324 
Brcrdiiiir of Ihc Melhn finch. 
to uso the natural rover, of whicli in Imtli aviaries tlierc is 
ample, the result of se\eral years' (l(>\-e!oi)menl of the plant- 
life of the aviaries. 
W'e may dispose of the ])air in the studio aviary by 
stating that they made numerous atl'-nipis to raise a family, 
but iie\er succeeded in gettii\L;" their progeny o\(!r more than 
four or h\-e days. 
Tlu' pail' in the wilderness avinry had better luck; pre- 
sumably the conditions prevailing in their aviary pro\'ided a 
greater abundance of insect life. They built a very llimsy 
nesi, of the- usual domed grassfinch-type. The (irst egg was 
laid on Jmie "ih, followed by another on the <Sth, but on the 
9th some other bird in searcli of nesting material had. ap- 
parently, helped itself to a portion of the .Alelba's nc;,t, and 
two broker icggs were found beneath the 'nest. 
Some days later I found a second nest in a small box 
bu.sh — this lime of more substantial conslruct'on— conta'ning two 
eggs partly incubated, the entrance of the nest being partly 
filled up with black feathers from a bantam hen, wliich was 
rearing a brood of Pheasants in the same aviary. All went 
well and on June 28th. I could feel two tiny chicks in the 
nest, though it was impossible to see them owing to the afore- 
mentioned feathers blocking the entrance hole. Bo'di birds 
took part in incubation, and also in the brooding of tlie 
young; the cock bird usually being on duty in the mornings 
and the hen in the afternoons. The weather up to tlii.s time 
had been perfect, and my hopes of rearing; the lirst Telbas 
w-ere very high, when, on the night of the loth, it rained in 
torrents. So I took no chances, but went out to .he claik 
aviary at lltree a.m., and placed a piece of tarpaulin over the 
bush v.'hcrein the nest was built, and left them to the'r fate. 
As soon as it was light I crept out to the aviary, in much 
fear and trembling, I confess, as to what I should hnd, and 
was much relieved to see that all was well with them. On 
July 14th one young bird left the nest, but the second was 
never seen. The young bird could not lly very well for the 
first few days, but was apparently cjuite a strong'' brancher." 
He spent most of his time perched on a small fir-tree, from 
whence he got a good general view of his surroundings. 
