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Correspondence. 



NESTING OF THE VIOIvET-EARED WAXBILL. 



Sir, — It may interest our Members to hear of the nesting 

 of my Violet-eared Waxbills. These birds were exhibited at 

 the Horticultural Hall in October last, and were then in the pink 

 of condition. When they were brought home they were kept 

 in their show cage for the night, and on the following morning 

 they hopped right willingly into their own big cage, which 

 was placed in a sunny corner of the drawing room, and indeed 

 it was pretty to see their delight in finding themselves at home 

 again amid the familiar surroundings and with their pretty bird 

 companions on every side of them. I placed their favourite 

 tit-bits in the cage and some flowering grass, and a cocoanut 

 husk in one corner for a sleeping place. The}' soon began to 

 carry up the grass to the husk, and also, b}^ the way, to try to 

 take pieces out of the curtains with their sharp little beaks, so 

 I gave them some nesting material, and a very busy little pair 

 they were, dancing and singing and putting the house in order. 

 I cannot tell precisely when the eggs were laid, but shortly 

 after the nest-making was finished I found one tiny white egg, 

 and a few days after there were three more. At first I thought 

 the hen was sitting all right, for she was in the nest nearly all 

 day, but she evidently gave it up, for having carefully covered 

 up the eggs she left them alone and resumed her outside life, 

 and seemed as well and happy as usual. 



The cage was an open one, and we are always about the 

 room, and of course they are fed and looked after frequently; 

 also there were other birds in close proximity all round 

 them. Under these circumstances I thought it unusual for the 

 birds to nest, and perhaps some of our Members can tell nie if 

 it is so and whether it is likely to do the hen any harm so late 

 in the year. At present she is well and the male bird in most 

 brilliant plumage. They are absolutely tame and the first pair 

 of Waxbills I have ever kept. R. L. Mili^er. 



[Unless this bird has quite recently bred in this country I 

 should say that Mrs. Miller is probably the first to have even 



