Metal Nesting-Boxes



179



Birds, Blue Mocking-bird, Mexican Mocking-bird, Slate-coloured

Solitaires, Rainbow Bunting, Varied Bunting, a Nonpareil with a red

back, similar to the one I have had for the past five years, Black-banded

Seed-eaters, San Bias Jay, and a Cardinal with a yellow chest and

head almost exactly like the one illustrated in the Avicultural

Magazine of 1924. Besides this nice assortment we have also received

two nice Bald-headed Starlings from the Philippines.)



METAL NESTING-BOXES


Mr. Gr. Notini, the inventor and patentee of these nest-boxes, has

asked that they may be described in the Avicultural Magazine.

He claims for them that they are practically indestructible by vermin

or weather, and that small birds accept them readily particularly

Tits and Flycatchers. They can, of course, be painted any colour

that is desired and are made in several sizes and have been tested and

approved by both private concerns and official institutions in Sweden.

I am also informed that a Scottish gentleman who saw the boxes in

use in Sweden bought a large consignment for his own estate and is

well satisfied with the result.


Appended is a summary of trials on an Experimental Estate kindly

sent by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, 14 Trinity Square, London,

E.C. 3, to whom inquiries for or about these nesting-boxes should be

addressed.


E. F. C.



SUMMARY OF TRIALS ON EXPERIMENTALFALTET ESTATE


During the whole of the trial period 88 breedings out of 135 possible

in Alsten sheet boxes for Tits were successful, which corresponds to an

average nesting of 65*2 per cent.


Of the broods, 6-8 per cent were entire failures, whilst in 13-6 per

cent of the boxes were found partial failures in respect of eggs and

broods.


The number of breedings with adverse results amounted to 18 or

20-4 per cent. Of the total number of breedings in the Ringius boxes

of the same sizes 56 breedings took place out of 108 possible which gives

an average inhabitation of 52 per cent. Complete failure occurred in



