Stray Notes



39



their present quarters looking very fit and tight, though evidently

domineered over by a fine red-headed cock ; he afterwards became

the villain of the piece, but I will not anticipate.


It was with mixed feelings that I saw that the black-headed pair

thought of going to nest, popping in and out of the nest-boxes, carrying

bits of dry grass and the cock performing his absurd little “ display

Of course, it was delightful to find that I had a breeding pair, but horrid

doubts assailed me ; the summer even of 1921 could not last much

longer—it was the end of September—what if the long foretold wet

weather set in and my poor little hen fell a victim to egg binding ?

More than one friend assured me this would most likely be the case,

but I did long for young Gouldians, and could not find it in my heart

to thwart this attempt. Both birds were in splendid condition and

thoroughly acclimatized, so I resolved to let matters take their course

and hope for the best. The Black-heads seemed to approve of “ labour

saving ”, for the nesting-box which they finally fixed on already con¬

tained a partly constructed nest, and though ample nesting material

was at their disposal they merely added a little dried grass and decided

that nothing more was required. The nest-boxes are in the covered

part of the aviary, so circumstances were favourable for the birds.


All went well; the eggs duly hatched without any catastrophe,

and the young were reared on spray millet and seeding grass. Un¬

fortunately I released the red-headed cock just before the young birds

were fledged, and he so harried the poor little parents that they could

not feed their young sufficiently and the hen bird died. The aggressor

was caught up and re-caged before he could do further mischief, and

the remaining three babies were safely reared by their father. They

are still in nestling plumage, so I do not yet know their sex.



STRAY NOTES


A Bittern. —Mr. St. Quintin has presented to the Zoological Society

a very fine specimen of the Bittern, which he has had for nearly two

months. It was captured in a curious way. It was seen on the edge

of a trout-stream with a half-pound trout in its mouth. The fish was

too large for the bird to swallow, and in its endeavours to do so it failed



