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. 



