59 



" the male retains tlironghout life, becoming, however, much 

 " more brilliant at maturity. The female changes completely 

 " at five or six years old, losing her speckles and barred tail, 

 " and turning black with a broad band of vermillion across the 

 " tail, this band again disappears in old age, the old bird 

 " becoming completely black. She lays eggs in captivity."— 

 Charles Lawes-Wittewronge. * 



[From the above, it appears that the usual order of things 

 is reversed, and that the young of this species (C. banks'!) wear 

 the male plumage while immature.] 



vSalvadori, Cat. Birds, Vol. xx., page no,— Gives the 

 description of the female (C banks'i) as differing from that of 

 the male as follows : — " Head and upper wing-coverts spotted 

 " with yellow ; under surface crossed by narrow irregular bars 

 " pale yellow, which become yellowish red on the under tail- 

 " coverts ; the red part of the tail interrupted by numerous 

 " and irregular black bars, and passing into yellowish-red 

 " underneath and into sulphur yellow on the inner margins of 



" the feathers." 



« * * 



EARLY NESTING NOTES, ete. : After being confined 

 indoors for six weeks, the initial glance of my birds was an 

 event of great interest. I was surprised to find that, in spite of 

 frost, cold east winds, etc., which had filled the major portion 

 of this period, that the Madagascar Weavers were almost in 

 full colour, and that most of the other species I possess were 

 well advanced thereto. I was also surprised to find a young 

 Indian Silverbill on the wing, which had evidently been out of 

 the nest three or four days, and was flying strongly. The 

 number of records of these common birds having bred in cap- 

 tivity is still small, so that at present it must be accounted a 

 shy breeder in our aviaries. Experiences as to its hardiness are 

 very variable ; our member Mr. Teschemaker, who bred them last 

 year, found them if not exactly delicate, at any rate short lived. 



• Later, I learn Sir Charles Lawes- Whittewronge's hen has not laid in cap- 

 tivity. It is to be hoped that the earliest opportunily will be taken of test- 

 ingf the sexes by anatomical examination ; my remarks are based on the 

 assumption that Sir Charles Lawes-Whittewronge's observations are correct 

 Ed. 



