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The Marquess of Tavistock —



193-2; THE THINGS THAT DIDN’T COME

OFF AND THE NEW ARRIVALS


By The Marquess of Tavistock


The present season, now almost at an end as far as further breeding

prospects are concerned, has been on the whole a decidedly good one

and in some ways unique. In the first place this summer has been

the healthiest I can remember in twenty years of aviculture, just as last

summer was one of the most disease-ridden. Since the middle of May

I have only lost three acclimatized birds in the aviaries and had two

ill, both of which recovered. In the birdroom I have lost two this

year’s youngsters only, one being a weakling. No doubt the autumn

will make amends but for June and July to have a death- and sickness-

rate as low as December and January is simply phenomenal, and

I fear I shall never know it again !


It has been a good year likewise for stamina in young stock. Out of

some fifty young birds hatched, only four have died in the nest and only

three have been weakly, two having rickets. No cod-liver oil soaked

seed was given this year but last year, in spite of cod-liver oil, there were

about fifteen cases of rickets, the parents being, with two exceptions,

the same as this year and having practically the same treatment

with, perhaps, a trifle more green food and seed thrown on the

ground to sprout.


It has also been a good year for eggs. Out of thirty-three possible

breeding pairs only five failed to get as far as this important stage and

two of these may make amends yet.


The five non-starters are the King Birds of Paradise, the Purple

Sunbirds, the Palm Cockatoos, the Blue-fronted Amazons, and the

Musky Lorikeets. To these might be added the Imperial Amazons,

but as one is badly damaged by shot and I am not quite certain that

they are a true pair they can hardly be called a fair chance ; even they,

however, got as far as going inside a nest.


The Birds of Paradise were successfully wintered in an outdoor

aviary. Their shelter was well heated but the going-out of the heater

on the coldest night of all did not affect them. Probably they are



