114 



proved to be Redheads and tlie other four Blackheads. 

 They were as wild as Hawks and flew about the aviary- 

 like a flash of light, and the terrific way they banged 

 against the wire absolutely made me shudder for their 

 lives. Incubation lasts twelve days. The favourite 

 nesting material I find to be fine meadow grass. 



I always like to breed Redheads with Redheads, 

 and Blacks with Blacks; so if you have more than one 

 pair it is as well to mate them up first in a cage before 

 turning them out; as, with the perversity of bird 

 nature, Blacks may mate with red, and vice versa. 



How he keeps in such lovely condition I know 

 not. I would not like to say that Gouldians never 

 wash, but certainly they don't parade the failing if they 

 have it. I fancy they are of the opinion of the two 

 ladies I once heard, returning from a visit to Scar- 

 borough. Said one lady to the other, ' Did you 'ave a 

 <lip, Mrs. Brown?' 'No, I didn't,' replied Mrs. B. 

 confidently, "our Tom wanted me crool to 'ave one, 

 but I sez to him. No, I never 'ad a bath yet and I ain't 

 agoiu' to begin 'em at my time of life.' We know how 

 scarce water is in Australia, so perhaps it is a wise 

 provision of nature. 



To see Gouldians drink would delight the heart of 

 Sir Wilfrid Lawson ; it isn't a mere sip and off, like 

 most birds, but a long earnest invigorating draught. 

 You might almost speak of it as the 'long pull.' 



In the matter of feeding, his tastes are of the 

 -simplest : millet, canary, flowering grass, and cuttle 

 fish comprise his whole bill of fare, if I may except 

 the much abused maw seed, of which he is inordi- 

 nately fond. 



The song of the Gouldian Finch is exceedingly 

 funny to watch. He crooks his neck, depresses his 

 back, and dances up and down the twig, but you have 

 to imagine the tune. It is a case of ' Songs without 

 Words.' 



