114 
Notes on the SivaUoiv. 
may, continue for several days yet) having ]<;ept a Nightingale 
and pair of Swallows hand -reared in an aviary, in my out -door 
bird house, since last September; the Nightingale and male 
Swallow are singing every day, the latter have just com- 
pleted their vernal moult, and are in lovely condition, and 
will feed from my hand. They are flying about at intervals 
all day long, and are soon going to a large aviary belonging 
to one of our members, fitted up for their requirements, which 
aviary, I believe, is exclusively for their use, and I shall be 
surprised if they do not build and nest there this season. 
These birds have been kept without any artificial heat what- 
ever, and although the winter has been mild, there was a 
week's exceptionally keen frost, one night three degrees below 
zero, and each morning everything was completely frozen 
up, but the birds were in robust health and fine condi,t^on 
the cold having no effect on them. They were fed on my 
own soft food (" Life " ) mealworms, and a few gentles. 
A wild Swallow could not have endured that severe 
weather, simply because of lack of food. Both Swallows and 
House Martins may be seen long after the Sand Martin has 
departed from our shores, some even as late as the early part 
of November, and I am convinced that if the birds were able 
to find sufficient of their natural food during the autumn and 
winter, there would be no necessity for them to leave us 
every autumn. 
Editorial. 
Nesting Notes: Already the inmates of our aviaries 
are responding to the first genial advances of spring, and some 
adventurous spirits have built, laid, and are incubating* 
clutches of eggs. In my own aviary, most pairs are pros- 
pecting — Bronze-wing Mannikins have young, and Californian 
Quail have sixteen eggs, in a scraped out hollow at the foot of a 
privet bush. Dr. Gosse sends me a post card stating that 
Bronze -wing Pigeons hatched out on March 31st, and that 
Eed-rump Parrakeets and Grey-headed (Madagascar) liove- 
birds are incubating clutches of eggs. Mr. Shore- Baily in- 
forms me that in his out -door aviaries, Violet, Crested, 
Diamond and Brash -Bronzewing Doves are all intubating, and 
