A Retrospect. 
109 
were not more was bad luck, as always they had at least two 
nests— tiny fragile affairs, a description of which has already 
appeared in " B.N." from a worthier pen than mine, so I will 
not try to describe them. 
Some people may be able to tell a cock from a hen; 1 
cannot, and that is my only objection to them. If they come 
into the market again, when I have an aviary, 1 will try and get 
two pairs and see whether amongst them there is not at least 
one true pair. 
For lovers of birds who want one pair of softbills to 
comi)lete their aviary 1 can imagine no more delightful bird 
than this beautiful wee mite; they are reasonably hardy, and live 
on milk-sop. fruit, and such insects as they can gather from the 
trees in the aviary. The nut tree I mentioned previously was a 
i'avouiit.e haunt of theirs, and they were generally to be seen, 
in some precarious attitude, looking for blight on the under 
side of the leaves. 
I niH-e 1)! ought a few .\us;ralian W'li'tc- Kyes home willi 
me from Auslralia, and, in this case it is e;isy to tell the sexes, 
but I c(jul(l not keej) them, as my aviaries were full, a few Sun- 
birds ])icked up in Africa being given preference, and so with 
dee]) regret they had to go. The Sunbirds never attempted to 
nest, and then I was still more sorry. 
photo u. E. Louie. 
Yellow-winged Suyar iJiixl. 
once purchased a Yellow-winged Sugarbird (Cocreba 
