Correspondence



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carrying out a series of flying attacks round its head, while the brood

of young birds were hurrying away as quick as their little legs could

carry them into a safer place. This assault it continued, flying round

the dog at about the level of its head (it was a sheep-dog), until it

apparently considered its young were at a safe distance, and when the

dog, being vociferously cursed and abused by me, began to retreat,

it then joined its young some yards away.


As afore-stated, the action of the two parent Partridges was, when

seen by me, very different—the one retreating in flight from the scene

of danger to its young ones, the other vigorously attacking and counter¬

attacking the offending dog. Personally, I should think the latter was

more likely to be the female. It would be of interest to hear from other

members who keep either the Francolins or the'Tree Partridges, or

any birds more or less allied to our British Partridge, how they have

behaved when their young were threatened with danger — more

especially as to whether there was any difference of behaviour in the

parent birds ?


Frederick D. Welch.


July 15, 1922.



BRITISH BIRDS IN AUSTRALIA

Sirs, —It is interesting to realize how numerous some British birds

are in Victoria and different parts of Southern Australia; they are-rapidly

increasing in every way. Take, for instance, the ordinary English

Sparrow ; it is found everywhere now in Southern Australia, and is

also working its way over to Western Australia. Take also the English

Starling ; in Victoria we have them in thousands, and largely in our

Zoo, the same in South Australia, and they have now found their

way to New South Wales and Southern Queensland. There is a great

deal of trouble with regard to them, as they are keen on fruit, and as so

many orchards exist here they naturally cause a good deal of bother,

various means being used to destroy them. Then, again, Blackbirds

are also getting plentiful, especially in parts of Victoria ; they are

remarkably tame, but one does not hear many complaints regarding

them. A few Thrushes are also found here, but they do not increase

in the same way as Blackbirds do ; they are also found in the more



