Mrs. K. Drake—The Breeding of the Violet-eared Waxbills 325


the base which are still visible to-day and show up well in the photo

published with these notes.


Both parents fed the young ; no distinct sound came from the

nest, though I felt pretty sure I heard them ; still there was no certainty.

A week after leaving the nest they were picking up hard seed

for themselves.


The parent birds were anxious to nest again, and the hen did, in fact,

lay one egg and then showed signs of inflammation, so I removed her

indoors where she quickly recovered. From then onwards the cock

carried on alone. It was during this last courtship that I saw the cock

display in the usual manner of Waxbills, with a long piece of hay in

beak he slowly jumps up and down, uttering a small note, at which

sound the hen comes to his side and pairing takes place.


After many failures it is a source of pleasure and satisfaction to be

able to record the successful rearing of this lovely little quartet.



THE BREEDING OF THE VIOLET-EARED

WAXBILLS


(Granatina granatina)


By Mrs. K. Drake, Mylor, Falmouth


For seven years have I tried to breed these beautiful African

Waxbills, never getting any further than the eggs, sometimes just

hatched. This year I was very fortunate in finding a good supply of

ants’ cocoons at the very time it was needed, which no doubt pleased

them much. The shelter is 4 feet square, and the outside flight 14 feet

by 7 feet 6 inches by 6 feet, and planted with one thick shrub where the

nest was, and three or four smaller flowering shrubs. The nest was the

usual Waxbill domed affair of hay and feathers, and there were about

three other nests, some with eggs in, white ones. I thought the eggs

were hatched about the 14th or 15th July, but it must have been much

earlier. I must have got muddled with some of the earlier nests left

still in the bush, as when I had a ’phone message calling me up to Town

on the 20th July, I flew up to the Violet-ears’ aviary to see how advanced

the young birds were and felt two very big, well-feathered (not down)



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