56 On the Nesting of the Red- Whiskered Bulbul.


clear, and the fourth contained a dead chick. While the young

bird was in the nest he was fed entirely by the hen on gentles

and mealworms. On June 22nd I noticed the old birds were

frantically excited, and on looking round found the youngster

sitting at the top of his native tree about ten feet off the ground.

I feel certain that he had left the nest too soon, but he never

returned to it and roosted each night in the open. He seemed

to have an enormous appetite, and clamoured for food from dawn

till dark, his wants being now attended to by the male bird also,

in fact it was owing to the latter that I was able to withdraw my

supply of insects, for he seemed to think it was high time the

youngster was weaned from his extravagant and selfish diet.

He, therefore, appropriated the mealworms for his own con¬

sumption, and occasionally fed with gentles, but preferred “soft

food ” and banana.


On July 4th the young bird could feed and the parents

were repairing their old nest. On the 8th the hen was sitting

on four eggs, and although she was still very uncertain and

seldom sat for more than an hour on end, three chicks were

hatched out on the 18th. Now began a series of catastrophies.

In the course of the next few days all three young birds were

thrown out and appeared to have empty crops. I was inclined

to place the blame for this on the original young bird, who was

still being fed by the parents, I, therefore, caught him up and

disposed of him to a fellow aviculturist.


On July 31st the hen was again sitting on three eggs, which

all hatched out on August nth and 12th. I then decided to

leave the feeding door of the aviary open, and allow the parents

to forage for insects in the garden ; this I did for a few days,

but the cock bird refused to leave the aviary, the hen only going

in and out several times a day. She seemed, however, to prefer

the usual supply of mealworms, etc., and as she was rather

inclined to stay out longer than I liked I finally gave up the

experiment and shut her in again. While it lasted, however, it

was an interesting experience, but not one I should like to try

with a valuable bird.


Again I was doomed to disappointment, for by August the

20th the last of the chicks, who was well quilled, was thrown out



