Correspondence



115



WHITE-CAPPED PARROTS


It may be worth recording that my White-capped Parrots (Pionus senilis)

appear perfectly hardy and have passed through the winter up to the present

in an outdoor aviary without artificial heat. They make no use of the shelter

except to roost in. Possibly their indifference to cold may be explained by

the unusual quantity of down the species seems to have in its plumage. In

regard to voice they are the quietest Parrots I have ever come across,

apparently possessing no loud calls at all. A single bird would probably

become attached to its owner, but my pair are anything but amiable towards

human beings, the cock, especially, cherishing a life ambition to bite me

severely before I have finished putting in fresh food ! Even if he sees one at

a distance he ruffles his feathers and makes an angry lunge with his beak just

to show what he would like to do to one if he got the chance !


I notice that in addition to the plumage differences noted in a previous

article, there is a sexual distinction in the colour of the eye. The iris of the

cock is of a uniform very dark brown, but the hen’s iris has an outer circle of

a very much paler and yellower colour.


If all the Pioni are as hardy as P. senilis they would possess distinct

merits as aviary birds, as some species, notably the Blue-headed, Violet, and

Bronze-winged Parrots, are decidedly pretty.


Tavistock.



BREEDING CORDON BLEUS


I was much interested to read Mr. William Firth’s success with Cordon

Bleus. I have had my pair two years. The first year they settled down—

building about September and sitting many weeks on unfertile eggs. This last

year, 1933, they went to nest and had two young, one dying and the second

leaving the nest and growing up. This I wrote to you about. Just after my

letter was printed they had a further family of four, two cocks and two hens,

all growing into fine strong birds. They used the canary rearing food with

avidity—egg and biscuit, and bread and milk. Almost daily I dug out ants’

nests bringing the whole lot up to them and putting it on the bird-room floor.

They generally left the ants, and they very conveniently camped under sods

and laid further eggs.


By the autumn I had seven Cordons. I do not know if any one else has

succeeded in rearing them in a room. I should be most interested to know.


They have a nest now, but I do not think the eggs are fertile. I have

found no fighting between the cocks so far.


Christine M. Irvine.



A HYBRID SILVER AND GOLDEN PHEASANT


A hybrid bred from a cock Silver Pheasant (Gennceus nycthemerus) and a

hen Golden Pheasant (Crysolophus pictus) has been bred by Lieut.-Colonel

Bailey, at Lake House, Salisbury.


While hybrids have been produced between many different species of

Pheasants, often belonging to different genera, that between the two above-

mentioned is very uncommon, if not unique.



D. S-S.



