55



Correspondence, Notes, etc.



The following reply has been sent to Mrs. Hamilton:


Your bird, although apparently well, is not so. He is unable to grow

feathers owing to the want of those elements necessary for feather production.

I should certainly change your food. Try “ Century Food ” instead of that

you are using. I do not wish to detract from the value of the food you are

getting, as I know it to be very good, but I have frequently found a change

of diet work wonders in such cases. Give a few drops of Parrish’s chemical

food in the water and keep the bird in a warm room. I shall be glad to

hear the results in a fortnight. Arthur GiUh.



THE RAIN QUAIL.


[The following account of the nesting of a pair of Rain Quails,

Coturnix coromandelica, belonging to Miss Appleton, and the rearing of a

chick which was hatched under a Bantam, has been forwarded to us by

Mr. Archibald SimpsonJ.


Miss Appleton obtained a pair of adult Rain Quails at the beginning

of March of the present year, which were turned into an outdoor aviary

containing a miscellaneous collection of Waxbills, Finches, Mannikins,

Budgerigars and Canaries. The aviary consists of a lean-to shed of the

loose-box type, with an outer flight of about 16ft. by 12ft.


Within a fortnight the lieu bird made a nest under a heap of dried

bracken in the inner portion of the aviary and in due course nine eggs were

deposited. These she deserted, as a result I am afraid of a natural desire

on the part of the owner to satisfy her curiosity as to how matters were

progressing. Within a day or two the bird laid again, this time in a hollow

in the sand about one foot away from the first nest, and again she deposited

nine eggs, which she promptly deserted on being disturbed. Within

another week she had formed another nest in the outside flight, under a

heap of willow shavings which had been thrown down to furnish nesting

material for the smaller birds, and her faith in the “power of nine” being

still unshaken, she again laid this number of eggs.


In the meantime Miss Appleton had procured a broody Bantam,

under which she placed the first two clutches in the hope that some of them

would hatch out; but at the end of three weeks there was no result. It

was then decided to transfer the third batch to the Bantam, and the result

was that two chicks were hatched on or about the 18th June, one of which

died on the 24th ; and the other is now a strong healthy bird almost the size

of the mother. Meanwhile this prolific bird had laid fourteen more eggs in

the last nest, which Miss Appleton kindly sent to the writer, who requi¬

sitioned the services of a foster-mother without success.


I have only to add that, some few days before the last egg was laid,

the cock Quail managed to escape into the open country, and has not since

been seen. I strongly suspect he resented the manner in which his wife



