94



Mr. R. Philupps,



During the nesting, several calls were uttered which were

new to me, mostly in very low and suppressed tones; evidently

the breeding Regent in the wild state does not unnecessarily give

herself away. The Fieldfare note already referred to, sometimes

single at others double, was not only uttered by the mother when

I approached nest or young in the early days but also occasion¬

ally by the other two, who took a sort of family interest in all

that was going on. A cat would generally call forth a modifi¬

cation of the ordinary harsh grating cry of the species. But by

far the most interesting was the mother’s call to the young when

she wanted them to follow her ; this was invariably obeyed with

extraordinary alacrity, even after the dying bird had become too

weak to fly. If anything could awaken them from their last

sleep it would be this call from mother. It was a low short

frothy spluttering grunt, continuously repeated, something be¬

tween the grunt of an infant pig and the spluttering of a lusty

gorged rosy-cheeked baby who really cannot manage any more.

This call was especially urgent at roosting time, and then I had to

stand guard over the young birds in the birdroom until it was

dark, or until I shut the mother out. When shut out, she would

call from the aviary in a raised voice sqitee and squeer. Almost

the only other occasion on which she raised her voice was when

she had, as she thought, lost both her young. Surely they had

wandered, or peradventure they slept and must be awakened, and

the poor creature, wandering about with food in her bill, called

piteously for them ; and it is a great satisfaction to me to feel

that this noble bird is now so happy and contented in the love

and companionship of her firstborn.


The young birds had various calls, sqtcee, squeer , sqzieege,

sqziaaa, ske-orr, coo-raare , craake, coo-raake (vowels as in English),

with many modifications, the accent on the second syllable which

was usually prolonged. From October onwards, when the sur¬

vivor had ceased to see any object in hiding or being quiet, it

frequently called out when separated from its mother, aud the

call, although approaching that of the adult, was still easily

distinguishable.


The mother did not carry away the excreta, but the nest

was perfectly sweet and clean when I examined it on the day



