The Nesting of the Orey Finch. 
fine fibres and rootlets, and seemed to be selected for lightness 
and strength. 
Only a single fi])re was woven into the nest at once, 
and great pains were taken to fasten each piece securely into 
position by the aid of spider-web, laboriously collected from 
corners and bushes. The hen worked very hard, but the 
progress made was necessarily slow, and the time occupied in 
completing the nest was 8 days. The cock may have assisted 
her at times, but only on one occasion I saw him build in a 
piece of material. 
The nest, when completed, was a very neat cup-shaped 
structure, apparently quite fragile, but in reality very strongly 
woven to the supporting twigs. 
Two eggs were laid altogether, the first on June 13th, 
the second on the following day, when the hen began to 
incubate . 
The eggs are rather large, and long in proportion to 
their breadth. The ground colour is dirty white, spotted and 
blotched over the entire surface with pale brown, and with 
some heavy lines of very dark brown at the larger end. 
During the period the hen was incubating, the cock 
mounted guard on one of the adjoining bushes, in such a 
position that he could get a full view of his mate on the nest. 
He would allow no otber bird to perch on the bush containing 
the nest driving them off with a fierce rush, and continuing* 
the pursuit round and round the aviary. When the hen slipped 
off for food and a little exercise, he would perch on tlie edge 
of tha nest, and remain there until her return. I never 
saw him actually sit on the eggs, or feed her while! she was 
incubating. 
Both eggs hatched on June 26th, twelve days after 
incubation commenced. The skin of the newly hatched chick 
is purplish brown in colour, the down dark grey; inside of 
mouth, red, with a yellow spot on each side of base of tongue; 
corners of mouth creamy white. 
Insects, collected from the grass and bushes, formed 
the greater part of the food of the nestlings for the first few 
days, unripe grass-seed was also given to them freely, and 
occasionally millet was visible in their crops. 
