On the Spotted-wing.



5i



come from South America, “ from Caracas” I was told, but the

full identity of the hero of the play was not revealed.


There was a 4th Act ! an Act in which Mr. Phillipps was

stage-manager. I roughly painted a sketch of my bird, sent it

to him, and received a reply that it is undoubtedly a Hooded

Siskin of Venezuela and Caracas.* The bird is a male (a Mr.!),

and it would seem that the females are not imported, and are of

much duller tints. Why this species has not been carried on in

some of the ships to England is curious. That it is not, would

seem to be the case, for I never saw one in any London bird-

dealer’s shop, which fact Mr. Phillipps corroborates.


In Santa Cruz it is thought much of.



THE SPOTTED-WING.


Psaroglossa spiloptera.


By Dr. A. G. Butler.


Towards the end of July of the present year I received a

letter from our Member, Mr. E. W. Harper, in which he said—

“ I have a Spotted-wing (Psaroglossa spiloptera) which I wish to

give away to a good home. As the species is not common in

this country, it occurred to me that you may not perhaps have

kept the bird. If you would like the Spotted-wing, I shall be

delighted to send it for your acceptance.”


Naturally I replied that I had always been interested in

the various birds of the Starling group, and should be delighted

to have it. I11 a letter, informing me that he was sending off the

bird, Mr. Harper informed me that he considered the affinity of

Psaroglossa to the Starlings very doubtful ; as it was a hopping

bird and did not use its mandibles as dividers after the manner

of Starlings.


The bird reached me on August 1st, and the food in its

cage gave me a good idea as to the proper method of feeding it:

I turned it into a flight-cage, supplied it with my usual soft-food



* Vol. viii., p. 123.



