on a Private Collectio?i of Living Birds. 171


dried ants’ eggs: at meal-time my bird was inclined to be a

bully, driving off the other birds by jumping on them in no half¬

hearted fashion, a proceeding which seemed to cause them con¬

siderable inconvenience. Although I have seen it stated in

print that Glossy Starlings, though becoming very tame, are

but short lived in confinement. I have found them to be hard}''

enough, and repeated inspection of the splendid series of these

birds—consisting of Lamprotornis aeneusLamprocolius chalybeus,

L. nite?is, and L. auratus\ —which has been maintained at the

Amsterdam Zoological Gardens during 1899-1902, has convinced

me that, with proper care, they will do at least as well as any

other birds brought from sunny Africa to colder climates. All

the Glossy Starlings delight to bask in the sun : they then preen

their resplendent plumage and endeavour to sing. Young birds

are duller in hue than their seniors, the gorgeous metallic tints

being in them largely represented by lustreless greyish-brown.


Icterus jamacaii (Brazilian Hangnest).


This handsome black-yellow bird is to be seen in every

European Zoo. As regards external characters it is remarkable

for its long and sharply-pointed beak, for the curious area of

naked blue skin adjoining the eye, and for the large powerful

feet. The Hangnest is carnivorous]:, and will promptly kill any

small bird introduced into its cage. Several times small species

such as Mannikins, that had escaped from neighbouring cages,

were seized by my Hangnest, which savagely gripped them by

the leg and endeavoured to drag them through the wires. I have

known a Cordon Bleu ( Estrilda phcenicotis ) to have one leg

almost completely severed from the body by this mode of

attack. In addition to animal food, Icterus jamacaii will also

take fruit. The bird has a curious habit, when feeding on a fig

or similar dainty, of thrusting its closed beak into the fruit, and

then by separating the mandibles with a compass-like action,



* L. caudatus, described above.—R. P.


+ L. purpureus, the Purple-headed Glossy-Starling': I have found these to be

good livers in the aviary, but they must not be over-exposed to cold and cold wet.—

R. P.



t Spiteful and cruel, but not carnivorous; they are rather insectivorous.—R. P.



