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 



