204 



company is the result. Away therefore went the 

 cheque and back came the Turquoisines. 



In young Turquoisines it is not easy to tell the 

 sex for some time, and hope alternates with fear as to 

 whether a particular bird will prove a cock or a hen. 

 It is two years before the}'' will breed. I kept them 

 all the winter in my birdroom, as Turquoisines will 

 not stand very severe weather out of doors, but if you 

 expose them too much the}^ will some fine morning 

 drop dead from the perch. 



In the early summer I enlarged them in a small 

 garden aviary, remembering Sir Henry Boynton's 

 urgent admonition to be sure to provide them with a 

 grass run. Here the}^ remained until Autumn and 

 chilly evenings began, as Shakspeare says, to bring a 

 ' nipping and an eager air.' Then I once more caged 

 them and transferred them to the birdroom, where 

 they spent the winter. They are rather sluggish 

 birds and, except when feeding or courting, will sit 

 for hours as motionless on a bough as though cut out 

 of wood. 



With the return of more genial weather the mind 

 ' lightly turns to thoughts of love,' not my own but 

 that of the Turquoisines. They were not out long 

 before they showed unmistakable signs of going to 

 nest. I may say, in passing, that one of the hens 

 must have been especially attractive, for not content 

 with one husband, she seemed desirous of drawing 

 all males to her feet. I believe it was Mr. Goodwyn 

 Sandys who said that ' one admirer at least was no 

 more than a married woman's due.' Well, all I can 

 say is, don't try it on with Turquoisines. No self- 

 respecting Turquoisine will tolerate such teaching. 

 Introduce a stranger, or leave one in the com- 

 partment, and you will witness as pretty a fight 

 as you could wish to see, and it will cost you any- 

 thing from ;^io to £20. Of course this will not 



