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As the cat defeated my attempts to register the time these little

fellows will stay until they receive their call to depart to their Happy

Hunting Grounds, I trust that I may live long enough to send you certifi-

cates of “ Death from Old Age ” from the little friends that I now have.


W. T. CaTEEUGH.



GOULDIAN FINCHES.


Sir, —I have been greatly interested in the several notes on the

treatment of newly-imported Gouldian Finches. I have had a number

sent to me (at different times) from a friend in N.E. Queensland, mostly in

full plumage : these have arrived apparently in the best of health, but

often died in a very short time after I received them.


The last lot sent me were young birds (uncoloured Painted Finches as

my friend called them) and were brought home by a man who thoroughly

understands the treatment of birds. He took on board a bag of sand,

which he supplied them with fresh each day ; this lasted till he reached the

Red Sea ; the next stopping-place was at Suez, where he supplied himself

with another lot, which lasted till he reached home; but from a cage of

sixty-three I did not lose a single bird.


I think the best way is to get young birds, and a great deal depends

on the treatment on the voyage home. These were fed on Canary seed

only, and sweet biscuit finely powdered thrown into the cage, which they

seemed to eat very readily. I fed them in the same way, and kept them

till most of them were nearly in full colour, without the loss of a single

bird. James B. Housden.



PARRAKEET HYBRIDS.


Sir,—A friend of mine, living at Trowbridge, last year had a cock

Rosella which paired with a hen Cockatiel. The Cockatiel laid and hatched

four young ; but one day, noticing that the parent birds did not enter the

box, my friend looked in and found the four young ones dead : they were

then about fourteen days old.


Has anyone ever succeeded in rearing young from this cross ? I

wonder whether they would be crested ? I have reared jmung from cock

Meal}- and hen Red Rosella, and my Pennants and Rosellas have paired,

and laid eggs which, after being incubated, proved unfertile.


C. P. Arthur,



