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From an advertisement inserted in the Avicultuial Magazine I soon

obtained another good hen, although somewhat rough in plumage. During

the Winter months the pair were kept in a small indoor aviary, together

with several small birds, and I found them to be quite amiable towards the

latter. They soon came into grand plumage and grew tails to the length of

nine or ten inches.


At the beginning of May in the present year they were transferred to

a garden aviary, and although there were some cold nights about that time,

they did not seem to feel any inconvenience from the low temperature.

Log nests w?ere provided, but the Barrabands appeared to take no notice of

them and did not attempt to breed.


I feed them on hemp- and canarv-seed and boiled maize fresh daily ;

in addition they get groundsel and plaintain, of which they are exceedingly

fond. I never noticed them to touch any of the soft food provided for the

other occupants of the aviary : they do not care much for the fruit and will

not touch insedts.


My experience of this exceedingly beautiful Parrakeet is that when

once acclimatised it is perfectly hardy, and does not require and, in fadt,

will not touch many of the messes which some writers assert to be

indispensible to its existence in captivity.


In my pair, the hen is slightly the larger of the two.


D. Seth-Smith.



THE LONG-TAILED GRASSFINCH AND ITS ALLIES.


SiR,—Mr. Phillipps’ experience with Poephila acuticauda and P.

personata, as related in the September number, is curious. I have had

both these species this year, and find them both as active and lively as

other finches. The masked Finch is the quieter of the two, and quite

resembles, in its habits, its very near relation the White-eared Finch

(P. leucotis ) ; they? both build nests in a desultory? way r , but have never got so

far as laying eggs with me ; possibly they T are neither pairs.


The Long-tailed Finch seems simply the tropical representative of

the Parson Finch, their manners and customs are identical.


My birds have built several nests, always viciously driving other birds

away from the scene of their operations. I cannot say I expected any?

result in the way of young, as the old birds never appeared to sit; and I was

as much surprised as delighted when I found three healthy? youngsters on a

bough in the aviary this morning.


The nest is built in a basket made of fine wicker-work in the shape

of an egg with a small opening in the centre ; hay seems the only material

employed, but I have not y?et examined the nest carefully? ; the basket is

close to the roof and quite unconcealed. The y?oung birds exactly? resemble

their parents but are generally paler in colour, though the black patch on

the throat is quite distinct, and they? have black beaks.


The parents feed their y?oung from the crop.


I should add that I keep these birds in an indoor aviary ; coming

from a much warmer climate, they? are not likely to be as hardy? as the

Parson Finch. R. A. Todd.



