Correspondence, Notes, etc. 45


memories which on a search of my records resulted in the discovery of the

following note:


15 th Oct., 1S96. “Observed that White-throated Finches were feed¬

ing one young one, which seemed nicely strong.”


I have no further note on the subject, but I have a distinct recollec¬

tion that the youngster was then out of the nest and ultimately became an

entirely independent citizen of the aviary. I did not think the event of

any more interest at the time than if the young bird had been a Zebra

Finch or a Cut-throat, hence I took no more note of it. The race has

become extinct in our aviary, and I have not thought it worth while to

replace the birds at the ordinary market price. I may add that they proved

to be hardy in a well sheltered garden aviaiy.


I have had Cordon-bleus hatch young ones which they failed to

bring up, and have had a nest of six strong healthy St. Helena Waxbills

come out in fine condition. Both these occurred some years ago. Our

birds have not done so well lately. Chas. L. RoTheua.


NOTES ON THE WILD CANARY.


(Continued from p. 382).


Sir, —In the September issue of Bird Notes, Dr. Creswell at last gives

the description of the Wild Canary, elaborated from the British Museum

Catalogue of Birds, and again states that there is 110 mention of green.


Prof. Newton in his “Dictionary of Birds,” p. 71, says “The wild

stock is of an olive-green, mottled with dark brown above, and greenish-

yellow beneath,” while Mr. Astley (from whom Dr. Creswell has also quoted)

writing in the Avicultural Magazine, New Ser., Vo] I., p. 48, remarks “and

a very pretty sight and sound it is to see perhaps hundreds of these little

greenish-grey birds sitting on the still bare stems of a large fig-tree amongst

the wild desert-like ground.”


Seebolim, Hist, of Brit. Birds, Vol. 2, p. Si, gives the description as

follows, “ It has the crown yellowish-green, narrowly streaked with blackish

brown ; the feathers of the back and upper tail-coverts are blackish brown,

broadly margined with grey, and marked with olive-green; forehead and

rump bright yellowish-green; wing-coverts blackish brown, tipped and

margined with olive-green .”


All three of the authorities quoted above distinctly mention green in

the colouration of the bird, and I should think that if Dr. Creswell will

compare them with the Museum Catalogue description even the apparent

discrepancy would be found not to exist. Scarcely any two people describe

colours exactly the same, and for this reason a great number now refer to

Ridgw'ay’s “ Nomenclature of Colours” when writing a description, and I

imagine that ashy-brown washed with yellow and asliy'-brown washed with

olive yellow, etc., as given in his description w r ould give a result which nine

persons out of ten would describe as olive-green.



