On the Doniesiicalion of the Rhea. 129


branches in the flight : they brought up two young ones who were

just ready for flight, when we had a week of very heavy rain,

and although I fixed a large board outside on the wire, com-

pletely covering the nest, the cold and damp must have killed

them. I hope I shall be more fortunate in 1907. The old birds

seem in first rate condition. I noticed the cock Bicheno spent all

his time, on the path in the flight, catching gnats and small

flies, and I think the young ones were fed principally on

these.


My Cordon Bleus have five eggs : the hen sat about four

days, and now a hen Bengali has taken her place : I doubt if they

will hatch.


I have four young ones from one pair of Bengalese. In

another aviary (but only a small one, 10 feet long, 5 feet wide, and

8 feet high, and unheated) I have four pairs of Budgerigars and

two pairs of Chinese Painted Quails — in the other half of it I

have a hen Crimson-wing Parrakeet.


I have a lovely green Malabar Fruitsucker in a cage, he is

very tame and sings beautifully ; also a black Himalayan Robin,

but he is free with his wing cut. I have had these two nearly

three years.



THE DOMESTICATION OF THE RHEA.



A paper, of much interest to those concerned with the accli-

matization of foreign birds for purposes of utility, appears in the

Bulleti?i de la, Societe National oV Acclimatation de France for

December 1906, on the rearing of the American Rhea in France.

It appears that members of the Acclimatization Society have

conducted experiments in the breeding of these birds since 1855,

and at the present time the Rhea appears to be quite established

as a domesticated species in France, where it breeds regularly.

It is perfectly hardy, passing the winters in the open.


At three years of age these birds are adult. As is well

known, the male performs the duty of incubation, which occupies

a period of from 34 to 40 days.


The species is stated to be polygamous, a statement which



