Mortality amongst Goldfinches.



131



A CURIOUS HABIT OF THE MOORHEN.


By E. G. B. Meade-Waldo.


It is of course a well-known fact that the young Moorhens

of the first brood will feed the young of a later brood ; but the

following fact seems of sufficient interest to be recorded. A pair

of Moorhens hatched a brood of seven young ones on a garden pond

close to this house on April 28th, 1918. In a fortnight’s time this

brood was reduced to five, four of which had greatly grown. The

fifth was small and puny, and followed one or other of its parents

continuously uttering its querulous cry for food. I noticed that

whenever the parent found a suitable morsel it did not give it to

the small young one following it, but ran over to one of the strong

young ones, who were already commencing to forage for themselves,

and presented the dainty, whatever it might be. I expected the

weakling to disappear; but one morning, while dressing, I noticed

that it seemed stronger and more independent, and the reason was

evident. I saw a parent present a piece of something to one of the

strong young ones, who in turn ran ami gave it to its weak fellow-

nestling ! This occurred repeatedly, and the small young one

eventually grew up. In an early number of this Magazine I recorded

how the young of the Trumpeter Bullfinch ( Erythrospiza githaginea)

would feed their brethren of a second nest while they themselves

were being fed occasionally by their parents, so probably this habit

is more frequent than is generally believed. I forgot to mention

that the old Moorhens, in addition to refusing to feed the w'eak

nestling, occasionally turned on it and gave it a good tweak !



MORTALITY AMONGST GOLDFINCHES.


By H. L. Sich.


I believe Dr. Butler has been successful in breeding or keeping

Goldfinches for long periods. I have only been able to keep one

hen for a year, all the other four dying within a few weeks after

purchase except one cock, which was not sound ; it used to gape,

except during the very hottest part of last summer. The pair nested



