ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. 



The Insect Tribes. — May I suggest to you, 

 whether it would not form a very pleasing feature 

 iu your popular Journal, were a Monthly Calen- 

 dar inserted of Insects about to appear, or which 

 might shortly be expected? This would he on 

 the plan adopted in " Samouelle's Entomologist's 

 Companion," a book now quite out or print. 

 You have a vast number of entomological readers ; 

 and no doubt some one of them will furnish you 

 with an amateur contribution of the kind, if they 

 hear your opinion on the subject. — F. 



[A very excellent suggestion, truly. We shall 

 be happy to receive any such Monthly List, and 

 grateful for the favor rendered ; but it must be 

 sent in the middle of each month, as we go to 

 press with our Journal in advance.'] 



Parrots, and the Parrot Tribe. — As you seek 

 advice in the proper treatment of these beautiful 

 creatures, let me come to your aid as a man of 

 experience. Half the ailments of the parrot tribe 

 proceed from improper food, and lrom exposure 

 to cold and draught. With judicious treatment, 

 they thrive as well, and look as handsome, as any 

 other birds. There is no doubt that both the 

 parrot and the parrokeet, whose troubles you have 

 recently recorded in your Journal, proceed from 

 neglect. Let them be fed on canary seed, and 

 some fine plain, dry bread, once a day; also, let 

 them have clean water daily. A very little hemp- 

 seed may be occasionally given them ; but animal 

 food and grease of every kind must be strictly 

 forbidden. I have known a parrot in such a 

 state of health as to be almost naked, perfectly 

 restored by proper diet. [No doubt of it, half these 

 poor doomed parrots are over-fed, over-excited, 

 and rendered irritable by excess. They then 

 fidget themselves, and eventually disrobe them- 

 selves of every feather within their reach.] This 

 tribe of birds, some species of which are very 

 susceptible of cold, should always be kept, during 

 the winter season, in a room where there is a fire ; 

 and at night the cage should be covered over 

 with a cap of green baize or flannel. I have at 

 the present time, five Australian ground parro- 

 keets of several species (genus Platycercus), 

 which are all in rude health and fine plumage. 

 Their colors cannot be surpassed, if equalled; 

 they are of the finest scarlet, crimson, purple, 

 green, and yellow. They run along the ground, 

 or climb with equal facility and grace. Their 

 movements are totally dissimilar from those of the 

 awkward Arborial species ; and this renders them 

 striking and interesting subjects for the aviary, 

 wherein their graceful carriage is set off to very 

 great advantage. These birds, too, are very play- 

 ful and very affectionate ; you cannot help loving 

 them. Some of the species I would particularly 

 recommend, are, the King, the Rosille, the Crim- 

 son-shouldered, the Barnand, and the Blood-bdled. 

 These are very beautiful, but rather expensive. 

 Let me, before taking my leave, add, that the food 

 above mentioned docs not apply to the Lory, 

 and the Lorikeet. They must have sop, — J. B. 



[We are much obliged for the above friendly 

 communication. It will be eagerly devoured 

 by very many of our readers, who are now 

 daily besieging us with letters of inquiry. It 



would seem that half the world keep parrots!] 



The Ailing Bullfinch. — I am happy to say that 

 rny bullfinch is now in a fair way of recovery. He 

 has now commenced piping again. One side of 

 his head, however, is entirely destitute of feathers, 

 in consequence of his rubbing it against his 

 perch. Should I apply anything to allay the 

 remaining irritation and reproduce the feathers, 

 or leave it to nature? — J. C. 



[Let him fly daily about the room, for a 

 change. The rest may be left to nature.] 



The Brain in Insects. — Can any of your kind 

 correspondents enlighten me as to the precise 

 situation of the brain in insects ? Opinions are 

 so diverse on the subject, that I feel posed. Is it 

 not situated in the first and second ganglions? I 

 have always imagined it to be so. — J. 



Breeding of Canaries. — Many of your readers 

 may feel interested in an account of the manage- 

 ment by which a single pair of canaries in one 

 season, brought up twenty-five young ones with- 

 out the least mishap. They were placed in a 

 cage about 3 feet long, 2 feet high, and 18 inches 

 deep, with wire front and sides. One of these, in 

 the breeding season, was covered with green 

 gauze, there being a division, or platform, at one 

 end, with nest-box (which, by the bye, can be 

 excellently-well made by the half, or rather less, 

 of a small cocoa-nut, screwed on a broad, fiat 

 piece of wood, to make it stand upright), and the 

 usual seed troughs, doors, drawer, &c. For 

 building, they were supplied with clean, common 

 white wadding, with which the hen quickly built 

 her nest. When completed, it looked white and 

 clean as the driven snow. There was no insect 

 there; consequently, she sat without discomfort, 

 and all the eggs were productive. The night 

 before the young were expected, two little saucers 

 were filled, one with chopped egg, the other with 

 soaked " ladies' fingers." This was always re- 

 peated the last thing at night, in order that as the 

 daylight appeared, she could feed them as early as 

 •was required. After breakfast, as punctually 

 as possible, the sand, water, egg, biscuit, seed, 

 and green -meat were duly seen to; leaving the 

 hen to use that which her instinct taught her as 

 being best, — a far more sure guide than all our 

 philosophy. I had at one time, from this one 

 pair, five young feeding themselves ; six fed by 

 the cock ; and the hen sitting on the third nest of 

 five eggs. She hatched one nest of six ; three of 

 five ; and one of four eggs. By the bye, let me 

 here warn your readers against breeding where 

 gas is used; unless indeed, there is most ex- 

 cellent ventilation. — Walter. 



Ducks Hatched by Hens and Turkeys. — In No* 

 4 of your Journal a question has been raised— 

 " Is it cruel to place ducks' eggs under a hen? " 

 You say it is so. May I say a word upon the 

 subject? The reason that hens are often em- 

 ployed to hatch ducks' eggs is, that the young 

 swimmers thrive much better when kept from the 

 water about a fortnight, which cannot be done 

 when a duck is the mother. Some of my friends 

 think, that they avoid the cruelty you denounce 

 by employing a turkey as incubator, instead of a 



