Mrs.  A.   L.,   Halsham,  Shaldon,  Teignmouth.       (February,   1914). 
Travers,  Mrs.  Johnson,  20,  Allwyn  Park,  Dulwich.       (December,   1903). 
Turner,  Herbert  J..  Tremadoc,  Keyberry  Road,  Newton  Abbott.  (Feb.  1915) 

Valentine,  E.,  7   Highfield,  Workington.       (December.   1911). 
Vkre,  Miss  Hope,  Westclilte,   North  Berwick.       (January,   1922). 
Vermillion,   D.    S.,    ii    Chester   Place,     Los   Angeles,     California.     U.S.A. 
(January,   1920). 

Waddell,  Miss  E.  G.  R.  Peddie,  4  Great  Stuart  St.,  Edinburgh.     (Feb.  1909) 

Wait,  Miss  L.  M.  St.  A.,   12  Rosary  Gardens,  South  Kensington,  London. 
S.W.      (December,  1007). 

Walker,  J.  Carr,  Pannal  Hall,  Pannal,  Near  Harrogate.        (March,  1916). 

Wallace,  Norman  H.,  Iveragh,  Shelbourne  Road,  Dublin.       (June,  1917). 

Walmsley,  J.,  "  Dalecot,"  Mayfield  Road,  St.  Annes-on.Sea.      (May,  1919). 

Wand,  Col.,  Falcon  Rise,  Wootton  Hill,  Newbury.       (January,  1922). 

Watson,  S.,  37  Tithebarn  Street,  Preston.       (September,  1910). 

Wedge,  E.,  Thorpedale  Cottage,  Chorley  Wood,  Rickmansworth,  Herts. 
(February,   1915). 

Weir,  J.,  Douglas  Cottage,  Ashley,  New  Milton,  Hants. 

Wellington,  H.  G.,  The  Duchess  of,  Ewhurst  Park,  Basingstoke,  Hants. 
(April,   1918). 

Westacott,  H.,  Wellington  Hotel,  Minehead,  Somerset.      (September,  1907). 

Whistler,  Hugh  L  P.,  c/o  King,  King  &  Co.,  Agents,  Bombay,  India. 
(January,   1913). 

White,  A.  L,  Glenskira,  Barrowby  Road,  Grantham.       (November,  1916). 
Whitley,  H.,  Primley  Hill,  Paignton,  S.  Devon.       (January,  1916). 
WiLLFORD,  Henry,  (Hon.  Photographer),  Uplands  View,  Haven  Street,  Ryde 
.  (July,  1908). 

Williams,  Sidney,  F.Z.S.  (Hon.  Treasurer  and  ExhibU'wnal  Secretary),  "Oak- 
leigh,"  no  Riverway,  Palmer's  Green,  London,  N.  13.  (October,  1910). 

Williamson,  T.  F.  M.,  525  Howard  Place,  South  Pasadena,  California,  U.S. A 
(August,   19 1 7). 


i6 

Wilson,  Miss  I".  M..  33'F.manuel  Avenue,  Acton,  Middlesex.      (March,  1906) 

WiNCHiLSEA  and  Nottixgham,  The  Countess  of,  Haverholme  Priory,  Sleaford 
(June,   1903). 

WiNDYBANK,  L.  A.,  Blean  Hyrst,  Blean,  Nr.  Canterbury.      (June,  1916). 

Woodward.     Kknnkth     N.,     Kenwood,     P.lairstown,     New     York,     U.S.A. 
(February,    1915). 

WoRKM,\N.  W.  H.,  F.Z.S.,  M.B.O.U.,  Lismore,  Windsor,  Belfast  (June,  1912) 

WoRMALD,   H.,  Heathfield,  East  Dereham,  Norfolk.       (rej.  January,  1920). 

Yealland,  Jamks,   Binstead,  Ryde.       (September,   1909). 

Yellibrand,  Commander  H.  B.,  180  Sandgate  Rd.,  Folkestone.     (Nov.  1920). 

Young,   Lieut.    H.   R.,   76   Mitcham   Lane,    Streatham,     London,     S.W.     16. 
(January,   1920). 

Zoological  Society,  The  New  York,  185th  Street  and  Southern  Boulevard, 
New  York,  U.S.A.       (March,  1917). 

Zoological  Society  of  Philadelphia,  The,    Philadelphia,     Penna,     U.S.A. 
(January,  1920). 

0 

The  Hon.  Business  Secretary  requests  that  he  may  he  promptly  informed 
of  any  errors  in  the  above  List 


FEBRUARY  1022. 


The  Foreign  Bird  Club. 


Hon.  Solicitor: 
II.    R.    FiLL.MKK.  Ciiurch   Strccl.    Ihii^iiton. 

lion.  Flioto_i;rapltcr: 
il.   W'li.i.i-oRn,   Upland  View,   Havciistrccl.   Rjdc. 

Hon.   Pathologis! : 

K.    S.    Lucas,    M.L!.,    F.Z.S.,      Prosectorium,    Zoulo.^ical    Society,    Regent's 

Park,   London  :    X.W  . 

Magaciiic  Conuiiittcc : 

Dk.   M.  Amsler.  \\v.\- .  G.  H.  Rayxok,  M.A. 

VV.  Shore  Baily  R.  Suggitt. 

N.  S.  LtJCAS,  M.R.,  F.Z.S.  H.  Wir.T.i-oRn. 
Dr.  J.  E.  R.  MrDoNAGH. 

Slum'  Conunittcc : 

Capt.  VV.  A.  Bainbridge.  The  Hon.  Mrs.  G.  Bourkk. 

Lady   K.athleek  Pilkixcton.  S.  Wili-iams,  F.Z.S.  (Hon.  Sec.) 

Social  Conuiiiltec : 
H.  G.  The  Duchess  oe  Wellixctom.    W.   Bamford. 
Hon.  Mrs.  G.  Bourke.  W.  T.  Rogers  (Hon.  Sec.) 

Mrs.   K.  a.  H.   Hartley.  A.  Suttclikfe. 

W.  R.  Temple. 

A^^'ards  Coniinittee : 

The  Countess  of  Winchilsea.  Capt.  G.  E.  Rattigan. 

Capt.  W.  A.  Bainbridge.  E.  W.  Chaplin. 

H.   Bright.  R.  Soggitt  (Hon.  Sec.) 

. ^ 


Notices  to  Members. 

The  Magazine  :  The  lateness  of  the  appearance  is  entirely  due  to  the 
Editor's  indisposition — he  being  quite  unable  to  complete  the  green-page  Inset. 
However,  we  hope  to  issue  March  Bird  Notes  by  the  end  of  the  month,  and 
April  issue  at  the  proper  date. 


i8 

The  Roll  :  Tlierc  are  several  proved  errors  in  the  Roll,  and  the  Hon. 
Secretary  is  anxious  to  get  it  thoroughly  corrected,  both  as  to  spelling  of 
names,  initials  and  addresses.  We,  therefore,  request  each  member  to  look 
up  their  name  on  the  roll  and  to  notify  the  Hon.  Sec.  at  once  of  any  inaccuracy. 

WESLEY  T.  PAGE,  Hon.  Editor. 

MAJ.   A.   E.   SNAPE.    Ifon.    Bi(si>ies.';  Secretary 

C? 

Deficit  and  Illustration  Funds. 

These  two  funds  need  all  the  help  members  can  give  them.  The  com- 
mittee acknowledge  with  best  thanks  the  following  : 

£       s.     d. 

Boosey,    E.  J 050 

Chawner,   K.   V.         0     10       o 

Reeve,  Capt.  J.  S o     17      0 

Walker,   H.  Carr       0     10       o 

Wellington,  H.G.  The  Duchess  of  i       00 

♦ 

New  Member  Elected. 

Porter,  J    W.,  c,'o  Conmionwcalth  Trust  Ltd.,  35,  Old  jevvry.  London,  I'^C.  2 

<> 

Proposed  for  Election  as  iVIembers. 

Horace  Czarnikow,   Hollongton   House,    Newbury. 
By  Capt.   L.   R.   IVaiuL 

0 

Changes  and  Corrections  of  Address. 

Powell,  Miss  M.  M.,  to  Roselyn,  Oakhill  Park,  Liverpool. 

Williamson,  T.  F.   M.,  Apartment  411.   St.  Catherine  Apartments.   i_'4J  Polk 

Street,  San  Franc'sco,  California,  U.S.A. 
Woodward,  K.  X.,   i   Madison  .Avenue,  New  York,  U.S.A. 

O 

Errata  re  Roll. 

T.\K.vT.\NKAS.\,  N.,  should  read  T.\ka-Tsuk.\n.\,  N. 

Col.  L.  R.  Wa.n'd,  etc..  should  read  Capt.  L.  R.  Waud,  Falcon  Close.  \Vooh(jn 

Hill.  Newbury, 
j    C\KU  Walkkk,  should  read  11.  Cakk  Walkku. 
A.    !.   Whit::,  for  (Jleshire  read  denshire. 


'9 

Delete  from  Koil. 


W.  Oakey. 
J.  A.  Restall. 

Commander    \\-Ilil>raiKl. 


-^ 


Register  of  Club  Breeders. 

(fie  Jan.  issue,  green  pages,  2 — 3J. 
DELETE 

Budgerigars  under 
Calvocoressi,   p.  J. 

ADD  * 

iioosEY,  E.  J.,  The  Cedars,  JJromley  Common,  Kent. 

Red-rurnp   Parrakeets  Green  Budgerigars 

Pennant  Parrakeets  D'amond  Sparrows 

Zebra  Finches. 

Rkkve,  Capt.  J.  S.,  F.Z.S..  M.B.O.U.,   Leadenham  House,  Lincoln. 

Red-rump  Parrakeets  Triangular-spotted  Pigeons 


-<- 


The  Bird  Market. 

Members'  Rates:  One  penny  per  word;  minimum  one  shihing. 
Non-members  and  all  Trade  advertisers  must  apply  to  the  Agents  {vide  page 
///.  of  cover).  Advertisements  for  respective  issues  must  be  sent  to  the 
Hon.   Editor  not  later  than  the  8th  of  each  month. 


^SEMBERS'  SALES,   EXCHANGES,  AND   WANTS 

WANTED  :  Japanese  Bantams,  or  exchange  Budgerigars  to  value. — Marsden, 
Bank's  Lane,   Pleysham  Harbour,   Lanes. 

WANTED  :  Unrelated  and  acclimatised  pairs  :  Triangular  Spotted  Pigeons, 
All  Green  Parrakeets,  Red-collared  Lorikeets,  and  Cirl  Buntings ;  also 
following  odd  birds  (or  would  sell  opposite  sex)  to  make  pairs  :  cock 
i'.lacK-backed  Tanager,  hen  Yellow-billed  Cardinal,  2  cock  Cordon  Bleus, 
hen  Archbishop  Tanager,  and  hen  Snow  Bunting. — Reeve,  Leadenham 
House,   Lincoln. 

FOR  SALE  :  Acclimatised  true  pair  of  Black  Cassiques.— Page,  Langstone, 
I^ingfield,   Surrey. 


ESTABLISHED  NEARLY  A  CENTURY. 

CONCEACTORS       TO       H.M.       STATIONERY       OFFICE, 
INDIA  OFFICE  CROWN  AGENTS, 
FOREir,N    GOVERNMENTS,     Etc. 


Standard  Blue  Black   Writing  and    Copying,  Turquoise    Blue  and 

Ooraline  Red 

X  :s^  IS.  IS* 

LIQUID    GUMS.  STICKALl.    PASTE. 

Standard  Crescent  Carbon  Papers  for  Typewriters. 


Black  Indelible  Ink  for  cancelling  Stamps  under  The  Insurance  /let. 

Wholesale  Agent  : 

23,     KING     STREeT     WEST,      MANCHESTER. 

To  whom  address  all  Enquiries.    • 


^.t:^ 
^^^ 


MARCH,  1922 


The  Foreign  Bird  Club. 

Notices  to  Members. 

The  Club  Journal  ;  Copy  is  still  needed,  as  per  notices  in  January 
and  February  issue.  We  trust  that  members  will  give  their  utmost  co-oper- 
ation that  Bird  Notes  may  be  worthy  and  thoroughly  representative  of  our 
Society. 

Obituary  :  Our  member  Mr.  J.  L.  Grossmith  passed  away  in  November 
last,  and  h's  membership  in  F.B.C.  has  been  transferred  to  his  widow  Mrs.  A. 
Grossmith.  to  whom,  on  behalf  of  the  Club,  we  extend  our  sincere  sympathy 
in  her  bereavement. 

Subscriptions  in  Default  :  We  regret  in  a  few  cases  no  notice  has 
been  taken  of  several  applications,  leaving  us  no  alternative,  unless  a  remit- 
tance be  sent  on  or  before  April  15th,  but  to  place  them  in  the  hands  of  a 
solicitor  for  collection. 

Development  of  the  Club  :      We  regret  that   so  httle  response  has 
been  made  to  the  Hon.  Secretary's  letter  in  February  BiRQ  Notes,  pages  45-6; 
will  members  kindly  consider  same  and  communicate  the'r  views,? 
WESLEY  T.  PAGE,  Hon.  Editor. 
MAJ.   A.   E.   SNAPE,   Hon.    Business  Secretary^ 

Deficit  and  Illustration  Funds. 

These  two  funds  need  all  the  help  members  can  give  them.      The  com- 
mittee acknowledge  with  best  thanks  the  following  : 
.  £      s.     d. 

Rothwell,  J.  E 100 

Errata  re  RolJ. 

J.  E.  Rotherwill  should  read  J.  E.  RoTHWEtL,  153,  Sewell  Avenue,  Brookline, 

Mass..  U.S.A. 
Mrs.  Burgess  :  for  St.  John's  Street  read  St.  John's  Road. 

New  Member  Elected. 

Horace  Czarnikow,    HoUongton   House,   Newbury. 

Proposed  for  Election  as  Members. 

Miss  Olive  Blackburn,  Rock  End,  Torquay. 

By  Capf.   G.  E.  Rattigan. 
G.  F.  Bolam,  8  Rosslyn  Avenue,  Low  Fell,  Gateshead-on-Tyne. 

By  S.   M.   Tozvm-cnd. 
H.  Boot,  Finchficld,  Lichfield  Road,  Sutton  Coldfield. 

By  } .  H.  E.  Hawkins. 

Register  of  Club  Breeders. 

(I'ide  Green   Inset,  Jan.  pages  2-3,   Feb.  page   19). 


32 

The  Bird  Market. 

Members'  Rates  :  One  penny  per  word ;  minimum  one  shilling. 
Non-members  and  all  Trade  advertisers  must  apply  to  the  Agents  (vide  page 
in.  of  cover).  Advertisements  tor  respective  issues  must  be  sent  to  the 
Hon.  Editor  not  later  than  the  8t.h  of  each  month. 

MEMBERS'  SALES,   EXCHANGES,  AND  WANT& 
Wanted  :     Cocks,  Masked  Dove,  Snow  Bunting,  and  Redpoll ;  hens.  Crossbill 

and     Blue-breasted    Waxbill. — Lady   Dunleath,     Ballywater,     Co.   Down, 

Ireland. 
WANTED  :  Bird  Notes  for  1906. — Miss  Jackson,  Berry  End,  Knaresborough 
FOR  SALE  :      Green,   blue-bred   Budgerigars,   cocks   only,   also   hen   Melbi 

Finch. — Mrs.  Burgess,  56,  St.  John's  Road,  Clifton,  Bristol. 
FOR  SALE  :     Pair  Red  Moimtain  Doves,  40s. ;  Snow  Buntings,  6s.  pair. — 

R.   Suggitt,   Suggitt's  Lane,   Cleethorpes. 
FOR  SALE  :     Khaki  Campbell  duck  eggs  12s.  per  doz.  Carr.  paid.     Ducks, 

Mrs.   Campbell's  strain;   drakes,   direct  from   Leslie  Thompson,   winner 

of  National  Laying  Test  1921.     Excellent  egg  records,  correct  type  and 

colour. — Lt.-Col.  de  Legh,   Shincliffe,   Durham. 
FOR  SALE  :     Perfect  true  pair  Black  Cassiques. — W.  T.  Page,  Langstonc, 

Lingfield,  Surrey. 
PEDIGREE  UTILITY  POULTRY  :      Only  the  very  best  supplied  in  White 

Wyandottes,  Rhode  Island  Reds,  Light  Sussex,  and  Runner  Ducks. 

Speciality  3  months  pullets. 

Sitting  eggs  daily — chicks   weekly. 

W.  A.  Bainbridge,  Keyneston  Manor  Poultry  Farm,  Blandford,  Dorset. 

E8TABLISHE]:)  NEARLY  A  CENTURY. 

CONrRACTOES       TO       H.M.       STATIONERY       OFFICE, 
INDIA  OFFICE  CROWN  AGENTS, 
FOREIGN    GOVERNMENTS,     Etc. 


Standard  Blue  Black    Writing  and    Copying,  Turquoise    Blue  and 

Coraline  Red 


LIQUID    GUMS.  STICKALL    PASTE. 

standard  Crescent  Carbon  Papers  for  Typewriters. 


Black  Indelible  Ink  for  cancelling  Stamps  under  The  Insurance  Act. 


Wholesale  Agent  : 

23,     KING     STREET     WEST,      MANCHESTER. 

To  whom  address  all  Enquiries. 


23 

APRIL,  1922 


The  Foreign  Bird  Club. 


Notices  to  Members. 

Late  Issue  of  Bird  Notes  :  January  issue  was  late  owing  to  Revision 
of  Roll,  and,  owing  to  scarcity  of  copy  and  ill-health  of  the  Editor  it  has 
been  impossible  to  pull  up  to  proper  publishing  date — 'flu  followed  by  an 
aftermath  of  brain-fag  has  prevented  the  Editor  filling  gaps  as  in  the  past. 
Thus  the  only  way  out  of  the  present  impasse  is  to  combine  May  and  June 
issues  as  a  "  double  number,"  and  to  issue  same  by  June  15th,  which  is  the 
proper  pubHshing  date ;  to  this  end  the  Editor  requests  that  copy  may  be 
promptly  sent  in;  also  that  every  member  will  assist  by  writing  articles,  etc., 
to  keep  the  remaining  issues  of  the  current  volumr  :  up-to-date. 

MAJ.   A.   E.   SNAPE,   Hon.   Business  Secretary. 
WESLEY  T.  PAGE,  Hon.  Editor. 


Deficit  and  Illustration  Funds. 

These  two  funds  need  all  the  help  members  can  give  them. 

New  Members  Elected. 

Miss  Olive  Blackburn,  Rock  End,  Torquay,  S.  Devon. 

G.  F.  Bolam,  8  Rosslyn  Avenue,  Low  Fell,  Gateshead-on-Tyne. 

H.  Boot,  Finchfield,  Lichfield  Road,  Sutton  Coldfield. 


Proposed  for  Election  as  Member. 

Walter  Potts,  28,  Union  Street,  Hyde,  Cheshire. 
By  Lt.-Col.  H.  L.  de  Legh. 

0 

Register  of  Club  Breeders. 

{Vide  Green  Inset,  Jan.  pages  2-3,  Feb.  page  19). 
ADD 

Laurence  H.  D.  Pullar,  Dunbarnie  Cottage,  Bridge  of  Earn,  Perthshire. 
Green   Cardinals. 
Peach-faced  Lovebirds. 


24 

The  Bird  Market. 

Members'  Rates  :  One  penny  pei-  word ;  minimum  one  shilling-. 
Non-members  and  all  Trade  advertisers  must  apply  to  the  Agents  (vide  page 
Hi.  of  cover).  Advertisements  for  respective  issues  must  be  sent  to  the 
Hon.   Editor  not  later  than  the  8th  of  each  month. 


MEMBERS'  SALES,   EXCHANGES,  AND   WANTft 

rX)R   SALE:      duuldian   I'inches,   pairs  and   odd  hens  and   one    Red-headed 

cock.       What  offers? — Chaplin,  Great  Amwell,   Herts. 
FOR   SALE:      White   Peahen,   splendid   condition,  £6;  thousands  of  birds, 

goldfish,  animals  and  reptiles  always  in  stock. — De  Von  &  Co.,  127,  King's 

Cross  Road,   London,  W.C.,   i. 
FOR   SALE :      Three  young   Cockateels,   two   months   old,    outdoor   aviary 

bred,  14s.  each. — Mrs.  Mackness,  22  Cypress  Road,  Finchley,  London,  N.3 
WANTED  :  Bird  Notes  for  1906. — Miss  Jackson,  Berry  End,  Knaresborough 
FOR  SALE  :     Khaki  Campbell  duck  eggs  12s.  per  doz.  Carr.  paid.     Ducks, 

Mrs.   Campbell's   strain;   drakes,   direct   from   Leslie  Thompson,   winner 

of  National  Laying  Test  1921.     Excellent  egg  records,  correct  type  and 

colour. — ^Lt.-Col.  de  Legh,   Shincliffe,   Durham. 
FOR  SALE  :     Perfect  true  pair  Black  Cassiques.- — W.  T.  Page,  Langstone, 

Lingfield,   Surrey. 
PEDIGREE  UTILITY  POULTRY  :     :Only  the  very  best  supplied  in  White 

Wyandottes,  Rhode  Island  Reds,  Light  Sussex,  and  Runner  Ducks. 

Speciality  3  months  pullets. 

Sitting  eggs  daily — chicks  weekly. 

W.  A.  Bainbridge,  Keyneston  Manor  Poultry  Farm,  Blandford,  Dorset. 

ESTABLISHED  NEARLY  A  CENTURY. 

CONrRACTOES      TO       H.M.       STATIONERY       OFFICE, 
INDIA  OFFICE  CROWN  AGENTS, 
FOREIGN    GOVERNMENTS,    Etc. 


Standard  Blue  Black   Writing  and    Copying,  Turquoise    Blue  and 

Coraline  Red 


LIQUID    GUMS.  STICKALL    PASTE. 

standard  Crescent  Carbon  Papers  for  Typewriters. 
Blach  Indelible  Ink  for  cancelling  Stamps  under  The  Insurance  Act. 

Wholesale  Agent  : 

23,     KING     STREET     WEST,      MANCHESTER. 

To  whom  address  all  Enquiries. 


25 

MAY— JUNE  1922. 

The  Foreign  Bird  Club. 

Notices  to  Members. 

Meeting  of  Members  at  London  Zoo  :  We  wish  to  arrange  one 

meeting  during  the  year  at  this  interesting  and  pleasant  resort.  Will  those 
able  to  be  present  please  communicate  with  the  Hon.  Sec.  and  state  which 
month — July  or  August — would  best  suit  them. 

Change  of  Hon.  Secretary's  Address  :  This  now  is  :  Maj.  A.  E. 
Snape,  41  John  Dalton  Street.  Manchester. 

MAJ.   A.   E.   SNAPE,   Hon.   Business  Secretary. 
WESLEY  T.  PAGE,  Hon.  Editor. 

Deficit  and  Illustration  Funds. 

These  two  funds  need  all  the  help  members  can  give  them.  The 
Committee  thankfully  acknowledge  the  following  donations  : 

£      s.    d. 

Bright,    H.    E I       0       o 

Garrile,   Mrs.  C i       o 

Hopkinson,  Dr.  E 130 

Mundy,  Miss  S 2      0       0 

Perreau,  Mrs.  G.  A 10      0 

Snarey,  H 2      o 

Suggitt,  R 10      o 

Sutcliffe.  A 4      o 

Changes  and  Corrections  of  Address. 

T.  T.  Barnard,  to  Dungote  Hall,  Towcester.  • 

Miss  M.  Gerrard,  to  Casa  Frollo,  Alia  Guidecca,  No.  50,  Venice. 

E.  Wedge,  to  "  Overdale,"  Chorley  Wood,  Herts. 

Dr.   E.   Hopkinson,  to  45  Sussex  Square,   Brighton. 

New  Member  Elected. 

Walter  Potts,  28,  Union  Street,  Hyde,  Cheshire. 

Proposed  for  Election  as  Members. 

W.   Salkeld,   Ravenwood,   Kirkoswald,   R.S.O.,   Cumberland. 

By  Maj.  A.  E.  Snape. 
Capt.  H.  B.  Boothby,  D.S.O.,  R.N.R.,  Ambleside,  Weelsby,  Grimsby. 

By  R.  Suggitt. 
Mr.   Chapman,  High  Street,  Birmingham. 

By  J.   W.   Marsden. 
H.  S.  Stokes,  Longdown,  Rugeley,  Staffs. 

By  Maj.  A.  E.  Snape. 
Capt.   F.   H.   Mitchell.   R.N.,   Hollybank.   Emsworth,   Hants. 

By  the   Marquis   of  Tavistock. 


26 

Errata  re  Roll. 

Home  McCall,   should  read  Home  McCall. 


Register  of  Club  Breeders. 

(Vide  Green  Inset,  Jan.  pages  2-3,  Feb.  page  19). 


The  Bird  Market. 

Members'  Rates  :  One  penny  per  word ;  minimum  one  shilling. 
Non-members  and  all  Trade  advertisers  must  apply  to  the  Agents  (vide  page 
Hi.  of  cover).  Advertisements  for  respective  issues  must  be  sent  to  the 
Hon.  Editor  not  later  than  the  8th  of  each  month. 


MEMBERS'  SALES,  EXCHANGES,  AND  WANTS 

WANTED  :  Bird  Notes  for  1906. — Miss  Jackson,  Berry  End,  Knaresborough 

WANTED  :  Cock  Black-backed  Tanager ;  cock  Cordon  Bleu ;  hen  Arch- 
bishop Tanager ;  hen  full-winged  Blossom-headed  Parrakeet ;  cock  Red- 
collared  Lorikeet,  or  would  sell  hen.— Reeve,  Leadenham  House,  Lincoln. 

WANTED  :  Hen  Olive  Finch  {Phonipara  lepida). — Page,  Langstone, 
Lingfield,   Surrey. 

ADVERTISER  would  be  glad  to  purchase  eggs  of  Impeyan,  Eared,  or  other 
rare  pheasants. — S.  Porter,  Selwyn  House,  Old  Normanton,  Derby. 

ESTABLISHED  NEARLY  A  CENTaHY. 

CONrEACTOES       TO      H.M.       STATIONBEY       OFFICE, 
INDIA  OFFICE  CEOWN  AGENTS, 
FOREIGN    GOVEENMENTS,    Etc. 


iLACKWOOD 


Standard  Blue  Black   Writing  and    Copying,  Turquoise    Blue  and 

Coraline  Eed 


LIQUID    GUMS.  STICKALL    PASTE. 

standard  Crescent  Carbon  Papers  for  Typewriters. 


Blacfi  Indelible  Ink  for  cancelling  Stamps  under  The  Insurance  Act. 


Wholesale  Agent  : 

23,     KING     STREET     WEST,     MANCHESTER. 

To  whom  address  all  Enquiries. 


^^  JULY,  1922. 


The  Foreign  Bird  Club. 


Notices  to  Members. 

Post  Mortem  Examinations  :  Di-.  N.  B.  Lucas,  finding  himself 
with  insufncient  time  at  his  disposal  to  continue  these,  has  been  com- 
pelled to  resign  his  post  as  Hon.  Pathologist.  The  committee  on  behalf 
of  the  Club  tender  him  sincere  thanks  for  the  valuable  time  and  help 
he   has  rendered  to  memters  while  holding  that  post. 

In  future  P.M.  Examinations  will  be  undertaken  for  members, 
conditions  as  heretofore — see  rules  page  ii.  of  cover — bj'  Mr.  C.  H. 
Hicks,  Prosectorium,   Zoological  Gardens,  Regent's  Park,  London,  N.W. 

MAJ.   A.    E.    SNAPE,    Hon.    Business   Secretary 
WESLEY  T.  PAGE,  Hun.  Editor. 

Deficit  and  Illustration  Funds. 

These  two  funds  need  all  the  help  members  can  give  them.  The 
committee  thankfully    acknowledge  the  following  donation  : 

£      s.     d. 
Bainbridge,  W.  A 0       10 

Changes  and  Corrections  of  Address. 

J.   Currie,  to  55,  Netherby  Road,  Edinburgh,  N.B. 

\V.  Molyueux,  to  Rua  de  Petropolis,  224,   Rio  de  Janeiro,  iBrazil. 

Errata  re  Roli. 

We  regret  that  in  last  issue,   owing  to  a  clerical  error,  a  revision 
got  transposed. 
Rev.  R.  Hore  McCall  on  Roll  should  read  Home  McCall. 

Delete  from  Roll. 

D.   S.    Rabb,   California,   U.S.A.    (Subscription  unpaid), 

J.  Yealland,  Binstead,  I.W.  (deceased). 

H.  Robbins,  Oxford  Street,  London  (resigned). 

New  Members   Elected. 

W     Salkeld,   Ravenswood,   Kirkoswald,   R.S.O.,   Cumberland. 

Capt.   H.  B.  Boothby,  D.S.O.,  R.N.R.,  Ambleside,  Weelsby,  Grimsby. 

Mr.    Chapman,   High  Street,   Birmingham. 

Capt.  H.  S.  Stokes,  Longdon,  Rugeley,  Staffs. 

Capt.  F.  H.  Mitchell,  R.N.,  Hollybank,  Emsworth,  Hants. 

Past  Member  Re-elected. 

H    T.  Boyd,  34  Fortune  Green  Road,  West  Hampstead,  London,  N.W.,  6. 


28 

Register  of  Club  Breeders. 

{Vide  Green  Inset,  Jan.  pages  2-3,  Feb.  page   19). 


The  Bird  Market. 

Members'  Rates:  One  penny  per  word;  minimum  one  shilling. 
Non-members  and  all  Trade  advertisers  must  apply  to  the  Agents  {vide  page 
Hi.  of  cover).  Advertisements  for  respective  issues  must  be  sent  to  the 
Hon.   Editor  not  later  than  the  8th  of  each   month. 

MEMBERS'  SALES,   EXCHANGES,  AND   WANTS 

WANTED  :     A  pet  parrakeet  and  cage,  must  l)e  pe>rfectly  tame.     Stale 

species  and  price. — Parker,  42,  Turner  Road,  Norwich. 
FOR  SALE  :      Adult,  acclimatised,  breeding  pair  Red-rump  Parrakects, 

having  reared  several  youngsters  this  season,  £6,  also  a  young  pair 

£4.       Also  cot'k  St.  Lucian  Parrakeet  £3,  acclimatised. — Capt.  J.  S. 

Reeve,  Leaden  ham  House,  Lincoln. 
WANTED  :  Bird  Notes  for  1906.— Miss  Jackson,  Berry  End,  Knareslx)ro' 
ADVERTISER  would  be  glad  to    purchase  eggs  of  Impeyan,  Eared  or 

other  rare  plieasants. — S.   Porter,    Selwyn  House,   Old  Normanton, 

Derby. 
WANTED:        Hen   Cuban   Olive   Finch    (Fhonipara    Icpida);      also    cock 

Alexandrine  Parrakeet,    and  full  winged,  adult  hen  Blossom-headed 

Parrakeet. — -Page,  Lang.stone,  Lingfield,  Surrey. 

ESTABLISHED  NEARLY  A  CENTURY 

CONPRACTORS       TO       H  M.       STATIONERY       OFFICE, 
INDIA  OFFICE  CROWN  AGENTS, 
FOREIGN    GOVERNMENTS,     Etc. 


SLACKWOOD 


^ 


Standard  Blue  Black   Writing  and    Copying,  Turquoise    Blue  and 

Coralinc  Red 


LIQUID    GUMS.  STICKALl.    PASTE. 

Standard  Crescent  Carbon  Papers  for  Typewriters. 
Black  Indelible  Ink  for  cancelling  Stamps  under  The  Insurance  Act 


Wholesale  Agent  : 

-A..    .A-,    -WJEJIG-H, 

23,     KING     STREET     WEST,      MANCHESTER. 

To  whom  address  all  enquiries. 


29 

AUGUST,    192 


The  Foreign  Bird  Club. 


Notices  to  Members. 

The  notices  this  month  are  incomplete,  owing  to  the  Hon.  Editor  being 
away  from  home,  but  all  omissions  will  be  included  in  October  issue. 

MAJ.   A.   E.   SNAPE,   Hon.   Business  Secretary. 
WESLEY  T.  PAGE,  Hon.  Editor. 


Deficit  and  Illustration  Funds. 

These  two  funds  need  all  the   help  members  can  give  them.     The 
committee  thankfully   acknowledge  the  following  donation  : 

£      6.     d. 
Hewitt,  T.  W.  J o       I       0 


Proposed  for  Election  as  Member. 

Horsford,   D.   M.,   Bosvathick,   Pcnryn,  Cornwall.     By  the  Hon.   Editor. 

0 

Changes  and  Corrections  of  Address. 

.\.  Ainsworth,  to.  j,  Poro  Street,  Kilbirnie,  New  Zealand. 
Mrs.  Read,  to.  The  Vicarage,  Marshchapcl,  Lines. 


Register  of  Club  Breeders. 

(Vide  Green  Inset,  Jan.  pages  2-3,  Feb.  page  19). 


The  Bird  Market. 

Members'  Rates  :  One  penny  per  word ;  minimum  one  shilling. 
Non-members  and  all  Trade  advertisers  must  apply  to  the  Agents  {vide  page 
Hi.  of  cover).  Advertisements  for  respective  issues  must  be  sent  to  the 
Hon.  Editor  not  later  than  the  8th  of  each  month. 


The    Hon.    Editor    much    regrets,    that    he    omitted    to    bring   copy    of 
adverts  away  with  him,  so  these,  perforce,  must  be  held  over  till  next  issue. 


30 

ESTABLISHED  NEARLY  A  CENTURY. 

CONrRACTORS      TO      H.M.       STATIONERY    v  OFFICE, 

INDIA  OFFICE  CROWN  AGENTS,     -  — 

FOREIGN    GOVERNMENTS,    Etc. 

BLACKWOOD  Bl  Co/s 

Standard  Blue  Black  Writing  and    Copying,  Turquoise    Blue  and 

Coraline  Red 


LIQUID    GUMS.  STICKALL    PASTE. 

standard  Crescent  Carbon  Papers  for  Typewriters. 


Black  Indelible  Inh  for  cancelling  Stamps  under  The  Insurance  Act 


Wholesale  Agent  : 

23,     KING     STREET     WEST,     MANCHESTER. 

To  whom  address  all  enquiries. 


^Ji;':5? 


j  i-f !    ![i    I     I-  p/t-'fUn'itp.-noVl 

■;.'i!f    vfiA  .(  i'JVO'J    lo     .w 


31 

SEPTEMBER  1922. 


The  Foreign  Bird  Club. 


Notices  to  Members. 

Thk  Magazine  :  Copy  is  still  urgently  needed  to  enable  the  Hon. 
Editor  to  issue  the  Journal  at  the  proper  date;  while  being  very  grateful  to 
those  members  who  have  so  staunchly  contributed  month  by  month,  he 
strongly  urges  those  members  who  have  not  contributed  to  this  volume  to  do 
s     as  early  as  possible. 

MAJ.   A.   E.   SNAPE,   Hon.   Business  Secretary 
WESLEY  T.  PAGE,  Hon.  Editor. 


O 

In  Memoriam  of  a  Grey  Parrot. 

In  perpetual  memory 

of 

CATTY-ANNE, 

The  beloved  companion  of  B.  Theo.  Stewart, 

Who   fell   asleep  July  25TH,    1919. 
Thou  7vas't  not  born  for  Deatli,  Immortal  Bird. 
There  are  men  both  good  and  great. 
Who    hold   that  in   a   future    state, 

Dumb   creatures   we   have   treasured   here  below 
Will  give  us  joyous  greeting  when   we  reach  the  golden   gate 

Ts  it  folly  that   I  hope  it  may  be  so  ? 
Eor  never  man  had  friend  more  enduring  to  the  end. 

o 


Deficit  and  Illustration  Funds. 

These  two  funds  need  all  the   help  members  can  give  them.     The 
committee  thankfully    acknowledge  the  following  donation  : 

£      s.     d. 

Decoux,  y\.         0     10      o 

Hewitt,  T.  W.  J o       I       0 

O 


Changes  and  Corrections  of  Address. 

A.    Ainsworth,  to  7,  Poro  Street,  Kilbirnie,  Wellington,  New  Zealand. 

P.   E.  Simpson,  25,  Gloucester  Avenue,  Armley,  Leeds. 

Dr.  E.  Hopkinson,  D.S.O.,  to  Bathurst,  Gambia,  West  Africa. 


32 

New  Member  Elected. 

Horsford,   D.  M.,   Bosvathick,   Pcnryn,    Cornwall. 


The  Bird  Market. 

Members'  Rates:  One  penny  per  word;  minimum  one  shilling. 
Non-members  and  all  Trade  advertisers  must  apply  to  the  Agents  {vide  page 
Hi.  of  cover).  Advertisements  for  respective  issues  must  be  sent  to  the 
Hon.   Editor  not  later  than  the  8th  of  each  month. 

MEMBERS'  SALES,  EXCHANGES  AND  WANTS. 
FOR  SALE  :       Champion-bred  Cairn  and  West  Highland  Puppies  for  sale, 
or  exchange  Albino  finches. — Scott,  Bosham,  Sussex. 

WANTED  :       One  or  two  pairs  of  young  canaries  from  outdoor  aviary. — 

Kewley,   Barwick  House,  Yeovil. 
WANTED  :        Two    hen    Diamond    Doves.— W.    R.    Temple,      The    Lawn, 

Datchet,   Bucks. 
FOR  SALE  :        i  pair  Red-rump  Parrakeets,  £4 ;  2  adult  Peaceful  Ground 

Doves  IDS.  each. — Hawkins,  Belvedere,  Streetly  Lane,  Sutton  Coldfield. 

FOR  SALE  :  Bird  Notes,  bound  volumes,  2  to  7,  earliest  series,  also 
odd  vols,  later  series,  unbound.  Few  Avicultural  Magazine,  bound  and 
unbound.  Cassell's  Cage  Birds,  foreign  section  by  Weiner,  out  of  print. 
WANTED  :  Seth-Smith's  Parmtcets.  Stamp  reply. — Boyd,  34  Fortune 
Green  Road,  West  Hampstead,  London. 


ESTABLISHEi:)  NEARLY  A  CENTCJRY 

CONrRACTOES      TO       H.M.       STATIONERY       OFFICE, 
INDIA  OFFICE  CROWN  AGENTS, 
FOREIGN    GOVERNMENTS,    Etc. 


^■^KWOOD  &L 


m.^M%.  MM  vu'JLJ  mL  ijo/s 


Standard  Blue  Black   Writing  and    Copying,  Turquoise    Blue  and 

Coraline  Red 

X  wr  JBL  ^. 

LIQUID    GUMS.  STICKALl.    PASTE. 

Standard  Crescent  Carbon  Papers  for  Typewriters. 
Blach  Indelible  Inh  for  cancelling  Stamps  under  The  Insurance  Act 

Wholesale  Agent  : 

23,     KING     STREET     WEST,      WiaWCHESTER. 

To  whom  address  all  enquiries. 


3i 

OCTOBER,  1922. 


The  Foreign  Bird  Club. 


Notices  to  Members. 

Obituary  :  It  is  with  niueh  regret  that  we  have  to  announce  three 
lotses  this  month,  viz.,  VV.  R.  Temple,  Datchet,  Bucks,  A.  R.  Home, 
Murtle,   Aberdeen,  and  Lieut.   H.  R.  Young-,   Streatnam,  5.W. 

Mr.  Temple  is  quite  an  old  member  ol  F  B.C.,  and  for  some  years 
lias  seived  on  the  Council.  He  was  a  keen  aviculturist,  being  interested 
principally,  in  Floceme  and  Fringilline  finches,  meeting  with  considerable 
success  in  breeding  Parrot  Finches  and  various  Poephi'a.  He  also  attempted 
to  breed  several  species  of  the  rarer  'possibly,  1  should  say  the  more  retiring) 
British  birds,  coming  very  near  to  buccess  with  Nuthatches  and  Tree 
Creepers.  He  was  equally  interested  in  Cavies  and  Dogs,  and  will  be  missed 
ii  many  directic/us.  To  Mrs.  Temple  we  offer  deep  and  sincere  sympathy 
in  her  bereavement. 

Mr.  Home  was  less  known  to  us,  as  he  took  no  public  part  in  F.B.C., 
and  was  only  a  verv  occasional  contributor  to  the  club  Journal.  He  was  a 
keen  nature  student,  not  merely  a  keeper  of  foreign  birds,  but  a  lover  of  all 
wild  life.  His  demise  was  the  termination  of  a  long,  weary,  and  painful 
ilhiess.     To  his  bereaA'ed  family  we   offer  our  profound  sympathy. 

Also  Lieut.  H.  R.  Young,  Mitchar:  Lane,  Streatham,  S.W.  To  his 
1  ireavcd  family  we  offer   sincere   sympathy. 

MAJ.    A.    E.    SXAI'li:.    Hon.    Business   Secretary 
WESLEY  T.  PAGE,  Hon.  Editor. 

<^ 


Proposed  for  Election  as  Member. 

Mrs     K.     E.     Hollas.   Arta.   Stewart    Road.     Prcslon.     By     the     Hon.     Bus. 
Secretaiy. 

— ^> —  - 


Transfer  of  Membership. 

From  Lieut.  H.    R.  Young  (deceased)    Mitcham  Lane,    Streatham,  to  Chas 
R.  Young-,  76,   Milchatr  .I.ane,  Streatham,    London,  S.W.,    16. 


34- 

The  Bird  Market. 

Members'  Rates  :  One  penny  per  word ;  minimum  one  shilling. 
Non-members  and  all  Trade  advertisers  must  apply  lo  the  Agents  (vide  page 
m.  of  cover).  Advertisements  for  respective  issues  must  be  sent  to  the 
Hon.   Editor  not  later  than  the  8th  of  each  month. 

MEMBERS'  SALES,   EXCHANGES  AND  WANTS. 

l^OR  SALE  :  Champion-bred  Cairn  and  West  Highland  Puppies  for  sale, 
or  exchange  Albino  finches. — Scott,  Bosham,  Sussex. 

FOR  SALE  :  One  pair  and  two  odd  hon  Cockateels,  1921  hatched,  splendid 
condition  and  full  adult  plumage.  Also  specially  selected  1922  Khaki- 
Carhpbell  Drakes,  Leslie  Thompson — Mrs.  Campbell  strain,  true  to 
colour  and  type. — Lt.-Col.  H.  L.  de  Legh,  Shinecliffe,   Durham. 

FOR  SALE-  Pairs;  Eared  Pheasants  £10.,  New  Guinea  Quail  £3.. 
Californian  Quail  £2.,  Cape  Sparrows  25s.,  Chingolo  Song-Sparrows 
25s. — W.  Shore   Baily,    Boyers  House,  Westbury,  Wilts. 

FOR  SALE  •  20  young  Green  Budgerigars,  bred  during  the  last  season  in 
out-door  aviary. — Gardener,  c/o  Mrs.  Montifiore,  East  Cliff  Lodge, 
Ramsffate. 


ESTABLISHED  NEARLY  A  CENTURY. 

CONCRACTORS       TO       H.M.       STATIONERY       OFFICE, 

INDIA  OFFICE  CROWN  AGENTS, 

FOREIGN    GOVERNMENTS,     Etc. 


Standard  Blue  Black   Writing  and    Copying,  Turquoise    Blue  and 

Coraline  Red 

I  N  K  S. 

LIQUID    GUMS.  StlCKALl.    PASTE. 

Standard  Crescent  Carbon  Papers  for  Typewriters. 
Black  Indelible  Ink  for  cancelling  Stamps  under  The  Insurant  j  I 

Wholesale  Agenl  : 

23,     KING     STREET     WEST,      MANCHESTER. 

To  whom  address  all  enquiries. 


35 

NOVEMBER  1922. 


The  Foreign  Bird  Cliib, 


Notices  to  Members. 

Elfxtion  oi'  Council  :  According  to  our  rules  Messrs.  W.  Bamford 
and  H.  E.  Bright  retire  from  the  Council  at  the  end  of  the  year,  but  are 
eligible  for  re-election. 

There  is  also  a  vacancy  caused  by  the  decease  of  W.  R.  Temple ;  for 
this  Lt.-Col.  H.  Legh  de  Legh  is  nominated  by  Capt.  W.  A.  Bainbridge 
and  W.  T.  Page. 

Any  further  nominations  for  the  above  vacanc}'  must  reach  the  Hon. 
Sec    not  later  than  December   15th. 

Uniaid  Subscriptions  :  There  are  still  some  12  or  13  members  who 
are  still  in  arrears ;  at  least  two  applications  for  same  have  been  made  by 
post — -our  income  still  falls  short  of  meeting  the  full  cost  of  Bird  Notes, 
Medals,  and  other  incidental  charges — those  still  in  arrears  are  requested 
to  forward  same  forthwith  to  the  Hon.  Sec. 

New  Member  :  The  closing  of  one  year,  and  the  opening  up  of 
another  is  the  best  period  for  an  effort  to  secure  new  members,  and  your 
officers  earnestly  urge  each  individual  member  to  make  an  effort  to  secure 
at  least  one  new  member — we  need  an  increased  membership,  and  this  is  a 
matter  in  which  all  must  co-operate  if  there  is  to  be  any  substantial  gain. 

MAJ.   a.   E.   SNAPE,   Hon.   Business  Secretary 

WESLEY  T.  PAGE,  Hon.  Editor. 


Deficit  and  Illustration  Funds. 

These  two  funds  need  all  the  help  members  can  give  them.  The 
smallest  donation  will  be  thankfully  acknowledged,  both  by  the  Hon.  Sec. 
and   in   this  Journal. 


■^ 


New  Member  Elected. 

Mrs.   K.   E.   Hollas,   Arta,   Stewart  Road,   Preston. 


36 

The  Bird  Market. 

Members'  Rates  :  One  penny  per  word ;  minimum  one  shilling. 
Non-members  and  all  Trade  advertisers  must  apply  to  the  Agents  (vide  pngo 
in.  of  cover).  Advertisements  for  respective  issues  must  be  sent  to  the 
Hon.   Editor  not  later  than  the  8lh  of  each  month. 

MEMBERS'  SALES,  EXCHANGES  AND  WANTS. 

FOR  SALE  :  Outdoor  aviary-bred  Diamond  Dove,  believed  hen  ;  unrelated 
pairs  Zebra  Finches  ;  hen  Cockateel ;  Yorkshire  and  Roller  Canaries. — 
Chatterton,  Talodi,  Ruislip. 

FOR  SALE  :  Champion-bred  Cairn  and  West  Highland  Puppies  for  sale, 
or  exchange  Albino  finches. — Scott,  Bosham,  Sussex. 

WANTED  :  Cabinet  for  British  Birds'  Eggs,  with  or  without  eggs. — 
Particulars  to  J.   H.   Henstock,   Avian  Press,  Ashbourne,   Derbyshire. 


ESTABLISHED  NEARLY  A  CENTQRY 

CONCRACTOES       TO       H.M.       STATIONERY       OFFICE, 

INDIA  OFFICE  CROWN  AGENTS, 

FOREIGN    GOVERNMENTS,    Etc. 


Standard  Blue  Black   Writing  and    Copying,  Turquoise    Blue  and 

Ooraline  Red 

I  N  K  S. 

LIQUID    GUMS.  STICKALL    PASTE. 

Standard  Crescent  Carbon  Papers  for  Typewriters. 
Black  Indelible  Ink  for  cancelling  Stamps  under  The  Insurance  Act. 

Wholesale  Agent  : 

23,     KING     STREET     WEST,      WIAftJCHESTEB. 

To  whom  address  all  euqiiiries. 


37 

DECEMBER.  1922. 


The  Foreign  Bird  Club. 


Notices  to  Members. 

By  the  time  this  issue  is  in  the  hands  of  IMembers,  1923  will  be  fully 
a  week  old.  We  regret  this  late  appearance,  but  owing  to  the  Xmas  holi- 
days, compilation  of  indices,  etc.,  the  delay  has  been  unavoidable. 

All  subscriptions  become  due  on  January  ist.  Members  are  requested 
t-  remit  (20s.)  same  to  Major  A.  E.  Snape,  41,  John  Dalton  Street,  Man- 
chester, forthwith. 

Costs  of  production  still  rule  high,  and  we  trust  members  will  support 
the  Illustration  and  Deficit  Funds  to  the  best  of  their  ability. 

Every  member  is  urged  to  make  an  effoit  to  introduce  at  least  one  new 
member  during  the  year,  and  also  to  support  the  Honorary  Editor  with  copy, 
such  being  urgently  needed  to  facilitate  the  regular  and  prompt  issue  of  the 
Club  Journal  Bird  Notes  at  the  appointed  date. 

MAJ.   A.   E.   SNAPE,   Ho^i.    Business  Secretary 
WESLEY  T.  PAGE,  Hon.  Editor. 

Proposed  for  Election  as  Member. 

Mons.    C.    Cordier,     Werdgutg,  7,    Zurich,     Switzerland. ^By    Capt.    G.    E. 
Rattigan.  . 

Changes  and  Corrections  of  Address. 

Chas.    R.  Young,  c/o  Eastern  Telegraph  Co.  Ltd.,    2,  Rue    Street,    Cannot, 
Marseilles.  France. 

<^ 

The  Bird  Market. 

Members'  Rates  :  One  penny  per  word ;  minimum  one  shilling. 
Non-members  and  all  Trade  advertisers  m.ust  ;  pply  to  the  Agents  {I'ide  page 
Hi.  of  cover).  Advertisements  for  respective  issues  must  be  sent  to  the 
Hon.  Editor  not  later  than  the  8th  of  each  month. 

MEMBERS'  SALES,  EXCHANGES  AND  WANTS. 

FOR  SALE  :        Healthy  young  Pennant  Parrakeet.— E.   W.   Chaplin,   Great 
Amwell,  Ware. 

FOR  SALE  :        Champion-bred   Cairn    and  West  Highland  puppies,    or   ex- 
change for  Albino  Finches. — A.  H.  Scott,  Furze  Creek,  Bosham,  Susse> 

WANTED  :        Cabinet   for   British   Birds'    Eggs,    with    or   without   eggs. — 
Particulars  to  J.   H.   Henstock,  Avian  Press,  Ashbourne,   Derbyshire. 


Series  III 


JANUARV,    1922. 


Vol.  V.    Mo.  1 


The  Publisher  regfrets  that  owingf  to  a 
breakdown  of  machinery  used  in 
producing:  Bird  Notes,  the  Decem- 
ber issue  has  been  further  delayed. 


NOTJE 

The  q/oupj\z>J  ^^ 

THE  FOREIGN   BIRD  CLUB 
Wesley  T.  P^Je,  F.Z.S.e^ 


ASHBOURNE. 
PHntMl  antf  rubllihtd  by  j.  N.  HcnstMk,  Avian  Pr««i, 


series  III 


JANUARY,    1»2Z. 


Vol.  V.    No.  1 


The  (JoupjmJ  ^o/^ 

THE  FOREIGN   BIRD  CLUB 
^'  m\'^^       WesIeyTTP^e,  EZ.Se^ 


Whj^t^>^'^ 


^: 


?«■.  .-i;?^3S>..-^ 


ASHBOURNE. 
PHntMl  antf  Ptibliahtd  by  J.  N.  Herutock,  Avian  Pram, 


!',,■■;  iH,^.:, /.;•!! 

<> 

Manmk'ms  By  Wesley  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  Etc. 

Notes  on  Some  Owls  and  Hawks  By  the  late  Lieut.  F. 

Dawson-Smith. 

The  Nesting  of  the  Algerian  Chaffinch  ...  By  W.  Shore  Baily. 

Correspondence, 

Editorial. 

Post  Mortem  Reports. 

Rules  of  the  Foreign  Bird  Club. 

Roll  of  Members. 
Inset. 

POST  MORTEM   EXAMINATIONS. 

^ 

A  Report  will  appear  in  next  issue  of  "  B.N.,"  and  members  are 
requested  to  only  ask  for  a  reply  per  post  in  cases  of  urgency. 

RULES. 

(1)  A  short  account  of  the  illness  should  accompany  the  specimen. 

All  birds  to  be  sent  as  fresh  as  possible  to 
Dr.  N.  S.  Lucas, 
The  Prosectorium, 

The  Zoological  Society, 
Regent's  Park,  London,  N.W.,  8. 

(2)  Should  any  member  require  an  immediate  reply  per  post,  a  stamped 

addressed  envelope  must  be  enclosed  with  the  bird. 

(3)  No  body  or  skin  of  any  bird  will  be  returned  under  any  ciroum- 

stanoes  whaterer 


Series  UI 


Vol.  V.    Mo.  2 


vvw^~^il^^^r%M^ 


vP^e,  F.Z.S.e>c 


-:^3^ 


ASHBOURNE. 
PHntMl  ani  FublithM  by  J.  H.  Htnttoek,  Avian  PnMa. 


0 

Mannikins  By  Wesley  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  Etc. 

Notes  on  Some  Owls  and  Hawks  By  the  late  Lieut.  F. 

Dawson-Smith. 

The  Nesting  of  the  Algerian  Chaffinch  ...  By  W.  Shore  Baily. 
Correspondence,^ ._^ 


TRADE    ADVERTISEMENTS. 

♦ 

We  are  now  prepared  to  accept  Trade  Advertisements  at 
the  following  rates  : 

£     s.  d. 

Full  page  advert,  per  annum  12     o     o 

Half  page  advert,  per  annum 700 

Full  page  advert,  per  six  months  700 

Half  page  advert,  per  six  months 400 

No  advertisement  w'ill  be  accepted  for  less  than  6  copies, 
and  no  advert,  will  be  accepted  for  less  than  half  a  page. 

All  connnunications  re  above  to  the  agents  : 

Messrs.  R.  H.  Jackson, 

Advertising  Agents, 
56  Cannon  Street, 

^Manchester. 


Regent's  Park,  London,  N.W.,  8. 

(2)  Should  any  member  require  an  immediate  reply  per  post,  a  stamped 

addressed  envelope  must  be  enclosed  with  the  bird. 

(3)  No  body  or  skin  of  any  bird  will  be  returned  under  any  ciroum- 

stanoes  whatcrer 


Series  UI. 


FEBRUARY,    1022. 


Vol.  V.    No.  2 


THE  FOREIGN   BIRD  CLUB 

Wesley  T.  Pevge,  F.Z.S.ek 

PuB)tsAe^  d/tou?" /h  15'^ ^'' ezycA  monZ-K^ 


ASHBOURNE. 
PHntMl  ani  rublithed  by  J.  H.  HenatMk,  Avian  PrMc, 


CONTENTS. 

<> 

My  Aviaries  and  Birds  By  Capt.  J.  S.  Reeve,  F.Z.S.,  M.B.O-U. 

The  Desolation  of  Wartime  in  Lady  Dunleath's  Aviaries,  and 
their  Re-opening By  The  Lady  DuNLfeAXH. 

Early  Stray  Notes By  W.  Shore  Baily. 

Budgerigars  "  French  Moult,"  and  Continental    Methods    of 
Breeding By  W.  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  etc. 

Breeding  Results  for  jp2J By  Capt.  G.  E.  Rattigan,  F.Z.S. 

The  Great  Tinamou By  W.  Shore  Baily. 

Correspondence, 
Inset. 


POST  MORTEM  EXAMINATIONS. 

♦ 

A  Report  will  appear  in  next  isBue  of  "B.N.,"  and  members  are 
requested  to  only  aik  for  a  reply  per  post  in  cases  of  urgency. 

RULES. 

(1)  A  short  account  of  the  illness  should  accompany  the  specimen. 

All  birds  to  be  sent  as  fresh  as  possible  to 
Dr.  N.  S,  Lucas, 
The  Prosectorium, 

The  Zoological  Society, 
Regent's  Park,  London,  N.W.,  8. 

(2)  Should  any  member  require  an  immediate  reply  per  post,  a  stamped 

addressed  envelope  must  be  enclosed  with  the  bird. 

<3)    No  body  or  skin  of  any  bird  will  be  returned  under  any  cireum- 
stances  whaterar 


MEMORANDA     FOR     MEMBERS. 

«-M^> 

Annual  Subscription  to  Members  20s.,  due  on  the  1st  January  in 
•ach  year,  and  payable  in  advance. 

A  new  Volume  oommenc-es  every  January. 

All  subscriptions  and  donations  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Business 
Secretary,  and  addressed  as  under  : 

Maj.  A,  E.  Snape,  52  Corporation  Street,  Manchester. 

All  MSS.  for  publication,  members'  adverts,  queries  re  birds  and 
aviaries,  and  correspondence  for  Bird  Notes  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon. 
Editor,  W.  T.  Page,  Langstone,  Lingfield^  Surrey. 

All  enquiries  as  to  the  treatment  of  Birds  should  be  sent  to  the 
following  gentlemen:  Parrots  and  Parrakeets,  H.  T.  Camps,  F.Z.S., 
Linden  House,  Haddenham,  Isle  of  Ely ;  all  other  species  (Frugivorous, 
Insectivorous,  Seed-eaters,  etc.),  W.  T.  Pa-^e,  F.Z.S.,  Langstone, 
Lingfield,  Surrey. 

All  Letters  referring  to  the  above,  identification  of  birds,  etc., 
must  contain  a  stamped  addressed  envelope  for  reply. 

All  applications  for  Show  Medals  and  enquiries  re  Shows  should 
be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Eshibitional  Secretary,  S.  Wilhams,  F.Z.S.,  Oakleigh, 
110  Riverway,  Palmer's  Green^  London,  N.  13. 

All  other  correspondence,  changes  of  address,  etc.,  should  be  sent 
to  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary,  Maj.  A.  E.  Snape,  52,  Corporation  Street, 
Manchester. 

This  Magazine  is  printed  and  pubUshed  by  J.  H.  HENSTOCK, 
Avian  Press,  Market  Place,  Ashbourne,  Derbyshire,  to  whom  all  orders 
for  back  numbers  and  bound  volumes  and  Binding  Covers  (with  remit- 
tance) should  be  sent.  Also  all  complaints  re  non-delivery  of  the  Magazine. 

An  Illustration  Fund  is  kept  open  for  the  purpose  of  increasing 
the  number  of  plates  in  the  Club  Journal  other  than  the  regular  income  yf 
the  Club  provides  for.  The  smallest  donation  will  be  thankfully  received 
for  this  object  by  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary. 

Any  member  not  receiving  Bird  Notes  by  the  20th  of  each  month 
should,  at  once,  write  the  Publisher,  complaining  of  the  omission.  N.B. 
December  and  January  issues  are  always,  of  necessity,  late. 

TRADE  ADVERTISEMENTS:  All  correspondence,  MSS.  etc., 
I'especting  these  should  be  sent  to  our  Agents  : 

MESSRS.  R.  H.  JACKSON, 

56,  Cannon  Street,  Manchester. 
N.B.— The  above  applies  to  all  TRADE  ADVERTS.,  whether  said 
traders  be  members  of  F.B.C.  or  not. 

BINDING    COVERS. 
A  New  Binding  Case  in  Art  Linen,  of  Handsome  Design  is  mow 
ready.      Cases  2s.  9d.  post  free. 

The  Publisher  does  NOT  now  undertake  the  binding. 


BOUND  VOLUMES  OF   "  BIRO   NOTES." 

<-fX> 

Volume  I.  is  out  of  print. 

Volumes  II.  and  III.,  there  remains  only  a  few  oopies;  to 

^'embers  and  Associates  (each)     21     0 

Volume;  IV.  and  V.  witSi  Hand-coloured  Plates:  — 

Ti>  Members  and  Associates  (each)  15    0 

To  Others        18    0 

Volumes  VI.,  VII.,  and  VIII.,  with  Hand-coloured  Plates:  — 

To  Members  and  Associates  (each)  20    0 

To  Others 25    0 

NEW  SERIES,  Volume  I.,  out  of  print.. 

Volumes  II.  to  VIII.,  to  Members  (each)  20  0 

Toothers 25  0 

Volumes  1.  and  11.,  Series  IH.— 

To  Members        22  6" 

To  Non-Members       27  6 

Cases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  and  8  (Old  Series)  may  be  had, 

price  2s.  9d.  post  free. 
Cases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2.  3,  4,  5,  and  6  (New  Series)  to  be  obtained 

from  the  Publisher,  2s.  9d.  post  free. 

SPECIES  g  Reared  Young 


J  L  I    IJ  .  I  I  „  - 


and 

^hich 
have 


HYBRIDS  S    Been   Bred 


in  Captivity  in  Great  Britain. 

BY 

WESLEY    T.    PAGE,    F.Z.S.,    M.B.N.H.S., 

Systematically  arranged  accordiag  to  Dr.  Gadow's 

Classification  slightly  revised. 

4- 

ILLUSTRATED.        INTERLEAVED. 

IN    CLOTH.         MEDIUM    8vo 

5/-    /\tETT. 

J.   H.  Hb.nstock    "The  Avian  Pkkss,"  A.'«iihouknis 


MEMORANDA     FOR     MEMBERS. 


Annual  Subscription  to  Membei's  20s.,  due  on  the  Ist  January  in 
♦ach  year,  and  payable  in  advance. 

A  new  Volume  commences  every  January. 

All  subscriptions  and  donations  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Business 
Secretary,  and  addressed  as  under  : 

Maj.  A.  E.  Snape,  62  Corporation  Street,  Manchester. 

All  MSS.  for  publication,  members'  adverts,  queries  re  birds  and 
aviaries,  and  correspondence  for  Bird  Notes  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon. 
Editor,  W.  T.  Page,  Langstone,  Lingfield    Surrey. 

All  enquiries  as  to  the  treatment  of  Birds  should  be  sent  to  the 
following  gentlemen  :  Parrots  and  Parrakeets,  H.  T.  Camps,  F.Z.S., 
Linden  House,  Haddenham,  Isle  of  Ely ;  all  other  species  (Fnigivorous, 
Insectivorous,  Seed-eaters,  etc.),  W.  T.  Pa^e,  F.Z.S.,  Langstone, 
Lingfield,  Surrey. 

All  Letters  referring  to  the  above,  identification  of  birds,  etc., 
must  contain  a  stamped  addressed  envelope  for  reply. 

All  applications  for  Show  Medals  and  enquiries  re  Shows  should 
be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Exhibitional  Secretary,  S.  Williams,  F.Z.S.,  Oakleigh, 
110  Riverway,  Palmer's  Green^  London,  N.  13. 

All  other  correspondence,  changes  of-address,  etc.,  should  be  sent 
to  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary,  Maj.  A.  E.  Snape,  52,  Corporation  Sti-eet, 
Manchester. 

This  Magazine  is  printed  and  pubUshed  by  J.  H.  HENSTOCK, 
Avian  Press,  Market  Place,  Ashbourne,  Derbyshire,  to  whom  all  orders 
for  back  numbers  and  bound  volumes  and  Binding  Covers  (with  remit- 
tance) should  be  sent.  Also  all  complaints  re  non-delivery  of  the  Magazine. 

An  Illustration  Fund  is  kept  open  for  the  purpose  of  increasing 
the  number  of  plates  in  the  Club  Journal  other  than  the  regular  income  of 
the  Club  provides  for.  The  smallest  donation  will  Ije  thankfully  received 
for  this  object  by  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary. 

Any  member  not  receiving  Bird  Notes  by  the  20th  of  each  month 
should,  at  once,  wi'ite  the  Publisher,  complaining  of  the  omission.  N.B. 
December  and  January  issues  are  always,  of  necessity,  late. 

TRADE  ADVERTISEMENTS:  All  correspondence,  MSS.  etc., 
respecting  these  should  be  sent  to  our  Agents  : 

MESSRS.  R.  H.  JACKSON, 

56,  Cannon  Street,  Manchester. 

N.B. —The  above  applies  to  all  TRADE  ADVERTS.,  whether  said 
traders  be  members  of  F.B.C.  or  not. 

BINDING    COVERS. 

A  New  Binding  Case  in  Art  Linen,  of  Handsome  Design  is  now- 
ready.      Cases  28.  9d.  post  fi-ee. 

The  Publisher  does  NOT  now  undertake  the  binding. 


BOUND  VOLUMES  OF   "  BIRD   NOTES." 

^H"f<> 

Volume  I.  is  out  of  print. 

Volumes  II.  and  III.,  there  remains  only  u  few  copies;  to 

Members  and  Associates  (each) 21     0 

Volumes  IV.  and  V.  with  Hand-coloured  Plates:  — 

To  Members  and  Associates  (each)  15  0 

Toothers        18  0 

Volumes  VI.,  VII.,  and  VIII.,  with  Kand-coloured  Plates:  — 

.  To  Members  and  Associates  (each)  20  0 

To  Others        25  0 

NEW  SERIES,  Volume  I.,  out  of  print. 

Volur.ies  II.  to  VITI.,  to  Members  (each)  20  0 

To  Others 25  0 

Volui.nes  I.  and  II.,  Series  III. — 

To  Members        22  6 

To  Non-Members       27  6 

Cases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  and  8  (Old  Series)  may  be  had, 

price  2s.  9d.  post  free. 
Gases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2.  3,  4,  5,  and  6  (New  Series)  to  be  obtained 

from  the  Publisher,  2s.  9d.  post  free. 

"species  tlf  Reared  Young 

and 

HYBRIDS  g    Been    Bred 

in  Capti\ity  in  Great  Britain. 

BY 

WESLEY    T.     PAGE,     F.Z.S.,     M.B.N.H.S., 

Systematically  arranged  according  to  Dr.  Gadow's 

Classification  slightly  revised. 

ILLUSTRATED.        INTERLEAVED. 

IN    CLOTH.         MEDIUM    6vo 

5h    NETT, 

J.   H.  HftMBTocK    "  The   Ayia.n  Prbbs,"  A!«hbourmb 


SeriM  m. 


MARCH,    1»2Z. 


Vol.  V.    Mo   3 


All    Ri^Tvls    Ps.esfcrvfcd 

Prtce  Ye.    Anr\atJ  Sahscriph'o/y 


S 


THE  FOREIGN   BIRD  CLUB 
Wesley  T.  Pa^e,  F.Z.S.dt 


AtHieURNE. 
PHntttf  UK  PMMMMrf  kv  J.   N.   HMiatMk.  Awian  »r«t« 


CONTENTS. 

0 

Notes  en  a  Few  W ell-known  Species  ...  By  Edward  J.  Boosey. 
The  Awful  Mealworm , By  H.  L.  Sich. 

Some  Notes  on  Crimson-wing  Parrakeets  By  the  Marquis  of 
Tavistock.    , 

My  Yellow-winged  Sugarbirds  By  Wesley  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  etc 
Some  Blue  fay's By  W.  Shore  Baily. 

Editorial. 

Correspondence. 

Inset. 

POST  MORTEM  EXAMINATIONS. 
^ 

A  Report  will  appear  in  next  issue  of  "  B.N.,"  and  members  are 
requested  to  only  ask  for  a  reply  per  post  in  oases  of  urgenqy. 

RULES. 

(1)  A  short  account  of  the  illness  should  accompany  the  specimen. 

All  birds  to  be  sent  as  fresh  as  possible  to 
Dr.  N.  S.  Lucas, 
The  Proseotorium, 

The  Zoological  Society, 
Regent's  Park,  London,  N.W.,  8. 

(2)  Should  any  member  require  an  immediate  reply  per  post,  a  stamped 

addressed  envelope  must  be  enclosed  with  the  bird. 

(3)  No  body  or  skin  of  any  bird  will  be  returned  under  any  ciroum 

stances  whaterar 


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All    RidKls    Reserved . 

Price  1^.    Annatl  Sahscriph'L 


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IRD 

NOTES 


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1% 


THE  FOREIGN   BIRD  CLUB 
Wesley  T.  Pev^e,  F.Z.S.ekr 

Pa6)/sAe^  tiiou)'  Me  I5^^''etyeA  /no/j/^ 


^^'i'/ 


AtHIOURNE. 
PMntttf  Mitf  mWlthM  fey  J.  H.  HMWtMk,  Avian  Pr«w. 


CONTENTS, 

<^ 

Tragopans  .   By  W,  Shore  Baily. 

Shama,  the  Best  Song-bird  By  J.  W.  Porter. 

Some  Notes  of  Mv  Birds By  Margaret  Burgess,  F.Z.S. 

Diary  of  a  Voyage  from  Karachi  to  Marseilles,  jg20 By 

Hugh  Whistler,  F.Z.S. 

Notes  on  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life    By  Dr.  Casey  A.  Wood, 
M.B.O.U. 

7oo  Report. 
Correspondence. 
Post  Mortem  Reports. 

POST  MORTEM  EXAMINATIONS. 
0 

A  Report  will  appear  in  next  issue  of  "B.N.,"  and  members  are 
requested  to  only  ask  for  a  repiy  per  post  in  oases  of  urgency. 

RULES. 

(1)  A  short  account  of  the  illness  should  accompany  the  specimen. 

All  birds  to  be  sent  as  fresh  as  possible  to 
Dr.  N.  8.  Lucas, 
The  Prosectorium, 
The  Zoological  Society, 
Regent's  Park,  London,  N.W.,  8. 

(2)  Should  any  member  require  an  immediate  reply  per  post,  a  stamped 

addressed  envelope  must  be  enclosed  with  the  bird. 

(3)  No  body  or  skin  of  any  bird  will  be  returned  under  any  oirouBi- 

stanoes  what«rrir- 


MEMORANDA     FOR     MEMBERS. 


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All  MSS.  for  publication,  members'  adverts,  queries  re  birds  and 
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All  enquiries  as  to  the  treatment  of  Birds  should  be  sent  to  the 
following  gentlemen :  Parrots  and  Parrakeets,  H.  T.  Camps,  F.Z.S., 
Linden  House,  Haddenham,  Isle  of  Ely ;  all  other  species  (Frugjvorous, 
Insectivorous,  Seed-eaters,  etc.),  W.  T.  Pa^e,  F.Z.S.,  Langstone, 
Lingfield,  Surrey. 

All  Letters  referring  to  the  above,  identification  of  birds,  etc., 
must  contain  a  stamped  addressed  envelope  for  reply. 

All  applications  for  Show  Medals  and  enquiries  re  Shows  should 
be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Exhibitional  Secretary,  S.  Williams,  F.Z.S. ,  Oakleigh, 
110  Riverway,  Palmer's  Green^  London,  N.  13. 

All  other  correspondence,  changes  of  address,  etc.,  should  be  sent 
to  the  Hon,  Business  Secretary,  Maj.  A.  E.  Snajw,  52,  Corporation  Street, 
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This  Magazine  is  printed  and  published  by  J.  H.  HENSTOCK, 
Avian  Press,  Market  Place,  Ashbourne,  Derbyshire,  to  whom  all  orders 
for  back  numbers  and  bound  volumes  and  Binding  Covers  (with  remit- 
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An  Illustration  Fund  is  kept  open  for  the  purpose  of  increasing 
the  number  of  plates  in  the  Club  Journal  other  than  the  Tegular  income  of 
the  Club  provides  for.  The  smallest  donation  will  be  thankfully  received 
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BOUND  VOLUMES  OF  "  BIRD  NOTES." 

<-4-f<> 

Volume  I.  is  out  of  print. 

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Members  and  Associates  (each)     21     0 

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To  Members  and  Associates  (each) 20    0 

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NEW  SERIES,  Volume  I.,  out  of  print. 

Volumes  II.  to  VIII.,  to  Members  (each)  20    0 

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Cases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2.  3,  4,  5,  and  6  (New  Series)  to  be  obtained 
from  the  Publisher,  2s.  9d.  post  free. 

SPECIES  tve'  Reared  Young 

and 

HYBRIDS  tlf    Been   Bred 

in  Capti\ity  in  Great  Britain. 

BY 

WESLEY    T.     PAGE,    F.Z.S.,    M.B.N.H.S., 

Systematically  arranged  according  to  Dr.  GadowV 

Classification  slightly  revised. 


ILLUSTRATED.        INTERLEAVED. 

IN    CLOTH.         MEDIUM    8vu 

5/-    NETT. 

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MEMORANDA     FOR     MEMBERS. 


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All  subscriptions  and  donations  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Business 
Secretary,  and  addressed  as  under : 

Maj.  A.  E.  Snape,  52  Corporation  Street,  Manchester. 

All  MSS.  for  publication,  members'  adverts,  queries  re  birds  and 
aviaries,  and  correspondence  for  Bird  Notes  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon. 
Editor,  W.  T.  Page,  Langstone,  Lingfield^  Surrey. 

All  enquiries  as  to  the  treatment  of  Birds  should  be  sent  to  the 
following  gentlemen :  Parrots  and  Parrakeets,  H.  T.  Camps,  F.Z.8., 
Linden  House,  Haddenham,  Isle  of  Ely ;  all  other  species  (Frugivorous, 
Insectivorous,  Seed-eaters,  etc.),  W.  T.  Pa~e,  F.Z.S.,  Langstone, 
Lingfield,  Surrey. 

All  Letters  referring  to  the  above,  identification  of  birds,  etCr, 
must  contain  a  stamped  addressed  envelope  for  reply. 

All  applications  for  Show  Medals  and  enquiries  re  Shows  should 
be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Exhibitional  Secretary,  S.  Williams,  F.Z.S.,  Oakleigh, 
110  Riverway,  Palmer's  Green^  London,  N.  13. 

AH  other  correspondeaice,  changes  of  address,  etc.,  should  be  sent 
to  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary,  Maj.  A.  E.  Snape,  52,  Corporation  Street, 
Manchester. 

This  Magazine  is  printed  and  published  by  J.  H.  HENSTOCK, 
Avian  Press,  Market  Place,  Ashbourne,  Derbyshire,  to  whom  all  orders 
for  bac-k  numbers  and  bound  volumes  and  Binding  Covers  (with  remit- 
tance) should  be  sent.  Also  all  complaints  re  non-delivery  of  the  Magazine. 

An  Illustration  Fund  is  kept  open  for  the  purpose  of  increasing 
the  number  of  plates  in  the  Club  Journal  other  than  the  regular  income  oi 
the  Club  provides  for.  The  smallest  donation  will  be  thankfully  received 
for  this  object  by  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary. 

Any  member  not  receiving  Bird  Notes  by  the  20th  of  each  month 
should,  at  once,  write  the  Publisher,  complaining  of  the  omission.  N.B. 
December  and  Januju-y  issues  are  always,  of  necessity,  late. 

TRADE  ADVERTISEMENTS:  All  correspondence,  MSS.  etc., 
respecting  these  should  be  sent  to  our  Agents  : 

MESSRS.  R.  H.  JACKSON, 

56,  Cannon  Street,  Manchester. 
N.B.— The  above  applies  to  all  TRADE  ADVERTS.,  whether  said 
traders  be  members  of  F.B.C.  or  not. 

BINDING    COVERS. 
A  New  Binding  Case  in  Art  Linen,  of  Handsome  Design  is  how 
ready.      Oases  28.  9d.  i>ost  free. 

TM  PublishM-  dOM  NOT  now  undertake  the  binding. 


BOUND  VOLUMES  OF   "BIRD  NOTES." 

<H-^ 

Volame  I.  is  out  of  print. 

Volumes  II.  and  III.,  there  remains  only  a  few  copies;  to 

Members  and  Associates  (each)     21     0 

Volumes  IV.  and  V.  with  Hand-coloured  Plates:  — 

To  Members  and  Associates  (each)  16  0 

Toothers        18  0 

Volumes  VI.,  VII,,  and  VIII.,  with  Hand-coloured  Platet:— 

To  Members  and  Associates  (each)  20  0 

Toothers        25  0 

NEW  SERIES,  Volume  I.,  out  of  print. 

Volumes  H.  to  VIII.,  to  Members  (each)  20  0 

Toothers 25  0 

Volumes  I.  and  II.,  Series  III. — 

To  Members        22  6 

To  Non-Members        27  6 

Cases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  and  8  (Old  Series)  may  be  had, 

price  2s.  9d.  post  free. 
Cases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2.  3,  4,  5,  and  6  (New  Series)  to  be  obtained 

from  the  Publisher,  2s.  9d.  post  free. 

SPECIES  tlf  Reared  Young 

and 

HYBRIDS  g    Beet]   Bred 


in  Captivity  in   Great  Britain. 

BY 

WESLEY    T.     PAGE,    F.Z.S.,    M.B.N.H.S., 

Systematically  arranged  according  to  Dr.  Gadow'? 

Classification  slightly  revised. 

♦ 

ILLUSTRATED.        INTERLEAVED. 

IN    CLOTH.         MEDIUM    «ro 

5/-    NETT. 

J.   H.  Hbnsiock    "  Ths   Avian  Prbbs,"  Ahubournb 


Series  m. 


MAY  a  JUNI,    1022. 


Vol.  V.    Nos  5  S  6 


All    RigKls    Reserved 


Price  Ye.    Anr\c/eJ  Suhscrfph^ 


NOTES 

THE  FOREIGN  BIRD  CLUB 
Wesley  T.  Pe^^e,  F.Z.S.^ 

PuL)rsAe^  ^Afu/"  Me  15^ ^^ ee^cA  n\onNi^ 


ASHBOURNE. 
PMntU  and  rubltohM  by  J.  H.  HtnatMk,  Avian  Pr«M. 


CONTENTS. 

0 

May  in  My  Aviaries  By  W.  Shore  Baily,  F.Z.S. 

The  Undescribed  Juvenal  Plumage  of  the  Yucatan  Jay  By 

C.  William  Beebe  and  Lee  S.  Crandall. 

Notes  on  Some  Forms  of  Cissolopha By  Lee  S.  Crandall. 

Notes  on  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life By  Dr.  Casey  A. 

Wood,  M.B.O.U. 

Spring  Notes  for  /p22 By  L.  F.  R.  Pullar,  F.Z.S. 

Jn  My  Bird  Sanctuary By  The  R.H.  Viscount  Grey,  K.G. 

Correspondence. 

Editorial, 

Reviews  and  Notices  of  New  Books. 

Post  Mortem  Reports. 


POST  MORTEM  EXAMINATIONS. 
0 

A  Report  will  appear  in  next  issue  of  "  B.N.,"  and  members  are 
requested  to  only  ask  for  a  repiy  per  post  in  cases  of  urgency. 

RULES. 

(1)  A  short  account  of  the  illness  should  accompany  the  specimen. 

All  birds  to  be  sent  as  fresh  as  possible  to 
Dr.  N.  8.  Lucas, 
The  Prosectorium, 

The  Zoological  Society, 
Regent's  Park,  London,  N.W.,  8. 

(2)  Should  any  member  require  an  immediate  reply  per  post,  a  stampe<l 

addressed  envelope  must  be  enclosed  with  the  bird. 

<3)    No  body  or  skin  of  any  bird  will  be  returned  under  any  circum 
stances  whatever 


Series  III. 


JULY    1922. 


Vol.  V.    No.  7 


Members  are  requested  to  note  that  subscriptions  (20s.) 
for  the  current  year  are  now  seven  months  overdue,  and  the 
Hon.  Business  Secretary  would  be  glad  to  receive  same  without 
further  delay — such  as  are  outstanding  have  already  received 
at  least  one   application  for  same  per  post. 


THE  FOREIGN   BIRD  CLUB 
Wesley  T.  Pa^e,  F.Z.S.e^. 


ASHBOURNE. 
PHnttd  Mi  FublifhM  by  4.  N.  Hamteek,  Avian  Pr«8i. 


CONTENTS, 

<^ 

May  in  My  Aviaries  By  W.  Shore  Baily,  F.Z.S. 

77?^  Undescribed  Juvenal  Plumage  of  the  Yucatan  Jay By 

C.  William  Beebe  and  Lee  S.  Crandall. 

Notes  on  Some  Forms  0/ Cissolopha By  Lee  S.  Crandall. 

Notes  on  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life By  Dr.  Casey  A. 

Wood,  M.B.O.U. 

Spring  Notes  for  1922 By  L.  F.  R.  Pullar,  F.Z.S. 

■a 

In  My  Bird  Sanctuary By  The  R.H.  Viscount  Grey,  K.G. 

Correspondence. 


Editorial. 
Revie 
Post  . 


equesiei^ 


requeSed  lo  only  ask  tar  it  r^iS^P^PWIW 

RULES. 

<1)    A  short  account  of  the  illness  should  accompany  the  specimen. 
All  birds  to  be  sent  as  fresh  as  possible  to 
Dr.  N.  8.  Lucas, 
The  Prosectorium, 
The  Zoological  Society, 
Regent's  Park,  London,  N.W.,  8, 

<2)     Should  any  member  require  an  immediate  reply  per  post,  a  stamped 
addressed  envelope  must  be  enclosed  with  the  bird. 

(3)    No  body  or  skin  of  any  bird  will  be  returned  under  any  circum 
stanoea  whatever 


Series  in. 


JULY    1922. 


Vol.  V.    Mo.  7 


All    RidKls    Reserved. 

Price  Ye,    AnnaeJ  Sahscrfph'Qjy 


BIRD 


THE  FOREIGN  BIRD  CLUB 
Wesley  T.Pe^^c,  F.Z.S.eV«e. 


ASHBOURNE. 
PMntetf  anil  PubliihM  by  J.  N.  Hemtoek,  Avian  Prtsa. 


CONTENTS, 

0 

June  and  July  in  My  Aviaries By  W.  Shore  Baily,  F.Z.S, 

Notes  on  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life  By  Dr.  Casey  A. 

Wood,  M.B.O.U. 

A  Cuckoo  Episode  ...  By  Capt.  J.  S.  Reeve,  F.Z.S. ,  M.B.O.U. 

Stray  Notes  of  the  Season  ...  By  Wesley  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  etc. 

Aviary  Notes  from  Northern  Ireland      By  W.  H.  Workman, 
F.Z.S. 

Editorial. 

Correspondence. 

Post  Mortem  Reports. 


POST  MORTEM  EXAMINATIONS. 
^ 

A  Report  will  appear  in  next  issue  of  "  B.N.,"  and  memberB  are 
requested  to  only  ask  for  a  repij  per  post  in  cases  of  urgency. 

RULES. 

(1)  A  short  account  of  the  illness  should  accompany  the  specimen. 

All  birds  to  be  sent  as  fresh  as  possible  to 

Mr.  C.  H.  Hicks, 
The  Prosectorium, 

The  Zoological  Society, 
Regent's  Park,  London,  N.W.,  8. 

(2)  Should  any  member  require  an  immediate  reply  per  post,  a  stamped 

addressed  envelope  must  be  enclosed  with  the  bird. 

<3)    No  body  or  skin  of  any  bird  will  be  returned  under  any  circum- 
stances whaterer 


MEMORANDA    FOR    MEMBERS. 

>^-f< 

Annual  Subscription  to  Members  20s.,  due  on  the  Ist  January  in 
•ftoh  year,  and  payable  in  advance. 

A  new  Volume  commences  every  January. 

All  subscriptions  and  donations  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Business 
Secretary,  and  addressed  as  under : 

Major    A.   E.    Snape,  41,  John  Dalton  Street,  Manchester. 

All  MSB.  for  publication,  members*  adverts,  queries  re  birds  and 
aviaries,  and  correspondence  for  Bibd  Notbs  to  be  sent  to  the  H<m. 
Editor,  W.  T.  Page,  Langstone,  Lingfield,  Surrey. 

All  enquiries  as  to  the  treatment  of  Birds  should  be  SMit  to  the 
following  gentlemen:  Parrots  and  Parrakeets,  H.  T.  Camps,  F.Z.S., 
Linden  House,  Haddenham,  Isle  of  Ely;  all  other  species  (Frugivoroui, 
Insectivorous,  6eed-«ater6,  etc.),  W.  T.  Pa^e,  F.Z.S.,  Langstone, 
Lingfield,  Surrey. 

All  L«ttera  referring  to  the  above,  identifioation  of  birds,  ete., 
mutt  contain  a  stamped  addressed  envelope  for  reply. 

All  applications  for  Show  Medals  and  enquiries  re  Shows  should 
be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Exhibitional  Secretary,  S.  Williams,  F.Z.6.,  Oakleigh, 
110  Riverway,  Palmer's  Green ^  London,  N.  13. 

All  other  correspondemoe,  changes  of  address,  etc.,  should  be  sent 
to  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary,  Maj.  A.  E.  Snape,  52,  Cori>oration  Street, 
Manchester. 

This  Magazine  is  printed  and  published  by  J.  H.  HENSTOOK, 
Avian  Press,  Market  Place,  Ashbourne,  Derbyshire,  to  whom  all  orders 
for  back  numbers  and  bound  volumes  and  Binding  Covers  (with  remi't- 
tanoe)  should  be  sent.  Also  all  complaints  re  non-delivery  of  the  Magazine. 

An  Illustration  Fund  is  kept  open  for  the  purpose  of  increasing 
the  number  of  plates  in  the  Club  Journal  other  than  the  regular  income  of 
the  Club  provides  for.  The  smallest  donation  will  be  thankfully  received 
for  this  object  by  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary. 

Any  member  not  receiving  Bird  Notes  by  the  20th  of  each  month 
should,  at  once,  write  the  Publisher,  complaining  of  the  omission.  N.B. 
December  and  January  issues  are  always,  of  necessity,  late. 

TRADE  ADVERTISEMENTS:  All  correspondence,  MSS.  etc., 
respecting  these  should  be  sent  to  our  Agents  : 

MESSRS.  R.  H.  JACKSON, 

56,  Cannon  Street,  Manchester. 
N.B.— The  above  applies  to  all  TRADE  ADVERTS.,  whether  said 
traders  be  members  of  F.B.C.  or  not. 

BINDING    COVERS. 

A  New  Binding  Case  in  Art  Linen,  of  Handsome  Design  is  bow 
ready.      Cases  2s.  9d.  post  free. 

The  Publisher  does  NOT  now  undertake  the  binding. 


BOUND  VOLUMES  OF   "  BIRD  NOTES." 

<-M^ 

Volume  I.  is  out  of  print. 

Volumes  II.  and  III.,  there  remains  only  a  few  copies;  to 

Members  and  Associates  (each)     21     0 

Volumes  IV.  and  V.  with  Hand-coloured  Plates:  — 

To  Members  and  Associates  (each)  15    0" 

To  Others        18    0 

Volumes  VI.,  VII.,  and  VIII.,  with  Hand-coloured  Platet:  — 

To  Members  and  Associates  (each)  20    0 

To  Others       95    0 

NEW  SERIES,  Volume  I.,  out  of  print. 

Volumes  II.  to  VIII.,  to  Members  (each)  20  0 

Toothers       25  0 

Volumes  I.  and  II.,  Series  III. — 

To  Members        22  6 

To  Non-Members       27  ft 

Cases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  and  8  (Old  Series)  may  be  had, 

price  2s.  9d.  post  free. 
Cases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2.  3,  4,  5,  and  6  (New  Series)  to  be  obtained 

from  the  Publisher,  28.  9d.  post  free. 

SPECIES  tit  Reared  Young 


and 

'^hich 
have 


HYBRIDS  tl*;'    Been   Bred 


in  Captivity  in  Great  Britain. 

BY 

WESLEY    T.    PAGE,    F.Z.S.,    M.B.N.H.S., 

Systematically  arranged  according  to  Dr.  Gadow'*? 

Classification  slightly  revised. 

. ^ 

ILLUSTRATED.        INTERLEAVED. 

IN    CLOTH.         MEDIUM    8vo 

5/-    NETT. 

J.  H.  H»NBTOCK    "  The  Avian  Press,"  Ashbournb 


MEMORANDA     FOR    MEMBERS. 


Annual  Subscription  to  Members  20s.,  due  on  the  Ist  January  in 
•each  year,  and  payable  in  advance. 

A  new  Volume  commences  every  January. 

All  subscriptions  and  donations  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Business 
Secretary,  and  addressed  as  under : 

Major    A.   E.    Snape,   41,  Jolm   Dalton  Street,  Manchester. 

All  MSS.  for  publication,  members'  adverts,  queries  re  birds  and 
aviaries,  and  correspondence  for  Bied  Notes  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon. 
Editor,  W.  T.  Page,  Langstone,  Lingfield^  Surrey. 

All  enqiiiries  as  to  the  treatment  of  Birds  should  be  sent  to  the 
following  gentlemen :  Parrots  and  Parrakeets,  H.  T.  Camps,  F.Z.B., 
Linden  House,  Haddenham,  Isle  of  Ely ;  all  other  species  (Frugivorous, 
Insectivorous,  Seed-eaters,  etc.),  W.  T.  Pa^e,  F.Z.8.,  Langstone, 
Lingfield,  Surrey. 

All  Letters  referring  to  the  above,  identification  of  birds,  etc., 
must  contain  a  stamped  addressed  envelope  for  reply. 

All  applications  for  Show  Medals  and  enquiries  re  Shows  should 
be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Exhibitional  Secretary,  S.  Williams,  F.Z.S.,  Oakleigh, 
110  Riverway,  Palmer's  Green    London,  N.  13. 

All  other  correspondence,  changes  of  address,  etc.,  should  be  sent 
to  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary,  Maj.  A.  E.  Snape,  62,  Corporation  Street, 
Manchester. 

This  Magazine  is  printed  and  pubUshed  by  J.  H.  HENSTOCK, 
Avian  Press,  Market  Place,  Ashbourne,  Derbyshire,  to  whom  all  orders 
for  back  numbers  and  bound  volumes  and  Binding  Covers  (with  remit- 
tance) should  be  sent.  Also  all  complaints  re  non-delivery  of  the  Magazine. 

An  Illustration  Fund  is  kept  open  for  the  purpose  of  increasing 
the  number  of  plates  in  the  Club  Journal  other  than  the  regular  income  of 
the  Club  provides  for.  The  smallest  donation  will  be  thankfully  received 
for  this  object  by  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary. 

Any  member  not  receiving  Bird  Notes  by  the  20th  of  each  month 
should,  at  once,  write  the  Publisher,  complaining  of  the  omission.  N.B. 
December  and  January  issues  are  always,  of  necessity,  late. 

TRADE  ADVERTISEMENTS:  All  correspondence,  MSS.  etc., 
respecting  these  should  be  sent  to  our  Agents  : 

MESSRS.  R.  H.  JACKSON, 

56,  Cannon  Street,  Manchester. 
N.B.— The  above  applies  to  all  TRADE  ADVERTS.,  whether  said 
traders  be  members  of  F. B.C.  or  not. 

BINDING    COVERS. 

A  New  Binding  Case  in  Art  Linen,  of  Handsome  Design  is  now 
ready.      Cases  28.  9d.  post  free. 

The  Publisher  does  NOT  now  undertake  the  binding. 


BOUND  VOLUMES  OF  "  BIRO  NOTES." 

<^M^ 

Volume  I.  ia  out  of  print. 

Volumes  II.  and  III.,  there  remains  only  a  few  copies;  to 

Members  and  Associates  (each)     21     0 

Volumes  IV.  and  V.  with  Hand-coloured  Plates:  — 

To  Members  and  Associates  (each)  16    0 

To  Others        18    0 

Volumes  VI.,  VII.,  and  VIII.,  with  Hand-eoloureil  Plate*:  — 

To  Members  and  Associates  (each)  20    0 

To  Others        25    0 

NEW  SERIES,  Volume  I.,  out  of  print. 

Volumes  II.  to  VIII.,  to  Members  (each)  20  0 

To  Others       26  0 

Volumes  I.  and  II.,  Series  III. — 

To  Members        22  6 

To  Non-Members       27  6 

Cases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  and  8  (Old  Series)  may  be  had, 

price  2s.  9d.  post  free. 
Cases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2.  3,  4,  5,  and  6  (New  Series)  to  be  obtained 

from  the  Publisher,  28.  9d.  post  free. 

SPECIES  g  Reared  Young 

and 

HYBRIDS  g    Been   Bred 

in  Captivity  in  Great  Britain. 

BY 

WESLEY    T.    PAGE,    F.Z.S.,    M.B.N.H.S., 

Systematically  arranged  according  to  Dr.  Gadow'* 

Classification  slightly  revised. 

>■  i  >  ♦    ■  ■ 

ILLUSTRATED.       INTERLEAVED. 

IN    CLOTH.         MEDIUMiiSvu 

5/-    NETT. 

J,  H.  Hbnstock   "  The  Avian  Prbss,"  Ashbournb 


AUGUST    1922. 


4* 


AJL-Ri^KT-s    Reserved 


Price  1%.    Ar\r\aiJ  Sulscpiph'op. 
Ill       \     h  Ao/\'/x\eiT\6ers,  S^ 

BIRD 


WE{H(mm  THE^TOREIGN  '  BIRD  CLUB 

'^1  MOT  ^c?/>ea  ciy^ 

Wesley  T.  Fade,  F.Z.S.«»* 


ASHBOURNE. 
FHHti*  Mi  riiblMiMl  by  J.  M.  HMMtMk.  Avian  PrMiu 


CONTENTS. 

0 

Stray  Notes  from  Lady  Dunleath's  Aviary  By  Lady  Dunleath. 

Notes  on  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life  ...   By  Dr.  Casey  A. 
Wood,  M.B.O.U. 

Happenings  in  Our  Aviaries  By  Dr.  E.  Sprawson. 

llie  Breeding  of  the  Crimson-winged  Parrakeet  By  the 

Marquis  of  Tavistock. 

A  Seeker  after  Bird  Marts By  Mrs.  D.  Dickinson. 

Records  of  Birds  which  have  bred  in  Captivity  ...  By  Dr.  E. 
HoPKiNsoN,  D.S.O.,  M.A.,  M.B.,  F.Z.S.,  etc. 

Erratum. 

Rearing  of  Tataupa  Tinamous. 


POST  MORTEM  EXAMINATIONS. 

^ 

A  Report  will  appear  in  next  issue  of  "  B.N.,"  and  members  are 
requested  to  only  ask  for  a  repiy  per  post  in  cases  of  urgency. 

RULES. 

<1)     A  short  account  of  the  illness  should  accompany  the  specimen. 
All  birds  to  be  sent  as  fresh  as  possible  to 

Mr.  C.  H.  Hicks, 
The  Prosectorium, 

The  Zoological  Society, 
Regent's  Park,  London,  N.W.,  8. 

(2)    Should  any  member  require  an  immediate  reply  per  post,  a  stampei) 
addressed  envelope  must  be  enclosed  with  the  bird. 

<3)     No  body  or  skin  of  any  bird  will  be  returned  under  any  ciroum 
stances  whaterer 


Scries  m. 


SIPTEMBER    1922. 


Vol.  V.    No.  9 


All    RidKls    Reserved 


Price  Yg,     ^nAusJ  Suhscriph'or< 


NOTES 

7/Se  (JoiiPi\zJ  ^o/^ 

THE  FOREIGN   BIRD  CLUB 

Edited  ohy^ 

Wesley  T.  Pe^e,  F.Z.S.e^x^ 

PaLlrsAe^  alou?-  Me  15^  o/^" et^cA  monZ-K 


ASHBOURNE. 
PHntU  and  PublithMl  by  4.  H.  Honttotk,  Avian  Prwu 


♦ 

The  Breeding  of  the  Misto  Seedfinch      By  W.  Shore  Baily, 
F.Z.S, 

Some  Notes  on  Red-shining  Parrakeets      By  the  Marquis  of 
Tavistock. 

Four  Species  of  Lovebirds  By  J.  W.  Bearby. 

Visits  to  Members'  Aviaries  By  Wesley  T.  Page,  F.Z..S.,  etc. 
The  Breeding  of  the  New-Guinea  Quail  By  W.  Shore  Baily, 
F.Z.S. 

Notes  on  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life        By  Dr.  Casey  A. 
Wood,  M.B.O.U. 

Records  of  Birds  which  have  Bred  in  Captivity      By  Dr.  E. 

HoPKiNSON,  D.S.O.,  M.A.,  M.B.,  F.Z.S.,  etc. 
A  Java  Sparrow  Episode  ...  By  Wesley  T.  Page,  F./..S.,  etc. 
Editorial. 
Correspondence. 
Post  Mortem  Reports. 


POST  MORTEM  EXAMINATIONS. 

0 

A  Report  will  appear  in  next  issue  of  "  B.N.,"  and  members  are 
requested  to  only  ask  for  a  repiy  per  post  in  oases  of  urgency. 

RULES. 

(1)  A  short  account  of  the  illness  should  accompany  the  specimen. 

All  birds  to  be  sent  as  fresh  as  possible  to 

Mr.  0.  H.  Hicks, 
The  Prosectorium, 

The  Zoological  Society, 
Regent's  Park,  London,  N.W.,  8. 

(2)  Should  any  member  require  an  immediate  reply  per  post,  a  stamped 

addressed  envelope  must  be  enclosed  with  the  bird. 

(3)  No  body  or  skin  of  any  bird  will  be  returned  under  any  ciroum- 

stanoes  whaterer 


MEMORANDA    FOR    MEMBERS. 

0-M^> 

Annual  Bnbscription  to  Members  20b.,  due  on  the  let  January  in 
•aoh  year,  and  payable  in  adranoe. 

A  new  Volume  commences  erery  January. 

All  subscriptions  and  donations  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Business 
Secretary,  and  addressed  as  under : 

Majoc   A.   E.    Snape,  41,  John  Dalton  Street,  Manchester. 

All  MSB.  for  publication,  members'  adverts,  queries  re  birds  and 
aviaries,  and  oorrespondence  for  Bibd  Notes  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon. 
Editor,  W.  T.  Page,  Langstone,  Lingfield^  Surrey. 

All  enquiries  as  to  the  treatment  of  Birds  should  be  sent  to  the 
following  gentlemen:  Parrots  and  Parrakeets,  H.  T.  Camps,  F.Z.S., 
Linden  House,  Haddenham,  Isle  of  Ely;  all  other  species  (Frugivorous, 
Insectivorous,  Seed-eaters,  etc.),  W,  T.  Pa^e,  F.Z.S.,  Langstone, 
Lingfield,  Surrey. 

All  Letters  referring  to  the  above,  identifioation  of  birdi,  tto., 
must  contain  a  stamped  addressed  envelope  for  reply. 

All  applications  for  Show  Medals  and  enquiries  re  Shows  should 
be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Exhibitional  Secretary,  S.  WilUams,  F.Z.S.,  Oakleigh, 
110  Riverway,  Palmer's  Green^  London,  N.  13. 

All  other  correspondence,  changes  of  address,  etc.,  should  be  sent 
to  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary,  Maj.  A.  E.  Snape,  52,  Ck>rporation  Street, 
Manchester. 

This  Magazine  is  printed  and  published  by  J.  H.  HENSTOCK, 
Avian  Press,  Market  Place,  Ashbourne,  Derbyshire,  to  whom  all  orders 
for  back  numbers  and  bound  volumes  and  Binding  Covers  (with  remit- 
tance) should  be  sent.  Also  all  complaints  re  non-delivery  of  the  Magazine. 

An  Illustration  Fund  is  kept  open  for  the  purpose  of  increasing 
the  number  of  plates  in  the  Club  Journal  other  than  the  regular  income  of 
the  Club  provides  for.  The  smallest  donation  will  be  thankfully  received 
for  this  object  by  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary. 

Any  member  not  receiving  Bird  Notes  by  the  20th  of  each  month 
should,  at  once,  write  the  Publisher,  complaining  of  the  omission.  N.B. 
December  and  January  issues  are  always,  of  necessity,  late. 

TRADE  ADVERTISEMENTS :  All  correspondence,  MSS.  etc., 
respecting  these  should  be  sent  to  our  Agents  : 

MESSRS.  R.  H.  JACKSON, 

56,  Cannon  Street,  Manchester. 
N.B.— The  above  applies  to  all  TRADE  ADVERTS.,  whether  said 
traders  be  members  of  F.B.C.  or  not. 

BINDING    COVERS. 
A  New  Binding  Case  in  Art  Linen,  of  Handsome  Design  is  now 
ready.      Cases  28.  9d.  post  free. 

The  Putilisher  does  NOT  now  undertake  the  binding. 


BOUND  V0LUME8  OF  "  BIRD  NOTES." 

<-Mh> 

Volume  I.  is  out  of  print. 

Volumes  II.  and  III.,  there  remains  only  a  few  copies;  to 

Members  and  Associates  (each)     21     0 

Volumes  IV.  and  V.  with  Hand-coloured  Plates:  — 

To  Members  and  Associates  (each)  16    0 

Toothers        18    0 

Volumes  VI.,  VII.,  and  VIII.,  with  Handtoioured  Plates  :  — 

To  Members  and  Associates  (each)  20    0 

Toothers       25    0 

NEW  SERIE8,  Volume  I.,  out  of  print. 

Volumes  II.  to  VIII.,  to  Members  (each)  20    0 

Toothers 25    0 

Volumes  I.  and  II.,  Series  HI. — 

To  Members        22    6 

To  Non-Members        27    6 

Oases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  and  8  (Old  Series)  may  be  had, 
price  28.  9d.  post  free. 

Oases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2.  3,  4,  5,  and  6  (New  Series)  to  be  obtained 
from  the  Publisher,  28.  9d.  post  free. 

SPECIES  tl?  Reared  Young 

and 

HYBRIDS  tlf    Been   Bred 

in  Captivity  in  Great  Britain. 

BY 

WESLEY    T.     PAGE,    F.Z.S.,    M.B.N.H.S., 

Systematically  arranged  according  to  Dr.  Gadow'« 

Classification  slightly  revised. 

^ 

ILLUSTRATED.        INTERLEAVED. 

IN    CLOTH.         MEDIUM    8vo 

5/-    NETT. 

J.   H.  Hbnbtock    "The  Avian  Press,''  Ashbourni 


MEMORANDA     FOR    MEMBERS. 

0-M^> 

Annual  Subscription  to  Members  20s.,  due  on  the  Ist  January  in 
•aoh  year,  and  payable  in  advance. 

A  new  Volume  oommencea  every  January. 

All  subscriptions  and  donations  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Business 
Seca^tary,  and  addressed  ae  under : 

Major   A.   E.    Snape,  41,  John  Dalton  Street,  Manchester. 

All  MSB.  for  publication,  members'  adverts,  queries  re  birds  and 
aviaries,  and  correspondence  for  Bikd  Notes  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon. 
Editor,  W.  T.  Page,  Langstone,  Lingfield^  Surrey. 

All  enquiries  as  to  the  treatment  of  Birds  should  be  seat  to  the 
following  gentlemen:  Parrots  and  Parrakeets,  H.  T.  Camps,  F.Z.8., 
Linden  House,  Haddenham,  Isle  of  Ely;  all  other  species  (Frugivorous, 
Insectivorous,  Seed-eaters,  etc.),  W.  T.  Pa^e,  F.Z.S.,  Langstone, 
Lingfield,  Surrey. 

All  L«tters  referring  to  the  above,  identifioation  of  birds,  etc., 
mutt  contain  a  stamped  addressed  envelope  for  reply. 

All  applications  for  Show  Medals  and  enquiries  re  Shows  should 
be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Exhibitional  Secretary,  S.  Williams,  F.Z.S.,  Oakleigh, 
110  Riverway,  Palmer's  Green^  London,  N.  13. 

All  other  correspondence,  changes  of  address,  etc.,  should  be  sent 
to  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary,  Maj.  A,  E.  Snape,  52,  Corporation  Street, 
Mancheeter. 

This  Magazine  is  printed  and  pubUshed  by  J.  H.  HENSTOCK, 
Avian  Press,  Market  Place,  Ashbourne,  Derbyshire,  to  whom  all  orders 
for  back  numbers  and  bound  volumes  and  Binding  Covers  (with  remit- 
tance) should  be  sent.  Also  all  complaints  re  non-delivery  of  the  Magazine. 

An  Illustration  Fund  is  kept  open  for  the  purpose  of  increasing 
the  number  of  plates  in  the  Club  Journal  other  than  the  regular  income  of 
the  Club  provides  for.  The  smallest  donation  will  be  thankfully  received 
for  this  object  by  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary. 

Any  member  not  receiving  Bird  Notes  by  the  20th  of  each  month 
should,  at  once,  write  the  Publisher,  complaining  of  the  omission.  N.B. 
December  and  January  issues  are  always,  of  necessity,  late. 

TRADE  ADVERTISEMENTS :  AU  correspondence,  MSS.  etc., 
respecting  these  should  be  sent  to  our  Agents  : 

MESSRS.  R.  H.  JACKSON, 

56,  Cannon  Street,  Manchester. 
N.B.— The  above  applies  to  all  TRADE  ADVERTS.,  whether  said 
traders  be  members  of  F.B.C.  or  not. 

BINDING    COVERS. 
A  New  Binding  Case  in  Art  Linen,  of  Handsome  Design  is  now 
ready.      Cases  2s.  9d.  post  free. 

The  Publisher  does  NOT  now  undertake  the  binding. 


BOUND  VOLUMES  OF   "  BIRD   NOTES." 

<^M^ 

Voltime  I.  is  out  of  print. 

Volumes  II.  and  III.,  there  remains  only  a  few  copies;  to 

Members  and  Associates  (each)     21     0 

Volumes  IV.  and  V.  with  Hand-coloured  Plates:  — 

To  Members  and  Associates  (each)  15  0 

Toothers 18  0 

Volumes  VI,,  VII.,  and  VIII.,  with  Hand-coloureil  Plates  :  — 

To  Members  and  Associates  (each)  20  0 

To  Others        25  Q 

NEW  SERIES,  Volume  I.,  out  of  print. 

Volumes  II.  to  VIII.,  to  Members  (each)  20  0 

Toothers        25  0 

Volumes  I.  and  II.,  Series  III. — 

To  Members        22  6 

To  Non-Members       27  6 

Cases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  and  8  (Old  Series)  may  be  had, 

price  2s.  9d.  post  free. 
Cases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2.  3,  4,  5,  and  6  (New  Series)  to  be  obtained 

from  the  Publisher,  29.  9d.  post  free. 

SPECIES  tlf  Reared  Young 

and 

HYBRIDS  g    Been    Bred 

in  Capthity  in   Great  Britain. 

BY 

WESLEY    T.     PAGE,    F.Z.S.,    M.B.N.H.S., 

Systematically  arranged  according  to  Dr.  GadowV 

Classification  slightly  revised. 

♦ 

JLIUSTRA  TED.        IN  TERLEAVEl). 

IN    CLOTH.         MEDIUM    8vo 

5/-    NETT. 

-T    H.   Henstock    "The  Avian   Pkess,"  AsunouuNK 


Series  III. 


OCTOBER    iB22. 


Vol.  V.    Wo.  10. 


All    Rid KT'S    Reserved. 


Price  Ye.     AnnaoJ  Sahscri'ph'or^ 


NOTES 

The  (JoupnzJ  ^o/^ 

THE  FOREIGN   BIRD  CLUB 
Wesley  T.  Pa^e,  F.Z.S.ek 


ASHBOURNE. 
PMntad  and  Publithsd  by  j.  H.  H«ntto«k,  Avian  Pr«tt. 


CONTENTS. 

0 

llic  Manchuria )i  Eared  Pheasant    By  W.  Shore  Bailv, 

The  Cockatcel  at  Liberty  By  The  Marquis  of  Tavtstoc  x. 

-1   Jlsit  to  an  Indian  J  heel  By  Hugh  Whistler,  F.Z.S. 

Happenings  in  our  Aviaries  By  Dr.  E.  Sprawson,  M.C,  F.Z.S. 

Notes  on  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  L:*r    '<■■■  '  >-.  r.cy.-  a    Wo<,n. 
M.B.O.U. 

Records  of  Birds  which  have  bred  in  Captivity By  Dr.  E. 

HcPKi.xsoN,  D.S.O.,  M.A.,  M.B.,  F.Z>" 

Visits  to  Members'  Aviaries    By  Wesley  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  etc. 

Stray  Aviary  Notes  By  Herbert  Carr  Walker 

Successful  Breeding  of  tJie  JsabeUine  Turtle  Dove  By  H. 

Bright,  F.Z.S. 

Correspondence. 
Inset. 


POST  MORTEM   EXAMINATIOrJS. 

<:> 

A  Report  will  appear  in  next  issue  of  "  B.N.,"  and  members  are 
requested  to  only  ask  for  »  i«yiy  per  posx  m  cases  of  urgency. 

RULES. 

(1)  A  short  account  of  the  illness  should  accompany  the  specimen. 

All  birds  to  be  sent  as  fresh  as  possible  to 
Mr.  O.  H.  Hicks, 
The  Prosectorium, 

The  Zoological  Society, 
Regent's  Park,  London,  N.W,,  8. 

(2)  Should  any  member  require  an  immediate  reply  per  post,  a  8tampe<l 

addressed  envelope  must  be  enclosed  with  the  bii-d. 

(3)  No  body  or  skin  of  any  bird  will  be  returned  under  any  ciroum 

stances  what«Ter 


NOVEMBER    1022. 


1/^ 


IllrW^' 


i}\^.mJiife 


All    RigKls    Reserved 


Price  Ye,    Ar\r\atJ  Suhscrfph'o7\ 


BIRD 
NOTES 

THE  FOREIGN   BIRD  CLUB 
Wesley  T.  Pev^e,  F.Z.S.ek, 

■/W  BkloeJ-  Me  15?"  o^" eti^cA  nxmfA^ 


ASHBOURNE. 
PHnttd  and  PublMiid  by  J.  H.  HMittMk,  Avian  Pr«M. 


CONTENTS. 

C^ 

Quail  Finches By  Capt.  G.  E.  Rattigan,  F.Z.S. 

Successful  Breeding  of  the  White-breasted  Dove  ...  By  H.  E. 
Bright,  F.Z.S. 

Visits  to  Members'  Aviaries    By  Wesley  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  etc. 

August,  September  and  October  in  My  Aviaries    By  W.  Shore 
Baily,  F.Z.S. 

Notes  on  Jungle  and  Other  Wild  Life  By  Dr.  Casey  A. 

Wood,  M.B.O.U. 

Nesting  of  Cape  Turtle  Dove  By  Wesley  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  etc. 

Records  of  Birds  zvhich  have  bred  in  Captivity  ...  By  Dr.  E. 
HoPKiNSON,  D.S.O.,  M.A.,  M.B.,  F.Z.S.,  etc. 

Post  Mortem  Reports. 

Inset. 


POST  MORTEM    EXAMINATIONS. 


A  Report  will  appear  in  next  issue  of  "  B  N.,"  and  members  are 
requested  to  only  ask  for  a  lepij  per  post  in  cases  of  urgency. 

RULES. 

(1)  A  short  account  of  the  illness  should  accompany  the  specimen. 

All  birds  to  be  sent  as  fresh  as  possible  to 

Mr.  O.  H.  Hicks, 
Th*i  Proswtorium, 

The  Zoological  Society, 

Regent's  Park,  London,  N.W.,  8. 

(2)  Should  any  member  require  an  immediate  reply  per  post,  a  stamped 

addressed  envelope  must  be  enclosed  with  the  bird. 

(3)  No  body  or  skin  of  any  bird  will  be  returned  under  any  ciroom- 

itanoM  whaterar 


Scries  III 


DECEMBER    1922. 


Vol.  V.    No.  12. 


ALL      SUBSCRIPTIONS 

Payable  in  advance,  Due  January  1st, 
Members  are  requested  to  forward 
same  as  early  as  possible  to  : — 

MAJOR  A.  E.   SNAPE,   O.B.E., 

41,  John   Dalton  Street, 

Manchester. 


THE  FOREIGN   BIRD  CLUB 
Wesley  T.  Pzxge,  F.Z.S.ek. 


Palh'.'^Ae^  ekSoaJ" /Ae  15^ ^/^^ eikcA  mon/-K, 


^'^M«J5 


ASHBOURNE. 
rublMiM  by  J.  H.  Hanttetk,  Avian  Pr*M. 


CONTENTS. 

<^ 

Quail  Finches By  Capt.  G.  E.  Rattigan,  F.Z.S. 

Successful  Breeding  of  the  White-breasted  Dove  ...  By  H.  E. 
Bright,  F.Z.S. 

Visits  to  Members'  Aviaries    By  Wesley  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  etc. 

August,  September  and  October  in  My  Aviaries    By  W.  Shore 
Baii 


Notes  on  '■ 
Wo 

Nesting  o 

Records 
,H( 

Post  Mo 

Inset. 


A  Report  will  appear  in  next  issue  of  "  B  N.."  and  members  are 
requested  to  only  ask  for  ^  itspij  per  post  m  cases  of  urgency. 

RULES. 

(1)  A  short  account  of  the  illness  should  accompany  the  specimen. 

All  birds  to  be  sent  as  fresh  as  possible  to 

Mr.  O.  H.  Hicks, 
Th<f<  Prosectorium, 

The  Zoological  Society, 
Regent's  Park,  London,  N.W.,  8. 

(2)  Should  any  member  require  an  immediate  reply  per  post,  a  stamped 

addressed  envelope  must  be  enclosed  with  the  bird. 

(3)  No  body  or  skin  of  any  bird  will  be  returned  txnder  any  ciroum 

itanoet  whaterar 


DECEMBER    1922. 


-.■:;/u\Aj 


All    Ri^ l\>s    Rg served. 

PRfca  1%.     AnnaeJ  SaBscrfph'or^ 

■■'■■ S     A?  r\or\~n\en\6&Ps,/5^' 

BIRD 
NOTES 

THE  FOREIGN  BIRD  CLUB 
Wedey  T.  Pz^^e,  F.Z.S.ek 


PaD/sAe^  Si^ouJ-  /Ae  /5^^'^eiicA  /noflM^ 


A8HB0URNE. 
PHfitti  and  PubltohM  by  j.  H.  MMMtMk,  Avian  Pr«M. 


CONTENTS. 

fy 

Visits  to  Members'  Aviaries    By  Wesley  T.  Page,  F.Z.S.,  etc. 

Exhibiting  Foreign  Birds      By  Capt.  G.  E.  Rattigan,  F.Z.S. 

Records  of  Birds  which  have  bred  in  Captivity      By  Dr.  E. 
HoPKiNSOxN,  D.S.O.,  M.A.,  M.B.,  F.Z.S. .  etc. 

Post  Mortem  Reports. 

Correspondence. 

Editorial. 

General  Index. 

Inset. 


POST  MORTEM  EXAMINATIONS. 

♦ 

A  B«port  will  appear  in  next  iMU«  of  "  B.N.,"  and  members  are 
requested  to  onlj  ask  for  a  repty  per  post  m  cases  of  urgency. 

RULES. 

<1)    A  short  account  of  the  illness  should  accompany  the  specimen. 
All  birds  to  be  sent  at  fresh  as  possible  to 

Mr.  O.  H.  Hicks, 

The  Proseotorium, 
The  Zoological  Society, 
Eegent't  Park,  London,  N.W.,  8. 

(3)    Should  any  member  require  an  immediate  reply  per  post,  a  stamped 
addressed  envelope  must  be  enclosed  with  the  bird. 

(9)    No  body  or  skin  of  any  bird  will  be  returned  under  any  cirouai- 
■taneea  whaWrw 


MEMORANDA    FOR    MEMBERS. 

>4-f< 

Annual  Bubscription  to  Members  20b.,  due  on  the  Ist  January  in 
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All  other  correspondence,  changes  of  address,  etc.,  should  be  sent 
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This  Magazine  is  printed  and  published  by  J.  H.  HENSTOOK, 
Avian  Press,  Market  Place,  Ashbourne,  Derbyshire,  to  whom  all  orders 
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BOUND  VOLUMES  OF   "  BIRD   NOTES." 

<-M-> 

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To  Members  and  Assodates  (each)  20    0 

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NEW  SERIES,  Volume  I.,  out  of  print. 

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SPECIES  tlf  Reared  Young 

and 

HYBRIDS  T'alt    Been   Bred 

in  r!apli\ity  in   Great  Britain. 

BY 

WESLEY    T.     PAGE,     F.Z.S.,     M.B.N.H.S., 

Systematically  arranged  according  to  Dr.  Gadow** 

Classification  slightly  revised. 

«. 

ILLUSTRATED.        INTERLEAVED. 

IN    CLOTH.         MEDIUM    8vo 

5/-    NETT, 

J.   H.  Hrnstock    "  Thb  Avian  Press,"  Ashbourne 


MEMORANDA     FOR     MEMBERS. 


Annual  Subscription  to  Members  20b.,  due  on  the  let  January  in 
•aoh  year,  and  payable  in  adyanoe. 

A  new  Volume  commences  every  January. 

All  BubBcriptions  and  donations  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Business 
Secretary,  and  addressed  ae  under : 

Major   A.   E.    Snaps,  41,  John  Dalton  Street,  Manchester. 

All  MS8.  for  publication,  members'  adverts,  queries  re  birds  and 
ATiaries,  and  oorresxwndence  for  Bird  Notes  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon. 
Editor,  W.  T.  Page,  Langstone,  Lingfield^  Surrey. 

All  enquiries  as  to  the  treatment  of  Birds  should  be  sent  to  the 
following  gentlemen :  Parrots  and  Parrakeets,  H.  T.  Camps,  F.Z.8., 
Linden  House,  Haddenham,  Isle  of  Ely ;  all  other  species  (Frugivorous, 
Insectivorous,  Seed-eaters,  etc.),  W.  T.  Paje,  F.Z.S.,  Langstone, 
Lingfield,  Surrey. 

All  Lstters  referring  to  the  above,  identification  of  birds,  eto., 
must  contain  a  stamped  addressed  envelope  for  reply. 

All  applications  for  Show  Medals  and  enquiries  re  Shows  should 
be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Exhibitional  Secretary,  S.  Williams,  F.Z.S.,  Oakleigh, 
110  Riverway,  Palmer's  Green^  London,  N.  13. 

All  other  correspondeaioe,  changes  of  address,  etc.,  should  be  sent 
to  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary,  Maj.  A.  E.  Snape,  52,  Corporation  Street, 
Manchester. 

This  Magazine  is  printed  and  published  by  J.  H.  HFJ^STOCK, 
Avian  Press,  Market  Place,  Ashbourne,  Derbyshire,  to  whom  all  orders 
for  back  numbers  and  bound  volumes  and  Binding  Covers  (with  remit- 
tance) should  be  sent.  Also  all  complaints  re  non-delivery  of  the  Magazine. 

An  Illustration  Fund  is  kept  open  for  the  purpose  of  increasing 
the  number  of  plates  in  the  Club  Journal  other  than  the  regular  income  of 
the  Club  provides  for.  The  smallest  donation  will  be  thankfully  received 
for  this  object  by  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary. 

Any  member  not  receiving  Bird  Notes  by  the  20th  of  each  month 
should,  at  onoe.  write  the  Publisher,  complaining  of  the  omission.  N.B. 
December  and  January  issues  are  always,  of  necessity,  late. 

TRADE  ADVERTISEMENTS :  AU  correspondence,  MSS.  etc., 
respecting  these  should  be  sent  to  our  Agents  : 

MJESSRS.  R.  H.  JACKSON, 

56,  Cannon  Street,  Mancheeter. 
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traders  be  members  of  F.B.C.  or  not. 

BINDING    COVERS. 

A  New  Binding  Case  in  Art  Linen,  of  Handsome  Design  is  nov 
ready.      Cases  2s.  9d.  post  free. 

The  Publisher  does  NOT  now  undertake  the  binding. 


BOUND  VOLUMES  OF   "  BIRD  NOTES." 

<-M^ 

Volume  I.  is  out  of  print. 

Volumes  II.  and  III.,  there  remains  only  a  few  copiea;  to 

Members  and  Associates  (each)     21     0 

Volumes  IV.  and  V.  with  Hand-coloured  Plates:  — 

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To  Others 18  0 

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To  Members  and  Associates  (each)  20  0 

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NEW  SERIES,  Volume  I.,  out  of  print. 

Volumes  II.  to  VIII.,  to  Members  (each)  20  0 

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Volumes  I.  and  II.,  Series  III. — 

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Cases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  and  8  (Old  Series)  may  be  had, 

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Cases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2.  3,  4,  5,  and  6  (New  Series)  to  be  obtained 

from  the  Publisher,  2s.  9d.  post  free. 

SPECIES  g  Reared  Young 

and 

HYBRIDS  tit    Been   Bred 

in  Capti\ifcy  in  Great  Britain. 

BY 

WESLEY    T.     PAGE,    F.Z.S.,     M.B.N.H.S., 

Systematically  arranged  according  to  Dr.  GadowV 

Classification  slightly  revised. 

•  -      ♦ 

ILLUSTRATED.        INTERLEAVED. 

IN    CLOTH.         MEDJUMr  8vo 

5/-    NETT, 

J.   H.  Hknstock*  "  The  Avian  Prb8S,"/|Asubournk 


MEMORANDA     FOR     MEMBERS. 

0-^-^- 

Annual  Subscription  to  Members  208.,  due  on  the  Ist  January  in 
•ftch  year,  and  payable  in  adranoe. 

A  new  Volume  commences  every  January, 

All  subscriptions  ftnd  donations  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Bueiness 
Secretary,  and  addressed  as  under  : 

Major    A.   E.    Snape,   41,  John  Dalton  Streetj  Manchester. 

Ail  MS8.  for  publication,  members'  adverts,  queries  re  birds  and 
aviaries,  and  correspondence  for  Bird  Notes  to  be  sent  to  the  Hon. 
Editor,  W.  T.  Page,  Langstone,  Lingfield    Surrey. 

All  enquiries  as  to  the  ti"eatraent  of  Birds  should  be  sent  to  the 
following  gentlemen  :  Parrots  and  Parrakoots,  H.  T.  Camps,  F.Z.S., 
Linden  House,  Haddenham,  Isle  of  Ely;  all  other  species  (Frugivorous, 
Insectivorous,  Seed-eaters,  etc.),  W.  T.  Paje,  F.Z.S.,  Langstone, 
Lingfield,  Surrey. 

Ail  Ltttere  referring  to  the  above,  identificaticn  of  birds,  etc., 
must  contain  a  stamped  addressed  envelope  for  reply. 

All  applications  for  Shov.-  Medals  and  enquiries  re  Shows  should 
be  sent  to  the  Hon.  Exhibitional  Secretary,  S.  Williams,  F.Z.S.,  Oakleigh, 
110  Riverway,  Palmer's  Green^  London,  N.  13. 

All  other  correspondence,  clianges  of  address,  etc.,  should  be  sent 
to  the  Hon.  Business  Stcretary,  Mai.  A.  E.  Snape,  52,  Corporation  Street, 
Manchester. 

This  Magazine  is  printed  and  pubhshed  by  J.  H.  HENSTOCK, 
Avian  Press,  Market  Place,  Ashbourne,  Derbyshire,  to  whom  all  orders 
for  back  numbers  and  bound  volumfes  and  Binding  Covers  (with  remit- 
tance) should  be  sent.  Also  all  complaints  ra  non-delivery  of  ihe  Magazine. 

An  Illustration  Fund  is  kept  open  for  the  purpose  of  increasing 
the  number  of  plates  in  the  Club  Journal  other  than  the  regular  income  of 
the  Club  provides  for.  The  smallest  donation  will  be  thankfully  received 
for  this  object  by  the  Hon.  Business  Secretary. 

Any  member  not  receiving  Bird  Notes  by  the  20th  of  each  month 
should,  at  once,  write  the  Publisher,  complaining  of  the  omission.  N.B. 
December  and  January  issues  are  always,  of  necessity,  late. 

TRADE  ADVERTISEMENTS:  AU  correspondence,  MSS.  etc., 
respecting  these  should  be  sent  to  our  Agents  : 

MESSRS.  R.  H.  JACKSON, 

56,  Cannon  Street,  Manchester. 
N.B.— The  above  applies  to  all  TRADE  ADVERTS.,  whether  said 
traders  be  members  of  F.B.C.  or  not. 

BINDING    COVERS. 

A  New  Binding  Case  in  Aft  Linen,  of  Handsome  Design  is  now 
ready.      Cases  2s.  9d.  post  free. 

The  Publisher  does  NOT  now  undertake  the  binding. 


BOUND   VOLUMES  OF   "  BIRD   NOTES." 

<^M^ 

Volume  I.  is  out  of  print. 

Volumes  II.  and  III.,  there  remains  only  a  few  copies;  to 

Members  and  Associates  (each)     21     0 

Volumes  IV.  and  V.  with  Hand-coloured  Plates:  — 

To  Members  and  Associates  (each)  15     0 

To  Others        18    0 

Volumes  VI.,  VII.,  and  VIII.,  with  Hand-coloured  Plates  :  — 

To  Members  and  Associates  (each)  20    0 

To  Others        95     0 

NEW  SERIES,  Volume  I.,  out  of  print. 

Volumes  II.  to  VIII.,  to  Members  (each)  20  0 

Toothers 25  0 

Volumes  I.  and  II.,  Series  III. — 

To  Members        22  6 

To  Non-Members       27  6 

Cases  for  Binding  Vols.  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  and  8  (Old  Series)  may  be  had, 

price  2s.  9d.  post  free. 
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from  the  Publisher,  2s.  9d.  post  free. 

SPECIES  tie'  Reared  Young 

and 

HYBRIDS  tlf    Been   Bred 


in  Captivity  in   Great  Britain. 

BY 

WESLEY    T.     PAGE,     F.Z.S.,     M.B.N.H.S., 

Systematically  arranged  according  to  Dr.  GadowV 

Classification  slightly  revised. 


ILLUSTRATED.        INTERLEAVED. 

IN    CLOTH.         MEDIUM    8ro 

5h    NETT, 

J.   H.  Hbnstock    "  The  Avian  Pkess,"  Asubournb 


AMNH   LIBRARY 


100101811 


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Oi 
I 


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