K. Drake—Failures versus Successes



25



regularly, and a daily feed with corn and chicken food. Some time ago

there was a famous muster of Peacocks in the grounds of a big house

on the Cotswolds, and the birds became so tame that passing motorists

would stop to feed them. In a short time the birds grew accustomed to

this, and if a motorist unconsciously stopped along that road he would

shortly find himself surrounded by a mob of hungry Peafowl, screaming

loudly for food !


When you buy a young pair of Peacocks you had better pen them up

for a week or so until they get used to their new home, but afterwards,

when they know it, the birds will never leave it, and will find a regular

roosting place in a nearby tree, where they will retire at night as

regularly as rooks. It is quite useless to cut their wings and unnecessary.

The value of a full-grown Peacock is about £2 or £3, and you can always

find a market for the birds as not many people breed them.



FAILURES VERSUS SUCCESSES


By K. Drake


I was very amused at an article I read a short time back in which

a certain w r riter on foreign birds seemed to regret that so few failures

were recorded, whilst in all the books and magazines he had read

quite 80 per cent were successes and only 20 per cent failures. I myself

strongly object to dwell on the failures, and had my husband read

of many failures in the magazines I am quite positive I should never

have become a member of the Avicultural Society. I tell him of all

the successes I read of, also my successes, and hide the worst in all

cases—if I can. I find by a few successes I have just to do the “ sad eye ”

business (which trick I have learnt perfectly from my lovely Saluki

Hound), and I have the following nice words said to me : “ Would

you like them ? 55 Bather, I should think I would ! “ Well, get them ”

—-but I’m broke and have not a sou left and I owe you too ! “ Oh,


never mind, I’ll let you off that, write straight away for them. I’ll

give them to you because you have done so well with your birds,

you cannot expect never to have losses.” Good, kind husband—and



