Breeding of the Rcd-collarcd Wliydah. 2i3 
The next day both birds had left the nest and my hopes 
of rearing them fell to zero. As every avicuhurist knows, 
when a young bird leaves the nest, every other l)ird"s beak in 
that aviary is against it. Moreover, just at this time we were 
experiencmg a series of very severe thunderstorms, in any of 
which the young birds, if caught unsheltered, would have had little 
chance of surviving. However, the mother bird was a perfect 
little gem, as she enticed her offspring into the shelter of a 
laurel bush, where they were comparatively free from these 
dangers. The cock \\'hydah also now justified his existence, 
as he suffered no bird to come near his little ones. Woe 
betide them if they did ! They would certainly depart minus 
a feather or two. 1' or the next few days I had many anxious 
moments, as the weather was very bad, and, to make matters 
worse, just when they rec|uired extra live food, the supply of 
mealworms gave out. Luckily 1 was able to get a few from 
a neighbouring miller, and these with the help of wasps' grubs 
kept them going. 
In colour, the young ones resemble their mother, but 
are more huffish in hue. One was much larger than the other 
and this was the lightest in colour. On July 31st their tails 
were beginning to lengthen and they were strong on the 
wing. The larger of the two was now quite as big as his 
mother. Mealworms and wasps' grubs were now given them 
by the hen without Hrst having been swallowed. By August 
7th both were practically as big as their mother, and were 
well able to protect themselves from the assaults of any of the 
other birds in the aviary. The hen was still feeding them, but 
they were also helping themselves, especially to mealworms. 
XoTK. — On Aiij;ii!>l 31st was again incubating in the ciid nest. The eggs 
this linic were pale liluish-gieen, thickly mottled with brown 
♦ 
My Little Owls (Athene noctua). 
By The Marquis of Tavistock. 
(Continued from page 227). 
The anniversary of his honeymoon was not far off, 
when, sad to relate, I began to notice that Peeps was ailing. 
He fed well and was quite plump, but his act- 
ivity and high spirits deserted him . and he allowed his 
plumage to get dirty. What his illness was and whether I 
