Correspondence.



147



state during such weather, simply because they would have been

unable to find sufficient food.


The more I go into the matter of suitable food the more

certain I am that it is not the cold that would kill the soft-billed

birds but it is their supply of foods that is destroyed that kills

them. It is astonishing what a lot of cold some of these frail and

delicate-looking summer migrants can stand, so long as they get

sufficient of the food that perfectly agrees with them. I have used

the word delicate, but they are so only in the sense that the form

of some species and outline is beautifully and delicately formed.

There are however just a few species that the severe cold weather

does affect, and these are the wood warbler, grasshopper warbler,

reed and sedge warbler, and these I have found it necessary to bring

indoors by the middle of November.


(To be continued).



CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, ETC.


NAME OF SUPPOSED TROUPIAL.


SIR,—I think that Dr. Butler is probably right when he says that my

supposed troupials do not belong to that family at all ; at the same time I

hardly think that they are the common black tanager as he suggests, as this bird

has not, so I understand, white wing-coverts. It is possible that they may be a sub-

variety. Now that they are at large in an outdoor aviary it is possible to describe

their demeanour : this very much resembles that of our robin. The cock carries

his tail raised above the back and the wings very much depressed ; both birds

have a curious habit of flicking the tail. They spend much of their time

amongst the thick cover of the laurels and other dense growing shrubs. Unlike

the Superb tanager, the only other variety I have kept, they do not care for

fruit. I have tried them unsuccessfully with banana and apple, also with

“ Cecto ” and milk sop. They are very keen on mealworms, the hen especially

so, and as she is the dominant bird she gets far more than her fair share.

Whilst they were caged she permitted her husband to share the same perch with

her, but he has now to keep a respectful distance. This seems characteristic of

many insectivorous birds. My hen shama used to serve her mate the same way

and I finally had to separate them.


I have just got another of the chestnut-coloured ones from Cross, who

describes it as a Ruddy starling. I notice that the bases of only the growing

feathers are white in this bird, so that it is quite likely the entire feather in

healthy and full-feathered specimens is chestnut. By the way, I understand



