E, F. Chawner—Aviary Jottings



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cherished pair of birds everything arranged to their liking should

they feel inclined to win that coveted medal for us ? Will they even

go to nest ? Or, as in the case of a good many “ pairs ” are they really

a pair at all, or just two hens making believe ?


Supposing these doubts are satisfactorily settled, and the birds

are truly mated, will they choose a suitable nesting place or will they

select the most exposed and draughtiest spot they can find ? Will

the nesting material supplied meet with their approval ? Having chosen

the site and built their nest, will they take the next step and lay in it ?

Will the eggs be fertile and will the birds prove good sitters ? When

nestlings appear, will their father drag them out of the nest and drop

them in the most distant corner of the aviary ? Will the food supplied

suit the babies ? Will the weather be favourable, or will piercing blasts

and cold rain chill the life out of them ?


If all these questions are satisfactorily answered, there still remains

the anxious wonder : How will the nestlings fare when they leave the

nest ? Will they feather well, and will the old birds look after them

until they can fend for themselves ? Or will they leave them to starve

because they want to go to nest again immediately ? In short, their

path is beset with anxious forebodings from the cradle to (so often !)

the grave.


We here are no exception to the general rule : eggs are coming in

with satisfactory regularity from Tragopans, Mikados, Imperial, and

Edwards in appearance all that can be desired, but until the testing

we shall not know if they are fertile or clear. Certainly the cocks

all seem devoted to their wives, with one exception, our only cock

Blyth Tragopan has fallen in love with the hen Satyr over the way,

and repeatedly tells her so with calls which sound like a cross between

a tom cat in love and a sick cow. She very properly pays no attention

to him, walks about with her handsome spouse, and never casts a glance

at the love-lorn swain opposite. A screen has been put up between

them, and we hope it will be a case of “ out of sight out of

mind ”.


The Pheasants are very tame, so much so that those to whom they

are accustomed can watch the cocks “ display ” without disturbing

them. Tragopans especially are magnificent when they let down their



