on the Violet- eared Waxbill. 331


During last winter, being short of accommodation for birds

which, could not be kept together, while carefully stowing away

separately my best pair of Violet-eared Waxbills in two six-foot

cages in my dining-room, I left the second pair to take their

chance in the birdroom, flying loose with a miscellaneous

collection. On most days, the window was left a little open for a

longer or shorter time according to the temperature, so as to

allow the inmates to take a fly in the open aviary should they

feel so disposed ; in this the Violets, differing from some species,

displayed an intelligent discrimination, when cold keeping snug

in the room, and, in any case, retiring early in the afternoon of

their own free will, but taking free exercise on every favourable

opportunity. The result has been that these latter birds, which

took the second place last year, have this summer been the most

powerful and the best, proving again, if any proof were needed,

the superiority of the aviary over the cage, even when the cage

is a six-footer.


In may be an important point to note that the pair which

did not lay and sit last year commenced early this year, whereas

the two birds that were sitting last September, although appar-

ently in faultless condition and placed in the thickly-wooded

aviary, had not done anything this summer up to the end of July.


The male selects the breeding site, in a thick bush from

preference, and does most of the carrying and building. The

female assists, but not very energetically. She shines most when

she sits in the nest and 'arranges the materials as they are

brought to her by her mate, but this is the exception rather than

the rule. The nest is domed, large, and roundish under ordinary

circumstances, very roomy inside, constructed of grasses and

thickly lined with feathers. Although dried grasses, hay, &c,

will be used, yet the male seems by nature to prefer the green

growing grass, which he tugs up by the roots. He prefers rather

large feathers, with a natural curl or curve corresponding with

that of the arc of the inside of the nest.


The aperture, in the earlier nests, was moderately high up,

and consequently admitted rain. Then it was placed lower- —

down; and again, later, a substantial and unmistakable 'eye-

brow' or eave was constructed across, above, and projecting over



