Correspo?ide?ice. 191


"NOTES ON THE INDIAN PODICIPIDiE."

Sir, — Regarding my notes on Indian Grebes published in the

December number, Mr. E. C. Stnart Baker has kindly written to me as-

follows : — " Podicipes crisiatus is quite common in Assam and these birds

retain their breeding plnmage all through the winter when fully adult."

When I wrote my article I only then knew of one record from Assam

which was recorded by Mr. Baker himself in the Journal of the Bombay

Natural History Society. Gordon Dai,gi,iesh.


CHESTNUT-BREASTED FINCHES.

Sir, — These birds bred in my aviary some time during the summer of

1906, but I regret I can give no details. The parents were put into the aviary in

1905, and so far as I know made no attempt to nest. Neither do I know any

more about the following year, save that I lost sight of them for days at a

time (this I was not surprised at, there was so much growth in the aviary).

Some time either late in June or early July I picked up the cock dead, and

it now adorns my cabinet. In October I was astonished to find I had still

two birds of this species, and that there was but little difference between

the two. The only points that appear clear are : (1) It must at any rate

have been hatched prior to the death of the male ; in many species the hen

will rear the young, though if the male dies previous to hatching, the

records of my aviary show that she usually deserts the eggs. (2) The fact

that a young bird was actually reared. Of this there can be no doubt. I

keep most careful records as to incomings and outgoings. I cannot think

but that these must have been bred before, as they have been inhabitants of

aviaries for so long a period, though there have been long gaps during

which none have come to hand. Westjey T. Page.



GOULDIAN FINCHES.

A well-got-up booklet, entitled " Amongst the Birds and Animals

of Australia" has been issued by Messrs. Payne and Wallace of the Little

Zoo., Bath. A member of this firm visits Australia every year to collect birds

and mammals and bring them home for disposal direct to private purchasers.

These trappers have naturally had a great deal of experience with the

Australian birds in their wild state, and some of their observations are most

interesting, for instance, in writing of the Gouldian Finches, they say : " On

an average for every 100 Gouldians we take from the nets, 80 per cent, are

black-heads, 15 per cent, red-head cocks, and only five per cent, red-head

hens. It will be clearly seen that red-head hens are in the minority. Now

the ten red-head cocks have to find mates somewhere, and as there are so

few red-head hens, they have nothing else to do but to pair up with the

black-heads, and this is what they do. In pairing up in this mianner it

seems of little, or no consequence, whether it be a red-head cock and black-

head hen, or vice-versa.. We have seen many cases where they have bee4i_-



