Correspondence



265



My pair of Avadavats hatched two, one dying at one day and the other

at eleven days. Their second nest was infertile.


These birds are fed on the stock millet mixture, with an armful of grass

seed, chickweed, etc., gathered fresh daily and strewn over the floor of the

aviary. I leave this to rot on the ground, and rake it over occasionally for

the birds to reach the insects breeding in it. They are also very keen on

grasshoppers, which I catch alive and turn loose into the aviary.


The shelter is about 4 by 4 feet, 7 feet high, sloping to 6 feet. The flight

is 6 by 4 feet, 6 feet high, and contains two pairs of Canaries, one pair of

Gold-breasts, one pair of Red-eared, one pair of Riielmcb.es, and one pair

of Avadavats.


Trusting the above may be of some value.


Robert D. Mokgano.



THE RED-AND-YELLOW MACAW


Is there any good reason why Ara chloroptera should be termed the Red-

and-Yellow Macaw, as is done so often by writers ? Chloroptera means “ green¬

winged ”, and there is no yellow in the colour scheme of this Macaw. Ara

macao has a large-tract of yellow on the wing, and is known as the Red-and-

Blue Macaw, though Lord Tavistock calls it the Red-and-Yellow Macaw in

his book. I should think this latter term would be more appropriate for

“ macao ”, while Red-and-Green Macaw would be more fitting for “ chlorop¬

tera ”. The New York Zoological Society names it the “ Green-winged

Macaw ”, which is perhaps best of all.


In the April number Mr. Housden writes of the “ Red-winged Tanager

I wonder which he refers to. I know all of the Tanagers in the United States,

and three of them have red wings, but they have red bodies also, and their

red tails are as noticeable as their red wings. These are the Summer (Pyranga

rubra rubra), Cooper’s (P. r. cooperi), and the Hepatic (P. hepatica). He also

writes of them as “ little ” Tanagers, but as they are 7-| inches in length and

over, that term is hardly appropriate. He may refer to some bird entirely

different, but it has intrigued my interest.


Your Jubilee number deserves congratulations. It is beautifully prepared,

and the plates by Roland Green are superb, as always.


Karl Plate.



CORRECTION: INDIGO BUNTING X NONPARIEL HYBRIDS


In “ More Additions to Breeding Records ” (Avicultural Magazine,

1924, p. 312), there is a bad slip on my part, which in the interests of accuracy

I must correct.


I wrote : “ a. Indigo Bunting X Canary.” This should read : “ Indigo

Bunting X Nonpariel,” for this was the cross bred by Mr. Thomasset, which

was still alive in 1929.


The records of Indigo X Canary crosses are not too good.



E. H.



