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young are gaping for food. I did not have the opportunity of noticing

whether, in the case of young Parrot Finches, these palate-marks exist. I

have just been looking at some newly-hatched Gouldiau Finches, and, in

the semi-darkness of their nest-boxes, these jewel-like beads were very

noticeable—in fact, the idea suggests itself whether they are of service

in indicating to the parent bird where food has to be placed. Some of our

members may have noticed whether similar decorations exist about the

mouths of other species building in holes or covered nests.


W. H. ST. Quintin.



Sir,—R eferring to Mr. St. Quintin’s letter, I had satisfied myself that

I, or rather the parents, had successfully reared some young Parrot Finches

or I should not have made the statement that appears on page 199. As I

stated, I began with four adult birds, and on August 16th I saw five, so that

settles the matter. Of these five, two appeared to me to be young birds; on

September nth, I saw a group of six, so I was right on this point also.


My inner aviary is as full of small trees, shrubs, and bushes as it is

possible each spring to stock it with, many dying each 3-ear ; and my

luxuriant spring crops of wheat, oats, grass, rape, etc., etc. mostly perish

as the summer goes by, on account of the over-crowding. So thick is

the foliage that it is exceedingly difficult to get a fair view of the birds,

especially of such restless creatures as Parrot Finches, who are all over the

place, and who delight before everything else in creeping like mice through

the very thickest of the ground vegetation, sometimes the whole flock

being completed buried in a patch of long grass, which they honey-comb

with field-mouse-like runs : doubtless they are in search of minute insects.

In addition to the vegetation, the double wire-netting obstructs the view;

and my eyes are no longer young. Moreover, stretching across nearly half

the aviary, at about two-thirds from the front, there still stands what was

once the “gymnasium ; ’’ years ago this was turned into a triangular bird-

structure, the favourite haunt of the Mynahs; and now it is covered with

Virginia creeper, and, with some elder bushes, completely cuts off from

sight the back of the aviary. During the nesting-season, I never intrude

into this sanctum, and sometimes lose sight of shy species for weeks.


These two young birds were fairly advanced when first noticed, the

throat patch being of considerable size, and of the colour of that of the

face of the female Red-faced Dove-bird. They also had a good show of

dingy red in the rear, the green , especially of the under parts, being of a dull,

almost blackish, tinge.


I have since thrown open the doors which connedl the two parts of

the aviary; and now the little birds come right up to the house, but dart

off into the thicket if the garden door be opened.


On October 6tli, on peeping into the aviary through a window, I

found another brood of three, whose squeaks had been heard for some days,

on the grass just below me. These were babies indeed, one being scarcely

able to fly ; but all, like the first lot, had a certain amount of dingy red

behind ; and they farther differed from Mr. St. Quiutin’s birds in that not one,

not one of the whole five in fact, had the dingy yellowish brown extending

to the belly or anything like it. Two, who are very independent, have



