The following Reply was sent to Mr. Harrison


(1) . The grubs are probably larvae of rove-beetles ( Staphylinidce) ; the

so-called Devil’s coach-horse is a member of the group : many insec¬

tivorous birds feed on grubs of beetles, and upon the beetles themselves,

which are to be found in manure.


(2) . I11 small books on British birds a good deal of nonsense is often


printed, as (for instance) that the brown, the grey, and the red Linnets are

distinct species.


The only Thrushes commonly met with in Great Britain are the true

Song-Thrush, the Red-wing, the Fieldfare, the Missel-Thrush, the Ring-

Ouzel, and the Blackbird. White’s Thrush, sometimes called the “Golden

Thrush,” is an occasional visitor, and single specimens of one or two others,

which may have escaped from confinement, have been shot in the British

Isles.


The common Song-Thrush is neither confined to woods nor to

heaths, and its song varies immensely in quality, in different individuals.


(3) . The scientific name of the Cape Canarj' is Serinus canicollis*


(4) . The song of the Wild Canary is inferior to that of the domesti¬

cated bird, as might be expected after centuries of careful training and

selection ; but this statement must be accepted with reservations, for some

Canaries are far better singers than others, and hand-reared Canaries make

wretched singers, unless taught by good performers : lastly, to my ear, the

song of a wild bird, if not (stribtly speaking) so good as that of its domesti¬

cated product, may be, as a whole, more pleasing, more abounding in

quaint surprises, than the stereotyped phrases which one alwaj^s expedts to

hear from the descendants of cage-birds. With the exception of the Hartz-

mountain Roller, most tame Canaries sing a good deal alike.


A. G. BuTRER.



BUDGERIGARS.


Sir, — I have some 22 or 23 pairs of Budgerigars in my aviaries, and

my breeding results have, so far, been very satisfactory, so much so that I

cannot count the young ones accurately—but somewhere between 150 and

200 have already left the nests, and the old ones are busy hatching out their

third set of eggs.


Twice, a couple of hens nested in the same husk; once rearing

successfully seven young ones, and the second time deserting the nest when

five young ones were not fully fledged. In another husk two hens reared a

nest of eight. In both these cases the two hens seemed to agree well

together.


I have had several nests of eight reared by one hen.


In most cases the young leave the nest in full plumage, but in three

or four cases the parents pluck the crowns of the young ones bare each

nest, and they leave the nest bald-headed, but soon regain full plumage.



* The name of “ Cape Canary” has however been indiscrimately, but incorrectly,

given to the St. Helena Seed-eater, the Sulphur Seed-eater, and the Alario-finch or

Mountain Canary of the Boers : possibly Mr. Harrison may mean one of these.


A. G. B.



