E. J. Boosey—Breeding Results at Keston Foreign Bird Farm , 1934 77.


most mysterious and inexplicable in tbe way in which they will breed

extremely well one year, very badly the next, and then probably well

again, some pairs going to nest some years much earlier than others,

and all, so far as one can tell, for no apparent reason at all.


A fair number of Parrot Finches’, Gouldians’, Ruficaudas’, and

Long-tailed Grass Finches’ eggs were placed under Bengalese and

successfully reared by them. A very interesting point here is that

Parrot Finches and Ruficaudas, when they have broods of their own,

consume large quantities of mealworms, whereas their young ones

under Bengalese were naturally given nothing but seed and green food

by their foster-parents, who will hardly ever eat mealworms. Yet there

seems no difference in the size and brightness of colouring in the Parrot

Finches and Ruficaudas reared on an insectivorous diet and those

reared on a seed diet.


A fair-sized planted aviary, about 26 feet long by 15 feet wide by

8 feet high, containing Green Avadavats, most of the various Waxbills,

Paradise Whydahs, Gouldians, Cuban Finches, White-throated Finches,

Tambourine and Maiden Doves, etc., failed to yield any breeding results,

though numerous nests were made and eggs laid. This, however, was

scarcely surprising, as the aviary was only completed in April.


Even so, however, we are inclined to put a good deal of the blame

on to the cock White-throated Finch. This little bird, an industrious

though monotonous songster, is a perfect little devil in a mixed collec¬

tion, usually killing anything at all closely related to him and contenting

himself with chasing the other birds about and pulling their nests

to pieces. Anyone thinking of keeping a member of the genus Sporophila

would be well advised to start with the Lined Finch. Not only is he

far handsomer than his White-throated cousin but, in our experience,

not nearly so aggressive, and an infinitely finer songster.


About 3,000 Budgerigars of all colours were reared during the season.



