Some Colony Birds. 133 



The Reed Bird. Of much the same size and build 

 as the Rudder-tail is the Reed-bird' or Vellow-hoad, as it is 

 popularly called; but its habits are more retiring-. Pie is 

 clothed in a suit of velvet black with the exception of the 

 head and neck which are yellow. lie holds himself erect and 

 has the appearance of a dandy in evenino^ dress with a yellow 

 face and wig instead of a wliite shirt-front. I am always 

 expecting to see him drop a monocle and carefully adjust it 

 again. There are black feathers around the eye and on the 

 lore, which, together' with tlvc shape of the head and 

 sharp beak, give him a foxy look. The scientific name, Age- 

 laeus icterocephaliis, " the gregarious icterus-head," suits him 

 very well. The Icterus, after which the whole order of Mock- 

 ing-birds is named { Ictsridae) was a mythical yellow bird 

 among the Gieeks and Romans, the sig'ht of which would cure 

 a person ol' yeflow-fever. 



The Yellow-heads may sometimes be seen in large 

 flocks among the rank reeds and rushes that grow along the 

 rivers and in the marshy places. Hence its name. It feeds 

 on seed? and at times does damage to the rice crops; but 

 like most birds, it well repays the toll it takes by its usefulness 

 in other respects. In a cage the bird wears the air of a 

 dignitied protest and the only note it utters is dip-dip-dip. 

 I have never had an opportunit)- of rearing it from the nest 

 and so I cannot say whether its demeanour would alter under 

 these circumstances. .Many birds can only be domesticated in 

 this way. The sexes are alike except that the hen is smaller. 



( To l)c continued) . 



Editorial. 



Long-lived FiNXl-rKS: .Mrs. Tinniswood Miller reports 

 tliiit this season she has lost her two veterans, viz.: Lavender- 

 backed Finch {Spermophila easfaneiuentris). and Sydney Wax- 

 bill '{Aeginiha temporalis). I am i;ot sure of dates, but the 

 first named came into her pf)s.'sfssi()n iii i 007, and is, I pre- 

 sume, the last of this species imported by our member Mr, IC, 

 W. llarj)er, in that year. TJie .Sydney W'axbill was a veteran 



