^34 
Nesting Notes for 1921. 
developed than his sisters or mother, and it appears to spread 
further up the back than in the adult female. The green on the 
back also more closely approaches the verditer hue which one 
sees in an old male. 
The Yucatan Jays {Cissolopha yucatanica) already referred 
to have had a small aviary to themselves most of this year; they 
are a true pair but have made no attempt to nest. 
I have lately bought a very fine pair of Azure Jays 
{Cya}iocorax cacndeiis); these also, I believe, are a true pair, 
but when placed in the same aviary with the Yucatans I was 
much perplexed and also amused to see a good deal of prom- 
iscuous love-making between the two different species. I notice 
it is the larger (Azure) Jay which usually feeds the Yucatan, 
but the present is invariably something which is not much 
appreciated, such as a maize seed or an acorn; tit-bits like meal- 
worms, mice, etc., are swallowed and do not reappear. 
I suppose others have observed a fact about Jays in 
general which I have already noted, and which at first lead one 
to mistake the sexes; I refer to the habit the hen has of swallow- 
ing all the insect food provided while the cock remains on his 
perch and makes a crooning noise. A few seconds later she 
flies up to him and disgorges the whole meal into his beak; if 
one ceased one's observations at this point one would assuredly 
be mistaken as to the sexes of the birds, but a minute or two 
later you will be rewarded for your patience by seeing the male 
return the food to the female, who usually perches below him 
and calls like a young bird. 
There are only a few more birds to mention. 
I have a number of Black-cheeked Waxbills (Estrilda 
crytliroiwta) amongst which I have had a few casualties — fewer 
than is usually the case, I believe, thanks to their being caged 
up in a greenhouse where they get all the sun and heat possible ; 
also to a generous diet of gentles ; apart from their seed they 
consume cjuite a large quantity of ground rice made with boiling 
milk. 
There is also a hen Rose-headed Parrakeet (F. rasa); this 
is a rare species, and I have obtained for her a mate of the closely 
allied Blossom-headed Parrakeet, from which I hope to breed 
next year. They appear to l)e very inoffensive birds, and 
