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15th, it could no longer climb into the branches (the nest being

very high up) but stayed on the floor. Its legs were so weak

that they gave way on each side, and it appeared to balance

itself on its tail. It was very pretty and downy, and seemed the

mother’s favourite. Gradually it got worse, losing first the use

of one leg, and finally of both. I decided at last to chloroform

it (for its case seemed hopeless, and the old birds began to

neglect the poor little thing) but I was spared this, for it fell

into the water fountain and was drowned.


I had tried to feed it myself, but found almost the only

way I could get it to eat was to cut a mealworm behind the

head, and, having thus killed it, to squeeze it against the beak,

the little nestling seeming to enjoy it and sucking it in.


By July 17th the surviving young bird could fly, and was

lusty and vigorous, and nearly half as large as an adult bird.


The parents again started to nest, and one day we noticed

the cock behaving very strangely. He took a mealworm, and

ran up to the hen (apparently with his usual intention of giving

it to her) but suddenly ran back ; this action he repeated four or

five times, each time uttering a strange note ; finally he gave the

mealworm to the young one. The old birds’ method of feeding

the young was very curious. They would carry a mealworm up

to the nestling, who cried and flapped its wings, and drop it

into its open mouth, and then pull it out again, doing this about

six times before it was arranged to their satisfaction and they

would allow the young one to swallow it ; perhaps they squeezed a

little of the mealworm down the young one’s throat each time,

I cannot tell.


The giving of mealworms so many times in the day was

very awkward, for so many other birds in the aviary were fond

of them, and I had to guard the saucer until the Diucas had

emptied it. So I determined to cage them, and managed it

successfully, transferring both the old birds and the young one

to a large cage five feet long. I also moved the nest (it was the

same they had built in before, and was very clean inside,

and contained one fresh egg) and put it in a fresh box, and hung

it up in the cage. Two days later the family had quite settled

down, and five eggs in all were laid and hatched, but for some

unknown reason all the young ones were thrown out when only

a few days old. It seemed a great pity, for they looked so strong

and healthy. It was very amusing to see the cock go to tell the

hen when I put any fresh mealworms into the cage. She would

at once come off the nest, feed the young bird with a worm, and



