258 Mrs. K. Drake—Some Breeding Besults at My lor, Cornwall



I am wondering if any of the readers of the Avicultural Magazine

has ever made this cross in captivity, and will feel grateful to have a

report in these columns of their experiences with these interesting

hybrids.


Connellsville, Pa.


[A number of hybrids between these two species were bred in the

London Zoological Gardens about twenty years ago. The cross was

found to be infertile.— Ed.]



SOME BREEDING RESULTS AT MYLOR,

CORNWALL


By Mrs. K. Drake


A few notes on the breeding of some of my aviary birds may interest

members of our Society.


The number of young birds bred this year has been small compared

with previous years, but I really think I am pleased with the class of

birds bred. Previous years have always given me numbers of Bengalese,

Zebra Finches, Avadavats, and Goldbreasts, whereas now I have

succeeded in breeding and rearing my first young Shama, three Pekin

Robins, and two Pectoral Finches.


The Shama laid three eggs : one mysteriously disappeared, and one

young bird was taken out of the nest dead, owing to my running quite

out of mealworms for three days. I hunted for grasshoppers, cater¬

pillars, spiders, and worms, and even found a few ants’ eggs which

were always taken to the nest, together with bits of hard-boiled egg.

The parents seemed to eat nothing, they were so worried. Of course,

they were flying loose with the Pekins, but at the time the garden was

dried up and insects hard to find. Gentles they very much disliked,

although I tried three ways of cleaning them, viz., two days in biscuit-

meal, flour, and bran. The Pekins also did not take to them at all.

I don’t blame them ! The hen Shama would fly into our dining-room

during lunch, 100 yards away from her aviary, and carry back bits of

omelette from off our plates.



