on the Nesting of Fraser's Touracou. 27


his wife any dainty ; with a dart he would alight on my head

and begin a vigorous onslaught. I caught him once as a punish¬

ment, but found him very soft-feathered, the feathers coming

out in handfuls, so that this experiment was not repeated. This

summer they were both turned out into an aviary with a small

rhododendron bush in the centre and a little wooden hut for

them to shelter in. In the bush a basket lid was fixed, and in

the house a shallow cup-shaped basket, so that they might have

a choice of nesting accommodation, for I had always heard they

nested like pigeons, making a simple platform of sticks.


African birds appear to be very shy nesters, judging from

the Weavers and Glossy Starlings, so I had very small hopes of

any result. I was away from home all June, and one morning

received a letter to say the Touracous had laid an egg, but

some days after, a shock was sent in the intelligence that after

brooding most carefully for five days, the hen came off the nest

with the remains of the egg adhering to her feathers. This egg

was laid in the house, in the cup-shaped basket.


Egg number two was laid four days afterwards, outside,

on the hamper lid, and now I think my birds did a clever thing.

They carried the egg by some means from the hamper lid to

their old nest, the cup-shaped basket. Now the egg is about the

size of a pullet’s egg, not an easy mouthful, and how they

carried it I do not know, but a Touracou has an enormous gape

and I can only conclude it was carried in the mouth.


However, in spite of every care on the part of the most

attentive parents imaginable, the second egg was broken in the

same way. Undoubtedly the eggs were soft-shelled. So a large

heap of lime was placed in the aviary, hoping that if another

attempt was made, the egg-shell would be harder. Egg number

three was laid on July 25th, and looked a much stronger egg.

It was very pink and laid in the hamper lid, in the rhododendron

bush. I took a peep at it in fear and trembling expecting every

moment to be attacked by the cock, for all this time his temper

had been very “ short,” and no interference was allowed for

a moment.


Another egg was added to the existing egg in three days’

time and then the hen commenced to sit. I was somewhat



