Mr. E. Newtoii*s Ornithological Notes from Mauritius. 273 



At the former place, which belongs to Mr, Telfair (a relative 

 of him of Dodo celebrity), the house is surrounded by a grove of 

 Filao-trees, and a perpetual concert was kept up by these birds. 

 The song is not unlike that of a tame Canary, but not so loud, 

 and the notes are sweeter. They were just beginning to build 

 as I saw one flying with a feather in its mouth, but 1 was unable 

 to watch where it went. Mr, Telfair took me to see, as he said, 

 10,000,000 birds of all sorts in one field ! Though this was a 

 slight exaggeration, there were certainly a good few — perhaps as 

 many as I ever before saw at once. The piece of land was in 

 " plant-canes,^' and very foul with a species of Groundsel, then 

 in seed, which was probably the cause of the multitude. The 

 Serin-du-cap was perhaps the most numerous ; but there were 

 thon&auds oi Serins-du-paj/s, Cardmnh, Bengalis, the Small Green 

 Parrakeets, and Tourterelles, which were flying round on all sides 

 as thickly as Sparrows, Finches, and Buntings in a farm-yard at 

 home in winter-time. I wished I had had with me some of 

 the people who say there are no birds in Mauritius ! 



AcRiDOTHERES TRisTis. (Hartl. /. c. pp. 54 & 87.) Martin. 



As plentiful there as elsewhere. Thousands roost in a grove 

 of shrubby trees by the Mer St. Martin. They arrive soon after 

 sunset from all parts, in parties of from one to three or four 

 pairs, and commencing their chattering, screaming, and whistling, 

 continue it till after dark. Then, too, they are not always 

 quiet, as in the middle of the night one fellow would give the 

 alarm and the row would become general ; perhaps they were 

 frightened by a cat, a monkey, or some such beast. In the 

 morning, at first break of day, the noise would begin again in 

 real earnest, and continue till a few minutes before sunrise, when 

 they would depart in small parties as they arrived. Altogether 

 they make as much fuss about going to bed and getting up as 

 any birds I ever heard. 



Agapornis cana. (Hartl. /. c. p. 59.) Peri'uche. 



I saw more in the cane-piece just mentioned than anywhere 

 else. Round our camp there were several. They were usually 

 flying about the Filaos, from one tree to another, chirping and 

 whistling, and settling four or five together in a heap on the 



