154 Winston S. Rowe—The Indian Crested Bunting and other Birds


White and Indian millet, crushed oats, crushed hemp, and various

weed seeds are untouched. Soft food may be picked over but not to

any noticeable extent. Fruit of various kinds, bread and milk,

nectar mixture all went untouched.


Occasionally a few pieces of chopped scalded raisins are picked

over. So far they take no interest in small gnats, moths, and other

insects on the wing, but if offered in a dish they are then eaten with

gusto. As a matter of interest I have tried nearly every food and

seed, but canary and a couple of meal-wo^ms each keeps them in tight

feather and has kept them in perfect condition through the winter.

Five or six meal-worms each per day is rather too much, as the cock

soon loses his sleek and glossy plumage and thereby loses half his

attractiveness.


While not gaily plumaged they are very noticeable in an aviary,

the cock especially so, and appear to have been sprayed with a thin

oil, or so a visitor thought !


Seeding grass has been offered, Poa annua only so far, but remains

untouched. Greenstuff and shrubs likewise escape their attention.


5th May


Have just exchanged the Buntings and St. Helena’s for a pair

of Silver-eared Mesias which have always been on my “ Wanted ” list.


The St. Helena cock had a very narrow escape yesterday as he managed

to squeeze into the Black-headed Sibia’s aviary. Hearing a continued

snapping of beaks and knowing that the Sibia rarely, if ever, miss

anything on the wing, I rushed down to investigate. There was the

cock St. Helena very calmly just escaping both the Sibias’ beaks by

a fraction as they darted after him. Had the aviary been about 6 feet

square I should have considered myself lucky to have found any

remains at all, as the game of “ follow my leader ” must have been

going on some time.


When I turned the Mesias out great excitement prevailed among

their “ relations ”. The Sibia and a pair of Pekin Robins in an adjoining

aviary vied with each other in chattering at the new-comers. All three

pairs then set to and simply shouted at each other for a solid five or

six minutes. I have, by the way, had three pairs of Liothrix, all hens



