372



Mr. G. A. Heumann,



hardy and live for many years in the aviary, always being first to

fly on one’s hand or shoulders when entering the flight. I had

hoped to make some exchanges with them, but the man who took

them told me on his return that he could not exchange or sell them

in England and got rid of them only on the return voyage in Italy.

Needless to say I have not made another such experiment.


The Wren (Malums) species are of course every one’s favourites

because every one knows them. To see them hop through the low

bushes with their long tails carried almost straight, or to notice the

cock bird in his blue and black costume sitting on the top of a rail

or branch calling and singing to his flock is certainly a fine picture.

They are always travelling in families with one coloured out cock

bird to lead them ; the Blue Wren is the most common and found

almost everywhere around Sydney. There is an impression that

because they have been landed once in a way in England they are

hardy birds and easy to keep. This is a fallacy. Generally speak¬

ing they are as soft as Robins, but during the winter months will

take more readily to food. Once, however, they are used to the new

surroundings and food they live well and breed easily, they will then

feed their young on almost anything soft. They seldom get a meal¬

worm from us and yet the young thrive quite well on cake, bread

and milk, mixed food with plenty of ants’ eggs, raw minced beef,

flies, &c. Of course in our aviaries they catch a lot of flying insects

which naturally help to prolong their lives. During certain times in

the year they lose their bright plumage, generally between April and

July, but in captivity they often never change. A good Blue Wren

is a fine little bird, but a Lambert Wren with its chestnut-coloured

back and wings and its royal purple face and saddle is even more

brilliant. This bird wants to be seen by artificial light, it shows off

the colours magnificently. The Lamberts are much rarer, in fact

very scarce birds and inhabit mountainous slopes. I once watched

a nest of them with two young and to my surprise I noticed two

coloured cock birds and only one hen feeding the babies. Up

north, on the Brunswick and Tweed river, I get my Scarlet-backed

Wrens. These like marshy country and they take some finding,

though fairly abundant. Driving along the road towards dusk I used

to watch for them going to their roosting place, generally a thick



