336 Freely Imported Species and their Treatment. 
similar to a fountain spray, almost obscuring the nes't, it is 
a marvel it was not trodden on during the operation of tying 
up the rose. So cunningly was it constructed, that it wa.? 
only after a very close examination and some disturbance of 
tlie screen 'ng grass, that the entrance hole was discovered; the 
hole wnt nearer the ground than the top of the nest, but the 
passage from it sloped upwards, the base of the nest actually 
resting on the ground. The nest was a perfect sphere, very 
closely woven, outwardly of coarse grasses, and hay, lined 
internally w'ith fine hay, dandelion down, and feathers. The 
shell of the nest was nearly one inch thick, and judg-ing by 
the appearance of the birds and the feel of the interior of 
the nest after the young had flown, I conclude that even 
the abnormal rains of August had failed to pene'^trate it, for 
though the base of the nest was on the ground, its interior 
was quite dry. 
In a mixed aviary it is rather difficult to state fully 
what the birds fed on, but I have seen them take blight, 
midges, and small flies into the nest, and also go to the nest 
aftei' chewing up and eating a mealworm, and again 
after a hearty meal of millet and Canary seed— dock and 
grass seeds (half-ripe) also balked largely in their daily menu 
I deduce from my obseivations that the nestlings were fed 
entirely on regurgitated food; for I never saw them carrying 
food in their beak when going to or into the nest. 
I first heard the young calling for food on August 
CO. two young left the nest on September 3, and another, 
on the 4th all of which have been fully reared, though fed 
by their parents up till September 15th, the young were ob- 
served to crack small millet on the fourth day after leaving 
the nest. 
On leaving the nest, the plumage of the nestlings, was 
very similar to that o'f their parents, but a little greyer, 
the orange cheek patches bein_g small and very indistinct: 
urjper tail coverts dull red, beak black, legs and feet grey. 
Withm a week of leaving the nest, their beak began 
to change, the orange cheek patches became brighter, and 
the rump and tail coverts a brighter red; now (October), 
though it is only just over six weeks since they left the nest, 
