59


years ago, wliicli I was told had just gained ist prize at the Crystal Palace,

and they have never attempted to molest any other birds. Last year they

showed an inclination to nest, so I put them in a separate cage, but they

devoured their eggs as soon as they were laid.


I have had a cock Dufresne's Waxbill, who came from Mr. Abrahams

just a year ago^i and he has alvva\-s been verv healthy. His only drawback

is his love of having his neck plucked b}' the other birds, and he is always

trjdng to obtain that pleasure. I got another cock this spring, from Mr.

Allou's collection, but unfortunately he slipped out of the aviary-cage the

day of his arrival, without my perceiving his escape, and next morning he

was found dead in the drawing-room underneath the window, havino-

probabl}^ flown against the plate-glass.


C. A. Hodgson.



FOREIGN BIRD NOTES.


Sir, — I well remember with what pleasure I received m\' first cage of

foreign birds (Java Sparrows), brought home by a coloured sailor on one of

the tea ships. About the same time, I had sent me a book on foreign birds

and with it a list from a foreign-bird dealer. Perhaps it might be interest-

ing to the readers of the Avicidtural Magazine to compare some of the

prices of thirty years ago (1867) and the prices of to-daj'. The following

are some of the prices in this list : — ^Java Sparrows, Cutthroat or

Coral-necked Sparrows, vSilverbeaks, 10/- pair ; Amandava or Avadavat.

African Waxbills, Black- and White-headed Mannikins, Combassou Birds,

Weaver Birds, 12/- pair ; Australian Waxbills, 20/- pair ; Brisbane Finch,

30/- pair ; Australian or Rockhampton Finches (the Banded, Grass and

Chestnut-breasted Finch) 30/- to 60/- pair ; Negro Finch, 20/- ; Nonpareil,

20/- ; Popes, 20 - ; Red-crested Cardinal, 25/- ; Grand Bishop Birds, 30/- ;

Saffron Finch, 12/- ; Wliydah Bird, 15/- each ; Budgerigars or Grass Parra-

keets, 2,0/- pair; Cockatiels, 40/- pair; the Rose-hill and Pennant Parrakeets

(sometimes called Lories) 40/- to 60/- each ; Indian Mina Bird, from ^^4. to

_^io each ; Mackaw, £5 each ; Ring-necked Bengal Parrakeets, 40/- ; and

Australian King Parrots, ^^^5 each.


Since then, some of the birds I have kept have come to me in rather

strange wa3's. Some ten years ago, a very fine Blue-fronted Amazon Parrot

flew into one of the windows of a Girls' Orphanage in South London.

Some of the girls, with sticks and brooms, tried to drive it away ; when

they drove it from one window it flew to another. Pollie would not be

driven away — it being an Orphan Home, she had come to stay. When I went

to see her, poor Pollie was tied to the leg of a table in one corner of the

room. We made ever}' enquiry, but could not find the owner. I had

the pleasure of taking it home as a present for ni}' wife. It took several

prizes, was a very fair talker, and one of the tamest Parrots I ever kept.


At another time, a driver of one of Carter Paterson's vans called and

enquired if I had lost what he thought was a large Black Crow which talked :

he had caught it in the neighbourhood. It proved to be a large Vasa Parrot,

a very tame bird. He offered it to me at a very low price ; I promised, pro-

viding he could not find the owner, to purchase it, which eventually I did.

Walking down the East Eud one day, I was looking at the cages of

birds piled up outside one of the bird-shops; amongst them, in a small

cage, were two birds which, at first, I took to be a pair of Great Tits. I



