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Like many other owners, I have had eggs from various kinds of

foreign birds, but although some Red-headed Finches sat and hatched

young ones, still they did not rear them.


The most extraordinary thing about my pair of Green Cardinals is that

the hen made a nest in a mustard tinwliich stood on the mantelpiece of the

room in which they are kept. The hen did not mind m3 7 securing the tin

with some heavy pieces of wood, and finally hatched out two young ones

after sitting exactly a fortnight; another fortnight saw them sufficiently

large to get out of the nest, and great was the excitement of the parent

birds when the first one left the parental abode.


As food I gave insects, a few mealworms finely minced, eggs, and—

for the last fortnight—the}' have taken to eating canary and millet seed.

After the}' left the nest the cock bird did most of the feeding, the hen bird

taking little notice of them. She has not attempted to nest again.


My bird-room is of considerable height, but not very large nor yet

very suitable, as it only gets the sun for three or four hours. I have had

the parents for nearly two years, but this is their first attempt in bringing

up a family, though I believe the lien laid two or three eggs last year. So

did a Virginian Cardinal, but she escaped at the beginning of the spring ;

but I imagine their shyness would prevent their being successful breeders.


Some years ago a friend of mine had eggs from a Virginian cock

and a Green Cardinal lien, but somehow they were all broken ; but it would

be worthy an attempt, provided a very quiet place could be given, and a

liberal supply of mealworms.


Might I appeal to the Rev. C. D. Farrar to give a description of his

aviary ? I am sure it would be a most interesting paper to a very great

number of subscribers and readers.


Before closing my rather lengthy epistle, I would ask any of the

readers if they have known a case of Sliamas breeding and rearing young

ones in confinement.* F. Moerscheer.



CARDINALS IN AN OUT-DOOR AVIARY.


Sir, — I have recently received a number of Cardinals from Uruguay,

some of the Red-crested species and some of the Black-crested, and am

anxious to know whether I can safely winter them in an outdoor aviary, not

having room for them indoors. This aviary is rather open, and being near

the trees and bushes is apt to be dampish in foggy or rainy weather, which,

in the case of Canaries, I have found more harmful than cold. The

Cardinals were carefully brought over and are in very fine colour,

particularly the Red-crested ones, but seem very wild. Will they have

time to get sufficiently seasoned to stand our muggy climate ?


H. C. Martin.



The following reply was sent to Mr. Martin :


If your aviary is protected against the northerly and easterly

winds I do not think you need be afraid of wintering your Cardinals out of

doors ; they are far more likely to suffer from fog than from cold : it

would certainly have been much better if the birds could have been turned

out in the spring. A. G. BuTRER.



* The Shama was bred some years ago by Mr. Phillipps.—E d.



