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Correspondence



OBITUARY NOTICE


Madam,—I send you two items for publication in the Avicultural

Magazine : one an obituary notice concerning our late member, Mr. A. E,

Henley, Hauraki Street, Birkenhead, Auckland. Mr. Henley recently passed

away after a short, painful illness. The Avicultural Society of New Zealand,

and, indeed, the whole of the bird fancy in this country, owe a very deep

debt of gratitude to our late member.


He passed away at a comparatively early age and at his death was a

member of the Avicultural Society of New Zealand and of the Board of

Managers. During the whole of his lifetime he has been associated with

birds of all descriptions and, although at one time his activities included

Canaries, in recent years he has specialized in foreign birds, principally of

the more difficult soft-billed type. He had good successes as a breeder,

securing many certificates from the Society for the first breeding of species

in New Zealand. He was particularly successful with Spreo Starlings and

with Dhyal birds, and had many successes with Australian Finches.


His aviaries at Birkenhead were exceedingly extensive, probably the

largest private collection in New Zealand. The aviaries and surroundings

were a delight to the eye, for Mr. Henley combined the activities of an

aviculturist with those of an ardent amateur gardener, and his collection of

ferns, orchids, and cacti was exceedingly well known in this city. He did

not keep his treasures to himself, but both he and his wife were most hospitable

in inviting individuals and also members of various bird clubs and other

organizations to come to his place, view his wonderful surroundings and

partake of his hospitality. The gap left by our friend can never be filled,

for he was a pillar of strength, not only to the Avicultural Society, but also

to the various cage bird clubs of which he had been, at various times, an

office-bearer.


When in the past importations of birds have been made for distribution

amongst members, Mr. Henley was one who was always only too willing

to come along and give of his time and experience in sorting, caging, and

feeding the new arrivals. In all matters appertaining to birds, Mr. Henley

was generous to a fault, always agreeable to help a fellow member out of

a difficulty, to lend him birds to make up pairs and to pass on those benefits

of his thirty-odd years of experience in the keeping of birds. His memory

will ever remain with us, particularly with those with whom he worked so

hard in the establishment of the Society. He is survived by his widow,

two sons, and a daughter, and to them we offer our most sincere and heartfelt

sympathy.


G. Rowland Hutchinson.


(Hon. Secretary and Treasurer, Avicultural Society of New Zealand.)



NESTING HABITS OF THE RED-FACED LOVEBIRD


Madam,— In the May, 1937, issue of the Avicultural Magazine is a most

interesting article by Mr. H. Hampe, of Brunswick, on the nesting habits

of Agatornis pullaria. Our late member, Mr. A. E. Henley, who has recently

passed away, had a pair of these Red-faced Lovebirds in one of his aviaries.


They had been there for approximately two years before any sign of nesting

took place. Considering that, owing to their habits in a state of freedom,

they might prefer to burrow into a nesting site, our late member suspended



