Correspondence, Notes, <?A\



319



tlie mouth. I hoped to have been quite successful, but at any rate this is

farther than anyone else has ever got. The nest was built in a Hartz

Canary cage, and lined with felt. C. D. Farrar.


[Mr. W. H. St. Quintin has gone farther than this, a young bird,

hatched in his aviary, having been so far reared as to leave the nest, though

it did not live to feed itself. See Avic. Mag., March 1905, p. 149 .—Ed.]



FOOD OF CAGE-BIRDS IN CHINA AND JAPAN :


STRIATED AND SHARP-TAILED FINCHES.


Sir, —In the June number of Bird Notes, (Vol. IV., p. 102) Dr.

W. G. Creswell says, “Java Sparrows have been bred in cages from time

immemorial in China and Japan. Mr. Finn himself and Mr. Heselton both

tell me the inhabitants of these countries never by any chance use egg food

for their birds.” In Vol. II., p. 224, he says, “ Mr. Frank Finn tells me that

the Chinese, who, as he says, know practically all that there is to be known

respecting the keeping of cage birds, never give egg even to insectivorous-

birds.”


I wish to state that I have never said that the Chinese never give egg

to birds, nor have I ever said that they know practically all that there is to-

be known respecting the keeping of cage-birds; nor have I made any

statement whatever about the methods of feeding employed by the

Japanese. I wish, by the way, some one would tell us about these.


I11 the June number, also, on p. 195, Mr. H. R. Fillmer says I have

“ apparently mixed up Urolo 7 icha acuticauda with U. striata, for U.

acuticauda can scarcely be called ‘ dark brown,’ while U. striata is properly

so described.” I have not made any mistake here; both species are chiefly

dark brown above, but beneath U. striata shows a solid black breast and

pure white abdomen, while U. acziticauda has a dark brown breast with

lighter edges, and the abdomen pencilled with pale brown at the sides at

all events—all over in those I have seen. It thus gives a general impression

of a brown colouration, whereas the other, roughly speaking, looks black

and white at a little distance. Frank Finn.



AN UNCOMMON PARROT ( Geojfroyus cyanicollis).


Sir, —I procured the Parrot of which I enclose a coloured drawing

from the Celebes about two months ago. Our Museum books have na

record of this bird, neither have they the skin of one in their collection.

It is the first of its kind to come here, and any member giving its correct

name would greatly oblige. Perhaps The Hon. and Rev. Canon Dutton

may be able to give some information.


The bird is a great pet being very tame, and except for a call has no

particular whistle and does not talk. Some of my friends tell me it is

probably the Slaty-headed Parrakeet ( Palceornis schisticeps ) from the



