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On the breeding of occipital blue pies.



solace for his loneliness and a few captive mealworms, imprisoned

under a watch-glass in the midst of his soft food, quickly taught

him to pick up food which was not in motion:


I think the question of feeding has now been solved for good,

and that I can claim to be the first person to have bred this species

in captivity. The young bird is now quite equal in size to his

parents, but gives one the idea of an immature bird owing to the

shortness of the tail, which is only about six inches long at present.

The colouring is still duller than that of the adult, the indigo blue

only being really well developed in the wings ; there is none in the

tail, which is still white with one or two black marks, suggestive of

the ocellation that is to come. The breast and abdomen are now

pure white. The white occipital patch still extends considerably

further forward than in the old birds, and the bill and legs show no

trace of orange, being still flesh-coloured.


The old birds betrayed no emotion at the loss of their off¬

spring, nor has the hen laid the remainder of her clutch. The nest

is again used as a larder and much of the lining has been thrown out.

I see many flight feathers lying about in the aviary, these remind

one of Autumn and the end of the breeding season.


It is disappointing, but I have attained my goal; I must

admit, however, that I should much have liked another nest, to

enable me to hand-rear one or more blue pies. I do not think it

would be any more difficult than the rearing of young jackdaws or

magpies, and what a delightful sight one of these birds would make

foraging about the garden and perhaps pulling up my best rock

plants.


I hope later to send further notes on the colour changes of

the young bird. I dare not hold over this long-promised article any

longer lest it becomes too tedious and be rejected by our Editor.


* * *


Later Notes. —On returning from a short holiday on August

29th my man informed me that the pies had been sitting again for

some ten days. I took an early opportunity of inspecting the nest

and found three eggs laid in the basket with practically no foundation

of sticks or hay. Two chicks eventually made their appearance,



