The Aviaries a)id Birds at EzvJiurst Park. 47 



The time of my visit was mid-January, and. though the aviary 

 is a somewhat exposed one, I must say all the birds looked in 

 the pink of condition, and not ai all distressed by the bitterly 

 cold, and exceedingly wet weather prevailing. In fact I could 

 nut have viewed the aviaries under more adverse condition.s. 



In this aviary I noted the following birds (not a complete 

 list, 1 think): — 



I pair Senega! Doves (Tiirtur senegalensis) 



I ,. Zebra Finches (Tacniopygia castonotis). 



I .. Siskins (Chiysomitris spinus). 



I ,, Ciiant Whydahs (Choera procne). 



] ,. C'alifornian Quail ' Excalfactoria californica). 



I .. drecn Singingfmclies (Serinus icterica), and three young. 



I ,. Mandarin Ducks (Aex galcriculata). 



1 ., Carolina Ducks (A ex sponsa). 



1 ,, Japanese Teal (Nettium jormosnm). 



2 ,, Bullfinches (Pyrrliula enropaea). 

 7 ,, Goldfinches (Carduclis elcgans). 



3 Pope Cardinals ( Paroaria larvata). 



The most notable event in this aviary was the nesting ot 

 Giant Whydahs. two young being hatched out, these lived to 

 make their exit from the nest and for some time afterwards 

 l)ut died before the autumn. The Duchess of Wellington is a 

 new adherent to aviculture, and tliinks she probably lost them 

 owing to a lack of live insect food. She informed me that the 

 parent l)irds fed the young with caterpillars from a gooseberry 

 l)ns]i, whicli was growing near the busli wliich contain the nest, 

 and. wlien these were exhausted and the young foraging for 

 themselves, she concluded that they failed to find sufficient 

 animal food to sustain themselves; she states that they appeared 

 to be very fine and strong young birds, and were very active 

 and strong on the wing. 



It is ratlier an interesting point Choera procne rearing its 

 young on caterpillars from a gooseberry bush, as presumably 

 tliese were the larvae of the Magpie Moth (Abraxas grossu- 

 lariata ),^- which are nauseus to most species of l)irds, and pro-, 

 tected l)y their striking colouration. I have had Chaffinches 

 eat them in my aviary, but only when no other animal food was 

 available, and there are few species of English birds whicli 



* More probably G. SavvHy larvae (Nematis ribis). G. TT. R. 



* These T found ecjually distasteful to the birds under >iinilar conditions. 

 W.T.P. 



