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Correspondence



from Dr. Patrick, which in the meantime had killed its mate, and put it in the

pen with my cock, who proceeded to attempt to kill it, and would have

succeeded had I not interfered. They were then put in adjoining pens for two

weeks, after which they were turned together without further trouble.


I had anticipated considerable difficulty in furnishing a nest-box that would

be acceptable to them and, as a result, went to some trouble in building several

that I thought might be accepted and just for good measure I hung up an

old Budgie-box and, of course, the unexpected happened and she went to

nest in that one. Four eggs were laid, four young hatched and reared. Before

I could clean out the box she started laying again, and I was forced to remove

the eggs to clean out the box, this time seven eggs, all of which hatched,

rearing six. The one she lost was hatched so late that the older ones trampled

it. After the young ones were hatched I examined the nest-box every other

day, removing it from the nail and standing it on the floor, removing the

young when about ten days old and cleaning the second nest, and they didn’t

seem to mind. The young are all very tame, several of them will fly to my

hand or shoulder when I am feeding. The first few days she fed little other

than greens, after which “ hempseed ”, of which she had an unlimited supply,

was fed. Canary and large yellow millet was available.


I am aware that hemp-seed is frowned on by many breeders, especially

when fed to these rarer Grass Parrakeets, and their experience no doubt

justifies it, but I wonder if the climate and not the hemp may have something

to do with it. Three years ago I procured three pairs of Elegants from

Lord Tavistock, and from them I have raised and now have fifty-four birds,

all reared on hempseed, and they are all in perfect plumage and health.

Our climate here on the south-west coast is very constant, seldom going above

90° in the summer or below 50° in the winter. I speak of the immediate coast

(I am four blocks from the ocean).


My aviaries are somewhat different from the average “ chicken-run ”

type. They are built in one unit about 40 feet square, divided up into pens

that average 12 x 6 X 8 feet high. A high dense hedge surrounds them

with the exception of the one entrance gate. A large pepper-tree overhangs

them all, thus giving the birds natural seclusion. Punning water and young

barley are at all times in each pen.


Another feed item that I never use is hulled oats. This food may be all

right when it is fresh, and by that I mean a few hours after it is hulled, but,

after a number of middle-men get through “ treating ” it to keep out the

worms, I claim it is no food for a delicate bird.


J. H. Arnold.


4002 Massachusetts St.,


Long Beach, California, U.S.A.



OFFICERS FOR THE YEAR 1934


The Council propose that Messrs. P. Suggitt and S. Williams

retire from the Council by seniority, and that The Hon. Anthony

Chaplin and Capt. H. S. Stokes be elected.


Also that Mr. Sidney Williams be elected as Auditor and Mr. R.

Suggitt as Scrutineer for the coming year.



