British I-!irds in an aruuiid uiy Aviaries. 
-'65 
The Cirl BunliiiL^s nested early in the year, choosini:;' a 
l)ush ^.rowing against the wall as a site for their nest. Four 
eggs were laid, prettily streaked and blotched in the way ty])ical 
of this bird's eggs. Tlie hen sat very closely for over two 
weeks, but the eggs were infertile. The second nest was in a 
low hedge. This time the eggs were white with a ring of black 
spots at the larger end, and were quite unlike any of the 
Buntings' eggs that 1 have seen. These also proved infertile, 
and although the hen made yet another attempt, no young were 
hatched. 
The Reed Buntings were more lucky, as they hatched out 
three little ones. Oueer little dusky objects they were too, and, 
with both parents feeding them steadily, they grew rapidly, but 
when about ten days old they disappeared, and as there were 
rats in the aviary at this time, I suppose they fell victims to 
these brutes. The nest was situated in a conifer about three 
feet from the ground, and was' neatly constructed of bents and 
grasses, and lined with feathers. The young ones were fed, as 
far as I could see, entirely on insects, which the old birds 
caught principally upon reeds in the pond, but I also saw them 
taking aphidae on some blighted larch trees. Their second 
attempt was also a failure, their eggs disappearing after a week's 
incubation. The rats again in all probability! I always 
thought that these birds nested on the ground, and, I believe, 
that they do so in many instances, but mine, in both cases, 
selected a small black spruce for their building sites. 
The Hawfinches did not nest. These appear to be very 
shy birds, and they are not very satisfactory in the aviary, aS; 
unlike their handsome eastern cousins, the Black-tailed 
llawhnches, who are always to be seen, and are not at all shy, 
these spend all their time out of sight in the densest cover that 
they can find. 
The Redwings were also defaulters, much to my 
(lisa]jpointment, and, as I was unable to get another hen 
I'leldfare, 1 had no chance of breeding this variety either. 
