ro Australian Finches in California. 



Zebra Finch (I'acniopxgia casta notis). This is one of 

 the most nunierons of AustraHan Finches in Californian 

 aviaries. The bird you first meet in every aviary or house-cage 

 is the httle cocky, um^uly Zebra Finch. Jrlundreds are bred 

 every year in Southern California. In one of my aviaries T 

 have just now (December 8th) at least twenty pairs sitting' or 

 raising" young ones. They don't seem to stop breeding" even in 

 the moulting" season, and they are so numerous that they are on 

 the point of becon"iing" a pest, so that they always act as if they 

 didn't care a bit about the Malthusian theories of our suffra- 

 gettes about " birth control." 



Wonderful as is the prolificacy of those lilliputian birds 

 it is nothing compared to their precocity. Two female Zebras, 

 born in one of my cages April 15th, 1917, begin to lay, one on 

 the 4th of July, 1917, and the other on July 14th, 1917, that is to 

 say 80 and 90 days respectively after they were hatched. And, 

 more than that, their eggs were all fertile and produced verv 

 healthy and strong young ones. For the benefit of doubting 

 Thomases. I may say that the precocity of the Zebras was inWy 

 admitted as early as 1883, as I read in a French book, published 

 by E. Leroy, a distinguished aviculturist, the following 

 sentence: " Lcs jeuncs siijets dc la premiere portee sont aptes 

 a rcproduirc la mhnc aniicc a raitfoninic." As Mr. Leroy 

 used to mate his Zebras about the 15th of April his statement 

 means that birds hatched about the middle of May were apt to 

 breed in September. However, that surprising propensity for 

 early breeding is not the exclusive peculiarity of the Zebras. 

 Many times I have had young Shell Parrakeets (Melopsittaciis 

 itndulatus) start to lay three months after leaving" their nest, 

 and I am almost sure that most of the breeders of Budgerigars 

 have had the same experience, and can corroborate my 

 statement. 



The Parson Finch (PocphUa cincta) , called here the 

 Black-throated Finch, is seldom seen now, but was very conimon 

 in Californian aviaries about twenty years ag"o. Their 



disappearance from the market can be attributed to the fact 

 that most of the " Parsons " reach our shores in a very sickly 

 condition, and consequently they either died in transit or soon 

 after arrival. Otherwise they are good, steady breeders. 



