Practical Bird-Keeping. — XIII. 1 'ouracous , &c. 147


When these birds commenced to nest, which they did early

in May, the cock was very fierce, and the bird boy fed them in

fear and trembling every morning. This delightful impudence

was one of their most charming traits and they were a constant

source of amusement to all.


Several young were hatched during the season, but only

one reared to maturity, and this bird lived for two years in my

aviary. He never was quite as tame as his parents, a curious fact,

as I hoped he would be equally tame. Touracous love bathing,

and, if given a shallow pan of tepid water, thoroughly enjoy

themselves. They require plenty of room, as the flight is so

beautiful, the carmine flight feathers only show when the wing

is outspread, and a Touracou in a small division is absolutely

wasted.


The sexes ate not easy to distinguish ; at any rate I should

be puzzled if asked to sex a single bird, but with a pair together

it is easy to distinguish them, as the hen is much more feminine¬

looking, and is less fierce and more easily tamed. I think, too,

the bill in the hen is smaller.


For their patience in fully rearing a young bird to maturity

I was awarded a silver medal by the Avicultural Society. A

proud moment and a memorial of these charming birds, which I

much value. A full account of the nesting appears in Ser. 2,

Vol. III. of the Avic. Hag., page 25.


-a- -a- a- A ;


The Bower Birds, of which I have kept several, are also

interesting to keep, but much less easily tamed than the Toura¬

cous. In fact, I can say truthfully, I never succeeded in taming

my birds at all. Probably they live entirely in the thickest of

dense undergrowth and rarely appear in the open, unless to make

and decorate their bower.


They are singularly shy birds, highly nervous, and to be

kept with any degree of pleasure, both to the owner and bird,

must have plenty of cover in which to hide and shelter. My

birds were fully adult when imported, I mean bv this fully grown,

but not in the blue-black plumage an old cock assumes. If

imported young, they might be more easily tamed, but mine were

as wild as Hawks and always remained so.



