96



The Rev. John E. G. Sweetnam—Prolific Zebra Finches



and, though I have generally found aviary-bred birds more satisfactory

than imported specimens—and a cross between the two best of all—it

seems to be more a matter of individual characteristics than of strain.


(2) All healthy pairs will nest and lay, the eggs being generally

fertile, but some pairs are much more liable to desert their eggs or,

more probably, their newly hatched young than others.


(3) None can be relied upon to resist the temptation to use nesting

material if it is available, piling it on top of partly incubated eggs

and thus rendering all attempts at incubation abortive. Apart from

the difficulty already mentioned, the removal of the temptation presents

a further difficulty where there are several pairs in an aviary all in

different stages of breeding activity. But for this besetting sin the

species would really live up to its reputation as one of the surest

breeding finches. Because of it I have always found them most un¬

certain, some pairs, like Miss Barclay’s, being prolific in the extreme

and others quite the reverse.


Personally, I have found these little rascals so trying to the temper

that I would have exorcised them altogether were it not that one is

so constantly asked to supply or exchange them. That the problem

is, unfortunately, not confined to bipeds of this species makes it no

less exasperating to find that the children upon which one’s hopes

were set have inherited the original sin of the race, rather than the

virtues of their parents !


(4) So far as breeding results are concerned, the method of feeding

seems comparatively unimportant. Personally, I have had no better

results when spray millet was supplied than when the birds were fed

with ordinary millet and canary seed only.


(5) Though I have never been able to spare the space, I believe

the real secret of success—such as that achieved by The Keston Bird

Farm last season—is in allowing several pairs a large aviary to them¬

selves, and I should be interested to know if those who have succeeded

in breeding considerable numbers of Zebras under these conditions

take any steps to prevent the deterioration of the stock through in-

breeding, or to remove odd cocks during the breeding season, both

of which would present practical difficulties in the larger aviaries.

These little finches are most prolific.



