199 



returned to Bakloli, the Black-head cock was put in a 

 separate cage, and the Reds had the aviary. I have 

 forgotten to mention the feeding of the Blacks when 

 they had young; I am sure I was wrong as to giving 

 animal food, and mention it as a warning. Lettuce, 

 and little of that, was the only green stuff procurable. 

 Flowering grass (of the same sort as the roadside 

 •grass in England), was only procurable as far as I knew 

 at a house three miles awa}^ good but very little of it. 

 A few daj^s after the young were hatched the hen was 

 always asking for something, I thought probably for 

 animal food, so I gave her some bee grubs out of a 

 tree in the compound and rusk soaked in milk ; both 

 were greedily eaten by her and more sparingly by the 

 cock. I have never seen Gouldians before or since eat 

 any insect food, though they are keen on milk. 



My bird diary is a bit vague from May to August, 

 1904, but I know that the Reds hatched one lot of 

 young (which soon died) before the 15th August, that 

 a second lot had hatched on August 23rd, and vanished 

 on the 26th, and that the old birds started building 

 again the same day. Eggs on the 31st, hatched about 

 the i6th September, young heard on the i8th. For some 

 time the diary runs with a pleasing sameness. " Going 

 strong, at least three by their voices." On the 4th 

 October " From outside can see three heads in (mostly 

 out of) the husk." On the 7th "Two young came out, 

 can see two more, very miserable, so put them back in 

 nest." On the 8tli only one came out; was put back 

 in the evening. This went on for a day or two, then 

 they either found their own way back or roosted in 

 another husk or box, the fifth and last one discovered 

 liimself on the loth. They began to pick up on the 

 14th, were seldom fed after the 17th, and never to my 

 knowledge after the 22nd. One died on the 19th, but 

 I was more than satisfied with four fat youngsters, 

 when I had rather given up hope. 



