Rev. Kingsford Venner—Notes on my Birds



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replaced in pairs at a time. When the wings are perfect there is a short

recuperative period, and then follows the more complete moult for the

body and tail feathers. The whole change of dress takes six months

and is virtually two moults running into one another.


In a former article it was pointed out that it was extremely doubtful

whether these birds ever take insects from flowers. We are now more

certain than ever that insects are taken only in the air, and small spiders

from their webs. The birds of the tooth-billed genus Androdon, however,

are probably divergent in their habits.


Finally, for the benefit of those interested in the classification of

this remarkable family, it may be remarked that Chrysolampis

moschitus bears many points of resemblance in its habits to Lampornis

nigricollis. In fact, we think it would be pardonable to place

Chrysolampis in the genus Lampornis. This view is in some measure

substantiated by the fact that Simon considers the peculiar bird known

as Chrysolampis chlorolcemus (Elliot) to be a hybrid between Chryso-

lampis moschitus and Lampornis nigricollis.



NOTES ON MY BIRDS


By the Rev. Kingsford Venner

It is now eleven years since I contributed to the Magazine, and

my apology for doing so now regarding a large and varied collection

of mainly common, but beautiful, birds is that many of us in

these days can only afford such. At the head of my collection I

will mention my lovely Leadbeater’s Cockatoo, “ Dawn ”, absolutely

tame and affectionate. Curiously enough, I had both her and the

next inmate, whom I shall mention shortly, just about the time I

last wrote to you eleven years ago. “ Dawn ” is unusually vivid

in colouring, in fact she makes every other Leadbeater’s I ever saw

look rather washed out, her breast being nearly the colour of a

boiled shrimp, not in the least rose ” pink, as the birds are

absurdly described in nearly every bird book, unless you add salmon

rose, which nobody does. 11 Dawn ” does not talk, except in her

own language, which consists of sundry murmurings and an

occasional burst of screeching (chiefly when some other bird escapes



