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Correspondence, Notes, etc .



Doves are very strange-tempered birds. Your cock might take to

another dove of his own size, and on the other hand he might kill it, but

as these small doves seem to fraternize much better than the larger kinds,

when kept together; I think your idea would be worth a trial.


R. Anderson.


[.Lophophaps plumifera being strictly a ground species, never

perching on trees, and nesting on the ground like a Quail, there would seem

to be little or no chance of its breeding with any other species except the

other two belonging to its own genus, or perhaps with one of the species

belonging to the genus Geophaps, which are also ground nesters.—E d.]



NESTING OF GREENFINCHES AND ZEBRA FINCHES.


Sir, — I have a fairly large outdoor aviary, about thirty feet long and

eight feet high.


Into this aviary I turned out about a month ago a pair of Green¬

finches. The hen is a last year's bird, and has been in a cage since she was

a fledgling. The cock is probably a last year’s bird ; I bought him out of a

little shop here. The lieu started building in a very old large-leaved ivy

growing up the house on 30th March, and laid her first egg on the 3rd of April,

then three others, and began sitting on the 7th—a lovely nest lined with

cotton wool and hair, and very cunningly concealed. As far as I could see,

the cock took no share whatever in the building. It is certainly wonderful

that a bird who has never been wild should build such a perfect nest.


I turned out a pair of Zebra Finches 011 April 4th, from a small cage

indoors. They commenced building in the ivy at once, and laid their first

egg on April 8. The nest was not then domed. On the 9th, however, there

was another egg, and the birds had nearly finished doming in the nest.

Both birds took a hand in the construction.


Could you kindly tell me how long incubation lasts for the Green¬

finches and for the Zebra Finches ? There are about two dozen birds of all

kinds, principally British, in the aviary, but the Greenfinch does not seem

to mind them poking about the aviary in the ivy.


Could you tell me how I should feed the Greenfinches and Zebra

Finches, if they should hatch ?


W. Tweedie.


The jollozving reply was sent to Captain Tzveedie.


It is very interesting about the Greenfinch’s nest. They are easily

bred. Feed much as you would a Canary, and especially supply plenty of

preserved yolk of egg. In my opinion, this is very much better than

ordinary boiled egg. They feed their young to a great extent on insects,

therefore something besides seeds is essential; and also green food of



