Spri)ig in Our Aviaries. 8i 



lad three clutches of two eggs each, in the same nest, none of 

 \\hich have proved fertile. While and before nesting-, these 

 birds were very savage with a pair of Ixed-crested Cardinals, 

 which had to be removed, but they did not interfere with 

 Chaffinches, Olive h^inches, and Grey Singing^finches in the same 

 aviary with them. 



In the next enclosure, a pair of Saffron Finches killed an 

 odd hen Saffron and would have killed a cock Mexican I3ick- 

 cissel if it had not been removed. The introduction of the 

 I<ed-crested Cardinals to their enclosure has altered the 

 condition of things, for they in their turn have now to flee for 

 their lives. 



In an adjacent aviary a cock Abyssinian Weaver killed 

 my cock Mahali Weaver, although they had been together all 

 whiter. The introduction of a hen Yellow Weaver was probably 

 tlie cause of the trouble. 



In one of my larger aviaries a pair of Benguela Sparrows 

 {Passer cagocitsis bengiteloisis), which started to nest at the 

 end of April, murdered five out of six Snow Buntings, birds that 

 had wintered here and were in fine condition. A more recent 

 loss is a male Buffalo Weaver killed, I believe, by an unmated 

 l:en Ring' Ouzel, which is now nesting'. The similarity in the 

 colour of the two birds was. I suppose, the trouble here. 



Many other birds have been picked up dead, with frac- 

 tr'red skulls, etc., victims of unknown murderers, and quite a 

 number of cases of pneumonia, etc., have occurred. Last 

 night I found one of my Misto Seed-finches very ill, evidently 

 from egg -binding. I tried to catch it, but after a long' chase 

 with the net I failed to do so, although, when I first went after 

 i'". it looked as if it could be picked up by hand. I expected 

 to find it dead this morning', but to my sruprise it appeared to 

 have quite recovered. Probably the enforced exercise did it 

 g^ood. and this may be one of the reasons of the love chases we 

 sr often see in our aviaries. 



The following' birds have nested already: Hartlaub's, 

 Cabini's and Russ' Weavers; Cuban, and Grey Singingfinches, 

 Diuca Finch (unmated), Red-Ground, and Necklace Doves; 

 Californian, and Plumbeous Quail; Cabot's, and Satyra Trag'o- 

 pans; Monauls, and Giant Tinamous, but, except for the 



