78 BLUE AND YELLOW MAGAW. 



that the young ones became covered with a very thick down; soft, 

 and of a whitish slate-grey. The feathers did not begin to make 

 their appearance until towards the thirtieth day, and took two months 

 to acquire their full growth. It was a dozen or fifteen months before 

 the young arrived to the size of their parents, but their plumage had 

 all its beauty from six months old. At three months old they 

 abandoned the nest, and could eat alone; up to this period they had 

 been fed by their father and mother, which disgorged the food from 

 their bill, in the same manner as Pigeons do." 



In all probability this successful rearing was owing to the care which 

 was taken in providing the old birds with a suitable nesting-place, 

 which consisted of "& small barrel, pierced, toward a third of its 

 height, with a hole of about six inches in diameter, and the bottom 

 of which contained a bed of sawdust three inches thick, on which the 

 eggs were laid and hatched." 



From the above interesting narrative it will be gathered that no 

 material difficulty is to be apprehended by any aviarist who makes up 

 his mind to breed this species of Macaw in captivity. It is true we 

 are not told where the birds were kept, whether in-doors or in a garden 

 aviary; but as they are quite hardy, when acclimatised, we see no 

 reason to doubt the full success of the attempt if made out of doors 

 in a properly constructed and sheltered building, part of which at 

 least should be open to the air and light. 



Nor in the matter of food would there be any difficulty in the way 

 of breeding these birds: for their principal diet is corn of various 

 kinds, part of which should be soaked for them when they have young, 

 and bread should be added as well as fruit, and such vegetables as 

 carrots and potatoes; and as all the Macaws fetch a good price, the 

 experiment, if successful, would be a remunerative one. 



In-doors it would even be more likely to succeed than out, for in 

 a well-lighted room, where an equable temperature could be maintained 

 all the year round, there is no doubt these birds would keep on rearing 

 brood after brood from January to December, providing they were 

 supplied with a sufficiency of suitable food. 



If the Blue and Yellow Macaw breeds in confinement, we see no 

 reason to apprehend that the other species of the sub-family would 

 not do the same; and the reason that they have not done so is that 

 no pains have been taken with them, for they often pair m captivity, 

 and solitary females not unfrequently lay. 



