9 6 



calling to each other and their would-be captor in an indescrib- 

 ably cheeky fashion, one is loth to bring theni in. A cage, how- 

 ever, placed outside in a neighbour's garden soon results in their 

 capture as they soon come to feed, and with a little alertness the 

 door can be closed upon them. Should one only escape, the 

 other bird soon attracts it back to its cage. In spite of many 

 escapes and labouring under exceptional disadvantages with 

 regard to environment, I have never lost an Orange-cheek, they 

 are too knowing. I can safely say that no other bird I have kept 

 so fully knows the ways of a place, or appears to have the homing 

 instinct so fully developed. 



I once made an endeavour to breed with them in a cage 

 24111. by i6in. by i8in. ; in about a fortnight the cock bird ignoring 

 natural branches and a " Hartz " cage commenced to weave a 

 tower from the bottom of the cage ; he used aloe fibre, hay, and 

 a little hair. It was wide at the bottom, gradually narrowing to 

 the top of the cage, iSin. in height, finishing off with a domed 

 nesting place. The whole structure was beautifully woven from 

 side to side, and 

 was similar to 

 rough figure 

 herewith. The 

 hen helped but 

 little, but was 

 constantly exam- 

 ining his work, 

 on each occasion 

 Mr. Orange- 

 cheek would 

 sing to her, 

 spreading h i s 

 tail the while 

 and afterwards 

 endeavouring to 

 entice her to the 

 nest. He spent 

 much of his time 

 hopping from 



