4



E. Maud Knobel—Seeding Parrots



largely with insects, but in the case of the Gold-fronted Fruitsucker,

which I nearly bred on three different occasions, the old birds used

both the condensed milk mixture and also pure honey, in addition to

insects, in feeding the young, which never lived beyond twelve days.

Perhaps my ground rice and milk might have brought me success.


All the above is, of course, merely theory, but in the feeding of all

except the hardiest birds we must remember that the diet is largely

artificial, and when failure occurs we must bear in mind what are called

for want of deeper knowledge “ accessory food bodies ”. An intensely

interesting article appeared in L’Oiseau some months ago. The writer

dealt in a very convincing manner with the lack of Vitamines as the

cause of death in many of the more delicate African Finches. Perhaps

Mr. Delacour would allow a verbatim translation of the article for the

Avieultural Magazine. To refer again to the ground rice mixture, it is

this which I mentioned earlier in these notes as being used to supple¬

ment the insectivorous birds’ food. All the birds get a small quantity

daily. Amongst those which I know eat freely of it I mav mention

Waxbills, King Parrakeets, Jays, Thrushes, Tits, Whydahs, and even,

occasionally, the Diamond Doves.


I am sure the birds thrive on it, it is a welcome change for them, and

as it contains milk it may be taken as a sort of substitute for insect food;

this in the case of the smaller Waxbills, who seldom eat mealworms,

is an important point during the winter months when gnats, green-fly,

and such like small fry do not exist.


Having opened the subject of food and diet, might I ask other

members for their views thereon. A number of useful and interesting

facts on feeding might be brought to light by a series of articles on this

topic.



SEXING PARROTS


By E. Maud Ivxobel


The question of sexing birds whose plumage is the same in both

cock and hen has often been discussed, and various theories put

forward for distinguishing them. It is said that a practised eye can

easily tell the sexes when a pair of birds are together, and the methods



