Mr. Frank Finn,



336



hausted her vital powers, although in the first year, when she

was only one year old, she also had produced two broods.


A pair of Black-necked Grackles (Gracupica nigricollis)

inhabited the adjoining aviary. Nothing is known of the nidi-

fication and nesting habits of this species, and I was therefore

anxious to obtain information on this point. They built a large

nest of straw in a dense box bush, and eggs were laid but dis¬

appeared in an unaccountable manner. I strongly suspect that

they were broken and eaten by the male bird, a most ill-tempered

creature. Only fragments of the egg were found, and these

were on the ground, showing that the eggs are of an uniform

turquoise-blue colour.



THE TRANSPORT OF BIRDS.


By Fkank Finn, B.A., F.Z.S.


('Concluded from page 301).


If waterfowl or waders are shipped in barred-floored cane

cages, it is a good plan to have a big tin bath made in which the

lower part of the cage can fit ; this will serve instead of a draw-

tray to receive dirt, and can be washed out when decks are

cleaned, while at the same time it can be filled with water in

favourable weather and used as a bath, the cage being plunged

into it.


In any case, it is advisable to wet the legs and feet of

waders and waterfowl pretty frequently, unless the weather is too

cold, to prevent them getting dry and feverish. A sprayer comes

in handy for this sort of thing. For all sorts of bathing fresh

water should be used, not salt, and all means taken to avoid

birds getting wetted by the sea; even sea-birds do not like salt

water so much as fresh for bathing. Gulls gladly resort to fresh¬

water streams and pools to bathe, if near the sea; and in hot

countries Cormorants keep to fresh water and avoid the sea as a

rule; while everybody knows it is only frost and fear of man

which draws the ordinary ducks sea-wards.


At the same time, in the case of a water-bird that was



