The Endurance of Birds. 291 



they had been incubated for ten days the ne^t and eggs were destroyed 

 by a Virginian Cardinal. Two of the eggs contained well formed chicks, the 

 third wa^ infertile. They made no further attempt at nesting, both dying in 

 the autumn of the following year. I found them quite hardy out of doors 

 ail the year round. 



CowBiRD. Silky.— I have possessed several pairs, as well as odd 

 male>< a.- different times. .A.nd speaking of them as a whole they have 

 passed through our worst winters out of doors without apparent discom- 

 fort. 1 have a cock at the present time, vvliich has been with ma six years 

 and still looks quite youthful ; at the same tinie I must say my hens have 

 not been long-lived (three years being the longest period), speaking of 

 three specimens two died in mid-winter (not wasted at all and in good 

 feather), the other in the midst of a tropical summer— in the two former 

 cases the cause of death undoubtedly was exposure from sleeping out during 

 spells of severe frost, and in the latter case heat apoplexy ended her* 

 career This species is parasatic, but the first pair I had, finding no suitj 

 able nest in which to deposit their eggs, actually gathered together a 

 mass of tufts and grass in a Ibg nest, provided for Parrakeets, and deposited 

 therein two e ggs, but made no attempt to incubate, which would be rather 

 what one would expect of them. This species has deposited eggs in the 

 nests of Cardinals, Blackbirds, and Thrushes in Mr. Willford's aviary, but 

 no young have been fully reared. 



Ci'TTHRO.xT : These birds are very variable, I have had three 

 pairs which have lived with me over eight years each, and others which 

 have only lived two, three, four or five years. I have found them rather 

 prolific breeders, though some pairs are so eager to go to nest again 

 that thej desert the partly fledged young, and build again, often doing this 

 right up to the end of the season, though they usually tear the last 

 brood successfully. This was the first species of foreign bird I bred! 

 in captivity, so a paiij is usually to be found in one of my aviaries. It 

 is quite ready to mate witli its near relative, the Red-headed Finchj, 

 failing a. inate of its own kind, and the resulting hybrids are usually very 

 handsome Some pairs are very meddlesome, and prefer to steal nesting 

 material from other birds' nests to foraging on their own account, or 

 visiting the bundles provided for them in the aviary. I have not found 

 them quarrelsome; at the sama time they arc quite able to, and do defend 

 their nests against birds much larger than themselves— for this trait I cer- 

 tainly have more admiration than blame. 



DiiVAi HtkD : I have only possessed two males of this species, they 

 arc charming aviary birds, among a collection of largish birds, and can 

 be left out all the year round, providing they have a good shelter which' 

 ■'ihcy car. retire to at will. I find they usually roost indoors at night, both 

 iummcr and winter, and they usually seek the shelter during a stormy 

 peiiod at any time. At the same time, on wet retentive soils I consider 

 ic safesl to take them indoors between November ist and .\i)ril 30th. 



