I07


with great effort," and so on. When I have a scramble for meal-

worms in my aviary, and the Rollers are on the ground with

other large birds, I find that they are as active as the best of

them, darting about from place to place, and invariably getting

the lion's share.


(To be co7itinued).



THE SEX OF PENNANTS.


By the Rev. C. D. Farrar.


I suppose that the one thing which keeps back amateurs

from trying to breed these splendid birds is the difficulty of

securing pairs.


Writing of Pennants, Mr. Gedney says, "The inability to

recognise any outward distinction of sexes in these birds has

deterred many amateurs from attempting to breed them in

captivity. Beyond an imperceptibly lighter shade upon the breast

of the adult hen and a somewhat smaller and more effeminate

head, there is absohttely no means by which an inexperienced

person could determine the sexes."


Dr. Greene is even more careful not to commit himself-

"The sexes," he says, '■'■resemble each other in size aiid colouring,

although the tints of the plumage in the female are, perhaps, not

quite so brilliant as in the male bird."


I can only conclude that Mr. Gedney and Dr. Greene never

saw a hen Pennant, otherwise they would never have penned

such amazing statements !


There is absohdely no possibility of mistaking a hen for a

cock Pennant. They are as different, as they say up here, as

chalk from cheese. In the first place, the hen Pennant is one-

third smaller than the cock, and has a small round head ;

whereas, he has a somewhat flattened crown. These points alone

would almost be sufficient to any but a tyro ; but when we come

to examine the plumage, a mistake is absolutely impossible : —


The cock has a rich crimson head extending right over

the neck and cheeks.


The hen has a head of orange-red shading off into greeny

orange on the neck ; the cheeks are very pale greeny pink.


The chin of the cock is splendid violet.


The chin of the hen is quite pale violet.


Breast of the cock rich crimson.



