3§4



Mr. Reginald Phillipps.



were more temperate, as if they had learnt a lesson. While they

had young to feed they seemed to give up fruit, which, as they

fed from the crop, is suggestive ; but they took a little sop. And

after they had nearly killed themselves and their young one with

wasp-grubs, they suddenly almost deserted them. Ordinary

insectivorous food is always within their reach, and is just pecked

at when they can get nothing better. It seems to me that insect

life, gathered from the foliage of trees, is probably their principal

food in the wild state. My birds do not betray any disposition

to search for food along hedge bottoms or on the ground.


The Mesia would seem to be a good liver in captivity. I

have heard of only six examples reaching this country, and all

the six are still alive and well.


Let me now take up the story of my own birds more

definitely.


For over a fortnight the two Mesias were kept in a flight-

cage in the house, to enable them to gather themselves together

a bit; and it was whilst they were thus detained, that is, as long

ago as the 14th July, 1902, that they were sketched for our

magazine by Mr. Gronvold ; and on the following day they were

loosed into the aviary.


During that year at least there was nothing more to be

expected of them than that they should pick up their strength and

become accustomed to their new surroundings and companions.

Months roiled on with, happily, no startling events to record of

them. Every night they were carefully housed in the bird-

room ; every day, except when cold, they would fly into and

spend in the garden ; and from time to time during the spring

of this year, much too earl}" to please me, they betrayed a dis¬

position to go to nest.


In books I can find but little information about the

nesting habits of this species. Jerdon only says :—“ Its manners

are very similar (to the Liothrix), and the nest has been brought

to me, with the eggs very like those of the last, but with the

spots less numerous”; and Mr. Frank Finn:—“The nest and

eggs are very similar to the Pekin Robin’s.”


On May 17th, I transferred my pair to the reserved aviary.



