4



About a fortnight after this I happened to go into the

aviary and, quite by chance, found the hen Virginian had built a

nest in a bush, neatly lined with dry roots, and had two eggs.

I looked next day and still only two eggs (much to my joy, as

I knew two would take me plenty of rearing) and the hen sitting

steadily. A curious thing happened now, for whereas until then

the hen had been most ‘ scary,’ she would now let me go quite

close to her without coming off.


The cock now sang magnificently, especially in the

evening ; but he took no part at all in incubation (although we

are told that the cock always sits on the nest when the hen

leaves it). Before the sitting commenced he was most attentive

in feeding the hen ; and all through the time of incubation he

fed his wife assiduously. They feed from the crop.


All went well, and on the 13th day, on looking into the

nest as I passed—July Sth—I found that both eggs had hatched.

The young are queer looking little beggars covered over with

very dark fluff, like young Bullfinches. I watched the process

of feeding with great interest. The modus operandi was as

follows: The cock arrived at the nest-side at stated intervals and

fed the hen from the crop ; she then gently raised herself in the

nest and fed the young. For a week I think she hardly ever

left the nest. All feeding was done by the cock. I gave them

peas, strawberries, cherries, maggots, and mealworms, in

addition to seed. At the end of a week the young had grown

famously, and were a sort of coffee colour. On the eighth day

the eyes opened ; on the tenth they were well feathered ; colour,

a sort of dark brown ; and to-day, July iSth, to my intense

surprise, they have left the nest—I can’t say flown , rather they

have hopped out. I found them quite happy, on the floor in the

midst of an admiring throng of Pekin Robins and their own

proud and happy parents. They are queer little mortals with

small crests, no tails, and enormous legs and feet. The funny

thing is, the Pekin Robins feed them as well as their own parents.


The most wonderful part of the whole proceeding, to my

mind, is this, that these birds have been reared in an aviary in

which I have, besides the parents, two pairs of Pekin Robins and

a pair of Shamas. It only shows what can be done.


One other thing I have noticed, my Virginians hardly ever

erect their crests ; whereas in a cage they are alwaj^s on end.


I ought also to say that for five days I was ill in bed, after

the hatching, and the birds were fed by Mrs. Farrar ; so that she

must share the credit of our success.



