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on how not to Breed Redrumps.



possession themselves! There was generally one egg at least

in the boxes when these raids took place, but they were easily

rolled into a corner and gave the conquerors no trouble. This

see-saw backwards and forwards was very bewildering tome;

and apparently the Cockatiels found it the same; for first one

hen and then the other gave up the struggle and quietly died,

and the two disconsolate widowers were removed to more

peaceful quarters.


Last season the Redrumps had the aviary to themselves,

and again they did their best to give me an interesting summer.

In February the cock started feeding the hen, so I put up the

nest boxes, artfully concealed among furze and dead branches,

and supplied a more generous diet.


For weeks they played in and out of the boxes as they had

done the previous season, but in May the hen disappeared and

remained invisible for seventeen days, while the cock^kept guard

at the entrance of one of the boxes. When the young might be

expected to hatch, extra seeds, especially hemp, were supplied

regularly, with fresh groundsel twice or three times a day; and

no doubt the birds had a royal time. I believe they were clever

enough to know why the good living was supplied, and organised

a regular campaign to cause it to continue. Whenever they

heard me approach the aviary the cock would give warning,

and the hen would race into the nest, while he kept guard at

the doorway, and reported my movements. If, however,

I came up undiscovered, he was scolding her in a most

ill-tempered fashion, and these two changes of attitude used

to puzzle me considerably.


At last, after seven weeks of patient feeding, no young

birds making their appearance, I looked into the box. Even

then the hen managed to slip past me and gain the nest

unnoticed, evidently trying to pass herself off as a young bird;

but though the interior of the box was rather dark I discovered

the fraud. Further examination showed one clear egg and not

even a piece of shell of any other.


Even then the birds tried their old tactics for a day or

two, but, finding no more dainties forthcoming, settled down to



