224 Breeding of Buficaudas, Painted Finches, etc. 



space, perhaps room will be found for a few notes on 

 my Black-checks. These at any rate are Birds you (\an do 

 just as you like with, — provided of course you don't mind 

 getting a sharp nip from their powerful beaks. I have to 

 deplore the death from heat apoplexy of one of my old birds, 

 — a very serious loss it was, and l>y fighting I lost one of the 

 young pair I had put up for the purpose of solving the question 

 as to the age at which English-bred l)irds would mate. I opened 

 up the nests to-day (June 2Gth) with the following results. 

 One old pair which had 7 eggs last time I looked, now has 

 young, how many I know not. The l)ird, whose mate — I believe 

 the cock — died, had no less than 9 eggs (possibly the result of 

 two clutches). I feaw this morning 3 young birds just hatched 

 and I shall await with some curiosity the result of VL\y next in- 

 spection. I am hopeful this hen will rear her brood unaided. 

 As to the survivor of my pair of young. These birds were 

 hatched in January, and eggs were laid during the first Avcek 

 in Maj% so it may be taken for granted that these young birds 

 at any rate lay at about the age of four months. The cock 

 is the survivor of this pair, and the two eggs in the nest, 

 although they shewed signs of having been fertilised, will not 

 hatch. I feed the Black -cheeks almost entirely on white oats, 

 white sunflower, and millet sprays, but I occasionally give 

 them for a treat some of the Finches seed. I have so far to 

 record want of success with my pair of Stanley Parrakeets, 

 which I have now had for three years. The pair have an 

 aviary and flight entirely to themselves. I notice of late the 

 cock has been feeding the hen, and generally making much 

 of her. Once more I live in hopes. 



The Yellow Budgerigars have behaved themselves very 

 creditably for a set of newly wedded birds, for from the first 

 round I have 15 youngsters on the wing, while each pair js again 

 on eggs. The 25 birds (old and young) look charming in 

 the flight, but they are already almost too numerous and J. 

 suppose I must make up my mind to get rid of some of them 

 before the next round hatches, or I shall be overdone with 

 them. The food the Budgerigars get is, to a great extent, 

 the leavings from the other aviaries, carefully sifted first, of 

 course, and supplemented with a liberal supply of white oats, 

 to which they are very partial. It has given me, very 



