90 Correspondence. 



CcTTHiiOATs (A. fasciata) : They started laying on December 

 5th, 1910, the nest receptacle being a small coco-nut shell, Iiang- 

 ing in a cige containing sixteen other foreign birds. After sitting 

 closely for some time they crushed the eggs. I then put them in a cage 

 by themselves, with a nest-box 6in. x 4in., filled witli luiy. This 

 nest they seemed to lapprove of, and by December 24th they had three 

 more eggs. They incubated closoly till January 22ad, when 1 found 

 two crushed eggs and a dead bird, evidently also crushed. 



I then put them back into the other cage again, and almost 

 at once they began nesting again, making us3 of a small coco-nut 

 shall and a',- present a -e bu?y incubating another clutch of three iiixg.i. 

 Both birds are genei-ally in the nest, and w'ill allow no, otlier 

 birds near their domicile; int aiders being quickly driven off by Mr. 

 Cutthroat minus a portion of their plumage. 



CocKATEELS (Calopsittac'us novfe-holland/a') : These ,'ilso Jiave 

 nested, the hen laid her first egg on December 24th, I'JIO, in a 

 box 9in. x 7in., partly filled with hay, in an open cage two feet 

 long. For some time she sat on two eggs and then laid again, and 

 I found her incubating four eggs, and as 1 could not tell the first 

 clutch from the last I had to leave them all. Howevi-r, neither 

 proved good sitters, the eggs were very irregularly ineuljated and 

 conseciuontly none hatched out. 



Madaua.scar LovEBiKDS (AgapoTuis cana): On December 

 26th, my pair started nesting, the hen laying her first egg on that 

 day, six in all were laid on alternate days— none havj hatched 

 for a hon Yellow Budgerigar took a fancy to her nest, drove off 

 the hen Madagascar and threw out the eggs, three of which contained 

 fully formed chicks. 



It was a great disappointment l>oth to me and the birds, 

 and they have seemed very dull since. 



The male Madagascar was always in close attendance, but 

 never entered the nest. Incubation commenced with the first i^gg. 

 I have now moved the Budgerigars and liopc they will nest again. 



Yellow Budgeeigars (Melopsittacus undulahi.s : vnr. htieus). 

 Those are now nesting and I hppe there will be sonic la^sult — 

 incubation commenced with the third egg. 



In June last I had one pair of Yellow Budgerigars; f now 

 have 60 or more Foreign Finches, Pekin Robins etc., besides 

 those .named above. 



I am now having an indoor avairy built that the small 

 foreigners may get plenty of exercise. 



(Miss) ALFREDA B. SMYTH. 

 The following reply has been sent: 



Cutthroats like a large nesting receptacle— a box "with a 

 base 6 inches x 8 inches x 6 inches high is none too large- they 

 also favour a full sized coco-nut husk, or a Hart/, travelling; cage. 

 From the latter the fittings must be removed, and a couple of the 

 bai's cut away to give the birds ingress and egress. 



