17(> A. Sex Distinction in Rosella Parrakeets. 
A Sex Distinction in Rosella Parrakeets. 
{I'lul i/ccrcii.'i cxiniiii^i) . 
By Dk. L. Lovei^l-Keavs. 
mucli lia.s l)u('ii wiit.tcn on the green si)i)t in the 
hen Red Eo.sella and such li('art-l>ui'ning caused that one Ix-gan 
to wish there never had been a green siJOt. It seems they 
do not worry about the green ispot in Australia, luit turn up 
the wing, when the difference between the se,\cs is .-o ap- 
parent that we can sex them in an instant, i^rieliy the 
primaries oT the hen l)ird are l>aj'red with a, white Ijar o:n 
the under surlace, whereas the cock lias not a vestige of 
this barring. I leai'nt this about a month ago at damage's, 
and so far the test has proved absolutely infallible and I 
have examined all tne Eosellas I could get access to. I 
wonder if Al)rahams would have rejoiced to see this day. 
I believe he was the originator of the great green s])ot, which 
has been so religiously handed down to posterity, that we shall 
be sorrj to lose an old landmark. 
♦ 
Editorial 
Humming Birds: In our brief notice of the success- 
ful bringing over of three species of Hummers, owing to 
proofs having to be passed while the Edit/or was on tour; 
two errors in the generic name crept in, arising, prol>ably, 
from l)ad writing— the genus of the Ruby -throated and Smaller 
Emerald Humming-birds is Eiilampis and not " Snlan/pis " 
as printed. AVe have heard further of these birds, and their 
ownei' writes: 
'■ All the Hummers are doing well so far, the tmy 
" little BeUona exiIis~one of the smallest birds in existence 
" hai grown a lovely new tail and I fancy one may take it 
" as a sign that the food agi ees with these birds. They all 
" love to bathe in wet tlowers and foliage, but, ; o far, do not cave 
" for the flowers as food much, and very few go for insects 
" at all, even the green lly does not ;Utract them, at least 
" up to now. Their flight is wonderful— they seem to perform 
" veritable feats in the air, sometimes dancing like gnats on 
" a hot summer's night, sometimes flying liaekwards with tail 
" jerked under the body and always spread fan wise, or even 
