32 O bscrvatioiis on Sonic llxbrids of the Ploceidac. 
as it was in the water painting of M. i-)elacour. This is the 
most remarkable feature of this bird's phimaye. 
1 hese hybrids were reared under the following 
circumstances : — 
Since my two (jrenadines had died in the autumn, owing to 
the neglect of one of my servants, the female Cordon Bleu was 
left in the aviary, and the following Spring, a Beau-marquet, 
which 1 had had a long time, began to pay court to her. Nests 
were built in different places; eggs were laid and sat upon; but 
they were addled. The male performed the duties of incubation 
with astonishing zest. In April, a new nest containing more 
eggs was destroyed by some other birds — and so completely 
that my hopes, which had at first been great, suddenly fell to 
zero. And I ceased to take any further interest in the new family. 
At the end of May my attention was attracted, one 
morning, by the chirping of some young ones, which proceeded 
from a breeding cage of the Hartz. I was not aware that this 
cage contained a nest, and, without making any noise, I waited 
for the bird to come out, which was feeding these little ones, 
that I might know to whom belonged the new-born, whose 
voice I heard. A few minutes later the Beau-marquet flew out. 
Twelve days later, when I entered this aviary, I found in a sunny 
corner a young hybrid, which flew away at my approach. There 
were three of them, and they fed themselves a fortnight after 
they left the nest. 
However, the male had repaired the nest, and the female 
began to lay again. This second nest produced four other 
young ones. 
A third, in October, was destroyed by mice, which have 
never been more troublesome to me than this year. After this 
loss there was no further attempt at nesting. 
Description of the hybrid in its young plumage : 
When they leave the nest these birds resemble young 
Cordon Bleus, but they are of a stronger build and bigger pro- 
portions. They carry the tail erect. The legs and feet, which 
are stronger than those of the Cordon Bleu, are pink-coloured. 
The black beak is shaped similarly to that of the father; at the 
commissures it is adorned with blue warts, a feature which also 
belongs to a young Cordon Bleu. There is not a trace of blue 
in the plumage except round the beak, The breast is greyish- 
