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My Expe> iences in Aviculture.



pairs among them. I started the winter with seventeen of these

little birds and lost eight (nearly all from pneumonia, to which

they seem very liable) within a short time of their arrival. Two

pairs are now, to my regret, sitting, for I fear it is too early in

the year to rear young birds successfully. Parrot Finches are

the most delightful birds to keep in an aviary. Mine are very

tame and will come and pick up mealworms at my feet, and,

although they occasionally bicker among themselves, seem a

happy and peaceful little people.


My Gouldian Finches have been a source of disappoint¬

ment. I have tried for the last two years to breed them, but

always without success. The old story of egg-binding has been

the chief cause of failure. Twice young ones have been hatched

here and lived for ten days, after which they were deserted by

the old birds, which thereupon started to nest again. One pair

are at the present time sitting, so once more are my hopes raised.

These birds, having been once acclimatized, seem very easy to

keep, though they are undoubtedly delicate when newly imported.

Last summer I bought six Pintail Nonpaieils (young birds out of

colour), four of these died in a few days, although they had

plenty of paddy rice and everything that seemed necessary to

their well-being ; however, their two survivors (a cock and a hen)

are still with me and in full colour and in beautiful plumage.

They seem exceptionally wild birds by nature, and up to the

present have shown no signs of becoming tame like all the

others. It may be of interest to mention that now they never

touch paddy rice, on which they lived entirely when they first

came here, but feed almost solely on spray millet.


Last November I purchased from Mr. Hamlyu eight Blue¬

breasted Waxbills and two pairs of Bichenos, of which all were

newly-imported and out of which only one Blue-breasted Waxbill

died. Neither of these two last mentioned varieties seem any

trouble to keep in any way.


The Long-tailed Grassfinclies have built innumerable nests,

but have never yet got beyond sitting in them together side by

side, though I am unable to tell whether they are a true pair.


In the smaller aviary there are the following Painted

Finches, which I am hoping to nest successfully this summer, a



