374 Correspondence. 



littk-. to tlie account 1 t;ave of their initial .success, when they reared 

 two young- birds, which aio still living, for there seemed to he no 

 cliangc in their methods. 



The male fed llie female almost entirely during the incubation 

 period, and also for about three w^eks after the chick was hutclieil. 

 The female alone fed the young bird till it left the log, when it< 

 it was about three months old. As soon as it left the log, its 

 care was left entirely to the mals, who still continues to be very' 

 fond if it; the hen takes no notice whatever, but is not cross, as 

 she was to her two young ones last year. 



Wli'Ae the young biixl was in the l:g, she was as devoted 

 and careful as with her previous brood, hardly ever leaving it, and 

 always returning from any distance if she thought it was being in- 

 spected, either by myself or the cock. 



This young one is a female and a fine bird. There were 

 two nests before— two eggs each time, but unfortunately tlie eggs 

 were clear. 



Except for this Eclectus I have had nothing in the breeding 

 line to chronicle, save a, few Finches. 



Diamond Finches have had nest afier nest, yet have only 

 fuJly reared four, very tine, young birds. Saffron Finches luive 

 also liaci many nests, but with no result. 



My Bi-own's Parrakeets, after three years, still show no si^ns 

 of going to nest, yet- they are as healthy and brisk as possible. 



Cockatiels have as usual been most prolific. 



(Miss) M. DRUMMOND. 

 Mains of ]\Iegginch, Errol. 



November 17th, 1913. 



NESTING OF FIREFINCHES 



Sir,— Mr. Bainbridge's account of these " wee mites " was 

 most interesting and piactical. 



Early last year I saw a really good pair in a West-end 

 dealer's, bought them, and at once turned them into a garden -aviary. 

 They went to nest almost at once, and three young were reared; one 

 died later, the other two were disposed of. I brought the adults 

 indoors last autumn, and they nested several times without any result. 

 In the early jjart of this summer I put them into the aviary ag'ain, 

 and they soon went to nest, with the result that three young* oirds 

 were turned out into the world. After a week one soon tired of life, 

 tor I found it hanging by a bit of thread in the aviary and quite 

 dead. 



A'ery scon they went to nest again, in fact the time was very 

 short, for I really did not miss the hen, but one morning last week 

 (October) three more young birds turned out into the cold world and 

 are doing well. They are funny little mites, they make one think 

 of the Wagtail and Nightingale by the way they raise tlie tail up and 

 down. For better or for worse they ai'e to stay out in the garden- 



