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each other with the greatest regularity through the day—in the evening,

however, they both retired to a perch at some distance from the nest and

spent the night there.


I then let these two pairs of birds loose in a large out-door aviary

where they are busy building, but I fear will show no inclination to sit. I

have still two pairs in the house (one of the hens has laid three eggs) and

am carefully watching their movements, but fear the result will be much

the same. I should be very glad if any readers of the Magazine would

kindly tell me if they have had similar experience, or if they could suggest

anything which would be likely to induce the birds to sit. The Violet¬

eared Waxbills are, in my opinion, the most beautiful of all the smaller

birds, and they become so perfectly tame in a few weeks that they are a

constant delight to their owners ; mine will all come and take small

mealworms, ants’ eggs, or little sprays of feathery grass for building, from

my hand, and those which I have let loose in the aviary are just as tame

there as they were in cages, the} 7 fly to me the moment I enter. They are,

above all, most contented happy little birds; the hens sing a sweet soft

little song as well as the males; one of my hens has wonderful imitative

powers, and soon picked up the song of the Avadavats, and the clear call

note of the Cordon-bleu, so that we have named her “ the little mocking

bird,” and she is a great pet.


To go to another subject, if I may take up so much space! I should

be very grateful for advice as to the treatment of a Mynah—mine will not

eat meat, either cooked or uncooked, or mealworms, or insects of any kind,

neither does he care for fruit; he likes yolk of egg and bread and milk, and

will eat a little potato, but it seems to me such a big strong bird should

have something more sustaining.* L. C. Reid. (Madeira).


DOVEvS AND JACKDAWS.


Sir,—I recently put up a hollow log in a large ash tree in my garden

in the hope of attracting owls. In this I was not successful ; but a pair of

Jackdaws commenced a nest in it. I noticed that the material taken in by

the Jackdaws had gone, and the daws themselves appeared to have left the

neighbourhood. The opportunity appeared to be a suitable one for stopping

up a hole at the otherwise solid end of the log; which permitted the wind

to blow through it. On going up to it I could see some fibrous building

material, of a much finer nature than is selected by daws. While peering

in at the hole (which was only about three inches by two inches, I was

startled by a Pigeon flying out at the open end. A pair (no doubt Stock

Doves) have been about, and often in the tree for some time past. It

would appear that the Stock Doves must have destroyed the foundation of

the daws nest and driven them away.


Can any of our members corroborate or otherwise explain the

occurence ? Chas. Louis Hett.



* I have kept several species of Mynah ; they will feed on insectivorous and soft

food of almost any and every kind. But perhaps a Hill Mynah is referred to. I have had

the Larger and Smaller Hill Mynahs : they should be fed on cooked vegetables, fruit, egg,

raisins and slops generally. In this country they seem to require a little meat, but it should

not be forced upon them ; probably in a hot climate they are better without it.


As regards the Waxbills. When birds lay but do not sit, it is usually because their

house is too small or too much exposed. Put them into a large place, provide them with

suitable private nesting arrangements, do not disturb them, and they will probably sit all

right.—R.P.



