122 GARDEN AND AViAUY BIRDS. 



up. With other birds they seem to be quite harmless, 

 even with much smaller ones, but they are liable to 

 fight savagely amongst themselves, so that it must 

 not be expected that more than a pair will live together 

 permanently ; and there is some risk even in putting 

 cock and hen together. Pittas have never been bred in 

 captivity, so that some interesting discoveries very likely 

 await any one who will devote himself to the study of 

 their breeding habits. 



They are not difficult to feed; ghee-and-satoo paste, 

 with a little finely-minced raw meat worked up in it, will 

 do very well as a staple food, and if plenty of maggots 

 are available the meat may be omitted. But plenty of 

 cockroaches, grasshoppers, etc., should always be pro- 

 vided, and any fruit which they may show an inclina- 

 tion for should be given. 



Pittas have been taken to England alive on a few 

 occasions, but are never likely to become common with 

 amateurs there, and so are always worth taking home. 

 On account of their active habits and compact shape, 

 they are easy to keep in good condition even in a small 

 cage, but they must be kept warm. 



