All right!: reserved. September, 1916. 



BIRD NOTES: 



THE 



JOURNAL OF THE FOREIGN BIRD CLUB. 



The Breeding of Jackson's Whydahs. 



By W. Shore Baily. 



Notes on the life and habits of this bird have appeared 

 in " B.N." from time to time, but so far nothing has appeared 

 as to its nesting in captivity in this country. I think myself 

 lucky, therefore, to be able to Bend you this short account of 

 what is probably the first case of successful breeding in the 

 British Isles. 



I secured !my (pair of birds from our member, Mr. G. 

 E. Low, and later on this gentleman was kind enough to let 

 me have a second hen, a great advantage from a breeder's 

 point of view, as these birds are polygamous. The cock was 

 in full plumage, and I must say that I thought him very 

 handsome, with his drooping tail and stately carriage. 



On their arrival I turned them into a large cage, with 

 a variety of other birds, all smaller than themselves. With 

 these they agreed very well, although at first the small birds 

 were pretty badly scared when the cock made one of his wild 

 swoops into their "midst. However, the little chaps soon got 

 used to this, and' I am bound to say that Mr. Jackson made 

 no real attelmpit to hann them, and tliis they evidently well 

 understood. Karly in January the cock began to go 

 out of colour. The long black tail feathers were the first to 

 go, then tho body feathers began to change colour, so that 

 in the course of a fortnight he was only distinguishable from 

 his mates by his larger size, and by his bigger frontal shield. 

 This shield is very conspicuous in the male when he is out of 

 colour, but is not nearly so noticeable wlicn he is in his breed- 

 ing dress. One would have thought that the exact opposite 



