208 Some Colony Birds. 



brood of Himalayan Siskin X Greenfinch hybriils arc now quite vigorous and 

 have been independent of their parents for some time, who now have another 

 nestful of youngjtcrs just ready to fly. My Parrot Finches are incubat- 

 ing and, the Goulciiaii Finclies playing about witii nesting material and 

 visiting a husk for the first time this year. The Himalayan Bullfinches 

 are building again, just a-* they did la-.t year, and I hope they may go- 

 one better this year and. rear young, they are certainly fit enough. 

 Cressington Park, July 2f'-'.6 HERBERT BRIGHT. 



[Extracts from a private letter.— Ed] 



Some Coloiiy Birds. 



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

 and Commercial Society of British Guiana), May, 191 5; with cotn- 

 pliments and thanks to ihe Author and Editors.-- Ed. " B.N." 



{Confimied from page 182). 

 The White-Breastei) Parrot. Of all the feathered 

 I have ever possessed in this country or any other, the seven- 

 coloured-parrot, as this bird is generally called, is the most 

 entertaining. 



Pioiiites ineUiiioccplialus, its scientific name, may be 

 translated: "the black-headed little fatty." 



The one I once possessed was the liirst I had ever seen 

 in the flesh. I had seen, of course, the Museum specimens; 

 but a bird never interests me except as a link in Nature's 

 long- chain, until 1 have a living example and can hold it in 

 my hand and study its ways. I was making a missionary 

 journey on the Barama River in the North West District and 

 slung^ my hammock for the night at the farm of a half-cast 

 aboriginal Indian, of a type t^hat is rare, for he was working 

 his farm according to approved methods. The little parrot 

 sat perched above 'the entrance of the loggia as I approached 

 and I was at once struck by the bright green of the back; 

 he seemed to have a satin coat on. 



I found that he was treated like a member of the 

 family, and was as playful as a kitten and as knowing and 

 mischievous as a monkey. The children and he would run 

 races or play hide and seek; and when it was his turn to 

 hide and they couldn't And him, he would come slyly out of 

 his hiding-place and nip the bare foot of the nearest child. 

 Seeing that I 'had taken a fancy to him my host courteously 



