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abortive nest. The constancy of birds to their own species is remai'kable,

and it is extremely interesting to observe the alacrity with which a lonely

bachelor will greet a mate of his own kind when she is turned in among

the general crowd. What excitement he displays! How he drops his

wings and spreads his tail and raises his crest, sidling tip to her with a-

manifest determination to make the most of himself!


But why will some birds breed so much more readily than others ?

The Greenfinch makes a very early start, and follows with a second and

third nest before the preceding brood is off hand, turning out three or four

each time. The Goldfinch generally breeds successfully, the cock bird

being attentive and the hen sitting steadily ; but in confinement they are

apt to build a slight nest which may come to grief and let the young ones

through the bottom. The Brown Linnet and Redpoll will also breed, and

one season we reared two nests of Bullfinches from one lien; but have had

no success since. Last year the hen—not the same one — seemed anxious to

build, making a start now in one place now in another, and dropped an egg

among the gorse, but never settled down to steady business. Last year the

Goldfinches were a failure. But the Chaffinches have never made any

attempt at nesting — why is this ? The birds are very steady, the cock sings

lustily, suitable material is supplied : but nothing results. Last year we

thought we were going to have a nest, and indeed one was constructed by

the hen, but no egg was laid. The Tits, too, Marsh, Blue, or Oxeye, show

no disposition to breed, though the first are extremely familiar and seem

immortal. Only once have I seen anything like love passages, and these

occurred between a pair of Blue Tits; but the}' never approached nest¬

building, though several suitable places were provided. Is it a question of

food ? In a perfectly wild state, the Blue Tit is most fearless in selecting a

position for her nest, a favourite place in towns being down a street gas

lamp post, the bird finding its way down the standard at the point where

the gas pipe passes out at the top just inside the head of the lamp. I have

known several lamps occupied in this way. Why then will they not bree

in an aviary ?


Returning for a moment to the subject of cross-breeding, I have

found the Pied Wagtail pair readily with a hen Grey Wagtail. Their nest

W r as built in the corner of the husk-tray suspended below the seed-box,

probably the most exposed and disturbed position she could have found in

the whole place ; but she sat steadily and hatched two young ones, which,

however, she failed to rear. Both parents had been caught wild, the

preceding Autumn. Why do not such crosses occur frequently in nature ?


I have an interesting problem to solve, before me now ; perhaps some

of the members of the Society can suggest a solution. I keep five game

Bantam hens for the purpose of rearing fancy Pheasants and Ouails : three

of these I keep in one pen, two in another, in my garden. Of the three,

one has already sat and brought up a brood, another is now sitting, the

third has shown no disposition to sit and is laying very sparely. Of the

other two, neither has yet laid an egg, much less become broody, though

both sat last year. I know nothing of their ages. I bought them when

brood} 7 , on the 27th of May, last year, and now they look fresh and healthy,

but are worse than useless. All five are fed alike, principally on mixed corn,

with cabbage, lettuce leaves and chickweed.



Charles L. Roi'hera.



