on the Breeding of the Black-cheeked Lovebird. 327


to its occupants; the principal dead tree is a common black

poplar; and, fastened up against the outside wall of the house,

are several birch brooms, which really were new once, although'

one might hardly believe it from their present appearance.


During the first half of June, these two birds, but especially

and for a longer period the female, were constantly attacking the

dead poplar. Their desire, of course, was to chip off little strips

of bark, after the manner of the Rosy-faced Lovebird, but, as

there was not any bark, they had to put up with little strips, or

lengthened chips, of the wood itself, which they passed sideways

backwards and forwards between their mandibles, for the purpose

of making them soft and supple. But not once did I notice any

attempt to fix material among the feathers: they invariably

carried in the beak. It is likely enough that, if they had had

access to living trees, they would have carried strips of bark

amongst the feathers of the lower back and upper tail-coverts,,

after the orthodox fashion. They also, but principally the female,

carried hay, stalks of wheat, spray millet stalks, and sticks. Most

of the latter were cut (gnawed) from the birch brooms * fastened

against the house, but some were picked up off the ground.


The female took to her nest on June 20—probably the first

egg was laid that day. O11 the 23rd, noticing the female in the

garden with the male, I slipped into the birdroom, lifted down the

log, and found two eggs in quite a substantial nest. The eggs,



* A curious little episode occurred in connection with this wood-cutting". A pair of

Cuba Finches, Phonipara canora , built a nest in one of the brooms. Then came the Love¬

birds and carried off a large part of the broom, .leaving the nest very much exposed, and

frightening away the tiny Cubas. A little later, however, mother Cuba was sitting on this

nest, when, one morning", I found that it had been partially destroyed by a female Pied

Rock-Thrush, and the female herself injured, besides the whole of her tail being pulled

out. The nest had been very much dragged about, but I found two eggs still in it, each

hidden away separately in a tiny pocket—not by accident, I think. I shut up the Thrush, the

only evil-minded bird of this species I have ever possessed : and the plucky little Cuba

returned to her nest—but, after two or three days, deserted it as I thought. I saw the male

carrying a little hay, and the female slept in or near the nest at night; but I never

imagined that anything was going on, for the female had not recovered from the Thrush’s

attack, and the male also had had a nasty peck. I heard the funny si-si-sl-si of the

baby Cuba ; but this cry is a difficult one to locate, and I connected it with some nesting

Cubas in the adjoining aviary. On September 2, very much to my surprise, I found two

sturdy fledgeling Cubas in the aviary, which are being carefully fed and attended to by the

father. They are often to be seen in the dead poplar with the Lovebirds, and no attemp

has been made to injure them.—R.P.



