40 On the Breeding in Captivity of the Red- backed Shrike.


ON THE BREEDING IN CAPTIVITY OF THE

RED-BACKED SHRIKE.


[Third Notice).

By Dr. Albert Gunther, Hon. M. Avic. Soc.


The same pair of Shrikes, whose breeding operations were

reported in the Avicultural Magazine for 1904 and 1905, have

nested again in their aviary in the present year.


Almost to the day (April 24th) the short period of migra-

tory unrest commenced, and was particularly troublesome in the

male bird ; even in the day-time he seemed terrified when I

approached his cage ; the female did not show any signs of

seasonal excitement.


After they had been moved into their aviary, it took them

some time to settle quietly in their summer quarters ; they

behaved exactly as last year. The cold weather which con-

tinued nearly through the whole of May, repressed their re-

productive instincts and the male attended at this period to his

nesting operations in the most perfunctory manner, merely pre-

paring a layer of moss at the bottom of last year's nesting basket.

The nest was finally completed at the end of June and the first

egg laid on the 30th of that month. The clutch consisted of

three eggs only. They were unusually brightly coloured, one

being spotted all over and so different from the others that a

collector might have been excused for supposing it to be a

Cuckoo's egg. Only one young was hatched which in due time

has grown into a strong bird, and although independent for its

food, is still occasionally fed by its father (September 30).


The young reared last year have proved to be a male and

female, and if I am right in thinking that the one of the present

year is a female, the proportion of the sexes of the young of this

pair of Shrikes is, so far, exactly alike.



