252 



any rate, should have an opportunity of seeing this lovely 

 species disporting itself in their aviaries. 



THE RED-BREASTED MARSH BIRD [Leisles guaniensis) : 

 I have been asked to give a fevi' notes of this species; I have 

 alread}', in a previous issue, described its handsome plumage, 

 so that there will be no need to cover that ground again. In 

 July last I Ijecanie the happy possessor of a pair, which for a 

 week I put in an indoor enclosure, but as they did not steady 

 down, I put them into uiy outdoor aviary to take their chance 

 with the rest; here, if not confiding, they soon lost their scared 

 rushing about, and when you go in to give them mealworms, 

 so long as you stand still they will take them from close to 

 your feet. They api^ear to be essentially ground birds, and do 

 not, in my aviary at any rate, seem at all comfortable on a 

 branch or j^erch, though they are to be so seen occasionally. 

 Their usual place of resort is the ground, tops of nest boxes, or 

 two sloping shelves, which have been fitted up to give .shelter 

 to nesting receptacles; the}' run and walk and do not hop at 

 all, so far as luy observations go. Quite half their diet consists 

 of seeds, they seem to sample all the kinds I supply, viz., 

 Canary, millet, paddy rice, oats, dari, hemp, but I have never 

 seen them take sunflower seeds. They also take a little soft 

 food, also a little milk sop, which is provided for the Varied 

 Lorikeets, fruit, and as many mealworms, etc., as you like to 

 give them. 1 have formed the opinion that unless a fair amount 

 of live insect food be supplied they would soon get out of con- 

 dition. When I first turned them out we had a spell of quite 

 cold weather, succeeded by the only real bit of summer we 

 have enjoyed this year; recently the weather has been about 

 as variable as it well could be, with fogs, wet, raw east winds, 

 and semi gales all thrown in as a make-up ; these <lo not 

 appear to have inconvenienced them in the least, and they are 

 looking very fit. Of course this being their first winter in this 

 country I am keeping them under close observation, especially 

 in early morning, when things at this time of year aregeneiallj' 

 at their worst ; and on the first sign of needing it they will be 

 removed indoors, where they will get a little more protection 

 than out of doors, but I do not anticipate having to remove 



