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species. “Andersson writes that these Love-birds are common

in Namaqualand, and are met with in small flocks, never far

removed from the vicinity of water. Their flight is rapid ; and

while on the wing they utter their sharp cry. Their food

consists of berries and large berry - like seeds. Instead of

making nests for themselves, they take possession of those of

other birds; but Andersson was unable to ascertain whether

they did so by dispossessing the rightful owners, or whether

they were content with deserted domiciles. The number of

eggs is not mentioned.” I feel very strongly that Andersson

was mistaken in supposing that the Rosy-face takes possession

of the nests of other birds. He was probably unaware that

the members of the Agctpornis genus of Parrots construct their

own nests; and, finding the eggs of these birds in their own

nests, he doubtless jumped to the conclusion that the nests

were those of other birds. Unfortunately I have not been able

to get hold of “Andersson” to obtain further particulars.



A ROUNDABOUT PAPER.


By Mrs. Leslie Williams.


Do any of the readers of the Avicultural Magazine

remember the “essay days” which came round so regularly

at school, I wonder? Do they recolledt how the subjedt which

was chalked up on the blackboard for juvenile wits to sharpen

themselves upon, invariably proved so rough and gritty a piece

of paving-stone that the axe of intellect resolutely refused

to put on an edge, no matter how perseveringly scraped and

moistened and ground thereon ?


Like unto those bad old days w r as the day when the order

arrived per carte postale from our honoured Secretary to the

writer, for an article wherewith gaping pages should be filled.

Behold me, most anxious to oblige, sitting down to think the

matter out. Immediately ideas in plenty occur to me about

dogs, but they, of course, would be inadmissible ; about cats—

but no, in this paper that dread subject is trebly taboo ; about

birds—not one single fact can I recall that has not been told

before, not one spicy anecdote that did not appear in last week’s

Feathered World, not even the hatching of an egg that has not

been already entered upon the Avicultural Register. Yet stay,

one of my Pigeons laid an egg yesterday. Foiled again ! (with

great stress on the vowels, and a stamp of one foot, to which

the carpet, like the stage, responds with a cloud of dust) the

Avicultural Magazine does not admit Pigeons within its sacred

arcana.



