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soft food mixture about a good deal as though something were

lacking in it, and I knew that if the young were to be reared I

must lose no time in supplying insects in some form or other.

Here a difficulty arose, tor the only creatures obtainable were

mealworms, and now and then a few cockroaches, and these were

greedily sought after by many of the other inmates of the aviary,

and a handful of the former would be gone in no time. How¬

ever, all went well until the 30th May, when a half-fledged

youngster was discovered dead on the ground below the nest

box, and the parents were seen to be building another nest.

The nest was examined and two more young birds were found,

both dead. I suppose the cause of failure was our inability to

supply a sufficient quantity of insects, and I don’t think meal¬

worms are very suitable, but we did our best, and hope for

better luck next time.


Although a strongly built and powerful bird, apparently

the exact counterpart of P. domesticus , I have not found the

Cape Sparrow a dangerous companion for the smallest of the

ornamental finches, several of which share the same enclosure.

Sparrows are not, however, as a rule, safe companions for birds

less in size than themselves. I have known the small P. hdeus

do considerable execution in an aviary of small finches; so,

perhaps, my Cape Sparrows may be an exceptionally meek and

mild pair.


This is rather a silent Sparrow. I have never heard it

utter the continuous chirruping so often indulged in by P.

domesticus; many of its other notes are, however, identical with

those of that species, especially its harsh warning note. It

utters also sounds closely resembling the notes of a Budgerigar.



NOTES FROM THE ZOO.


By Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S.


While passing through the Parrot House at the Zoo, on

June 1st last, I noticed a Pied Grey Waxbill: it was the first

time I had come across anything of the kind, though

melanism is quite common with the Avadavat, so I took par¬

ticular notice of it and drew the attention of the keeper to

it, and I understood him to say that it came into their posses¬

sion in February last, when it was of the normal colour, and

he had not observed the change. I carefully observed the bird,

and, while it was fully adult, I should not say it was an aged

specimen. I made the following notes: Flights and larger



