on the Breeding of Pt erodes Exits his. 65


aviary birds. The Bearded Tits especially feed more on this than

on any other seed ; and all kinds of Sandgrouse and Ouail etc.

seem exceedingly fond of it. It seems that there is no stupe¬

fying quality in the seed of the poppy ; and I believe the drug,

the name of which is associated with this plant, is obtained by

crushing the seed-capsule, and not at all from the seed within it.


One of the young did not grow so quickly as the others,

aud died when about ten days old ; the others thriving from the

first, and growing apace. Young Sandgrouse are fledged at an

early age, and, being fat and heavy, are apt to seriously bruise

and injure themselves if suddenly startled, unless their flight-

feathers are shortened. The parents (both) brooded the young

in a sunny corner of the aviary, and for the first few weeks they

did not wander far, except to follow the sun-patches as they

shifted across the aviary floor. Though they squatted closely

when anyone approached, they soon began, when all was quiet

again, to pick up the seeds which we sprinkled over and around

them.


I could see no difference in habit of either young or

parents between this species aud alchatus, except that my exustus

have never shown any inclination for shepherd’s purse, chick-

weed, lettuce, or grasses, or any other green food: whereas,

alchatus must be supplied with these things if it is to be kept in-

health. This probably points to exustus inhabiting more arid

districts than the other species.*


As in alchatus the cock bird (only) waters the young, so

does the male exustus. Mr. Meade-Waldo was the first to

describe this most interesting habit in the case of the former

species. It has been repeatedly observed in my aviaries, and

now again with exustus.


Whether the habit is common to all the species of this

family remains to be ascertained, though in the case of the fine

arenarius Mr. Meade-Waldo observed this species also visiting

the troughs and puddles about the village wells in Morocco, and

flying off after soaking their breast-plumage, doubtless with the

same object in view. The process is so extraordinary that

perhaps I may be forgiven for again dwelling upon it. The



* Although closely allied, P. exustus differs from P. alchatus in not exhibiting the

remarkable seasonal changes of plumage (in both sexes) seen in the latter species.


W. H. St. Q.



