io8


Breast of the hen reddy orange, the lower feathers of the

breast tipped with green.


Back of the cock, each feather black, edged with rich

crimson.


Back of the hen, top part, each feather dull black, edged

with a very narrow strip of colour like the colour of the Strand

Magazijie, followed by a broader strip of orange-red ; the lower

feathers are dull black and are edged with green and orange,


Shoulder of cock rich mauve.


Shoulder of hen pale mauve.


Wing of cock dark violet, flights much better colour than

in the hen.


Wing of hen fairly dark violet, shaded towards the back

with paler mauve, edged with pale orange.


Rump of cock rich crimson ; rump of hen orange red.


Tail of cock, outer feathers rich violet, centre black.


Tail of hen violet with greenish centre.


L^egs of cock black ; legs of hen grey.


I may say that nearly all the birds sold as hens are young

birds in their first feathers — which youngsters are dark green,

mottled and splashed with red ; but no one who has had a hen

would ever be deceived by such, {a)


Pennants are most engaging birds. My hen is so tame,

although she is in a large outdoor aviary, that she is almost a

nuisance. Whenever I go out she at once comes to the edge and

begins rubbing her poll on a branch as a gentle hint that

she would like a little flowering grass or some green corn in the

ear ; she will also carry on a little conversation in Pennantese, if

I make a kissing noise with my lips. Her lord and master is a

bit more suspicious, although absurdly eager to know what is

going on and to see what his wife has got. Poor fellow, I expedt

he remembers the day when he was trapped out in Australia,

owing to his enquiring turn of mind.


I find that my Pennants are perfectly hardy, but they

don't like too much sun, and quite pant like old hens do at mid-

fa.) In the British Museum Catalogue one description alone, of the adult plumage,

is given, — had the sexes iu variably differed in plumage as Mr. Farrar's birds appears to do

a separate description of the female plumage would, in all probability, have been given.

Probably Mr. Farrar's hen is in her first adult plumage, and her colours will deepen as she

gets older.— D. S.-S.



