300 Mr. W. P. Pycraft,


general failure in results ; but possibly some of our members

have been more fortunate than I have.


My Cockatiels seem very busy over a large nest-box (of

the cigar-box pattern), they have stuck to it constantly for the

past month, but whether they have young or not I am unable to

say : I know that they have been laying and smashing eggs in

all sorts of places for many months past ; indeed one hen died

from exhaustion in consequence of this incessant laying, so that

I am not particularly sanguine about the result of the present

manoeuvres.*


If the weather would but improve, there is still time to do

something this year, but I am afraid it is too much even to hope

for now that winter has continued into July.



NOTES ON A NESTLING


CAL OPSITTACUS NO VsE-HOLLANDI^.

By W. P. Pycraft, A.L.S., F.Z.S. etc.


In the last issue of the " Avicultural Magazine" it may be

remembered that I described certain peculiarities of the beak in

a nestling Psephotus multicolor. I have now the good fortune to

be able to draw attention to some interesting facts concerning a

nestling Calopsittaats nov/z- hollandice given me by Mr. H. E.

Bishop, to whom my best thanks are due.


This nestling, which is of about one day old, has the

upper surface thickly covered with long, canary- coloured down,

umbelliform in character. The head however is bare except for

a few weak down-tufts extending, from the eye backwards, over

the parietal region, leaving the crown of the head and frontal

region bare. The under-surface of the body is entirely bare, a

few minute almost bristle-like down-barbs faintly indicating the

course of the ventral feather tracts. The arm and forearm are

thickly down-clad, but the hand is bare — that is to say of the

upper surface of the hand. The whole under side of the wing

is bare.


* Since writing' the above I have heard one young one being fed : it appears that

since it hatched the hen has laid several eggs.



