Aviary notes from South Australia.



43



pendence on the ground in a warm corner of the aviary, the parents

feeding it with great care.


The two other eggs were clear, and were evacuated from the nest.


As soon as anyone came near the aviary the male would begin

to sing and come very near one, looking very inquisitive. This he

also did when the female was incubating.


I fancy that in this way he would try to draw away the atten¬

tion of the visitors from the female or young one, in the same way as a

Crane will feign to be lame if one comes upon his young ones suddenly.


The young Tropical Seed-Finch in its first feathers closely

resembles the female, but is much paler in colour, and the white

wing-mark is not clearly defined. The bill and legs are blackish

flesh-colour, corners of bill yellowish.


Has anyone bred this species in confinement before ?



AVIARY NOTES FROM SOUTH AUSTRALIA.


By C. H. A. Lieman.


Although not a member of the Avicultural Society, I have

been a subscriber to the ‘ Avicultural Magazine ’ for some time. My

only reason for not being proposed as a candidate for election is that

I am not personally acquainted with any of the members, so that I

could not ask them to recommend me. On reading through the list

of members which was published in the November number of your

Magazine, I note that so far there are none in this State. But

being very interested in birds, and having kept most of the smaller

seed-eaters at one time or another, I am taking the liberty of sending

a few notes on the subject from South Australia, and sincerely trust

that I am not out of order in doing so.


We have several very keen fanciers in Adelaide, a number of

whom have been successful in getting young ones from some of the

rarer specimens.


Mr. R. E. P. Osborne was until recently the possessor of

the largest collection of birds here. He had a splendid lot of aviaries,

covering nearly an acre of ground altogether, in which he kept

Pheasants of all kinds, Doves, Parrots, Quail, native Pigeons, and



