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arises. At the least alarm they are instantly silent, but as soon

as this is comprehended, they again commence their noise.

Occasionally they are combined with other species of the family,

and then the concert produced by all together is even more

complete.


“This Starling nests in April and May, constructing its

nest on slenderly branched sites on the trees, or on the leaf-

sheathes of palms, or between the large leaves of the Bromelias

living as parasites on the trees, of dry plants, hair, feathers, etc.

The laying consists of four eggs.”


Thieuemann describes the eggs as somewhat elongated,

not symmetrical, grey-greenish-white, sparsely dotted with grey

and black-brownish points, which are wanting at the apex, but

numerous at the base, which is covered by a large brown patch

and small black-brown dots. Length 22 mm. breadth 14 mm.


The nest which was built in captivity, was so deep that

only the bills of the young birds could be seen, so that the

nestling plumage could not be described : but five days after

leaving the nest, the young birds chiefly differed from their

parents in their inferior size and yellowish wing-coverts.



THE IMPORTATION OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS, AND

OTHER NOTES.


By Geo. Carrick.


The actual difficulties to be surmounted on ship board

during the transit of birds from the Antipodes are many and

varied, and probably a rough sketch of the average trip might

interest not a few. Having selected your stock and received the

same on board, all seems well while on the coast with nice warm

weather and plenty of sunshine, but after leaving Adelaide and

clearing Kangaroo Island, the land dips to the North West,

while the ship keeps on her Westerly course and immediately

plunges into the Great Australian Bight with its very change¬

able and boisterous weather, the thermometer invariably di'opping

often 15 0 to 25° in one night; the sky becomes overcast, heavy

w 7 eather sets in, and the ship starts plungingand rolling heavily;

the cages and boxes are stacked away as snugly as possible, but

alwa}^s in some corner where the only light they have is through

a ioin. or i2in. port hole, which, with every other roll of the

ship, is under water ; so little light penetrates the cages, that



