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looking on to tlie aviary before starting to the city ; she asked

me for food for her babes in a pathetic and reproachful tone ;

but I gave her nothing to her liking and the young died of

starvation.


I am satisfied that the White Jackdaw is not an albino,

nor an artificial production like the White Java Sparrow, but a

distinct variety or race which breeds true to colour coming from

the Continent ; but I have not been able to ascertain the locality

whence those annually imported acftually come. Of course

mealworms, cockroaches, etc., would have saved these birds, and

the plumage would have settled the question. Several times with

birds I have had an opportunity which I have failed to avail

myself of, and the opportunity has never been offered again — a

warning to my fellow-aviculturists. In succeeding years the

female Jackdaw would never allow the male to approach her

(one year she mated with a Chough, but the eggs were not

fertile) ; and I have had other instances where brother and sister

obtained a divorce : — was this accident, or a natural instinct to

avoid inbreeding and a degenerate progeny ?


The female Shama is now a common bird in this country,

but years ago it was as fabulous as the Roc, and many were the

mysterious reasons given for its non-appearance. I may mention,

in connection with the food question now being discussed in our

pages, that my first female died in a fit owing to the special food

I used to have prepared for my birds not having been sufficiently

cooked. I have long since ceased to give a servant an oppor-

tunity of killing my birds by negligence. My next female I

imported direct from Calcutta. A pair of Shanias were sent over,

but the male disappeared shortly before the steamer entered the

Thames. According to the official report, it was killed by the

rats. I examined the cage, and found that the rats could not

possibly have got hold of it. A sovereign was to have been paid

to the butcher, the caretaker of all birds and beasts on board

ship, for each bird received alive ; but somebod}^ had evidently

offered more than the sovereign, and so the butcher let the

"rats" have it. I mention this as there seems to be strong

evidence that this is not an uncommon occurrence when rare

birds are imported unaccompanied by a responsible person.

However, the despised female, of course the one I valued most,

arrived safely on September 29th, 1892. On April 26th following,

this bird, who was shut up separately from a male, but in the

same bird-room, commenced carrying hay about. On May 5th

it was clear that the birds wanted to pair, when, on the following



