72



Monsieur Jean Delacour,



Various birds, such as foreign Thrushes, Jays, etc., live well;

out of doors in summer, indoors in winter.


Troupials decidedly thrive better under such circumstances.

The Shamahs and the White-crested Garrulax stand out amongst

all the other birds as admirable songers. The Grackles, especially

the larger species from Java, are very entertaining with their curious

and quaint cries and imitations. In the course of last year I lost

individuals of that family, such as Trochalopteron rufigularis,

Ghimarrhornis leucocephcila, Myaclestes obscurus, Garrulax albi-

gularis.


Of the seed-eating Passerine birds, there is nothing to record,,

except that they thrive and breed regularly.


The Weavers remain out of doors, and have done so for two

years, enduring great cold in spite of their Senegalese origin.


The various Tanagers are kept indoors; they are fed, as are

the Sugar-birds, on Savoy biscuit, fruit, and the mixture given to the

Sunbirds, namely, honey, Nestle’s milk, and Mellin’s food, in water.


It is the only way of warding off illnesses which so often

attack them.


The Sugar-birds are fed exclusively on the liquid food. Sun-

birds live well on this mixture, with the addition of small insects

seldom partaking of fruit.


I have six species at Yillers-Bretonneux, namely, Nectarinia

famosa, Cinnyris chalybeus, C. amethystinus, Arachnechthra zeylonica,

A. asiatica and CEthopyga saturata.


This latter Sunbird, unlike the others, is fond of banana. It

seems to me indispensable to keep these birds in separate cages, or

they will sooner or later kill one another. It is also necessary to

keep clean paper (or blotting-paper) on the trays of the cages.


A few words as to the Paradise-birds. Alas, they only number

three specimens : an immature male of the Greater Paradise-bird

(Paradisea apoda ), and two males, one adult, the other approaching

that stage, of Wilson’s ( Schlegelia wilsoni).


The Greater Paradise-bird is still fawn-coloured, with the head

of a deeper tint, the eyes yellow, the bill white. He is not yet

brilliant in appearance, but one is able to see how magnificent he will

be later on. His menu consists of insectile mixture, fruits, and a



