347



on Breeding of the Blue-breasted Waxbill.


days. All had light blue on the lower back and upper tail-coverts..

The tails varied according to the light; the}'’ were dark with

concealed blue, which gradually developed. The legs of some

were lighter, of a pale flesh colour. The shades of both brown

and blue were lighter than in the parents.


The old birds had a very poor time ; that they should have

succeeded in rearing these little delicate creatures under the

trying circumstances in which they found themselves is very

wonderful, for all of the five are alive and well, flying and

pecking about freely, and practically independent. As if there

were not enough troublesome and worrying birds to plague them,.

I must needs add to the number by transferring to their aviary

the four Pied Rock-Thrushes about which I have been writing

lately ; for the unexpected appearance of an unusual nest in the

reserved aviary constrained me to clear them out. The young

Rock-Thrushes, accustomed to shelter and privacy, were very

wild in this open aviary, especially the youngest, who would

become ridiculously frantic should I venture to look at him

through the binocular ; and these and other comparatively large

birds flying and occasionally dashing about terrify the Waxbills,

over and over again scattering the whole brood to the winds, not

infrequently after they have settled down for the night. The

old Rock-Thrushes were still more aggravating, though in another

way, for, being too tame to be frightened off, they pounced down

upon and gobbled up insects and special food enough to have

reared many dozen of baby Blue-breasted Waxbills.


The old Waxbills tended and shepherded their little brood,

and, indeed, still do so, with unremitting devotion, attention, and

patience; nothing discouraged them nor caused them to lose

heart. The young keep a good deal together, sometimes in a

lump, sometimes with the baby Cuba Finches, sometimes paired

off in couples as far as may be ; they are charmingly confiding

and tame, and rarely move as one approaches :—and thus let them,

make their little bow and retire behind the curtain.


But the birds in the reserved aviary had not been idle all

this time. I reckoned that their new nest was three days behind

the one I have just been writing about. I have an earlier note

referring to Leah’s first fledgeling—“A good deal of squeaking.



