1B0 Sydney Porter—Notes on the Barer Foreign Softhills


For the benefit of the other inhabitants of this aviary, a number

of which were rearing young at the same time, a varied assortment

of soaked and dry seeds was available, with green food and seeding

grasses supplied daily, but what surprised me most of all was that, for

the first week of its separate existence, the hybrid was fed entirely

on mealworms. About the sixth day I saw the mother feeding with

soaked hemp and rape, and I think she also used a very little milk

sop. If ever the supply of mealworms ran out the fact was notified

immediately by the noisy excitement of the hen and the unseemly

language of the hybrid. For the first few days the mother was very

careful to break up the worms before feeding, but later she supplied

them whole, often two or three at the time, and the number of meal¬

worms that gawky youngster managed to put away was astonishing.


Both parents are already showing evident signs of wanting to go to

nest again and, now that I “ know the ropes ”, I hope to be able to

rear all that hatch out but, if all have the same penchant for meal¬

worms, I will have to consider buying them wholesale or breeding the

unpleasant things myself !



ODD NOTES ON THE RARER FOREIGN


SOFTBILLS


By Sydney Porter


I am afraid that I have been very remiss of late in regard to writing

any avicultural notes, but what with ill-health and other things my

birds have had to take a second place. Unfortunately, illness has

compelled me to part with a great many of my birds, including many

old favourites, which has been a great wrench. I contemplated parting

with all my birds but kept delaying the evil day until at last it was

decided that though I must part with the majority several of the old

favourites must be retained, so with a nucleus of about twenty or more

birds I am on the way to another adventure into the realms of

aviculture. First of all, I couldn’t bear to part with my Pittas which

were every one’s favourites as well as my own, and secondly, a certain

gentleman in New Zealand whetted my appetite by sending me certain



