56 Correspondence , Notes, etc.



carried out her domestic arrangements, and resolved to leave home at the

first opportunity as a protest.


AURORA FINCHES NESTING.


Sir, —What would you consider the best food for Aurora Finches to

rear their young upon ? I have a hen sitting. She hatched a brood of four

or five, but, I am afraid, has not brought them up, though at times I think

the cock feeds them. I cannot get at the nest though it is in a cage. When

the hen sat on her first lot of eggs I had a supply of fresh ants’ eggs from

Germany, which both birds ate very greedily, and since then I have always

put in small mealworms and a little “Century food,” as well as small

cabbage caterpillars, which however were never plentiful, and the usual

seeds. J. Moerscheee.



The poliowing reply has been sent to Mr. Moerschell.


I should think your treatment of the Aurora-finches could hardly be

improved upon: and, as Dr. Russ, who successfully bred the species, has

not told us what food he prepared for the young; there is no means of

knowing whether he treated them differently from his other Ornamental

Finches when breeding.


One thing you do not mention which is generally useful—grass in

seed plucked in the fields and hedgerows. A. G. BuTEER.



PECTORAE RAILS.


Sir, —I have had in my aviary for from two to five months a variety of

birds, among others two Pectoral Rails, St. Helena Waxbills, White

Bellies, Grey Java Sparrows, all living together in apparent friendliness, but

about ten days ago we discovered the Pectoral Rails devouring the body of

a St. Helena Waxbill, which was still quite warm, and which they had

evidently killed. Since then they have killed and eaten a Java Sparrow and

a White-belly. I shall be glad to know if Pectoral Rails are generally

found to be dangerous to other birds, as it is curious that I should have had

them so long without their doing an}' damage. I have fed them on bread¬

crumbs, a mixture of different sorts of grass, and sometimes barley meal,

and they have also eaten the millet and canary seed put for the other

birds.


Lately I have also given them mealworms, which they much delight

in. Would the mealworms give the Rails a taste for animal food?


Louisa Feieding.


The following reply was sent to the Lady Louisa Feilding:


I have never kept the Pectoral Rail, but have had several other

species which I have always found harmless among other smaller birds.



