334 Ornamental Pheasant Society



the look of things I do not think it will be long before they will be

building again.


I was fortunate in securing our South Australian Society’s breeder’s

medal for all the above species bred this year, so on the whole I am very

satisfied with the season’s results, and only hope the coming one will

be as good.


I have tried time and again with the Melba Finch (Pytelia melha)

but in vain. One pair have had seven nests, and in the majority

of cases the young die in the shell. I have always encouraged them

to build under cover ; this may have been the trouble, possibly not

obtaining enough moisture, as on one occasion in a different aviary

they nested outside in a bush and raised one young to a fortnight old, but

unfortunately threw it out, so I have now turned this pair out into a

garden aviary, where they have nested again, so hope for better results

this time.


I have a few nice specimens of the beautiful Fire Tail Finch

(Zoenaginthus bellus) which I have had for some months. These birds

usually start breeding from September on. I recently received a few

nice birds including Peters Spotted Finches, Black Throated Cardinals,

Bed faced Waxbills (.Pytelia afra), Pileated, Nonpareil and Indigo

Buntings, etc., so will have some new species to concentrate on this

coming season.



The Ornamental Pheasant Society is very proud of the fact that

we have been allocated a space in the Avicultural Magazine for

every publication. We are grateful to the Society for this space

and we feel confident that it will prove of mutual benefit. We hope

to keep your members posted as to our activities, and for such

activities we hope to receive the support of your members.

Furthermore, we hope to be the means of introducing this delightful

hobby to many of your members who, keen fanciers though they may

be of many other foreign birds, have not yet taken up the absorbing

hobby of Pheasant culture.


It is a strange fact that in such countries as France, Italy, Germany,

and America the Pheasant fancy has long held sway, yet here in Great



