OcS - NrsfiriiT and Rcar'mrr of I.aiutraih in Captivitv. 



Some Observations on the Nesting of Landrails 



in Captivity. 



By Gerald E. Rattigan. 



{Continued from paifc 28). 



Two of ithese young birds were always tamer and more 

 confiding than the others, which soon learned to take special 

 tit-bits from my hngers without any hesitation. The others 

 would only appear on my concealing myself, when they would 

 very cautiously creep out of the surrotmding grass only to 

 disappear instantly on my slightest movement, but as I have 

 already observed I never saw more than four at a time and 

 only rarely more than three. 



For the first three days the chicks used to take their 

 food from the bill of their mother, but soon learned to forage 

 for themselves, and it was amazing to sve them tackle a worm 

 as big in length or even longer than thcmsehcs without any 

 difficulty. After feeding the two bolder chicks, which always 

 followed her to the feeding dishes, she always used to fill 

 her beak v^ith as much provender as she could carry and take 

 it ofi" to the rest of her brood, who were lying hid, and ex- 

 pectantly waiting in the long grass somewhere near l)y. In 

 this way she would make many and rep::^atcd journeys until 

 their wants had been satisfied, when she would finally partake 

 of a hearty meal on her own account. The hen at this time 

 displayed the most lively concern on my entering the aviary, 

 running at 'me in a curious crouching attitude with her beak 

 wide open, and making the while a peculiar hissing noise. The 

 hen also utters; a quamt sorf of sound when calling her brood, 

 a kind of subdued " Hu, Hu. Hu," which, though delivered 

 in a very low tone, yet carries a sur])rising distance. 



The cock ceased " craiking " as soon as the young 

 were hatched, and from this time until the young were full 

 grown, he led a most harassed and miserable existence. He 

 took no part in the duties of incubation, nor was he permitted 

 to take any part in the subsequent rearing of his family, 1 say 

 ' not permitted " advisedl)-, for I firmly believe that had he 

 been granted the opportunity he would have taken the greatest 



