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Mrs. E. J. Johnstone,



half-filled the summer house with materials but evidently the

fact that one pair fancied one special box or possessed a good

supply of feathers, was quite enough for another pair to come

and remove the feathers or take possession of the box. The

result was a few clear eggs and innumerable empty nests. So

this year they will be divided up and placed with larger birds

and I hope they may be overlooked and allowed to nest in peace.


Next door to these energetic mites live a cock King Bird

of Paradise and his two wives—at least I hope that both the

little brown birds are females—one is, I know, for two reasons :

firstly that she brought up, entirely on hard boiled egg, a

nestling King Bird brought by a native in New Guinea to Mr.

Goodfellow, their importer. It was found on the ground having

evidently fallen from the nest. It was placed in a cage, half of

which was wired off, and the little hen fed the baby through

the wire. Mr. Goodfellow, seeing this, placed them in one

division, and the baby was completely and satisfactorily reared.

This is one reason, and the other is nearly as good. She gives the

other two inmates of the aviary a very bad time—that is unless

they immediately vacate the food pan, grapes, apple or whatever

her ladyship fancies at the moment—with wings half spread

and quivering, neck stretched, beak open, she darts at them, a

picture of fury, a positive virago, and woe betide her beautiful

mate if he does not instantly make way.


The other “hen ” is I am inclined to think a young cock,

his beak is a clear yellow, lier’s a dusky yellow. He is slightly

bigger and more clearly marked, and very submissive.


These birds seem to be as hardy as Thrushes, they look

brighter if possible when the temperature is 40 to 45 deg. The}''

love the fresh air and dart eagerly out of doors when the windows

are open. I11 the small outside flight is planted a thick, ivy bush,

in which they delight. It is hunted over and over, for, I imagine,

small insects ; the dead leaves were all picked out and carried

into their covered aviary by, I believe, the young cock, and

after a little dancing, dropped. To my surprise one day, I saw

him sivcillozv a leaf and I expected some bad result, but it had

no effect of any sort. I feed these birds on damped insectivorous

food I make myself; grapes, apples and oranges, and any other



