4 6 



Spice-birds. Zebra Finches have bred successfully each year. 



Budgerigars have done likewise. 



Pair Combassous liave survived one winter. 



Canaries have hatched out young ones. 



Cock Indigo Bunting was sickly two mouths in the house, and on 

 being put out sufficiently recovered to live i\ years. 



Cock Paradise Wliydah died last September, in nearly full colour, 

 having lived over two years, and always in perfect condition. 



Pair Siskins, caught here in January, 1906, and still in perfect health ; 

 pair Brauiblings, these are the only English birds I have. 



Cock St. Helena Seedeater, this bird and the two following pairs 

 were brought me from Beaufort West, Cape Colony, in May, 1906. 



Pair Cape Canaries, hen died a year ago of severe inflammation of 

 lungs after nine months. 



Pair Alario Finches, cock died in January, 1907, after six or seven 

 months. 



Two cock Napoleon Weavers. 



Pair Avadavats, hen died in October last, after nearly three months — 

 I think from egg-binding. 



Cock Red-headed Weaver, two other Weavers (probably hens of 

 sorts). 



Cock Dufresne's Waxbills : a pair of these were brought me with 

 others, from Beaufort West, (May, 1906); the hen was in good plumage 

 always, and the cock bald; and until the hen died I kept them in the 

 house and tried to cure the cock's baldness, first by syringing every morn- 

 ing, and then by giving magnesia. I then put him out in the aviary on 

 August 28th, 1906, but on November 7th, as he appeared weak, I took him 

 in. He was killed the same night by a mouse or other birds in the cage, 

 but the feathers zvere growing on his head and neck with the out-door life, 

 though it had been bald for eighteen months. 



The number in the aviarv at one time has varied from thirty up to 

 fifty. 



I propose adding, this summer, Silverbills, Avadavats and Green 



Avadavats, and possibly Cherry and Gouldiau Finches. 



The above mentioned cock St. Helena Seedeater paired with a hen 

 Canarj% a very dark-coloured one, brown on wings and back. They had 

 about four nests, and, so far as I could make out, only one egg usually. 

 They hatched certainly once besides, the young one being thrown out on 

 the floor one morning. The one they reared was about their third attempt, 

 and does not take at all after the Seedeater ! Its head and wings resemble 

 the hen, but the back, top of tail and breast have thrown back to light 

 yellow canary colour. It was hatched end of July, chiefly fed by cock with 

 ants' eggs, chopped egg and biscuit, and green food, and left the nest on 

 August 12th, when the hen began to sit again. I am inclined to think it is 

 a hen. 



