Correspondence , Notes, etc. 293



the winter, and I believe he considers Gouldian Finches to be absolutely

hardy. A. G. BuTpER.


HABITS OF YOUNG EGYPTIAN PLOVERS.


Sir,—T he following may be of interest to those studying African


birds.


I was out last week looking for nests on the islets and sandbanks at

the mouth of the Atbara River. There were a number of Egyptian Plovers

about, and I was anxious to obtain a clutch of eggs, so recollecting a recent

note of Mr. A. E. Butler’s in The Ibis that this bird buries its eggs under

the sand I started scratching up the sand at any places where there were a

number of their tracks or in any little hollows. From one of the latter,

under about a quarter-of-an-inch of sand I drew a three-parts-grown

Egyptian Plover ! I do not know if this has ever been recorded before,

and shall be glad to hear if any other birds are known to do similarly.

El Darner, Soudan, 20/5/06. W. G. Percivap.



A FIGHTING PENNANT PARRAKEE'I.


Sir, —The behaviour of a Pennant Parrakeet in my possession is so

unusual as to seem almost worth recording in these pages. I bought him

about eight months ago ; he had evidently been a cage bird of long stand¬

ing by the length of liis claws, some of which were curled round to look

like “ split rings.” He showed no fear of anything or anybody from the

first, though he could scarcely be called “ tame,” as he was extremely

spiteful. The extent of this spitefulness, however, we did not recognise

until about a month ago when he was turned into an indoor aviary. In

order to get him strong on the wing, before encountering the rough com¬

pany of an aviary of Parrakeets, he was placed in an enclosure with a

beautiful Port Lincoln (also newly acquired), a few Barbary Doves, and a

couple of baby Blackbirds. From the first he has spent all his time in

“going for us” all round. As soon as we enter he dashes at us, settles on

our heads and tears our hair (if we venture in bare-headed) and bites most

viciously. He flies for our feet, shakes our dresses, whistling most charm¬

ingly the while, between angry “chortling.” He takes no heed happily of

the poor little Blackbirds, they are quite beneath his notice, otherwise he

would soon finish them off. He occasionally tears a beakful of feathers out

of the Doves, when there is nothing better to do, and of course he worries

the Port Lincoln from morning to night; but Port Lincoln is strong and

swift on the wing, so I do not interfere. But even that is poor sport, he

says. “What he likes best are great big humans!”


Until quite lately he has been chased and caught up in a net every

night, for I dared not leave him out in this exposed aviary during such

weather as we have been having. He has also been held in gloved hands,

while others cut these “split-ring”, claws,—biting, struggling, and scream¬

ing the while—what a job it was! One would have thought all this would



