E. Iiojpkinson — Mr. Sewell's Breeding Record 305


In her letter dated the 31st August, Mrs. Drake wrote as follows :

“ I had a little parcel on Saturday (29th August), and it contained

a Violet-eared Waxbill (young), also my daughter wrote saying she

found both young birds dead on Friday evening. They were seven

weeks old, might have been more, as the disturbing of the nest is not

possible with foreign birds. Before leaving home on the 20th July,

I felt two very big and strong birds in the nest. On the 10th August

my daughter saw them sitting on a bush, and said they looked quite

old, not as young birds usually do. They were probably a month in

the nest before leaving it, as my Cordon Bleus when not disturbed

do, and then fly out looking very like their parents.”


Mrs. Drake wrote again on the 13th October : “ The young bird

had so much bright blue on its back, and its beak changing from black

to red, that I think my dates were wrong, as seven weeks is rather

early for that type of bird to have colour like that.” \


Mrs. Drake’s last letter is dated the 16th October : “ The baby

Violet-ears had been feeding themselves for the last fortnight, my

husband saw them daily.”



MR. SEWELL’S BREEDING RECORD


By E. Hopkinson.


The breeding successes Mr. Sewell of South Australia describes

in the October number (p. 266) make a great record and the whole is

of particular interest to me as I have seen his collection.


I here attempt to compare his single season’s successes with what

other records there are.


Taking Mr. Sewell’s order the species bred are :—-


Melba Finch.— Five young reared from three nests. I have

record of two previous successes (1) Willford in the Isle of Wight in

1915 and (2) a German one in 1927, and I do not think there are many

others.


Bronze Mannikin.— “ Very prolific ; one pair reared eighteen

young,” says Mr. Sewell. Have been bred a good many times and have

been found easy by others. Neunzig says that one breeder reared them

to the fifth generation.



