326 'Breeding Napoleon and BlacTc -headed Weavers, 
r \ (- -| ' ( . < i - . ■ 
Mynahs, Cardinals, Grey and White Java Sparrows, Wydahs, 
about 30 other different Weavers, Saffron Finches, Green. 
Singing Finches, Cuban Finches, Olive Finches, Zebra Fincher, 
Ruficaudas, Siberian Goldfinches, Buntings, Tanagers, Chest- 
nut-fronted Troupials, Rosy Pastors, Military Starlings, 
Orange-headed and White -throated Ground Thrushes, Black- 
faced Lovebirds, Pekin Robins, Green. Yel'ow, and Blue Bud- 
gerigars and a host of other small birds. 
The aviary is roughly speaking, 24 yards long, 17^ 
yards wide, 15 feet high in the middle, and 12 feet high at 
the outside. 
It is thickly planted with shrubs and trees, such as box, 
veronica, privet, laurel, cypress, berberis, evergreen oak, 
firs, and trunks of old trees. 
The photo (see frontispiece) accompanying these notes 
was taken two years ago, it has since been planted and there 
is no"vi an abundance of natural cover. 
Black -HEADED Weavers (Hifphantorm's melanoce- 
phalus). A pair of this species also nested in this aviary 
Gin July, and built a curious snail -shaped 
nest, in an evergreen oak, about 6-2- feet 
^iNTf^fiC^ above the ground. The accompanying 
rough sketch conveys fairly accurately 
the shape and proportions of the nest. 
We have no idea of the number of eggs 
laid, nor their colour, as the nest was never approached. One 
young bird was hatched out and successfully reared. 
Last year the Black -headed Weavers (same pair) reared 
two young, cock and hen, which are still in the aviary. 
The young cock came into breeding plumage at the 
same time as his father, but this pair of young birds have 
made no attempt to breed. 
During incubation the cock bird amused himself iby 
building a toy nest close to that in which the hen was sitting, 
which he frequently occupied. 
We regret we cannot supply more details of the 
breeding of these pretty and interesting little birds, but we 
have made a rule never to examine the nests/ and durimg 
the breeding season the aviary is interfered with as little 
