130 Some Colony Birds. 



" summer produced a lot more young ones, as they were continually seen 

 " flying about with the parent birds, as well as coming to feed with 

 " them, but when the autumn came tlpcy all seem to have left as not 

 "as not a bird has been seen since. One would certainly think that those 

 " that stayed the first winter would have remained. Budgerigars sometimes 

 " live to a good old age, as I have just proved. Some' of your readers 

 " will remember the great importation of Budgerigars in the early part 

 " of 1S79. About 50,000 pairs were imported and sold in that year. 

 " Cross, of Liverpool, and other large dealers, sold them at a guinea 

 " a dozen, all cocks,* at least two dozen I bought were. Well, I sold 

 " two of these identical Isircls to a man working on Captain .Spicers 

 " estate, and when I delivered the si.\ty pairs this man called my attention 

 " to the fact, and said the birds were then alive and well, and in bcauti- 

 " ful feathers, so they must then have been at least twenty years njd ; liut 

 " I hear they have been tlead now about two years." 



(To be continued). 



. ♦_ 



Some Colony Birds. 



By Rev. Chas. R. Dawson, S.J. M.A. (Oxon) : 



Reprinted from " TIMEHRI " (The Journal of the Royal Agricultural 

 and Commercial Society ot British Guianaj, May, 1915; with com- 

 pliments and thanks to the Aulliur and Editors.— Ed. " B.N." 



{Continued from page 91). 

 The Black Mocking-Bird. I found in the North 

 West District a bird I h,ave uot yet been able to scientitically 

 identity, but which' is known locally, as the Black Mocking- 

 bird. It is smaller than the foregoing and is entirely black. 

 It congregates in great flocks by, the waterside, making a 

 great chattering; but, builds its nest alone. I have found a 

 great number of these nests up the creek at Morawhanna. 

 They are woven of black roots or hbres and adorned ivith 

 lichens and mosses; in shape they resemble a basket, ind the 

 handle is simply slung over a branch. The eggs, four in 

 nvunber, arc white, covered with red spots. I secured a nest 

 of young ones, and succeeded m rearing them. They were 

 amusing creatures, shaking themselves prodigiously, when be- 

 ing fed and uttering surprisingly low-toned cries : cries that 

 seemed to come from their boots, so to speak. The note of 

 the old bird is loud, piercing' and bell-like and when once 

 heard in the creek is not easily forgotten. Unfortunately I 

 had to leave the district before these young ones were fully 



