312



Dr. A. G. Butler,



mentioned in his “ Table of Incubation.” The species referred

to are Florisuga atra and Trochilus colubris respectively. These

are Lady Northcote’s observations :—


“ December 27th, 1905.—Young birds flew yesterday, and I

have removed the old nest.”


“ December 30th.—Second nest commenced in the same place

as the first.”


“ December 31st.—Birds worked diligently at the new nest,

scarcely stopping for two and half hours.”


“ January 4th.—8 a.m. Nest quite finished ; smaller than last.

One egg laid in it.”


“January 6tli.—Second egg laid ; bird begins to sit.”


“January 24th. Eggs hatched.”



FURTHER NOTES ON THE GREY-WiNGED OUZEL.


Merida boulboul.


By A. G. Butler, Ph.D.


It will be remembered that my attempt to cross this

species last year with the European Blackbird resulted in the

hatching of three young birds, of which only one was reared ; I

hoped and believed that this youngster would prove to be a cock

bird, but unfortunately it proves to be a hen ; in colouring it is

almost uniform olive-brown.


I left the two Blackbirds together in the outdoor aviary

throughout the winter, but they did not attempt to breed until

a heavy shower at length gave them some mud with which to

render their nest compact; this happened some time in May,

but the birds were so sly about their building, that I never

suspected what they were about until the nest was completed

upon the top of last year’s structure.


O11 May 31st the hen began to sit and the cock immediately

commenced to persecute my pair of Australian Green-winged

Doves ; these would, I believe, have bred, only the cock Ouzel

kept driving them from pillar to post, so that I had no chance of

competing with our Editor ; but in any case I think his young

bird would have been first in the field.



