2 l8



Correspondence, Notes, etc.



GREY PARROTS.


Sir. —I f Mr. Speed could induce the Anglesey farmer to let the

wings of his Grey Parrots grow, he would find they would not fly away,

and perhaps thev might breed, like Mr. Buxton’s.


F. G. Dutton.



INSTINCT .AND NEST-BUILDING.


Sir, — P lease accept my best thanks for the interesting account of the


Estrilda. I wrote to.who says that I shall find what I want


in Lloyd Morgan's Animal Instinct . and he adds. ‘ Greenfinch egg hatched

under Canary built normal nest. Young Bullfinch taken very early did

same.” So it seems to be true that they can build normal nests ? by

hereditary memory without parental instruction. Geo. Hexslow.


The account referred to was that of a young aviary bred Cordon

Bleu CEstrildaphcenicotis that built his first attempt' a normal nest* in my

aviary notwithstanding that his parents had not done so, and have never

done so to this day. although nesting three or four times every summer.

A “ popular ” account of the rearing of this young Cordon will be found

at p. 141 of Vol. V., the nest being referred to in the last paragraph.


From Lloyd Morgan's Habit and Instinct, where the matter is thought¬

fully and ably dealt with, we quote the following <p. 235 et seq. : —


‘ Mr. Jenner Weir, writing to Darwin in 1S6S, says: “The more I

reflect on Mr. Wallace's theory, that birds learn to make their nests because

they have themselves been reared in one. the less inclined do I feel to agree


with him.It is usual with canary fanciers to take out the


nest constructed by the parent birds, and to place a felt nest in its place,

and when the young are hatched and old enough to be handled, to place a

second clean nest, also of felt, in the box, removing the other. This is

done to prevent acarL But I never knew that canaries so reared failed to

make a nest when the breeding time arrived. I have, on the other hand,

marvelled to see how like a wild bird’s the nests are constructed. It is

customary to supply them with a small set of materials, such as moss and

hair. They use the moss for the foundation, and line with the finer

materials, just as a wild goldfinch would do, although, making it in a box,

the hair alone would be sufficient for the purpose. I feel convinced nest¬

building is a true instinct.”


This view of Mr. Jenner Weirs is based, it will be seen, on personal

observation which is well to the point. Here is another piece of direct

evi ience. Mr. John S. Budgett. a careful observer, placed in 1890 a green¬

finch’s egg under a canary, and this in due course was hatched, the young

bird proving to be a hen. In the following autumn he bought a caged bird.



* I have the definite statement in my Eird Journal that, on 13 Hay, “ Young male

busy building with hay in poplar.'' and, on following days " Still building in poplar.” —R.P.



