380



Hybrid buntings.



Three or four species of BROTOGERYS. (XX. 253. B.prrhopterus. Tui, Tovi, etc.


Some small ground doves, Chamcepelia cruziana (PERUVIAN GROUND DOVE).

A rare bittern, and still rarer owl, Gisella harrisi (HARRIS’S OWL). Face,

lores and underparts, sandy chestnut. Top of head and upper parts rich

mahogany brown with white spots on wings. Eyes mahogany brown, feet

flesh colour and slender. Medium size.


An assortment of monkeys, squirrels, etc. complete the consignment, and with

this (Dr. Hopkinson writes) I will end, instead of closing with the time-

honoured sentence, “ and in addition a large number of the more commonly

imported species,” which usually terminates accounts of recent arrivals.

With this lot, however, there is nothing even approaching the ‘ common.’

As living birds the great majority must be first arrivals, while many no

doubt are rarities as skins.



HYBRID BUNTINGS.


By Bernard C. Thomasset.


This summer two interesting hybrids have been reared in my

aviary. They were bred from a cock indigo and a hen nonpareil

bunting. For two years the parents had been in different divisions

of the aviary. This spring, as they seemed to be courting through

the wire netting, I put them together.


Very soon they paired. The nonpareil built a neat open

nest of twigs, coarse grass and wool. It was placed on a flat pine

branch in the shelter shed. Three eggs were laid and two young

ones were hatched. These were fed by the mother on ants’ eggs,

mealworms and gentles, and on the eleventh day they left the nest.


The nonpareil was a model parent, most tame and confiding,

though before she went to nest she had always been a very shy bird.


As far as I could see, the young were never fed from the

crop. All food was carried in the beak.


Until twelve days after they left the nest, live insects only

seemed to be given. On the twelfth day I watched the nonpareil

shelling hemp and canary seed, giving it to the young ones from her

beak. It was not regurgitated. The indigo finch never fed the

young, but spent most of his time chasing and fighting with some

grassfinches which shared his quarters.


When fully fledged the hybrids resembled hen indigo buntings,

with markings, I think, less defined. I hope that one at least may



