Correspondence



91



SUCCESSFUL BREEDING OF KINGFISHERS IN AUSTRIA


A most remarkable breeding record is that of the common Kingfisher,

with complete success, by the late Mr. P. Carniel in Austria. A full, most

interesting report is given by the late Mr. Carniel in the Gefiederte Welt. The

old pair were housed in a small aviary (the exact dimensions are not given)

with a small artificial basin and two artificial mud walls in which the pair

constructed their cave nest and after two failures reared a brood of six young

Kingfishers to full maturity. Mr. Carniel provided his birds with an unlimited

number of small fish. Most tragically and sadly Mr. Carniel was carried

away by a sudden fatal illness soon after this true lover of birds had achieved

this most remarkable success. If the common Kingfisher, which feeds

almost entirely on fish and is very aquatic, can be bred it should be easier

to induce the tropical Kingfishers, which need very little water and feed on

beetles, etc., from the dry ground, to go to nest in captivity.


Alex. Hampe.



WILLOW WARBLERS ATTRACTED BY AVIARIES


I wonder whether any of our members have noticed that aviaries appear

to have a particular attraction for Willow Wrens.


The several aviaries which I have owned in different districts have all been

haunted by these little birds. At present I keep only seed-eaters, so that food

supply can offer no attraction to Warblers, yet the Willow Wrens are

constantly on the aviary roof trying to find an entrance.


They appear to take a great interest in the inmates and I doubt whether

their intentions are benevolent. A Grass Finch, which escaped, returned

frequently to its home but was persistently chased away by the pair of Willow

Wrens on duty.


B. C. Thomasset.


We have noticed the same thing repeatedly and have even known them

to squeeze through |-in. mesh netting, so anxious were they to join the birds

inside the aviary.—E d.



A TALKING BUDGERIGAR


I have a Cobalt Budgerigar, hatched rather late last year, and which,

as an experiment, I brought into the house to see if we could teach him to

talk. Within six weeks he was saying “ Joey ”, and since then has learnt to

say “Pretty little Joey”, “Come along”, “Good-night, Joey”, etc.


I took him out of the nest just as he was almost ready to leave and put

him in a cage in the kitchen. The maid took him in hand and I think a

woman’s voice is the best for training them at first.


This bird is most amusing ; we let him out of his cage and he will at once

come on to my finger, run up my arm on to my shoulder, and nibble at my

ear, neck, and occasionally at my lips (when I speak to him); he does not

attempt to bite, however, he just tickles.


We put him on the table and give him a bunch of keys and a number of

paper spills to play with ; it is funny to see him talking away as he nibbles

at the keys. The paper spills he drags, one by one, to the edge of the table



