140



Correspondence, Notes, etc.



hard to obtain as might have seemed previously; but it is a pity that

misfortune appears to attend the hybrids when produced.


F. Finn.



HYBRID MUNIAS.


Sir,—I should feel greatly indebted to you if you would kindly tell

me whether there is a known wild hybrid between Munia inaja and M.

atricapilla ; and also whether this cross has been reared in captivity.


I see that in the Avicultural Magazine of June, 1902, Mr. Harper

advertises such a wild hybrid. And in his notes on the Crystal Palace Show

in the Magazine for March, 1903, Mr. Seth-Smith says there was a white-

headed Mannikin with a black throat, which might have been taken for a

hybrid between M. maja and M. atricapilla, but which he believed to be

the Javan form Munia ferruginosa. Is it possible that Munia Jerruginosa

is a cross ? or is it a known species ? I bought two of these birds last July :

they appear to be very fond of each other and always sit side by side, but

so far they have shown no inclination to nest.


D. Hamilton.



The folloiving reply has been sent to Miss Hamilton :


It is quite likely that wild hybrids may exist between Munia maja

and Munia atricapilla, but I thought it strange that Mr. Harper should

advertize such a hybrid, as it could hardly occur in India.


On looking up the advertisement, which was published in July (not

June) 1902, I find that it relates to a hybrid between Munia malacca and

M. atricapilla.


Dr. Russ speaks of the hybrid between M. maja and M. atricapilla

(he calls it M. sinensis) as having been obtained in captivity.


Munia ferruginosa comes from Java, and I believe that M. atricapilla

does not; the British Museum certainly records no examples from that

island: the indistinctness of M. ferruginosa as a species is generally

admitted: it has occasionally been received in the German bird-market in

some numbers ; but, up to 1879 Dr. Russ had not heard of its having been

bred, nor have I heard of a case up to the present time.


A. G. Butler.


[We believe that several examples of M. ferruginosa were received

by dealers shortly after, or at the same time, as the single specimen above

referred to was shown at the Crystal Palace.—E d.]



FEATHER-PLUCKING.


The following reply has been sent to a member's query :


The cause of feather-plucking in Parrots is well-known ; but when



