350 Freely Imported Species and Their Treatment. 



Grey-Headed oe Madagascar Lovebirds (Jgapor- 

 nis eana). These began to make a nest in a Berlipsch 

 nesting box for Swifts. As soon as I noticed this I placed 

 some strips of barlv, dead and green .leaves in tlie aviary, and 

 they soon had tlieir slight nest finished. In tlie case of the 

 leaves, they cut out pieces about three inches long and a 

 quarter of an inch wide, being curved like a sickle. I have 

 never seen them carrying the pieces to the nest, although I 

 have often hoped to, to see if they would carry tliem tucked 

 under their wing-covcrts, as has been described. 



.These Swift's nesting boxes make excellent nesting 

 sites for small birds, especially Parrakeets, as there is just 

 room for them to get in and out; the box (a log) is about 

 18 inches deep with a dei)ression made to keep the eggs 

 together. Being made to hang in a horizontal position, the 

 young can easily get out when the time comes for them to 

 leave the nest; which is not ahvays the case with a deep 

 box, which has the opening at the top. 



The Grey-headed Loveljirds have now been sitting for 

 about a fortnight, and I have only once seen the hen out of 

 the nest-box, when she was out for about ten minutes, sit- 

 ting beside the cock bird while he fed her. I have never 

 seen the cock bird go into the box since tlie nest was made, 

 although, if he does not know I am near he has a peep into 

 the box occassionally. 



Cut -THROATS (Amadina fasciata). These have ])rought 

 up several families in the course of the year; the last l)rood, 

 four in number, left the nest on November 1st, while another 

 pair has just started to lay again. 



Common Reed -Buntings (Emberiza schoenieln-s) built 

 m a small evergreen bush about one foot from the ground, 

 laid two eggs which were duly hatched out. These wei-e get- 

 ting on well till the fifth day, when I found they had dis- 

 appeared; whether it was mice or a Cowbird, or i^ossibly 

 the Pope Cardinals that were guilty I cannot say'. 



General Notes: So far I have not had much success 

 with breeding birds, except Budgerigars (which don't count), 

 having had various birds mixed up together too much, such 

 as Cowbirds, Cardinals, and Pastors, with the smaller 

 Finches. The latter I now keep altogether, with them are 



