All rights reserved]. [March, 190S. 



BIRD NOTES: 



THE 



JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. 



TKHa&ers in Captivity. 



By Hugh Wormald. 

 Illustrated by the Author. 



Of the various kinds of British birds which I have kept in 

 captivity. Waders are undoubtedly the most interesting; and 

 although only Avocets, Redshanks and Ruffs have, as far as I 

 know, been bred in captivity, nearly all the Waders afford an 

 interesting study in assuming their breeding plumage, if kept in 

 suitable surroundings. Unlike many birds, they may be kept 

 full-winged in a comparatively small aviary without injuring 

 themselves, owing to their knack of turning quickly when on 

 the wing. Even the larger species, such as the Black-tailed 

 Godwits, flit through the small fir trees in my aviary with an 

 agility that would rival a Woodcock. 



The inmates of my aviary at present consist of: Grey. 

 Green, Golden and Ringed Plovers, Bar-tailed and Black-tailed 

 Godwits, Ruffs and Reeves, Redshanks, Knots and Dunlins. 



Last May one of my Reeves mated to two Ruffs, and 

 scraped out a nest under a tussock of grass, in which she laid 

 three eggs ; unfortunately these were destroyed by mice. She 

 then laid a second clutch which shared a similar fate. I hope 

 for better luck this year as I think I have made my avian' mouse- 

 proof. Although the Green Plovers made a great fuss, and 

 several " scrapes," no eggs were laid, probably owing to the 

 female not having moulted properly the previous year, and 

 therefore not being itt very good health at the time. 



However, I have still alive a Green Plover and a Redshank 

 which I hatched in an Incubator and reared by hand. Space 

 forbids me to describe the whole process in detail, but I may 

 mention that incubation in both cases lasted twenty-six davs at a 



