Correspondence.



229



ception of the White-throated finch, are perfectly amiable and

peaceable : this last is sometimes aggressive.


So much for the true finches which have at various times

occupied my cages and aviaries : I now proceed to the generally

more popular Weavers, of which, almost from the first, I have had

numerous specimens and not a few species. Unquestionably the

latter give more satisfactory results when kept during the summer

months in outdoor aviaries with plenty of cover, and undoubtedly

my failure to breed many of them is due to the fact that I have

never had more than two outdoor enclosures, and neither of these

.altogether suitable for the purpose.


(To be continued).



CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, &c.


NOTES.


My aviary is not a large one, but a few notes on my birds nesting may be

-of interest. I started my aviaries two-and-a-half years ago. This last season

one pair of Long-tailed Grass Pinches brought up four strong young ones.

'The first lot came out of the nest too soon and did not live. Masked

Grass Finches, first nest, young one died after two days. Second nest, one

young one fully reared but disappeared when grown up and I never could find it.

Parrot Finches, four fully reared. Diamond Doves, one pair, six young fully

reared. Cordon Bleu, one young fully reared. Zebra Finches, about 15 fully

reared, first nesting, three died. Black-faced Love Birds, one pair, three fully

reared. Lavender-headed Love Birds, two pairs, eight fully reared. The

Masked Grass Finches had three eggs each time, but they all disappeared but

one. Mice I suppose took the eggs as, though the wire is fine, they manage to

get in when small. I give my birds a great quantity of flowering grasses of all

kinds, which they seem to much enjoy. Orange-breasted Waxbills hatched out

three young ones, but they died in a few days. One pair Green Singing

Finches hatched out one young from two eggs, but it died in two days. This

is the first season I have had my birds in pairs so I think I have done well. I

have now some Blue-banded Grass Parrots (N. venusta) which I hope to induce

to nest this summer, and I hope this season will do better with all my other

birds. Eleanor Turner-Turner.


HARDINESS OF RAINBOW BUNTINGS.


Miss CHAWNER writes “ I am surprised to find how little my pair of

‘ ‘ Rainbow Buntings care for weather ; they scarcely ever avail themselves of the

shelter, but stay in the flight through frost or rain without turning a feather.



