ii 9 



IHcsttno Botes. 



By W. E. Teschemaker, B.A. 



Since I returned from my annual bird-trip, on the ist of 

 June, we have had a continual blaze of sunshine in Devonshire 

 and for actually thirty days no rain has fallen. Yet I have had 

 fewer nests this year than in any previous season. This confirms 

 the view I have always held, namely that a dry summer is not 

 necessarily the best for foreign birds (from the point of view of 

 breeding results), with the possible exception of the Australian 

 species. For instance the nesting season in South America 

 comprises the months of September and October — the very 

 wettest period of the year, and the same remark applies with 

 nearly equal truth to South Africa. 



Besides this I have had undoubtedly a run of bad luck 

 with my aviaries, since 1906; during last season and this season 

 I must have examined between thirty and forty nests which have 

 not produced one single young bird fully reared. Of course I do 

 not expect to succeed every time because I practically keep only 

 species that have not been previously bred and which therefore 

 usually present some special difficulty. 



We will take the British species first, these being to me 

 the most interesting. 



Cirl Buntings have done well. I have one youngster 

 full} 7 reared, and a second nest containing three young, now 

 nicely feathered ; also several nests of eggs. 



Lapland Buntings have been a disappointment. The hen 

 built a nest but suddenly deserted it. The cause was not appar- 

 ent until I concealed myself in an adjoining aviary. After a 

 long wait I saw the hen timidly approach her nest (which was in 

 a mound of turf sods constructed for her special benefit on a 

 sloping roof), when a pair of Lesser Rock Sparrows {Petronia 

 dentatcC) darted out from some adjoining ivy and, with hawk-like 

 swoops, drove the unfortunate Bunting headlong the length of 

 the aviary and against the wire netting where she fell stunned 

 to the ground. It took two days to catch up the Rock Sparrows 

 and by that time the pschychical moment had passed and the 

 opportunity was lost. 



