212



The Marquis of Tavistock,



In giving green food, etc., do not think that because the birds

will not touch it the first time it is offered that it is no use trying it

again. Many Parrots are extremely suspicious of new foods, and

only summon up courage to try an unfamiliar article of diet after it

has been placed before them many times. Do not grow discouraged,

either, if they only seem to touch the tiniest fragment of what is

given them. Little as they may actually eat, it may make the

whole difference between eggs and no eggs, or between fertile eggs

and clear ones.


When it is desired to breed from a hen bird which has been

kept for a very long period in a cage, it is often prudent to keep her

for some time alone in the aviary on a very plain diet before intro¬

ducing her mate and the nest barrel. In this way the risk of

egg-binding is a good deal lessened.


The plan of keeping a number of parrots at liberty is one

which not many aviculturists will care to attempt since the con¬

ditions indispensable to success are not to be found everywhere and

heavy losses are likely to be sustained, especially at the outset of

the experiment. Nevertheless there is a charm about it which

atones for many disappointments, and successes, when they do come,

are perhaps all the better appreciated for the failures which may

have gone before. The beauty of the birds’ plumage is certainly

most apparent when they are living in complete freedom, partly

because they attain a depth and brilliance of colour seldom seen,

even among the inhabitants of the largest and best-kept aviaries.

There is, too, the satisfactory knowledge that if a true pair can only

be induced to stay they are practically certain to make an attempt

at breeding, and the results are likely to be satisfactory ; for, while

bad weather and accidents do, often enough, spoil one’s hopes, infertile

eggs and neglected young are almost unknown where birds are nest¬

ing under more or less natural conditions. Lastly, there are many

interesting facts brought to light about the wild life of both rare

and common species which can never be discovered as long as the

birds are in any degree confined.


The three conditions most necessary to success are:—

(l) Good winter cover. (2) Good natural nesting accommodation.



