On the other hand, as every practical aviculturist knows,

with many species, the healthy and the dying will live together

to the last moment, cuddling together, the healthy bird kissing

and fondling the dying mate or friend, and bewailing its

inevitable departure.


No. 3, No. i in order of time, was run to death by the

same female that afterwards caused or hastened the death of No.

2 ; and the study of her case leads us on to another feature in the

economy of the Pitta which I must bring under notice for the

information and guidance of aviculturists ; and I feel sure that

Mr. Astley will forgive me if, in the cause of aviculture, I differ

from him, and may seem to find fault with the management of

the birds whilst they were under his care.


Before forwarding them, Mr. Astley warned me that their

feet were delicate, and that I must take care not to have coarse

sand on the bottom of their cage.


It seems many generations ago since I received my first

Pied Rock-Thrush. Those I first obtained had been fed on

mealworms, and I continued the high feeding ; and swollen feet

and abcesses on the faces quickly followed. I studied the case

carefully; and I came to the conclusion, a conclusion the

soundness of which I never have had occasion to doubt or cause to

modify, that it was the too high feeding that had produced the

evils referred to and others besides. For years and years I have

kept the Pied Rock-Thrush, up till this last April to be precise, but

have never since had a tumour on a Rock-Thrush—nor on aii} r

other species excepting the Pitta.


Some years ago, I obtained a couple of immature Golden

Orioles. A well known German aviculturist chanced to pay me

a visit, and, seeing the Orioles, warned me against allowing the

perches in their cage to become dirty as they had very tender

feet, and would get swollen feet if I were not careful. I

remembered the Rock-Thrushes, and was satisfied in my own

mind that my visitor was mistaken. Between that day and this

I have had many Orioles, Golden and others, and have some still,

but have never had an Oriole with a suspicion of a swollen foot.


With these experiences to look back upon, I naturally, if

egotistically, attributed the swollen feet of the Pittas to the

bounteous hospitality of their owner rather than to the sand.

The feet of three out of the four Pittas were bad, one very bad.

So ill has this last bird been sometimes that I have looked upon

her case as almost hopeless. And yet this is the sole survivor of

the four Pittas, the slayer of one, perhaps of two, of her companions.



