52 
Editorial. 
given above. I refrain from furlher description at present as Mr. Goodchild 
is preparing a colonred drawing, wliich we liope to figure in our next issue. 
NESTING NOTES. So far none have been sent in, and the only 
case vcorlh noting in \\w own aviaries, so far, is that of the Grey-winged 
Ouzels, and though buiUliug a nest is only a small detail of the full pro- 
gramme of rearing young to niatuiity, yet it rouses liope and interest and 
has also brought to light several points of much interest. The pair of birds 
in question were brought over for nie in the Spring of last year by Captain 
Perreau : they did well, but were a long time coming into good plumage. 
Last Antunin they moulted and came into lovely plumage ; in February the 
<f began to drive the ? about, giving her no peace, and I was contemplating 
asking one of my avicultural friends with large natural aviaries to take 
them over for a few months, as it seemed a pity to let the opportunity run to 
waste. However, my readers will hardly be surprised to hear that I finally 
decided to chance my luck, and (limited as is the accommodation of my 
aviaries and also overcrowded) to do what I could to induce them to nest 
under niy own observation ; so I wrote to my esteemed friend Mr. 
Teschemaker and asked him if he could get me a Blackbird's or a Thrush's 
nest, hoping they would appropriate it for the rearing of a family, and in 
preparation therefore I manufactured quite a thicket out of a bundle of pea 
sticks. Owing to the lateness of the season Mr. Teschemaker found him- 
self unable to respond to my request immediateh-. 
In the meantime the birds settled the matter for themselves, my 
artificial thicket was despised and also all my other, as I thought, well 
planned out contrivances on their behalf. The hen was seen stripping the 
bark off the aviary branches and carrying it in huge beakfuls under the 
roofed-in portion of their enclosure. I left them severely alone till a few 
days ago, when, having to go in for cleaning purposes, I found a typical 
nest, constructed of mud, bark, and straw, on the top of some nest boxes. 
On Saturday (April 3rd) Mr. Teschemaker kindly sent me the first Thrush's 
nest for the season, from liis district, and I at once fixed it in the artificial 
thicket and awaited the result. I will not trouble my readers with the 
argument that I credited those birds with, but they most certainly showed 
their contempt for all the devices their owner's inventive genius could 
fashion for them by pulling to pieces the natural nest provided and ignoring 
every provision made for their comfort (.') The points I have noted are as 
follows : — 
(1) The nest constructed under sucli adverse conditions is a typical one. 
(2) The hen alone collected all the building material. 
(3) The hen alone did the building. 
Now a few words as to the demeanour of the 3 during these opera- 
tions — this may be tersely described as follows : — 
As soon as the hen commenced gathering nesting materials he ceased 
to drive her about. 
