Notes for the Month.



259



The other common cause of sterility is perhaps too obvious to

mention, and yet perhaps of all the commonest. It is that you have

not got “a pair” at all. Many birds are absolutely impossible to

sex except by their “demeanour.” The word is horribly pedantic,

but is commonly used by writers on bird topics as illustrating one

bird’s behaviour towards another. Fancy talking of a human being’s

demeanour towards his lady love—or her swain ! But even this

“demeanour” may lead one astray, as many birds evince the greatest

affection towards birds of their own sex if none of the other sex is

present. Only experience and careful study will enable you to sex

birds by their behaviour towards one another. But if your birds

don’t nest think of the sex question.


Another cause of not breeding is improper food. I don’t

mean insufficient food but improper food. Undoubtedly the tem¬

perature, coupled with a sudden abuhdance of food, makes birds feel

very pleased with themselves and that awakens a natural instinct to

breed. Birds to be in breeding condition must be got into a high

condition, and the difficulty is to get them just high enough. Too

high and the cock will give the hen no peace. Not high enough

and the eggs will not be fertile, even though pairing may take place.

For seed-eaters, flowering grass, a few mealworms and live ants’ eggs

will all help to get the birds into the right condition, and of course

plenty of exercise, sunlight, and fresh air.


For softbills, live food is practically speaking necessary at all

times of the year, but, if we wish them to breed, live food becomes

an absolute sine qua non. In the earlier months our mainstay has

always been, and must remain, mealworms. In addition, live ants’

eggs, gentles, and wasp grubs may be given to them.


But how many give mealworms (“giants” often), just as they

are, to all birds and expect them to thrive on them. It is quite

equivalent to our swallowing a whole rump-steak or loin chop. For

all birds, mealworms are better chopped. For the small tits and

warblers each worm should be cut into four, when you will find

that the head and tail end are not of much account, just as they

are not thought much of by the gourmet when salmon is under con¬

sideration. Not only are they more digestible when cut up, but if

mixed with the insectile mixture, particles of the latter adhere to the



