28



On the Ringed Plover as an Aviary Bird.



be had in the town, and whilst waiting the arrival of these I

went down to the beach and canglit a varied collection of insects,

sand-hoppers, small shrimps, etc. When these were offered they

were seized with avidity. When the ants-eggs and mealworms

arrived I made a chopped paste of equal parts with hard-boiled

yolk of egg; this was refused, and this resulted in another

journey to the sea-shore. This time a larger quantity was pro¬

cured and I tried leaving out the mealworms and substituting

chopped shrimps in their place with the ants’ eggs and yolk of

egg; this they accepted, and after one or two mouthfuls made

no demur again. I found that cooked shrimps were taken just

as well as the raw ones, but these I made into a paste by pound¬

ing them up before mixing with the other ingredients. After

some few days some minced meat was gradually added to the

food, and from this they were by degrees weaned on to a staple

diet of chopped hard-boiled eggs, both whites and yolks being

used, chopped raw meat, bread crumbs, and a little game food

mixed in : this they thrived well on. *


As pets Ring Plovers get remarkably tame and confiding,

and will always come to the wires of the aviary if called to

obtain some tit-bit or another. They prefer a very thick laj^er of

sand in the aviary, and are very fond of dabbling in a very

shallow tray of water which was placed in for their benefit.

They do not seem to be quarrelsome birds and do not interfere

with their companions, the Californian Quails.



* I had just finished writing up to this point when, on taking down

my numbers of the Avicultural Magazine to have a glance through, I noticed

that on p. 90 (the March No. of this year) Mr. Percival has an article 011

rearing Ringed Plovers from the egg, which I was unaware of. I must

apologize for not having more carefully read my numbers of the Magazine,

before wasting space in the Society’s periodical, which might be used to

better advantage than in being utilised to chronicle my experiences of a

bird which another member has done more than myself with.—P. W. F.


Independent accounts are always valuable ; and I am sorry that Mr.

Farmborough did not continue his account of these interesting birds.—R.P.



