135

THE GOLDEN-CROWNED NEW-ZEALAND PARRAKEET.


Sir, — I liave thought it might be of interest to the members of our

Society to hear of an incident which has just occurred in my foreign bird-

room.


In the larger aviary I have had for some time a pair of Golden-

crowned New-Zealand Parrakeets {Cyanorhafnphus auriceps) ; and they have

neither interfered with each other nor with the other birds in the aviary.


Last week the hen was noticed to be slightly ailing, and she was

caught out for treatment. The cock expressed such anxiety at losing his

partner, who was lierself palpably anxious to get back to him, that it was

thought charitable to catch him also, and put him with the hen while she

was being treated.


As long as anyone was in the bird-room the birds seemed, perfectly

content to be vinited, and everything went on satisfactorily for the first

day. The next morning the hen was found dead in the cage, not from

the trifling ailment for which she had been " caged up," but from having

been killed by the cock bird. The top of her skull was torn completely off.


Henry J. FuIvLjames.



GOULDIAN FINCHES.


Jkfr. Rotch having asked for information on the subject of the breeding of

Gouldian Finches, the following reply has been serit to him by Mr. Phillipps : —


I fear you maj- have difficulty in obtaining a hen of either the

Beautiful or of Gould's Grassfinch just at present, and, should you be

successful, there would be little chance of the birds breeding until the end

of the year. The hurried account I wrote for Dr. Butler (see " Foreign

Finches") gave a fair representation of the birds as they were at that time,

but those good days have passed away. They used to be brought over a

few at a time and with great care, and they reached this country in capital

condition. Now they are brought over in great numbers and crowded

together ; and they die off like flies, especially the females. Those that do

survive are not of the slightest use for breeding until they have been kept,

under favourable conditions, for a considerable time. Their breeding

season is during our autumn and winter ; and these modern birds, at any

rate with me, do not shew any inclination to breed at any other time.

When wishing to nest, the females become delicate if with, or within

hearing of, the males, and must be kept warm or inflammation of the

ovary may set in : warmth is the only preventive and cure. If you can get

a good pair, the}' will nest almost anywhere ; during cold weather,

however, I think a wooden box is about the best place. Dry grasses, or

even hay, is all that they require ; neither species will use moss, wool,

feathers, or anything of that nature.


It is said that these birds {Poephila mirabilis and P. gouldice) are bred

largely in captivity in Australia for exportation. Possibly this may have

something or much to do with the want of stamina in those specimens

which now reach our shores.



