342



Correspondence , Notes, etc.



purchase, as their proper treatment during my absence is somewhat

uncertain, and their character in the aviary and as long livers seems none

of the best, still they are charming.


My two pairs are apparently in the best of health, and take a

tremendous amount of exercise in spite of their clipped wings ; they are

very seldom still except at mid-day siesta time and, of course, at night :

always clambering about and playing with each other, regular romping.

They are rather noisy and very fussy, but seem to do no harm to other

birds, which, it must be owned, do not seem inclined to give them a chance,

not that ithe qtlier birds show great fear of them, but the Muskies are

always given right-of-way without having to claim it. Their especial play¬

ground is a nesting box mostly covered on the outside with soft rotten

wood with a bottom of the same material, and any bird passing too close

has to run the gauntlet. Fortunately the other birds with clipped wings

can fly a little. The custom of clipping wings is most annoying. Quite

recently one pair have hunted off the other from this box, and the latter

have taken another similar box to play about with. Their choice is rather

lucky for me, as it leaves the best nesting places for other birds, who never

thought of these nests even when they were allowed to, much preferring

the more or less natural rotten wood log nests.


They are far the smartest climbers I have got, and can run at a good

pace, though when really stretching themselves on the ground, they go in

for enormous hops, very rapid but not clumsy. One curious thing about

them is their aversion to clean water, they drink a good deal certainly, but

I have not seen them bathe in it yet. Put some mud in the water, and then,

as soon as they notice it, the fun begins, and it is the funniest thing in the

aviary. First, a good long drink, then a romp in the water, rolling each

other over, and ducking each other like a pack of schoolboys with various

antics savouring of horse play. One of the favourite is to go back a little

wa}% then rush in with huge hops into the middle of the bathing pan. If

lucky enough to land on another the unfortunate is held down as long as

possible. The game is accompanied with such squawking, fortunately not

very obnoxious out of doors, and goes on for twenty minutes or so. Then

four absolutely filthy looking objects retire to a perch in the sun (if there

is any) to regain their natural brilliancy, then sometimes a short nap, and

back to their play-box. I discovered this peculiarity by accident (as usual)

after one of the dirty rain storms we get here, when there are dust storms

going on in the plains, mud also is splashed into the pans from the ground.

I thought at first that it was the rain water that pleased them, but I found

that putting in some mud had the same result; the mud may have some

softening effect as the water here is very hard. The foothold theory will

not hold good in this case, as the mud makes the bottom slimy and

slippery.


As to food, since getting your letter (and before that when I had some



