The Marquess of Tavistock—Facts and Figures 87


i.e. they had to endure not merely a single move to a new situation,

but a double one.


The total number of pairs that had some sort of real chance of

nesting was 54, but this includes a certain number of individuals

which, though acclimatized, were only obtained in the middle of the

breeding season.


Of the 54 pairs, 20 reared good and perfect young ; 3 had broods,

some members of which were fair specimens and some were rickety ;

2 reared rickety broods ; 7 lost their young in the nest; 1 had infertile

eggs ; 1 had their eggs accidentally destroyed ; 1 laid but would not

sit ; 1 are now sitting for the first time ; 1 produced soft-shelled eggs ;

2 got as far as pairing but did not lay ; and 13 examined their nests

but got no further. None took absolutely no interest in their nests,

and 5 unmated hens laid and incubated infertile eggs.


The total of young birds hatched was 97 ; the total of strong young

reared 66 ; one probably strong young bird was killed by cold ; another

probably strong young one by neglect of the foster parent ; 2 indifferent,

though not actually rickety, young were reared ; 15 rickety young

lived to leave the nest, of which 7 improved and survived, and 5 died

by accident or were destroyed ; 12 presumably weakly young died in

the nest, not appearing to be neglected by their parents.


Two cases of egg-eating by cocks occurred, the offenders being a

Grey Parrot and a Roseate Cockatoo, the latter having exhibited the

vice before he came to me.


There was one example of vicious and abnormal breeding behaviour,

a cock Mealy Rosella attacking and injuring his mate without any

reasonable provocation.


One of the most noteworthy features in the record is, perhaps, the

very low percentage of infertile eggs : the Plumheads concerned

in this case also proved infertile last year, although they were seen

to pair.


Considering the record of the various species in more detail, one

pair of Yellow-mantled Rosellas reared 7 strong young; two pairs of

Mealy Rosellas reared 5 and 2 respectively, and a pair of Pennants 6.

Adelaides reared 7 young, 3 strong and 4 rather rickety. Stanleys

lost their brood in the frost; the hen Yellow-belly, an aged bird probably



