2i6 Breeding Shaiiiahs—A Talc of ll'uc. 
the Hrst egg in the second clutch v as laid on 71I1 June, i' uur 
young were hatched out on 2Jnd and 23rd June, two of which 
were cast out at about three days and a week old, and 1 noticea 
the parents were attending to the feeding of the remaining two 
in a very perfunctory manner, the hen sitting constantly on the 
nest, only leaving it to feed herself, and the cock carrying verv 
little food. 
At this juncture 1 decided to try to hand-rear these young 
ones, and removed them from the nest. One which was rather 
tar gone died the same day. The other lived for two days, being 
fed principally on live ants' eggs. I noticed it had some 
difficulty in swallowing, and a postmortem I held revealed the 
fact that a stiff grass stalk, about ij/S inches long, was lodged 
low down in the throat where the neck joins the body, probably 
introduced by one of the callous parents. 
Meanwhile the young pair went to nest after debating 
the matter for about six weeks. The first egg was laid on I4tn 
June, and three youngones were hatched on _'8th and 29tli June. 
Both parents fed these splendidly for the first three days, and I 
felt sure they would rear them, but, alas! two young were 
thrown out on the fourth day. I rescued one, and after 
removing the cock replaced it in the nest. The mother, how 
ever, again threw it out, and I then made an attempt to 
hand-rear it without success. 
The remaining youngster w'as carefully looked after bv 
the mother for another day, when it was cast out also. I 
picked it up alive, and as it was in fine condition the quills on the 
wings well developed, thought I had a sporting chance of 
rearing it. I transferred it to a small tin box with perforated lid 
lined wath cotton w^ool, on which a piece of lint was laid, and 
kept it in my pocket for warmth. This young one gaped well 
for food, and feariiig to leave it out of my care I carried it to 
my office in Dublin next day. After feeding it on my arrival 
there I left the box on its side, on a shelf in the window, with 
the baby fast asleep in it. I turned away for a few seconds to 
speak to a friend, and on looking back, was horrified to see th.e 
box empty and the young bird just expiring on the floor where 
it had fallen after crawling some distance across the shelf. 
This was the bitterest disappointment of all, as I think 1 
had a very fair chance of rearing this bird, although only just h 
