:258 Visits to Memhers Aviaries and Binhonms. 



Red -billed Weavers (Quelea quelea). A pair of this 

 species have successfully reared one young bird which was 

 (July 30;h) fending for itself. There are very few instances 

 of this species rearing young in captivity, and so far nothing 

 has been placed on record concerning them save the bare fact 

 of success. The nest which I closely examined was built in 

 a honeysuckle which was twining round a spar.;e hazel bush. 

 It was fairly closely woven, though the aviary attendant in- 

 formed me that he could easily see the one e^g through it, 

 and was a two chambered construction, a short tul;;e or spout 

 led to the first chamber and the other or hind compartment 

 formed the incubation chamber; unfortunately when I saw 

 it, though nearly intact, it was too much the worse for " wejir 

 and tear " to be photographed, the spout or tube having almost 

 disappeared. I gleaned the following facts from the attendant 

 concerning it. 



Only one a^^ was laid, which duly hatched out. 



The young bird was about sixteen days old when it 

 left the nest. 



On July 30th it was fending for itself and had been 

 out of the nest about three weeks. 



The nestling plumage is very similar to that of the adult 

 female, but greyer and the striations much less distinct; Ix^ak 

 light horn -colour. 



An interesting result, as very little live food is sup- 

 plied, and the young bird must have been reared on seed and 

 greenfood, plus what insects its parents captured in the aviary., 

 Adult pair nesting again. 



Hybrid Mannikins: Odd specimens of Indian Siiverbill 

 (cf) and Spice Finch (9) crossmated, and after laying a fair 

 number of creamy-white eggs, succeeded in hatching out and 

 fully rearing two young birds, which were about one week 

 out of the nest when 1 saw them. The nest was a domed 

 structure built, in a l)Ox, of grass and very compactly woven 

 together. The nestlings are about the size- and contour of 

 Silverbills, but at present it is impossible to say Avhat they 

 will be like when they have moulted; at present they are of 

 a nondescript brown, lighter on the underparts. On one of 

 them there are slight indications of the scalings of the kSpice 

 Finch, They are nesting again. 



