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In reply to your queries re Kestrels—(i) The sexes in the adults may

be distinguished by the male having a slaty blue tail with one dark bar,

and the female a reddish tail with many dark bars ; in the young the sexes

are practically alike, and the tails as in the adult female ; there is, however,

a trace of the slate colour at the base of the tail in the young males.

(2) They nest in May, and lay five or six eggs which are hatched after 19

days incubation. (3) The best food is small birds and mice, but they live

well on raw lean beef and require a piece about the size of a Sparrow per diem :

if possible they should have birds or mice once a week, and have nothing on

the following day: young and old should be fed much alike. (4) The

young leave the nest at about six weeks of age, and in a cage can feed

themselves when about a month old, but in a wild state the parents

probably catch their food for a much longer period, long after they have

left the nest and are flying. (5) The Kestrel, living in England all the year

round, will do perfectly well in an unlieated aviary, but, in my opinion, do

better both in Summer and Winter in an outdoor aviary with a covered roof

than in one in which they are exposed to the rain and weather; according

to my experience all raptorial birds are very susceptible to cold when in

captivity, and do much better in a covered-in aviary.


I am afraid the Kestrel will not keep down rats except young ones,

but is, nevertheless, a most delightful bird in captivity. The best protection

against rats in an aviary is an owl, either Barn or Tawny ; but as they move

about at night they cannot be allowed in an aviary with small birds.


J. L. BonhoTK.



ENQUIRY—RUSSIAN BIRDS.


Sir, —Can you tell me if there are any birds in South and South-East

Russia which would make interesting inmates of an aviary ? I have some

friends living there, and they have offered to send me some birds of which

they speak very highly ; but they know nothing of their habits, or whether

seed-eaters or insectivorous. One bird they call a Blue Crow, and the others

are purely Russian words which do not convey any^ meaning to me.


If you can in any way help me to tell my friends what to send, and

how to feed when caught and en route , I should be very much obliged

indeed. I am a young recruit in the avicultural world, and have only just

touched the ordinary everyday birds. I have bred Javas, Parson Finches,

Cockatiels, Zebra Finches, Yellow and Green Budgerigars, and have about

130 birds in four aviaries. J. J. Mumford.



RUFOUS-TAIEED GRASSFINCHES.


Sir,—I have had under observation to-day a nest of Rufous-tailed

Grassfinclies, and found four of the six feeding themselves. Do you

know of any other member having been successful with this species at an

earlier date?


I have also a flock of Long-tailed Grassfinclies (cannot count the

exact number), ten Goulds, a Cordon-bleu, and a Double-band.


ApF. E. NlCHOPSON.



