W. C. Osman Hill—Breeding of Mitchell’s Lorikeet



229



In ten days the beaks of the young birds were beginning to show

some red, this commencing as a median stripe on the culmen. In

another week some reddening was taking place on the sides. They were

still being fed by the parents at this stage. At the age of six months the

heads have not changed colour.


Further Breeding. —On the 5th March, 1938, the mother Mitchell’s

Lorikeet was back in the same nest-box, but spent comparatively little

time there during the day, though both she and the male spent

the night there. A baby’s voice was again heard about the middle

of April, and on the 18th of that month a baby covered with grey down

was seen in the box. Its voice was heard at night, and was easily

distinguishable from the parents. The two older babies were roosting

elsewhere. On 3rd May the new baby was again seen, and found to be

well feathered on head and body. It appeared at the nest hole on the

8th May, but went back again not to reappear till three days later. It

left the nest altogether on the 18th May, and appears to be the sole

member of the brood. Its characters agreed with those already

described.


The mother is again at the nest at the time of writing (mid-June,

1938), which means that, here again, as with the Eclecti I have already

written about, breeding, once started, seems to be almost a continuous

process, but there is a definite, though short, resting period with the

Lorikeets, whilst the mother bird is not tied down to the nest nearly to

same extent as with the Eclecti.



REVIEW


Studies in the Life History of the Song Sparrow. Transactions

of the Linnsean Society of New York. Vol. IV. 1937. By

Margaret Morse Nice.


Do you remember the publication of L. E. Howard’s researches on

the Willow Wren in The Zoologist ; prelude to his later books ? If so,

you must get Margaret Morse Nice’s Studies in the Life History of the

Song Sparrow : if not, get it and begin your education in bird behaviour.

The book is so written, it needs no previous knowledge, with references

by the way to other species and such a Bibliography as will tempt you

down many a by-path.



