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As soon as this lot was off her hands, the hen laid again—

three eggs, and hatched two, one clear. Then she nested again,

four eggs: but they all proved clear. Nothing daunted, she

has gone to nest again, and is sitting hard on three eggs. I

call this a record performance. Green Cardinals eat as much

grass as an old hen. The cock always sings just before laying

begins, but not after. He has, like me, not much of a singing

voice. They are excellent parents, but the hen is rather greedy.


My Zebra-finches have done very well this season. I

really don’t know how many young there are exactly, they are

getting to be almost innumerable. I note, in passing, that my

Zebras are probably a degenerate lot, as they never think of

laying seven eggs. Three or four are nearer the average, and

three more often than four. Roughly, I should say that I have

had about forty, so far, and lots of birds now sitting.


I have had three or four nests of Silverbills, about five in

each, and I saw a pair nesting this morning.


I had a beautiful pair of Virginians in this aviary, and

they would have built; but the hen got a tumour on her throat

and I had to kill her. I have another good hen, so I quite hope

to rear some next season, if all goes well.


My cock Virginian is in splendid feather and as red as

possible in colour—a perfedt blaze of scarlet. They are very shjq

nervous birds, not at all like the Green Cardinals.


The Popes have not attempted to build, but have behaved

admirably in the midst of many temptations in the shape of

juicy and helpless young birds.


The Starlings have not built. The cock has a quaint song

of a few bars, and is a dab, as the boj^s say, at catching insedts.

He quarters the ground like a true Starling.


My Cordon Bleus built in a little box and have laid, and

are now sitting hard.


The Ribbon Finches are also now sitting: they are quiet

inoffensive birds.


The Green Avadavats have all built and laid and sat ; but

no young.


The Golden-breasted Waxbills have also laid and sat—no


result.


The Pekin Robins built a lovely nest in a box-tree, but

never laid any eggs.


My Diamond Sparrows have built a huge nest, literally



