The Marquess of Tavistock—Breeding of the Tahiti Blue Lory 37


fortunately, were quite unmoved by our investigations, and continued

eating meal-worms without any display of anxiety or resentment.

(Incidentally, they were allowed four meal-worms each a day and would

have eaten more, although we did not consider it prudent to indulge

them.) When the top of the nest had been removed and the electric

torch directed into its dark interior, I saw, instead of the half-expected

corpse, a sturdy little blackamoor sitting up in one corner ; for the

baby Lory, instead of being clothed in white or yellowish down, like

all other little Parrakeets I have seen who have possessed any clothes

at all, was almost as black as a baby Moorhen !


The happy day at length arrived when, on looking into the aviary

shelter, a dark form flew from one side of the aviary to the other,

which was not that of either of the parents. The young bird was as

fine, strong, and well-grown as anything in the Parrakeet line that

I have ever reared, even under the most favourable conditions. His

plumage was blue-black, somewhat less brilliant than that of the

parents. He had some streaks and blotches of greyish-white on that

area of his person where his bib should later appear, and his beak and

feet are at present blackish.


At the time of writing, he is feeding himself, and his future presents'

somewhat of a problem, as I rather think the parents have laid again,

and I do not quite know whether to risk moving him or not. Knowing

his father’s uncertain temper, I am a little afraid of leaving him too

long, although I must admit that so far, the cock is behaving like a

model parent. We have not had a chance of looking inside the nest

to make sure whether a second clutch of eggs has appeared, but, if

they have, the arrangements for their incubation have been rather

peculiar, as sometimes both old birds are on the nest; sometimes the

hen ; sometimes the cock ; and sometimes the baby himself, although

for quite a long time after first emerging he did not enter the tree-

trunk at all!


I have already referred to the feeding which has suited my Blue

Lories so well. In addition to the articles of diet already mentioned,

they occasionally chew up grass and eat a little earth from the space

left open in the tiles for the maintenance of a supply of these delicacies.


When the weather is very severe, the Blue Lories do not often



