212



HYBRIDS BETWEEN THE PARSON FINCH AND THE

LONG-TAILED GRASSFINCH.


Sir, —It may be of interest to mention that hybrids between a male

Poephila cincta and a female P. acuticauda have been reared in my garden this

summer. The parents have been “nesting,” off and on, since last year;

but I was slow in sacrificing the nesting of rarer birds in order to suit their

convenience. One day this spring, in a reckless humour, I placed them in

my best aviary, with the result, not unexpected, that valuable nests were

destroved. When I started for the Continent in the spring, I left them

nesting; and on my return on June 13th, it was clear from the excitement

of both parents that young were about somewhere; doubtless they were

then branchers, but I did not see them. On the morning of June 18th they

commenced to fly; and we had several good views of three of them.

They were fairly strong on the wing, and were being most assiduously fed

and waited upon by the mother, the father having temporarily disappeared ;

probably he is setting upon another batch of eggs.


The one young bird is a very fair Parson Finch, but the other two are

less pronounced in their general colour. They all have the usual black

flank-stripe and black chin ; the tails are short and seem to be scpiare (but

I cannot vouch for this); and the bills of course are black or blackish.

The chin spots, although well defined, seem to be very small.


I regret that I am unable to sa}- whether any female or females among

them show the distinctive sexual mark of the female Long-tailed Grassfinch.


Reginaed Philipps.



AUSTRALIAN WOOD-SWALLOWS.


Sir,— I was much interested in Mr. Fulljames’ article in the May

Magazine, and especially in the light which he throws on the early history

ol my own birds. Once again, the danger of generalising from observations

of one or two examples of a species is instructively shewn. My birds never

recovered from their early privations, never got into really good condition,

and have always remained delicate—though it appears from Mr. Fulljames’

more extended experience that healthy specimens may be considered hardy.

A few weeks ago I lost one of my Wood Swallows from that most common

disease of caged insectivorous birds, paralysis, and I fear that the other is

going the same way. Mine, like Mr. Fulljames’, never bathe.


Horatio R. Fieemer.


PEAT MOSS LITTER.


Sir,—I consider this to be the most useful covering for the floor of

an aviary in which soft-food birds are kept; but the form in which it is

usually sold is too coarse and lumpy to be quite satisfactory for the purposes

of the aviculturist. Some of your readers may therefore be glad to know

that the Liverine Company, of Grimsby, have brought out a finely-ground

peat, specially prepared for aviaries and poultry-houses. They sell it in

small sacks at is. 6d. per sack, and it is, of course, considerably more

expensive than common peat. Horatio R. Fieemer.



