168



P. B. Webb—Cuban Finches



threads from the muslin front of the box. It was much more like a

nest than it sounds, even if it was a bit on the lines of a mouse’s.


On arrival they were transferred at once to a flight cage and given

some nesting material. By the following evening the nest was ready

for the roof, which went on the next morning.


I cannot say when the eggs were laid, but in three weeks from the

day of arrival there was a chick and an egg in the nest, the former had

probably hatched the previous day. Furthermore, this chick was reared

to independence—unfortunately it did not live to see the spring.


Up to the present few remarks have been made on the all-important

feeding question. There is little to say really, as they will eat all the

usual seeds. It is well to keep off the mealworms as I think the 1932

results will show. It is, of course, a pity that there were not one or

two more pairs of birds, as the results might have been more conclusive.

There were just two pairs ; both were fed with canary, white millet,,

Indian millet, a few sprays of millet, red millet, mixed seeds (sold as

British Finch Mixture) and weed seeds. The only extra was a small

pot of brown sugar of which the birds are very fond. No. 1 pair were

supplied with mealworms while there were young birds in the nest.

No. 2 pair had no mealworms. No. 1 pair had four nests without

rearing any youngsters, though seven were hatched. Only one actually

left the nest. No. 2 pair had two nests, and reared one in the first from

two eggs and two in the second from three. There is plenty of room in

this experiment for coincidence. Others may have found the reverse

to be the case and if this is so it will be interesting to hear. It is my

purpose in writing these notes to state what has happened here for

what it is worth, and if anyone can tell me a better way to treat my birds

I shall be more than pleased. It is to this end which we all are working,

and by telling facts as we find them is the surest way to advance.


It was mentioned further back that Cuban Finches will have a

“ battle royal ” if there are more than a pair in each aviary. This

must be enlarged upon a little. When the young leave the nest both

parents are very kind to them ; this is not by any means permanent..

It lasts roughly until the hen nests again. At the laying of the first

egg, or perhaps until she starts sitting, they are safe—it seems to vary.

With the original pair which nested in the winter it was the first egg ;



