306 Prebendary J. E. Sweetnam—Notes from a Somerset Aviary


Red Headed Parrot Finches only confirms me in the belief that, apart

from song, they possess nearly every qualification to entitle them to

pride of place in any collection of small hardbills.


If I had any expectation that the Olympians, who award—or other¬

wise—medals to ordinary avicultural mortals would condescend to

notice the first breeding of a mere sub-species, I would proceed to

invent details as to the structure of a nest built I know not where, the

size and colour of eggs I never saw, and the feeding (from a choice of

a very varied menu supplied for other species as well) of the New

Hebridean sub-species of Tricoloureb Parrot Finch (Erythrura trichroa

cyaneifrons) recently imported by Mr. F. Shaw Mayer. But fiction

being, I fear, futile I may as well stick to facts and say that the one

young of this smaller and much steadier variety simply “ turned up ”

most unexpectedly, as the parents were only imported last spring,

and gave no indications of being possessed of such prolificacy as to

rear young by the following June. As once they show colour, there is

no possibility of mistaking a Tricoloured for a Red Headed, and there

were no other Parrot Finches in that aviary, there is no question that

they did ; and this achievement suggests that we have, in this sub¬

species, a bird at least as prolific as the Red Head which is saying a

good deal.


An early moult, probably induced by the very hot weather, lowered

the average young reared by both Peaceful and Diamond Doves.

I find the former just as prolific, and much less liable to molest their

young on going to nest again, than the Diamonds. After a series of

failures I have reared one young Aurora Finch this season. I could not

induce Bengalese to rear this species but I believe either Cuban or

Olive Finches might do so successfully. If this species can rightly be

classed as a Waxbill at all, it is one of the most desirable of the genus

and, in a large planted aviary, the readiness with which it goes to nest

and produces fertile egss, combined with a remarkable steadyness and

sociability, should make its breeding comparatively easy.


Olive Finches have again shown themselves to be amongst the

most prolific of all small hardbills for, though the numbers in each nest

were small, my one pair incubated and reared no fewer than five broods

from April to September and would, I believe, still be breeding at the



