S5


discussed. Chapters II.-VI. are devoted to the order Passeres, and chapter

VII. commences the order Picaricz.


Commencing with the Corvidce , aviculturists will read with interest,

an account of the Blue Pies, illustrated by an excellent wood-cut of the Red¬

billed species. Readers of the Avicultural Magazine will not need to be

reminded that an account of the Chinese Blue Pie, from the pen of Mr.

Phillipps, appeared in our Januarj^ number.


The Piping Crows, Glossj^ Starlings, Mynahs, Drongos and Troupials

are also treated of in this chapter, and the account of these birds will be of

much interest to aviculturists who are acquainted with them in a state of

confinement.


Those of us who are specially devoted to the care of the smaller cage

birds will be disappointed at the very short space allotted to the weaving-

finches. We trust that the cumbrous and ugly name “ blood weaver-

finches ” here applied to the waxbills, will not be generally adopted. A

brief description of the typical finches calls for no special notice, and these

are followed by the Larks, Wagtails, Pipits and Creepers.


The Poe Honey-eater is well-known as a cage bird, and the page given

to this species will be of interest to aviculturists. Those very rare and very

delightful birds the Zosterops are briefly mentioned.


The Tits and Shrikes are followed by the Waxwiugs, which are

dealt with rather fully, and Chapter V. contains an account of the Thrushes,

Rock-thrushes. Blue-birds, Chats, Redstarts and Warblers. The Shamas

and Dyal birds have a page allotted to them, but the woodcut of the Indian

Dval bird ( Copsychus saularis) is inaccurate, for the rump and upper tail

coverts are represented white, whereas in this species they are black. The

Green Bulbul, the most charming of all cage birds, is illustrated and

described, and the Flycatchers, Martins and Swallows conclude this chapter.


Chapter VI. (Families Tyrannidce to Memiridtz) is of less interest to us as

these families contain but few species kept in confinement in this country.


Chapter VII. treats of the Woodpeckers, Creepers, Barbets and

Toucans, several species of which are known to aviculturists and are

occasionally seen at shows.


Members of the Avicultural Society will find these parts of the Royal

Natural History well worth reading: the information given is reliable and

interesting and the woodcuts are fairly accurate. The coloured plates are

very poor indeed.



CORRESPONDENCE.


THE SONG OF HAND-REARED BIRDS.


Sir,- -H. B. R. wishes “to have the experience of those who have

hand-reared birds out of hearing of their parents.”


As a rule, birds do not sing by instinct; but the Skylark and Chaffinch

are exceptions to this rule. I found that both of these species sang the

wild song; the Skylark, however, picked up the song of a Persian Bulbul,

and introduced it into the middle of its own natural performance. The

Pied Wagtail sings its wild song natural^ ; it is not unlike that of the

Swallow.


On the other hand, the Missel-Thrush, Song-Thrush, and Blackbird

certainly sing by imitation ; so does the Nightingale.


I have hand-reared many Linnets, but always turned them out with

wild-caught birds, so that it is probable that the} r learnt their song by

imitation. Canaries, hand-reared out of hearing of their parents, have no

idea of singing ; I had one which never got bevond a sort of Red-poll trill.

Indeed, it is well known that, in Germany, high prices are given for perfect

singers, as teachers for young Canaries.



Arthur G. Buteer.



