22 S



Mrs. L. Williams,



sexes are described as being alike in plumage, except that the

black beard assumed by both birds in the breeding season is not

so well defined in the case of the female. Of the young I can

learn nothing.



SOME OLD FRIENDS.


So many rare and curious birds have been described lately

in our Magazine that 1 almost hesitate to draw attention to the

little inmates of my aviaries. They are birds which may be

kept by anyone who cares for small foreigners, and who, like

myself, is restricted to keeping seed-eaters, and sorts which will

usually agree with others in a mixed aviary.


The Pileated Finches, which won the Society’s medal in

1905, are still in faultless condition and splendid health, though

they must be getting old : the cock was bought in 1903, the hen

a little later in the same year.


They nest regularly every year, but curiously enough have

never yet reared a cock bird ! Last year two eggs were laid and

were hatched, but only a hen lived to grow up, and a beautiful

bird she was, but whether the nestling which died was a cock or

not I could not tell, it died before it was fledged.


The old birds spend their time—from May till November—

in a garden aviary, and build their very tiny fragile nest in a bush

in the open flight. Last year it was in a little yew bush, partly

protected by the wooden porch of the bird-house. They eat

insects, both mealworms and flies, etc., when nesting, also soft

food, but when indoors during the winter months they care for

nothing but seed.


A favourite nesting material is a rather superior kind of

rope, cut into short lengths and pulled to pieces. I find this is

in great favour with various other finches as well as our Pileated

friends, especially Masked Finches and Biclienos.


My Ouail Finches are somewhat puzzling. The cock is

very handsome, and was fully adult when he came, and the hen

was, I supposed, an ordinary adult hen, just a little brown bird

sufficiently shaded to mark her as a Quail Finch. Unfortunately

she disappeared from the garden aviary after a few weeks, and



