Nesting Xotcs for 1021. 
229 
and smaller soft-bills. Of these Silverbills (Aidemosyne 
caiiiaiis) reared a large number of young; on one occasion there 
were nine chicks in the nest of which only five were reared. I 
think two liens must have shared this nest. Blue-breasted 
Waxbills (Estrilda augolcnsis) hatched young, but did not rear, 
some bird having pulled the nest to bits. 
Golden-I^reasted {St'oracg'niflnts subflai'iis) and Avadavat 
{S. cviunidava) Waxbills did not nest. 
A cock Blue-thrush, which I brought back from Italy, 
was so tame that he became a danger to anyone entering the 
aviary. W ithout any warning he would swoop down and peck 
one's face or head. One day he so nearly reached my eye that 
I caged him, which caused him to become extremely wild and 
savage, and, whether he pined for liberty or did a hunger-strike 
I do not know, but he quickly began to go down hill and died 
fairly soon — a mere skeleton. Softbills which are suffering 
from any chronic wasting disease frequently become very tame, 
partly I suppose from weakness and partly from an ever-present 
hunger. This particular bird, how'ever, appeared to be in 
perfect health and feather until I caged him. 
These are quite common cage birds in many parts of Italy, 
but being hand-reared few that I have seen had their beautiful 
natural song — they usually whistle some odd little tune picked 
up from their owner. The same applies to the Pied Rock 
Thrush (Moiiticola saxatilis), of which I bought a hen, as a 
supposed hen Blue Thrush. I soon discovered my mistake, and 
Mons. Jean Delacour has since given me a cock. The sexes of 
this pair are easily distinguishable, the cock being a good deal 
more heavily spotted, and of a deeper shade of orange below. 
T am looking forward to the vernal moult, when I hope he will 
develop the blue head and white patch on the back. That won- 
derful old aviculturist, Mr. Reginald Phillips bred this species 
in his back garden at Shepherd's Bush, but a man who can breed 
the Blue Wren and the Regent Bower-bird can do anything. 
Can anyone tell me whether the Pied Rock Thrush, which is a 
migratory bird, can be wintered out of doors ? 
As far as I can remember at the moment the only two 
other species in the aviary were a pair of Diamond Doves 
(Geopclia cuncata), 1920 birds from the same nest (these 
