250 Breeding of Hybrid Finches. 



Breeding of Hybrid Finches. 



By Miss E. Lucas. 



The followins^^ account of my one and only successful 

 breedini^^ experience may be of interest. 



To bet^in at the beginnini^" ! About two and a half years 

 ago 1 bought a pair of Bar-breasted Firefinches ( Lagonosticta 

 rufopicta) for a few shillings as the hen had a broken leg. I put 

 them in my avairy and nesting operations were commenced at 

 once, several clutches of eggs were laid, but all were infertile. 

 Early last summer the cock bird died. 



This year I was not able to turn my birds out till early in 

 July, as I had them all the winter and spring in a birdroom in 

 London. As soon as 1 put them in the aviary the hen Bai- 

 breasted h'iretinch and a " widower " Common Firefinch ("L. 

 soicgala) started breeding in a nest box in my aviary shelter. 

 The hen laid twice, but the eggs were infertile. At the beginning 

 of September she laid again; about a fortnight or three weeks 

 .ater 1 thought 1 would remove the eggs, as the weather being 

 very chilly I was afraid the hen might take cold if I let her sit 

 1 3.iger. On putting my hand into the nest 1 felt, to my surprise. 

 ..j.nething moving and found two youngsters, hatched I should 

 say two days before. In spite of all the damp and cold they ha\e, 

 so far, done well and are now (October 14th) flying about the 

 aviary, having left the nest about a week ago. 



No special food was supplied, and all the parent birds had 

 access to were the usual seeds and what insects they could cap- 

 ture in the aviary. 



At present they resemble the Common Firefinch when 

 young — pale fawn, w'ith some bright crimson at the base of the 

 tail. 



If they continue to do well I will state a little later how 

 they develop. 



C^4^^> 



