38



M. Amsler—Breeding Results at Delmonden Manor



venture into the open flight, although they will sometimes come out

and have a vigorous rain bath, when the temperature is decidedly low.


Although they are active climbers, Blue Lories have a strangely

weak and laboured flight, exactly like that of a very sick or young bird.

It is clear that in their own restricted habitat they never have to do

much more than move from one branch to another, and gales of wind,

I imagine, must be practically non-existent in Tahiti. At the present

time, both species of these lovely little Lories are confined to certain

tiny and remote coral islets, a plague of rats having exterminated

them in other parts of their limited range. It is, therefore, greatly

to be hoped that every effort will be made to preserve them in captivity

in the not improbable event of their dying out completely in their

native land. Eggs have, I believe, been laid recently in America and

also in the collection of Dr. Derscheid, in Belgium, where I hope

Mr. Yealland will be able to continue the success with the species which

he has begun so well in England.



BREEDING RESULTS FOR 1937 AT

DELMONDEN MANOR


By Maurice Amsler, M.B., F.Z.S.


This is the season when I usually oblige our Editor with some

copy and depress my fellow members with a recital of many failures

and a few successes. The past year has been quite an average one as

regards numbers fully reared, but very much the reverse if one were

to work out the percentage of birds reared from those hatched.


Last year, my first experience in the breeding of Pheasants, I

reported two Amherst fully reared as the grand total from some eight

or ten chicks hatched—this failure, it may be remembered, was due to

the misbehaviour of one of my dogs—which had to go ; my present

dogs are now perfectly trained, in fact they only reluctantly follow

me when I am walking round feeding the young Pheasants.


Notwithstanding this I have had more than my share of losses

among these birds—about twenty Amhersts were reared, the total

should have been quite double this number ; of Elliot’s I only brought



