Maurice Amsler—Breeding Prospects for 1933



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Close by a cage containing a Hooded Siskin, mated to two White

Border Canaries, both of which are now sitting on full clutches.

I have hopes of these nests as I have frequently seen the Siskin

feeding both Canaries. 1


It is a pity that the Hooded Siskin is so delicate on its arrival

in England. My present cock is all I have left of two apparently good

pairs purchased last year. Both hens nested and died either before or

during incubation. In 1912 I successfully bred these birds for the

first time in Great Britain, but my pair of Siskins then was one which

had been in the country for two or three years and was thoroughly

acclimatized.


A pair of (?) New Guinea Parrotlets, waiting for the warmer

weather to go outdoors, spend a good deal of their time either

cuddling or bickering.


Two quite small cages contain each a pair of Blue Eobins nesting,

one couple now on its second clutch.


Two pairs of Bengalese are busy nesting, and I hope may later on

help to rear either Grass Finches or Gouldian Finches.


Last, but not least, comes “ Wally ”, my old Senegal Parrot.

He has been here for years and has never had a feather out of place

or a day’s sickness, although he gets all the various foods forbidden

by Lord Tavistock, i.e. tea, cake, sugar dipped in coffee, and occasionally

a bit of fried egg at breakfast. A mealworm is perhaps the greatest

treat one can offer him.


This bird is quite a character. He says a few words, lies on his

back and clasps his hands in prayer, and does various acrobatic tricks

on a pencil. Any strange man can handle him with impunity, but

I grieve to say he is a misogynist and will set about any member of

the fair sex, even a baby, although quite friendly with a boy of the

same age.


One end of my greenhouse is wired off into two small aviaries each

some 9 ft. long. Here I have at present a pair of Blue Eobins and a pair

of Shamas. I use these aviaries, which are slightly heated, when I wish

to start birds breeding early, but the results do not always work out

according to plan. The Shamas, for instance, have been playing at



1 These eggs are all fertile.



