Bird Life ThroufiJi tlic Camera. 
wilds, during- the periods of incubation and while rearing liicir 
progeny. 
In captivity Grassflnches seem very variable as to their 
choice of a nesting site, sometimes a grass bank is chosen, at 
others some ornamental shrub, as with my Painted 
Finches — even Laurels are not despised, and these are by far 
the safest, owing to the protection afforded during heavy 
rains by their large leaves. A pair of Rufous -tailed Grass- 
flnches l)uilt and reared a fine brood this year, in the top of 
a large Laurel, but unfortunately it was out of reach of 
the camera. 
At the time these photos. (Nos. 1. 2. 3. and 4) were 
taken the parent birds were brooding four young — both parents 
taking part therein and also in the task of feeding their young: 
for instance, while the hen was brooding the cock would lie taking 
in a suj)ply of spray millet (this being their chief food when 
rearing young), and as soon as he tlew to the nest, away went 
the hen, whose place he would take, until such time as she 
returned with a further supply of food — the period being from 
ten to fifteen minutes. 
In the photos of the cock bird, it v/ill be noticed that 
the tip of the beak is white; this is caused by some of the 
regurgitated millet adheiing to it after the process of feeding. 
The feeding of the young for the first few days, was done 
whilst brooding, the parent birds after settling down would 
place theii beaks under their feathers and apparently feed by 
feeling the mouths of the young — this leads me to believe that 
perhaps after all, the luminous sjjots are only a coincidence 
and not a guide to the parents in feeding in .the dark. 
A very interesting feature of their nesting operations 
was the manner in which the male bird looked after the 
welfare of his family — sometimes the hen would leave her 
young for a lly round the aviary, when immediat(dy her " lord 
and master " would start driving her to the nest, not desisting 
from chasing her a))out till she settled near the nest, when he 
would suddenly ])o[) in himself and after much calling arul 
coaxing would persuade her to follow, Avhcn being apparently 
satisfied he would fly off". 
PlAMONP PovE (Geoprlia cuncata): No further com- 
