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that I had bred them. Breeding and rearing however 

 are two different things. Still to my surprise and 

 delight they appeared to thrive and in a few days- 

 their eyes opened and shortly afterwards the quills 

 appeared. When nearly a fortnight old I had to go 

 on my short holiday, and I felt verj'' confident that 011 

 my return I should find them nearly fledged. But, 

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

 weeks old, and, I was told, fully fledged, they died, 

 without any apparent cause. As I was away from 

 home I cannot of course say from what cause, as the 

 management of the aviary had gone on pretty much 

 as usual. 



The feeding consisted of the ordinary seeds,, 

 canary, white and brown millet, and they also had 

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

 almost entirely confined themselves to the canary and 

 millet, occasionally picking over the soft food. Spray 

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

 of time ever}' day over a large bundle of wild seeds, 

 grass in flower, dock, plantain, shepherd's purse, etc.,. 

 which I placed in the aviary every morning. 



With a partial success last year I was hopeful of 

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

 efforts, or let me be generous and say their efforts, liave 

 met with more success. With the very first spell of 

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

 This was about Easter when we had a few days' hot 

 weather — about the onl}' bit of summer we had this 

 year. The attempt was futile, the eggs again being 

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

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

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



