Correspo?idence, Notes, etc.



257



then in much smaller quarters with much the same birds, which they left

alone. They are now divided off into twos and are at peace. I have hopes

that they are two pairs, as one of each two is a good deal smaller than

the other, there may be other differences but I have had little time to spare

lately with lots of work—work, most of the spare time from that being

taken up with play-work getting the aviaries ready.


Can these birds be Conures ? about which I know absolutely

nothing, nor do I know much about Parrakeets except the commoner

kinds, not having kept them and being without good books.


G. A. Perrhau.


Bakloh, Punjab, India, 10 th April, 1905.


[Your description corresponds to the Musky Lorikeet (Gtossopsittacus

concinnus). These birds are often brought over on a diet of seed alone, and

bird-dealers generally recommend this as the most suitable food for them.

If long-continued, however, it generally results in death by fits, though we

have known of cases where these birds, kept in very large outdoor

aviaries, have lived for quite a long time on seed and green food alone.

The most suitable diet, however, is milk sop, made with boiling milk

poured over crumb of bread or powdered plain biscuit and sweetened with

sugar. Plenty of ripe fruit should be given, and canary seed. A coloured

figure of this species is given in “Parrakeets.” We have never before heard

it called “Keith’s Parrakeet.”—E d.].


AUSTRALIAN BIRDS.


Sir,—I was very interested in Mr. Astley’s account of his Australian

birds, as I was expecting that there would shortly be importations of rare

birds from Australia. Worse luck, we in India only got the fringe of the

exportation so to speak. However it is so hard to get any birds one wants

here (my special hobby being Grassfiuches, Waxbills, &c., and in a lesser

degree small Parrakeets) that I fancy I was just as delighted with my lot as

Mr. Astley was with his, though I do covet his Bourke’s and Painted

Finches, and almost more than all his hen Crimson Finches (called

Blood Finches in Australia), the latter because I do hate having odd sexes

about, my solitary hen died shortly after arrival, though the two cocks

look very fit and at present are peaceable.


My lot included “Keith’s” Parrakeets, Main’-coloured Parrakeets,

Star (Rufous-tailed), Blood, Diamond, Gouldiau, Masked, Long-tailed Grass-

finches. At the same time were received through the kindness of Mr. D.

Ezra (but for whom indeed my aviaries would be very empty) some lovely

Mealy Rosellas, some Yellow Budgerigars, and some other small birds.

You can imagine my delight in getting all these birds, when I mention that

in December last my highest hopes went little further than Zebras and

Bengalese: but then the aviculturist is never quite unsatisfied. My



