;^68 Bakloh Aviary Notes, 191 6. 



didn't understand how they got there. Now he really does go 

 out and as you know a few creatures turn up and every little 

 helps. My big net of live white ants is still lasting, I give 

 these myself. They like them now, did not seem to at first. 

 (Note: This is strange, unless birds were over-gorged with 

 wild ones coming into the aviaries; it seems to have been an 

 extraordinarily large flight and unusually close to the house. 

 Nets for white ants are ordinary large butterfly nets, those 

 for net sweeping are of thick drill on an old tennis racket, 

 double cloth on front of 'rim and at corners.— G. A. P.). My 

 dried white ants are not like yours, much blacker, and its 

 difficult to get them clean and separated from wings and 

 rubbish, because of the grease. (Note: It is rather tricky, 

 and too long to go into here ; these were probably over- 

 dried, but I lexpect they'll be^ good food all right if not quite 

 as succulent. — G.A.P.). 



May 18. — Tailor Birds hatched. Mealworms very 

 scarce, all beetles, giving sweepings and still have a few live 

 white ant J and shall give dried ones soon. 



May 19. — Tailor Birds have two lovely children. By 

 just lifting a leaf one can see right into the nest, 2 mouths 

 opened wide at me to-day, the whole width being about the 

 size of a pin head. Dila Ram says meat maggots are not 

 ready yet, he has two lots, and they smell vile. He sweeps 

 but does not get very mucJi. Have given cake and tnilk 

 the last few days, the; Tailors do not touch it, but Babblers 

 eat a bit. 



May 2 1st. — All birds, including seedy Tits, are very 

 well, young Tailors very fat and fit. I can see into the nest 

 now without touching the bush at all. The bush is in lovely 

 flower now, just a mass of pinlc. 



Both the .'parents are out a great deal now, 

 do not seem to sit witli young much. Had snake frights, saw 

 one coming out of a box in the aviary. Went to call thq 

 bearer, but it had disappeared, though I was only away a 

 few seconds. Wie had; a thorough search but found nothing, 

 so think it went out, it was a small thin one and could easily 

 have gone tlirough the wire. The birds soon calmed down, a 

 good sign. Anyhow the young Tailor birds are all right. 



