/1 8 From Magazines, &c. [ ,^^ 'j"iy 



Regent-Bird. — Mr. Reginald Philllpps, in TJie Avicultunil 

 Magazine for March, contributes " Further Notes on the Regent- 

 Bird." Mr. Phillipps' " Further Notes " have reference to a bird 

 successfully hatched in August, 1905 (see Emu, vol. v., pp. 220- 

 222), but which unfortunately died during February this year. 

 On dissection it proved to be a male. On examination aftei 

 death some of the " specks " on the mantle were found to have 

 yellow centres, though possibly there may not have been more 

 yellow, or " yellowish," on the upper parts than is usual at 

 certain seasons on the adult female. But the under side of the 

 wings, especially towards the axillaries, was suffused with yellow 

 in a manner not noticed in the female. Up to death the bird 

 retained its dark bill and eyes ; and that neither yellow patch nor 

 black tip should have appeared on the flights would seem to 

 demonstrate (Mr, Phillipps is of opinion) that the male Regent- 

 Bird cannot come into full plumage until he is at least four 



years old. 



* * * 



Hybridisation. — In the October number of Tlie Avicultural 

 Magardne Dr. A. G. Butler writes at considerable length on 

 experiments in hybridisation, with particular reference to the 

 PloceidcE. He describes, amongst others, a remarkable cross 

 between Staganoplcura guttata and Tceniopygia castanotis. 

 The bird was bred in captivity in Australia many years ago, 

 and was received in England by Mr. D. Seth-Smith in April 

 last. In appearance it resembles the Spotted-sided Finch 

 (male parent) more than the Zebra Finch (female parent), but 

 its song resembles that of the Zebra Finch. It has a curious 

 reddish colouring on the chest, absent in both of the parent 

 birds, and the bill is not nearly so red as in either parent. In 

 the course of his article Dr. Butler remarks : — " It is, I think, 

 probable that the Waxbills are an offshoot from the Grass- 

 P'inches, which in many respects they resemble ; they are more 

 sprightly in their movements, have better trained voices, and 

 though they court their wives much in the same fashion, 

 holding a long grass stem in their beaks, they hold their beaks 

 pointing upwards rather than in the depressed fashion common 

 to the Grass-Finches and Mannikins." 



Australian Parrots at the Crystal Palace Show.— 

 The class for Parrakeets was better filled than usual, the first 

 prize going to a fine pair of Bourke's, sent by Mr. H. Peir, 

 of Sydney,* who also exhibited a specimen of the rarer Blue- 

 banded Grass-Parrakeet {Neopheina venusta), which the judge 

 did not deign to notice. Mr. H. Cooper received the second 



* A member of llie A.O.U. 



