24



Capt. Bernard E. Potter,



escaped through the roof of their aviary. This was covered with 2-in¬

netting, and I had no idea that they would be able to get through it.

Their bodies are much smaller than they look to be, and I have now

found that much larger birds can get through this size mesh with

ease. For some time the birds remained about in the neighbouring

villages, visiting the villagers’ chicken-pens, and I had some hopes of

recovering them, but although stimulated by a promised reward j

none of the village boys succeeded in capturing them. My last

venture in this type of bird was with a trio of White-breasted Water-

hens from India. When they arrived I was much interested in them,

as they were not unduly shy, in the small aviary in which they were

first placed, and they were rather striking-looking birds, and I

thought that they would be likely to breed. But alas ! they have

proved very disappointing in the large aviary in which they are now

located. Here they have unlimited cover, with a nice pond sur¬

rounded with flags and rushes. Their habits seemed to have entirely

altered. They skulk in the thick cover all day, and the only time

that I see them is when they visit the pond to drink and bathe in the

late evening. I understand that in India they nest in the late

summer, so there is still a chance that they may redeem their

character by doing so later on.*



BIRDS IN MACEDONIA.


By Capt. Bernard E. Potter, R.A.M.C.


The Finch family is well represented here. On January 1st

two pairs of bullfinches were seen in a village, the males looking

superb with their black caps, crimson breasts, and white rumps.

Later in February I watched a bullfinch, goldfinch, and chaffinch in

the same hedgerow, and could not help thinking the bullfinch sur¬

passed the goldfinch in magnificence. But all bird-lovers must like

to know that the goldfinch is the commonest finch in this country.



* [Since writing the above the Black Bail has again nested. This time the nest

was suspended from the rushes, a foot or more above the water. The white¬

breasted Waterhens have built a similar nest, but so far have not laid.]



