Vis/is to Alcmhcrs' Aviaries and Dirdrooms. 197 



the front. He has not lost any of liis keenness for aviculture, 

 in fact, short as his holiday has been, much of it has been 

 spent among his birds, some new accjuisitions have been made, 

 and during;- my stay, one aviary whicli has been empty for a 

 tw^eivemonlh. was peopled with two pairs of -Melba I- inches, and 

 five pairs of Gouldian Finches, and an exquisite living' pic- 

 ture they made too ! 



These aviaries have been described and illustrated in 

 past issues of ' ' Bird K^otes," so I need only remark that they 

 had vastly improx-.d, the bush and plant life having greatly 

 developed and that there is now an abundance of natural cover 

 for the feathered inhabitants. The young Zebra Finches were 

 very numerous, and more than one brood of Red-headed 

 Finches was on the wing. A beautiful young Indian White- 

 eye, quite independent of its parents (nesting again), made 

 a fascinating picture as it disported amid the living green. 

 Wa.xbills, pairs of Gouldian and Diamond Finches were nest- 

 ing, as also were the aforenamed birds and Diamond Doves — 

 the last named have already two young birds on the wing, the 

 whole forming a charming picturs of happy bird-life not easily 

 to be described, all the more appreciated by the writer, as 

 owing to a change of residence, etc., he is deprived of the 

 pleasure of his aviaries for this season. 



Not one whit less pleasant was our avicultural talk, 

 and anticipations of the "to be" when the 'piping times of 

 peace " come round again. 



The Delicate Life-Thread of the Young Grey 



Parrot. 



n\ M.D. (U.S.A.). 



Young Parrots, before learning to eat seed, commonly 

 are fed with starchy foods of some sort. Now the envelope 

 of certain starch granules becomes digestible only after more 

 and different cooking than even the most careful person is 

 likely to give it. 



Birds have extremely rapid digestive processes. Twice 

 its weight in food is none too much for a young wild bird 

 to assimilate daily. If the nutrient lluids pass so swiftly 



