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M. Maxwell-Jackson—Notes on My Birds



NOTES ON MY BIRDS


By M. Maxwell-Jackson


The Zebra Finches have produced six beauties—one cock I have

had about five years ; he is still very vigorous—the other pair broke

their eggs. Both hens are now sitting again. The young birds were

so long in making their appearance that I feared the terrible weather

had killed them, but one morning when I opened their aviary door

they were all in a row on the swing with papa, mamma, and the other

hen all sitting behind, looking very excited. About two days later

one was sitting on the door and suddenly found himself swung into

the orchard. He took wing and flew strongly out of sight. Feeling sure

he was lost I was delighted to see some hours later a tiny grey speck

on the roof of the houses, “ mewing ” piteously. I called and he flew

into an apple tree. I gently drove him towards the aviary near which

I put a large cage where soon he sat down very tired, but would not

enter it, so I put a tiny travelling cage near and he popped straight

in and at once returned to the bosom of his family. Evidently

expecting the prodigal’s welcome, he sat crying in the middle of the

floor, but mamma looked coldly at him. However, after a few minutes

she flew down and literally combed him from head to foot with her

beak, going over each leg separately. He crept into the nest, looking

rather crestfallen and was soon asleep. He refused to eat with the

others the next day, and I saw the mother pull his head round and

poke the food down his throat. Hardly three days later I found him dead

with a hole pecked in his head.


The Cordon Bleus are sitting but they are overdue and no sign

of young. Silverbills nesting, but no eggs so far.


Two Half-masked Weavers have a hen Bullfinch for company,

as I was unable to find a hen of their kind. The old cock makes violent

love to her : as soon as she appears in the flight he flings himself in

front of her and sings just like a lemonade bottle bursting ! He sings

in my face, too, and when I applaud he begins all over again. He

only allows the younger cock to present “ Bully ” with a flower which he

picks up in the flight. She ought to relent to this passionate wooer

as he has built her a most wonderful castle in the air. It swings from



