5S



Mr. R. Philpipps,



remained perfect, and that not a single feather had been renewed

or even cast during the moult. The 1904 tail then being brown,

the bird, if he had lived, would not have come into colour until

this autumn, unless twelve months of doubtful health hindered

the proper development of colour. I11 the latter case one might

have supposed that at any rate some of the tail feathers would

have shown signs of black. I think it will be moderately safe to

say that in this country the male Regent does not obtain full

feather until he is about four years old or possibly not until he is

rising five.


The question is somewhat affected by the difference that

seems to exist between the time of the year during which they

moult respectively in Australia and in this country. In Australia

presumably the moulting follows the breeding season, say Feb¬

ruary—April. My Regents have frequently fallen into moult in

May, but then it has usually dragged on, not becoming decided

until about the third weelcjn July, finishing towards the middle

or end of October. Often they do not commence before July,

completing in October or November.


I have found, too, that different individuals occasionally

come into colour differently, each one following a line of his own.

I suspect that this may be accounted for by the birds being im¬

ported at various ages, and thus having had a longer or shorter

period to develop in Australia before being affected by the voyage

and our cold climate.


The early commencement of and the often protracted

moult, and the general difficulty the species experiences in

adapting itself to onr seasons, are formidable obstacles in the way

of its breeding in this country. I11 Australia the breeding season

is November—January. In this country it regards our com¬

paratively cool summer as winter and towards its close prepares

for breeding, but is stopped by the increasing cold and shortening

days. To put it another way ; the season when the Regents,

both male and female, are most active with their bowers and

love-parlours is also their season of moult, which is ridiculous

upon the face of it.


In January, 1903, I received five Regents within a few days

of their arrival in this country. When handled, I noticed a



