Gleanings. 295 



and the fuurth uii the 23rd, the latter only lived one dtiy, but 

 the other three caiiie on I'upidly, they had their eyes open, when 

 live days old, and left the nest on August 3rd, being then 

 twelve days old. They were reared on mixed seed, includuig 

 a table.spoonlul of poppy seed daily, dry ants' c^^s, and green - 

 food. 



Siskins {Clirysomilrls spinas): After many failures, I 

 succeeded in rearing Siskins fairly freely. First five days 

 young were fed entirely on pupiij of gentles; then for some 

 days on <i^^; then greenfood — groundsel, etc. ^o hard seed 

 allowed in the cage, when they leave the nest for six weeks. 



Siskins in an aviary readily rear their young on seed, 

 insectile mixture, greenfood, and what Hies, etc., they capture 

 in the aviary. 



The Shama {CUtocincla macroura) : My Shamas iiave 

 reared three line youngsters from two nests. They are in a 

 cold aviary, which is sheltered on one side by the house and 

 ou the otlier by a green -house. The cock bird has been out 

 three winters, but tlie hen was only imported in the spring. 

 While they were nesting and rearing the young, we were able 

 to watch them from the drawing-room window, they were not 

 at all shy. 



Pekix KoBix {Liothrix luteus): My Pekin Kobins are 

 very interesting, the hen is very busy incubating and the cock 

 in teaching an infant to Uy. They are kept in an outdoor 

 aviary, which is only used during the summer; hi the winter 

 all the birds go into a large flight cage, which stands in the 

 conservatory. The back of the aviary is a brick wall, which 

 is covered with ivy and Clematis montaiia and partly hlled 

 with low thick bushes. It contains besides the Pekins, j)airs of 

 \irginiau Nightingales and Blue Robins, also an odd Bulbul and 

 two \^'eavers. The spring was very cold, and they went to 

 nest very early, constructing a nest of raffia grass in a thick 

 bush; two eggs were laid and duly hatched out, but one suc- 

 cumlied to the bitter nights. The other was successfuUj" 

 reared; it was fed mostly with live ants' Qgg, flies, etc. 

 Xow it is out of the nest the father alone feeds it with flies, 

 ants' Q§Q^, peas, strawberries, etc. In the same nest Mrs. 

 Robin is incubating another clutch of four eggs. I And them 

 most fascinating birds. 



