336 Mr. R. Phiujpps,


the extraneous matter took away all shape and appearance of a

nest from the one in the elder, and was quite sufficient to diddle

a mere man !


It is an unimportant point, and scarcely worth noting, but,

when the tips of their tails became curved from constant sitting

in the nest, while that of the male curved to the right, the

female's pointed to the left.


All during the building and sitting, the male, when

unoccupied, sang repeatedly ; but he ceased as soon as the young

were hatched.


To return to the nesting. The dates given below were

taken solely from the movements and behaviour of the old birds,

but I expect they are not far out.


The first egg may have been laid on June 29, but perhaps

it was not laid until the following day. An egg may have been

laid on July 1. Incubation dated from and included June 30.

A young bird was probably hatched during the 12th ; there

certainly were young in the nest 011 July 13. One bird was

always in the nest, — now one, now the other, sometimes both,

the relieving bird invariably going into the nest before the relieved

came out. Last year, when all the birds were about, the male sat

almost entirely, evidently in order that the eggs might be the

more efficiently guarded. This year, no other birds being in the

aviary with them, the female took her fair share of the work.

Towards the close of the incubation period, probably on account

of the cold and wet, both birds were more and more frequently

on the nest together; both slept in the nest at night.


After the young were hatched, a little change was made :

the bird outside did not enter the nest until after the other had

come out ; the former would come to the nest, say 'tit,' the bird

inside would pop out and the other would pop in.


It soon became apparent that something was wrong. One

is so accustomed to regard a small seed-eater as a bird which will

rear young without giving trouble that it came with a shock to

find that these Violet-eared Waxbills wanted to feed their young

on living creatures. Now the male, now the female, as each bird

was off the nest, dashed against the netting that cut it off from

the thick foliage of the other aviary, darting from side to side in



