52 E. J. Boosey and Alec Brookshank—Breeding Results


latter’s bat-like squeakings. One’s astonishment, therefore, can be

imagined when his voice turns out to be low-pitched and not unlike the

quieter notes of a Many-colour, varied with rather plaintive piping calls

reminiscent of a Bullfinch.


So far as we have been able to observe, the Splendid’s display is

very like that of a Bourke’s. At any rate, he occasionally indulges in

the latter’s short quick runs up the wire netting with shoulders forward

and wings slightly depressed.


Of other comparatively recent arrivals, by far the greatest rarity

is a pair of Yellow-fronted New Zealands, the cock being in many

ways the most attractive and intelligent little Parrakeet we have ever

possessed. The hen came early in the spring, and as there seemed not

the remotest prospect of getting her a proper mate, she was given

a cock Blue-wing to keep her company. The two quickly became very

attached to each other, and the New Zealand laid four eggs, all of

which proved to be infertile. On the unexpected arrival of a husband

of her own species, she was put in an aviary with him, but it was too

late, and she refused to lay again. One can only hope that with heat

they will come through the winter safely and perhaps breed next year.


Another rather interesting arrival is a true and very fine pair

of the Splendid or Golden-mantled Rosella. This rare and much more

brilliantly coloured relation of the common species is by no means

easy to obtain, and even when a so-called pair are offered, one can

usually take for granted that the cock alone is of the rarer race, and

it is, therefore, particularly satisfactory to have been able to obtain

a pair in which both sexes are genuine Golden-mantles.


Malabars did not breed, but the cock being newly imported was

unable to fly, and has been busy moulting most of the summer. Pennants

and Yellow-rumps were both too young to breed, as also was the hen

of a pair of Crimson-wings.


We wish we could say the Finches have done as well as the

Parrakeets. Unfortunately, this is not the case. They unquestionably

did worse than we have ever experienced before. Whether the extremely

hot summer or the loss, through illness, early in the year of several

of our old breeding pairs was the cause we cannot definitely say, but

the fact remains only about half the number of young birds were reared



