Brrrdivf] fhr PyiilhfiJ, Shawn, and Vclrni Tiohin . 51 



oonstructod of hay, horse hair, dry grass, and fine shavings. 



Very shortly afterwards another nest was built in the 

 same tree, of much the same type and decorated tliis time 

 with pale hlue wool. When incubation had lasted twelve to 

 fourteen days, without as I thought any result, I had decided 

 to steal an egg from the Red -whiskered Bulbuls nesting in 

 the same tree and transfer it to the White -ear. Tthen found 

 they were feeding two young as I thouglit, it must have 

 Iteen three, as T found a dead fledgling thrown out on the 

 third day, and on getting on a chair and looking in the nest 

 saw two very lively chicks still in the nest. 



As parents tliey jiroved most self-denying ancl careful, 

 so unlike the Eed -whiskers, Avho Avould eat nearly a clozen 

 mealworms each l^efore feeding their bal)ies; the White-ears 

 never ate one till they had satisfied the wants of llieir hungry 

 brood! 



Two delightful young l)irds left the nest Avhen about 

 fourteen days old. Their plumage was brown, with the white 

 ear patches, ((uite distinct, and very minute crests. yVt a 

 very early age they were able to tend for themselves arid 

 rapidly developed into very tine and well feathered specimens. 

 Imagine my feelings when I went into the aviary one after- 

 noon, when I found one of the ])arent White -ears holding 

 down one of 'the young birds and killing it — it died the next 

 day, and I then sold the other >'oung l)ird; the latter event Avas 

 at the end of Octol)er, the bird Avas then full ^Town, an'l 

 in beautiful plumage. 



I conclude jealousy Avas the cause of the other bird's 

 slaughter, for more afTectionatc or careful j^arcnts 1 have 

 never seen in all my experiences of bird life* 



The young Avere reared entirely on nu;a,hvorms I'ov more 

 than a week; then they began to make use of banana, vgg, 

 and bread and milk. T should add the old birds Avere very 

 tame, and I could do almost anything Avith them. 

 To be Confbmed. 



[The male parent of many species of birds, l)f)tli Britisli 

 and Foreign, l-cill oft the young males Aviien the.v l)egin to 

 come into adult ])lumage. In a state of nature, at a given jierind 

 the young birds sepai'ate IVnm' their parents and distril)utc them- 

 selves over the country. — Ed.] 



