236 Correspondence. 
that must have a partner. About this time, Gouklians were arriving it 
seemed almost in ship loads, and in a weak moment, I hurriedly obtained a 
job lot as a " barp;ain.'" One survived — it is a very valuable bird ! I turned 
out, about the second week in May, two pairs, the cocks both Red-headed 
with both hens of the Black-headed variety, into a fair sized garden aviary 
which was erected at odd moments, and is capable of many improvements. The 
first night we had a deluge accompanied by thunder and lightning. As soon 
as the worst of the storm had passed, I ventured forth to see how my treas- 
ures had fared. The first sight that met my gaze on entering the aviary was 
a drenched Red-headed Finch which I had always regarded almost unkill- 
able. If Satan (for this Red-headed Finch is a'ways regarded as the 
aviary devil) was in such a plight, what of the Gouldians V Disregarding 
Satan's misery I first searched the house attached to the flight. No Crould- 
ians there, and ray heart sank, but while I was carefully searching the flight 
suddenly a "pip pip " gladdened my ear, and by the aid of a light I discov- 
ered my gems safely ensconced in an apple tree growing in the flight, very, 
very wet, but " pip pip " very cheerful also and apparently all right. Next 
morning they were as " fit as fiddles " (tho' Satan had to be dried) and I was 
at rest as regards their hardiness. One pair immediately commenced nesting 
operations in an old travelling cage, situated in the darkest corner of the 
house ; six eggs were laid. The situation was so dark that the nest and eggs 
were invisiVjle without the aid of a light. At first the hen sat very spasmod- 
ically and I was on tenter hooks lest she spoilt the clutch. I had sense 
enough to leave her severely alone, and six young were hatched, and are at 
time of writing about ten days old. One fact has struck me as being rather 
peculiar, and that is, the gapes of the young birds are black with white 
specks that almost gli.sten in the darkness of the nest. Are these specks 
guides to the old birds in feeding 
W. EDMUNDS. 
P.S. — It is easy to write of success, but terribly hard to tell of disas- 
ter. Since penning the above, rats obtained an entrance to the aviary and 
devoured eggs, fledgelings, and old birds, leaving me with a pair of Gouldians 
and a pair of Zebra Finches. This havoc was wrought in two nights, 
entrance being effected under the felt and through a small hole in the roof 
of its house, that I failed at first to discover. The third night I captured 
the miscreants, five in number, and about half grown. To have six young 
Gouldians in the nest with every prospect of being reared, and then to so 
lose them, I felt to be very hard luck. 
A PLEASING EPISODE ON AUSTRALIAN BIRD LIFE. 
Snt. — The enclosed photograjth was sent to nie by niy brother, who is 
engaged in sugar planting in the Mackay district of Queensland, Australia, 
and may be of interest to all lovers of the Parrakeet tribe. The scene 
depicted is a friend of ours feeding her flock of Parrakeets or Lorikeets in 
the verandah of her house. 
The origin of the flock was somewhat peculiar. A young Parrakeet or 
Lorikeet was tamed and allowed to fly at large. He soon acquired a wild 
mate with whom he repaired to the bush to nest 
