Altogether she has laid twenty-three eggs, but never sat except for one day.

Having a pair of Bengalese which had laid three eggs and just begun to

sit, I put four Parrot Finch eggs in their nest. I also put four Parrot Finch

eggs into a Sydney Waxbills’ nest, in the place of four clear eggs which

had been sat on for eight days. One young Parrot Finch was hatched by

the Bengalese, and it lived a week. The other eggs in the Bengalese nest

were clear. The Sydney Waxbills deserted their nest at the end of nine

days—two of the eggs contained young,


The Bengalese laid again, tw T o eggs, and had just begun to sit, when I

put five Parrot Finches’ eggs with their own. In fourteen days four young

Parrot Finches were hatched, and are now being fed by the Bengalese and

are doing well (c).


I have some Parrot Finch eggs left, and am saving them to put under

some other finch.


The young Parrot Finch has green beads round the gape, of a

glittering appearance (d).


I think it is wise to keep a few pairs of Bengalese in readiness, to

hatch the eggs of valuable birds that will not sit, such as the Violet-eared

Waxbill. I. CartmeeR.



FOOD FOR WATERFOWL.


Sir,—W ould you kindly tell me what is the proper food for Waterfowl

(Mandarin and Tufted Ducks). The birds are pinioned, but have a

free range of the garden, and a piece of water to swim on.


(Miss) R. Ai.dERSON.



The following reply -was sent to Miss Alder son :


The best staple food for Ornamental Ducks is a mixture of equal

parts of buckwheat, barle3 r , and wheat, given in water. Bread thrown

into the water is also much appreciated, as a rule.


The Tufted Ducks obtain most of their food by diving, and are very

fond of the green weeds that usually grow on the bottom of ponds, as well

as various aquatic insects and crustaceans. It would be a good plan to

throw some grain on the surface of the pond ; this would sink, and the

Tufted Ducks would obtain it in the natural way bj' diving.


D. Seth-Smith.



CATCHING A TARTAR.


Sir,—I think the subjoined account of an escaped Macaw will amuse

the readers of our Magazine.


Some mouths since, 1113^ friend Mr. Marsdeu managed, by accident, to

let one of his Macaws get loose. I was lunching with him soon after,

and he gave me the following laughable and graphic account of the

escape and capture.



(c) It will be interesting to hear if the young Parrot Finches are successfully reared

by the Bengalese.—F). S.-S.


(d) See pages 20 and 26 of this volume.—E d.



