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aviary rather irregular, I prefer it to having extra cages inside on

the aviary floor, where they take up much room. This particular

let-out cage is 36m. by 2iin. by 2iiu. high. It has three sides of

woodwork, with a strip of glass in the back for extra light, and a

wire front. High up at one end of this cage I fastened a very small

wooden travelling cage, amongst some thick bits of Scotch fir,

and hung a curtain over part of the wire front so as to screen the

end where the nest was. Having completed these arrangements I

caught the Orange-cheeks and put them in their new quarters.

But fora time everything seemed a failure. Nest after nest was

made in the box, and eggs were laid. Once the eggs were

hatched, and a brood reared until they must have been a fortnight

old ; and then they were all thrown out of the nest, and found

dead on the sand tray. One young bird was quite large and

covered with grey down, the quill feathers in its wings just

coming.


It was really very trying, and I began to lose my sympathy

for the Orange-cheeks ; and, being much taken up just then with

my new aviary, I gave them but little attention.


I left home the latter part of August; and, while I was away

my birds’ attendant, George Hallam, who had always been

greatly interested in the Orange-cheeks, emptied the nest of all

the old materials ; and at once it was evident what was wrong,

for the nest was badly infested with red mite. My man painted

the box thoroughly with Fir Tree oil (a thing I ought to have

done at first, but stupidly I associated red mite only with

Canaries), and gave the birds some fresh material in the shape of

hay and feathers. They at once set to work and began a new

nest, and by the next day it was finished.


I came home on the 14th September, and found that the

Orange-cheeks had then been sitting well for about a week. Some

two days later I began putting cut up mealworms in a small

saucer in the cage, being careful to always leave some over-night,

in case the young should hatch before morning. I did this

regularly night after night, and kept up the supply in the day as

well. Many of the mealworms were eaten, but whether by the

old birds or young ones I could not tell. I never saw them carry

any to the nest, so possibly they fed the young from the crop

from the first.


And now ensued a weary time of waiting. The old birds

still kept to the nest, and ate a quantity of mealworms, though I

noticed they did not seem to care for the heads, but nearly always

left them. Day after day passed and still no sign, until, when



