loose on the lawn, where they caused me much amusement as

lliey ran about catching insects, in the pursuit of which they

frequently overbalanced themselves. When I attempted to

catch them they would not always run away, but frequently

crouched close to the ground, following, no doubt, their natural

instinct, by which they often escape detection, when young, by

hiding among the pebbles on the sea shore.


For the first two weeks they were fed entirely on water

insects, such as dragon-fly larvae and gnat grubs, etc., but then I

thought I would give them a change of food, so I dug up some

ants’ nests and put them in the case where they were kept.

They seemed to like this, and eagerly picked out the cocoons;

they also showed a liking for gentles, and after a time would

take small mealworms. Now and then, when very hungry, they

would eat a little hard-boiled egg and small pieces of meat, but

very seldom, and only when nothing else was left. When

hungry they constantly uttered a sharp shrill cry, and would

always answer me if I whistled to them. After they were able

to fly, I often let them loose in a large and lofty billiard room

which was not in use, and they would fly about for some time,

appearing to enjoy their comparative liberty.


They were very fond of bathing, and when their dish of

water was placed in their case, they would rush at it and jump

and make a great fuss, often remaining in the water for some

time, then they would come out almost drowned ; but as soon as

they got a bit dry in they would go again. But they were

particular that the water should be clean.


I regret now that I only made one or two notes as to the

growth of their feathers. On June ist, the twentieth day after

they had been hatched, the primary feathers were half-an-inch

long, and the body feathers were just beginning to show under

the down.


I always put them into the incubator at night until they

were about two months old, and then I kept them in a closed

cage in a warm room. During the day they were kept in a

covered-in wire run. When they were about twelve weeks old, a

tragedy occurred which caused me to lose them both. A Magpie

managed to seize and kill one, through the wire; and the other

chick died soon after, either from fright or from solitude.


I do not remember to have heard of anyone who has

previously reared this interesting species from the egg ; but if

any members of the Avicultural Society have done so, it might



