Correspondence. 247 



•CERTAIN WEAVERS AND THEIR NESTS, AND ROSICLLA 



PARRAKEETS. 



SiK, — I hope I am not usiiij;' too much space in our valued Journal, 

 but I would like to make a few remarks. 



Witli reference to Naiioleon Weavers tearing their nests. Aly experience 

 exactly coincides with Mr. Sliore liaily's, in that I never noticed tlie old l)irds 

 enlarge the opening before the young flew, but ajtcrwards the nest was 

 -entirely jnilied to ])ieces. I have bred these birds on many occasions. 



With reference to Mrs. Sjjroston's observations on Rosella Parrakeets : 

 I have, as \ ou know, bred many of this sj^ecies : I found that unless all 

 nesting accommodation was removed for at least a fortnight after the \oung 

 birds had flown tiiey invariably died, simply because their parents neglected 

 them and went to nest again before their young were aide to fend for 

 themselves. I lost two or three broods before I discovered this. The fault 

 lay with the cock bird, who had no use for his progeny after they had left 

 the nest. 



Ciuildford, XovL-mber 14th, 1919. L. LC)\"b:LL-K I'LAYS. 



With reference to our members. Messrs. Shore l^)aily and Dr. Lovell- 

 Keays", remarks upon this interesting topic. I would like to point out : 

 (i) That my remarks re same in September Bird Noies, referred to Napoleon 

 and Red-billed Weavers as to my own experience, and to Red-billed and 

 Grenadier Weavers in other members" aviaries (2) I did not claim to have 

 ^eeyi the parent birds tear down the front of the nest prior to the young 

 making their exit — my own experience being- that overnight the nests were 

 intact and the young snugly ensconced therein ; at 6 o'clock the following 

 morning the young had made their exit, and the front of the nest was 

 partially torn away. Moreover, the nests in my aviary were not further 

 destroyed, and were mostly otheiwise intact, till cleared away in the spring 

 clean-up. 



Mrs. Sproston's difficulty was not that her young birds died after 

 leaving the nest, but prior to doing so, though fully fledged and six weeks 

 old. She asks two questions thereupon : (i) Is it usual fcr the young to 

 remain in the nest for so long a period ? Mv experience is : I have only bred 

 one brood of Rosella Parrakeets, and they left the nest when fully seven weeks 

 old. (2) Were my nest boxes too deep, and the young unable to get out? 

 My experience is that a deep nest-l>ox is a convenience as discouraging too 

 early an exit, which young parrakeets are prone to, and, I think, in a back 

 volume of B.N. Mr. H. D. Astly expressed a similar opinion. 



If any of our members can throw any further light upon these 

 interesting points will they please do so ? 



Lingfield, November 15th, 1919. WESLEY T. PAGE. 



