Breeding Results at Park Lodjre Aviaries, 303 
prtictically no tails and the baby down still on the head. 
The eyes are quite bare and there is a distinct crest. They 
look for all the world like a (younj^ bird of the Tlirush-faniily, 
except for colour and the crest, and, of course, arc termed 
" Branchers " at this stage. They have a stupid vacant look 
and poor power of t^iglit. The photograph sliows all these 
characteristics most excellently, but we were unable to get 
one of the hen bird feeding, as the camera frightened her, 
though partially screened inside the shelter-slicd. Very soon 
the young birds disappear into the bushes, and one only comes 
across them from time to time by chance. The young do 
not manifest that family feeling that is so charming in the 
Waxbills, and a family re-union is unknown. In eighteen 
days from the time the young left the nest the hen bird was 
sitting again, and left entire charge of the babies to the 
cock, who proved a most excellent bal^y-fecder and rearer, 
for all three young were fully reared, and he ministered to 
their wants till the second family were hatched out, which 
happened thirty-three days after the first brood lett ihe nest. 
Then the cock bird directed his efforts to feeding the second 
family, and the first brood had to fend for them- 
selves. By this time they were quite ea>y to sex, as the 
young cocks had dark reddish splashes, but the hen remained 
a dark rusty-brown, w-ith dull reddish points. At ihis lime 
the young had all grown full length tails, but appeared very 
much smaller than their parents. They were mtcnsely w.kl, 
and subsisted very largely on fruit and Lve-food, supplemented 
by insectile mixture and at the last a little seed . 1 sold a pair 
to Mr. Astley, but I regret to say the hen died three days 
afterwards, apparently from some injury. 1 rather suspected 
it was change of environment. 
With regard to the second brood, 1 tear a veil must 
be drawn over these. For, exactly five days ailer they lett 
the nest, 1 had to be out all day, and in my absence nobody 
properly ministered to their wants. The result was that on 
the seventh day all were dead, and as far as i know they 
tliey were dead by the sixth day. The skin ot one is now 
in the British Museum, as the authorities are only too glad 
to get skins of birds in tlic nestling plumage. The loss of 
