232



Correspondence.



A LARGE BLACK AND YELLOW TROUPIAL.



Sir,—I see by the Avicultural Magazine that you are good enough to

answer queries about members’ birds. I have had offered me a large Yellow and

Black Troupial, and wondered if it would live in my outside aviary with an

Amber and Black Hangnest, pair of Afra Doves, Mandarin Starlings, Californian

Quail, etc., also would it winter outside here? My aviary is a fair size and

sheltered with glass shutters during the winter. P. BARLOW-MASSICH6.


The following reply has been sent to Miss Barlow-Massichs :—


By “ a large yellow and black Troupial,” as distinct from a Hangnest, I

presume that you are speaking of a Cassique—probably either Cassicus persicus

or fnelanicterus.


Although the Cassiques and Hangnests are regarded as purely fruit and

insect-eaters, I am satisfied that both are predatory upon weaker and smaller

animals ; for one of my Common Hangnests, after catching a Cordon-bleu on the

wires of its aviary, nearly tearing it to pieces and partly devouring its head,

attempted the same thing with a Zebra-finch, which, however, escaped with the

loss of two or three bunches of feathers. Later on the same bird killed and

partially devoured a small mouse which entered its aviary.


Of Cassicus persicus we read that Schlechtendal turned one loose in a room

with his African and Indian Starlings and it drove them about in the wildest

terror and so mauled them that he was obliged to remove it to a cage. I should

therefore not be inclined to trust one of these birds with anything less powerful

or more timid than itself.


In a sheltered aviary a Cassique would probably be able to stand the

winter : most Starlings are pretty hardy. A. G. BUTLER.



MIGRATION INSTINCT IN CAGE BIRDS.


SIR, — I send you a note on the migration instinct in case other members

have noticed similar points. My male Blackcap, which is now two years old,

began to sing at the beginning of January. Throughout February and half of

March he was in fairly full song. He then began to slacken. About three

weeks ago he practically stopped singing, and instead took to fluttering almost

continuously by night. He then came gradually into song again, but still

(20fch April) flutters slightly, and is not yet singing properly. Evidently following

the change of diet which he would experience by migration, he will now eat

mealworms readily, though before this season and throughout the winter he

could hardly be induced to interest himself in one. 0. J. STONE.


[I remember having a Blackcap years ago, which always fluttered by night

during the spring migration, although I do not recall that the bird did so in the

Autumn. EDITOR.]



