288 
Hybrid fiiinfinf^s. 
Up to this time I had been very careful about approach- 
ing the nest, as the Nonpareil had always been a very shy 
bird. Now her nature changed and she beiame wonderfully 
tame and friendly, flying to me as soon as I entered the 
aviary. 
Mealworms, gentles, and best ants' es^gs were su|)i)licd, 
all of which were taken freely but in the order named. 
On the morning of the 28th, I heard the parents sound- 
ing their alarm note, and on entering the shelter, J found the 
hen Diamond Dove sitting in the Nonpareil's nest. One young 
one was perched on a branch, whilst the head of the other 
appeared from under the Dove. 
I feel sure that the Dove's intention was good but, as 
mother Nonpareil seemed distressed at the situation, I made the 
Dove move ofif. The second young one immediately fluttered 
out of the nest and was soon perched by its fellow on a 
pine twig. 
All went well. The mother proving to be a niodcl 
parent. The Indigo never fed the young ones but employed 
his time in tighting with the Grassfinches. The amount of 
live food consumed by the two small birds was really astonish- 
ing and unfortunately at this time mealworms pro\ed to be 
almost unprocurable. 
1 observed the birds carefull)- and ne\er saw the young 
fed from the crop. All food was carried in the beak. As 
far as 1 could see, until they were three weeks old insect 
food alone was consumed. After that time, the mother would 
shell hemp and canary seed and carry it to them in her beak. 
As the young ones learned to feed themselves they 
gradually lost their taste for an insect diet. Now they live 
almost entirely on seed and will hardly look at a mealworm 
or earwig. 
In plumage they are midway between the hen Indigo 
Bunting and hen Nonpareil, but both birds now show slight 
traces of blue, so I hope that they are cocks. 
In the same aviary division, in spite of constant llights, 
the Long-tailed Grassfinches have managed to rear one brood. 
The Diamond Doves have two full gr^^wn young ones. 
In the other division my old pair .of Gouldian Finches 
have reared two broods, eleven birds in all and they arc now 
