The Aviaries and Birds at Soham House, Newmarket. 191 
and a pair of Flamingoes. The Demoiselles were young birds, 
but went through the winter most satisfactorily, running loose in 
the garden and shut into a shed at night. Since March they have 
been in their present (luurters, and have an open shed which they 
seldom, if ever, use, except the Crowned Crane who occasionally 
sleeps there. I have only had the Flamingoes a short time and 
am rather doubtful about them, as this dry soil does not seem to 
suit their feet, though they si)end a good deal of their time in the 
water which is a concrete bath 12ft. by 9ft. and 1ft. Gin. deep in 
the centre part. I have had the Crowned Crane since March, he 
is a grand bird and is thriving. I have also 2 Australian Piping 
Crows, one the White-backed and the other the Black-backed 
species. They are very good friends and live loose in the garden, 
with clipped wings. They are most attractive and very friendly, 
though inclined to be mischievous and ably defend themselves 
against dogs and cats ; they do practically no damage to the 
gartlen. 
This spring 1 have been more successful with the small 
birds. The Green Cardinals have nested and hatched out two chicks, 
both however liied. I also got two Sparrows (one Cape and one Yel- 
low) which paired and liave hatched and reared one hybrid, it is 
not unlike a common sparrow. 1 got the Cape Sparrow cock and 
the Yellow Sparrow hen in the l^eginning of May, I really wanted 
a pair of Yellow Sparrows, but they sent, perhaps accidently, the 
above two birds. I put them out at once into the wild aviary 
where they immediately started building a nest in a German Can- 
ary cage hung in the slied. The nest was composed of grass, hay, 
moss, sticks, bits of shrul)S, and flowers, and lined inside with 
moss; the four eggs are right at the far end, and coultl only be 
seen by tipping up the nest ; only one liatclied. The cock l)ird 
did practically all the feeding, he would take live or six meal- 
worms in his mouth at a time to the nest ; he never liked to go to 
the nest if he thought he was being watched or while one was in 
the aviary. 1 should not like to say how many mealworms he 
had in a day, gentles he did not care much for. The young 
Sparrow is as big as its mothei-, and of a light brown eoloiu' with 
liglit eyel)r()w streaks and a very ligiit coloured breast, tlie back is 
marked like the mother's. It can fly well now and does not seem 
to mind this changealjle weather. The Green Cardinals are again 
nesting. 
