328 Mr. R. Phiujpps,


are rarely seen far apart, and are greatly distressed if separated

but they are not of the kissing cuddling sort, and do not always,

even when at roost, sit so close as to touch one another.


Although two of these birds of the same sex, when pro-

perly established, may not be kept together with impunity, it is

satisfactory to be able to over-ride my statements of last year so

far as to say that at any rate a contented pair with plenty of

elbow-room, under ordinary circumstances, may be trusted not

to hurt those of other and distinct species. The following story

speaks for itself, and is worth recording.


Last year, a pair of Ringed Finches, Stictoptera anmdosa,

reared a brood in a thorn situated in the front of the inner aviary,

and took them off to the rear. On August 10, I noticed a large

nest, larger than that usually builded by the Ringed Finch and

more rotund, situated on one of the old sites in the thorn. The

Rings wanted to nest again after a while, and, as is their custom

if not disturbed, desired to come back to the old place. The}''

were perpetually hovering and fluttering about the tree ; some

powerful attraction drew them thither, but some antagonistic

influence repelled and kept them aloof. It was not until some

days had elapsed that I detected that one of the Violets, now the

male, now the female, was always on guard, crouching down

immovable close to the nest. This was the first nest in the

garden — which, as I have stated, was given up last year to a

miscellaneous collection of birds — which this pair had fully con-

structed and attempted to defend. Occasionally the male would

make a dait at some bird approaching too near, but otherwise

everything was perfectly quiet.


But this nest was pulled to pieces by some miscreants (who

had their wings cut for their trouble), the Violets went off, and

the Rings returned and builded once more in the thorn. On

September 21, I found the Violets in possession of this nest,

which for some reason had been deserted by the Rings. On the

following day I found that the Rings, who had meanwhile built a

nest in an unsuitable position and had decided that it was too

unsuitable, wanted to come back to the one in the thorn. Find-

ing that the Violets would not turn out, after much ado, they

constructed a complete and independent nest at the back of the



