198 Mrs. K. Drake—The Breeding of Peter’s Spotted Firejinch


in robust condition, and we cannot say whether anybody is lucky enough

to have a pair alive at the present time. Should there be an odd

survivor it might be worth attempting to pair it with niveiguttatus

or even Mandingoa nitidula.


A. C.



THE BREEDING OF PETER’S SPOTTED

FIREFINCH


(Hypargos niveiguttatus)


By Mrs. K. Drake


My Peter’s were purchased at different times, one arriving only in

January of this year. I turned the pair out into the aviary during the

middle of March from a non-heated greenhouse, and towards the end

of the month a nest was built and three eggs laid, of which only one

hatched in very cold weather, the chick only surviving two or three-

days. The pair at once set to work to repair the nest and this time

four eggs were laid, about the 17th April, which hatched between the

28th April and the 1st May, according to the bits of egg-shell seen

around. A basket-nest was chosen, made for me—my own design—-by

the inmates of the Plymouth Blind Institution ; I might here add that

last year the Cordon Bleus and Common Firefinches reared their young

in the same sort of basket-nests made by the same Institution. The

nest itself was the ordinary domed affair that most Waxbills build of

hay and feathers.


Two birds left the nest on the 17th May and two more on the day

following. During the period the young were in the nest I placed in a.

tiny dish a little egg-biscuit food slightly moistened with water, to

which occasionally I added a pinch of Marmite ; also I gave a spoonful

of “ Mosquito ”, and sometimes, to make a change, I would mix the

two together. Very few meal-worms were taken and some days, it.

seemed, none at all. I could get no live ants’ eggs or cocoons so could

not give any, and I never bother about the dried ones as I consider

they are only fit to mix in a proper insectivorous mixture. The birds,

enjoyed spray millet; they also had canary seed and Indian millet,.



