Correspondence



57



CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, ETC.


THE DARK GOLDEN PHEASANT


In last month’s issue of the Magazine there appeared an account of the

Dark Golden Pheasant ( obscura ). This article is of course very interesting,

but considering that the form is purely an artificial one, may I as a member

of the Society suggest that too much prominence be not given to these forms ;

I say this because already with nearly every change of blood these varieties

crop up and spoil the true T. picta. Further, that being in the same category

as White Mice, White Pigeons, and Canaries, they are rather outside the scope

of this Magazine.


A. F. Moody.



BREEDING THE LINNET


In the December issue of the Avictjltural Magazine I note that Dr.

E. Hopkinson in his Breeding Records asks if there is any really good record

of the Linnet having been bred.


I have been a breeder of British birds since 1923, and during the period

from this date have bred at different times the following : Linnets, Bull¬

finches, Lesser Redpolls, Chaffinches, Yellowhammers, Greenfinches, Gold¬

finches, and Siskins.


At the present moment I have the following young birds just finishing their

first moult: four Greenfinches, four Linnets, three Lesser Redpolls, all fit

and in fine health.


The four Linnets are ringed as follows : 7-5-34, 11-5-34, 28-7-34, 2-8-34.


I have had three nests from parent birds, the cock being 2\ and the hen

1J years old.


W. H. Potter.



THE PAINTED FINCH


By this further letter of mine you will be thinking no doubt that they

will never end. The fact is, however, that I have discovered another point

relative to the breeding of the Emblema picta which I think is worthy of

note. If so, you may add to my former article.


The hen bird leaves her young at night from ten days old, unlike the

Gouldian Finch they are not night feeders. I have observed these facts from

a nest built right in the open flight in a hanging basket (fern); the young have

practically no protection other than a sheet of iron directly above the cup-

shaped nest to protect it from rain.


The last few days from the time of writing the weather has been particularly

cold and wet, and I fully expected the young to have perished, but such was

not the case. The hen, however, is to be found on the nest first thing in the

morning, possibly to revive the young a little as they were showing just the

first traces of pin feathers. I consider their resistance to the cold most

remarkable ; this apparently rough treatment to their young no doubt accounts

for the hardiness of this species.



