AVICULTUBAL EXPERIENCES. 259 



of the first family were ready to fly. The hen then went and in- 

 spected the second home, and, finding it comfortable, took no 

 further notice of her young family, which were reared by their 

 father whilst their mother incubated a second clutch of eggs. It 

 is possible that this may be a not unusual plan among wild 

 Finches, and it would be interesting if owners of large aviaries 

 would look into it carefully. 



Touching these Goldfinches, there was another point worthy 

 of note in disproof of Charles Dixon's belief. Although they 

 were wild-caught birds, they built their nests on the floor of a 

 converted travelling Canary-cage hung upon the wires at the back 

 of the aviary, not in a bush or on a branch, as they might have 

 done. I have noticed the same changed habit in the case of the 

 Grey Singing Finch (Serinus leucopygius). The Hartz travelling- 

 cage is prepared by removing the perches, food-trough, and 

 water-pot, putting in a solid floor, and pulling out two of the 

 short uprights from one end to leave a small entrance-hole ; and 

 it struck me that the Finches may have preferred this easily 

 defended position for their nests to the exposure of bush or 

 branch ; otherwise there seems no explanation for their change 

 of habit. Birds undoubtedly think and reflect, or they would 

 often be in a bad way. No doubt many of the marvellously pro- 

 tected nests formed by tropical birds are the result of the experi- 

 mental and reflecting thoughts of the architects through many 

 successive generations. 



At the commencement of this articfe I spoke of the improve- 

 ment of the intellect in birds when hand-reared, due to their 

 constant association with man. This is frequently shown in the 

 remarkable manner in which they engage naturally in games. I 

 have had both a Pied Wagtail and a Canary (hand-reared), 

 which, without teaching, correctly played jthe game of "Hide- 

 and-seek," hiding up when we were out of the room, and, on our 

 return, taking no notice of our calls until we had discovered the 

 lost one, when it immediately called out like a child, and ran or 

 flew to meet us. Our Wagtail also played a game somewhat 

 resembling " Touch," as follows : — Three or four persons seated 

 themselves at different parts of the dining-room table, and then 

 the cage-door was opened. The Wagtail flew to the middle of 

 the table, and glanced from one person to the other ; then one 



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