North Country Memorial to Viscount Grey



307



same rate is the necessity of clearing their aviary had not induced me

to part with them. The most remarkable thing about these pleasing

and sprightly little birds was that they were generally rearing two

broods at the same time and, more than once, they must actually have

had young in two nests at the same time. The cock Olive is distinctly

pugnacious with other species but his “ bark is generally worse than

his bite ”, and I have had no casualties on this head—though it is

advisable to remove the young from the aviary about a fortnight

after they have left the nest.


It may be worth noting that all the birds referred to in this rather

disjointed article were bred in mixed collections, and most in an inside

aviary (actually a bedroom in a disused part of this old Vicarage) with

quite a small flight-cage attached to one of the windows. While those

who, like the writer, have to regulate the scope of their activities by

the amount of time at their disposal to attend to their birds may have

to choose between a number of carefully selected species together, or

a much smaller number in separate aviaries, from the point of view

of breeding, the mixed collection is a makeshift rather than an ideal

and, given the necessary time and space which I hope shortly to possess,

the modest achievements here recorded might have been considerably

greater.



NORTH COUNTRY MEMORIAL TO

VISCOUNT GREY


The following appeal by the Natural History Society of Northum¬

berland, Durham, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne will doubtless interest all

aviculturists who were privileged to know Viscount Grey or who

have read his delightful Charm of Birds. The late Viscount was President

of this Society and had decided shortly before his death to issue a

personal appeal to provide the Hancock Museum with funds sufficient

to found a Trust Fund the income from which would be devoted to

the endowment of the Museum. Viscount Grey at the last annual

meeting over which he presided emphasized the great scientific and



