274 Nesting (1912)^ In My Indian Amaries. 
fanciers of India will adopt more hygienic methodfe of bird- 
kjeeping, for at present their aviculture consists chiefljy, oi^ 
dirt and l)ad food, with which they try to beep alive T:>irds 
in miserable feather, in absurdly small cages. I feel sure 
that if they learnt some of our English methods, they would 
and perhaps send more on to us, th;in is the case at i)resent. 
Nesting (1912) In My Indian Aviaries. 
By Major G. A. Pbrreau, F.Z.S. 
These notes I have compiled rrom pii\ aie letters from Majjr 
Perreau, using his phras^eology as far as passible, in fact merely 
connecting them up a little, wher-e rendered necessary by having' to 
exti'act fi-om diU'erent parts of the letters. I have taken the lil)- 
erty of putting them under Major Perreau 's name. — Ed. 
Californian Quail (Lophortyx californicus) : What a 
waste of eg'gs there is with this species! First clutch not 
incubated; second clutch numbered 16, from which four chicks 
were hatched and three reared. About GG eggs in all were laid. 
Speaking of Quails generally, they seem to give rather 
unsatisfactory results, inasmuch as though very prolific layers, 
many of the eggs are infertile, and many others are only par- 
tially incubated; probably I have too many kinds together, 
and later, when some of them became more steady the rains' 
pame. Rain Quail (Coturnix coroniandelica) have laid dozens 
of eggs (certainly over GO), but all have been either infei^- 
tile or only partially incubated. The Button Quail {Tarvix 
diissHNtieri) lay a bit, but the cocks are evidently no 
good. The two aviaries occupied by the Quails contain plenty 
of good cover, toth natural and artificial. 
[This expeiience is pretty general; in my aviaries this year 
one pair have had four clutches, 20, 17, 19, and 20 respectively. 
Only the .second clutch was incubated, and Trom .seventeen eg'gs, six- 
teen chicks were hatched, nine being i'uUy i-eared and are now in 
adult plumagie. — Eu.] 
Cuba Fincheb {Phonlpara canora). I like these little 
chaps, thougli my pair seem to lack patience, having nested 
several times without fully rearing any young bii'ds. They 
are now (July 4th, nesting again and as the aviary teems 
with small insects now they may do better. 
Stanley Paekaklets {Plalyccrcus icterotii) . Indian 
aviaries, as well as English ones, have their pests to contend 
with, as the following indicates: I had six fine young ones 
