288



Correspondence, Notes, etc.



NEW BOOKS.



NATURE TONES AND UNDERTONES*


The author of this book is a true student of nature and

knows well how to describe what he sees. His book consists of

a series of sketches of wild country life which are illustrated by

some very excellent photographs, and those who are fond of

country rambles will read this book with considerable pleasure.


A whole chapter is devoted to the young Cuckoo, which

the author has studied closely from the egg, and his remarks on

the theory of assimilation with regard to the colour of the

Cuckoos’ eggs are well worth reading.



MORE NATURAE HISTORY ESSAYS.f

Dr. Graham Renshaw is well known for his writings on

Natural History subjects, and the present series of essays deal

with many of the most interesting animals that are to be found

in our Zoological Gardens. But as mammals do not come within

our province we can only mention the work here. Most of our

members, however, besides being aviculturists, are true lovers of

animals in general, and to these we can heartily recommend Dr.

Renshaw’s essays.



CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, ETC.



AN INTERESTING HYBRID.


Sir, —In my aviary, amongst other birds I have a fawn and white

Bengalee hen. A cock Spice-bird and a cock Bronze Mannikin have paid

her great attention and assisted in making a nest in a small box hung on

the wall. Four eggs were laid, both cocks sitting on the eggs in turn when

the hen has been off for food and a bath. I never expected the eggs to

hatch, thinking they must be unfertile. I looked in the nest to-day

and to my great surprise, found two young birds, one much larger than the

other (a week old I should think) very fat, crop well-filled with egg, no sign

of any feathers. I shall be unable to tell with which bird the hen mated

until the young ones are out of the nest.



* Nature Tones and Undertones, by J. Maclair Boraston. Sherrat & Hughes,

London and Manchester. Price 6/- net.


+ More Natural History Essays, by Graham Renshaw, M.B., F.Z.S. Sherrat and

Hughes, 65 Long Acre, Loudon, W. and 27 St. Ann Street, Manchester. Price 6/- net.



