6o


asked the man outside what birds they were, and the price. (I had recognised

them as being a pair of White-eared Bulbiils). He said they were Prussian

Bullfinches, good singers, and he thought they were worth " 'arf-a-crown

each." I purchased them at that price; they soon improved in plumage,

and, before long, were quite in show condition.


One cage of birds came to me from North Queensland, in rather a

strange wa}'. Some twelve years ago, two brothers were in my employ; they

emigrated to Australia. The elder one is quite a naturalist in every sense.

Perhaps I might quote one or two extracts from his letters ; he writes: —

"This part (North Central Queensland), with its iron-bark forests and

rolling plains, is quite a paradise for a naturalist. We have an abundance

of Kangaroos and Wallabies, also Emus, Cassowaries, Scrub and Plain

Turkeys, Wood and Whistling Ducks, Swamp Pheasants, Cockatoos, Black

and White Magpies, Leather-heads, Blue Mountain Lories and other kinds

of Parrots, Fan-tail Flj^catchers, a strange bird called by the settlers More-

pork, something like an Owl, (at night when out hunting it says distinctly

'more pork,' whence comes its name), all kinds of Pigeons and pretty

Doves, plenty of Laughing Jackasses which make a great deal of noise when

attacking the carpet Snake (I saw five of them a few daj's since attacking a

laro-e Iguana, three feet long : they flew in rapid succession one after the

other past the Lizard, each and every one giving a tremendous blov/ with

the beak on the head, until the Iguana was killed). . . . The trappers

have caught a large flight of eight hundred Blue Mountain Lories; they

migrate West from here at this time of the year (April, 1896). I have picked

out thirty to send to you for your Blue Mountain aviary at Sydenham, all

the rest will be sent down to Brisbane and shipped on a China boat for

Hong Kong ; when just caught they are fed chiefly on canary seed ; they

are a lovel}' sight." (I am sure they must have been, for the twenty-one that

reached me, in splendid plumage, were quite a living picture ; they became

so tame that they would come down on my arms and shoulders like a flock

of tame Pigeons). "Also seven Pink-cheeks, which were caught in the nets,

I am sending." (Five reached me; these were Musky Lorikeets; a pair of

them took honours at the Brighton and Aquarium Shows when exhibited

by Mr. Maxwell ; they were the finest pair I ever saw.


Another letter says, " I want to send you some rare Finches, some are

very pretty. Farther North I am told there are some as yet unnamed ; these

are found in a locality where the Blacks are, who have a very bad name. I

hope to send you some *Painted, Blood (Crimson), Double-bars (Bichenos),

Star (Rufous-tailed Grass), Black-throats (Parson), and Gouldian Finches,"

and a name I could not quite make out. I wrote saying I should like to

have the birds he had mentioned. In due time a letter came saying he had

sent me a number of birds, including thirteen of the strange-named Finch,

as I thought. When the boat arrived I was very anxious to see the new

birds ; I made enquiries of the man who brought them home; he said he

hadl>!)st only one on the voyage, the others were all right. To my surprise,

the cage contained twelve Pectoral Rails {Rallies pectoralis) in finest con-

dition. I was somewhat disappointed at not receiving Finches, although

pleased with the Rails, as they were new birds to me, most beautifully

marked, and a good addition to my aviaries.


James B. Housden.



* Enibleina picta.



