I 78 Ft'ODi Magazines, Sxc. [isf April 



From the preface to vol. viii. of The Zoologist we note : — 

 " The Zoologist increases its circulation in our Greater Britain, 

 and colonial naturalists make use of its pages. Mr. Littler's memoir 

 on the birds of Tasmania affords an object lesson." 



The Geelong Naturalist, September, 1904, contains " District 

 Bird Notes," by C.F.B., which comprise brief field observations 

 on the Spotless Crake {Porzana tahuensis), Boobook Owl {Ni)iox 

 boobook). Flame-breasted Robin {Petrceca phunicca), (Sic. 



* * * 



The Ibis for October, 1904, published a letter from Sir 

 Walter L. Buller on the subject of the foster-parents of the New 

 Zealand Long-tailed Cuckoo (Urodynamis). The writer considers 

 that of the ten native and one introduced species given by Dr. 

 Fulton, the evidence for five at least is not satisfactory. 



Red-faced or Red-tailed Finch. — In The Aviciiltural Magazine 

 (January, 1905) the Rev. C. D. Farrar has contributed an article 

 entitled " The Breeding of the ' Ruficauda ' " in which a number 

 of interesting facts are recorded in humorously penned passages, 

 with homely illustrations. How often the collector has experienced 

 the reverend gentleman's quotation — " The enjoyment is the 

 pursuit, and this ceases when our hand closes down on the prize." 



The Red-winged Lory. — In the February (1905) issue of The 

 Victorian Naturalist Mr. G. A. Keartland contributes an interesting 

 note on a pair of Red-winged Lories {Ptistes erythroptertis) which 

 he had in captivity for a year. On the 30th and 31st October the 

 female laid eggs on the floor of the cage, which were transferred to 

 a small box, where the bird continued to sit, and where, on the 

 2nd and 3rd of November, she laid two more eggs. After a fortnight 

 two of the clutch, which contained embryos, were unfortunately 

 broken, and the remaining two were not fertile. During the 

 fourteen days the female was noticed to leave her nest three times 

 only. While incubating she was fed by the male. The Lories 

 were received from Mrs. Chas. Clarke, Mary Vale Station, Queehs- 

 land, who, writing to Mr. Keartland, states that she liberated a 

 pair of Red-winged Lories in her garden. The Parrots stayed near 

 the house, and reared four young ones in a hollow tree near. The 

 birds came regularly to the verandah to be fed, and, when the 

 young ones could fly the whole family often came " walking down 

 the hall like pet chickens." 



Bird-Lore. — The Sept. -Oct. number has a further set of coloured 

 illustrations of Warblers ; notes and photos, on "A Woodcock at 

 Home"; an interesting article on "October Bird Music"; a 



