268



Correspondence.



CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, ETC.



BEST FOOD FOR A SULPHUR-CRESTED TOUCAN.


Sir,—A m I feeding him correctly :—Banana, grapes, soaked raisins,

soft food, potato and orange cut up ; all of which he eats ?


Is there anv food I can use that he likes especially, to tame him well

with ? He does not care for mealworms. Any information will be grate¬

fully received. E. Warren Vernon.



JAPANESE ROBINS AT LARGE.


Sir,—A s I have already recorded in the pages of our Magazine, I

turned out a quantity of Japanese Robins (Leiothrix In tens) in the early

spring of 1907, most of which, after a month or two, disappeared. One

pair, however, nested in the garden and reared three young ones, but after

June of last year neither they or their progeny 7 were seen again.


When the great snow fall came in April of this year, a pair of these

birds, presumably the same pair that nested, put in an appearance outside

my garden aviaries, and since that have been seen amongst some thick

shrubs in the wood close at hand during this month (June), where by 7 the

chattering they 7 make, they 7 afe apparently nesting.


Where have they been throughout the period of a year ? One looked

for them, but there was no sign of them.


Hubert D. Asteey.



BULLFINCH LOSING FEATHERS.


Sir, — I n reply 7 to the question asked by 7 a member concerning a cock

Bullfinch losing his wing-featliers in one night, I think the bird had a fright

and banged about.


Some years ago I kept a pair of young Bullfinches, which I had

reared from the nest, in my bedroom, and I found that, though perfectly 7

tame and healthy 7 , they were rather subject to panics at night when the

room was dark. They would be sleeping peaceably 7 , when suddenly 7 , for no

reason whatever that could be discovered, they would wake and dash about

the cage in an ecstacy 7 of fright. I generally quieted them by striking a

light and speaking, but I almost always found that one or both of them

had knocked out their wing-feathers during the panic. Whether the alarm

was caused by one bird moving in its sleep and touching the other, or

whether it was pure night-mare I never could discover,


The feathers soon grew again, and as the birds became older and

steadier the panics ceased and they 7 only 7 lost their feathers in the usual

way by 7 moulting at the proper season. E. F. ChawneR.


This is exactly 7 the conclusion to which I came myself, on receipt of

our correspondent’s letter, and I believe I wrote to that effect.


Ed. pro. tem.



