Correspondence , Notes, etc.


CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, ETC.



ii'



AVIARIES BELONGING TO LADY DUNLEATH.


Sir,—I t may interest some of your readers to hear some account of

the past year’s nesting season in my outdoor aviary. When I left for

Scotland on August 19th the following birds all had nests and were sitting

in the bushes outside the building. A pair of Golden-breasted or Zebra

Waxbills. The young ones were just hatched when I left and now three

young ones are flying about, pictures of perfect healLli and plumage.


In the first nest of Cordon Bleus there were four young ones, but one

wet night they' were all drowned. After I left they built again, hanging

their nest, made of dry grass, to the four fronds of a common fern. They

brought out two young ones, one of which died last week. The other is

very well and just beginning to show the cock’s red patch on its cheeks.


The Orange-cheeked Waxbills also made a nest and brought out

some young. I can’t tell exactly' how many as they were hatched after I

left home. I think there must have been three.


The Common Grey African Waxbill built under a stump on the

ground ; the nest was just like a ball made of fine grass and lined with

feathers—it was almost impossible to find the opening. They reared three

or four, but again I cannot tell the exact number. My man saw the young

birds of both of these nests after they began to fly', but did not count them.


I have also ten young Saffron Finches flying about, several Zebra

Finches, and two young Bullfinches, the parents being a German cock and

English hen. The young ones, both cocks, are magnificent.


My Nicobar Pigeons, which I have had for four years, adopted a

young Grey' Ring-necked Dove two or three days after it was hatched, drove

away the parents and brought it up. About the same time they made a

rough nest (which they had never done before) of sticks and laid one egg.

They did not sit on it, but adopted the Dove instead. I put the egg under

a common Pigeon, hoping it would hatch, but it was clear.


My' pair of Red-headed Gouldian Finches hatched, in October, two

young ones in a travelling box cage which was hanging on a branch. Just

as they were beginning to feather, a Half-moon Parrakeet got in, pulled

both out and killed them ; it was most unlucky, he must have slipped in

unnoticed through the door.


I think that in spite of the wet summer I have reason to be satisfied.


I have now brought in and put in the conservatory' aviary for the

winter, one pair Scarlet Tanagers, one Green Bulbul, two Gouldian Finches,

four Cordon Bleus, and a Pin-tailed Nonpareil ; the latter is now in most

glorious plumage, having moulted perfectly outside. I got him in Paris last

March and he has been out ever since, but I did not know whether he would



