CorrcHpoHilcnce. 291 



times a day and a little seed. Tiicy were contiiiiiaily cattliiiit,' iiisectis and 

 took these to their youiiy. 



BKN(iAi-i:.si". (rriihiiichti (/iiiiicslii-a) have es,'_t,'s, but I l>c,t,'iii to fear they 

 are infertile 



I also fancy both the Avadavats {Sponier/ait/ius niiinndurd) aM<l Masked 

 Cirasslinches (I'ociihHa persunata) are nesting, 



Leadenham House. Lincoln. J. SHE HARD REEVE. 



August -JGih, r.ii;;. 



NESTING OF PECTORAL FINCHES {Mtuiia pertoraUs). 



8ir,— 111 tlie early part of, July I missed a hen Pectoral Finch and could 

 not find her ; as the cock seemed listless and unconcerned, 1 came to the 

 conclusion that she was dead, though 1 could not sec hei lying about any- 

 where. A few days later however 1 went into the aviary and there was the 

 hen, but the cock bird was missing! I immediately suspected that they 

 were nesting, but where was the nest ? After hunting about I, at last, found 

 that they had constructed a most curious sort of nest. It was placed very 

 cunningly just under the top foliage of a box tree and was quite hidden. The 

 nest was shaped like a slipper ; there was a platform of woven grass and then 

 a covered toe part, which was the nest chamber, for therein i found three 

 young birds, apparently two or three days old. These were reared and duly 

 left the nest, l»ut one died, and since then I ^have been unfortunate enough 

 to lose the hen. The other two young birds are doing well and appear very 

 healthy and robust. 



Aviculture has its joys, but no less its disappointments. I have been 

 fortunate enough to breed some very good Long-tailed (.Jrasstinches 

 {Foephila aculicaiulu), but Zebra Finches seem very shy with me season. 



Brentwood, August "JH, 19 IH. W. T, ROGERS. 



BIRDS VMTH PINK PLUMAGE. 



Sir,— Quite by chance, as it were, 1 can add to your list of birds which 

 wear pink. For the last week or so there have been some large Storks on 

 the river here and as 1 was not quite sure of the species, I called a boat this 

 evening and set out to secure a specimen. After some manoeuvering round 

 sandbanks and reed patches 1 "spotted " about a dozen large birds on a 

 sandbank, and, drawing near was able to make out through the glasses that 

 they were the Storks in question. With them were a pair of White Ibis 

 {Ibis iiielaiioceplialaj. As they did not seem shy and there was no cover, 

 the plan was adopted of getting above them up stream and then punting 

 down so as to pass within range ; as this manoeuvre was being carried out 1 

 had ample opportunity of watching the curious big birds through the glasses 

 and could see a large patch of true pink on the lower part of the folded 

 wing which would surely serve to identify the bird if no specimen were ob- 

 tained. As we approached some of the Storks took wing to another sand- 

 bank lower down, and just as we were nearly in shot the remainder rose, to 

 settle again some three hundred yards down the river near the tirst lot. We 

 continued to drift with the stream and this time the manoeuvre was crowned 

 with success, one of the Storks falling heavily to my first barrel. It proved 

 to be— as I suspected- 7^cSCd/(/(;/((///a/«s leucocephalus, Pennant, The Painted 



