cage. An hour or so afterwards both had returned to the nest,

which they did not leave again that day. I should state that the

mother never brooded them after the fall from the tree ; where

she slept at night I do not know. I should also say that all the

time the nest was kept scrupulously clean, the excreta being

carried to a distance by the mother. On the morning of the

19th both were on the floor, and I could not induce the weakling

to remain in the nest. The stronger bird got into another

eucalyptus tree close to the window, but the other passed the

night just below, on the floor, to the grief of the mother, who

as late as 9.20 was visiting it in evident anxiety as to its welfare.

It was quite unfit to leave the nest, but, what with a foggy even¬

ing and the fear of making matters worse by frightening the

other youngster from its perch, I did not dare to interfere.

Little by little the elder bird worked its way upwards, and on the

21st was snugly hidden in a tuft of leaves at the top of the tree.

The same day the little one got on to the lowest bough, but soon

fell, and was not able to get up again until the evening. On the

22nd it worked its way up to its brother, the two remaining

about three inches apart. On the 23rd, both were hopping about

the lower boughs. On the 24th, the weakling was dead. It had

had a severe blow on the head, doubtless the result of one of its

many falls while endeavouring to get into the tree. At the time

I attributed the death to this blow, but later I concluded that it

had died from the effects of the cold draught from the window.


Both mother and survivor were singularly dull and quiet

that day, as if they were really mourning for the little dead

fledgeling. The body had been carried away to the same dark

corner ; and I am convinced that the bodies of both father and

child had been combed thither by the poor little widow.


The dead young one was ver) r juvenile upper mandible

dark brown, under lighter, with the usual yellow gape of a young

bird. Top of head generally, brown ; upper parts brown tinged

with yellowish ; throat, fore-neck, and upper chest, dark brown

with faint tinge of yellowish ; breast and under parts more dull;

under tail-coverts almost inclined to rufous ; tail just beginning

to peep through ; legs and toes, flesh colour, the centre front

toe being remarkably long compared with the others ; flights

brown with 3^ellowish outer edges.


While examining the toes of this dead bird, I was much

struck with the extraordinary sharpness of the claws, which

quite clung to my finger when touched ; but I failed to detect

an)r trace of anything of the nature of a hooklet. Such excep-



