142 



heralded by symptoms of cerebral congestion. This bird 

 was interesting from the fact that though cage-moulted he 

 had maiiv red feathers. W. GEO. CRESWEr.i,. 



(Eorrespon&encc. 



AN OBLIGING CHAFFINCH. 



Sir, — I took a nest of Chaffinches about eight days ago. 

 The}' are thriving and getting strong. Yesterday I put them 

 out in their cage on the lawn in the sun, and presently a cock 

 Chaffinch flew on to the cage, looked at them, cheeped, and 

 flew oflf. I was sitting with otliers close by. In a few minutes 

 he came back, this time his mouth was full of green cater- 

 pillars. He tried to get up enough courage to go into the 

 cage, but evidently could not manage it. After trying to get to 

 them every way except by the door, he finally called them 

 up to the bars of the cage and fed them. I left them to him all 

 the afternoon. His wife is sitting somewhere, and I fancy he 

 thought he would tr}' his hand and feed the strangers till his 



own were ready for his attentions. 



E. Warren Vernon. 



BENGALESE HYBRIDS. 



Sir, — In my aviary amongst other birds I have a fawn and 

 white Bengalese hen. A cock Spice bird and cock Bronze 

 Mannikin both paid her great attention and assisted in making 

 a nest in a small box hung on the wall. Four eggs were laid, 

 both cocks sitting on the eggs in turns when the hen went off 

 to feed and bathe. 



I never expected the eggs to hatch, and thinking the)' 

 must be unfertile, I looked in the nest to-day (May 23) and to 

 my great surprise, found two young birds, one much larger 

 than the other (a week old I should say) very fat, crop well- 

 filled with egg, no signs of any feathers. I shall be unable to 

 tell with which bird the hen mated until the young ones are 

 out of the nest. 



I should also mention that the same three birds built a 

 huge nest of grass and roots in some branches in the flight, 



