37i



on the Nesting of the Sptosser.



those who claim that there must be cruelty in caging wild birds.

I do not, however, wish to sail under a false flag so I take this

opportunity of also saying that I do not think that anything will

quite compensate a bird for the loss of its liberty—not the most

skilful treatment, the most generous diet or the most spacious

aviary in the land : we can, however, at least claim to make them

fairly comfortable.


To return to our Sprossers. The nest was constructed in

a little hollow in the side of the mound mentioned above, under a

projecting tuft of grass. The foundation was entirely composed

of the dead spathes which had fallen from the bamboos, lined

with fine grass, and was so deep that its contents could only be

seen from a point directly above it. It was entirely constructed

by the female. On the 27th, the little architect took a day’s rest.

O11 the 28th, and following days, the four eggs were laid: incu¬

bation commenced 011 the 29th and was completed in thirteen

days.


Eggs.


I quite expected that the eggs would be of the same dis¬

tinctive shade as those laid by D. luscinia , but I was wrong.

Bree says: “ It lays five or six eggs . . . very similar to those of

our well-known species. Count Mulile says the egg is generally

darkly spotted, which is not however mentioned by Temminek

and denied by Degland. All the specimens sent to me are deep

olive ; one lighter in colour.” I can only say that this particular

clutch was very much lighter than any clutch that I have seen

of D. luscinia , and unspotted ; our Editor, however, to whom I

sent a portion of the shell of a hatched egg tells me that it is not

lighter than some eggs of D. luscinia in his collection.


Immature Peumage.


On the nth June two young birds hatched and were most

carefully brooded by the female and fed by both parents up to as

late as 8.15 p.m. They were covered with very dark down. The

male, who had taken no part in incubating the eggs, now showed

himself quite as attentive in the matter of feeding as the female.

The latter was an exceptional mother ; she refused to leave her

nest when I cut off a bough which overhung the latter and, when

on the 13th I was watering the shrubs with a hose, she evidently



