A. C. Furner—A Derby Member’s Aviaries



9



my Bible as regards keeping Gouldians, and I am firmly convinced

that it was this article which went a long way towards popularizing

the breeding of these Finches, and although amongst many of my

avicultural friends I hear of varied treatments being applied, when the

whole thing is boiled down it is practically word for word Mr. Teague’s

methods.


Among the birds which we keep but do not try to breed may be

included a pair of exceptionally tame Black-headed Caiques. Of course

when I say I do not try to breed them I actually mean I have no hopes

of breeding them, for I believe to-day these birds have not been bred

in captivity. On many occasions my hopes have been raised by the

birds apparently pairing up and taking charge of a nesting box, when

the hen would sit in the nesting box for hours on end, but on going in

to investigate her only interest seemed to be biting the box to pieces.


These birds live amicably during nine months of the year, but the

late spring and early summer months they spend their time quarrelling

and fighting which assures me they are a true pair and still keeps hope

alive that one day, if I can find a sufficiently attractive nesting box

and site, we may get a little farther.


In the Rosella aviary we have about half a dozen Scarlet Bishops,

one Pekin Robin, and one Crimson Crowned Tanager which make a

particularly showy aviary when these birds are all in colour.


A tragedy occurred here which I mention as it might save similar

loss and be a warning to fellow members. I had been in the habit

of tying bundles of oats and wheat together and hanging them in the

aviary. One morning I found the cock Rosella, who had evidently

perched on this bunch of oats, literally tied up like Houdini. He had

apparently got his foot inside the piece of raffia fastening the oats

together and in struggling to get free had ravelled his legs up com¬

pletely and had died from shock before I found him. The total

length of the piece of raffia with which these oats were tied did not

exceed 6 inches. He had apparently split the piece into several

shreds and these had wound round and round his legs.


In concluding I offer my apologies for writing an article with no

outstanding points of interest and no unusual breeding results with

details of how I produce such results, for, though I should like to be in



