On the Breeding Habits of Heck's Curassow. 23


but just lately I have heard many other calls, and there has been

much excitement in the aviary, the cock constantly displaying to

the liens, and all the birds showing that something unusual is

taking place. Can it be that this is their breeding season and

nesting may be contemplated.


Mr. Goodfellow who has seen a nest and eggs of this bird,

describes it as composed of small sticks and lined with fibre and

placed in low scrubby bushes. As to whether or no they are

polygamous is unknown. Mr. Goodfellow thinks it probable; it

is certain he says that the hen rears the young birds when

hatched, alone, the cock being driven away, but whether or no

he nests again with another mate is uncertain. A young bird

brought to him by the natives in an almost featherless condition

was hand reared by him on hard-boiled egg and banana, for a

time, until one of the caged hens took the youngster and com¬

pleted the rearing, feeding entirely on egg and banana. This

bird was for over a year in Mr. Astley’s aviaries, and finally

returned to mine; it was in perfect health and condition, so there

should be no difficulty in rearing the young if the birds nest.

There will not be that exhausting drain on both purse and

patience which the constant supply of live insects necessitates in

the rearing of the young of the majority of insectivorous birds.



ON THE BREEDING HABITS OF HECK'S

CURASSOW.


(Crax hecki').


By R. I. Pocock, F.R.S., M.B.O.U.


Superintendent of the Zoological Society 1 s Gardens.


Perhaps the most interesting event in bird-breeding

during the past summer in the Zoological Gardens has been the

hatching and, up to the present time, successful rearing of two

Curassows.


In the Society’s fine collection of these birds, the Globose

Curassow (Crax globicera ) has been represented for some years

by three specimens, a cock and two hens. As is the rule in

gallinaceous birds the sexes differ considerably from one another.

The cock not only has at the base of the beak a large clear



