Correspondence



91



side, evidently allowing the young one to slide out. The nest was tied

securely in two places with binding wire and the baby replaced. Within

a few minutes the old birds fed it, and yet they would not feed it while

on the ground. The way they went to the nest with worms when the

young one was on the ground appeared as if they were asking for

something to be done. On Sunday morning, 14th November, eight

days after falling out of the nest and twelve days old, the young bird

left the nest, well feathered and able to fly.


The colouring appears to be identical with that of the old birds,

the tail is about 1J inches long.


Feeding .—White ants, mealworms, yolk of egg and cake, bread

and milk, honey water with bread soaked in it. They were only seen

feeding ants and mealworms.


24th November , 1937 .—The young one is still alive and looks

exceptionally well, not yet independent.


PS.—I would be interested to know if Honeyeaters have been

reared in captivity.



CORRESPONDENCE


THE TAHITI BLUE LORY


Madam, —I find that a correction is necessary in my description of the

colour of the down of the nestling Tahiti Blue Lory. Owing to the bad

light I must have mistaken sprouting feathers for down when I made my

observation of the first nestling. More careful examination of the two young

of the later brood shows that the down is sparse and is grey in colour, not black.

The Solitary Lories’ first attempt has unfortunately ended in failure. One

egg disappeared, and the nestling in the other died when half out of the shell.


Tavistock.



AN APOLOGY


We regret having published a letter last month signed by Mr. John

Marsden in which a comparison was made between the respective merits of

two of our contemporary journals. We must apologize to the Editor of

Cage Birds for allowing reflections to be cast upon his paper, which we have

found quite unfounded, and we have pleasure in publishing letters to that

effect from our Members.



Editor.



