Co)-rcspo)}(lnire. lOH 



were infertile. Tliey .\vv MLr.iin nest in;,', witli, I Ikiiic, hcttcr results. 



riulian Larks {AhuNia ,j„l,n,ln . an.l Kastmi Vai-ici,Mtr<l l.au-Iiin«, 

 Thruslies (Tn>,-Jml„pt,'rn,„ nn-),;,ni nw ! ai'e also ncstiiiir. T will s(^ti.l results 

 I:iter. WM. SHORE BATLY. 



BRIEF NOTES FROM HODDAM CASTLE AVIARIES 



Sir. T senil y^^w llic rolldwiiiL; news U^v what it is woi-tli. I have two 

 yonnpr TraiU's foiii- or li\i' (lays <>hl, a cross oetweeii a Sarns cock and a 

 Jai)anese Wliite-na]UMl Inn. \ pair of Occipital Bine l^ies are huildint,', and 

 a i)air of Pni-ple Snnliiids are shajjini^ to i)nild. 



floddani Castle. 2i )/.">/ 1 :'>. Iv .T. BROOK. 



A BLOOD-STAINED FINCH X CANARY HYBRID. 

 Sir. — So far as T know the above cross has not been recorded before 

 in fact the male i)arent is of a species that seems to be little known. I 

 boujrht the bird of an Ivlinbnr^h dealer as a " Red-headed " Finch. It is 

 certainly not that, and 1 rely for- my ideiitifieaiion on Dr. Butler's book. I 

 think there is no doubt about the bird's species, as the markings and colour 

 ai-rangement agree in every respect. 



The single offspring closely resembles the male parent in its shape and 

 <iuick jerky movements ; the mai-kings are the same and the colour arrange- 

 ment also. There is this ^.xception in the latter case, however, viz.— that the 

 dark crimson of the male is replaced in the offspring by the yellow of the 

 female parent. The canary-yellow also shows faintly through the dark 

 markings of the breast. 



Curiously enough, T knew nothing of what was going on until the 

 youngster had oeen flying aljout for some time. There are two hen Can- 

 aries in the aviary, and one of them paired with a Twite and brought up two 

 nests of Twite x Canary Hybrids. I am forced to the conclusion that the 

 Blood-stained Finch impregnated one egg of one of the clutches, the remain- 

 der of the broods being undoubted Twite X Canary Hybrids. I suppose 

 there is nothing impossible in the idea, though such an occurrence must be 

 very rare, and I am almost certain the other Canary never went to nest. I 

 could hardly have failed to notice it if she had, and T am waiting with inter- 

 est to see what happens this spring. 



Do yon. or any of your rcadeis know of a similar case. 

 Tnveresk, Midlothian. INF. R. TOMLTNSOX. 



FORTHCOMING SHOW OF FOREIGN BIRDS AT THE HORTICULTURAL 

 HALL. 

 Sir, —It may interest members of this society to knowthat the Foreign 

 Bird Exhibitors League has undertaken to guarantee 28 classes for foreign 

 birds at the next London Cage Bird Association's Show to be held on Nov. 

 27, 28, 29. The classification is as follows : — 



1 All species of Cockatoos and Macaws. 



2 Grey Parrots and Amazons (i.e., all species Chrysotis). 



3 All species Lovebirds, Passerine, Lineolated, All Green, Canary-wing- 

 ed, White-winged, Orange-fronted. Tovi, Golden-fronted, and Tni Parrakeets. 



4 All other species Parrots, including Eclecti. 



5 Green Budgerigars. 



