Stray Az^iary Notes. 229 



ciicuUaiiis) nested in the shnil)l)ery aloni^' one side of the lawn 

 and broui^ht tip three youny birds successfnlly. Some of these 

 weavers are still about, and I saw several, including an Orange 

 Weaver, in full colour, but it was only a glimpse I caught of 

 this brilliant species — most of the " at liberty " birds were in 

 eclipse plumage and not easy to detect amid the very ntimerous 

 avifauna of the garden. 



The last morning of my visit came, and amid almost 

 tropical rain I passed to the station and entrained for Westbury, 

 Wilts., but this accotint I must leave to another issue. 

 To be continued. 



Stray Aviary Notes. 



By Herbert Carr-Walker. 



This has been almost a futile breeding season, and 

 successes few and far between, yet I have achieved a success 

 which I have tried to gain for many years past, but hitherto 

 failure has always dogged my efforts. I have always been bent 

 upon breeding British Bullfinches, and this season my desire 

 has been achieved. 



I can find no one in this part of the world (Yorks.) who 

 has successfully bred them, though a friend of mine has tried for 

 twenty years to do so. I believe the cause of so many failures 

 is the dif^culty of getting the right food for them in the early 

 stages. The first intimation I got that they were nesting was 

 noticing the cock bird very busy collecting small flies 

 from the wire-netting, and I at once suspected he was feeding 

 young, and on this assumption arranged for a daily supply of 

 all kinds of wild grass seeds. A little later tw^o exceedingly 

 strong young birds left the nest. They have now moulted and 

 taken on their black-caps, but both are females. Needless to 

 say I am much gratified. 



I see in September Bird Notes that Dr. Hopkinson has 

 included tlie Spice Finch x Silverbill hybrids, which were bred 

 here, in his Hst. It may be of interest to give a few notes of 

 this 1920 episode. I still have two of the hybrids, and very 

 pretty birds they are, too — could they be put to any useful 



