Correspondence



48



Our Cassowary has the three toes, but it is the inner toe which has

the long claw.


Is there any difference in Cassowaries in this respect ?


Anatomically, of course, it would be a big difference, so I imagine

it must be a slip.


W. L. English, M.B.


[This was certainly a slip. The claw is on the inner toe in all

species.— Ed.]



ZEBRA FINCHES AND ORANGE WEAVERS


I thought my first year here was going to be a complete failure as

far as breeding results were concerned, as the only foreigners that

nested were a pair of Zebra Finches, and they spoilt their chance of

success by the cock being too fond of seeing what was going on while

it was his turn to sit. The eggs, all fertile, were laid far back in a Keston

Finch box. This did not suit Mr. Zebra and he carried up seven pieces

of lime about the size of a Zebra’s egg, placed them well to the front

of the box, and I presume he sat on these as he was always very visible

when he took his turn at sitting. However, as I bought him on

1st April I could not expect much from him.


All my failures were forgotten when my Orange Weaver came into

colour, as he paid great attention to the hen and she showed every

sign of accepting him. He built a nest in a branch hanging on the wall

of my indoor aviary (a converted bedroom), and shortly after I saw

the hen take up a piece of flowering grass. He was overjoyed when she

did this and danced rather than flew about all day, “ singing ” his odd

“ song ”; when the hen had lined and completed the nest entirely

with feathery brown flowering grass-heads, they mated at the opening

of the nest. She would go there calling him to her. She laid one egg

only, a very glossy blue one with no spots. She sat so carelessly that

I was absolutely amazed to see a baby weaver about thirteen days

later. I was unprepared, but got dozens of spiders as soon as I could

and mashed them into “ Stimulete ”, and the baby lived three days,

and then I found the hen dragging it about the floor. The cock built



