Correspondence, Notes, etc. 115


Bower-bird advertised at 90/- per pair, having bought them myself at 10/-

in Melbourne.


I11 conclusion I would like to add that at any time I would be willing

to make exchanges, if it could be arranged for both parties to pay their

own expenses in transit.


Tasmania, Sept. 5, ’04. Mary G. Roberts.



AN OI.D BIRD FRIEND.


Sir, —Can you inform me to what age Rosellas usually attain ? I

lost one early this year which was hatched out in the Australian Spring

(Oct.) of 1876; came into my possession in April 1S77 and died 011 Feb. 22nd

1904, so that he was 27 years and 5 months old. Is this a record age ?


Judging from my written description only, Dr. W. T. Greene is of

opinion that ‘Joe} - ’ was a cross between Platycercuspallidiceps and Platycer-

cns eximius. In body plumage he was entirely A*, pallidiceps, but when I first

had him his head was bright red. At the end of his first year’s moult the

front half became yellow, and after the second year’s moult the whole head

was yellow with the exception of a patch about the size of a shilling, which

remained red all his life ; the yellow was also of a deeper hue than that of

the Mealy Rosella, being about the colour of a lemon-rind.


He was a cage-bird, and hung out of doors all day in Summer and for

a few hours on the warmest days in Winter. He was fed on Indian corn,

hemp and canary seeds, all kinds of green foods and fruits as they came in

season ; but his most particular fancy was animal fat—either fat ham or

bacon, or butter, and he used to have a lump about the size of a pea of one

or the other two or three times a week and would leave any other food to

take it. Is this liking for fat a peculiarity of Rosellas ? If so, may it not

be that in their wild state and in their native land they obtain seeds of an

oily nature which they miss when in captivity, and animal fat would supply

the want?


At any rate it agreed with ‘ Joey,’ as he never had an ailment of any

kind until after he had completed his 27th year, when his digestive powers

seemed to fail, and he had fits at intervals—the last proving fatal.


He piped two tunes and repeated many short sentences, and was

altogether a desirable little companion.


Trusting these notes may prove of interest to those of your readers

who may keep or breed Rosellas. Winifred M. Sopp.



CHANGE OF HABITS IN BIRDS UNDER NEW CONDITIONS.


Sir, —I enclose a cutting from the Australasian of 20th August, on the

subject of the behaviour of the imported Starling, which may be of interest

to some of your readers, if they have not already seen it, as I know many

of them are somewhat sceptical of birds changing their habits under new

conditions. I say I know that, from a remark not very long ago in the

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