232 Mr. D. Seth-Smith,


escape from their cage in the Bird-room. The window unfortu-

nately was open and the male, who was as wild as a hawk, made

good his escape ; every endeavour to entrap him was fruitless

though he stayed about for some time. Eventually he flew right

away, and was shot by a keeper on a neighbouring estate. All

who know anything about Parrakeets know how extremely rare

this species is, and will sincerely sympathise with Mr. Astley in

his cruel misfortune.


A beautiful male specimen of the rare Australian Painted

Finch (E??iblema picta) a species which I imagine fewaviculturists

have seen alive, occupied a cage with some Ringed Finches

(Stictoptera annulosd) and Gouldians. A Hangnest (Iclerus

xanthorrhous) and two Grey Parrots complete the list of birds in

the house, so far as my memory serves me, but I may have for-

gotten some. I ought to have mentioned that a spacious balcony

outside the bird-room, overlooking the Park with its lake, is used

for the birds of the bird-room in the summer. A dove-cot is

hung on the wall above this balcony, and last year a Wagtail

built her nest in this, and shortly afterwards a Cuckoo's egg was

found in the nest, and the young bird was duly hatched and

reared by the Wagtails. About the time of the laying of this

Cuckoo's egg a female Cuckoo was discovered to have flown into a

bedroom the window of which is close to the balcony. Evidently

the Cuckoo had watched the Wagtail, and in endeavouring to

discover her nest had flown into a window close to the dove-cot

where however she eventually discovered the nest. This case

seems to me of interest as showing that the Cuckoo watches the

birds it intends to be the foster-parents of its young, in order to

discover their nest.


But to return to the foreign birds at Beuham Park. The

outdoor aviary, of which a photograph is here reproduced, stands

on high ground behind the house, and is a most ornamental and

useful structure. It is divided into three compartments, each with

a large open flight. The most important birds here may be

enumerated as follows : — a pair of Queen Alexandra's Parrakeets

(Spathoptetus alexaiidrce) the male, probably the only one in

Europe, with very well - developed spatules to the second

primaries ; five Bourke's Parrakeets (Neophema bozirkei) which



