of Pat. he nearly screamed the house down) ($). I had a nice

Blue-fronted Amazon, a fair talker and very tame, he would

come to my hand anywhere indoors or out.


I have, at the present time, a fine Masked Parrakeet, very

tame, a Blossom-head, pair Peach-faced Love-birds, beauties

(now in my large cage I mentioned before) pair Parrot Finches,

pair Black-headed Gouklians, pair Long-tailed Grassfinch.es,

cock Lavender Finch, all caged separately ; and in a large flight

cage I have fifteen small birds, including Silverbills Orange

Cheeks, Grey Waxbills, Cordons Bleus, Avadavats, Bronze

Mannikins, and a cock Golden-breasted Waxbill.


I think amongst all the birds I ever kept, the following

are my favourites.—-Masked Parrakeet, King Parrakeet,

Barraband’s Parrakeet, Parrot Finches, Long-tailed Grassfinches,

Cordons Bleus, and Avadavats ; the cock Cordon is a splendid

bird, and to see him making up to the hen is a most amusing

sight; he .gets a piece of grass or sometimes a plaintain stalk,

and holding it in his beak by the extreme tip of the stalk, lie

shuts his eyes, and sticks his tail at right angles to his body, and

sings and dances in fine style.


The Avadavats are splendid little birds although so

common, and have a pretty little song.


By the way, I have never seen the Orange-cheek Wax-

bill credited with a song; both my males sing every night, just

at dusk ; they stand with their necks outstretched and their

tails waving quickly^ from side to side.


I intend, next year, to go in for Tanagers if I find sufficient

time to devote to soft-bills, and will then give my experiences

with these brightly-plumaged birds.


P.S.—I have had. eggs from many different species, but

have never reared a young one, owing to the birds being mixed

together; the Bronze Mannikins have eggs at present, but the

Cordons Bleus are in their nest all day, so that I expect the eggs

are all broken ; I have not looked.



ZOOLOGICAL PHOTOGRAPHY.


We have lately been favoured with an inspection of a

charming portfolio of photographs taken by the “Zoological

Photographic Society.” We find the name of a prominent mem-


(6) Had a little more patience been exercised with the Patagonian Conure he would

probably have quieted down. I have had one over seven years, and do not find him

generally noisy, he screams at unauthorised visitors, and at dogs, til! he sees that the

attention of somebody is called to them.—O. E. C.



