The Marquess of Tavistock—1934: Things that didn't come off 251



had nests ; making me very nervous as to what would happen when

the young Dufresne’s decided to fly, but all ended well and the

Bichenos reared seven young between them.


The young birds, in plumage, closely resemble the hen, if anything

the colouring is of a lighter and softer nature. Head and neck lavender

grey, fading to white under chin and throat and shading off into saffron

on breast. Back soft olive, upper tail-coverts orange. The rest of

plumage is a soft lavender grey. Beak pearly black.


Today, 1st September, finds the pair with still another nest of four

eggs, but I do not anticipate any result as the young birds have been

using the nest at night, even going to the extent of driving the parent

birds away. This did not, however, prevent the old birds from sitting

on the eggs in the day-time. I am rather surprised at the young birds

taking to the new nest as they had already settled into other sleeping

quarters.


[We heartily congratulate Miss Robinson on her success, and also

her brother, Mr. F. Robinson, on securing the very excellent photo¬

graphs which are herewith reproduced.— Ed.]



1934: THE THINGS THAT DIDN’T COME OFF


By The Marquess of Tavistock


1934 has been a moderate season, partly spoiled by the abnormal

cold of late spring and the abnormal drought of summer. In our

delightful climate one can usually reckon that it will snow and freeze

intermittently until the end of the second week in May. After that

there is some prospect of warm nights. This year, however, it froze

until the end of the first week in June with the result that whatever

other records the close of the year may show, 1934 is an easy winner in

my avicultural experience in the matter of producing egg-bound hens.


The Ring-necks were the chief sufferers and have been a complete

failure. One pair of lutino-breds had three eggs, only one being fertile,

but the hen died within a few days of hatching. My two young lutino

hens paired, one to a lutino-bred and the other to an ordinary green :

both got egg-bound after laying an egg or two and refused to sit when



