158



Correspondence



not always easy to get a copy of any special number where a bird or

group of birds a person is interested in have been written about.

I should also like to suggest that if Mr. Heuniann has a photograph

of a male, female, and chick which he has bred, they should be printed

in a future number of the Magazine to jDreserve a record, because it seems

to be not unlikely these birds may become extinct owing to their

defenceless nature and helplessness.


As to the adult in the London Gardens, I never saw it attempt to use

its wings in flight, which suggests the species had lost the knowledge

as to how they were formerly used ; nor did it even attempt to raise

them in like manner as the allied so-called Sun Bittern (Eurypyga

helias) of South America does, standing in self-defence when other birds

attempt to interfere with it, but the Kagu only crouched into a half¬

standing position (as some domestic fowls do when alarmed) when

approached by strangers who tried to handle it, and made no attempt

to resist interference.


On this subject I cannot find any information in the books by me

now ; but judging from the attitude of the Kagu in the Gardens in

London, it seemed to me as probable that the species had lost the use

of wings owing to living century after century in an island home (New

Caledonia) in the Pacific Ocean ; and where, so far as I am aware,

there are none of the flesh-eating marsupials known as Dasyures and

their allies, which mammals are presumably frequently stalking birds

on the Australian mainland, and in doing so keeping their wings in

good order by making them use these parts, in addition to their legs,

to escape mammalian enemies. Is this opinion of mine about Kagus

having, as a species, lost the use of their wings supported by observa¬

tion on other birds ?


Frederick D. Welch.


THE QUEEN ALEXANDRA PARRAKEET {POLYTELLS


ALEX AN DR/E)


Sirs, —By what right does Mr. Matthews take upon himself to

change the specific name of the Princess of Wales Parrakeet, or, as it

naturally afterwards was called, the Queen Alexandra ? I have more

than once protested against the name being altered to that which



