William Firth—Breeding Cordon Bleus in Canada 57


if looking for something he could not find. I knew they required insect

food to raise young so secured dried ants’ “ eggs ”, which I soaked

and mixed with egg food, but they did not seem to want that. They

would dig it over with their beaks as if trying to find something else.

I tried them with earwigs and wood bugs, but these they would not

touch. I offered them mealworms chopped up, but they did not want

them. I then got some live ants’ “ eggs ”, which they seemed to like

better, and I believe they would have raised their young on them,

but still there would be ants’ “ eggs ” on the floor and they would be

hunting among the litter looking for something.


At this time, while hunting for ants’ pupae, I came across white

grubs in the ants’ nest which were so soft that I could hardly pick

them up without crushing them ; I believe they were ant larvae. I

took some home and threw a handful to the birds. As soon as they saw

them they flew down and ate them most greedily, and from that moment

their food problem was solved. After they tasted them they would

not touch live ants’ pupae (eggs) and they raised all their young on the

larvae alone. They scarcely ever touched seed, and egg food they hardly

tasted, although I offered it every day. They ate very little green food.


Twenty Young from One Pair in One Season


In the first nest they raised four young and as soon as they had

left the nest the cock bird started to build another among the brush

and in two days, working by himself, he had it completed. The young

started to feed themselves when about a week out of the nest. I left

them along with the old ones until just before the next were due to

hatch.


In the second nest they raised six fine, strong young, and as before,

as soon as the young left the nest the cock started to build, and in

a few days the hen was again sitting. As before, I left the young with

the parents until the next young were due to hatch.


In the third nest they raised seven young, and in the fourth nest,

three young, which left the nest on 30th October, and I am sorry to

say they have gone to nest again, but I will certainly not let them hatch.

As soon as the young can feed themselves, I will take them all out of

that flight for the winter.



