47



feather as they might be in their native Himalayas. In one of

these Pheasant enclosures were some Australian Bronze-winged.

Pigeons (Phaps chalcoptera) which the French call Eumachelles.

In feathered nature there is little more lovely than the wing of a

Bronze-wing cock, especially of a Tasmanian one (for these are

more brilliant, though in no other respedt different from their

Australian relatives) catching the rays of the sun. I have had

several in my own aviaries, and they were a constant source of

delight to visitors. The bird stands in one position, and the

wing glances gold and green with opaline prismatic tints; he turns

a few inches, and it flashes red like rubies. They want a sunny

aviary, alike to do justice to their plumage and to keep them in

health. I have not succeeded in keeping them more than two

or three years—few so long—though I have had some bred in

English aviaries. In our damp air they seem subject to con¬

sumption, though mine never appeared to suffer from even

severe frost.


We come next to another aviary of Budgerigars, partially

glazed over, but apparently not heated; its multitude of tenants

looked happier and harder in feather than the others. Among

them were two or three lovely Yellow-rumped Rosellas ( Platy-

cercus flaveolus ).* I have sometimes wondered (and, I think, seen

it suggested by others) whether this sub-variety of Platycercus

could be the offspring of a Red-headed and a Mealy Rosella.

An Australian lady who once saw my own favourite Mealy

{Platycerais palliceps'), which, alas ! succumbed to sunstroke from

accidental exposure, told me that she had known a single Pale¬

headed bird in Australia which always accompanied a flock of

the commoner Red-headed.


Semi-detached from the Budgerigars’ aviary is another,

tenanted by Cockatiels, mostly in nice plumage, and Ring-necked

Bengal Parrakeets of which I cannot say the same.


From here I digressed a minute to the left, to see who was

the vocalist of the sweetest piping. I found a large double cage,

well raised from the ground, but terribly exposed to wind and

weather. In the first compartment were some Choughs with

their bright red beaks and legs ; in the second, the songster—

an Australian Black and White Crow.


Next we come to a grand range of Aviaries, in a charming

sunny position, and most imposing from their great height and

great united length. They have only recently been completed.

The two end aviaries are immense, and stand out far beyond the



* The Yellow-rumped “ Parrakeet” (not “ Rosella,”) P. flaveolus , is a

well recognised species in the genus Platycercus. —R.P.



