Dr. Evelyn Strawson—The Breeding of Barnard's Parrakeet 267



THE BREEDING OF THE BLACK-CAPPED


FRUIT PIGEON (SPILOTRERON MELANO-


CEPHALUS) AT PRIMLEY


By Captain H. S. Stokes


On a recent visit to Primley I was delighted to find that Mr. Whitley

has succeeded this year in breeding this beautiful Javan Pigeon.

After several unsuccessful efforts myself, I passed on my pair of birds

to him two years ago. Several times a young bird left the nest in my

aviaries, only to be neglected by the parents, who refused thenceforth

to brood or to feed it. Mr. Whitley has been more fortunate,

and doubtless more clever, and has reared a good young bird ; he

confirms my observations that the young leave the nest when only

a few days old and very small, in fact no larger than a Mannikin,

but able, nevertheless, to fly strongly. The difference in size between

the parents and the young bird is shown in the accompanying photo¬

graph, taken at Primley.


I believe that this is the first breeding of this species in Europe.



THE BREEDING OF BARNARD’S PARRAKEET,

AND OTHER ITEMS


By Dr. Evelyn Sprawson


Tastes may differ with regard to the beauty of the different colour

schemes which birds present for our edification, but to our mind

John Gould wrote in a particularly happy vein when he eulogized the

pleasing coloration of Barnard’s Parrakeet. It is, moreover, a shapely

bird and not often bred in this country.


We have had our present pair for some eight or nine years, and

though attempts were made at nesting when we lived nearer town, it

was not till we were able to give them larger space—and incidentally

greater freedom from feline visitors at night—that they really seriously

went to nest, so that they have in each of the past three summers,

nested and reared a family.



