22 S



Dr. Arthur G. Butler,



CotvidcE, are liable to receive more raw meat than is good for

them. When this is the case, the birds suffer from relaxed

bowels, cramp, fits, and a short life. I think it probable that

this was the reason, rather than their condition when received,

why four specimens of this vigorous bird which reached the

Calcutta gardens in November, 1888, “died within a month or

two of their arrival.”


When “Jack,” as I call my bird, came into my possession,

he was rough iu plumage, dirty in feather, with the underparts

stained of a buffish tint like the specimens seen iu collections of

skins. It is probable that this staining of the snow-white

feathers in cabinet specimens is acquired by the birds squatting

upon natural branches after washing; since it does not appear

in examples which moult in captivity, and are properly looked

after.


At first Jack was very wild and nervous ; and as I was, for

a time, obliged to keep him in far too small a cage, he was

somewhat offensive. Later, I wired iu the sides and end of a

narrow staging at the end of my conservator}', thus forming a

flight cage about five feet six inches in length, two feet in width,

and 31 inches high ; two perches cross this cage at a height of

about 20 inches from the ground ; one towards each end, so as

to allow of a short flight ; and two metal trays slide in from front

to back, one for sand, the other for shingle; upon the latter the

large water-pan is placed, and upon the sanded tray is his pot of

food.


The staple food provided for this and my English Jay

consists of crumb of stale household bread, powdered sweet

biscuit, yolk of egg, Abrahams’ food for insectivorous birds, and

ants’ eggs, thoroughly mixed together and slightly damped.

Once a week both birds receive a piece of raw beef, about a cubic

inch, cut up small. I11 addition I give all mice caught in the

traps*, young birds thrown out of nests or deserted eggs, of any

birds nesting in my aviaries ; cockroaches in plenty, an

occasional mealworm, spiders, rarely worms ; also fruit, left by

the other birds, grapes now and again, nuts, biscuit, or sponge



I have had none to catch for the last five months, so they have to do without them.



