Correspo?ide?ice.

BIRD NEWS.*



22



J



The first number of the journal published by The Avi-

cultural Society of California, of which a notice appeared in our

last issue (p. 193), is to hand and gives promise of a useful

publication. As might have been expected this first number

deals with what might be termed very elementary aviculture, but,,

as the membership increases, the Committee will doubtless greatly

improve their magazine. We wish them every success, and feel

sure that whenever an opportunity occurs the members of our

Avicultural Societjr will offer them a helping hand.


THE BIRDS OF KENT.


Those of our members and readers who are specially interested in

British birds, and more particularly those living in the South-Eastern

counties, will be glad to know that our member Dr. Norman Ticehurst has

completed the manuscript of, and will shortly publish, an exhaustive work

on the birds of Kent, the county closest to the Continent and therefore of

especial ornithological importance. Dr. Ticehurst is one of the best and

most careful of present day working ornithologists, and we have no doubt

that his book will rank with the best of the numerous volumes that have

appeared on the avifauna of the British Isles. We understand that the

published price of this book, which will run to some 600 pages and be well

illustrated, will be 21/-, but that if subscribed for in advance the price will

be 16/- post free. Messrs. Witlierby and Co. (326 High Holborn) are the

publishers.



CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, ETC.


THE SEX OF STANLEY PARRAKEETS.


Sir, —Is there any difference in colour of cock and hen Stanley

Parrakeets when adults? Mr Payne, at Bath, assured me when I bought

mine about 12 months ago that there was no difference, so he and I went

through his stock and selected one with a large head and without doubt a

cock, and another with a finer head and altogether more “benny” look,

but alike in colour except that the cock has some red on the back between

the shoulders and the other has not. I had little doubt my birds were a

pair until I saw those at the Crystal Palace Show, where I noticed the hens

had scarcely any red on them. Now I should be glad to know if the hens

at the Palace were very young birds, or if mine are two cocks.


C. P. Arthur.


[Until Messrs. Payne and Wallace imported their fine stock of this



* Bird News. Published by The Avicultural Society of California, 717, Market Street,


San Francisco.



