192 Dr. E. Hopkinson—More Additions to Breeding Records


definitely which was the male parent, but thinks it was as

given above. The hybrid was a generally dark coloured

little bird with no very distinctive markings, but it had a red

beak and showed signs of both parents,

p. 200. Add: f, Bronze Mannikin x St. Helena Waxbill. Bred

by Miss Kobinson, of Camberley, in 1931 ; see A.M., 1931,

231, 288, for a full account. The first young bird reared

I saw, but it died later from an accident when fully feathered

and fending for itself ; a second from another brood was

reared.


p. 202. Add: c, Cut-throat x Indian Silverbill. When in

Sydney early in 1932 I saw an example of this cross in

Mr. Steele’s aviary, where it had been bred ; it was about

four months old, a uniform dull brown in colour, and in

shape resembled a Bengali rather than either parent.

The breeder is certain of the parentage,

p. 203. 144. a, Diamond Sparrow X Zebra Finch. Add to record :


I saw one example of this cross at Mr. Smith’s in Brisbane

in 1930 ; head typically Zebra, belly white or whitish,

and a breast-band of black spotted with white. The breeder

told me that he had mated many pairs for this cross for

many years, but had never bred more than this one bird.

When in Australia again in 1932 I saw two of these hybrids

in a Sydney dealer’s ; they had been bred in captivity

but no details as to exact parentage were known. I bought

them but did not succeed in getting them home,

p. 203. Add a footnote to 144. Mr. Caley, the author of that most

attractive book on Australia’s birds What’s That Bird ?

recently reviewed in the Magazine (p. 110), showed me in

Sydney a drawing he had made from the skin of an example

of this cross, which had been bred in a Sydney aviary. I

forget which way the cross was, but Mr. Caley will no doubt

include it (and perhaps illustrate) it in his book on Australian

Finches which is to appear very shortly,

p. 33. 146. Melba Finch. For the record as it stands, read: First


breeder Willford (Isle of Wight) in 1915 ; see B.N., 1915,



