114



Breeding Notes from New Zealand and Australia



I believe this specie was bred for the first time in England or

Europe some few months ago ; it is therefore mainly my idea in

recording the above achievement to show that members over this

side of the world are also actively engaged in breeding the rarest

Waxbills.


H. S. Sewell.



AYICULTUEAL FAILURES


Too often, only successes are mentioned in the Magazine, and we

draw a discreet veil of silence over our failures. As much profit,

however, can be derived from failures as from successes. If you do

not make mistakes, you will not learn. The crime is in making the

same mistake twice.


Bourkes Parakeets. —This year, none were actually reared to

maturity, several nests, from memory two, of youngsters being pro¬

duced two and three at a time, but they all very poorly. They left

the nest in most cases, but did not attain that degree of vigour that

one would expect. Information gathered elsewhere, however, indicates

that the slight degree of relationship that there was between the

parent birds was probably the real reason for the weakness of the

young. Any suspicion of inbreeding with Bourkes Parakeets seems

to sentence the young ones to an early death.


Black-crested Sibia.— These are rich, chestnut-coloured birds,

with black heads and long, black crests, about half as big again as a

Shama. They are natives of India. A pair were brought back in

1935, and liberated in a small aviary all to themselves. In the summer

of 1936, a nest very similar to that of a thrush was built in a small-leaf

privet tree. Two eggs of a pale green shade with on them a few brown

spots were laid. Then—tragedy. The hen bird was found dead, in

perfect condition and with no sign of attack from cats or outside vermin,

and I w r as keenly disappointed, so much so that I did not conduct a post

mortem. To have been so near and yet so far, to have selected these

birds in London, to have transported them, acclimatized them, to have

got them to go to nest—and with this result! There is only one thing

for it—try again.



