250 Elsie Robinson—The Successful Breeding of Dufresne’s Waxbill


by the cock bird creeping all over the bark of an old tree in the aviary,

apparently looking for insects. I managed to curb my curiosity and

check the impulse of looking into the nest, deciding that, at any cost,

I would wait until such time as I might hear chirping before I would

take the risk, or venture too near the nest.


I will try and give some interesting details of the parents feeding

their young.


The first week the cock bird busied himself looking for insects,

being incessantly on the move, searching the bark of the old dead tree,

creeping over it as one notices our Tree-creeper doing, and I am at a loss

to understand how he could find sufficient food to keep the four

youngsters supplied until the second week, when he and the hen

started eating spray millet. I noticed also, about this time, they

went after larger flying insects and I gave what assistance I could by

shaking any insects from large trees in the garden into an open umbrella,

and so into the aviary. I might mention a sycamore tree was the best

hunting ground.


I find they will not touch the cocoon of the pine ant, though the

very small one of the meadow ant was eaten during the third week

and onwards, but still the majority of the food was spray millet.


One youngster left the nest first, 6th August, the others following

within four days. The parents were remarkably attentive, shepherding

and feeding unceasingly, getting them back into the nest at night in

a very clever manner. Ten days after leaving the nest the young were

feeding themselves and have never looked back, being very strong

and sturdy; in fact, at the moment, they so closely resemble the mother

it is difficult for a novice to distinguish them.


They are the most attractive young birds I have yet bred, being

almost finger tame. At the time of photographing they allowed the

camera, on a tripod, to be brought up close and even the movement

of the dark cloth did not disturb them unduly—so interested were they

in the proceedings that only when the shutter went off with extra

noise did they fly off, to return a little later for another group or

position. The photograph was taken on 16th August, ten days after

their leaving the nest.


I reared them in a flight with two pairs of Bichenos, both of which



