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Correspondence, Notes, etc.



The following reply ?oas sent to Mr. Arthur:


When not spoilt, Gouldians ate the most simple feeders imaginable,

and seem to rear their young (from the crop) on hard seed only.


I most strongly advise you not to give egg-flake or egg in any form,

nor ants’ eggs or anything of the kind. They generally like white millet;

also cuttle-bone, and a lump of rock-salt kept clean and moist. Also the

Indian and spray millet and a little canary. I should not scald any of the

seed. Keep the water-glass clean and regularly filled.


Incubation lasts about twelve days.


In a cage (but not in an aviary) the males sometimes give trouble

when the young are a few days old, wanting to go to nest again prematurely.

In the meantime, all you can do is to leave them alone and watch.


If the male should go wrong, you must be very canny, for sometimes

the female will not feed the young if the male be removed. Individual

birds (in a cage) differ as much as Canaries do ; but with all your experience

with birds generally you will be able to manage all right I suspect.


The only real difficulty with Gouldian-breediug in a cage comes when

the female is allowed to go on lay, lay', lay’, until she kills herself.


See Mr. Meade-Waldo’s valuable experiences at p. 127 of Vol. VII. of

our Magazine. Reginald Phieeipps.



THE SCARLET IBIS.


In reply to an enquiry, the Jollowing letter zoas forwarded to

Mrs. Gregory:


The Scarlet Ibis is not unduly sensitive to cold, but would not long

survive in a damp wet situation whether indoors or out.


At the London Zoological Gardens, they' are now (July 4) breeding in

the great aviary'. I11 the winter they are kept in the aviary opposite, which

consists of a part glass shed with a large open flight in front, and as a rule

they' go in and out as they please; but they are shut up every night, and

also day and night while snow is on the ground.


They are fed on chopped plaice, whiting, shrimps, &c., and must

have access to a fairly large pan of frequently renewed water.


To sum up, the Scarlet Ibis can be kept with the same protection as

that given to ordinary' fowls, but the shed must be dry and free from

draughts, and should be well lighted.


Probably cats would not attack them ; the greater dangerin a country'

district would be from foxes, stoats, and possibly rats.


Weseey T. Page.



