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they will never breed as matters now stand. Either the aviary is too small,

too exposed, or too something they do not approve of.


Mr. St. Quintin ( Avic . Mag., Vol. V., p. 73) mentions some Choughs in

his possession which annually nested in a box, but did not lay. The nests

were made of birch twigs lined with horse-hair.


Mr. Howard Saunders, and also Dr. Butler in “British Birds with

their Nests and Eggs,” refer to the more or less successful breeding of the

species in semi-captivity by Lady Dorothy Nevill (a). I observe that Dr.

Butler connects my name with the “ appalling ” noise made by my

Choughs. This is not fair to the Choughs. / never found the noise

appalling, very much the contrary; and as to my neighbours-.


All authorities agree that the nest is built of sticks, stems of heather

or “some deciduous plant,” and lined with hair, or “ wool and hair.”

Doubtless the slight differences are governed by the nature of the locality.


Breeding season—“ End of April to middle of May.” In Pembroke¬

shire, on the occasion I have referred to, the first eggs -were being laid early in

May.


On looking up my Notes, I find that 1115' male Chough (I received the

female one year later) was a most determined nest-builder, commencing as

early as February. He carried sticks, leaves, roots, straw, practically what¬

ever came to hand—but “ preferred the roots.” He was ever at war with

the male White Jackdaw (at this time paired with a Chinese Blue-Pie), but

would spend hours with the female in her old nest, a good-sized barrel,

hidden away at the top of the aviary. Take the male White Jackdaw, he

seemed inclined to destroy the eggs, so had to be watched and shut up.

This is not unusual with large birds of this kind when nesting in a confined

space. The}' ate raw meat, scraps of many kinds, insects, etc., but the

female did not care for mealworms. Both were fond of hemp.


I have strong reasons for suspecting that, in the wild state, they

occasionally fish in the shallows along the shore for crabs, shell-fish, etc.,

and perhaps even fish. They are as ready with their talons as a Hawk,

seizing and holding things with great power, simultaneously “stocking”

their victim with their bill; and their long legs render them indifferent to

a little water; and observe how “ they tuck up their trousers” out of the

wet! I have been told, by the way, that the Chough in confinement does

not tub; mine did “ regularly but not frequently,” according to my notes.


They are said to feed on berries, but I am without knowledge on that


point.


The\ T readily pounce on other birds, and doubtless kill the young of

shore birds when they get the chance. Morris gives “grain and berries,

and certainly carrion sometimes,” of course in addition to various insects.


Your feeding would seem to be hardly sufficiently generous.


To return again to the materials for nesting, Mr. Howard Saunders

refers to the long wiry stems of heather, and I have mentioned that my bird

preferred roots to sticks. Probably, therefore, when there is choice, the bird

likes something not too stiff; but doubtless, if a Chough is determined to

nest, it will not be too particular about the materials. If you should

succeed in obtaining another male, provide them with plenty of space.



(a) “Zoologist,” 1882, p. 451.



