150 ^V(c Secret of Keephiy Gouldiau FiucJies. 
otherwise sluggish birds, then sometimes squabble a bit, never 
doing one .another any real harm or interfering with each 
others nests. Taut chase each other alwut somewhat and thus 
they do get some exercise, keep fit and ai^parenily happy, for 
the cockfj are continually singing against one another, and in 
a flock there seems to be competition which is otherwise 
lacking. 
If anyone does keep a flock I should suggest that they 
keep them in an aviary to themselves, or possibly with a few 
soft -bills, but with no other Finches as they seem better with- 
out such company, whereas soft -bills do not bother about 
them, nor they about the soft -bills. 
Another point: Cocks are generally in iK'tter condition 
than hens, and are at any rate more ready to nest, therefore, 
always run three hens to two cocks. I have found that this 
answers excellently, and that breeding results are better. 
Thus in 1912 I bought three pairs and three extra hens 
from that splendid consignment at De Von's I had several 
birds caught up and put into separate cages, leaving them to 
quiet down for a quarter of an hour, and then weeding out 
the fluffy ones. This is a good plan and it is worth paying 
a little extra and getting really healthy birds, instead of 
being content with the first pair that is caught up. I did 
not lose one of these until the winter, and bred eighteen 
young ones from three hens (one went to nest twice). I lost 
two cockb and a hen iji the winter, and four young birds 
were poisoned. 
The following year, 1913, 1 bought more in the same 
way, but they were not such a good lot (2 Ked-heads cf 
and 1 Black-head, also 2 9 Black-heads), and later a pair 
of Yellow-heads, and a cT each of Red- and Black-heads). I 
kept the Yellow-heads separate, but they wei-e never strong and 
both died during the summer. I then turned the remainder ( 12 or 
14) of my young birds into an aviary 30 x 10 feet, with 
a shelter 10 feet x tJ feet., while the old ones and those 
purchased that year were next door, in an aviary 3(3 x 24 
feet. The result was that the young ones wanted to get to the 
old ones and vice versa, so that nothing haijpened till August, 
when I let the young arid old into the same aviary. Then 
only three nests wei'e reared, twelve in all, and all these 
are still alive. (^uite a lot of old ones have died during 
