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the rule: it made very good progress and is now finger tame,

and as large as its parents.


During the Winter the hen commenced to persecute the

cock again to such an alarming extent that, I firmly believe, she

would have killed him had I not interfered.


No doubt your readers have noticed the peculiar way the

hen scratches in the earth, forming holes and burrows of

considerable size. This, apparently, is only indulged in by the

hen ; the cock, as far as my experience goes, never does so.


Next year the hen laid again, on March 30th, but this

clutch of four, although fertile, were killed by a severe late frost.

The cock Ring-neck did not assist in incubation, but kept the

hen well supplied with food. A small supply of sponge-cake

and fruit was given, in addition to hemp- and canary-seed.


The hen laid two more eggs, from which two fine young

birds were hatched on June 1st, 1901 ; but one, when half grown,

crawled out of the hole and fell heavily on to the gravel below,

the result being instantaneous death : the other emerged from

the barrel in August, and was successfully reared. The hen

treated the young, on their entry from the barrel, in the cruel

way she treated the cock, so after a few days I removed them to

another aviary. These young birds make charming pets, if

taken early from the nest and tamed, allowing themselves to be

picked up and handled, yet showing absolutely no sign of fear.


Contrary to the experience of many writers, I have not

found the Ring-neck a very noisy bird ; the only time that they

do make a considerable amount of noise is when they see a cat,

and then their voices are somewhat penetrating. Altogether,

the Ring-neck has many points in its favour, being a quiet,

frugal bird, and it quite deserves its present popularity.


The young, for the first ) r ear, are much smaller than

their parents.



OUTDOOR AVIARIES.


By John Sergeant.


The shape, size and position of outdoor aviaries are so

often governed by the exigencies of space in our gardens that it

becomes a matter difficult of solution, what form to adopt in

construction. No odd corner, relinquished because one can get

nothing to grow there, will do ; the best and sunniest position

must be given up, or failure will result. The position should be

facing South, or S.-S.-Kast. An aviary I had faced South-East,



