i6o



Correspondence.



The food of the species of Hemixus in a wild state appears to consist

entirely of berries aud insects. Until one is sure of the identity of Mrs.

Vernon’s Grey Bulbul, it is impossible to discover either its habitat or par¬

ticulars respecting its habits. A. G. BuTl/ER.



FOOD FOR LORIES AND LORIKEETS.


Sir, —Since I wrote to you on the subject of some experiments I had

made on the food of lories, I have been trying experiments on an everyday

diet for these birds.


The result of my trials is, that for some considerable time past all my

lories and lorikeets have been fed on equal parts of milk, barley-water aud

pure water, poured on to powdered plain biscuit, aud boiled and sweetened.


The barley-water seems to prevent the milk curding. An examination

of the excreta shows that in the case of every bird the digestion is quite

perfect. The barley water seems to suit so well, that possibly the milk

could be nearly or quite abolished.


The birds are fed twice daily, and each bird gets about three table-

spoonsful of the liquid to one teaspoonsful of biscuit at each meal.


I also, of course, give fruit.


You may like to know that I have a pair of Red-necked Lorikeets

nesting. E. J. Brook.



WOOD-SWALLOWS KILLING MICE.


Sir, —I wonder whether any of those who may have kept the White¬

eyebrowed Wood-Swallows in their aviaries have found that these birds are

killers of mice!


I have some Wood-Swallows in a division of a twenty-compartment

aviary, and I do not suppose they see many mice, for I am not much

bothered with these pests; but the only two mice that have been seen to

go into this compartment have been promptly killed by r one or other of the

Wood-Swallows.


The birds spit the mice through the head with one blow of their

beaks, and then hide the body for future use, when tender.


The birds do not seem vicious with other species so far as I have

noticed, though the only birds they have had to associate with are Scarlet

Tanagers. E. J. Brook.



BREEDING REDPOLLS.


Sir,—I had bought a pair of Lesser Redpolls in the early spring of

1898 aud turned them into the aviary. The cock bird died shortly after¬

wards. Some months later, 011 my return in May or June, the gardener



