4



as just to leave room enough for a bird to creep through and

into the cocoa nut. At first there was very great excitement

amongst the birds. They pretended to be frightened, but in less

than twenty-four hours female curiosity had gained the day.

The hen could not refrain from peeping in, at first very little,

but as nothing happened they grew bolder, put in their heads

and finally went in altogether. After a few days the males

followed boldly, and soon the black-headed cock had fairly taken

possession of one nest, the red-headed male of the other. There

was a great deal of scratching going on in the cocoanuts, but no

attempt was made to form the fibres into a nest or to carry in

additional material.


The black-headed male paid most attention to the red¬

headed hen, but when the red-headed cock tried to flirt with

Miss Blackhead, the Black-headed male became very jealous.

In fact Mr. Blackhead became a decided bully, and considered the

cocoanuts as a kind of convenient ambush ; he laid in wait there

and darted out upon any bird that came near the small entrance,

when he would take the bird by the nape of the neck, by a wing

feather or by the tail if that came in his way. shake him well,

drop him, take a mouthful of food and retire quick as lightning

to the cocoanut. No harm was done, but the game looked so

dangerous that I inserted a partition in my cage one day. The

birds, however, did not like this and resented it by becoming

dull, wherefore I took the partition out again and the birds

brightened again at once ; no damage ever resulted from what

often looked like mortal feuds. The courtship of the red-headed

cock was very gentle in comparison with the impetuosity of his

black-headed cousin.


I did not expect to bring my bird number four, a black-

headed hen which I had picked ouc because she was sickly,

through the winter.


Whilst the other three birds were the picture of health

and happiness and continually on the move, that poor little hen

sat for hours sleepy, with her head under her feathers. But I fixed

a stalk of millet always within eas} 7 reach of her favourite perch ;

and if she did not bathe I occasionally damped her feathers with

injr toy water spray apparatus. As long as we can induce a bird

to eat and to keep his plumage clean there is always a chance.


Several times I thought her at death’s door, and twice I

picked her up from the floor of the cage more dead than alive.

I found in each case that she was egg bound. Some people give

whisky in such a case, others oil, but I do not much believe in



