44



Correspondence, Notes, etc.



The bird is of powerful build, about the size of a Russian Bullfinch,

the body is a rich black, whilst the chest is deep crimson. The beak is

dark blue edged with crimson.


A bird of the same family and identical colouring, but with bright

white spots on the black lower part of its body was frequently believed to

be a different species of the same genus.


On referring to my old papers I find that I had a good deal of cor¬

respondence about these birds in 1S7S with my friend the late Dr. Carl Russ

of Berlin.


I find that I reported to Dr. Russ in 1S78 that I had lost a Red-breasted

Grosbeak without spots, and that as I was uncertain about its sex I had

sent the body to the “British Ornithological Union” for dissection (Mr.

Gill was then probably not yet practising). It was found that my Grosbeak

without spots was a male.


When I subsequently obtained a Red-breasted Grosbeak without

spots and one with spots, the) 7 built a nest together, though I did not

observe their pairing, nor did I obtain any eggs. But when I put an

additional supposed male into the aviary, furious combats ensued and I had

to take out the second spotless (male) individual very quickly to save its life.


Though these birds came from a ver-y hot region, they proved fairly

hardy when once acclimatised. They are quiet and rather retiring birds,

who love to spend much of their time in a leafy bush. I found them not

nearly so quarrelsome as their powerful frame and their rather loud highly

ornamental colouring would lead one to expect. As food I gave them

millet and Canary seed, with some spray millet and half-a-dozen mealworms

daily, which they seemed to me to require. With this treatment their

plumage soon became perfect, although in winter the temperature of my

aviary sometimes fell to between 40 and 50° Falir.


The colouring of immature birds is dark brown. I believe the two

birds brought home by Mr. Hamlyu to be fully developed males.


The late Dr. Russ called the Red-breasted Grosbeak without spots

Spennestes hceniatina, and the spotted kind (believing it to be another

species of the same genus) Spennestes luchsi. Other writers give this Gros¬

beak the following names: Spermophaga cyannorhyncha, Spennospi~a

hceniatina, Loxia hceniatina, Fringilla punctulata, Loxia guttata, Sper-

niospiza guttata, etc., which will show that some simplification of Zoo¬

logical nomenclature would be welcome, if it could be brought about.


Aug. F. Wiener.



SUCCESSFUL NESTING OF THE WHITE-THROATED

FINCH AND ST. HELENA WAX BILL.


Sir, — I have been interested by Mr. Farrar’s amusing report of the

successful nesting of his White-throated Finches. The perusal awakened



