Nesting of the Bickcissel. 273 



faint striations of the same colour on the breast and flanks. 

 In this phase of pkimage they remained and, as they were 

 exactly alike, it was impossible to sex them. Towards the 

 end of August I parted with the adults and one youngster to 

 one of our members and I retained the other. Past experi- 

 ence with Buntings bred in the aviary has taught me that 

 the period during which they are being gradually brought 

 on to hard seed is a critical one, and I was therefore careful 

 not to let the young bird go until I was certain that it could 

 be considered fully " weaned," but I had to learn one more 

 lesson. I placed the remaining young bird in a large flight- 

 cage by itself, with mealworms, and other luxuries. Eesult: 

 It refused all food and pined away. Moral: Do not over- 

 look the mentality of a young bird, but bear in mind that 

 it probably feels the separation from Its family as acutely 

 as we, when small boys, felt being sent to our first school. 



On the 23rd of July I found a second nest of the 

 Dickcissels in an Euonymus. The four eggs were a ivery 

 light blue without any markings. Size, -85 inches x -62 

 inches. They are much the size of Hedgesparrow's eggs, but 

 by comparison with the latter, appear almost white. The 

 above corresponds with the description furnished in modern 

 works on American ornithology but Wilson says " white, 

 sprinkled with specks and lines of black." I have already 

 suggested that his acquaintance with this species seems not 

 to have been very intimate. 



P.S. — The nest shown in the photo was situated on a 

 horizontal branch of an Austrian Pine, one foot from the 

 ground, surrounded and well hidden by interlacing tendrils of 

 bind-weed: it was of the characteristic Bunting type — large, 

 somewhat flattened on the top, the foundation composed of small 

 twigs and dead stems of bind-weed, the cup lined with fine g/ass. 



Breeding of the Guira Cuckoo. 



(Guira piririgua). 

 By Lord Poltimore. 

 Three Guira Cuckoos (as far as could be made out, 

 one male and two females), were bought in May, last, from 

 Mr. A. E. Jamrach, of London, 



