i'urthcr Notes un Ihc Cv.rrent Season. 
143 
so far another nest has not been commenced . 1 may add, how- 
ever, that the Crested Doves, since the removal of the Cardinals, 
have buih a nest and are closely incubating- a couple of eggs. 
Blue R(jiun's (Sialia sialis). My pair of this species have 
young, which they have been steadily feeding for a fortnight, 
and I am watching them with great interest, as I had understood 
from Dr. Butler's book that the parent birds swallowed the live 
food before giving- it to their young — this is certainly not the 
case with my pair; they jiick up the insects and go direct to their 
young with their beaks full, the insects projecting" on either side 
of their beaks — evidently transferring- them directly into the 
gaping mouths of their offspring. It may be of interest to note 
here that the most likely birds are not always the best for 
breeding! I received two hens — one in excellent condition 
generally; the other, a young one, had neither flight nor tail- 
feathers. It went through the winter, and the feathers 
gradually grew, but it was ne\'er equal to the other hen, which 
spent the winter with, what I hoped, was its future mate. 
However, this ])air did not immediately go to nest. Later on I 
put the weaker hen into the large aviary with the others, and, to 
my surprise, a few days later I saw her (the weaker hen) driving 
the other hen away from the cock and mating- with him — she 
found a nest in a box at once and laid her clutch there, and, as 
stated above, she has young- a fortnight old, which I expect to 
make their exit from the nest any day — I never expected this hen 
would breed this year at all ! 
"^'oung birds are now beginning- to show up. Last night 
1 saw young of the following species : 
Zebra !■ inches {TiiciiKj/'Y^ia cus/oiiolis). I'Our — inayhc more, 
(ireenfinch— .Sikhim hybrds— Three, i.e., hybrids paired with a Greenfinch. 
.Masked Doves {Uiiw cafriisis). Two— one from each of two pairs; both 
pairs sitting again. 
(Jeoffroy's Doves (I'cristcra ^coffrayi). Two. 
(ireen Cardinals (Gitbernatrix cristafa). Two. 
.Silverbills (Aidciuosync caiita)is). Two. 
The following are all feeding young in the nest : 
Cockateels (Calopsittacus iiovae-hoUand'iac). 
* Large Brown Grosbeaks (species?). 
Long-tailed Grassfinches (Poepliila acuticauda). 
* These have one fair-sized youngster and two addled eggs in the nest. 
J 
