238 The Marquess of Tavistock—The Breeding of Lutino Bingnecks


or dent any that were fertile, losing the only young she happened

to hatch.


The big hen laid two eggs in a nest in the shelter. Both hatched,

and to my delight one was a lutino. Alas ! the situation was all against

the health of the young. Both left the nest hopelessly rickety and died

a few days later.


Next year I gave her a grandfather-clock nest outside, and she

damaged both her eggs. The other pair.with a similar nest lost their

young one as soon as it hatched. All three hens appeared to be firm

believers in birth-control, never laying more than two eggs in a year

and often only one.


Next came the moving of the birds to Peasmarsh. The hen bred

in a movable aviary was upset by the change and did not nest at all.

The big hen again hatched two young ones, a lutino and a green. Both

were nice birds but within a few days of leaving the nest the lutino

died of sunstroke ! The same season the small hen mated to the rough¬

necked cock managed single-handed to rear a nice green young one,

a far better specimen than either of its parents. It and the nest-mate

of the dead lutino are still alive and are both males. They are strong

and robust birds.


Last year the mother of the lutino had two green young ones.

One died in the nest when half-grown. The other, a cock, was reared

but was a poor specimen and I gave it away when a year old.


The movable aviary pair reared a lutino and a green to leave the

nest, the former a very nice one. The green hurt itself and died a

few days after flying and soon afterwards the lutino was found

paralysed in both legs. With careful nursing it seemed likely

to recover but it finished by regaining complete use of one foot only

and I had to give it away as a pet. The small hen again damaged

her eggs.


1932 came round with hopes not inconsiderably chastened by

former experiences. All three hens took to their nests. When the

incubation period was up I looked in the nest of the one that bred the

first lutino. Nothing, not even eggs ! She must be nearly sixteen years

old and had her toes badly frost-bitten some winters ago so probably,

never having been a good bird, her breeding days are done.



