179 



incubation, in an aviary containing so many different 

 species, '^' I did not take any precautions, visiting the 

 aviary as often as formerly, spending the usual time 

 in feeding, cleaning, etc ; on every occasion the hen 

 Cowbird left the nest, only to return on my leaving 

 the aviary, thus I conclude Cowbirds are very light 

 sitters. 



I may add, I did not notice the male bird assist in 

 the task of incubation, although he proved a good 

 parent, as I will shortly explain. 



As aforementioned, not anticipating success, I 

 was more than surprised on the thirteenth day to hear 

 the chirp of young, and I found there were three 

 young in the nest. 



The birds would allow me to take out the eggs, 

 and also their young, as often as I wished, f 



About the seventh day I noticed only one was 

 making satisfactory progress, whilst one was slowly 

 but surely being starved ; this died a day or two 

 afterwards. I next observed that another was not 

 getting his fair share of food, for a time I assisted the 

 parents by hand-feeding; but in spite of this it died. 

 The other was by now a most promising youngster, 

 being practically fully feathered, even to showing the 

 ruddy wing-coverts. It lived to be able to leave the 

 nest and fly about the aviary, but not to peck for 

 itself. In a few days I noticed it appeared lumpy, so 

 I again assisted the parent Vjirds by hand feeding. I 



•It is not well to treat lightly any chance that occurs. In my avicultural 

 experience ii is the unexpected &\\iX not the probable that conies off.— Ed. 



tThis is not good practice, it frequently causes the desertion of either 

 eggs or young-, though some species will tolerate any amount of interference ; 

 in most cases all necessary observations can be made with a hand mirror. — 



ED. 



