Correspondence . 
343 
This year I liad lu keep ihc coc k bird alone all ihc spiiiij^, ,is .ui 
mjiuy caL;-.ccl an al)>cc^>> in llic rcj^inn ol the eye, anil I leaied it uould 
lo-.e l!;, Mglii ol ii, hul all. r alioui three months he recovered, and I then 
put liini anil Ins mate into an aviar) with some Greenfinches and C'li.dlinehes. 
The) boon si llli-tl ilown, ami a nice eup-^hapcd nest wa^ construi tjd 
in haU a ijiio-iuit lui'ik, hay ami hathris bring the materials used; only 
one cgj: was laid, wdilch they did not imubate. Then she started laying 
another rliili h i^lour eggs this tiinej. On August 251I1 there was one 
dead am! one live baiiy ui the nest, the diad one I removed .iml they fed; 
thj ulhei soon as 1 supplietl wasps' grubs. Unforlunaicly, later in the 
day the young one was either thrown or- carried out inadvertently on itsi 
paient'b claws, being quite dead when I found it. However, on August 
;oth, another ol the eggs hatched out, and the chick appeared to be doing 
well. On the 30th, it was strong and vigorous and beginning to show 
daik am', light patches. On September 2iid, its eyes were opened and 
the feathei tracts showing. It was still doing well on the bth, and seemed 
big ami si long and feathering- well. The nestling |iluiiiage promised to 
rcsenible tlia ol iis mother. It was very hearty and taking 9 — 12 wasps' 
grubs at a go— so the old birds must have a busy time when they have 
a blood of several youngsters to attend to. 
To my great disappointment on the iith the young bird died, ,1 liad 
inade good progress up to the Qth, when, I fancy, owing to the parent 
niids bein; wel' in the moult, they began to neglect it, neither feeding ;t 
S.O freel ■ tioi blooding it at night and the nights were cold — thus were 
my high hopes shattered, for as it had lived for fifteen days, I certainly 
had expectations ol it being fully reared; but it w.is not to be 1 I ,vas so 
grieved wdie-i 1 found it dead, as it was quite a big bird and getting 
well feaiheied 
In plumage it exactly resembled its female parent, the oeak ijeing 
blue-grev with a yellowish tip. 
'I h-- old l.iids had access to hemp, sunflower, canary and general 
aviary seed mixture, soft-food, ripe fruit, mealworms .md wasps' grubs ; but 
the young bird appeared to be fed mostly on the latter. I hope I may 
have belter luck with them next season. 
Caifoia Sept 15. 1915. (Miss) ALFREDA B. SMYTH. 
[\\f apolcgisc for the delay in the appearance of the above, b'lt in 
a tinv- of stress it got mislaid on the Editor's desk.- Ed.] 
THE SEASON'S RESULTS. 
Sir — II you tl ink the enclosed breeding results are worth iHiaini; 
among odd notes will you do so? 
! pail Gculdian Finches— 17 young fully reared. 
I pan Long-iailed Grassfinches— 8 young fully reared. 
1 pat' Diamond Doves— ^. young fully reared. 
I pail Brush Bronze-wing Doves— 2 young fully reared. 
Indigc X Nonpareil Buntings— 2 young fully reared. 
A hen Grey Singing. Finch nested twice, but the eggs were infertile. 
