on Egg-laying and Nesting Experiences.



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Gubernatrix cristata. Built, laid and hatched out four young

ones in a Chinese wicker cage hung up in one of my aviaries, in

1895 ; but three of the four young ones were thrown out of the

nest when half grown, because the parents could not get sufficient

living insect food to satisfy them. The fourth bird was reared

and flew, but did not take kindly to the soft food and consequently

died in the young plumage.


Paroaria larvata. Built, laid and began to sit in 1904, but

deserted the nest and died just as the eggs were beginning to develop.


Paroaria cucullata. Built several nests and pulled them to

pieces again, but did not lay.


Ghloris chloris. Built', laid and reared its young wdthout the

least difficulty, the nest being formed in an ordinary Canary nest-box

hung on the wire-work of the aviary.


Spermophila albigularis. Built several nests from fine tough

fibre, but never laid.


Sporceginthus amandava. A pair built in one of my bird-

room aviaries in a potted box-tree, but the nest was seized by other

Waxbills successively and consequently there was no result.


Stictospiza formosa has both built nests and laid in my

aviaries, but has always been disturbed by other birds, so that I

have never bred it.


Estrilda cinerea. This Waxbill has also built and laid in my

birdroom, but never succeeded in hatching its eggs.


Poephila mirabilis. After many attempts to breed this species

in cages and indoor aviaries, I at length succeeded in an outdoor

aviary in 1905 and 1906. The two eggs illustrated were from

the same clutch.


Poephila acuticaucla. A female paired with a male P. cincta

built but did not lay : she was of the race to which the name hecki

was given.


Poephila cincta. I have only once bred this species, the hens

being very liable to egg-binding.


Steganopleura guttata. Went to nest on one occasion but

the hen killed her husband because he entered the nest when she

was sitting in the daytime, so there was no result.


Bathilcla ruficauda. A female paired with Tceniopygia



