256



Correspondence.



winter (1917) from all accounts, killed birds wholesale in that district, and

even Linnets felt it, so that the breeding pairs were less conspicuous; but, taking

it on the whole, nothing has apparently occurred that one could consider disastrous.

Being limited at present to an occasional ride in a vehicle and a short stroll on

crutches, I have been unable to go to the “correct” spots, but quite in or near

the village the birds previously mentioned were generally of frequent occurrence.

I saw and heard Green Woodpeckers repeatedly, and a “ rush ” of Water Bails were

mentioned to me.



A SPOT-BBEASTED WABBLEB NESTLING.


Dear Dr. Benshaw, — In my letter published at p. 138 of the Magazine,

mention, amongst other birds which have lost the spotted character in their adult

stage, “ many of the Warblers ” ; but these birds are everywhere stated as differin

from the true Thrushes in not having the throat and breast spotted in their nestling

plumage (I noted this as the chief distinctive character in my own book on ‘ British

Birds ! ); well, I have only succeeded in hand-rearing one of our Warblers—the

Sedge-warbler. One example died in its nestling plumage, and one I moulted in

captivity: I preserved the skins of both, and the nestling has dusky spots right

across the front of the breast. I think, therefore, that the statement that the young

of Warblers are devoid of breast-spots requires some modification. It would be

interesting to examine nestlings of other Warblers to see whether the Sedge-warbler

is an exception to the rule. I thought I would make a sketch to show 7 the spotting

on the breast of my nestling Sedge-warbler ; the irregularity of the spots may be an

indication of reversion ; but if so it is none the less interesting. (See p. 235, June,

1918.)


I have three nestling Beed-warblers and their breasts are unspotted.


124, Beckenham Road, Yours very sincerely,


Beckenham, Kent; A. G. Butler.


March 12tli, 1918.



CUBIOUS BUDGEBIGAB HYBBIDS.


Mr. C. H. A. Lienau writes : Your Blue Budgerigars must be very beautiful.

I have never seen them nor even heard of there being any in Australia. I have

seen a mention of them in books, but scarcely thought that they really existed.

A few years ago a yellow cock mated up with a green hen, and among other young

ones there were two, one yellow and one green, that only had the markings on the

wings. The rest of their plumage was clear plain yellow and green. These looked

very pretty—at least, I thought so.


In addition to the above I bred early in the season a Zebra-finch Silver-bill

hybrid. This has turned out quite a pretty bird. It more closely resembles the

Zebra-finch in markings, but is devoid of any orange colouring.



