on the breeding of Bnffon’s touracos in France. 213


days. The second clutch was laid immediately, and two young

were hatched on the 10th and 12th of August respectively. This

time the parents took good care of them, and on the 5th of Sept,

the strongest of the two left the nest and was found perching upon

a bush. It was still very small, and covered with black down, and

lacked the crest. But it flew fairly well, as it had some partly-

grown flight feathers which were black in colour; and returned

every night to the nesting-box.


On the 20th of September its crest began to show, and its

feathers grew, some red quills appearing in the wings. The other

young one was rickety like that of the preceding year, and never

left the nest. It died at the beginning of October.


By the 10th of October the length of the surviving young

one was two thirds that of its parents, and its green feathers re¬

placed the black ones.


On the 15th, the red circle showed round the eyes, and a few

days later the white mark was' visible. At the end of October my

Mother put the young bird and its parents in the heated shelter

with their nesting-box, in which they continued to pass the night.


When I went on leave to Villers-Bretonneux in January 1916

I found the young touraco exactly resembled its parents ; the three

birds were always very united, and the parents allowed the young

one to take the pieces of banana which were given to them, first.

These birds, although very quick in their movements, are friendly

and eat out of one’s hand.


The young touraco began to feed itself at about the age of six

weeks ; the two birds fed it by regurgitation, after the manner of

pigeons and parrots. We always give our touracos the same food

even when they have young ones : namely bananas, potatoes chopped

in pieces and dry raisins. They have never eaten mealworms or

bread and milk. I have never seen them hunt for insects, and I

believe them to be purely frugiverous.


To avoid the deaths of so many young ones, I have for the

coming season placed beneath the nesting-box a platform covered

with hay, where the little ones will be received instead of tumbling

to the ground when they are pushed out of the nest. An attempt

will then be made to rear them by hand. I hope to succeed, because



