Angus t, 1912 .



329



while if rare it is not likely to be overcrowded during importa¬

tion and so to suffer. If the latter explanation is correct the

moral is obvious.



AUGUST, 1912.


By Miss E. M. Hincks.


What a summer!—damp and cold—it seems almost as if

it could not have been worse. My birds certainly have not

relished it. The aviary floors have been soaking every day for

months now. It seems to me the only type of floor suited to

this weather would be one of cement laid at an acute angle.


My aviaries are small and my birds of quite ordinary

kinds, of which I am thankful just now. There are three of them.


No. 1 containing five young Saffron Finches just coming

into colour. Of these I hope that only one is a cock ; for, earlier

in the year, two other young cock Saffrons who had been living

together for months, were left together for one day too long,

with the result that they fought one another to the death.


No. 2. A pair of Goldfinches. The old pair of Saffrons,

and, up till a week ago, a pair of Zebra Finches. Since then the

cock has been left a widower and has been busily engaged in

rearing the family of two, who appeared in public yesterday.


The third aviary is below the garden (terraced) inside the

wood. It is much less exposed than the other two, but is also

shadier. The beehives standing alongside should come in useful

in providing insect food for my two Pekin Robins, though I

cannot say that I have ever seen them in pursuit of anything but

wasps, moths or midges. The occupants of this aviary are:—

Two hen Pekin Robins, Grey Singing Finches, Avadavats, a

Grey, an Orange-cheek and a Crimson-eared Waxbill, also one

cock South American Grey Finch, the best songster of the party,

but he is of rather a retiring disposition, always electing to sing

whilst alone in the inner aviary house. The Cordon Bleu (or

Gordon Blue, the gypsies name for these birds) must be quite an

aged bird, I have had him several years and he is growing white

(flight) feathers in both wings, which adds greatly to his vener¬

able appearance. Is this usual ?



