220



Mr. W. H. Workman,



In February 1904 I turned the Bicheno’s Finch out into

my long covered aviary ; and was interested, shortly afterwards,

to notice its appropriation of one of the Hartz-cages, which it

defended against all comers: after all, I thought, this bird must

surely be, as Mr. Abrahams said “ a genuine male” ; but I could

not make up my mind as to what bird it intended to take to wife:

at times I saw it apparently conversing with a hen Zebra-finch

(the only bird in the aviary which spoke its language), yet at

other times it seemed to take no notice of her.


The bird was in excellent health, and I confidently looked

forward to a reward for all my patience and perseverance ; when

(to my horror), on March 28th, I discovered this “ genuine male”

panting on the floor of the aviary, evidently very badly egg-

bound. She died about two hours later.


If all the sexual characters upon which Mr. Abrahams

relied fail in this species, how shall we distinguish the cock from

the hen : that so excellent a judge should have sent me two hens

as cocks, is I think clear proof that the true sexual differences

in Stictoptera bichenovii have yet to be discovered, and one needs

a small flock in order to study these differences.



BIRDS BY AN IRISH STREAM IN WINTER.


By W. H. Workman, M.B.O.U.


For a long time I had wanted to visit a pretty County

Antrim stream that flows into Lough Neagh, and at last the

opportunity came and my friend and I started off by an early

train to this pretty spot. There is nothing like getting away

early on the short winter days if one wants the brightest part

of the day for observing the birds of the district visited.


We arrive at our destination by 10 o’clock and immediately

make for the stream which runs at the far end of this typical

North of Ireland village. We get off the road as soon as possible

and strike across the fields to the water’s edge : at this time of

year it is a fast flowing little river swelled by the recent rains.

We do not go very far before we come across some Magpies, but

on trying to approach they soon put the stream and fields



