204



On the Cinnamon Tree- Spa-now.



the nest soon after our arrival, and the old ones were making

preparations for second broods before we left. The day before

leaving I took the clap-nets and the young as call birds to a

colony about a quarter of a mile away. I was rewarded with a

fine old cock almost at once, but never another chance did I get

all day. My trapping paraphernalia is much improved and I

would back myself to do better another time. This bird had no

trace of yellow. He was certainly not a bird of that year, for my

young cock took some time to get his black throat and red head

and back, though I regret I did not record his progress. Of

course he might have be^eii a one year old, but some must have

been older amongst the ones I watched through the glasses.


On looking up the book I came to the conclusion that my

birds were P. rutilans. I meant to write to the Bombay Natural

History Society about it, but got no chance of sending skins. My

request for Sparrows with reddish heads procured me several birds

but they were Buntings (stracheyi zwdstewarti'). The young turned

out two hens and a cock. About the beginning of December I

think my birds shewed yellow, brighter in the cocks and were un¬

doubted cin?iamomeus. This pleased me greatly, taking into con¬

sideration that I had caught them to take home as pretty aviary

birds, and the yellow made all the difference in their appearance.

I regretted I could not record rutilans, but am pleased to be able

to record an interesting change of plumage, though I do not care

to tie myself down till I have made a series of skins from the

same locality and kept them alive throughout the year again,,

making more careful notes.


In March, 1908, when caging my birds to take home, I

found the yellow to be much duller, and by the time they went

to Mr. Teschemaker, early in May I think, they showed very

little yellow. I am much looking forward to the notes he is now

writing, and still more to those I hope he will give us later on to

see if his experience agrees with mine. I did not mean to men¬

tion my experience in public till I had more to go 011, but it

seems a pity not to mention it when on the subject. I meant ta

have looked up the skins at the Nat. Hist. Museum, but somehow

have not managed to get time. Being for a time a man of lesiure

I never do seem to have time for half the things I want to do. I



