10(S Freely Imported Species mid their Treatment. 



ing these charming little 'birds, and I am only able to glean 

 the following meagre facts: it is fond of the Mango tree as a 

 nesting site — the ,nest is spherical and very large in propor- 

 tion to the bird — very strongly woven together of fine grasses. 

 Th(! same nest is used several times in succession; the clutch 

 is usually four wliite enii^. The birds are met with in Hocks. 



In Captivity: In these notes I am speaking mainly of 

 its breeding in the cage I have described and figured, and 

 onlj" making passing reference to its later behaviour in the 

 aviary. They were put into the cage in May, and in the 

 following month a nest was commenced in a Hartz travelling- 

 cage, the only nest receptacle provided, and a clutch of four 

 &QQ^ was laid, and duly incubated, but did not hatch 

 out, why I cannot tell, for each e^^ contained a dead 

 chick. In July the last nest was pulled to pieces, and 

 a fresh nest constructed and again four eggs were laid, and 

 after being incubated for thirteen days all hatched out, and 

 all were fully reared, mainly on seed, soft food, and greenstuff. 

 They caught some insects, but none were supplied. "With later 

 broods, since reared in the aviary they have .-tlways managed 

 to secure a share of the mealworms, etc., supplied to the other 

 occupants, and have fed with these, as well as the larger 

 number of flies captured in the aviary to wliat was pos.-nble 

 in the cage. Their gener^al demeanour under all circumstances 

 has been amiable, unless interfered with, when they will not 

 only defend themselves, but administer a severe beating to 

 birds much larger than themselves. In my avnary \t has 

 crossed with the Magpie Mann ik in, and several liroods of 

 hybrids have resulted. 



Diet: Same as for the other species described in this 

 article, but this species is very keen on getting some live 

 food, and it is certainly the better for a little. 



In conclusion I wish to point out that I did not use 

 the cage in the winter, only as summer quarters, the birds 

 going into the aviary each October, and it answered its purpose 

 well— lessening the congestion of the aviary, and increasing 

 the breeding results. It was only discarded when a larger 

 aviary and bii'di-oom were put up, as too many enclosui'es and 

 cages required more time than I could give them. 



