30



Mr. W. H. St. Quintin,



[It will be recalled that Mr. Brook’s collection of biids from

Ecuador was landed in England on September 7th, 1915, by Mr.

Walter Goodfellow (c/. Avig. Mag., October, 1915).


The Grosbeaks, which have successfully bred for the first

time in Europe, are very handsome. Rather larger than a Virginian

Cardinal, the male has black upper parts, with bold white spots on

the wings and tail, and brilliant daffodil-yellow head and under parts.

The female is greenish-yellow.


We congratulate Mr. Brook on the success of breeding these

rare birds.— Ed.]



BREEDING OF THE LITTLE BUSTARD IN


1915,


By W. H. St. Quintin.


I am sorry that the numerous duties, which occupy most of

us at the present time, have prevented me from sending in this

communication earlier.


It has long been my ambition to breed a Bustard! Since

1886 I have never been without examples of the Great Bustard. I

have had many clutches of eggs laid here, but once only was a chick

hatched, which, from stress of weather, soon died, as I have recorded

in vol. ii of the new series of the Magazine.


From what I have seen, the smaller species, 0. tetrax, is a

much easier subject to breed, given healthy, tame birds, and suitable

surroundings.


Though I have managed to keep 0. tarda in an apparently

thoroughly healthy condition for long periods (a male died through

an accident after being hei’e nine years, a female also through an

accident after eleven years, while I have a female at this moment

which was imported from Spain nineteen years ago), still their eggs,

with the above single exception, have always been unfertile.

Perhaps this is due to the impossibility of supplying sufficient insect

food to such large birds at the season when, in the wild state, they

would be largely supplementing their vegetable diet by grasshoppers,

lizards, etc.



