346



Lord Tavistock—Breeding Results for 1937



eggs ever appear. This year I thought I would see what example would

do and put a pair of normal Amazons in the next aviary. The cock

I had had some time but the hen I bought out of a cage in a dealer’s

shop. She was a depressed, scared-looking creature and so cramped

in spirit and body by long and close confinement that it was a long time

before she found her way in and out of the shelter and about the

aviary. I never dreamed of her breeding, but one day with no previous

warning she suddenly took to a grandfather-clock nest. Although

I knew the cock was friendly with her I never saw him pay her any

very special attention and when she was sitting he seemed far more

anxious to help to defend his neighbour’s nest in the next aviary than

his own.


They were altogether an extraordinarily secretive couple, as the

hen was very rarely seen while incubating and it was a further surprise

when a young bird hatched, only to die a week or so later.


The efforts of the couple to fulfil their mission and set a good example

to the lutino were unfortunately lost upon her, for she seemed even

less inclined to serious nesting than before !


Incidentally the breeding of Blue-fronted Amazons is not to be

recommended to those who like to remain on friendly terms with their

birds. With the exception of one individual who was timid to the point

of being mental and could only gain normal reassurance if the members

of a Mothers’ Union were paying a visit to the aviaries, each breeding

cock Blue-front I have had has developed a temper as suitable in a

domestic pet as that of a Jersey bull. He just makes one dive at the

first portion of the anatomy of any person entering the aviary and

hangs on quietly until the corpse is removed ! The lutino’s present

mate is only one degree less offensive than his predecessor “ Koko ”

in that, whereas Koko went for me on sight on all occasions and minded

water as little as a duck, the other will retire if heavily baptized with

the water-can and usually allows me a close season from attack if

I renew the fruit and water once a day and after breakfast. He is

very definite on these points. “ You may,” he tells me, “ put your

revolting paws into my place once a day to do necessary work ; but

I cannot stand them more than once and it must not be too early in

the morning. The sight of you first thing when I am just awake is



