66



Mrs. Johnstone,



nourished, they had received severe checks at some time while

in the nest, due to insufficient food, and the cold winds and

want of feathers had caused a chill to which they succumbed.

He has kindly consented to add a description of the two young

birds, as they were sent to him as soon after death as possible.


[This is a very valuable experience, for even in Australia

very little is known of the private family life of this species.

It will be observed that the father had not adopted the plumage

of the fully adult male, and that the eyes of the young birds

were of the same colour as in the adult. There was an in¬

describable difference in the shading of the general colour of

the two young birds, tending to point to their being a pair.

The number of eggs in a clutch is usually two, but not in¬

frequently three.


The youngsters were splendid birds, and not badly

nourished on the whole, although the plumage of" the one

first received bore two tell-tale famine streaks. Mrs. Johnstone

had, most unfortunately, left three odd adults in the aviary, so

the task of providing sufficient insect life was superhuman. If

the odd birds could have been quietly run into an adjoining

aviary, their presence would have encouraged the nesters

without interfering with the food supply. The stomachs of the

young ones were absolutely empty of food, though that of the

second contained two pieces of grit. The amount of food that

two great long-legged fast-growing youngsters of this kind

required to fully nourish them and their fast-growing feathers

must have been enormous.


There was another error in the treatment of the breeding

pair. We are told that they were supplied with food every two

hours, later every hour. From this I gather that a certain

amount of insect life was placed in the aviary from time to time.

This is altogether a wrong principle to work upon. And how

about the early mornings ? Can it be stated positively that the

periodical feeding commenced at three o’clock in the morning

and was never delayed or omitted ! The famine streaks on the

tail feathers of the one and the empty stomachs of them both

tell a different tale. If young birds are to be reared successfully.



