on Waders in Captivity.



203



thoroughly comfortable imprisonment, Knots, Ruffs and Reeves,

Bartailed Godwits, Redshanks, Waterrails, Landrails, Common

Sandpipers, Lapwings, Stonecurlews, besides Nutcrackers,

Siberian Larks, and sometimes in summer Pintailed, and Black-

bellied Sandgrouse, and Chinese Ouail.


But far the most delightful of all the non-waders were

some half dozen Pratincoles, which were turned out for the

summer about three years ago. They charmed everybody by

their agile flight, and lively movements, running along the

gravel, chasing the flies which visited the food dishes, or hovering

like Terns before the door, if they thought that I had some meal¬

worms to show to them. Unfortunately we had a visitation of

Sparrowhawks which, in spite of all the measures that we could

devise, relentlessly persecuted the inmates of this aviary, which

is some way from the house, and near a wood. Of course the

Hawks could not touch the birds ; but they caused several of

them, especially the Knots and the Pratincoles, to dash them¬

selves against the wires in their panic ; several being killed

outright, and others having to be destroyed as being injured

beyond recovery.


In the end I had to withdraw the Pratincoles, and to

shorten the wings (both) of the Knots. The Redshanks, and

Ruffs, and Reeves I have been able to leave full-winged, and never

found them to touch the wires, except on one occasion when a

very small Weasel contrived to get into the aviary, and then I

lost a Ruff and a Reeve.


And now I come to the question of diet. My Waders

scarcely ever see a mealworm ; but they manage to capture a

good many insects which find their way into the aviary,

especially in spring and summer. Twice a day a flat dish is put

in, containing Spratts Poultry Meal and crissel scalded, and

mixed with a little insect food (dried corixae, and ants’ cocoons, I

believe), and made into a crumbly mass with ground oats.

Another dish contains some finely chopped sheep’s heart, liver,

or rabbit; but the former is the best.


The birds thrive on this diet, and the Ruffs assume, and

throw off, their extraordinary nuptial dress completely, and at



