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Correspondence



adjoining aviary. To my horror, on releasing them, I realized that the cock

Jamieson’s had also been caught and transferred with the other common

African varieties. The Jamieson’s is only slightly larger, and in flight is

distinguished chiefly by the longer and wider tail, by the blackness of the tail,

and by the generalized bright red colour of the body. It is quite easy to make

a mistake ; but you may be sure that it was not many minutes before this

one was caught up again and returned to his old quarters. Anxiously I waited

and watched. What would happen ? Alas ! But one short half-hour later,

on looking into the aviary, there on the ground lay five small white eggs,

broken, incubation being well advanced in each—probably only a few days

off hatching. The nest was being pulled to pieces and destroyed by the cock

bird as though it were his one object in life. The eggs were small, though

decidedly larger than the ordinary Firefinches’, extremely fragile in

appearance, pure white, and rather pointed at one end. The nest was rather

roughly built of dried grass and hair, without much of a cup, although the

eggs lay on fine down. The nest gave the appearance of most hasty

construction.


Towards the end of September a fresh nest was commenced on the same

site, but as the season was so far advanced it was not completed.


My birds apparently lived entirely on seed, canary, white millet, Indian

millet, and Niger being available. Soft food was provided, but I never once

saw either bird pay the slightest attention to it, although both were very fond

of small mealworms.


These Firefinches are most delightful and attractive little birds, and if they

really were responsible for the deaths of so many of my other smaller Fire¬

finches I can forgive them, knowing how determined they were upon setting

up house for themselves, evidently determined also to take no risk of

interference from other birds whose colour suggested possible rivalry.


J. E. Haine.



THE SOCIETY’S MEDAL


The Society’s Medal has been awarded to—


Mrs. K. Drake for breeding Peter’s Spotted Firefinch for the first

time in the United Kingdom.


Mrs. Darnton for the breeding of Layard’s Parrakeet.



