36


three Golden-breasts, two Bengalese, four Spice- or Nutmeg-finches, five

Parson-finches, two Saffron-finches, one Russian Cock Bullfinch, one Blue¬

winged Love-bird, two Cockatiels, three Java Doves, one Scarlet Tanager,

one Superb Tanager, one pair Nicobar Pigeons, one Foutenegra from

Madeira, two cock Californian Quails, three Cordon-bleus, one Mountain

Finch, one Mannikin. These have been together all the year.


Aviary No. 2 : Three Pekin Robins, two Indigo birds, four Weavers,

one Green-singing Finch, two Nonpareils, two Teal, one pair Virginian

Cardinals, one pair Popes, one Rosella, one Half-1110011 Parrakeet, one

Redrump, one Indian Parrakeet, two Zebra Doves.


The Virginians built a nest and laid, but the other birds took

their eggs. N. L. F. Duneeath.


[We can find no previous record of the Spice-finch (Munia punctulata)

having nested successfully in the United Kingdom, although one young one

was reared by Dr. Russ in Germany, and we believe therefore that Lady

Dunleath is the first to breed this species in the British Isles. — Fix]


ORANGE-CHEEKED WAX BILLS BREEDING IN CAPTIVITY.


Sir, —I know as a rule you do not care for seeing dead birds, but I

thought the enclosed young Orange-cheeked Waxbill might interest you.

The brood was hatched (in a cage) about September 17U1. There are three

more young birds; one is not very strong, but I think will live, the other

two are very fine birds. The little one I send had been ill two or three

days. Can you tell me what it died of? It seemed getting better, but died

rather suddenly this morning. Can you tell me if the Orange-cheeks have

been bred in England before ? Rosie Ai.dek.son.



The following reply was sent to Miss Alderson :


You have been unusually fortunate with your Waxbills; and to

successfully breed the Orange-cheeked Waxbill was considered no easy task

even by the late Dr. Russ.


This species has on several occasions been bred in Germany, but I do

not remember any instance of its being bred in Great Britain.


I was interested to see the bird, and hoped the skin might have been

preserved; but these baby Waxbills decompose so rapidly that, at the first

attempt to skin it, the whole of the feathers came off the underparts. The

abdomen was full of blood and water, so that death was probably due to

some internal rupture, but I fear I am not doctor enough to tell you more.


A. G. BUTXER.



THE SOCIETY’S MEDAL.



THE REVISED RULES.


The Medal may be awarded, at the discretion of the Committee, to any

member who shall succeed in breeding, in the United Kingdom, any species

of bird which shall not be known to have been previously bred in captivity

in Great Britain or Ireland. Any member wishing to obtain the Medal must

send a detailed account to the Secretary, for publication in the Magazine,

within about eight weeks from the date of the hatching of the young, and

furnish such evidence of the facts as the Executive Committee may require.



