78 
BLUE AND YELLOW MAOAW. 
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 sis 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 “a 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.” 
Prom 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 in captivity, 
and solitary females not unfrequently lay. 
