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missed his bath from the day he was bought, and all through the

recent winter, in spite of the room being occasionally at 40° or

thereabouts, has thoroughly drenched himself daily. I cannot

help thinking that it is owing to this propensity that he keeps

himself in such excellent trim. These birds moult towards the

end of June, and are in full feather by the end of September.

Being soft feathered, great care should be exercised in moving

them about, as the first time that my bird was handled, a handful

of feathers was left wdien he was released. He occupies one of

the lightest corners of the bird-room, as, in common with the

majority of brilliant coloured species, he would no doubt rapidly

become dingy and fade if kept in a sombre light.


His diet consists of potatoes, well boiled, passed through

a sieve and mixed with yolk of egg and a few ants’ eggs, with a

fresh banana daily, (the latter item is essential as these birds are

almost entirely frugivorous), twice or three times a week a few

well scalded kitchen currants are added, of the latter they are

especially fond. For some considerable time after the bird

arrived a piece of orange used to form an important item of the

daily fare, but latterly it has been omitted as experience has

proved it to be unnecessary if not actually injurious. Meal¬

worms he will not touch, but is exceedingly dexterous in catching

unwary blue-bottles and flies that stray near the bars of his

cage.


This individual bird is perhaps the most accomplished

mimic that has ever inhabited my bird-room. The flnte-like

notes of the Blackbird, the melodious song of the Thrush, the

plantive carol of the Robin, or the guttural chirp of the House

Sparrow are repeated with equal facility and accuracy. I well

remember one morning in the early summer of last year,

hearing, as I imagined, a Blackbird in a great state of alarm in

the immediate vicinity of the bird-room ; thoughts of stray cats

flashed across my mind and hurrying, gun in hand, to the aviary

(I hope members of the Avicultural Society who are proud

possessors of priceless long-haired “kitties” will forgive me)

eagerly sought the assumed, unwelcome intruder, but neither

cat nor Blackbird was to be seen ; a few^ seconds afterwards the

mystery was explained ; the frightened Blackbird was the Blue¬

winged Honeysucker who was apparently amusing himself by

practising his extraordinary power of mimicry at my expense !


Since his return from the recent Palace Show the song of

the Canary is occupying his undivided attention.


Very few of these beautiful birds come into the market,



