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Show 412 HEER F. E. BLAAUW ON THE [Mar. 21, 2. On the Breeding of the Weka Rail and Snow-Goose Captivity. By F. E. BLAAUW, C.M.Z.S. [Eeceived February 15, 1899.] I. THE "WEKA BAIL (Ocydromus australis). A pair of Wekas, kept in a small enclosure in m y park, began to exhibit tbe first signs of breeding in the end of February of last year (1898). The birds became very noisy and were heard screaming in concert, as well during the day as during the night. The male became extremely attentive to the female, and, if fed with bread or anything else that was acceptable to him, would take as much of the food in his bill as it could possibly hold, and run towards the female, calling her by a peculiar drumming noise. As soon as she came to him, he would give her the whole of his provisions, and would only eat himself what she left. He delighted so much in feeding her that, if she were present whilst the food was thrown before them, he would snatch it away from her in great haste to present it to her afterwards. The beginning of the nesting-operations was a rather deep circular hole, which the male excavated with his powerful bill under a box-tree. The female soou began to join him in this work, and afterwards would sit in it whilst the male went about in search of material for the nest. This consisted of loose grass and hay, but chiefly of grass dug out with the roots adhering to it, which he would bring in big mouthfuls to the female, who set it in order about her. This went on for several days, the nest growing very large considering the size of the birds. It measured ultimately fully 25 inches across, tbe borders being raised about 11 inches, whilst the depression in the middle was so deep as to almost entirely hide the bird which sat in it. Both male and female took part in the construction of the nest, but tbe bringing and collection of the materials seemed to be exclusively the work of the male. On the 26th of March the first egg •was laid, and the following five were laid with generally, but not always, one day between each egg. The eggs are of a buffish white, with lighter and darker red spots, which have the appearance of some being on the surface of the shell and of others being under it. The eggs resemble closely those of Aramides ypecaha from the Argentine Bepublic. After three eggs had been laid the birds began to sit, each sitting alternately. The male sat mostly during the night and the female during the day, but sometimes, though seldom, the reverse would occur. This lasted during a fortnight, and I thought everything was going on as it should, when, one morning, I was much grieved to find that all the eggs were gone-eaten by the parent birds, as I fouud out afterwards, and the whole nest was left in disorder. A few days after this catastrophe the Bails began to pair again and to build a new nest. Again eggs were laid, seven in number |