Breeding of tlic Jiltite-eaf^f^ed Tanager. 159 



their nest and i)rf)!L;cny. L'olh parents feil the youn^ in the 

 nest with small pieces of banana and insects, especially live ants' 

 eg"g"s and mealworms; the latter were killed and crushed before 

 being fed to their yonnj;", the old birds swallowiiii^" the skins 

 when their little ones had sucked them dry. 



The young" grew very fast. Some days after their 

 hatching out I put my hand into the nest, and found their bodies 

 filled it up. I was not allowed to make further investigation, 

 for the parent birds, alarmed by my audacity, and evidently 

 fearing I might rob them of their young boldly attacked my 

 hands and face in the effort to drive me away. Very few birds 

 will defend their progeny with such courage as they displayed, 

 at any rate under the conditions of the restrained liberty of 

 aviary-life. 



On June 20th two young White-caps made their exit from 

 th.e nest — the first. I believe, to do so in captivity — fully fledged, 

 and flying as well as their parents. 



In plumage they resembled their mother, being like her 

 a dull blue-black all over their bodies, but they had neither the 

 white cap nor small red crest which adorn both sexes of this 

 species, but the youngsters had a dull white streak above the eye. 



At the end of July the young began to eat ripe fruit 

 (banana, cherries and strawberries) and insectile mixture, but 

 tl.eir parents continued to feed them from time to time. 



I hoped my White-capped Tanagers would rear a second 

 brood, but they disappointed me and have made no other 

 attempt at nesting this year. 



At the end of September the young birds made their first 

 moult, and their colours became more and more vivid, and 

 a small red crest appeared at the base of their upper mandibles. 

 1 think they are a pair. 



Article written October 19th. 



[It would be of interest if Mons. Decoux would state if the 

 White-cap also appeared at this time, though probably he 

 includes this in " became more and more vivid." — Ed.] 



