302



Dr. A. G. Butler,



cross-bar of tlie frame-work and against the wire it was semi¬

circular in outline. As the back of this part of the aviary is

boarded up behind the wire, excepting a small space near the

ridge left for ventilation, and is protected above by glass, the

position of the nest was about the most sheltered in the aviary,

and evidences the intelligence of the builder.


As soon as I discovered the sitting bird, I set to work to

dig up some worms ; and the cock bird immediately flew down,

broke them up into fragments, and carried them straight to the

nest: this convinced me that the eggs must have already hatched.

In like manner, when I placed a beetle-trap in the aviary, the

clever bird took them one by one from this receptacle, broke off

their legs and left them lying about until he had secured about

half a dozen ; these he partly broke up, and with his bill filled

to its utmost capacity flew up to the nest.


I was not able to see whether the cock fed the young him¬

self, or whether the hen took the food from him ; but, from the

rapidity with which he returned for further supplies, I thought it

probable that the latter was the arrangement followed.


From this time I began to supply a few worms every hour,

in addition to cockroaches and the usual soft food. When

utilizing the latter as nutriment for the young, I was interested

to notice that, as is the case with other birds, the cock carefully

selected only yolk of egg, with which he literally crammed his

bill: if this food were so injurious as it has been represented to

be, surely the instinct inherent in these creatures would not lead

them to select it alone, as a dainty suited to the delicate digestion

of baby birds.


On the 3rd July I first heard the voices of the young in

the nest, and was easily able to recognize three as the number of

birds hatched, one voice being much stronger than the two

others.


On the 6th I went with our Editor to the Zoological

Gardens, and left instructions for the Ouzels to be supplied with

worms as frequently as possible during my absence: but un¬

fortunately the man who cleans out my cages and aviaries, was

unable to attend to them so regular!}' as I could do when at

home; to which fact I attribute a serious disaster.



