I Correspondence. 229 



and the nest extremely odorous. Put in fresh luiy and returned the chick, 

 its parents fed it almost at once and now (.lune 'J-Jiid) it is feathering fast. 



1 have too many Itinls for my accommodation and fear my liieediii<j 

 results nnist he vcr.\ small as I liavu to keep so many kinds totrether. 



uMiss) ALFKEDA B. SMYTH. 

 Catford. 8.E., June 2"in(l, I'.H:'.. 



MY FIRST SEASON. 



Sir.— In response to your enquiry 1 have pleasure in stating that, 

 though I have nothing very rare, all my birds are doing well, and that there 

 appears prospects of some success. Losses have been very few and the birds 

 seem fairly well established. 



At present 1 have in the aviary : pairs of Californian Quail, Zebra 

 and Ribbon Finches, Bengalese, White and Grey Java Sparrows, Grey Sing- 

 inglinches, Combasous, White- and Black-headed Mannikins, Spice Birds, 

 and Red-billed Weavers ; Golden-breasted, Common, and Orange-cheeked 

 Waxbills ; and Common and Green Avadavats The above I purchased, 

 ai'd below I give a few notes from my log book concerning them, 

 April 9 -Opened the aviary by putting in one pair Californian Quail. 

 „ 13- Put in pairs of Zebra and Ribbon Finches, and Bengalese. 

 „ '20 — Put in pairs of Combasous, Spice Birds, Grey Javas, and dlrey 



Singingflnches. 

 „ 23 — Discovered Zebia Finches had two eggs in a lusli nest. 

 ,, 25 — Bird escaped from aviary but returned. 



„ L'T^Snow storm, followed by gale and thunder storm — all birds well. 

 ,, 29 — Ribbon Finches have nested and laid two eggs. Zebia Finches 

 started incubating five eggs (believed). 

 May 2— Observed contrary to what 1 have read that the Zebra Finch cock 

 does not sleep in the nest with the hen. 

 „ 4— Put in pairs of White- and Black-headed Mannikijis. 

 „ 10— Put in pairs of Golden- breasted Waxbills and White Java Sparrows. 

 „ 11 — Zebra P'inches hatched out three young ones. Riboon Fuiches 



have commenced to incubate. 

 „ 13— Discovered nine Quail eggs at the back of a liay rack. 

 „ 20 — Californian Quail commence to incubate. 



„ 23— Although the you; g are only 12 days old the Zebra Finches are 

 building again in a rush nest near the old one. Ribbon 

 Finches hatched three young. 

 „ 26— Zebra Finch hen has deserted the young and laid two eggs in the 



new nest. Cock bird is feeding the young alone. 

 „ 30--Three young Zebra Finches flew to-day. 

 ,, 31 — Discovered Bengalese have a nest with two eggs. 

 June 1— Ribbon Finchet^ threw out and killed one nestling. 

 ,, 2 — Ribbon Finches threw out remaining two nestlings. 

 „ 3 — Zebra Finches and Bengalese commenced incubating. 



9— Fifteen Californian Quail chicks hatched off, both birds fiercely 

 attacked me when I went to feed them. 

 „ 10— The Bengalese eggs have mysteriously disappeared. 



