14 Nesting Noirs. 



and soon weaned the vouii.i^' Idrd to soft food and fruit. When 

 24 days ohl the youiin Bull)ul couM feed, l)m preferred to rely 

 on his parents — pure laziness, I feel sure. 



The hen laid four clutches, from whicli she hatched eleven 

 chicks, but for some reason on each occasion the young were 

 all thrown out at periods varying from one to ten days. 



I feel sure that they could be reared successfully by 

 placing the eggs under a Thrush or Blackbird, but the value 

 of the Red -whiskered Bulbul would hardly repay one for the 

 trouble of the subsequent hand-rearing. 



I see that Mrs. Mahon has reared the species, and it 

 would be interesting to hear that lady's exact method of feed- 

 ing.* The other species mentioned l>y Mr. Page are Siberian 

 Bullfinches, Pelzeln's Saffrons, Amadavats, Golden -breasted 

 Waxbills, Chinese Quails, and Parrot Finches. With the first four 

 I got as far as young hatched, but after that — disappointments! 

 The Siberians showed signs of liuilding early in June, and as 

 they could not decide on a building-site, I gave them a canary 

 travelling-cage, containing a Green Cardinal's nest — this they 

 quickly lined — and the hen laid her first eg<^ on the 18th, and 

 the fourth on the 22nd. Incubation began on the 21st, but 

 finding a few days later that two eggs had been pecked, 

 I put the remaining two under a canary, which sat for ten 

 days, and came off just as the eggs were due to hatch. They 

 were both fertile. On July 19th I found the hen again 



sitting on four eggs, this time she was so steady that she 

 would allow me to stroke her without getting off the nest. 

 The cock spent most of his time on a twig close by, and 

 never allowed any of the otiier l)irds, of which tliere was a 

 large number in the same aviary, to approach the nest. 



On August (ith two chicks hatched out, and were fed 

 from the first liy both i)a,r('nts. On the Sth f found one 

 of the youngsters dead in the outer llight, five or six yards 

 away from its nest, and I have always suspectOil a certain 

 Saffron Finch, whi(Mi was both a clown and a knave, and 

 who was sent away shortly afterwards. The remaining young 

 l)ird was fed on shepherd's purse, dock, chickweetl, and mallow, 

 the favourite seed-foods being sunflower and hemp. I was 



* Mrs. Maliou lias promised an account for a later issue, — Ed, 



