i6o



Dr. A. G. Butler,



Gefiederte Welt’ for 1S91 Mr. H. Wiinn and Dr. Russ both

describe nests built and eggs laid by the Skylark in their bird-

rooms ; the first gentleman had two nests, but both were

destroyed by a Ouail, and Dr. Russ sent his as a curiosity to the

Berlin Museum. Mr. Phillipps records the nesting of Melano-

■coryphayeltoniensis in his garden aviary in 1899, and tells us that

the hen began to sit with the first egg, but he gives us no

information as to when this egg was laid and when it was

hatched.


I have looked in vain for data as to the incubation of the

Pittas. Respecting the Tyrants Major Beudire tells us much,

but his notes chiefly deal with genera hitherto not imported as

cage-birds ; in the King-bird ( Tyrannus) lie tells us that

incubation lasts from twelve to thirteen days ; but of the

incubation of Milvulus tyrannus he unfortunately could not

write, the bird being only an occasional visitor to the United

States.


The Nightjar has been kept as a cage-bird in Germany:

its period of incubation is eighteen days according to Mr. J. H.

Gurney, Junr. In the Woodpeckers the period is usually

perhaps about fourteen days ; this is so in the case of the Greater

Spotted Woodpecker : in some of the species, the eggs not

being laid at regular intervals of twenty-four hours, it is

difficult to ascertain the period with certainty. Very little

information is available respecting Kingfishers; but Major

Bendire says that Ceryle alcyon sits about sixteen days. Probably

the only way to ascertain the period in the Hornbills would be

to hatch eggs of the various species in an incubator.


Of Bee-eaters and Rollers I can find no records ; nor does

anything seem to be known as to the incubation-period of

Toucans and Barbets, or even of Cuckoos ; but of the Touracous

Mrs. Johnstone gives us valuable information with her Phaser's

Touracous ( Turacus macrorhynchus) :—“ Almost exactly three

weeks after the lieu commenced to sit, the first egg hatched”

(Avic. Mag. N. S., Vol. III. p. 28).


In the Parrots, owing to the irregularity with which their

eggs are laid, it requires considerable observation and judgment

to ascertain the length of time required to hatch them : coil-



