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Breeding Successes in New Zealand



soaked seed, with a little soft food daily and small gentles occasionally.

I could not spare them any mealworms as there were three baby Shamas

to be provided for as well when the first nest hatched. To date,

12th March, there have been six nests, the last one having eggs due to

hatch in a week’s time. The first brood have moulted, but are not

showing any signs of sex difference in the feathering.


Mrs. E. Bullock.



BREEDING OF BLUE MOUNTAIN LORIKEET


My Blue Mountain Lorikeets are in a large aviary together with

all my other Parrots and Parrakeets. About the middle of October,

I noticed a pair going in and out of a log box, so on peeping through

a crack I saw three eggs. Naturally, I was very excited, and it was

with some difficulty that I restrained my curiosity. The birds did not

sit closely but seemed to be popping in and out of the nest much of the

time. On the 1st November, when passing the log, I heard something

squeak, but naturally I did not look in, as I was afraid the hen might

leave the youngsters.


I was able to restrain my curiosity for a considerable time, but one

day it got the better of me, and on looking in all I could see was a heap

of grey wool, not much in reality to have broken my vow to myself

by looking into the nest. On looking into the nest again about a week

later, imagine my surprise when I saw two small heads looking around

everywhere. The youngsters did not show any signs of feathers until

they were four weeks old, and even then were very slow in feathering up.


At the end of two months they were fully feathered. On Christmas

morning, they were looking round for their Christmas-box by putting

their heads over the top of the nest, and by New Year’s Day they both

came out of it, as big as the parents, and at the moment they are flying

around in the aviary as well as an adult bird.


On 20th November they were independent, feeding themselves on

the nectar, bread, and eating sunflower seed. In appearance they are

very much like their parents, almost as big, but much paler. They were

fed only once a day with nectar put into a drinking vessel as well as

a slice of bread, and then nectar was poured over the bread. Previous



