110 Melba Finch x Crimson-Fared Waxbill Hybrids.


BREEDING OF MELBA FINCH x CRIMSON¬

EARED WAXBILL HYBRIDS.


By A. Decoux.


At the beginning of this year, as soon as the February sun

had brought hack cheerfulness among the birds, I noticed that the

cock Melba Finch, which I had vainly sought to pair with a hen

Aurora Finch the year before, courted the hen Cordon-Bleu. I then

had many opportunities of admiring his remarkable flute song—

almost as pure and beautiful as that of the Violet-ear. By-and-by

a nest was built—the spherical nest of all Waxbills—and eggs were

laid and incubated, but they proved clear. Another attempt at

nesting met with no success, the nest having been destroyed by

other birds.


Towards the end of last May, being busy in this aviary, I

perceived the peeping note of young chicks coming from a Harz

nest-box hung high up near the ceiling of the shelter. Some minutes

after the Melba Finch flew out of the nest; I thus recognised the

parents of the new-born young.


They carefully fed their nestlings, using soft food, unripe

grass-seeds, ants’ eggs and small insects collected round the tender

shoots of rose-bushes; and a fortnight later on entering the aviary,

I saw, to my great joy, some fine hybrids sunning themselves on

the twig of a little shrub. There were three, resembling the young

Crimson-eared Waxbills, but bigger and of a larger size, with a

stronger black bill and the typical light-blue warts on each side of it.

There was not any trace of blue on the breast, but only around the

bill. The rump and upper tail-coverts were dull reddish-brown,

the feet and tarsus flesh-brownish. The fledglings fed by themselves

two weeks after leaving their little cradle.


Meanwhile the Melba Finch repaired the nest with some

feathers and the hen began again to lay eggs. Both sat upon them

alternately, and I noticed how steadily the cock did so, and took

care of the chicks later on. Indeed, I wonder that this species,

which seems so apt at breeding, has not yet successfully reproduced

in captivity—for, as far as I know, it has not done so, not even



