Correspondence , Notes, etc.



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extent. But I argue that a set of say Chaffinch’s eggs, hatched and reared

by saj' some other species of the Fringillides, would, when mature, sing the

characteristic song and build the characteristic nest of their own species,

providing that they had suitable (and natural) opportunities of doing so.”


It seems to me that in the case of nest-building, instinct, or heredity,

alone guides the nest-builders in their task. It can hardly be supposed

that, when a bird arrives at the age at which nature dictates that it shall

proceed to accomplish the chief event of its life, it can remember the

details of the nest it was reared in, and which it left long before it was able

to fend for itself. With song, however, it is different. A bird taken from

the nest and reared by hand, which is unable to hear the song of others of

its own species, will produce an indifferent song, resembling in its principle

notes the characteristic song of its kind, but lacking the variety of detail to

be heard in the song of a truly wild bird that has had the opportunity of

learning from the songs of wild birds of its own species. The hand-

reared bird, moreover, will be quick to learn the notes of other species that

it may happen to hear, or in fact any sound that may be often repeated.

There can therefore be little doubt that the song of most birds at least is, to

a very large extent, the result of imitation, though every song-bird possesses

by inheritance a more or less inferior song of its own. D. Seth-Smith.



FLOWERS, FTC. AS FOOD FOR BIRDS.


Sir, —I find that many birds, especially Parrots and Parrakeets, are

very fond of flowers. A Sliama swallowed down three or four rose petals

when I dropped them into his cage; and my Queen Alexandra, Many-

coloured, and Redrump Parrakeets delight in nibbling at daisy and dande¬

lion blossoms, and also chrysanthemums, etc.


A walk in the woods and by the hedgerows will enable one to pick a

varied menu in the shape of hips and haws and seed pods of different

kinds. I tried a King Parrot with fresh olives, and he ate them greedily,

although he ‘ made faces ’ over the bitterness thereof.


In Italy, where one can buy cheaply plenty of pomegranates, the birds

are extremely fond of the beautiful crimson seeds, which are so juicy.


A varied diet is most necessary for nearly all birds, and one has only

to see their eagerness when a large bunch of salad and dessert is put into

their cages or aviary, to know how much they appreciate it.


Hubert D. Asteey.


THE GENUS APROSMICTUS.


Sir, —I should be grateful if any of our members could inform me

whether the following Parrots are rightly true members of the genus



