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THE TUI.


Sir, — I was interested in Mr. Wiener’s letter about the Tui. When

residing in New Zealand some years ago, I bought a pair from a native, and

kept them for some months. They were easily tamed and used to fly about

the room. They were amusing mimics of sounds and movements. The

hen escaped through an open window one day, and I never saw her

again. The cock I had for some time after, but he escaped at last, and

when he found himself in a fuchsia tree opposite my windows, he became

so happy that he declined to return at any price. I fed them entirely upon

boiled potatoes mashed up finely with plenty of sugar, and they were

perfectly healthy.


T. B. Whytehead.



GOULDIAN FINCHES.


Sir, — I think, perhaps, my experience with a pair of the above may

be of interest to some of our members. I have but the two—a red-faced

cock and black-faced lieu. The former has been an inmate of my cages

for about two years, the latter eight months. To begin with, they are in a

cage very much over-crowded, and in the ever-varying temperature of a

kitchen, with windows North Polewards only'. The inmates of their cage

include such restless creatures as Weavers. Yet, I have not only kept them

in perfect health under the conditions stated, but bred them — with what

success you shall hear.


From 4th November, 1S96, to 3rd March, 1S97, twenty eggs were laid

as follows : — 4th to 7th November, 4 eggs ; 7th to 10th December, 4 eggs ;

4th to 6th January, 3 eggs; iSth to 21st January, 3 eggs; 25th to 31st

January, 3 eggs; 22nd to 23rd February, 2 eggs; 3rd March, 1 egg.

During the above periods the hen never drooped a wing, or shewed any

signs of egg-binding.


The whole of the second clutch hatched-out, two dead and two alive.

On the morning of 24th December, a little dead body was found immediately

under the Gouldians nest. On Christmas morning this was repeated. Not

finding one 011 Boxing Day, my curiosity was too intense to put off having

a look into the nest. With the aid of artificial light and a little straining,

I discovered a little living body 7 and one egg. O11 the 28th, the young — for

the other hatched-out alive, on the 27th I presume — were making them¬

selves heard when being fed. To mv utter dismay the parents were pairing

again on the following day (29th) so I felt sure the young would be deserted

or thrown from the nest. My^ fear happily proved groundless, and the mites

continued to make themselves heard, and the dutiful parents to feed

admirably. The 4th January saw one egg deposited beside the young, and

two more added in as many days, completed clutch three. These eggs I

witnessed beingpushed from the nest on the 16th, and two days later, clutch

four was commenced, and consisted of the same number. But the feeding

of the young was never neglected by either parent. It would be interesting

to learn whether other members have had the experience of seeing this

Finch lay and rear their young at the same time. Some will put it down

to over-stimulation, but they could not have had a more simple diet — con¬

sisting as it did of white millet and blue maw soaked, millet in the ear,

and egg food made of stale sponge cake and yolk of hard-boiled egg.


I had the pleasure of seeing a young Gouldian leave the nest on 21st



