308 p. B. Webb—Common or Bed-headed, and Tri-coloured


not to be encouraged these hats, etc., should be placed only in the shed.

The grass in the flight should be kept fairly short as on two occasions

birds have built nests here on the ground in long grass. They were

not a success in either case.


When the young birds leave the nest it is much better that they

should remain in the shed for a day or two, no matter how good the

weather. If they leave a nest in the flight and are then put into the

shed they seem to be out again like “ Jack-in-the-boxes ”. If, however,

they are hatched in the shed there is usually not much trouble keeping

them there if the hole is a small one. When they do find their way

out it is well to have a look before dusk to make sure that they have

found their way in again. There won’t be much trouble after, say,

the third night. If you can procure a few sheaves of new crop oats

as soon as it is ripe, or a little before, the birds are quite fond of it.


I have told you my interpretation of the experiments which I

have carried out during 1932. It may be interesting for any who have

read thus far to see just how the three different pairs were actually

fed. The table on p. 309 will, therefore, meet the case.


Some may say that the results are not very conclusive : that

although No. 3 pair succeeded in rearing four birds they had more

fertile eggs, and only reared 50 per cent of them. Also that the four

in the first nest might not have been reared had they not been drowned

by rain. To the latter I can say nothing ; to the first I say that they

had 100 per cent fertile eggs and 100 per cent hatch, and this alone

must not be forgotten. A glance at No. 1 and 2 pairs will show that

they did not have so good a percentage of fertile, and of the fertile

there was not a full hatch. In the case of No. 1 pair (which was a proved

pair in 1931, laying seven eggs, six of which were fertile) the fertility

was 75 per cent, while of these only 66§ per cent hatched ; while with

No. 2 pair it was only 27J per cent fertile and less than 10 per cent

hatched. It should be mentioned that No. 1 pair in 1931 was treated

in almost the same w T ay as No. 3 pair this year, the only difference

being that they got hardly as many millet sprays.


If you take the Blue-heads into consideration there were two nests of

four each, only one of which was clear, 87J per cent fertile. You will

remember the second nest was deserted the evening before the hatch,



