on the Violet-eared Waxbill.



301



spring moult, it should prove to be an easy species to breed in

the garden aviary during our summer or early autumn—before

the autumnal moult in fact. And so far as I have been able to

observe of my mateless male during a few summers, I am of

opinion that a good pair under favourable conditions would breed

and rear young without any trouble whatever ; but the larger the

aviary the greater the chances of success—if there be a sufficiency

of shelter, not too many other birds, and a complete abstention

from nest-peeping. I would suggest that they be kept snugly

housed until well into June, occasionally even later, before being

transferred to the garden aviary, if an exposed one—one can

speak only generally. Although more or less ready to breed

every summer, I notice that my old male was never so fit and

keen as he was during the month of July (1904) ; and probably

we shall do well to aim at getting our birds into condition by

mid-June. But please note that the more I watch and consider

the more strongly I feel that, if we are to have a successful

summer breeding, the winter breeding must be absolutely

stopped: during the winter segregate the sexes, if possible

placing them out of sight and hearing of one another.


These Waxbills seem to be rather indifferent (in a sense)

to their surroundings, and ready to adapt themselves to circum¬

stances ; they are not shy nesters and will nest prett}' nearly

anywhere—but nesting is not breeding. I am not very hopeful

about my own birds as I have marred my chance, at any rate for

this year, by weakly giving in and allowing them to nest in the

spring; and my aviary is exposed, and I fear that wet and cold

may be too much for the breeding birds, and especially for the

young as, after leaving the nest, they are almost certain to keep

to the trees and shrubs. Nevertheless there are now such a

number of Violet Kars about the country that it will be strange

if there be no successful breeding before the winter. The winter

nesting of my pair proved a failure as stated on page 204. The

nest consisted of hay and a few feathers carelessly arranged in a

sloping and open log-nest. Dead grasses pulled up by the birds

themselves, or soft hay, and small feathers, seem to be all that

they desire or require.


Concerning the nest, Stark tells us ( The Fauna of South



