The Brccdinvi: of the Browu-carcd Cotntrcs. ?,01 
where she soon picked up strent^tli n^aiii. In the 
rage they were very tnme and would take fruit, v[v., from the 
fingers. Their tempers were, however, very easily ujiset by 
teasing, and tlu'y would tlien go through a number of extra- 
ordinary evolutions, such ns stnndin.g on li|i-toe. raising the 
feathers of the head, spreading their wings and tail, eU-., all 
the time keeping up a weird chattering, and making dabs at 
one's fingers. Unlike their small cousins the Canary-wings 
{B. viresccns) and Tuis (B. fiii). they would never actually 
bite. These two last named l)irds, although ecjually tame, 
will fasten on Xa one's hands like bulldogs, and often draw 
blood. Mr. Seth Smith in h's book says that Tuis can't 
bite. 1 should like him to try a bite from mine! ! 
This spring I turned the Brown-ears into a well planted 
out-door aviary containing five or si.x pairs of small birds, 
Doves etc., and I was pleased to see that they took no 
noticf of ilivm ; also, that they were not in th- h.-ast destructive 
to the- plant life. At the end of May I noticed that they 
were inspecting one of my nest'ng boxes. On June 6th the 
first egg was laid. It was of a dirty white colour about the 
size of a Rosella's, but rather pear-shaped. On the i oth 
she commenced to incubate a clutch of five eggs. The cock 
joined her every night, but whether he shared in the duties 
ot incubation, or simply kept guard over the nest, I am unable 
to say. The hen left the box about once a week for a little 
exercise. On the 29th the first young one was hatched, and 
two more emerged the next day; the other two eggs were 
infertile. They were ugly little creatures, and most of their 
bodies consisted of head and bill. On July 6th I had an- 
other look at them, they were still blind and naked, but had 
grown considerably. On the 1 tth there was no change, ex- 
cept in size. A week later their eyes were just opening, and 
they were beginning to feather. On the 20th they were about 
halt-feathered. A week later they were fully fledged, except 
on the head, the feathers of whiclr were only half grown. On 
.A.ugust 1 2th the first one left the nest, nearly nine weeks 
after the first egg was laid. In colouring they w-ere exactly 
like their parents, a description of which I give here: 
General body-colour green; crown of head blue; fore- 
