R. James—Breeding British Birds



143



more easily than any Finch I know, though they demand so much

live food when feeding their young ; it would seem almost impossible

to rear more than two chicks out of each nest. My birds would allow

me to touch them rather than leave the nest while incubating. I have

never reared more than three young Chaffinches in one season, from

one pair. An unmated hen Chaffinch once almost killed a cock Canary

because he answered her call for a mate. I have never had more than

two broods from a pair of Chaffinches in one season, although I have

had four broods from the Greenfinch and three broods from the Gold¬

finch, in one season. I have found the Goldfinch to be an easy bird

to breed in captivity : the last brood of the season have always been

the strongest birds, probably because they would be fed by both

parents for a longer period, and also because more thistle heads are

obtainable at the later date. On one occasion four hen Goldfinches

were run with one cock Goldfinch. Each hen went to nest and hatched

out a clutch of chicks, and each hen deserted the brood as soon as they

were hatched. The cock bird ignored each hen after she had produced

a full clutch of eggs. Although Greenfinches are so prolific, I have

persistently lost 95 per cent of the chicks by the 1st November the

same year.


On one occasion only have I had young from the Yellow Bunting :

the young were not reared, the parent birds required more live food

than I could provide, the chicks survived for seven days only. I should

imagine the Reed Bunting to be the most desirable of all the British

Buntings; the species seems to be the most confiding, but if kept with a

mixed collection and mealworms are supplied, the cock bird is likely

to get more than his share, and therefore becomes liverish. Stagnant

water seems to attract minute insects which seems to keep them fit.


The Bramble Finch was ever a favourite with me, until I found he

had a playful habit of swallowing Canary chicks whole.


The above are some of my conclusions after many years’ experi¬

menting. I would never keep more than four possible breeding pairs

in one aviary, however large, during the breeding season. The Thrush

family I exclude from the Finch aviary. The Tit family I am content

to study in the wild state only, their habits being far worse than those

of the Bramble Finch.



