284 Breedwg of the Grcij WaxhiU. 



building operations, and, it was some time befoi-e T found 

 out to whom the nest belonged, but I think that Ivotli birds, 

 if not all three, took part in its construction. 



This nest, the last to be built, seemed to give them 

 little satisfaction for they went on adding to it until the ground! 

 base of it was about 12in. x fiin. and fiin. high. 



By this time my interest had waned, it seemed to be 

 merely a game of which they could not ti'-o, and the fact that 

 the nest could only be seen from the inside of the aviary, and, 

 that the opening of the door was evidently the signal for 

 them to leave it and retire to the other end of the aviary, 

 was not calculated to inspire me with hope. 



On July 23rd while paying a visit to the .Tacarinis and 

 supplying them with mealworm^, T noticed a "\Ya\i)i]l fly to, 

 but not into, the nest with what looked like a crushed up 

 mealworm, and, again 7 hoped. 



Two days la^er the question w^as settled, as they were 

 seen to enter the ne-t with food; all three adults now became 

 much tamer, coming almost to my feet for mealworms and 

 spiders; when they had se?ured on'^, they wouhl retire and bite 

 it up, and, in about four or five minutes time go to the T^f'?,^. 

 and then return for more. 



I left home about this time but heard that two young 

 left the nest on August 3rd, four days la.ter they were both 

 dead and with them my hopes. 



A surpri^e, however, was in store for me, as on August 

 16th. two more young left the nest, one more vigorous than 

 the other, but both were strong and vigorous. 



On August 22nd, being at home for one day, T noticed 

 the parents feeding both with meaHvorms and seed, but chiefly 

 the latter, the favourite being flowering grass, dock, etc., but 

 now only two birds seemed to be feeding and not the three as 

 before, so I presume that the last couple of youngsters were 

 from a different hen to the first, but of this I cannot be sure., 



The period of incubation I cannot give for reasons 

 stated above. 



The young left the nest ten days after I first saw them 

 feed, but, of course, they may have then been hatched several 

 days. 



They were seen to feed themselves on Ausrust 2r)t,h. 



