236 



pliury Seedeater and one and all have been open nests 

 in shrubs or fruit trees, but the four nests of Serinus 

 a7igole7isis I have seen this spring have all been built 

 in nest boxes. 



The eggs — usually three in number — seem to vary 

 considerably in colour. One clutch had a bluish 

 ground and was quite devoid of spots ; other eggs 

 were bluish with brown spots, and others again cream 

 coloured with faint brown spots. Of course Serins' 

 eggs have usually black spots. Mr. Haagner describes 

 the eggs of Serinics canicollis as spotted with brown, 

 but this cannot always be the case as the two clutches 

 laid in my aviary have both had black spots. 



The little aviary I have above alluded to was 

 designed to maintain a temperature of 65 degrees and, 

 although it did not quite fulfil my expectations in this 

 respect, still it proved a delightfully warm snuggery to 

 sit and read in on a cold winter's day so that I had 

 every opportunity of watching the birds while 

 nesting. The hen took upon herself almost the entire 

 duty of incubation, the male only taking her place 

 when she came off to feed. During the whole time 

 she was sitting, he used to pour forth a flood of 

 melody and his ringing silvery notes — closely re- 

 sembling those of the Grey Singing Finch, but more 

 varied and not so shrill — were almost too strenuous in 

 so small a space as twelve feet by six. The song 

 frequently introduces the call note which latter is a dis- 

 syllable and may be rendered " sit-ye.'^ 



Both birds were most charmingly tame as may be 

 judged from the fact that when one day, during 

 the time they were building, I had to make some 

 alterations to a glazed light in the roof only some two 



