-'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 



