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at I had bred them. Breeding and rearing however 

 e two different things. Still to my surprise and 

 :light they appeared to thrive and in a few days 

 eir eyes opened and shortly afterwards the quills 

 peared. When nearl}' a fortnight old I had to go 

 1 my short holiday, and I felt ver}'' conSdent that on 

 y return I should find them nearly fledged. But, 

 IS, it was not to be, for when they were nearly three 

 ;eks old, and, I was told, fully fledged, they died, 

 tliout any apparent cause. As I was away from 

 me I cannot of course say from what cause, as tlie 

 inagement of the aviary had gone on pretty much 

 usual. 



The feeding consisted of the ordinary seeds,, 

 nary, white and brown millet, and they also had 

 cess to hemp, linseed, rape, and egg food, but they 

 uost entirely confined themselves to the canary and 

 llet, occasionally picking over the soft food. Spray 

 llet they would also eat, and they spent a good deal 

 time every day over a large bundle of wild seeds, 

 :iss in flower, dock, plantain, shepherd's purse, etc.,. 

 lich I placed in the aviary every morning. 



With a partial success last year I was hopeful of 

 Iter things this season, and I am pleased to say my 

 orts, or let me be generous and say their efibrts, have 

 !t with more success. With the very first spell of 

 od weather, the birds went to nest and laid five eggs.. 

 •is was about Easter when we had a few days' hot 

 ather — about the only bit of summer we had this 

 ir. The attempt was futile, the eggs again being 

 ar, and as the weather was very bad they did not 

 Dear in a hurry to nest again. This inaction did not 

 t long, for on June 30th I discovered not only a nest. 



