part of the aviary—and they nest readily; i.e., they lay eggs and hatch

young, but they" frequently fail to rear them, even when in separate pairs.

They are handsome birds, intelligent and confiding, and, as said at the

commencement of these notes, soon get on friendly terms with those who

attend to their wants. But they require more attention than seed-eating

birds, and must have fresh food, of which ants’ eggs can form the base, at

least twice a day. They also require cleaning out frequently, as is the case

with all soft-billed birds, to avoid offensive smell.



TWITES BREEDING IN C O N FI N E M E N T.


By G. C. Swailes.


A pair of Twites f Acanthi's flavirostris) have this season bred and

reared young in my small aviary, and as it is, I believe, a rather uncommon

occurrence, a few notes may be acceptable to the readers of the Avicultural

Magazine. The birds are a very interesting pair, both being abnormally

coloured — the cock about half white pied, and the hen pure white, (the latter

may be known to some of my readers, as it has been exhibited at both the

Palace and Aquarium shows.) They are kept with about half a dozen other

finches in an aviary quite out in the country.


The hen commenced to build on May 14th, and laid her first egg on

the 17th, laying altogether five eggs and sitting closely after the third was

laid. I did not again look at the eggs, but saw the old birds busy feeding

on the 2nd of June and following days. I looked in the nest on the 8th,

hoping to find some fine young birds, but the nest contained only one poor

starved thing which died on the following day; the weather was very'stormy

at the time they were hatched and I think this was the cause of their doing

so badly'.


On the 15th I noticed that the hen had nearly completed another nest,

and she laid on the 16th and three following day's ; having a Redpoll nest¬

ing at the same time, I gave her two of the Twites’ eggs, making up the

number for each with infertile eggs ; both birds hatched on the same day;

the two in the Redpoll’s nest perished at once, though she is a good feeder,

and has reared two broods of her own this season; the Twite successfully

reared hers, and they' left the nest on July 19, and are now very fine

birds, but quite normally' coloured ; this I expected, as I have reared a large

number during the past few years from both white, pied, and cinnamon

Lesser Redpolls, and have inbred them, but have never had one vary' in the

least from the normal colour. Young Twites are not nearly so precocious as

Redpolls; they were a long time before they attempted to peck for them¬

selves, and even now (August) clamour to the old ones for food, whereas I

have seen young Redpolls a week after leaving the nest shell hard canary

seed. My birds have 110 soft food given them, but as much of the flowering

top of the dwarf grass, dandelion, and hardhead tops, thistle, plantain, &c.,

as they wish, and as many aphides off rose, apple, or plum trees as I can at

the time obtain ; infested branches being put in the aviary for the birds to

peck them off. The latter, I consider, are very' essential for the successful

rearing of Finches in confinement, especially for the first few days after they

are hatched.



CORRESPONDENCE.



THE ELECTION OF THE COUNCIL.


Sir,—T he time for the first election of Officers of the Avicultural

Society is now drawing near. I see that, according to our rules, all

candidates for office (excepting those seeking re-election) must be duly'

proposed and seconded before the 14th of September.


Having had a good deal of experience of the working of Societies of

various kinds (on both sides of the Atlantic), I should like to be allowed to

make a few remarks upon what I conceive to be the duty of the members in



