260 N. Wharton-Tigar—Visit of Avicultural Society to Leckford


Both old birds feed their offspring but strange to say are less

aggressive now that they are fledged and do not seem to credit us with

evil intentions towards them.


The young were reared mainly on sunflower, peanuts, apple and

bread-and-milk, of which latter Gang-Gangs are rather fond. They also

like an occasional small piece of cooked beef fat. Hemp should never

be given, nor that abomination—safflower—which figures largely in

most Parrot mixtures.



THE VISIT OF THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY

TO LECKFORD


By N. Wharton-Tigar


When we were all invited to Leckford to see Mr. Spedan Lewis’s

birds we knew we were in for a treat, and we certainly were not

disappointed. We had heard that for the last year or two Mr. Lewis

had been re-stocking his aviaries with all that is rare and beautiful in

Pheasants, Water-fowl, and Cranes.


Saturday, 23rd July, turned out to be a lovely day: we travelled

down very comfortably from Waterloo to Winchester, and we were

taken by special motor coach to Leckford. We drove right in, close to

the cricket pavilion, where our hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Spedan Lewis,

greeted us very cordially, and we then sat down to a delicious and

well-served lunch.


Owing to the danger of unduly alarming the birds, it was wisely

decided to split the party into several groups, so that the enclosures

should never be overcrowded with visitors. This worked very well.

Miss Chawner our Editor, who has been in charge of Mr. Lewis’s birds

for many years, headed one party, the Head Keeper another, Mr. Terry

Jones, who is now at Leckford, took a third, and Mr. Lewis himself the

remainder. I was one of this last group. Immediately after lunch we

set forth to see the Pheasants, etc. They are admirably housed, in

very large grassy enclosures each with a roomy shed, and a group of

suitable flowering shrubs, conifers, etc., is planted in each, to provide

cover and shelter in the future.


The Pheasants are magnificent, many of the rarest and most



