256



The Illustration Fund.



A pair of Beam Quits are nesting right under my sitting-room

window in a thick wild fern, the nest is composed of grass and wild cotton,

and contains at present one egg, pale blue with irregular brown spots—

rather thickly spotted at larger end. The nest is poorly built and very

fragile, in the shape of a ball with a small hole on the lower side, if the

tropical rain does not wash it away it will be a wonder.


There is a large fustic tree a few yards away from my house covered

with mistletoe (very much like the English plant) and flocks of Quits and

Canaries visit the tree every evening for the purpose of making their

supper off the insects and berries.


More next time and perhaps of Cuba, for I shall visit that island

twice before I reach England again.


H. C. HESEI/l'ON.


May Pen, Jamaica, April 24th, 1904.



ALEXANDRA AND BOURKE’S PARRAKEETS.


Onr Member, Mr. W. Fasey, whose collection of Parrakeets is

certainly the finest private collection in Great Britain, has just had the

very good fortune to secure a pair each of Alexandra or Princess of Wales’

and Bourke’s Parrakeets, which, through the courtesy of their owner the

present writer has had the pleasure of inspecting. All four birds are very

fine specimens, and it is sincerely to be hoped that they will not only live

long, but will breed in Mr. Fasey’s aviaries. Bourke’s Parrakeet [Neophema

bourkei) is one of the most delicately coloured and one of the rarest of the

Grass-Parrakeets, the most conspicuous tints being salmon pink, pale blue,

and brown. Mr. Fasey’s birds are probably the only living specimens that

have been seen in this country for fifteen or twenty years. There is a record

of } r oung having been hatched in an aviary in Camden Town many years

ago, but they were not reared. D. S.-S.



THE ILLUSTRATION FUND.



With the May number of the Aviculhiral Magazine was

sent to every member a circular announcing that it had been

decided to start the above fund as a help towards the very heavy

cost of the illustrations. This appeal has been liberally responded

to by a few of the Members whose names are given below; and

it is hoped that a great many others will see their way to

contribute something towards the fund, so that at the end of the

year there may be a satisfactory balance sheet. Those who are

responsible for the production of the Magazine, month by



