194 Nesting Notes, iQiy 



her to share her own nest — an arrangement which for a time 

 worked amicably, though in tlie end she laid again in her own 

 b )x. I fear, however, that there is not Hkely to be any result, 

 as all previous clutches have been infertile, owing, no doubt, to 

 the necessity of caging these rather delicate birds during the 

 cold weather, and so im])airing the fertility of the cocks.* 



A lien f'anksian Cockatoo (Calyf^torJiyuchiis banksii) 

 paired to a cock Western Black Cockatoo (C. stellatits) laid 

 one or two eggs last year, which failed to hatch. A pair of 

 C. stellatits are now feeding each other and destroying many 

 barrels, but do not show any immediate intention of settling 

 down to business. The great difficulty with black cockatoos is 

 to prevent the males becoming too fond of their owners and 

 ignoring their mates. Even when they start by being timid and 

 are never encom^aged or petted, they usually, if young, begin 

 to show a marked preference for human society in a year or two. 

 Old birds, however, are almost untameable, but they are difficult 

 to come by, as they are seldom taken alive and still more seldom 

 survive capture. 



O^^h^ 



Nesting Notes, 1917. 



By Herbert E. Bright. 



A few notes of the recent doings of my birds may prove 

 of some li' tie interest and encouragement to my fellow members. 



( )n my return here (Aug. 7) I found the following fully 

 reared and others nesting, etc. 



Diamond Sparrows ( St egano pleura guttata). Two 

 broods were on the wing; four in the first brood, the second 

 brood an unknown quantity as they are not long out of the nest 

 and keep to cover. The first brood moulted very quickly and 

 make a pretty picture on the small lawn in the aviary — six to 

 eight may be seen feeding at one time with other species, and 

 they are amiable — in a smaller place I have found their pug- 

 nacity a perfect nuisance. 



I'oPE Cardinals (I\voay\a larvata). There are three fine 



* Since writing the above one pair of Blue-winged Parrakeets have 



hatclu'd \oung. 



