90



Mr. R. Philupps,



Mistle Thrush. The mother was dancing about in front of the

nest endeavouring to persuade the second youngster to come out,

and unfortunately in this she was successful. It was not so well

clothed nor so forward as the elder youngster, made a false step

while tripping along the pole, which was too thick to be grasped,

and had a heavy fall. At night there followed a thunder-storm,

so from the time it left the nest, prematurely for this climate, the

fates were against it. As days went by, whereas the first could

fly well, the second made unsatisfactory progress, the cold and

wet were too much for it, and its breathing became heavy and

laboured. I never lost an opportunity of putting it under shelter

or in some snug corner, but the wild instincts of the mother,

which had been remarkably developed conterminously with the

nesting, were ever against me. Splendid mother though she

was, in this one matter she failed, and was mainly answerable

for the death of her youngest child. Her leading idea was to

entice the youngsters away from me and from all artificial

structures, and to hide them amongst the thickest natural foliage

the aviary afforded.


On August 30 matters reached a climax; both of the

youngsters were affected ; and I saw that if they were to be

saved they must be brought into the house. The mother was

altogether too wild and excited to be shut up within four walls,

so there was nothing to be done but to throw open the birdroom

window and herd the birds together promiscuously, a few of the

most aggressive being caged.


During the day the young Regents, who had been taught

to come on to my finger, would allow themselves to be carried

into the birdroom without giving much trouble ; sometimes they

would remain there ; but towards bedtime mother would come

after them and would utter her curious spluttering call, and the

young birds, as lively and slippery as eels, would be up and

away: they could be kept in the birdroom only by shutting them

in ; and I was shy of extreme measures for fear the mother

might desert them, but there was no help for it.


The young ones now improved, and on September 2 I

noticed the elder in the wild-bird adult posture. Both, however,

varied, at times flying as cleverly as adults at others depressed,



