Hrccdiiii^ Results /or i(j2i. 41 



strong- young hirds they were when 1 parted with them. One 

 of these young hirds was rather prettily marked, being i)ure 

 w hite save for the top of the head, neck and saddle, which were 

 of a beautiful silvery grey. The second youngster was, oddly 

 enough, almost a pure grey like the wild birds: both jjarents are 

 pure white withotit l)lemish. 



ijUi)(;i;Ri(;.\KS : These were most disappointing, esi)eciallv 

 the Blue-breds. and ^'ellows: one of the latter mated with a 

 ( ireen cock in spite of all my efforts to i)re\ent it. and this pair 

 ])roduced five \oung, which were ftdly reared, and, ot cotu'se 

 all greens! The legitimate mates of these two birds ajiparcntly 

 sidked instead of making the best of a bad job and settling 

 down together: they fruitlessly, though ])ersistently endeav- 

 oured to win back their faithless si)ouses. Being imsuccessful 

 in this, one or possibly both of the injured parties invaded the 

 second nest of the faithless ones and destroyed (actually tore 

 to pieces) a Irrovd of four tine yotmg birds, which were just or; 

 the eve of leaxing their nursery. 



(Jf all the species of birds bred this season, by far tiie most 

 troublesome and difticult to rear were the "S'iilldw-billfjd 

 Cardinal.s. After lea\ing the nest I found that egg-food, 

 which up to this time appears to suit them very well, would not 

 do at all and imariably gave the birds very severe bowel trouble 

 from which they succumbed in a few da_\'s. ( )ne had either to 

 l)rovide them with a most generous su])ply of live focjd, and 

 mealworms would not suffice by themselves, or the birds made 

 no progress, and soon died off. To obtain food of this nature 

 entails considerable time and labour, as I know to my cost, . > 

 unless an aviculturist is favourably situated for obtaining live 

 food and can spare the necessary time and labom- in collecting 

 such elusive quarry, I should not reconunend their trying to 

 breed this si)ecies: though in other resi)ects it is one of the most 

 attractixe of the inuxjrted snecies of Cardinals. 



