9



lasted fourteen days, the cock taking no part in this, but he

assiduously fed the hen on the nest. By the time the fourteen

days expired but one egg remained (I think my Pekin Robins

were the robbers), this was successfully hatched, the youngster

being very strong and lusty and did well for the first three days,

then all went wrong ; they tried hard to feed it with mealworms

but failed, and though I promptly sent off for some gentles,

there was some delay in transit and they arrived too late to

save the fledgeling, which died during the morning of the fourth

day.


I am hoping for complete success next year, as I shall be

able to profit by the experience of this, and get a supply of

small insects ready in time.


I also noted that though the Chaffinches ordinarily took

freely both of the usual soft food and ants’ cocoons always in the

aviar} r , after the youngster was hatched they touched neither for

sometime, though now they are eating both freely.


The fledgling was blind for two days ; it was covered with

longish yellow hairs; its skin, flesh-colour with dark bluish

patches on the head and wings,


I should say, in conclusion, they have about forty com¬

panions—Waxbills and Finches, and a pair of Cockatiels; had

they been alone perhaps they would have successfully reared the

nestling.


CORDONS BLEUS.


By Mrs. Barber.


Since I started keeping birds, about two years ago, I have

generally had one Cordon-bleu, at least, and at present there are

three (one cock and two hens) in a compartment of my bird-

room, with about forty of the smaller Pinches and Waxbills.


One hen I have had about eighteen months ; she is very

tame and sings very prettily. When I turned my birds from

their cages into the bird-room, I bought a male Cordon-bleu,

and put him in with the hens. In two days he was dead. I got

another (a fine healthy-looking little fellow) and the next morn¬

ing I saw him moping in a corner all “ fluffed out.” I knew

what that meant, so I watched to see if I could find out the cause

of it. Almost immediately the two little hens flew down and

danced all round him, pecking and calling him, and finally drove

him all over the aviary ; so I caught the poor little thing and

caged him, but he died very shortly.


A few days later I introduced a third male (after having

caught my little “singing” hen and put her in a cage). When the



