294



Correspondence.



Wagtails have always been my favourite British softbills, and in my time

T have kept a fair number of the pied, grey and yellow species ; but like their

cousins the pipits, they are combative birds, and doubtless, like other birds they

are selfish ; it is therefore not to be wondered at, if a smaller and weaker bird

should attempt to annex some coveted morsel of food, that they should resent

and strive to avenge such infringement of their fancied rights.


The murderous tendencies of the ox-eyed tit are universally recognised : it

is therefore not at all remarkable that, under certain conditions the blue-tit in

like manner shows cannibalistic tendencies; and, to my great disgust (for I greatly

delighted in my tame little blue-tits) I had ample and repeated evidence of the

fact, as recorded in “ British birds with their nests and eggs,” Vol. 1, p. 161.


A. G. Butler.



In a very roomy aviary in my former garden in Italy, a male pied wagtail

murdered several small birds, persistently driving them to their deaths, appar¬

ently out of sheer devilry. EDITOR.



‘ BRANDLINGS ’ (WORMS) AS FOOD FOR BIRDS.


To the Editor of the Avicultural Magazine.


DEAR Sir, —It seems I have started another hare, only this time it is

a worm. I am not an authority on anything, especially am I not on things

without a backbone — invertebrates I think they are called.


The worm I mean may not be a “ brandling,” but it is rather small, is

more red than most, has yellow rings, and a yellow part at the tail end. It is

found in manure heaps. Some grey-winged ouzels that I am taking care of eat

them, feed their young, and rear them on these worms. Curiously enough

Mr. Page in his “ Aviaries and Aviary Life ” mentions what is evidently the

same class of worm on page 112, when he succeeded in rearing ouzels for the first

time, a fact I have discovered only since writing the original note. Can it be

that ‘‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt

of in your philosophy.”


I have the honour to remain, yours obediently,


Secretaries.



A COINCIDENCE.


Two years ago when I came into this part of Salop none of my neighbours

seemed to have budgerigars, but mine bred very freely and one or two young

birds escaped and were not caught again. Some weeks afterwards I was walking

on some cliffs about half-a-mile away when my friend asked what those funny

looking woolly things were, and I said they were the casts from some bird of

prey and that if he opened one he would find the bones of the animal inside.



