34°



Dr. Albert Gunther,



through the bars of their cage and escaped into the garden.

One returned on the evening of the same day, whilst the

other enjoyed its liberty for another day, when it demanded

readmission to the fleshpots of Egypt by flying against the

window, behind which its cage was still standing.


Late in the autumn they moulted, and proved to be two

males and one female. Already before the moult they had

diligently exercised their vocal powers, even the female at first

taking part in these musical efforts. However, she soon dis¬

continued to sing, whilst the two males became in the end

accomplished songsters, mixing with their own notes those of

a Garden Warbler. Contrary to 1113’ former experience these

birds did not damage their feathers by unrest during the period

of migration; the whole of their plumage remained perfect

throughout the winter, and in spring the lower parts of the bod\ r

of the males became suffused with a pinkish blush.


In the first week of May of the present > r ear I turned out

one of the males and the female into an aviary, erected

against the garden wall. Although open at the top and on

three sides it occupies a sheltered position, and with a height

of 6ft. it covers an area of 10ft. by 13ft. The half nearest

to the wall is planted with densely foliaged bushes, a thick

holly-bush among them. After a few days I noticed that both

birds had the feathers round the base of the bill knocked

off: I could never find out whether this injury was caused by

disturbance from a night-prowling cat which made them fly

against the wire-netting, or by their working and shredding the

dry rough fronds of pampas-grass. At any rate, it must have

been in the second week of May that they built their nest. This

was done entirely in the early morning hours ; the gardener saw

them then busy with carrying materials, but the operation

escaped me altogether, as I never visited them before eight

o’clock.


On the 22nd the prolonged disappearance of the hen-bird

induced me to examine into the matter. Then I found in the

most hidden and densest part of the holly-bush, four feet from

the ground, a well-built typical Shrike’s nest with five warm eggs

in it. The first egg was probably laid on the 16th.



