i8 3



intimation of what was in progress was my seeing Master

Mocking-bird carrying old sticks in his bill. He soon selected a

site in an elder bush, and was busy as a bee over his task. The

nest is a beautiful structure, very strongly woven, externally of

sharp thorns and twigs, and warmly lined inside with the finest

grasses, and in a beautiful cup-shaped hollow. I sent the nest,

after the birds had flown, to t)r. Butler, as I thought he would

like to see it for himself.


Three eggs were laid ; they are very pale green in colour,

spotted all over with little brown blotches. The hen did all the

nesting, the cock feeding her attentively and signalling each

time that the mealworms were given out, that she should come

and get her share. This she never failed to do. At the end of

eleven days—speaking at a rough guess—I went and had a look,

as I thought I saw the birds carrying live bait about. Sure

enough, there were two fine youngsters in the nest, very pink

and very naked ; but very plump and well looking. One

unfertile egg remained. I did not like to take it out of the nest,

for fear the birds might not like it; so I left it to take its

chance, but as I expected, it got broken in the course of rearing.

I found the hatched egg shells at the very farthest point of

the aviary away from the nest. It is evidently instinct that tells

the parents to remove these tell-tales as far away as possible. I

sent these shells to Mr. Phillipps, knowing the interest he takes

in all hatching operations. He will say if I have described them

accurately. It was an early and late case of getting nourishment

into these youngsters. I did not dare to enter the aviary, and

had to content my soul with watching, like Moses’ sister, “ afar

off,” to see what would happen.


Things went on all right, as I could see the birds at regular

intervals visit the nest with mealworms. They sort of threw

themselves sideways on the nest, light as shadows, in spite of

their size. All the time the young were in the nest the cock

never sang a note. To-day (June 17) when the young quitted

the nest, he opened out magnificently, proud, I suppose, of his

success. If they thought anyone was watching them they made

a loud sort of scolding noise.


The weather was not very propitious, all the time, for

rearing. What Fox once called “ that little shower,” was often

going on, to say nothing of several gales of wind.


It is not every one, may be, that acted like Solomon did

when he showed the Queen of Sheba all his royal treasures. I often

think it must have made Sheba look small when she got home.



