noticeable when the head is stretched forward ; beak red ; legs 

 and feet greyish flesh colour. Total length 12 inches, tail 5 

 inches. 



When caged they would eat nothing but milk sop, fruit, 

 and a plain biscuit, but since they have been out of doors, they 

 take a little of everything the aviary contains, and as their com- 

 panions consist of Tauagers, Finches, Buntings and Troupials, 

 the menu is a very varied one: viz.. soft food, seed, milk-sop, 

 fruit, mealworms, green food, and as aforestated they sample 

 them all. While the principal item of their diet is milk-sop, they 

 eat heartily of the soft food, lettuce, and are getting quite adept 

 at securing a portion of the mealworms thrown in to the other 

 birds. On their quaint and droll ways and confiding demeanour 

 one could write a volume, but I forbear, as I am hoping others of 

 our members will write about their birds, so refrain from ex- 

 hausting the subject. 



Habitat : Northern Australia, the Coboury Peninsula and 

 adjacent islands. 



* it- 4 : 



The Black-crested Bunting {Melopus melanicterus). 



The Buntings ate not as a rule popular with the majority 

 of aviculturists for varied reasons ; they mostly remain more or 

 less wild, and are not as a rule amiable company for smaller birds, 

 especially during the breeding season. However, I cannot com- 

 plain of them ; I have five species and so far they have agreed 

 among themselves and also with the other birds in their en- 

 closure. The Black-crested, though not brilliant is certainly a 

 very handsome species, as will be seen from the photo repro- 

 duced {see plate, fig. 1); the crest is of a very hair like character. 

 I must however do them justice : though certainly not tame, they 

 do not dash wildly about when you enter the aviary, but merely 

 move to the other end, while to secure their due portion of meal- 

 worms they will fetch them from your feet. These remarks apply 

 equally to luteola and melanocephala. 



Description : Adult male. The whole of the plumage is 

 shining velvet-black, with the exception of wings and tail which 

 are deep cinnamon-brown. The beak is pinkish horn-colour and 

 the legs and feet brownish flesh-colour. The adult female is 



