Breeding Notes for 1905.



193



the fittest” in its most severe form. I think, in the case of the

Cranes, nothing can artificially be done in such cases, before the

young begin to pick up from the ground, which, in the case of

my Demoiselles, I have found to be about the 12th day.


Of Saudgrouse, both “ Hxustus ” and “Alchatus” laid

eggs, the former rearing a fine young cock bird. Chinese Quail

reared several young in two small broods. My old pair of Snowy

Owls, which were brought from Norway by a friend in July

1S91, reared a young female, since presented to the Zoological

Gardens. Curiously, this is the only young one that we have

reared at Scampston that has been tame. Others, as soon as they

could feed themselves, became wild as newly - caught birds,

though the parents themselves are quite gentle and fearless. A

Red Grouse, unluckily without a mate of her own species, nested.

I removed her eggs, and substituted some of a pheasant almost

due to hatch. The Grouse reared the chicks in the most exem¬

plary manner, as she had done in 1904, without losing one. A

Capercaillie made a nice nest in what seemed a well-concealed

place, but unluckily the Rooks discovered it, and destroyed the

eggs, before the bird had commenced to sit.


My Ravens reared four young in their aviary : but after

they left the nest three of the young became affected with fits,

and in the end one only was reared. This year, 1906, the

Ravens began to carry sticks on the 1st February, and after

building a huge nest are now (March 13th) sitting close.


Perhaps amongst my birds the Brush Turkeys excite the

most general interest, and their very remarkable proceedings are

.always closely watched.


The spring was so backward that I did not supply any

fresh materials until the middle of April, but by that time the

cock had accumulated a huge heap, largely composed of soil, and

with little or no fermenting vegetable matter within it. I there¬

fore removed it, and was surprised to find that there were 88

wheelbarrow loads of rubbish. A new mound was quickly

raised, a supply of lawn mowings, coarse weeds from hedge

banks, &c., and a proportion of dead leaves, being ‘ tipped’ just

inside the gate of the enclosure, some twelve yards from the site

selected for the mound. In the end two chicks emerged, and



