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nearly a month had gone by, I began to think the Orange-cheeks

were playing a heartless practical joke on me, and that all the

dozens of mealworms I had given them through the summer

was so much money wasted.


When the second week in October arrived, I sternly

determined I would not be imposed on any longer ; I would give

them a few days more grace, and, if no young ones appeared by

then, the nest should be taken away.


Now the nest-box was in such a position that we could not

see into it properly; but the little birds evidently thought we

could, for, on October 12th, they drew a very large feather right

across the entrance hole, evidently determined not to allow our

curiosity to be satisfied a moment sooner than they chose.


Next day was Sunday, and imagine my surprise and

delight when my man sent in word, first thing in the morning,

that two little Orange-cheeks were out of the nest. You may be

sure I was soon down at the aviary to see them, and felt that all

our patient waiting was fully rewarded. The parents were in a

great state of excitement and pride ; and really I do not wonder,

for the babies were the very sweetest little things I have ever seen—

so small and dainty, and scarcely larger than a large “ grand¬

father” bumble bee. Their backs were soft mouse colour, and

breasts grey. Their tails were short and spread like fans, and were

dark with a patch of dull red at the root ; legs and feet grey, beak

black or nearly so, with a tiny spot of white skin at each side, and

eyes very dark and bright. Both birds were fully feathered, and

one distinctly showed the orange cheek-marks. I11 colouring the

young birds were really very like their parents, but in darker

shades. It was most amusing to see how the little things jerked

their tails just in the same way as the old birds. I put a cosy

nest-box on the floor of the cage, and the young birds seemed

very glad to nestle in it, for it was a long climb back to the

old nest.


But the Orange-cheeks had still another pleasant surprise

in store for us. Next day two more young ones appeared, and

the parents’ pride in the quartette knew no bounds. The four

made the prettiest little picture ; they would all sit nestling

together on the floor in a row, peeping out at me with their

bright eyes in a most fearless way. They were very precocious ;

I saw one feeding on spray millet almost at once, and another

could fly well about the cage directly it left the nest.


I think the old ones fed them, too, with seed, for some white

millet was seen in the crop of one young one ; but strangely



