i8o Correspondence 



Correspondence. 



bri-:eding notes— 1917. 



SiK, — My l)reeding results have not been very great, as I have only a 

 very few birds, viz : I pair each Stanley and Many-colour Parrakeets, and a 

 pair of Zebra Finches and several odd cocks, the war having effectually 

 stojiped any chance of fresh acquisitions. 



I'our vcrv tine young Stanley Parrakeets made their exit from the 

 nest about a month ago, but I found two of them dead one morning last 

 week — . 1 think they must have been sleeping in the open flight and either 

 owls or cats scared them, because one was injured, though the other 

 showed no signs of outward injury. I did not send them for post mortem 

 examination because, in these war times, we seem unable to get reports of 

 same. 



My old cock Many-colour Parrakeet died early in the year, and the hen 

 did not take kindly to her new mate ; later five eggs were laid and fully 

 incubated, but four were infertile and the other contained a dead chick — from 

 their behaviour I do not anticipate any success with them this season. 



Kendal. July J9, 1917. J. SMITH. 



BLACKBIRD x THRUSH HYBRIDS. 



Sir. — There is at present in the Small Birds' House at the Zoo a 

 l'>lackbird X Thrush hybrid (or, is it Thrush x Blackbird?), one of those 

 recently bred in an aviary in this country. I believe. I remember that a good 

 deal of controversy arose about the event, and should be obliged if some 

 reader would give me the references to the original account of the breeding 

 and incidentally also answer the question enclosed in the brackets above. 



This cross, Blackliird X Thru.sh. is introduced in the list of Hybrids 

 in Vale's " Hybrid liirds," first published in the m'neties, but several times 

 reissued. M\ copy is the seventh edition (enlarged and revised) dated 1903. 

 Another earlier reference of interest in this connection is the following from 

 Rowley's Ornithological Miscellany. \''ol. i (1876) p. 65 : 



" The Blackbird will pair with the Thrush. A mule of this kind is 

 " mentioned at the Crystal Palace show {ride " Times " Feb. 10, 1872.) " 



A third antl last enciuiry : Can anyone who has access to old C. P. 

 Show catalogues say whether this particular bird w-as Blackbird X Thrush o-r 

 Thrush x Blackbird, and whether bred in confinement or wild caught ? 



E. HOPKINSON. 

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