Correspondence^ . 303 
Correspondence. 
HOMING BIRDS. 
Siii, — i thought the following might perhaps interest members. 
In ii large garden aviary 1 have Fekin Hobins, Budgerigars, Mada- 
gascar Love Birds, Zebra Finclies, Uolden-breasts, Uommou VVaxbills, 
Cut -throats, a White Java Sparrow, a Grey Singing Finch, and u 
Bulbul. During the fearful gale of last night (Aug. 28), the door of 
the aviary was blown open; when i visited it at 7-30, the aviary was 
tenantless except for a few pairs of Budgerigars who were nesting. 
I left the aviary door open, and also placed near a cage containing 
food and water. During the day the birds returned in small parties 
-ut dilferent times, and at 4 o'clock there were only two birds missing 
— the White Java Sparrow and a Budgerigar. 1 think it was wonder- 
fully clever of the birds to tind their way back, as some of them 
were absent from the aviary iive or six hours, and were not visiblo 
anywhere in its neighbourhood. (^Lady; EVELINE WALDEN. 
NESTLING PLUMAGE OF STELLA'S LORIES. 
SiK, — i have made a close examination of the young Stella 
Loiy from nest No. 2, and I lind that tliis bird has far more yellow 
on the back than the young bird from nest iSio. 1. The young 
bird No. 2 is practically identical in colour with a mature hen; from 
this 1 gather tliat a young hen leaves tlie nest in nearly adult 
plumage, while tlie young cock shows yellow mottlings amongst the 
red. i think this observation shoukl be placed on record for 1 see 
in Alivart, that according to Dr. Sliaipe, " the young resemble the 
male, and like it, have a crimson brown back." The same autlior, 
ij[Uoting Salvadori, says: " The young male 
and the back yellow with more or less red." 
You will see from this tiiat Dr. Sharpe was obviously ut 
fault, for lie makes no mention of yellow feathers at all. Salvadori 
may be right, for it is possible that the young birds from different 
nests vary in the amount of yellow they have. I will presently 
isolate these two young birds, and liy next month we shall see 
whetlier my supposition is correct, viz.: tliat the young male has 
the brown back mottled with yellow, while the young hen is nearly, 
if not quite, as yellow as the mature female. E. J. BHOOK. 
r.S. — The new young Black Lory is doing well. 
GOULDIAN FINCHES IN ABNORMAL PLUMAGE. 
Slit, — it may interest Miss Bruce to know that last year 
1 had an exactly similar experience to her own, but, with a Black - 
headed Gouldian (f. This year this bird has gone back to the 
normal plumage, except that the feathers round the vent and of the 
under tail coverts are grey in place of white E. J. BROWN. 
NOTES OF THE BIRDS IN MY AVIARY AND GROUNDS. 
SiK, — in small lean-to aviary canaries (yellow, green, and 
mottled;, with some Zebra Eiuches have been nesting busily aU 
