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in deep ponds, etc., without shallows, they manage to catch a good number,

mostly along the margins, and certainly devour all they cau catch. But in

ponds with shallows and suitable reeds, Moorhens will sometimes devour

every baby fish hatched out, entirely keeping down the stock of fish.


In order to verify my suspicions as to the marauders which spoiled

my early piscicultural attempts, and to test their voracity, I have dyked off

little shallows at the edges of the ponds, near to the shallows systematically

visited by the Moorhens, stocked them with young dace, etc., and on the

following morning have invariably found every fish gone. The bottoms of

the enclosed parts, and the dykes, would be so covered with the prints of

the Moorhens’ feet that an unmarked squar e inch could hardly be found

I have had many scores taken in a single night of by no means small fry.

Nevertheless, the newly hatched fish are those which are most easily' picked

up by the Moorhens.


In some ponds, however, it is the insect larvae which devour the

spawn and stop the increase. Reginald Phigeipps.



EGG-BINDING IN BIRDS.


Sir, —I have recently tried a treatment for egg-binding which was

recommended to me by a German breeder of Canaries, with the greatest

success, and as it appears to be different to that practised in this country,

perhaps some member, who may have a bird suffering in this way, might be

interested to hear of my experience.


Two of my Gouldian Finches paired, a cock Black-head and a lieu

Red-head. They made a nest in a cocoa-nut, and she laid one egg a few

day's ago. Two day's later, I found her in a heap at the bottom of the cage,

and apparently dy'ing : her eyes were shut and she was panting very much.

I took her out and examined her, and saw what was the matter. I held her

in my hand on her back under a cold water tap, gently' turned on, for quite

a minute, letting the water run down towards her tail. Then I wrapped

her, all but her head, in a piece of very hot flannel; she lay like this in my T

lap, too ill to resist. In an hour's time, as there was no result, I repeated

the process—as I was told to do—and in less than ten minutes the egg came

away', and next morning she was hopping about gaily'. Yesterday' the same

thing happened again, and I treated her in the same way, with the same

result, and to-day she is looking as well and brisk as possible.


Now I have separated the liens for the present, for evidently they' are

not in breeding condition. I notice that the beaks of all the cock-birds

have become white and transparent, with red tips—but only' the beak of

this one hen—all the others are quite dark.


Of this pair, I have had the cock since December, 1S96, and the hen

since April, 1S97 ; her mate died a few day's after I had bought them. They

have both moulted three times—in April and May each year—and they are

extremely' tame.


If y'ou think this account would be of any interest or use, I should be

glad to hear the views of others ; if not, please take no further trouble

about it. C. D. RoTCH.



