256 Correspondence. 



Dr. Lucas is at present much occupied with hospital duties, 

 but I gather that when the piping times of peace come round 

 again, the size of the aviary flight will be increased at the 

 expense of some of the wild grcmnd around it. 



As I talked Avith Dr. and Miss Lucas in the aviary 

 it was easy to understand the interest and pleasure they gath- 

 ered from their aviary and its occupants, as one topic after 

 another concerning their welfare was discussed. I, too. passed 

 a most interesting visit, as many of the species in the aviary 

 were old favourites of mine, when seed-eaters claimed a larger 

 share of my attention than they do at present. 



Correspondence. 



A REPUTED HYBRID ROSEFIXCH >( GREENFINCH. 

 Sir.i — Referring to my prcvi<jus letter puhlishcd in the August num- 

 ber, in which I claimed to have bre:l a hybrid tietweeij a Siberian 

 Rosefinch {Carpodacus erythrinus) and a C.reenfinch, I now send you as 

 full details as possible as to the nesting of the Greenfinch, and the appear- 

 ance ot the young bird. As i lormerly stated, I have no direct evidence to- 

 offer as to the identity of the male parent other than is afforded by the 

 striking resemblance of the young l)ird to the reputed father. The .Siber- 

 ian Rosefinch. though not wild, was a shy and retiring bird, anr! 1 nevei 

 saw it take any interest whatsoever in any other bird in the aviary. I 

 used to hear it, however, in the early inornings, in spring, inccsiantly* 

 repeating its simple little song. Th.s song is very \\v\\ described by. 

 Seebohm (quoted in Butler's " Foreign Finches in Captivity ") as re- 

 sembling the words " I'm pleased to see you," the " see " being ac- 

 cented and prolonged. The Greenfinch went to nest in a straw bottle- 

 cover, fastened up horizontally on the wall, close under the roof of shelter- 

 shed. (I may say I find these very acceptable as nests anri sleeping 

 places to most liirds). Five eggs were laid, ot \\ aich three were hatched. 

 The period of incubation was about fourteen days. vjo. far as I could see- 

 the young were fed on chickweed alone. 1 suppli^jd irmfuls of this every 

 day. Soft food and yolk of egg were apparently not touciiel. The three; 

 young throve well till they were fully feathered, when one left the nest 

 and was found hopping about the floor. 1 put it back in the nest two 

 or three evenings, but it, of course, came out again with the daylight. 

 When hopping about (it could not fly at this stage) it called for food, 

 and was fed by the Greenfinch alone. 1 then found the other two youngf 

 dead in the nest. The Greenfinch had deserle.l them, and was evidently 

 thinking of going to nest again. This time there was no doulit about 

 its being paired with a Mexican Rosefincli or Blood-stained Finiii {Car' 

 podaciis mcxicaniis), of which bird more anon. The young bird was 

 soon able to feed itself. It was a long limr learning lo fly, ami I found 



