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mixture of canary, hemp, millet, oats, and crushed maize,

according to variety. Lorikeets always boiled bread and milk

(Nestle’s condensed) first thing daily, which generally lasts them

two to three hours; canary seed remainder of day. On this diet

I find Swainsons’ and the Scaly-breasted do very well, but the

Musky Lorikeet and some others will never touch the seed, so

have fruit (bananas or ripe pears) instead when procurable. For

insectivorous birds, I have no hard and fast rule, their treatment

is so variable, but for the general stock food I use that recom¬

mended by Mr. Fulljames in Vol. iv, pages 44-5, with fruit or

mealworms where necessary. I take a particular delight in

getting my birds into, and landing them in faultless condition

when possible, and generally succeed, as very few die soon after

importation, and this considering I always carry most delicate

and rare stock.


With reference to Mr. Fillmer’s article 011 Wood Swallows

in the December number of Avicultural Magazine , probably that

gentleman will be glad to learn that his conjecture was correct

in thinking they were hand reared ; I reared them from the nest,

and perhaps he will be more surprised to learn that the parents

are the pair first possessed by Mr. Fulljames and exhibited

several times by him.


In the March number of Magazine, Mr. Farrar has an

article on the Lunulated Honey Eater, in which he principally

refers to the diet. Now, I have imported many Honey Eaters,

including the Warty-faced Yellow-tufted (Ptilotis auricomus)

also P. lewinii, the Bell bird (Manorhina melanophrysJ Black-

capped (Melithreptus atricapillus) and the Garrulous. I tried

them all on pure honey which they one and all took to greedily,

refusing to taste any other food while honey remained, but

never found them do well on it; besides I found it impossible to

keep the birds clean if kept in cages. The Larger Honey Eaters

are easily kept and will partake of any good insectivorous food

with addition of fruit and mealworms.


The Smaller Honey Eaters are much harder to cater for,

but I find they do fairly well on bread and milk-sop sweetened

with honey. I shall be glad to hear at the end of the season how

Mr. Farrar succeeds with his Lunulated Honey Eaters in his

garden aviary.



