.4 Toitr ill South Ainericd <niil Anarii Xoli's, 
211 
liiiinaiu' il' |)e()|)k' wuuld liriii^ I'ai' t'tnvei- birds lioiiif and krep 
them clean and conifurtalile. 
Since writing the above I received the following from tlie 
Taxidermist to whom I sent the two birds that died. "The two 
" birds received ai'e Rosy Pastors or Starlings. They are not in- 
" digenous to the New Woi kl, but are natives of Kurope, Asia, and 
" also Britain. Some years ago tliey bred about Bailynahinch 
" Oiuite near to this I'ark). Both birds were females, one was in 
"abnorm-d plumage (this was the very tame one), they were aged 
" birds." I was in his shop in Belfast the other day and saw 
tiiem : he has set them up very well. I am sorry to say that only 
three of the Crested Cardinals are now alive. They one l)y one 
drooped and pined away. I am nearly distracted with a plague 
of mice in my aviaries. Tliey kill the birds, eat tlieir eggs, des- 
troy tlie food, and I believe are the cause of many deaths in my 
aviaries. I am now going to try a corrugated iron fence Ijft. 
high and turned over outwards on the top, all round my aviary. 
We have poui'ed tar down every hole that we could find, and if 
we can only prevent them from getting in fi'om the outside we 
may conciuei- them. 
My native companions (Australian Cranes) liave laid two 
eggs which they incubated for seven weeks ; l)ut alas I botii were 
infertile. 
On Plate IV. the following are figured, but some may not 
be distinct enougli for recognition : — Cranes. Common European 
and Australian Native Companion : Swans ; Egret : Storks : Flam- 
ingo : Egy[)tiaii, Barred and White-faced Geese : Sheldrake, Wild 
and various other Ducks. 
n i t f - 
A Holiday in the West Indies. 
By a. Sutclippb. 
(Ccmtinued from page 157). 
On the last day of December I left Jamaica on tlie R.M.S. 
Magdalene having asked a l'rie*id to forward any birils wliich could be 
procured. Our iirst port of call was Colon, Colombia ; it is a 
damp low lying town, the buildings are chiefly wooden ones, built on 
piles and raised about two feet from the ground. There was nolliing 
procurable here in the bird line, and we caught the first train on the 
Panama Kailway lor Panama. For miles along the side of the track 
