154



Mr. Hubert D. Astley,



house. He lives in a long cage with cane bars in the dining parlour,

and directly he sees me go to the sideboard commences his curious

cry, at the same time swinging his long tail up and round with a

circular movement, and then jerking it from one side to the other

like the pendulum of a clock, the slightest pause being made when

the tail is swung outwards before bringing it back to the other side.

When excited at the prospect of a tit-bit of meat, he at the same

time utters a curious cry, commencing with two or three clucks.

The cry can be imitated by putting the end of the thumb between

one’s closed lips, rapidly vibrating it and at the same time uttering

vocally what may be described as “ ou.” This cry closely resembles

the curious one made by Egyptian women in their native dances.

And the motmot also utters one note of the same calibre; a louder

“ ou ” and “ woo, pop pop,” which has perhaps to do with a call to

his mate. Only once have I heard him utter a cry expressive of

fear, when I had let him out in a room for exercise, and had been

unable to induce him to re-enter his cage. He went under a cup¬

board and perhaps not knowing that he was going to be caught in

the dark corner to which he had retired, was taken unawares when

my hand closed on him ; then he gave vent to a loud jay-like and

raucous screech, but was quickly pacified when he found who his

captor was, changing the screech to a more contented cluck and

pecking indignantly at my fingers, as much as to say, “ You did

give me a fright, I thought you were at least a cat.”


If he gets hold of one’s finger with his serrated bill, he can

pinch hard, and if one leaves go of him, he will hang on, suspended,

so that you can swing his body. Quite a character, he is ! and most

beautiful in his colouring, with his ruby eye, kingfisher blue on the

head, cinnamon underparts, rich green upperparts and blue tail.

The motmots are allied to the kingfishers and the rollers. They

have, as I have said, the small kingfisher feet, and the head is very

roller-like.


As far as I can tell, the flight in w r ild life would probably be

of an undulating character, as in the case of the green wmodpecker;

but in a confined space, it is quite straight, very strong and rapid.

I should imagine the motmots do not take very long flights, although

he can move very rapidly. In captivity a motmot will do well on



