302 F. E. Matthews—Attempts at Breeding Foreign Birds


reading anywhere that these birds sing at night, but after this experience

I am going to have an Indigo Bunting in a garden aviary during the

summer, so that I can enjoy its nocturnal song.


Gouldian Finches .—After several seasons resulting in “ beautiful

corpses ”, one pair have nested and are now bringing up the first

nestful. The number of young is unknown, but their squeaks are

growing daily stronger, in fact I expect to see the young birds emerge

any time now. Another pair of adults started to nest and everything

looked like going on well when I picked the hen up dead, and yet an

hour before this bird had appeared quite fit; cause of death unknown,

but it was not through egg binding. A third pair of adults have not

yet made any attempt to nest.



ATTEMPTS AT BREEDING FOREIGN BIRDS


By F. E. Matthews


To have success with foreign bird-rearing in our wayward climate

one must be a person “ of hope and forward-looking mind I deem

those who tried their prentice hand in 1936 need the type of “ hope ”

described by Pope, “ which springs eternal in the human breast ! ”


This spring I started to group together in an aviary those little birds

most likely to agree—taking advice from seasoned breeders. However,

the close confinement to barracks caused by the daily showers seemed

rather to upset the general morale. Everyone seemed to get in some¬

one’s way ! Things improved when the Silverbills were removed from

proximity to White Javas and Diamond Doves. The eggs laid by the

Silverbills were so numerous that one wondered if both birds were hens.

At all events, they enjoyed sampling every nest indoors and out. A

smartly tailored pair of Orange Cheeks proved just as bad in the matter

of interference in the affairs of a pair of Zebra Finches in a smaller

aviary. The Orange Cheeks never seriously set up house, while the

Zebras sampled each box until the Orange Cheeks left, when they

annexed the small cone-shaped basket intended for the others. Cordons

and Orange Breasts close by, though in great form, agree they won’t

be bothered with housekeeping.



