6y



on the Regent Bira.



to disturb this arrangement while they were breeding, I used to

come down every morning at day-break, shut in the Owls, and

throw open the doors between the two aviaries for the benefit of

the Regents. Whilst it was still so dark that I could scarcely

distinguish their forms, I would find the male and second female

sporting together on the ground under one of the sheds. It is,

with Regents as with many species, in the quiet of the early

morning that the real courting goes on. This female was most

anxious to breed. Several times she attempted to slip into the

nest as if to lay but was always most energetically repulsed—that

hamper had a magnetic attraction for her. On August 8 she tried

to establish herself in a box close to the hamper, but it was of no

use, notwithstanding that the male sat close by and warbled away

for some time, presumably in the hope of softening the obdurate

heart of the bird within. After the eggs had been hatched she

endeavoured to feed the young ; and, when the latter left the

nest she, supported by the male, endeavoured to take possession,

but all in vain.


During September a reversal of the natural order of affairs

took place—the male “ squatted ” and the female played up to

him. Was this because for a while he was ill (poisoned?) and

not progressing with his moult, while his companion on the con¬

trary was exceptionally forward and vigorous? Later she, entirely

unaided I think, built a large and elaborate bower inside of

which was a very substantial platform with a depression in the

centre, and in this “nest,” such as it was, the male squatted while

the female danced before him. Both birds uttered notes of com¬

plaint if I approached too near. On the 30th, the female was

carrying tufts of hay to a well concealed basket; but the cruel

north wind of the two following days drove the whole family of

Regents into the birdroom. On October 3, she carefully hacked

away a fading leaf from a trunk, flew to the ground, picked it up

and carried it off to the woodstack. But nothing could come of

all this ; speaking generally, Regents collapse during the cold of

an English October, and only proceed with their courting spas¬

modically according to the weather.


Iu Australia, all would have been so different. The breed¬

ing would have been at the proper season, no moulting, no cold;



