Exotic birds' endicrancc during a cold winter.



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EXOTIC BIRDS’ ENDURANCE DURING A COLD

WINTER (1917) IN NORTHERN FRANCE.


By J. Delacour.


Last winter was certainly the coldest I ever experienced

at Villers-Bretonneux (Somme) since I have kept birds. Up to

January 20th the weather was soft and rainy; afterwards a little

snow fell, and it froze hard until the middle of February ; about

every night the thermometer indicated —15° C. and more.


The ice in the pond exceeded 45 cm., and all the birds kept

out of doors had only ice or snow to slake their thirst.


All that time the sun shone and the wind blew only the last

week; and the war prevented the cold from being mitigated on

account of want of coal, etc.


The following birds bore the cold weather outdoor without

any shelter and are in good health:


Grey Rheas, Emus (their clutch being stopped by the frost),

common, black, and Bewick’s swans.


Geese. —Coreopsis, Indian, Upland, Maned, etc.


Ducks and Teal (even ringed Teal), Peafowls (common, black¬

winged, white, and even six young “ spicifer ’ recently imported,

which were displaying on the ice).


Pheasants. —Monauls, Tragopans, Peacock, Elliott, Mikado,

Soemerring, etc.


Crossoptilons, lineated, white-crested, purple, black-backed

Kaleeges, Siamese Fireback, Californian, Cuban, Montezuma Colins.


Pigeons and Doves. —Bleeding-heart, bronze-winged, grey¬

headed ; triangular spotted, white-backed, crested, white-spotted,

and fair Pigeons (and their hybrids) ; tigrini, palm, ruddy, blue-

spotted, bar-shouldered, zebra, diamond, scaly, etc.


Goffin’s, Leadbeater’s, and rosy-breasted Cockatoos ; Swainson

Lorrikeets; black-headed Conures; Senegalese Parrots; pileated

Parrot ( Peonopsittacus piliatus) ; Adelaide, Pennant s, etc. Parra-

keets; red-billod Liothrix ; Virginian cardinals ; black cow-birds

(Molutkrus bonariensis) ; and numerous Weavers (Madagascar,

orange, crimson-crowned, etc.).



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