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JOTTINGS FOR AUGUST.


Sir, —Since last month, I have had another nest of Zebra Finches

fly off. The old birds built a lovely nest in a bush. Another uest of four got

drowned in a heavy thunderstorm. A pair of Bengalese brought off one

youngster. Let me warn our readers against meddling with nests. It is

only requisite to touch a Zebra Finch’s nest to cause the birds to desert it

promptly. The great secret of success is to pretend never to notice a nest.


I see that my Aurora Finches have a most curious liking for aloe-

fibre; they will eat up every bit they can find.


My Diamond Finches have built a snug nest in a box, and I hope,

before long, that the hen will lay.


The young Blue Robins are coming into color and are in the pink of

health and condition.


I see that another pair of Bengalese are building, and have eggs.


Let me advise people of delicate feelings not to use wasp-grubs.

Birds like them very much ; but the awful work of getting them out

of the comb ! You have to pick each grub out separately, and it has a

horrible clammy death-like body ; and a sickening habit of coming in halves,

with a result better imagined than described. No more wasp-grubs for me.


Has anyone often seen a Combassou in full feather? I rather doubt

it; as I have one now with a tail the centre of which is quite four inches

long. I never saw such a tail on a Combassou before, and I have had many.

I fancy this must be the adult tail.


C. D. Farrar.



FOOD FOR INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS; THRUSHES; THE CAPE

CANARY; THE SONG OF THE WILD CANARY.


Sir, —Will you, or some of our members, kindly answer the following

queries :—


(1) . What is the name of a caterpillar, with greyish body and brown

head, about three-quarters of an inch long, found in dried-up cow pats? I

have found them to be much relished by my birds. As I have never read or

heard of them as being used as food for insectivorous birds, their existence

cannot be very generally known. I would strongly recommend anyone who

keeps delicate insectivorous birds to look for these caterpillars, if he can get

into a field where cows are grazed. If in turning over a dried-up cow pat

these caterpillars be not found, some slug or an earthworm may reward the

searcher.


(2) . In a small book on British Birds, I have seen it stated that there

are two varieties of the Song Thrush ; one I think described as the Wood

Thrush, and the other as the Heath Thrush. The song of the latter being

described as superior to that of the former. Are these varieties and

difference in song generally recognised ?


(3) . What is the scientific name of the Cape Canary ?


(4) . Does the song of the Wild Canary of the Canary Isles resemble

that of the domesticated bird, and which has the better song ?


C. Harrison



