90 



improving the general health and building up the 

 strength. But "baldness" is a very intractable coiu- 

 plaint, and in many cases resists all treatment. 



THE EDITOR'S LETTER BOX. 



A HOMING ZEBRA FINCH. 



Sir,— I have a pair of Zebra Finches which are 

 most amusing — they are so sturdy and full of life. One 

 da}', last month, the hen managed to get into a water- 

 bottle which had been placed inside the cage. The cock 

 made such a noise that it attracted my attention, but as 

 I reached the cage he succeeded in overturning the 

 water-bottle and rescued the little hen more dead than 

 alive. As she could not move I put her in a small cage 

 by the fire, and in a couple of hours she recovered. 



The next day, a bitterh- cold one, the cock flew out 

 of the window and went straight towards the sea. I 

 gave him up for lost, but in case he might be in the 

 neighbourhood, I set the cage in an open door of the 

 verandah in the hope that his mate's shrill "penny 

 trumpet" call would attract him. She kept up an 

 incessant " pamp, pamp, pamp," for three hours, at the 

 end of which time I went into the room and found a 

 tired sooty little object sitting on the top of the cage— 

 the cock had found his wa}- lionie. 



Since then they have built a nest with cotton wool 

 and bits of pink silk. I gave them a variety of nesting 

 material, and they chose little strips of pink silk, and 

 took one piece about three inches square, with which 

 they cover their eggs as nicely as one would spread a 

 counterpane on a bed. If I take it away, the cock 

 puts it back again. 



I am able to observe the doings of my birds, as I 

 keep them in large cages in my studio. 



AiA'.S V. GORTKR. 



