346 The Marquess of Tavistock—Breeding Results of 1938


satisfactory foster-parents were available for the few eggs I managed

to rescue intact. In these days of constant disappointments, with,

presumably, “ rogue ” stock discarded from Australian aviaries, one

longs for the Princess of Wales’ of pre-War days—lovely big birds of a

brilliantly coloured race, now seldom or never imported, the hens

of which, at any rate, had some idea of the correct way of discharging

their family responsibilities !


The hen of my old pair of Crimson-wings, now, I fear, past her

best by reason of advancing years, laid but a single egg from which

a good young bird was reared. Feeling that this solitary effort was

a somewhat meagre one, she laid again, but did not sit the full period.

I have never known Crimson-wings to do any good with the second

nest. There is always disaster, either to the eggs, young, or to the

hen herself, and it is wiser not to allow more than one attempt at

breeding to be made, unless, of course, the first lot of eggs is accidentally

destroyed. It is rather interesting to note that a young bird bred

from this pair in 1937 has assumed practically full adult male plumage

with his first moult.


Another pair of Crimson-wings, the hen of which was bred by

Mr. Ezra, reared two good young ones, and might have done even better

had the hen not laid one egg from the perch in the aviary shelter.


Pennant’s repeated their good performance of last year, and reared

six nice young ones, somewhat early in the season for this late-nesting

species.


Adelaide’s did not settle down properly or get beyond a casual

examination of their nest-box. Although themselves bred in my collec¬

tion, they are the wildest and most intractable birds I possess.


The breeding pair of Australian Kings reared four good young, and

the hen nested again, but did not hatch. The young of the first brood

showed very decided individual differences in their nesting plumage,

and one has traces of a pale green wing-bar, as has his mother who,

for one of her sex, shows, indeed, a remarkably well-developed one.

Many of the Australian Parrakeets seem to be in the middle of interesting

stages of evolutionary development and, as a result, show far more

individual variation than is common in wild birds of the same age,

sex, and species. Pennant’s are reaching the final stage in bright-



