28



Mr. Albert J. Salter,



rain, so some loose weatherboarding, about 6ft. by 3ft. was placed

on the roof for shelter, and after dark a piece of canvas was

quickly wired all along the front and half one end to about 5ft.

high, completely screening the corner. The first egg was returned

to its former position, and every other day one more was added,

until there were five. The eggs are dead white, about the size of

a pigeon’s, and variable in shape, some being nearly as round as

an owl’s, whilst others are more oblong and pointed at one end.


The hen commenced sitting with the third egg, and after

a few days took not the slightest notice of my entering the aviary

to feed them. From the 21st onwards the hen became very rest¬

less, leaving the nest several times a day, in fact I quite expected

her to forsake it altogether, the weather at the time being very

kot. On the 28th I observed the shell of an egg pushed 011 one

side, and another the next day. These were the only two that

hatched, but upon later examination I found that one other egg

had just commenced to. incubate; the remaining two were

unfertile, probably owing to the cold weather and some very

heavy thunderstorms at the end of May. The young birds grew

rapidly, and were fed very largely on groundsel which was

supplied fresh twice daily. The seeds supplied were canary,

hemp, and sunflower, in unlimited quantities, the latter being the

one principally taken by the old birds, and on which they thrive

well ; a little boiled maize is given occasionally.


I frequently saw the hen feeding the young birds, often

being within three yards of them, and could therefore watch the

process closely, as she did not mind in the slightest. The

manner of doing so was exactly the same as the old birds feed

one another ; the food is not forced down the throat of the young,

but simply placed in their mouth ; of course the process of

regurgitation and feedinggives one the impression that it is, but

by close observation I am convinced that such is not the case.

The young birds will take a little food off a stick if placed inside

the mouth, but it must be very sloppy, and the difficulty of

doing so is to get them to open their mouths. If they start

screaming it is easy, but I do not think it is possible to give

sufficient to keep the bird alive. One of these two was much

smaller than the other, and finally died at about three weeks

old, I think from insufficient food.



