304



Correspondence , Notes, etc.



little lien never seemed to get over lier second loss. She would not have

anything to do with her husband, but nestled up to a placid old Spice-bird,

who used to mother her a great deal, and at night they would squeeze up

so tight against each other they looked one bird. The little lien grew

puffier and puffier and thinner and thinner and very tame, until at last she

died on the 9th of June.


Could anyone tell me if they have experienced any such difficult)’ in

breeding this particular finch, and if I ought to have given different food ?


I do not feel inclined to try again.


E. Merryeees.



PARRAKEET NOTES.


Sir, —You will be interested to know my Yellow-rumps have a nest

of young (two or three) they are now about nine days old and I hope I shall

be able to rear them. I had a nest of three young Turquoisiues, but the

old ones left them one night before they were feathered properly and they

all died. The Blue-banded, Bourkes, and Alexandras are all doing well, the

latter laid a clutch of four eggs, but I took them away.


Wm. R. Fasey.



THE MANY-COLOURED PARRAKEET.


My old pair of Many-coloured Parrakeets ( Psephoius multicolor),

which have now been in my possession for about five years, have reared

three fine young birds again this year. The hen went to nest in March,

laying three eggs, all of which however proved to be clear. Like a sensible

bird she decided to try again, with the result that all three eggs of the

second clutch hatched, and the three young birds left the nest on June

23rd. Last year all three young birds reared were hens, but I am glad to

say one of the present brood is a cock, and a fine fellow too.


D. Seth-Smith.



A FINCH-LARK.


Sir, — I am sending you a body of a little bird (I have five others

alive), which I got at Marseilles, it is said to come from Madagascar, and

I put it down for a Finch-Lark, and I should feel much obliged for its

identification. H. B. Rathborne.



The following reply has been sent to Mr. Rathborne:


Mr. C. Chubb of the Natural History Museum writes to me as follows r

“ The bird you sent is a Finch-Lark [Pyrrhulauda verticalis ) and most

probably comes from South Africa. It does not show any sign of a vertical

spot, but we have specimens in our series just like it : it is perhaps rather

a young bird.”



