once, or the flesh is apt to get tainted.—F.T. Pollok (Eversal, Luton Road, Harpenden).
AVES.
Pale-coloured Dipper.—On Dec. 12th, 1897, I saw a Dipper (Cinclus aquaticus) with the white coloration extending from the breast right up over the eyes and down the back of the neck as far as the shoulders. I was within twelve feet of the bird for upwards of three minutes, so that I had every opportunity of making quite sure of the extent of the pale coloration. Is not this a very rare variety?—Wm. Boulsover (Ferndale, Bakewell).
[It may have been a young bird, which has more white than the adult.—Ed.]
Experiments on the Colours of the Nonpareil Finch.— My Nonpareil Finch (Cyanospiza ciris), mentioned in 'The Zoologist' (1897, p. 273), continuing in good health, I endeavoured last autumn, by special diet, to restore the scarlet colour of the breast, which had only been lost a few months before. Stage of moult on commencing experiment, Sept. 6th: feathers of head partly moulted, a few new feathers still in their sheaths over eyes, on the cheeks, and nape of neck; upper tail-coverts all shed, except a single feather; rectrices all gone: moult of breast and under tail-coverts commencing. The chief point of the new diet was the increase of animal food. On reference to my diary I find that in addition to seed the bird had fresh food, comprising cockroaches, bluebottles, house-flies, spiders, and "harvestmen"; also plenty of dried ants' eggs. Perhaps the food was too abundant, as the bird, which often fed from the hand, on one occasion refused some flies offered to it. When the experiment had been carried on for about three weeks new feathers began to appear on the breast, but unfortunately these were yellow. The yellow feathers rapidly increased in number, but I noted that, though the colours of my bird were again partly abnormal, there was no fading in the brightness of those colours, as is often said to occur in captive Nonpareils. When visiting the Liverpool Museum, on students' day, I carefully examined a wild specimen preserved there. I have also examined a normal live Nonpareil in the aviary of the Manchester Zoological Gardens. As compared with these, my bird differs in having the under parts yellow, with a distinct green tinge; circumorbital feathers pale yellow; upper part of breast yellow with orange tinge. Research on the original scarlet feathers of this bird, carefully put aside last year for the purpose, has thrown little light on the nature of the pigment; I do not think, however, it is the coloured fatty oil zoonerythrin, as it is insoluble on boiling with absolute alcohol. In conclusion, I must express my thanks to Dr. Butler for his kind suggestions regarding food, &c, and regret that I was unable to keep the bird in an open-air aviary during the experiment.—Graham Renshaw (Sale Bridge House, Sale, Manchester).
