Notes 071 her Birds.



4i



seven months old, still in her baby plumage ; the other, a fine

healthy cock, has blossomed out into a red-headed bird. Of

course one knew, from Dr. Butler’s book, that the two varieties

were produced indiscriminately, but it seemed a little difficult to

realize until one saw the red-headed son sitting beside the black¬

headed father. They are great friends, and since the hen’s

death the two are always together.


We have reared a Cherry-finch, a beautiful little hen;

some Bronze-winged Mannikins, a Diamond Sparrow, and some

Red-faced Finches. The Red-faced Finches, now about three

months old, were quite unlike their parents on leaving the nest,

except that the shape of beak and skull were the same. They

were well-feathered, beautifully neat, slender in shape, and the

general effect of their colouring was soft brown. They were

quite without any trace of red on face or beak, neither had they

any white spots on breast or throat.


We have this spring started a garden aviary, and all the

birds were turned into it for the summer mouths. Their health

has been very good, but I do not think the breeding results will

prove to be very great. The Golden-breasted Waxbills have

made a nest and laid eggs, but failed to hatch. The Cordon-

bleus -went so far as to hatch at least one egg, but the little bird

died, owing probably to a cold wet week. The Dong-tailed

Grassfinches have nested.


I am writing away from home and do not know just how

matters are at this moment, but I hear that the Yellow

Sparrows appear to have built a nest, and also that they are

eager for mealworms, a dainty I have never known them to look

at before.* I have two pairs, and both cocks are in beautiful

plumage, the yellow being quite canary colour in their case. I

fancy they are more than usually sensitive to light, for when

they were kept for a time in a dull position the yellow faded a

good deal, especially on the head.


I hope next season to have some good breeding results out

of doors to chronicle, instead of a list of nests and unhatched

eggs ; but wet weather coming at a critical time has accounted

for several desertions on the part of sitting hens, and a Pin-



Mrs, Howard Williams has now successfully reared young- o {Passer luteus. —ISd.



