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aviary from growing plants, grass stems and bents, 

 the whole very ingeniously and compactly woven 

 together. Sitting on two eggs August 30tli ; hatched 

 Sept. i2th, left nest Sept. 23rd; one of this pair was 

 killed on Sept. 24th by some occupant of the aviary, 

 the other was fully reared and is now (Oct. 31st) in 

 partial adult plumage. 



5th nest : The above nest repaired ; the parents 

 began to sit on October 3rd on two eggs, which were 

 hatched on October 15th. The young left the nest 

 October 28th, and the next day both were killed by 

 some other occupant of the aviary. They were a very 

 strong and well developed pair of birds. 



It will be seen from the above that incubation 

 lasts from 12 to 13 days, (the times given are strictly 

 accurate and were taken by myself), and that the 

 young invariably leave the nest when eleven days old, 

 and gather strength for flight on the second or third 

 day afterwards. The first day they do little more than 

 flutter along the ground, though quite strong on their 

 feet; and it is at this time they fall a prey to any 

 maliciously disposed inhabitant of the aviary. 



With regard to the hardiness of this species, of 

 this there can be no question, for they have ailed 

 nothing either Winter or Summer, neither do they 

 give any trouble during the moult. Unless the aviary 

 be very large it should only contain one pair, and the 

 young as soon as they become adult should be re- 

 moved, since these birds are very intolerant of their 

 own species. 



As regards diet, they had access to canary, white 

 millet, and a mixture of oats, wheat, dari, rice in the 

 husk, hemp and sunflower ; and they took freely of all 



