252



E. Hopkinson—Breeding of Hoopoes



“ The birds are a pair I procured from De Von and Co. in May, 1910 ;

they were somewhat wild at first, but after about three w r eeks they settled

down and developed into fine specimens of their kind.


“ About the middle of May last, I noticed the hen looking—as I thought

—for a nesting site, and I immediately supplied her with a box and building

material, which she took to at once, and prepared it for occupation. The

first egg she laid on the ground, the remainder of the clutch were duly

deposited in the box. Incubation went forward very satisfactorily, and the

eggs proved fertile, they are due to hatch on 8th July. I have every hope

of being able to rear them, as the pair are exceptionally tame. The cock

is most attentive to his mate, and is constantly feeding her. The eggs are

rather long in shape and of a pale blue colour. She has sat very close from

the commencement. I found that if I trespassed anywhere near the nest she

made a peculiar spitting noise, somewhat like Tits.


“ On 8th July five chicks were duly hatched out, and at the time of

writing (11th July), are going on splendidly. I had a look at them to-day,

and one would hardly believe the development made in a few days. When

first hatched they were almost white, now they are a dirty grey and about

three times the size they were when I first looked at them. I notice their

beaks at present are no different from those of young thrushes and

blackbirds.


“ Diet.—I feed them as follows : D. D. and Co.’s best Nightingale Food.

This is mixed with raw eggs and silk-worm cocoons, and the whole fried in

fresh butter—the birds partake of this freely and thrive on it. I should

mention I place it in a box and cover with bran to the depth of four or five

inches. I also supply in another box, beetles, gentles, and mealworms, which

I also cover with bran, as I find this method gives them exercise in picking

out their foods, and helps them to keep in condition. That the foregoing

treatment is about right is amply demonstrated by the fact that, after a

year in captivity they were sufficiently fit and vigorous to attempt to repro¬

duce their kind, with at any rate partial success, and with every indication

at the present that the young will be fully reared.”


This concluded the August instalment of the account, and was

accompanied by an Editorial note to the effect that the young were

fully reared, and that further details would appear in the next issue.


Note the words “ fully reared ”, and yet the young could have

been then only 20 days old, from the dates given ; 8th July hatched,

28th July at the end of the article.


Mr. Aronstein’s account continues (p. 257) :—


“ Now that the young are fully reared, I can offer the following additional

particulars :—


“ The hen alone incubated. I never once saw her off the nest, she sat so

close that I was under the impression that she must be dead in the nest, and

became so anxious that I put in my hand and was relieved to find she was

all right—she is so tame that she did not come off, merely making a sort of

‘ spitting ’ prote st. I regret I cannot give exact period of incubation as she

was sitting some days before I was aware of a so interesting an occurrence.



