370



Mr. G. A. Heumann ;



keeping of them is a different matter and few birds will want such

care and attention as these. Another drawback is that they will

lose colour after moulting, though I have had them to go through it

and come out as bright as the best of them in nature. The loveliest

amongst them is no doubt the Rosebreast, and the species from the

north of N.S.W. is the brightest : chest a deep rose pink, the rest a

pearly silver grey. A glorious little bird. The few I have had of

them have given me untold pleasure.


The Red-capped comes next. It is the smallest of the robin

tribe and oh so delicate, but most lovely ! Crown of head scarlet

also breast, abdomen white, rest black with white bar across the

wings. The hen is greyish brown with a maroon patch on the top

of the head, the young are like her. They like flat brush country,

Tee tree or other low scrub; like all robins they only live in pairs or

singles! It takes a long time to locate a pair of this species. The

Scarlet-breasted Robin is I think the brightest, the most gorgeous of

them, being larger and therefore showing more red. To see them sit

on a sunny morning on stumps out in the open flat, they remind one

of soldier sentinels in their black uniform, the shining red breast¬

plate and the white patch on the forehead for a helmet. His relation,

the Flame-breast, is dark silver grey with a light brick reddish-pink

chest and abdomen. To see these birds in their native state is

worth a trip to Australia. They are just too lovely for words. I

am sure if they could be got to England they would do well out

in the open, since they are cold climate birds, as it were, coming

during the colder months only and returning towards the snowy

mountains during the hot summer months. During' cold winters I

have fed them personally in the Blue Mountains when snow was

on the ground with crumbs which they took greedily. Yet try them

that way in captivity and they will surely die the first day.


The Black and White or Hooded Robins are the largest of

the Robin tribe in N.S.W. They are very handsome birds, similar

to the White-shouldered Caterpillar eater, but they remained always

wild with me and I cannot say that they are amongst my favourite

birds. Robins of any kind, in spite of their gorgeous plumage, even

in their wild state, do not impress me as being so buoyant in spirit

as some birds. Their feathers are never as sleek and trim as those



