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It seems very hard that they cannot be allowed to do what is

natural to them, but I can only hope that somebody else will be less

squeamish and more successful with them than I was.


- Octavia Gregory.


WEAVERS.


Sir, — I have had a red Weaver for some years, which I always

thought was a Madagascar Weaver until I saw, the other day in . . .

. . . that the Madagascar Weaver had a white beak, while my bird’s


beak is black. I have now obtained, I suppose, a true Madagascar Weaver,

but I shall be obliged if you can inform me of the name of the red Weaver

with a black beak. It is a very handsome bird. Can it be the Oryx Weaver ?


.says, in his book, that the Oryx Weaver has an orange beak, and


he also says that the Madagascar Weaver’s beak is white. I have also a

black and yellow Weaver which I suppose is the Napoleon Weaver, and

one that is orange and black, with a great ruff round its neck ; and another

is crushed-strawberry-colour with a beak of the same colour. I should be

glad to know the names of all these. Mary Miller.


The fallowing reply was sent to Lady Miller :


When out of colour, the beak of the Madagascar Weaver is horn

brownish ; but, when the bird is in its crimson livery, the beak is black.

There can be little doubt that your first bird is a true Madagascar Weaver

(Foudia madagascariensis) (d). If you have a red Weaver with a white beak,

I do not know what it can be.


The Oryx or Grenadier Weaver (. Pyromelana oryx ) also has a black beak

when in colour; but it is rather a fiery orange, than crimson bird.


Your black and yellow bird is probably the Napoleon Weaver (P.

afra); the black and orange bird is doubtless the Orange Weaver (P.

fra?iciscana). and I should think the ‘crushed strawberry’ bird is Russ’

Weaver ( Quelea russi), a form of the Red-billed Weaver (Q. quelea) in which

the black face-mask is undeveloped : the female of the latter has an orange

beak. A. G. Butler.



OWLS.


Sir, — I shall be grateful for information about Owls.


I had a pair of Brown Owls; one unfortunately got out and was

killed by my fox terrier. Through a friend I procured another nestling, but

it is a Long-eared Owl. I am anxious to know if they would agree if placed

in the same enclosure.


What food should they eat ? I catch mice occasionally, which they

seize frantically ; I also give them sheep’s liver; they do not seem to care

for anything else. I am afraid they will not keep in health unless their

food is more varied. M. Husband.


The following reply was sent to Miss Husband :


You do not state the size of the enclosure in which you keep your

Owls. If large enough, the two birds will probably do very well together,

at any rate until the spring, especially as they are young — at least so I

understand from your letter. I have myself kept (single birds) a Brown, a

White, a Long-eared and a Short-eared Owl together, and they did not



{J) Cf. Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum, vol. xiii. pp. 433-4.



