26S



together. After dinner we prepared him the old Parrot cage, hoping the

bars would be close enough to keep the Cuckoo in and wide enough to let

the Redstart in and out to feed him. But she meant to have him out, and

at half-past three she succeeded and got him on to the perch outside the

cage. After about five minutes rest there she called to him from a rose

bush, and he fluttered off, the foster-mother in front. They went across-


the border, and M - ran along one path and I along the other, in an


agony lest a cat or kitten should turn up and get him, I thought we looked

for all the world like the Redstart, only a little bigger! At last, to our

great relief, his foster-mother got him into the little ash tree. He quickly

went up from the lower branches to the top, and then we felt fairly happy

about him, for he evidently could use his wings much better than in the

morning. The Redstart seemed contented with that much for one da)% and

the Cuckoo passed the rest of the afternoon and the night there, for I went

at 9 p.m. to see if he was still safe, and he was. This morning at six I went

again, hoping to assist at his farther moving, but his foster-mother had

been before me and had already got him away. I feel certain he is safe, for

neither of the parents have come round all day, as they would have done

to look for him if they had lost him, so I hope lie is with them all right.

We would have kept him, only all the books say they live on nothing but

insects, and eat over 2,000 in a day. I did not feel competent to catch so

many, and beside, what could we have done for him in the winter ? So we

decided to let him go in the natural way with his foster-parents. But he

was a comical dear, and so tame.”



CORRESPONDENCE.



THE MANY-COLOURED PARRAKEET.


Sir,—C ould you give me a reason why the enclosed eggs (3) did not

hatch ? The hen Many-coloured Parrakeet sat perfectly , and very closely,

and rather over the full time. She evidently tried one egg and found it was

not right. I have wondered if the hen turned the eggs; or possibly the

decayed wood at the bottom of the log-nest was too dry ? I found one egg

with two pecked holes in it, and the others were whole when I took them

from the nest.


The lieu had been out all the winter, and the cock, a most brilliant

bird, was in perfect condition.


. . . . I have since wondered if the eggs were fertile. If not, I


feel certain it would be due to the presence of the other Parrakeets,

particularly the odd Rosella. Marion Johnstone.


The following reply was sent to Airs, fohnstone :


I cannot detect any trace of there ever having been young, in any

stage, in the eggs of your Many-coloured Parrakeet; I feel sure that they

must have been clear eggs; so the cause of failure must be sought for in

the birds rather than in the nest.


You do not say for how long you have had the male, nor when the

two birds were put together. It is quite likely that one or other, or

perhaps both, had not been long enough in this country, or even in their



