340



Correspondence, Notes, etc.



which I removed. I then chanced it and put the cock in with the hen.

She attacked him with open beak but he soon asserted his authority, but

never did any harm.


About a fortnight later five eggs were laid, also in the olive barrel,

which I of course thought would be unfertile; I was much surprised

however to hear young on the 14 th day after the last egg was laid. These

birds were well fed by both parents on black beetles, mealworms, moths,

etc., but no soft food was touched. The biggest beetles were used,

apparently whole, from the commencement.


It turned out two young were hatched and three eggs were clear.

The young left the nest on the twelfth day, but the parents never fed them

again, although both carried food about in their beaks. The young were

well-feathered but could not fly. I have an idea that the person in charge

may have tried to put them back, as they appeared to have fallen out ; this

would have upset the old birds. The two young birds died on the second

day from starvation, although when I saw what was the matter I tried to

feed them, but could not make them swallow.


The parents started building the day the young left the nest, and

have now two eggs, so I want if possible to know if there is anything I can

do. Of course the place they are in, being so very small, the young were

very exposed without any shelter when they came out, and perhaps the

parents would not feed them for this reason ; although when they were in the

nest the hen would take mealworms from my fingers and go straight to the

nest with them.


The end of the barrel, which was of course the entrance, was facing

the wire, and it was easy to see right into the nest, but the hen never

seemed to mind this; and on one occasion the cock tried, when the hen

was off, to go and sit on the eggs, but she quickly turned him out. He fed

her regularly when she was sitting, but with insects only.


If this letter is interesting enough to publish you may do so; as

■considering the cock was so wild, I think it rather surpising he should have

taken such a large share of the nesting operations in such unsuitable

quarters. Donald Swift.



PROLIFIC SILVER PHEASANTS AND CALIFORNIAN QUAILS.


Sir,— From a cock and three hen Silver Pheasants I have had

seventy-two fertile eggs this year, which I think is rather an unusual

number, especially as one hen is last j'ear’s bird.


I have a pair of Californian Quails, the hen of which laid a clutch 01

twenty eggs from which she hatched a brood of eighteen chicks, the other

two eggs having dead birds in them. H. Wormald.



