THE



Avicultural Magazine


THE JOURNAL OF THE

AVICULTURAL SOCIETY



Fourth Series.- —Vol. XIII.—No. 11 .—All rights reserved . NOVEMBER, 1935.



THE BREEDING OF THE AMETHYST

STARLING


By Maurice Amsler, M.B., F.Z.S.


When the late Gerard Gurney’s collection of birds was offered

for sale, I decided that I must have some memento of that very keen

aviculturist. His favourites were, I think, birds of prey, Crows, and

Starlings. I have not accommodation for the first two and so decided

to buy a pair of Amethyst Starlings which eventually arrived here

in the spring of 1934. They were a lovely couple and seemed none

the worse in health or spirits for the change to my small aviaries from

the sumptuous enclosures at Keswick. Beyond looking into a nest-

box the moment they were liberated from their travelling box they

made no attempt to breed that spring or summer. Sometime in

August the cock, who had looked off-colour for a few days, was picked

up dead and very much emaciated.


The hen wintered out in an unheated aviary and always looks

perfectly fit ; these birds are a good deal hardier than is usually thought,

and Monsieur Decoux, in a recent letter to me, expressed his surprise

at the hardiness of this species.


During the past winter I advertised two or three times, without

success, for an acclimatized cock, and in the end I wrote to our President,

Mr. A. Ezra, who is always ready to help lame dogs over stiles. He

very kindly let me have an odd cock and a perfect specimen he was.



22



