Ft'echj Imporfed Species and Their Treat^nent. 351 



Diamond and Masked Finches; a pair of Californian Quail, 

 and Dove^, in the largest aviar}'", which is 2 7 feet long by '27 

 feet deep. In another aviary, 27 feet by 10 feet, are a pair 

 of Malabar Mynahs, one pair of Rain Quail, the Spectacled 

 Laughing-Thrush {Trochatopternm cayiorum), and common 

 Cardinals. In the last aviary (the highest), are pairs 'of 

 Blood-rumped Parrakeets, Madagascar Lovebirds, and Passerine 

 Parrakeets. ^ 



Both my hen Californian Quails died from " egg-bind- 

 ing," with their fifteenth e^g — a curious coincidence. The eggs 

 were placed under bantams, and hatched out all right. The 

 Rain Quails made a nest in some high grass and laid eight 

 beautifully marked eggs. But the young, which were minute 

 lively balls of flufT escaped through the wire netting round the 

 aviary. Next year I shall put them in a run by themselves 

 where this cannot happen. For the last three years a Rosy 

 Pastor and a Malabar Mynah (both cocks) have each spring 

 built an enormous nest in some log or box, made of hay, bits 

 of paper, string, etc. These two birds were Always insep- 

 arable friends, until one of the opposite sex came on the 

 scene, in the shape of a hen Malal)ar, which was sent me 

 by Mr. Suggitt. Now the poor Pastor is hunted from pillar 

 to post by the Malabars and I have had to put the two 

 Pastors in with the Parrakeets. One of the Pastors I bought 

 lately from Gamage, and it is by far the best coloured speci- 

 men I have ever seen, the pink colour being perfect. I used 

 to keep the Pastor with the small birds and found him per- 

 fectly harmless except in the nesting season, when he and the 

 Malabar would pull the other birds' nests to pieces to build 

 their own with. The Indian Ring-necked Parrakeet that ;I 

 liberated eighteen months ago still lives in and around the 

 garden. Of the fifteen Budgerigars I let out all went away 

 afoer a month or two except one pair which still remain, and 

 will now stop here I think. 



I hangf up a tin of seed for them every morninj-, and 

 a spray of millet, but the Indian Parrakeet always cuts this 

 through with his beak, and flies away to the top of a tree 

 to eat it. 



