1902.] F. Finn— Genera I Notes on Variation in Birth. 169 



One is a pallid form, of a general greenish-yellow tint with the 

 dark markings faintly indicated ; the blue cheek spots are present in 

 full development. I have seen at least five of this form. 



Another is a pure lutino, clear uniform yellow throughout, with 

 pink eyes. I have seen two of this type. 



Two blue specimens, in each case the offspring of yellow birds, 

 have been known. (J. Abrahams, vide Mr. R. Phillipps, Avicultural 

 Magazine, Vol. VIII., 1902, p. 75.) 



One or other of the first two is being fixed by breeders, but I cannot 

 say to which form the "Yellow Budgerigars" so often advertised belong. 

 I have seen no pied, splashed, or otherwise intermediate forms. 



The Blue Mountain Lorikeet (Triclwglosms swainsoni) was bred 

 yearly for about four years previous to 1890, at the Blackpool Aqua- 

 rium and Menagerie, according to Mr. W. Osbaldeston (Avicultural 

 Magazine, Vol. VIII., p. 167, 1902). Mr. Osbaldeston, after giving 

 an account of the conditions under which the birds were kept, says 

 " One year a very curious, handsome, ' sportively ' plumaged bird was 

 reared. The head was red with lacings of white, and the shoulders 

 were tinted with green. The greater portions of all other parts of 

 wings, body, and tail were of a bright chrome yellow, intermixed with 

 green feathers here and there ; and the tail feathers were tipped with 

 red ; making a really handsome, showy, and rare bird. It was a young 

 bird in May 1891, and was alive some three years after wads to my 

 knowledge. I went many times to look at and admire this rare-feath- 

 ered Lorikeet. . . On one occasion, I noticed that its claws had 

 grown very long. It was always kept in the same cage with the 

 others." 



The Pheasant (Phasianus coIcMcms) has been more or less artificial- 

 ly cared for ever since the time of the Romans, and so may be fairly 

 reckoned a protected bird. Its variations fall into two main types : — 



The pallid " Bohemian " form, in which the cock's ground-colour 

 is a lustreless buff, with the usual dark edgings to the feathers and 

 dark neck almost devoid of gloss. I can find no account of the hen. 

 The white form, which is found in both sexes. 



Intermediates between Bohemian and normal seem not to occur. 

 White-pied birds are common ; the white marking is irregular and 

 mostly confined to the upper surface. Pied birds will produce their 

 like if paired, and will give some pied offspring with normal birds ; 

 but a white and a normal bird will not usually produce pieds, though 

 some whites may be bred from such a mating. (Tegetraeier, Pheasants 

 for Coverts and Aviaries, 3rd edition, 1897, p. 150). 

 White specimens are weaker than normal. 

 J. II. 22 



