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Practical Bird-Keeping.



nesting-boxes and the winter feeding of birds also form part

of this Bulletin, as well as shorter notes relating to the des¬

truction of birds at home and abroad. We heartily congratulate

its founders on their very practical and common-sense intentions,

which we hope they will succeed in successfully carrying out,

and we are sure the ‘ Ligue frangaise pour la protection des

oiseaux’ will have the very best wishes of all our members for a

long and useful career.



PRACTICAL BIRD-KEEPING.


XIV.—HOW TO BREED BIRDS.


By J. Lewis Bonhote.


At this time of the year the thoughts of all aviculturists are

concentrated on “spring-cleaning” and the re-arrangement of

their stock into their summer quarters, whether for breeding or

otherwise. On looking through the back numbers of our Maga¬

zine one is struck by the fact that, amongst all our members, a

comparatively very small proportion can in any way be termed

successful breeders; of course the difficulties to be contended

with are great, the majority of the birds kept are inhabitants of

foreign and more genial climes, then natural food, and especially

that with which the young should be nourished is unattainable

in this country, and from lack of aviary room they cannot be

given the quiet and freedom from molestation necessary to the

successful rearing of their young. In spite of all these draw¬

backs, however, the list of successful breeders might be much

greater than it really is, and I propose to give a few hints which

may, I hope, assist in producing a greater measure of success.

Two factors are indispensable to successful breeding (i) Condition,

(ii) Stimuli, which, in other words, implies environment and

attention to minute details.


Firstly, Condition. This is, of course, a sine qua non, and

unless it be in suitable ‘condition’ no bird can breed or should

even be mated up for breeding. A secondary point to be borne

in mind about ‘ condition ’ is the time of year at which a bird must

be brought into breeding trim. In this respect many birds in

confinement are late—not till June or July do they respond to



