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the birds daily, but she did not mind, and when she had young she did not

leave the nest. The cock fed too, but on Sept. 2nd I found one young one

thrown out, and pecked : it was rather thin. The other birds in the aviary

ate the mealworms so quickly, so I put some near the nest in a little tin,

and the}' both fed the young ones on them ; but next morning, Sept. 5th,

at 8 a.m., as I did not see the hen on, I went and looked ; and after seeing

the nest empty, found the young one away from the nest—dead. It was fat

and healthy, and only had one peck in its side.


The birds had green peas, oatmeal, ants’ eggs, hard-boiled egg;

seed (crushed hemp, sunflower seed) to eat. The hen fed the young one on

the egg food, which is mixed with Spratt’s fine biscuit meal, and soaked

ants’ eggs. They are in a mixed aviary.


I think, this spring, that the cock Virginian must have thrown some

young Bullfinches out of their nest, because I kept picking them up and

putting them back the first week : and then the hen sat so tight she

crushed them in both nests, and last year she reared seven. I can put the

Cardinals next year in another aviary, but I should like to know what birds

to put with them. They are very quiet. M. C. Hawke.



IDENTIFICATION OF PIGEON ; QUERIES ABOUT KESTRELS.


Sir, —I saw some curious foreign Pigeons in Mr. Green’s shop last

month. He told me they were sent him by a lady, along with some other

Doves (Turtles and Indian Greenwing), but that he did not know from

what country they came, nor whether they were a domestic variety or a

wild species. I send you the following description of them, hoping that

it may enable yon to identify them. Head, large and coarse ; neck, thick;

plumage, dark slaty gray on head, back and breast, light ashy blue on the

rump, and dusky brown mottled with lightish yellow on the wings.


I should also be greatly obliged if you would kindly give me inform¬

ation on the following points, re Kestrels. (1) How to distinguish the sexes

in adult and also young birds, and at what age do they assume adult

plumage? (2) When is their nesting season, how many eggs do they lay,

and how long is their period of incubation ? (3) What is the best food for


them, and how much is required by old birds and also by young when they

leave the nest and commence feeding themselves. (4) At what age do the

young leave the nest and commence feeding themselves ? (5) Am I correct

in believing that they are noil-migratory, therefore fit to winter in an out¬

door aviary without artificial heat ? I may add that the one which I have

bought from Mr. Green is a last year’s bird ; and that I have bought it, not

for hawking, but to keep down the rats in my aviaries, and to show and to

breed from : so I should imagine it would require less care to keep it in

good health flying loose in an aviary, than if it were leading the unnatural

life of a trained Hawk. Chas. CuShny.



The following replies -were sent to Mr. Cushny.


I regret that I am quite unable to identify the Pigeon from your

description. Further particulars, with measurements, might possibly

enable me to do so. O. E. CRESSWEEb.



