Three Episodes in My Aviary. 
I am not describing isolated specimens, but some hundreds came 
tlirou.H'h, and all the males were as described in plumage. 
In the early part of the spring I was disappointed at not 
seeing them go to nest, but put it down to there being three 
times as many males as females, and I did not care to take the 
risk of disturbing the other birds by catching up the surplus 
males, so as I had bred the avadavat on several occasions in the 
past I elected to let things take their course. 
In late June I heard young calling to be fed, and though T 
located the sound I could not see the nest, but that there wen* 
yaang there of some kind there could be no doubt. I kept 
Photo li. O. Pa^^c. 
Nest of Avadavat. 
the bush under close observation, being able to do so from the 
outside of the aviary behind a thick screen of loganberrv 
growth. The bush in question was a Portugal laurel only 3/2 
feet high, with the top of same rampantly overgrown with 
convolvulus, and it was evident that the nest was in the head of 
the bush. In due course three young birds made their exit 
from the nest, and when I found them sleeping out of the nest I 
duly indulged my curioshy. The nest, as anticipated, was in 
