38



On the Nesting of Hyphantornes.



nesting in a colony, and that his collection of nests appealed to

their well-known sociable instincts more than the isolated efforts of

the other birds. At any rate he became, so far as could be observed,

the exclusive possessor of six wives, who, as if they had been drilled

to do so, simultaneously lined the nests with feathers, and with

amusing precision laid their eggs practically on the same day early

in May. It may very well be that some of them had paired with

the other cocks but such was not observed.


In every case, two eggs were laid. The variation of the

eggs of these closely allied species is well known, and mine were no

exception. Here are a few rough descriptions :—


1. Pure white (no spots).


2. Deep blue (no spots).


3. Blue green, entirely covered with long streaks of darker blue.


4. Pale pink, spotted and blotched with red, brown and ochre.


5. Deep blue (red spots).


The remainder were graduations between these types.


Every egg was hatched in due course, and the young birds

did exceedingly well until a week or so old. At this stage disaster

mysteriously overtook them and the majority of them died, one

alone surviving for about a fortnight, by which time it was nicely

feathered. In no case were any fully reared.


This tragedy has occurred three times, that is to say that

eggs have been laid and hatched and young birds partly reared three

times, and the indefatigable birds have to-day (September 2nd) a

fourth lot just hatched. It will be seen that they have not waited

very long between-times.


The aviculturist is ever hopeful, and I am still not despairing,

but I fear that history may repeat itself. Every description of insect

and soft food has been supplied. It is exceedingly difficult to supply

enough of the former, especially when there are other birds in the

aviary, including a pair of Shamas and a pair of Wagtails, and it

may be that this insufficiency is the cause of death, but the dead

birds appeared well nourished.


I observe that when hatching takes place the hens do not, as

is usual with most birds, carry the shells out of sight but merely



