272 Dr . Evelyn Spraivson—The Breeding of Barnard's Barrakeet


often noticed that cock Gouldians will not pair up with young hens

(i.e. just out of immature plumage), whether aviary bred or imported,,

if older hens are available.


A point of importance to the buyer of newly imported Gouldians

is not to give them grit or sand in their cages when newly purchased—-

or only to do so for a few minutes each day. It must be remembered

that these birds are caught and collected in the north-west of Australia :

they then have a long journey to a port, usually Sydney or Melbourne,

and wait there till the remainder of a consignment is ready. This

may mean some, if not many, months in a trapper's travelling cage,

as the invariably overgrown state of their claws testifies. In order to

keep their plumage unsoiled and intact the trappers and dealers keep

them in travelling boxes with wire netting above the floors, so that no

sand or grit is available for them ; if, then, on arrival and purchase

in this country they are isolated and given unlimited grit, they eat

and continue to eat it, and so, in conjunction with the fact that they

now have unlimited food without having to compete for it in a crowded

travelling cage, get violent indigestion followed by acute enteritis,

which finishes them off in three or four days. When they are turned

out into the aviary they have other things to interest and occupy them,

and if the weather is favourable are not affected in this way.


We also possess a pair of Yulturine Guinea-fowl, wonderful birds,

everybody notices them ; each year the hen has laid in the aviary

flight which, we believe, is an unusual if not isolated instance.

Unfortunately they lay so late in the year—each time (twice) it has

been in August and September—when broody hens for fosters are not

usually available, and last year we did not hatch any, but we are

trying again this year and hope for some success, though I don’t know

that we really expect it.


The question of vitamins and the nourishment and growth of young

birds is an intriguing one ; one feels there is such a lot that we don't

know. For instance, why, in a brood of Parrakeets, should some of

the young be vigorous and lusty and others rickety (is it really

rickets ?) ? All, obviously, must be fed on the same things, and they

are entirely cut off from sunlight (as a source of Vitamin D) till nearly

five weeks old ; is it because some are greedy—or better feeders—



