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Alfred Ezra—Breeding the White-winged Mynah



captivity. M. Delacour brought over some a few years ago from

Chapa, in the north of Tonkin, close to the borders of Yunnan, and very

kindly gave me some. These were turned out into a large aviary,

and although they laid several times last year no chicks were reared.

This spring the first lot of four eggs were laid early in May, in a nest

which was just a hole at the foot of some pampas grass. Two young

were hatched out, and the other two eggs contained dead chicks. These

chicks disappeared soon after hatching. Four more eggs were laid

on the 4th June, the birds using the same nest. Three of these hatched

out, and the fourth egg contained a dead chick. My success in rearing

these was due to my man, Shearing, who promptly removed the hen

bird with her three chicks into a small aviary which they had to them¬

selves. Two of the three chicks were successfully reared by the hen

bird in the small aviary. The chicks were fed on fresh ants’ eggs,

gentles, and yolk of egg to start with, and later they- ate everything.

The first lot of chicks were evidently devoured by the Ground Cuckoos

which occupied the same aviary. Another nest was found in some

thick grass, and this also contained four eggs. All were hatched out

and were taken with the hen into a small aviary. None were reared

as the hen bird was much too wild. In each clutch there were four

eggs, and the period of incubation was roughly between eighteen and

twenty days. I am pleased to have succeeded in rearing these rare

Partridges after three unsuccessful years.



BREEDING THE WHITE-WINGED MYNAH


o STURNIA NEMORICOLyf)


By Alfred Ezra, O.B.E.


The White-winged Mynah is found from Burmah to Indo-China.

It lives in wooded districts and among isolated trees in park-like

country, but not in primeval forest. They nest in holes of trees, and

are usually seen in flocks of twenty to thirty. They are not migratory,

but wander from place to place. One often sees them feeding on

nectar and insects, on flowering trees such as the silk-cotton ( Bombax).



