291



Immediately they were enlarged, two of the Waxbills

commenced to build in the lime tree, the odd female frequenting

the spot with a motherly desire to assist ; but I fear she was not

greatly encouraged by the happy couple who, after the manner of

“ happy couples,” thought only of themselves, and had but scant

sympathy with their less happily situated neighbours.


This first nest of the Waxbills came to nought, the poor

birds being flooded out by heavy rain, or discomfited by the cold.

O11 the 19th of June they were again building in the same tree,

but in another place. They were greatly disturbed by the

Bichenos, who certainly tried to turn them out of their nests,

and who reared a brood of young in the same tree, though I am

not sure in which nest. A pair of Ringed Finches also

successfully bred in this tree, or close by, the three broods being

reared to maturity simultaneously. During the whole period,

the Bichenos were incessantly attacking the other four parents,

who, immediately their young were old enough, transferred them

and themselves to the most distant parts of the aviary, leaving the

Bichenos in proud possession of these three nests and of that of

a pair of Blue-breasted Waxbills in a thorn close by who, not

having the quiet steadfastness of the others, allowed themselves

to be ejected from their home at a somewhat early date.


So quietly did the little Australian Waxbills slink off with

their young, and so closely did they keep them in concealment,

that it was not until the 31st of July, when I found myself

within a foot of a startled youngster with his mother when I

crept into the aviary to attend to the water, that I knew for

certain that young had been reared. Since that day I have

frequently seen the young flying about, and occasionally a little

group of three on the ground clamouring round one fond parent,

who continued to feed them long after they were capable of

feeding themselves. O11 one occasion I think I saw four young

birds, but am not sure. The immature Australian Waxbills may

readily be distinguished from the adults by their black bills, the

absence of the red brow stripe, and by their generally duller

appearance. They are little dull birds with a tinge of olive

above, lighter below, with just a little red in the region of the

upper tail-coverts. But they are not uniform in the general

shade of their body colouring, some being darker Ilian others,

presumably a sexual distinction.


Referring to the black bill and the absence of the red brow

in the immature plumage, it is curious to observe what Dr. Russ



