on the breeding of bearded tits.



363



as yet unopened, and enormous protruding intestines. For the first

twenty-four hours the little birds required very little food and the

parents fed them on small insects that they caught in the aviary,

besides morsels from the insectile mixture.


My next observation of the young was on the fifth day, when

they appeared just like bits of very old shiny overstretched black

kid glove. The eyes open about 9th-10th day, for by the 11th day

they are wide open. Up to this time the parents fed the young

entirely on very small mealworms and some of the best fresh ants’

eggs it has ever been my lot to come across, and it is small wonder

the babies grew apace. At the 11th day, too, we find a dark stripe

down the centre of the back, the general body colour is reddish

brown. The quills of the primaries are quite distinct and almost

black. The crown of the head is dark brown and we get a dark

indication of the future tail.


By the 15th day our reedling is beginning to get less ugly

but is still very ungainly. The feet and legs are then yellow and

very large. The beak is flesh coloured and the gape, which is fairly

large, is yellow. The crown of the head is dark fawn colour with a

distinct dark stripe in the centre. The neck is dark fawn and the

back is similar to it, only we have here a dark brown, almost black,

stripe from the rest of the neck to the tail. The wings are dark

brown and the body a pleasing reddish brown; the tail appears

almost black and at fifteen days is of course very short, but grows

rapidly, and in about a fortnight after the young leave the nest it is

practically full grown.


All these events vary according to the weather and the

amount of time one can give in attending to the wants of the old

birds. I need hardly say that the more time you can give them the

better.


In this particular instance the important events may be

summarised as follows :—


Incubation lasted from June 17th to 27th.


Food consisted of small flies and other insects supplemented

by small mealworms until July 4th. After that gentles were offered

and given, also live ants’ eggs. The latter were not obtainable

until about July 3rd.



