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Maurice Amsler — Breeding Prospects for 1933



poor bird’s health, feed it (or anything else) on packet Parrot foods.

A seed mixture of two parts canary, one part white millet, half-part

hemp, one part yellow maize, one part sunflower, and one part

pea-nuts, with plenty of ripe fruit, will suit its digestion far better.


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BREEDING PROSPECTS FOR 1933


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


An S 0 S for copy this morning from our Editor left me somewhat

puzzled for the choice of a subject. Last year’s successes were few,

apart from half a score of Blue Robins, some Gouldians, and some

200 Budgerigars. I have, therefore, decided to walk round my cages

and somewhat depleted aviaries and to discuss my breeding prospects

for the year. This is so much pleasanter than a retrospect, for at this

early date one can hardly have any failures or disappointments to

register.


First in my bird-room I have my old Blue Rock Thrush, whose

mousing activities were recently described in the Avicultural

Magazine. Having disposed of some 20 or 30 mice of various sizes

in his outdoor aviary, I did him the unkindness to catch him up and

cage him. Being predatory on mice I argued that he would not turn

up his bill at a young Roller Canary, several pairs of which species

shared his aviary with him. I had often noticed that I was the world’s

worst breeder of Canaries, and I now suspect that my old Thrush

has been for the past few years responsible for my non-success.


In adjacent cages are five or six pairs of Gouldian Finches—the

sexes separate as far as is possible—but all my young of last year

are still in their nestling plumage, and therefore unsexed. I fear

a preponderance of males, as many of them occasionally break out

into song and dance. Together with these are two pairs of Long-tailed

Grass Finches.


These and two hen Gouldian Finches are from Chapman’s last

importation, and I must say that his collector is to be congratulated

on the condition of all these imported birds, which reminded me of

Payne and Wallace’s faultless collections some twenty-four years ago.



