80 Freely Imported Species and their Treatment 



make splendid cover and act as nmbrellas if it is wet. Inside 

 the slied they have a choice of various nest boxes and coco-nut 

 husks, but few of the Waxbills seem to use them. 



I have few breeding results to record among my Waxbills, 

 for fast season. The Golden -breasted nested, and got the 

 length of eggs, but did not hatch them out. Their choice 

 of nesting place was a, coco-nut husk. Green Avadavats 

 have reached the stage of eggs several times, but only one 

 bird has been hatched, and this they did not rear. A pair 

 of Coi'don Bleus built a, nest of hay and moss, lined with 

 feathers, in a laurel bush, and three young Avere hatched out. 

 Only one however, was fully reared. The further history of 

 that family is somewhat interesting. The hen parent died, 

 soon after the young bird was on the wing — but the cock bird 

 continued to feed it until it could look after itself. It turned 

 out to be a hen, and now the father has paired up with it, 

 and at tlie time of writing (February 20th), they are engaged 

 in inculcating a clutch of three eggs, each 'faithfully taking a 

 turn— a condition of things to shock our code of morals, but 

 " autres animaux, autres mosurs " to pervert a well-known 

 French phrase! The nest they have made this time is composed 

 chiefly of some kind of fibrous root, wedged in between a 

 coco -nut husk and the wall of the shed, and lined with a 

 few feathers. Nesting materials have been purposely Avitheld 

 thus early in the season. 



Perhaps the most interesting breeding result among the 

 Waxbills last year was the successful rearing of four Golderi- 

 breastcd x Scarlet Avadavat hybrids. These were bred in 

 August, and the nest was built in a laurel bush, of hay and 

 feathers, and was semi-domed. The l)ack was well sheltered 

 by leaves, but during a spell of wet days, two feathers were 

 arranged in front to run off the wet, which they did most 

 effectively. Both birds shared the duties of incubation. The 

 eggs were quite white, and the clutch of four were all duly 

 hatched out and the young birds fully reared. It was curious 

 that these birds should pair, as each could have chosen ^ 

 mate of its own species. When the young left the nest they 

 were very unassuming little birds— quite a dull brown in 

 general colouring with slightly lighter broAvn on the breast. 

 The wings were barred with brownish -yellow markings, and 



