2lS 



(TorresponDence. 



NESTING OF VIRGINIAN CARDINALvS. 



Sir, — I note Mr. Tescliemakei in bis iiiteresliiig " Nesting 

 Notes" in April issue, relates the doings of a pair of Virginian 

 Cardinals. Possibly my experience with a pair may be of 

 interest. jNIy pair are in an aviary 66 feet by 15 feet, and in 

 spite of this I have not had much luck with them, the majority 

 suffer from cramp. About three years ago I suceedied in 

 rearing three, but lost two with changing their seed ; at that 

 time this part of the country was over-rnn with Daddy-long- 

 legs ; the old birds used to feed their young on sunflower seed, 

 but this is difficult for the young to crack, so I changed them 

 on to canary, millet and insects. 



During the period I have kept them I have gleaned the 

 following facts: if the parents are good feeders, the}- leave 

 the nest on the 9th or loth day, they are then well-feaihered 

 and able to hop about on the branches. When they are four 

 or five weeks old, the hen mostly commences to nest again, 

 the cock feeding the young for the next fourteen days, when 

 the second brood will be hatched ; the young must now be 

 removed to another enclosure, and if you wish tlie second 

 brood to fare well, they should be out of siglit of the old 

 birds. It is at this point when the cock should take up the 

 feeding, that I have lost the young; excepting the case 

 aforementioned he has niostl}' left them to starve. As soon as 

 the young were hatched I supplied mealworms in abundance 

 (a pint in fourteen days), also beetles, daddy-longlegs, wasps, 

 maggots, etc., with the usual seeds and soft food. 



It will probably interest members to know I have had 



five Cardinal Hybrids, i.e. Virginian X Grey Car<iinals. The 



last one died when seven weeks old. 



Un Oisk.'^U. 



