270 Breeding of Hybrid Cockatoos.


pleased to see cue young bird, recently hatched, probably three

or four days old, and one unhatched pure white egg, about the

size and shape of the Eagle Owl’s (Bubo maximus).


The youngster’s head and neck was quite nude, its body

was covered with short, whitish down, and it was apparently a

healthy bird ; in case of causing harm no time was lost in getting

down and removing the ladder out of sight, as the old birds were

in such a state of mind at our presence. On May 29th the young¬

ster left the nest, but was not seen until the following day, being

cunningly hidden in a large Beech tree, right away from the nest;

when discovered it was sitting with the parents, one on each side.

It looked fully developed and about the size and shape of the male.

Wings, tail and mantle a light grey; head, neck and all under

parts sulphur, with the exception of a salmon-coloured patch

on each ear about the size of a sixpence, and a dash of grey on

the crop, neatly blended with the prevailing sulphur-colour;

eyes, black; bill, light horn ; feet, brown ; crest, short, extending

only to the nape ; colour, a mixture of sulphur and light rose;

when on the wing more rose colour is noticeable than when the

birds are at repose. The parents are very devoted to it; they

feed from the crop, and when doing so like to stand on a bough

or twig, over the youngster. We give them filberts, walnuts,

monkey nuts, maize, wheat and bread daily, besides this they

find a good deal of natural food, paying several daily visits to a

Lucerne field three-quarters-of-a-mile away. I cannot say what

they brought, as a good crop of various weeds are in flower on

this particular field.


On June 1st all three birds returned to the aviary and sat

on the highest part. The surprise of the youngster’s first sight

of the inmates was amusing. I believe it thought that the Night

Herons and Laughing Jackass were his brothers and sisters,

they certainly appealed to its curiosity the most; the amusing

part of all was to watch the old birds trying to drive away the

other birds who persisted in having nests in the same tree.

First of all were a pair of Indian Green Parrakeets, whose young

we expect to see emerge daily ; then a pair of Stock Doves, a

pair of Jackdaws, and last, four pairs of Starlings. I shot the

Jackdaws as soon as I possibly could ; all the others were success-



