THE



Hvicultural /Ifbagasitte,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.



VOL. IV. — No. 47. All rights reserved. SEPTEMBER, 1898.


THE WHITE-EARED GRASSFINCH.


(Poephila leucotisj.

By Reginald Phillipps.


(Continued fro7n page i']2).


On March 23rd, the new pair seemed anxious to nest ; and

in an impulsive moment, which I have not ceased to regret, I

brought down the old nest and placed it in its original position.

With a cry of joy the widow flew to it — perhaps hoping to find

her mate, who can say ! but she was promptly dispossessed by

the pair, who seemed inclined to adopt it as their own forthwith ;

their triumph, however, was short-lived, for the other birds, now

a miscellaneous horde, got wind of what was going on, and,,

headed by two rascally Ivavender Finches who still trouble me

with their looting propensities, swooping down like Vultures on.

to a carcase, tore the nest to shreds, and carried it off" piecemeal

to various boxes and holes, in spite of the White-ears' piteous

cries of remonstrance.


The pair could not tear themselves away from the flower-

pot. There might be time for a nest before their season was

quite over I thought, so shut off the other birds, supplied

materials, and placed a box on the floor where the former had

been (of which they had not any cognizance), and of this they

immediately took possession. A nest was quickly built in the

flower-pot as before, very like the first but not so carefully con-

structed — the dome, for instance, barely supporting its own

weight and requiring frequent pushing up from the interior,

many of the feathers being shoved through ; and the beard was

not so long — possibly on account of the now shrivelled condition

of the creeper. Little by little, however, the birds seemed to lose

interest in it, there came a time when they actually slept in it,

and then I saw that it was of no use, put them back with their

companions, and removed the nest. A wave of warm weather

once more started them off, so I brought back their nest, which



