Capt. H. S. Stokes—Breeding of the Cayenne Crake



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two young Stanley Parrakeets (Psephotus icterotis), which had been

badly picked in the nest, and so were poorly feathered, indeed some

of the feather tracts appeared to be absent or destroyed, and to a

certain extent they were feather pickers themselves. The vendor

thought they would never breed and, though they might improve,

would never be perfect.


This latter is so far true of the cock ; he is not a feather plucker and,

except for a small patch on each shoulder which annually appears to

get less, is quite a passable though not a show specimen ; we have

not yet tried to breed from him. The hen, however, if she were not a

feather-plucker, would be a better bird than the cock, but unless she

is occasionally given meat or fat she featherplucks till she looks a

dreadful ragamuffin. This year, she was paired to a normal cock, and

had brought up two perfect babies. When these were about three weeks

old she began to pluck their rump feathers, so we again gave her a

bone with some meat and fat on it, and she ceased plucking, and they

rapidly grew new feathers from where she had removed them, so that

now, at about three months old, and still unseparated from their

parents, they are pictures of perfection. In this isolated case the

condition appears to be an individual one, possibly initiated by some

deficiency in the diet which may have been of a temporary nature.

I think Stanley’s eat more apple for their size than any other Parrakeet

I have kept. Throughout their upbringing we never saw the cock

Stanley feed the young, neither did they appeal to him for food.



THE BREEDING OF

THE CAYENNE CRAKE


(Creciscus cayennensis)


By Captain II. S. Stokes


This little bird should not be confused with the much larger one

known as the Cayenne Rail, which belongs to the genus Aramides.


According to the B.M. Catalogue, the total length of the male

bird is 5‘8 inches, and the hen is a little larger. Both sexes are alike,

being olive-brown above, with the crown of the head and the under¬

parts of the body bright chestnut. The eyes are red, and the feet



