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Mr. Robin Kemp,



CAGE BIRDS IN SIERRA LEONE.


By Robin Kemp.


In March, 1902, the s.s. Fantee landed me at Freetown,

the capital of Sierra Leone, to proceed up country some 55 miles

to the small native town of Rotifunk, then the terminus of the

railway.


There I found quarters in a wooden bungalow, in a

compound containing orange, banana, lime, mangoe and other

trees, from which, as far as the eye could reach, stretched the

primeval bush, occasionally broken by rice-fields and with

numerous swamps in every hollow.


It was not long before I began to get acquainted with the

birds, and, so soon as the natives found a ready purchase for any

of the feathered tribe, they were not slow in trying to

supply me.


First of all a boy brought six or seven Tambourine Doves

(Tympanistria tympanistria ) which he had entrapped in a rice-

field, with all their flight feathers, and in most cases their tails

also, ruthlessly plucked out. Some of these had white breasts

and some grey breasts. But I had no cage to place them in to

prevent them wandering away, so I turned to and with some

empty gin cases and pieces of wire, and a few branches for

perches, managed to make them a couple of fairly roomy cages.

I placed them on the verandah and used to watch them and

wonder if the wliite-breasted ones were the same species as the

grey-breasted. I believe the grey breast is the first year’s

plumage.* They were quite content with rice to eat as also was

the next live bird that was brought along, viz., a Collared

Pigeon (Turtur semitorquatus ). This was a handsome bird,,

though not to be compared with the Green Fruit Pigeon which I

obtained later. He was very wild at first, but settled down in a

week or two. Unfortunately he came to a very sad end.

About two months after obtaining him, I had to pass up-

country on one of my frequent journeys, and left him in the pink

of condition. On my return the following day the cage contained

only three or four bones and feathers. Ants had come, as they''



More likely females.—E d.



