Hubert D. Astley—Avicultural Notes



85



desperation ; and in such a tussle one day, I having apparently come

out as conqueror, putting the net over his head and pushing him into

the pond, where I held him down for half a minute, he was undefeated.

Shaking my fist at him, reminding him of his ingratitude for all my

loving care of him and his wife, I walked away. Hardly had I taken

five steps before—whirr ! a flapping of great pinions and he was at

me again. He will also attack an Alsatian wolf dog, bowling her right

over and leaving her terrified. If he behaved to children in this manner

he would be really dangerous.


Such a magnificent bird, and now deprived, through his own

foolishness, of flight. He no doubt regrets it, and so do I, for to see the

big bird coming over the house and flapping on broad pinions round the

meadows, calling as he went, was a fine and, in England, an utterly

uncommon sight. He never went far and never really high in the air,

his wife running to catch him up, shrieking at him to return, which he

always did. I have not actually pinioned him, and may permit him to

be full-winged once more during the winter. Not in the spring ! He

killed my White Peacock. Of course, having been practically living the

life of a wild bird, his condition is superb ; no Stanley Crane in Africa

could be better. When he is in a bad temper he puffs out his head

feathers beyond the normal, reminding one of the hood of a cobra.


Twice this year have my Australian Cranes (Native Companion)

had eggs, and each time (?) the Jackdaws have succeeded in filching

them. The birds had their nest in the middle of a large meadow, and

were fed there, so that they should not have to leave the eggs. The last

time, in May, they had incubated them for nearly thirty days, and

then suddenly the eggs were not!


The White-necked Cranes also had theirs, but they were clear.

The Manchurians are sitting as I write. Last year their eggs were

clear.


As to other species, I have been more successful, although I touch

wood when saying so ! My hen Satyr Tragopan laid twelve eggs and

then died, but out of the twelve I have seven young ones. Of all

charming chicks these are the most fascinating, because they are so

exceedingly fearless and free of any timidity, just as likely to fly on

t,o one’s knee as on to their foster-mother’s back (a Rhode Island Red



