222 r>i fi/ippnhifmrnt.t of Ariciilturr 
Disappointments of Aviculture. 
By Mrs. F. T^xgdon. 
I see that, members of Bird Xntes are asked to send accounts 
of tlieir successes and also failures. Well, I fear these notes must 
come under the latter category, as I have had no luck at all. In the 
spring I purchased a beautiful pair of Rosella Parrakeets, and put them 
in my large out-door aviary. All went vrell. the hen duly chose a large 
log nest and deposited therein five eggs. She hatched out two, one died 
but the other grew into a most promising looking youngster, and 
emerged froin the log nest fully fledged, showing lovely bits of bright 
colour ; as it could not fly T put it back again but it refused to stay and 
crawled about on the ground ; being lovely weather and plenty of trees 
for it to get under, I thought it would be best for it to use its wings ; 
however, the weather changed, and one cold day I saw it did not look 
so well, pneumonia set in and soon carried it ofE ! (See Mr. Gray's 
rcmarhs under Post Mortem reports-, — lul.) 
Red HEADF.n Finches. — These birds go to nest every three weeks I 
should say, l)ut I find they invariably smother their young with feathers, 
and stamp tb(>m to death when tliey reach the age of lOdaysorso. I never 
interfe>re with their n^sts till I am absolutely obliged to remove the dead 
youngster. I give them ant eggs, cut up meal-worms, soft food, but they 
refuse to touch anything but meal-worms. Thev are in the same aviary 
as the Rosellas, which is full of trees and shrubs. (Less menl-icorms. 
with Lice ants' eggs (cocoons) arid icell scoured gentles would probably 
bring about more successful results — but this species is noted as an un- 
satisfactory rearer of its young. — Ed.) 
GouLDiAN Finches.— One pair nested in a coco-nut husk : the hen 
sat well, but at the end of a fortnight I saw them looking into another 
husk, so I took their's down and found no eggs at all, and I think the 
cock must have eaten them, as the next time they went to the nest I 
caught him in the very act with one in liis bsak. 
Lavender Finches.- -These dear little birds built an enormous nest 
on the top of a box in my bird room, but at the end of ten days or so 
they forsook it. On examination, I found 4 eggs which were infertile 
Zebra Finches. Tiiese birds, like the Red-headed Finches, build 
nest after nest and usually build on the top of their young ones, rearing 
them to a week or 10 days old, and then forsaking thera. 
Canaries.— It has been a fairly good year for rearing these, but I 
have lost a good number of these l)irds from the parents leaving them 
to die when nearly fully fledged, and neglecting to feed them. I 
conclude these few notes by saying, that in spite of all disappointments, 
my birds give me unlimited interest and pleasure. 
