All risl'ts reserved. Drormbrr. 1915, 
BIRD NOTES: 
THE 
JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB 
Breeding of the Melba Finch. 
(Pyfclia melba). 
By H. Wii.t.ford. 
Some few years ago I was foiiunntc enough to secure 
a rock Melba Finch throuj^h the kindness of one of our mem- 
bers, but alas! try as I miglu to get a mate for it, none was 
forthcoming; so after keeping him for al)out two years, I then 
disposed of him, and witliin a month I was offered and bought 
a hen, which just shows the cussedness of things, for now I 
found a male equally unprocurable; however, this was of small 
moment, for the hen soon succumbed, and thus ended mv iirst 
experience with, what to my mind is, one of the most eK(|ui- 
sitely coloured of all the foreign Finches. 
Coloured figures of /'. iiulha ami (ifid ,i|>j)C'are(l in Vol. iV ., N.S. 
of " Bin.' Nolcs " (page 195), also notes on these spe< ies.- Ki). 
During- the winter of 1914 two more pairs came into 
my possession, but all four birds were in very poor plumage, 
so I kept them indoors till about May. Both the cock birds 
were excellent songsters, and would sing against each other 
da)' or night; in the latter case, of course, only uhen pro- 
vided with a light; their song was always modulated but very 
musical. In the spring , of this year I secured a third pair — 
both very hnc birds, but soon after had the misfortime to 
lose one of the hens of the former pairs. 
In due course (about the end of May) the two remain- 
ing pairs were turned out ; one into my old wilderness aviary 
and the other into what is known as the stucho aviary. .Bo'h 
of these aviaries are very roomy and have hirge shelters, 
the latter being rooms under the studio. I find the birds do 
not make a great deal of use of the shelters,, as they prefer 
