The Avicultural Magazine Volume 4 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1898 Excerpt: ... asked the man outside what birds they were, and the price. (I had recognised them as being a pair of White-eared Bulbuls). He said they were Prussian Bullfinches, good singers, and he thought they were worth " 'arf-a-crown each." I purchased them at that price; they soon improved in plumage, and, before long, were quite in show condition. One cage of birds came to me from North Queensland, in rather a strange way. Some twelve years ago, two brothers were in my employ; they emigrated to Australia. The elder one is quite a naturalist in every sense. Perhaps I might quote one or two extracts from his letters; he writes: --"This part (North Central Queensland), with its iron-bark forests and rolling plains, is quite a paradise for a naturalist. We have an abundance of Kangaroos and Wallabies, also Emus, Cassowaries, Scrub and Plain Turkeys, Wood and Whistling Ducks, Swamp Pheasants, Cockatoos, Black and White Magpies, Leather-heads, Blue Mountain Lories and other kinds of Parrots, Fan-tail Flycatchers, a strange bird called by the settlers Morepork, something like an Owl, (at night when out hunting it says distinctly 'more pork, ' whence comes its name), all kinds of Pigeons and pretty Doves, plenty of Laughing Jackasses which make a great deal of noise when attacking the carpet Snake (I saw five of them a few days since attacking a large Iguana, three feet long: they flew in rapid succession one after the other past the Lizard, each and everyone giving a tremendous blow with the beak on the head, until the Iguana was killed).... The trappers have caught a large flight of eight hundred Blue Mountain Lories; they migrate West from here at this time of the year (April, 1896). I have picked out thirty to send to you for your Blue Mountain aviary at Sydenham, all the...