40



Mrs. Howard Williams’



entirely of wood, including the high gable roof, and wired only

in front, and therefore the birds have more protection from the

fierceness of the sun shining on glass, than many do where

living in conservatories. Besides this, we take care to have no

plants there which require much moisture. We keep the larger

aviary for the larger birds, principally Australian finches, and

the smaller for the Waxbills and tiny finches.


One pair of Long-tailed Grassfinches fully reared thirty

birds in two years. The hen is now dead, but the cock still

survives, and has nested again this year with a new mate. They

have generally chosen a husk for a nest, but sometimes they

have preferred a travelling cage with the front taken out. We

always notice that the nestlings are very much crowded, and sit

in a tight row, beaks outwards, and tails sticking up behind, and

are most shabby, untidy little things when they emerge from

their nest.


Some years ago I had one pair of Bronze-winged Manni¬

kins and a pair of Bib Finches. One of each pair died, and the

survivors mated, rearing several broods of hybrids. They were

more like Bibs than Mannikins, but as they were neither pretty

nor sweet tempered we parted with them to a dealer. I regret to

say that my husband, going in later, saw some of the youngsters

marked at a high price, and with a long and original name

evolved out of the dealer’s inner consciousness, awaiting the

confiding and unsuspecting amateur in search of rare birds !


Our Bichenos have nested with no fuss or trouble what¬

ever. We had several broods in the before-mentioned flight

cage, and many in the aviary. But just when Bichenos and

Ringed Finches were nesting most successfully an unfortunate

lamp accident happened in the conservatory one cold night in

late spring. The fumes killed twelve birds of these two varieties

alone, of every age and size; and I have had no luck with them

since.


We have kept many Gouldians, but they have nested only

twice with us. The first brood consisted of five youngsters, but

they were killed by a red-headed cock in a fit of jealousy. We

parted with him in haste, and the next season the black-headed

birds hatched two young ones. Of the two the hen died at



