io5


room, it makes a very delightful aviary inmate, and its pretty

ways and graceful movements have made it a great favourite of

mine.



DANGEROUS BIRDS.


By Chas. Iy. Rothera, B.A.


The young aviculturist, anxious to extend his collection

beyond the few pet Canaries which are certain to form its

nucleus, probably searches the readily accessible books for

information as to what birds are likely to prove a desirable

acquisition ; and he is pretty sure to find a word of warning

against one or another species on account of their habitual

cross grain.


My experience, gleaned from observations extending over

a good many years, of birds in a very mixed collection, leads me

to believe that it is unfair to brand a whole race as villains

because an odd individual may have displayed aggressive

tendencies.


Thus, I found myself at the outset warned by one

authority against the Virginian Cardinal and the Red-crested

Cardinal, but I have kept both in the same division of the

aviary, sometimes pairs of each, sometimes odd ones, and never

had any trouble—well, hardly ever. I must admit that I had


rows when I put a new, brilliant cock Virginian into the

aviary where an old, dull, cripple-winged cock was established

but owing to the inability of the old one to get about freely,

nothing serious ensued. This, however, does not prove that the

Virginian is generally troublesome, but only that two cocks may

disagree even in the absence of a hen : for I was at that time

wanting a hen. So, too, I have found Red-crested Cardinals

perfectly harmless, except on one or two occasions, one of which

at least was peculiar. I had, what I believed to be, a pair. A

nest was built, and eggs were laid and carefully incubated by the

two birds alternately. But when it became apparent that no

young ones were forthcoming, I took down the nest and found

eight eggs in it, in two very distinCl clutches. These being

removed, the two birds, which had hitherto lived in perfeCt

amity, set on and fought like Whitechapel termagants until one

was killed ; when the viCtrix, not content with her success,

actually stood upon the dead body of the vanquished and

stripped it of half its feathers. On the introduction of a cock

bird, nesting was successfully undertaken and no further trouble



