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R. James—Breeding British Birds



experience—that the chicks of the average small wading birds are as

easy to rear as are chickens. In my early enthusiasm I tried every

conceivable method of feeding, only to find they seem to thrive better

on a very simple diet. The said diet to consist of biscuit meal, scalded,

strained, and a little minced beef mixed with it. My waders would

never welcome any change from this, except when I would supply a

few snails, earwigs, or periwinkles. I have had more surprises and

less shocks in keeping small wading birds than with keeping British

Finches.


The Redpoll, though not aggressive, seems to be too mischievous

for a mixed collection. It is never safe to dogmatize, but I find these

birds come into breeding condition quite easily, and, when building,

will visit every other nest in the aviary to steal nesting material ;

it was a usual sight to see a Redpoll inadvertently drag out a clutch

of eggs from the nest of a Canary or a Goldfinch, and if their own nest

is looked at, they are likely to pull it to bits, destroy the eggs, and

then start to build another nest on the same site. If a pair of Linnets

have wintered in the aviary, one may expect them to go to nest the

following spring, though just before coming into breeding condition

they become very restless indeed ; they become so irritatingly restless

that their owner may be strongly tempted to liberate them, but they

suddenly settle down and go to nest, and will rear two broods with

ease on a diet of canary food, with the addition of almost any seeding

grasses that are obtainable at the time.


The Bullfinch I have found more difficult, both cock and hen

seem to be most aggressive. My Bullfinches would go to nest, incubate,

but always failed to rear their young. I have yet to find a diet to suit

them while feeding their chicks, they seem to require so many berries,

and tinned berries seem to help the Bullie chicks to die more quickly

than starvation. Plant life would seem to be quite out of the question

in an aviary where a pair of Bullfinches are kept. I should imagine

the best chance of breeding with Siskins would be in their first year

of captivity, because if kept with a collection that would necessitate

all kinds of food being provided, the Siskins seem to become too

sluggish for breeding after the first summer. They are greedy, even so

they make most attractive aviary birds. The Chaffinch will go to nest



