Correspondence. 
319 
quickly IniiLjht him to jvick up fond tliat was not in niolioii. 
The younj; bird is now quiu- as larj^c as liis parents 
bur h)ok-t juvenile owing- tn his short tail (6 inches). In colour 
he i;^ slill dulh-r (han the adull, the indi.no-blue oulv hein,^- 
really well dc\ eloi)ed in the wiui^s ; th -re is none in the tail, 
which is still white with one or two black marks ; breast and 
abdomen liaA'e become pure white: the occipital patch still 
cxtcndL- much more forward than in the old birds, and the bill 
and legs are still flesh-coloured. 
The old birds exIiibiTd i-o emotion at th(- loss their 
ofifspriny. They nested a;^a!n towards the end of July, and on 
August 1st there were two eggs in the nest, but the next day 
both had disappeared, and no third egg was laid. 
They again laid tlire(> eggs in mid-August and hatched 
out twc chicks, which at the age of seventeen days I took to 
hand- rear — although they fed ^vell. I lost them both; diey 
developed a disease which I do not recognise— the mouth, 
throat and tongue were covered with a white membrane, and 
they had great difficulty in swallowing and breathing, hence 
their death. 
[\Vc have just definitel;.- ascertained that the above spe':ies wis 
sLicctssfully reared in Lord Lillord's aviaries, both last yi.tr and tliis ; 
\vi.' hope to ,£;'ive details later. — Ei}.]. 
♦ 
Correspondence. 
NESTIXG OF QU.AIE FIXCHE.S {Oitv^ospi^a polyzona). 
Sir,— I really can tell you very Tttle about these r,s I .im away 
so much. The) nested in the grass and I thought it was an .\v.\da7at's 
nest only two eggs were laid, both of which hatched out, the young living 
for about seven days, when they were found dead some distance from 
the nest , they were just beginning to feather. 
They at once went to nest again with almost similar results. 
Again they went to ncsi durin.g the wet weather, but I regret to 
say the hen took a chill and died. I have since procured' a hen Black- 
faced (juail Fincli, but the cock bird will have nothing io do with her. 
Rrooklea, Downs, Luton. 23 loy'i5. T. HKBB. 
THE SEASON,— 1915. 
Sir.— 1 consider it has been a disappointing seas)n and doubt if 
the following are of any interest : — 
Voi x:- Reared to Maiuritv : — 
Orchard Finches (Phrygiliis fruiticcti) — 4. 
