24- l-lrcrdiiii; Hlitr H iidi^crigars from BJiic-hrcd drccns. 
On July 29tli another pair of Blues flew, and I was able 
to be sure that these came from another husk. 
In neither case can I identify the parents, and was so afraid 
of catching- up any on mere speculation that 1 continued to 
maintain an attitude of masterly inactivity! 
^'ou may be sure that with two warnings of this nature 
I am now watching the nests carefully ; 1 have young birds in 
four husks at present, and in one I think I have two more 
ceruleans, but they are too young for me to be sure, in view of 
the fact that all my youngsters are so blue in their nest feathers.* 
1 would give a good deal to be able to catch up the parents 
which are producing Blues, but the aviary is large (24 x 11) ,and 
with eight ])airs it seems almost impossible to be sure. 
My present four Blues are two cocks and two hens, 
beautiful birds, large and in perfect feather. The May birds 
are through the first moult and are now of still richer blue. 
1 j)ropose to leave the j^resent occupants of the aviary as . 
they are. 
Will any member kindly advise me what course I should 
]iursue next spring with my four birds .'' 
Two plans seem open : to mate the blues together, in 
which case, I am told, the resulting young would, if blue, be very 
pale, and then to mate the latter back to blue-bred greens with 
a good cliance of getting satisfactory blues. 
The other would be to mate the blues with some of my 
blue l)red green birds of this year which show most blue. 
I am painfully aware that to experts like Mr. Marsden 
and others this account may cause smiles, but, I hope, indulgent 
ones. 
I have read all I can in Bird Notes on the subject for 
years back, and when I notice wonderful fractions of blue blood 
given in the matings to produce the best results I realise very 
fully that my efforts have been of the order of the wet-fly fisher- 
man — " chuck it and chance it!" 
The facts remain, however, that the blues are here; the 
whole stock throws definitely " bluish " birds, and that I never 
possessed a " blue " before. 
* A later note informs us that the two young birds have left the husk, and 
that they are pure Blues, making six young Blues in one season from his 
blue-bred Greens. — Ed. 
