Breedings of the Occipiial lUiic-Pic 
317 
days, and I feared ihey would carry niult.;rs no further, but 
they were busy all the time, they resented my inciuisitiveness, 
deserted my " beautifid " ncstiuL^-site. and transferrctl the scene 
of their operations to the basket ui the more sec:luded posi- 
tion. Here they first put in a foundation of thick sticks, then 
followed a quantity of twites of yellow br'.)oni, laid \ ei y cL'verly 
in a circular arrangement, forming;' a solid cup, which was 
back of the shelter, about live feet from the ground. 
Building operations occupied a full week, the iien 
spending her nights in the nest, the cock roosting close by. 
On June loth, iith, and 14th, three eggs were laid, incuba- 
tion began on the i 3tli. and on the z<.)\h ojie chick was hatched, 
another on the following day, the third egg disappearmg 
during incubation. 
The hen carefully brooded her precious chicks and for 
many day^> would not allow the male a peep at them. She ac- 
cepted the scores of mealworms he brought, and promptly 
transferred them to her nestlings. All food was torn up, 
swallowed, and regurgitated. 
On July 3rd both chicks showed feather tracts and 
were about equal in size. The next day there was but one 
chick in the nest and he was quite twice as large as on the 
previous day (my notes say "Has he swallowed his brother?'"). 
Apparently the dietary was insufficient and the parents tore 
up one nestling to feed the other. Acting upon this conclusion 
I gave less me;lworms and supplied s[)arrows, trot;s. and 
large earthworms and all went well. .Ml tiie foods were 
dealt with entirely by the male, he swallowed the requisite 
amount and a little later he transferred it to the hen — 10-15 
minutes usually passing before it was given to the nestling; 
by that time it was doubtless partly digested and in a very 
assimilable state, and the youngster throve apace. 
July 10. — It resembled a huge grey slug, quills well 
growl., but eyes still closed. 
July 12. — it was strikiiigjy like a porcupine; Uenerai 
colon: grey; quills black and 2-3 incites xong; eyes open; biil 
Mat^ and horn coloured ; size, a little larger taan a Missel 
Thrush, it was about tins date that the maie parent was Jirst 
allowed. 10 feed the chick. 
