very fair idea of the personal appearance of the Hawkhead,

which has longer feathers on the back of its neck than the August

one, and a different coloured head, otherwise the likeness holds.


I have understood that these birds, the Hawkheaded

Parrots, are not very uncommon in their native zone, where they

are frequently tamed and kept by the inhabitants, but they are

not often taken down stream, and not many of them find their

way to Europe; those that are imported are, as might be

expected from their up-bringing, charmingly tame.


It is well not to tease them, however, for it is possible to

ruin the most angelic temper by so doing, and make the gentlest

of created beings vicious—not that either of my Hawkheads ever

deserved so crushing an epithet, but I must admit that Joey was

somewhat irascible at times, though Pinto never was.


On referring to the plate of the August Amazon, I see that

both sides of its tail are brown ; in both my Hawkheads it was

green above, and black on the under surfaces. The head and

face feathers of the Hawkheads are narrow and pointed, and

there is a wide margin of dark corrugated skin round the eye,

but with the differences mentioned they resemble the August

Amazon exactly.



THE REDSTART.


Ruticilla phocnicurus.


By A. G. Butler, Ph. D.


Of this charming little Thrush I have had a good many

examples at various times, chiefly owing to the liberality of my

friend, Mr. E. P. Staines, of Penge, formerly a member of this

Society.


Although, like its relative the Robin, the Redstart cannot

be regarded as a very long-lived bird ; it is an extremely pleasing

addition to a mixed aviary, soon becomes confiding, is not

dangerous to birds of other species, and has a pleasing plaintive

Robin-like song.


The wild life of the Redstart is pretty well known, and I

am afraid I can add nothing to the facts already recorded

respecting it ; the bird itself is readily recognizable, the upper

surface showing much slaty grey colouring, the under surface a

good deal of rusty reddish ; the characteristic features however

are the chalky-white forehead and the large black gorget

enclosing the base of forehead, lores, eyes, cheeks, and throat.



