228 The Marquess of Tavistock—Notes for 1935


The hen Crimson-wing laid one egg of a second clutch and then fell

into moult.


The second pair of Crimson-wings reared only one young one in

their first nest, as against three last year, but the hen is sitting again,

an unusual event with this single-brooded species.


The Common King’s six eggs proved infertile. I lost my breeding

cock last winter by an accident and his successor seems to be of no use.


My old Sula Island King died of egg-laying trouble, though not of

ordinary egg-binding. I had had her about 20 years, but she showed

no sign of age. She produced, some years ago, several handsome but

infertile hybrids with a Crimson-wing.


The Rock Peplars were a failure. I had changed my breeding cock

for another of a better colour and he kept on getting ill just when the

hen should have been laying and she deserted her nest-box where she

had reared young for two seasons and went back to her old silly habit

of laying her eggs in the aviary shelter.


The two pairs of Barrabands have gone to nest and one pair have

young.


Stanley’s did not nest. The hen was a 1934 bird bred at Keston.


Owing to much trouble with egg-binding and consequent complete

absence of results in 1934, I decided not to give my two young hen

lutino Ringnecks and two pairs of Malabars their nests until 15th May.

The experiment was not very successful, as one Ringneck and the

Malabars dropped into moult and did not nest at all. The other Ringneck

started laying from the perch about 7th May, and now has two lutino-

bred green young in the nest. Her mate is an ordinary wild bird. A

lutinistic hen Plumhead, paired to her three-year-old son (?), had

infertile eggs, but the son may be a daughter ! His actions when a

year old were those of an undoubted male but he has never come into

colour and his tail is short. Another lutinistic pair dropped their eggs

from the perch and broke them.


Two pairs of Bayard’s are nesting, as also may be a third hen mated

to a Plumhead.


For many years I have had bad luck with Derbyans as I have only

had one cock that would consent to live and, as he was very wing-stiff

from long caging, I sent him to the Zoo as an exchange for a free-flying



