136



Correspondence.



Mr. Wormald also noticed the tendency of this species to become

bald, but attributed it at the time to his birds having struck the netting

when alarmed by Owls at night.


I am glad to hear that at least one member thinks well of my sug¬

gestion that there is much to be accomplished in the way of breeding

indigenous species and that the latter are no whit less interesting than

foreigners.


Altogether, Mr. Wormald’s letter with some account of his Waders

and some excellent sketches of the display of the Ruff has interested me

greatly. W. E. TeSChemakkr.



The following proof of the previous breeding of the Hedge-Accentor

in captivity appeared in Canary and Cage Bird Life for January 17th : —


In “ Here and There” you ask, Have Dunnocks or Hedge Sparrows

been bred in captivity ? Well, I know of one instance. About 1894 or 1S95,

there lived 011 Unsworth Moor, near Darlington, a man named Brown, who

was a retainer in some capacity to the Unsworth Moor branch of the Pease

family. A pair of Dunnocks had their nest in the quicksets by his cottage,

and the hen was so deep sitting that she would let you pick her off. Brown

had a large all-wire ferret hutch, and into this he put branch, nest, and hen,

and the same day he caught the cock by the simple expedient of rolling up

strips of the “ sticky ” paper flycatcher, and thus liming him. The hen did

not budge from her eggs after being taken from Brown’s pocket and gently

put on to them. The cock hopped about the improvised aviary quite con¬

tentedly, and later the brood was hatched, and when old enough all the lot,

seven birds, including the old birds, were let free one fine autumn day.

The youngsters grew quite strong and big. The old ones did not attempt

to make a second nest, and all the time they were in durance they were fed

on birdcage refuse, and duck food, the latter made from meal of some kind

and boiled potatoes, and caterpillars from the nasturtiums and other plants

in the garden. Brown had a stud of blue Canary Lizards of a deep smoke-

blue colour—the only birds of this kind I ever have seen ; and from the

gleanings amongst the waste from the cages of these birds, it is possible

the Dunnocks were able to pick up quite a goodly proportion of seeds.

They always looked well, anyhow.— Edward Wirriams.



FOOD FOR LORIES.


Sir,—T hose who may prefer to have a wrinkle gratis, to buying their

experience, may be glad to know of a food I have always found perfectly

satisfactory' with lories.


Take dried fig and pour boiling water over it. Do the same with bun :

strain the bun. Take the fig and mash it up with double the quantity of

soaked bun.



