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last season. It was not long before they took the hint, and went

to work at nest building. The nest was composed of little sticks

(as I found on examination after the young ones had flown) and

was a very flimsy affair. The cock and hen took it by turns to

sit; but I think they took certain watches, and not day and

night spells. I am unable to say what the eggs were like, as

they all hatched out, and I was not so foolish as to touch the

nest until the young had flown ( a ).


The sitting lasted roughly some 13 days; and the first

intimation I had of ‘new arrivals’ was by seeing one of the

parents with a small mealworm in its beak with which (by

careful and unobtrusive watching) I saw it go aloft. Pagodas

are very fond of fresh ants’ eggs, especially for the early days of

rearing ; whereas the Andamans would hardly look at them.

The difference in taste in birds is very curious.


After about a week I began to hear the voices of the

young, and day by day the noise grew more and more uproarious.

The Pagoda parents were the shyest of feeders after the first

week. I could never catch them at it, watch as I might. For

the first week they did not mind me a bit. The Andamans, on

the other hand, were very shy at first, and got bolder as the days

went by.


Can the readers of the ‘ Avicultural ’ realize what it meant

to rear Mocking-birds, Andamans, and Pagodas all side by side?

Mr. Phillipps wrote to me quite pathetically. ‘ No wonder

mealworms are so scarce and dear ! ’


At the end of about a fortnight, or perhaps a little longer,

I could see the youngsters at the mouth of the hole, and the} 7

seemed to feel the heat very much, as they kept their beaks open.

About ten days later, I saw No. 1 sitting on the top of a box

tree in the open run. Nos. 2 and 3 followed the next morning.

Here again the Pagodas differed from the Andamans: for

whereas the young Pagodas flew straight out of doors, the young

Andamans remained inside for nearly a week before venturing

out of doors. Every night the young Pagodas came home to

sleep, and generally passed the night 011 the top of the nest-box,

but they were out of doors all day long.


For the benefit of my readers who do not know the

Pagoda I append a brief description :


In size they are rather smaller than an English Starling,

very trim and lightly made. The head has a beautiful sweeping


{a). I took a second sitting- laid by the Pagoda ; the eggs are small and blue like a

Starling’s.—C. D. F.



