Some British Birds in My Aviaries. 229 



have been underfed. A male bird should be chosen, for not 

 only- is he a much finer bird, but has a more equable tem- 

 perament. Females may be better talkers, but in these birds 

 the dictum of Rudyard Kipling is exemplified. 



"The female of the species is more dangerous than 

 the male.* 



[Below we give English equivalents for th- ninrjs u.icd in ilii.-, 

 article, covering instahnen'.s in July, August and pre e it i sils.— Ed. 'B.N." 

 The Lovebird=:Guiana Lovebird. 

 ^\ hite-breastcd Parroi=^Black-headed Caique. 

 The Screccher=^King .Amazon Parrot. 



Culu-culu-~Dufrcst)e's Amaz.m I'arrot. i 



Red-backed Parrot=Festive Amazon I'arrot. 

 S.iurama Parrot=--Mealy Amazon Parrot. 

 The .-Vina/o:i of .Am izons^^^Vcllow-frontetl Am.izon Parrot. 



Some British Birds in my Aviaries. 



By W. Shore Baily. 



Living as I do in the heart of the country, there is 

 no inducement to keep many of our English birds in my 

 aviaries, as there are plenty of opportunities to study most 

 of the commoner, and not a few of the rarer species, without 

 going very far from my doorstep. There: are however, two 

 kinds that ( 'liave kept for sotiietime, one the fieldfare, which 

 only visits this district in hard weather, and the other the 

 Bearded Tit, a bird which 1 believe is unknown in this county. 

 (Wilts.). I have for two or three years wanted to breed both 

 these species. 



The Fieldfare {Tardus pilaris, Linn.), I believe, has 

 not bred in captivity, but I cannot see any reason why it 

 should not do so. The principal difficulty is, I suspect, to 

 get a true pair, as the sexes are alike. My first pair were 

 very fine birds, but were, I think, two cocks, as they wero 

 always quarreling and made no attempt to nest. This year I 

 parted with one of them, and got another from a dealer, which 

 was supposed to be a hen and I believe, rightly so. She 

 in a miserably dirty condition, when she arrived, its tail and 

 half her flight feathers were gone, and altogether she looked 



