Vol. VII. 



1907 



I Fruin Magazines, &c. AQ 



with a nice pair of Red-vented Blue Bonnets {PscpJiotus hce- 

 inaton/ioiis), a species which has recently been imported more 

 freely than the better-known Yellow-vented form {P. xanthorr- 

 hotis)* A Varied Lorikeet, Barnard's, Crimson -winged, and 

 King Parrakeets were also present. The most conspicuous 

 exhibit in the class for Parrots was a fine pair of Banksian 

 (Black) Cockatoos belonging to Sir C. Lawes Wittewronge, 

 I3art. The male was a magnificent bird — the first adult male of 

 this Cockatoo exhibited for many years — but the female was 

 not in quite such good trim, and as the two had to be judged as 

 one exiiibit the judge gave the first prize to a single female of 

 the same species, a well-known prize-winner, in better condition 

 than the female of the pair. Had the male of the above pair 

 been exhibited alone he would doubtless have been awarded 

 premier honours. — Avicultural Magazine, March, 1907. 

 * * * 



Plu.MED-Doves. — TJic Avicnlticral MagavJne for December 

 last contains an instructive article on these interesting little 

 Pigeons by Mr. D. Seth-Smith, F.Z.S. The article is accom- 

 panied by a coloured plate of a male of the White-bellied 

 species {Lophophaps leucogaster), by Mr. H. Gronvold, also a 

 black and white sketch of a bird in the act of " displaying." 

 This interior species is now well known in various Australian 

 zoological gardens. Mr. Seth-Smith writes concerning his 

 experience of five — two males and three females — which he 

 obtained in 1905. At first these birds were very shy, but soon 

 became tame. Then it was found impossible to keep more than 

 one pair together. They were terrible bullies, and a male 

 would soon clear the place of every ground bird except the 

 female he is mated to. Even then, after caressing each other 

 affectionately for a time, the male would suddenly turn on his 

 mate and chase her all over the enclosure. The "display" of 

 the male Plumed-Pigeon is very pretty and frequently performed. 

 He bows to his mate, at the same expanding his tail and wings 

 and showing off the wonderful patch of iridescent purple-bronze 

 on the latter to the best advantage. One hen laid several 

 clutches of eggs but made no attempt to incubate. 



Canary and millet seed, Mr. Seth-Smith observes, seems to be 

 all that these birds require in the way of food in captivity. 

 * * * 



Concerning Quails. — The genus Cotumix — the true Quails 

 — contains in all seven species, one of which, C. novce-rjealandicu, is 

 on the verge of extinction in its native home, the islands of New 

 Zealand. ■[■ C. cotumix ranges over the greater i)art of Europe 



* For some remarks on these forms see " Annotations," Etiiti, vi., p. 199. 

 t This species miyht possibly be replaced by the AustraHan bird, C. pectoralis. 



