247 



flDt? Bviarics. 



By H. WlLLFORD. 



(Continued from page 234,/. 



NESTING NOTES. 



In response to your request, Mr. Editor, I am supplementing the 

 description of my aviaries with such notes of breeding results as my some- 

 what incomplete data permits me to give. 



Bronze-wing Pigkons {Phaps chalcoptera) : These laid their first egg 

 on July nth, their nest being constructed of a quantity of twigs placed in 

 the aviary for their use: these twigs were placed on a bundle of straw, 

 partly overgrown with hops. The young, which proved later to be a pair, 

 were fledged in thirty-two days from the time of the first egg being laid. 

 The old birds have now 7 (Nov. 25th) a second pair of young just ready to fly. 



Diamond DOVKS (Geopeiia cuneata) : This year have not done so well 

 as usual, two only being fully reared ; the probable cause being that there 

 were more cocks than hens, which caused a great deal of sparring. 



Common QlJAir, (Columix communis): Two young were successfully 

 reared out of a clutch of seven eggs, laid in a nest which was constructed 

 amid the growth of a grass-covered bank. There were eight eggs at first, 

 but of these the cock broke two. I then placed the other six under a 

 bantam and four hatched, two being subsequently reared. The old pair I 

 then removed to a larger aviary, which contained a pair of Harlequins, 

 with which they agreed quite well. Here another nest was found and seven 

 eggs were laid, then finding she did not lay any more I took away the cock 

 and the Harlequins. She brought off a brood of six, but one was picked up 

 dead a few days later after a heavy shower, the remaining five are now full 

 grown. 



Rufous-Tailed Grass Finches [Bathilda ruficaudd): These started 

 housekeeping in August, but had evidently been sitting some time before 

 the fact was discovered. The nest was constructed of hay, loosely woven on 

 to a bale of straw, there was no lining of any kind, the nest was domed, and 

 both shared the duties of incubation. Three eggs were laid all of which 

 hatched out. and the young were all fully reared. The young were of an 

 even darkish brown colour. 



Long-tailed Grass Finches (Poephila acu/icaudar. One pair of this 

 species have built, and successfully reared no less than four broods, ten in all. 

 The first two nests were built in a large bush and constructed of grass stalks 

 and hay without any lining, although these birds, like all the Australian 

 finches, are very partial to a few feathers with which to make their nests 

 cosy ; each nest contained five eggs and from the first, four were reared, 

 while from the second, three; after which the old birds were put into 

 another aviary, where they .soon built again and, from two nests, three 

 young were fully reared, two and one respectively. Both these nests were 

 built in a bale of straw. The young were similar to their parents, but with 

 black beaks, smaller bibs and much duller in colour. 



Red-Billed Weaver (Qnelea quelea) : I have read somewhere of this 

 species having been bred before, but do not remember where. A pair built 

 a dome-shaped nest on some pea sticks in my first avairy some three years 



