On Fiji parrot-finches and other South Sea Island matters. 279


know that the home of Philacte canagica is the lands bordering

the Beering Straits, and the extreme north of Alaska. It is said to

migrate in winter as far south as Humboldt Bay in California.


It will be interesting to record here the hatching of two

Andean gosfings in the London Zoological Gardens after an incuba¬

tion of thirty-two days. There were five eggs in all, two being clear.

Mr. Seth-Smith wrote some notes on the subject in ‘‘The Field”

(we wish he would sometimes contribute to the Magazine he once

edited !). He stated that the down plumage of the Andean goose

has not before been described. It is black and white, the colour

being distributed in much the same way as in the young of the

common shelduck. EDITOR.



ON FIJI PARROT-FINCHES AND

OTHER SOUTH SEA ISLAND MATTERS.


By An Australian Bird-Lover.


Leaving for Europe in the middle of 1914 I promised myself

the pleasure of having a talk with Dr. Bahr on Fiji parrot-finches,

which he had studied during his stay in Fiji. Unfortunately, during

my stay in London I could not spare the time, and my intended

later visit was frustrated by this awful war. I intended to specially

run over from the Continent to see Mr. Ezra’s latest importations

of King Birds of Paradise and other treasures. However, Dr.

Bahr’s articles in the “Avicultural Magazine” interested me so

much that w 1 en I was in Fiji the following winter (June to Sept.)

I took a great deal of interest in these birds, the coloured plate of

which was published in the “Avicultural Magazine ” at the time of

Dr. Bahr’s article. On my return I had some correspondence with

Dr. Bahr as to the native name and other matters. Dr. Bahr told

me the native name was Gigi, whereas the natives in the Ba

district called them “ Kula.” I have since tried to get some in¬

formation on the matter, but so far I have failed. Of course it may

be, as I pointed out to Dr. Bahr, on account of the Fijian language

being poor, especially as to colours ; if I remember right they only have



